The nightmare she had barely managed to bury came back to life.
Her whole body had been razed as if a blade had sprouted from her skin. The pain she imagined spread like a fire, and she had no way to control it.
Rachel grabbed Gallatin.
"You seem to have forgotten." The man in the black robe's words was far different from the truth.
Rachel had never forgotten that day, but the only way she could survive was by suppressing it.
She had no desire to live. Remembering that day, even if for just a moment, was enough to break her down and awaken the mental pathologies such as trauma and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder engraved deep in her heart.
"I never... forgot." She said, mustering up what little strength she could squeeze out. The man only laughed in disdain.
"You're disgusting. Really, you're abominable."
Clear hostility began to radiate from their opponents. Her subordinates held onto their swords tighter.
But she didn't think they could cut them off.
"Because of you, we..."
The man didn't say much. They, too, couldn't talk about what they lost in the past. Keeping their mouths shut, they emanated more mana. Hundreds of flames and needles tightly condensed in the air.
Masses of mixed chants and incantations entangled with rites and spells. They were all triggered simultaneously.
Rachel swung Gallatin in a wide arc, unleashing a sword barrier along with her spirits to protect her subordinates.
Boom!
Her sword and their mana collided, causing intense vibrations. Their attacks scattered on the ground, followed by the eruption of an explosive roar that seemed to shake the heavens and the earth. Red and blue embers danced brilliantly amid the air.
Regardless of the outcome of their match, both sides would suffer far too many casualties. No matter who won, they'd still be losing.
Rachel would much rather ask him if they'd be able to forget their grudges in exchange for her head. If her life would be enough to let her subordinates leave safely and forgive the innocent people of England.
If he could do that, she'd willingly sacrifice herself.
She wanted to give up.
Suffering from unbearable fatigue and sadness, she felt weakness spring up, convincing her that it wouldn't be bad to leave everything behind and rest for eternity.
Gwooooh...
At that moment, the mana wave that had attacked them the other day gathered again.
Their arrogant secret art ignorantly conglomerated mana without the need for chants. Once released, it would relentlessly attempt to fulfill its purpose: the absolute destruction of its caster's opponent.
But that meant it wouldn't target anybody else.
"Everyone, back off." Rachel stepped forward calmly.
"You can't- Ugh!"
"Aaah!"
They refused to follow her orders, but she swiftly mobilized Windy to push them to a far enough distance from her.
Swooooosh-!
At the same time, her opponents' mana wave began its assault. Coursing through the ground and the atmosphere, it turned anything it touched into ashes.
With her eyes locked on it, she faced it head-on. She didn't want to take even a step away from it.
Rachel infused mana and spirits into Gallatin.
However, an uninvited guest interrupted this momentous event of hers.
RUMBLE!
A huge object fell from the sky.
The monster's body slid and curved around between her and the mana wave, serving as some sort of barricade.
“…?”
Swoooosh-!
She looked at it, puzzled. She thought the incoming flood would crush that lump of iron, but it managed to withstand its force. Moreover, it also resisted and deflected all that crashed against it.
"What's happening..."
Amid her astonishment, a man fell and landed from the sky as the mana wave died out.
Rachel tried to look at his face, but he wore a gas mask. Nevertheless, everyone gathered here already knew who he was.
"Go. I'll take care of this."
Xtra had revealed himself.
But she didn't want to run away. When she hesitated, Xtra urged her, his tone filled with frustration.
"You can't fight them anyway. Even if you give up on your head today, their next target would be England. What would these people know? They're unaware of what happened before and after the incident yet still resent you. Do you think they'll stop just because you died?"
There was a big difference between how he sounded in person and through the crystal ball. Unlike before, his voice now seemed somewhat familiar. However, giving her no time to think, her members flocked around her.
Xtra looked at them intently.
"You need to get stronger. It's not your fault you survived. So—" An awl rushed towards him. He avoided it by twisting his body slightly, but it still hit and tore off a part of his gas mask. Through that gap, Rachel's eyes met his.
"... Stop disturbing me and piss off." He growled, tossing a small dog-looking machine at them. "Take it. It'll show you the way."
Though bewildered, Fermin acted swiftly to catch it. As she did, Xtra pulled a smoke grenade out of his arm pockets.
Boom-!
When it exploded, it released a thick, black smokescreen, preventing their opponents from seeing an inch ahead and allowing Rachel's subordinates to drag her away.
"If you do that again, Vice-captain, you'll have to be prepared for the worst."
"Wait, let me go-"
"If I could, I would flick your forehead, but I'm holding back."
"I beg your pardon? Ugh!"
One of the members flicked his finger against Rachel's forehead, his expression filled with rage.
"You're just a kid who's seven years younger than me... Don't annoy us."
"Darren finally said something right after so long."
Feeling betrayed, they pulled her away from the battle with stern warnings and started following the mechanical puppy, which was already on the run.
* * *
The trap that caught the British Royal Guild was unavoidable. It was a kind of barrier that limited their path, allowing their enemies to set a separate entrance they could pull Rachel into. With my helicopter in the sky, I couldn't enter along with them.
I immediately lowered my altitude and ran to the barrier entrance as soon as I noticed it. However, by the time I entered the barrier, the situation had already reached its climax. A mana wave was rushing towards Rachel, who seemed determined to handle it directly.
Without thinking too deeply about it, I threw the helicopter between them, using it to block the mana wave.
"Who are you to intervene in our affairs?"
I somehow managed to get Rachel out of here as well, leaving me alone in front of their opponents.
"Do you think you can defeat us all on your own?" A robed man said. He seemed to be acting as their chieftain.
"Why? Does the interruption of an extra you thought you had gotten rid of anger you?"
Now that I was in this mess with no means of escape, a problem immediately presented itself.
How could I beat these guys?
Of course, I didn't just step forward recklessly. There was at least one thing I could rely on.
As soon as Rachel awakened her attribute harmony, the system gave me some sort of reward.
[You have been granted Special Succession, the Secret Tower bonus!]
[You will receive one item!]
[Item Succession ▶ 「Dark Ore Arrow」]
[Dark Ore Arrow]
— A mysterious arrow crafted by a Dwarf with the finest dark ore.
— List of engraved effects:
1. 「Advanced Destructive Power」
2. 「Advanced Penetration」
3. 「Advanced Dark Trail」
4 ,「Intermediate Magic Destruction」
5 ,「Intermediate Follower of WIII」
An arrow with the Follower of Will, an unheard effect.
I had a huge bow called the [Black Lotus Bow], but I couldn't use it fully because I didn't have arrows. This fixed that problem.
"You're just a bastard who has nothing to do with this." Wrath filled his voice, but I found his remarks funny.
The reason why these guys could speak in Korean right now... No, the reason why this whole world was formed was me. How could I not have anything to do with this?
"Did you fall in love with that princess? Are you protecting her because of such trivial feelings?"
I didn't answer. Extras normally had no lines anyway.
"She won't love you back. That woman isn't capable of that. For as long as she lives with the burden of thousands of deaths, for as long as their spirits and curses envelop her heart, you will find nothing but betrayal and solitude from her."
I nocked an arrow on the bow, unfazed by his words. I was the one who dictated Rachel's fate.
"You too will be betrayed by the princess. Such is her nature."
"... What kind of bullshit are you talking about, you asshole?"
I pulled on the bowstring and let it loose.
Silently, it flew through the dark mist, its black trail piercing through someone's head, crushing another's heart, then severing a spine before returning to me.
Three targets seemed to be my limit since I still lacked proficiency in using it.
"Kill him!"
They manifested their mana flooding me with hundreds of thousands of magic and spells in retaliation.
"... Ugh!"
One of the awls bolting towards me from all directions hit my shoulder, instilling a burning pain in me.
"Hahahaha!"
Hearing my groan, one of them laughed out loud unpleasantly.
"I can't help it..."
The time had come to use the SP I had accumulated thus far.
* * *
The British Royal Guild followed the mechanical dog.
They didn't say anything and just walked along the road it led them to. Eventually, they came out of the maze in dark silence.
As soon as they stepped outside, the blurry sight of a huge palace dawned upon them. Its blue spires protected its four sides, and its round ceiling resembled a half-moon.
The Hall.
Rachel didn't say anything. Rather, she glanced behind her, seemingly expecting someone.
"... Let's go, Vice-captain." Fermin, walking ahead of them, called out to her.
With a nod, she began moving with them.
The British Royal Guild had to walk another two hours to reach its main gate of the Hall. They weren't that far from it if they traveled in a straight line, but they encountered quite a few monsters along the way, including a pack of twilight wolves, forcing them to take longer routes.
"I'll open it now."
"Yes, Vice-captain."
Rachel put her hand on the Hall's huge doors. Upon sensing her touch, it opened automatically.
"... What?"
"... Wow."
They grew speechless, and their jaws dropped. The entire place was decorated with brilliant jewels and crystals from floors to columns and ceilings.
Two people stood in the middle of its grandiose exterior.
Nevertheless, their intense presence filled this gigantic infrastructure. Nobody in existence probably didn't know Aileen and Jin Seyeon.
"... Hmph. Nice to see you."
Standing upright, Aileen spoke sullenly. The eleven British Royal Guild members dared look directly at her in turn.
This was the first time they saw her in person. She was so small and cute they couldn't help but wonder if she really was the rude devil from the Temple of Justice.
"It seems you succeeded somehow. Well, you may proceed."
She pointed to the end of the eastern hallway. Rachel nodded and led the guild towards it.
"Wait, where's that mercenary?" Aileen asked, her eyebrow raised. All of them turned to her in surprise.
How did she know about Xtra? Did that mean that all of this had been a test of the Association after all?
She shook her head.
"No, it's not that. This isn't a test. Look at your smartwatch. The Hall probably texted you by now."
The members looked down at their wrists simultaneously.
A miraculous field that makes everything possible, where everything can be resolved!]
[Welcome to the Hall!]
[Now that a total of 20 teams have gathered, the conference will be held the following day. Please look forward to entering the field!]
"... What is this?"
"As I said, that's the Hall. It did everything, from calling you here and hiring me. It seems to possess intelligence comparable to or even higher than that of humans." Aileen answered her question indifferently, but that didn't make it easier to understand.
"Then-"
"Gosh, enough. If you want answers, go find it yourself."
She was unkind and blunt. She didn't like women who were more than 10 centimeters taller than her.
For reference, her external height was 157.1 cm tall, or so she claimed.
"... Ahaha. Nice to meet you, British Royal Guild members."
Jin Seyeon stepped forward and welcomed them amiably, which was the complete opposite of how Aileen greeted them.
"... You too."
However, the atmosphere of the royal family remained gloomy.
Even though Aileen and Jin Seyeon were huge celebrities, they didn't feel like talking to them.
"Ahem. It looks like you're all exhausted. Hahaha. For now, please follow me."
Embarrassed, she scratched the back of her neck and guided them into the quarters the Hall had assigned them to.
Its interior was nice and clean. It had about six rooms connected to the spacious living room, and most importantly, had three bathrooms. Unable to see a toilet or shower for a week, the members forgot about their depression and rejoiced upon finding such amenities.
"Feel free to rest until you receive a message, which might be at any given moment, so make sure to have your smartwatch notification alarms on at all times. Now, then. I'll leave you be. I'll come back later once you've recovered." Jin Seyeon left.
The members first slowly unpacked their luggage. Of course, even then, they remained silent.
“…”
Rachel entered a room alone, sat on the bed, and took out the crystal ball. Unfortunately, it was still black.
Sighing deeply, she recalled Xtra's appearance.
His eyes, which had been revealed when his gas mask broke, seemed somewhat familiar. His voice, too.
She was particularly adept in remembering people and wasn't the type to be mistaken about their identities, but she still couldn't easily guess his.
They didn't have that many things to do with each other, after all.
- I'm your fan.
A voice she heard before played faintly in her mind.
But it was an impossible delusion.
From such a distance, he wouldn't be able to watch her without revealing himself, and there would be many who'd resemble him in the world since his face wasn't that unique.
More importantly, he used a gun, not a bow, as his weapon...
Rachel looked at the crystal ball in her hands again. Clenching her teeth, she began blaming herself.
She once again put people that had nothing to do with her in danger.
Creek-
While she was lost in her own guilt, the door opened slowly. Fermin then entered carefully, her eyes glancing at her, and sat right beside her.
Her Vice-captain looked at her, but she didn't say anything. The two stayed still for quite a while.
"... You know about it, right?" Fermin said as she wiggled her hand, gently breaking the silence that seemed to last forever. "That my mother also died there."
“…”
Rachel raised her head and gazed at her. Of course, she knew.
Smiled bitterly, she continued.
"Naturally, back then, I also resented you. No, I resented the whole country. I cried a lot too." The smile on her lips disappeared as she shook her head firmly. Like always, she was honest. "But not anymore. It wasn't your fault. Perhaps it was the country's fault, but... it's all in the past, isn't it?"
Fermin looked at Rachel, who just sat there thinking of herself as a sinner.
'There are really, really good people around me...'
"That's what I think, at least. I understand their resentment, but I think it's wrong to express it through violence. The chain of hatred can't be broken that way. If we want to be freed from it, we need to destroy it together."
Fermin took Rachel's hand, its warmth permeating her skin.
"You remembered me and didn't forget my mother. Using that as my source of strength, I removed hatred from within me using my own hands."
Their gazes locked for a moment. Small teardrops flowed from their eyes.
"So, please stop hating yourself too. That won't change things."
“…”
"Okay?"
They stared into each other's eyes for a few more moments until Fermin's bizarre scream disrupted their silence, her gaze now on Rachel's hand.
"Kyaaah!"
"Aaah! W-what?!"
"L-Look!"
Fermin pointed to the crystal ball in her palm.
Its blue light had been rekindled.
The nightmare she had barely managed to bury came back to life.
Her whole body had been razed as if a blade had sprouted from her skin. The pain she imagined spread like a fire, and she had no way to control it.
Rachel grabbed Gallatin.
"You seem to have forgotten." The man in the black robe's words was far different from the truth.
Rachel had never forgotten that day, but the only way she could survive was by suppressing it.
She had no desire to live. Remembering that day, even if for just a moment, was enough to break her down and awaken the mental pathologies such as trauma and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder engraved deep in her heart.
"I never... forgot." She said, mustering up what little strength she could squeeze out. The man only laughed in disdain.
"You're disgusting. Really, you're abominable."
Clear hostility began to radiate from their opponents. Her subordinates held onto their swords tighter.
But she didn't think they could cut them off.
"Because of you, we..."
The man didn't say much. They, too, couldn't talk about what they lost in the past. Keeping their mouths shut, they emanated more mana. Hundreds of flames and needles tightly condensed in the air.
Masses of mixed chants and incantations entangled with rites and spells. They were all triggered simultaneously.
Rachel swung Gallatin in a wide arc, unleashing a sword barrier along with her spirits to protect her subordinates.
Boom!
Her sword and their mana collided, causing intense vibrations. Their attacks scattered on the ground, followed by the eruption of an explosive roar that seemed to shake the heavens and the earth. Red and blue embers danced brilliantly amid the air.
Regardless of the outcome of their match, both sides would suffer far too many casualties. No matter who won, they'd still be losing.
Rachel would much rather ask him if they'd be able to forget their grudges in exchange for her head. If her life would be enough to let her subordinates leave safely and forgive the innocent people of England.
If he could do that, she'd willingly sacrifice herself.
She wanted to give up.
Suffering from unbearable fatigue and sadness, she felt weakness spring up, convincing her that it wouldn't be bad to leave everything behind and rest for eternity.
Gwooooh...
At that moment, the mana wave that had attacked them the other day gathered again.
Their arrogant secret art ignorantly conglomerated mana without the need for chants. Once released, it would relentlessly attempt to fulfill its purpose: the absolute destruction of its caster's opponent.
But that meant it wouldn't target anybody else.
"Everyone, back off." Rachel stepped forward calmly.
"You can't- Ugh!"
"Aaah!"
They refused to follow her orders, but she swiftly mobilized Windy to push them to a far enough distance from her.
Swooooosh-!
At the same time, her opponents' mana wave began its assault. Coursing through the ground and the atmosphere, it turned anything it touched into ashes.
With her eyes locked on it, she faced it head-on. She didn't want to take even a step away from it.
Rachel infused mana and spirits into Gallatin.
However, an uninvited guest interrupted this momentous event of hers.
RUMBLE!
A huge object fell from the sky.
The monster's body slid and curved around between her and the mana wave, serving as some sort of barricade.
“…?”
Swoooosh-!
She looked at it, puzzled. She thought the incoming flood would crush that lump of iron, but it managed to withstand its force. Moreover, it also resisted and deflected all that crashed against it.
"What's happening..."
Amid her astonishment, a man fell and landed from the sky as the mana wave died out.
Rachel tried to look at his face, but he wore a gas mask. Nevertheless, everyone gathered here already knew who he was.
"Go. I'll take care of this."
Xtra had revealed himself.
But she didn't want to run away. When she hesitated, Xtra urged her, his tone filled with frustration.
"You can't fight them anyway. Even if you give up on your head today, their next target would be England. What would these people know? They're unaware of what happened before and after the incident yet still resent you. Do you think they'll stop just because you died?"
There was a big difference between how he sounded in person and through the crystal ball. Unlike before, his voice now seemed somewhat familiar. However, giving her no time to think, her members flocked around her.
Xtra looked at them intently.
"You need to get stronger. It's not your fault you survived. So—" An awl rushed towards him. He avoided it by twisting his body slightly, but it still hit and tore off a part of his gas mask. Through that gap, Rachel's eyes met his.
"... Stop disturbing me and piss off." He growled, tossing a small dog-looking machine at them. "Take it. It'll show you the way."
Though bewildered, Fermin acted swiftly to catch it. As she did, Xtra pulled a smoke grenade out of his arm pockets.
Boom-!
When it exploded, it released a thick, black smokescreen, preventing their opponents from seeing an inch ahead and allowing Rachel's subordinates to drag her away.
"If you do that again, Vice-captain, you'll have to be prepared for the worst."
"Wait, let me go-"
"If I could, I would flick your forehead, but I'm holding back."
"I beg your pardon? Ugh!"
One of the members flicked his finger against Rachel's forehead, his expression filled with rage.
"You're just a kid who's seven years younger than me... Don't annoy us."
"Darren finally said something right after so long."
Feeling betrayed, they pulled her away from the battle with stern warnings and started following the mechanical puppy, which was already on the run.
* * *
The trap that caught the British Royal Guild was unavoidable. It was a kind of barrier that limited their path, allowing their enemies to set a separate entrance they could pull Rachel into. With my helicopter in the sky, I couldn't enter along with them.
I immediately lowered my altitude and ran to the barrier entrance as soon as I noticed it. However, by the time I entered the barrier, the situation had already reached its climax. A mana wave was rushing towards Rachel, who seemed determined to handle it directly.
Without thinking too deeply about it, I threw the helicopter between them, using it to block the mana wave.
"Who are you to intervene in our affairs?"
I somehow managed to get Rachel out of here as well, leaving me alone in front of their opponents.
"Do you think you can defeat us all on your own?" A robed man said. He seemed to be acting as their chieftain.
"Why? Does the interruption of an extra you thought you had gotten rid of anger you?"
Now that I was in this mess with no means of escape, a problem immediately presented itself.
How could I beat these guys?
Of course, I didn't just step forward recklessly. There was at least one thing I could rely on.
As soon as Rachel awakened her attribute harmony, the system gave me some sort of reward.
[You have been granted Special Succession, the Secret Tower bonus!]
[You will receive one item!]
[Item Succession ▶ 「Dark Ore Arrow」]
[Dark Ore Arrow]
— A mysterious arrow crafted by a Dwarf with the finest dark ore.
— List of engraved effects:
1. 「Advanced Destructive Power」
2. 「Advanced Penetration」
3. 「Advanced Dark Trail」
4 ,「Intermediate Magic Destruction」
5 ,「Intermediate Follower of WIII」
An arrow with the Follower of Will, an unheard effect.
I had a huge bow called the [Black Lotus Bow], but I couldn't use it fully because I didn't have arrows. This fixed that problem.
"You're just a bastard who has nothing to do with this." Wrath filled his voice, but I found his remarks funny.
The reason why these guys could speak in Korean right now... No, the reason why this whole world was formed was me. How could I not have anything to do with this?
"Did you fall in love with that princess? Are you protecting her because of such trivial feelings?"
I didn't answer. Extras normally had no lines anyway.
"She won't love you back. That woman isn't capable of that. For as long as she lives with the burden of thousands of deaths, for as long as their spirits and curses envelop her heart, you will find nothing but betrayal and solitude from her."
I nocked an arrow on the bow, unfazed by his words. I was the one who dictated Rachel's fate.
"You too will be betrayed by the princess. Such is her nature."
"... What kind of bullshit are you talking about, you asshole?"
I pulled on the bowstring and let it loose.
Silently, it flew through the dark mist, its black trail piercing through someone's head, crushing another's heart, then severing a spine before returning to me.
Three targets seemed to be my limit since I still lacked proficiency in using it.
"Kill him!"
They manifested their mana flooding me with hundreds of thousands of magic and spells in retaliation.
"... Ugh!"
One of the awls bolting towards me from all directions hit my shoulder, instilling a burning pain in me.
"Hahahaha!"
Hearing my groan, one of them laughed out loud unpleasantly.
"I can't help it..."
The time had come to use the SP I had accumulated thus far.
* * *
The British Royal Guild followed the mechanical dog.
They didn't say anything and just walked along the road it led them to. Eventually, they came out of the maze in dark silence.
As soon as they stepped outside, the blurry sight of a huge palace dawned upon them. Its blue spires protected its four sides, and its round ceiling resembled a half-moon.
The Hall.
Rachel didn't say anything. Rather, she glanced behind her, seemingly expecting someone.
"... Let's go, Vice-captain." Fermin, walking ahead of them, called out to her.
With a nod, she began moving with them.
The British Royal Guild had to walk another two hours to reach its main gate of the Hall. They weren't that far from it if they traveled in a straight line, but they encountered quite a few monsters along the way, including a pack of twilight wolves, forcing them to take longer routes.
"I'll open it now."
"Yes, Vice-captain."
Rachel put her hand on the Hall's huge doors. Upon sensing her touch, it opened automatically.
"... What?"
"... Wow."
They grew speechless, and their jaws dropped. The entire place was decorated with brilliant jewels and crystals from floors to columns and ceilings.
Two people stood in the middle of its grandiose exterior.
Nevertheless, their intense presence filled this gigantic infrastructure. Nobody in existence probably didn't know Aileen and Jin Seyeon.
"... Hmph. Nice to see you."
Standing upright, Aileen spoke sullenly. The eleven British Royal Guild members dared look directly at her in turn.
This was the first time they saw her in person. She was so small and cute they couldn't help but wonder if she really was the rude devil from the Temple of Justice.
"It seems you succeeded somehow. Well, you may proceed."
She pointed to the end of the eastern hallway. Rachel nodded and led the guild towards it.
"Wait, where's that mercenary?" Aileen asked, her eyebrow raised. All of them turned to her in surprise.
How did she know about Xtra? Did that mean that all of this had been a test of the Association after all?
She shook her head.
"No, it's not that. This isn't a test. Look at your smartwatch. The Hall probably texted you by now."
The members looked down at their wrists simultaneously.
A miraculous field that makes everything possible, where everything can be resolved!]
[Welcome to the Hall!]
[Now that a total of 20 teams have gathered, the conference will be held the following day. Please look forward to entering the field!]
"... What is this?"
"As I said, that's the Hall. It did everything, from calling you here and hiring me. It seems to possess intelligence comparable to or even higher than that of humans." Aileen answered her question indifferently, but that didn't make it easier to understand.
"Then-"
"Gosh, enough. If you want answers, go find it yourself."
She was unkind and blunt. She didn't like women who were more than 10 centimeters taller than her.
For reference, her external height was 157.1 cm tall, or so she claimed.
"... Ahaha. Nice to meet you, British Royal Guild members."
Jin Seyeon stepped forward and welcomed them amiably, which was the complete opposite of how Aileen greeted them.
"... You too."
However, the atmosphere of the royal family remained gloomy.
Even though Aileen and Jin Seyeon were huge celebrities, they didn't feel like talking to them.
"Ahem. It looks like you're all exhausted. Hahaha. For now, please follow me."
Embarrassed, she scratched the back of her neck and guided them into the quarters the Hall had assigned them to.
Its interior was nice and clean. It had about six rooms connected to the spacious living room, and most importantly, had three bathrooms. Unable to see a toilet or shower for a week, the members forgot about their depression and rejoiced upon finding such amenities.
"Feel free to rest until you receive a message, which might be at any given moment, so make sure to have your smartwatch notification alarms on at all times. Now, then. I'll leave you be. I'll come back later once you've recovered." Jin Seyeon left.
The members first slowly unpacked their luggage. Of course, even then, they remained silent.
“…”
Rachel entered a room alone, sat on the bed, and took out the crystal ball. Unfortunately, it was still black.
Sighing deeply, she recalled Xtra's appearance.
His eyes, which had been revealed when his gas mask broke, seemed somewhat familiar. His voice, too.
She was particularly adept in remembering people and wasn't the type to be mistaken about their identities, but she still couldn't easily guess his.
They didn't have that many things to do with each other, after all.
- I'm your fan.
A voice she heard before played faintly in her mind.
But it was an impossible delusion.
From such a distance, he wouldn't be able to watch her without revealing himself, and there would be many who'd resemble him in the world since his face wasn't that unique.
More importantly, he used a gun, not a bow, as his weapon...
Rachel looked at the crystal ball in her hands again. Clenching her teeth, she began blaming herself.
She once again put people that had nothing to do with her in danger.
Creek-
While she was lost in her own guilt, the door opened slowly. Fermin then entered carefully, her eyes glancing at her, and sat right beside her.
Her Vice-captain looked at her, but she didn't say anything. The two stayed still for quite a while.
"... You know about it, right?" Fermin said as she wiggled her hand, gently breaking the silence that seemed to last forever. "That my mother also died there."
“…”
Rachel raised her head and gazed at her. Of course, she knew.
Smiled bitterly, she continued.
"Naturally, back then, I also resented you. No, I resented the whole country. I cried a lot too." The smile on her lips disappeared as she shook her head firmly. Like always, she was honest. "But not anymore. It wasn't your fault. Perhaps it was the country's fault, but... it's all in the past, isn't it?"
Fermin looked at Rachel, who just sat there thinking of herself as a sinner.
'There are really, really good people around me...'
"That's what I think, at least. I understand their resentment, but I think it's wrong to express it through violence. The chain of hatred can't be broken that way. If we want to be freed from it, we need to destroy it together."
Fermin took Rachel's hand, its warmth permeating her skin.
"You remembered me and didn't forget my mother. Using that as my source of strength, I removed hatred from within me using my own hands."
Their gazes locked for a moment. Small teardrops flowed from their eyes.
"So, please stop hating yourself too. That won't change things."
“…”
"Okay?"
They stared into each other's eyes for a few more moments until Fermin's bizarre scream disrupted their silence, her gaze now on Rachel's hand.
"Kyaaah!"
"Aaah! W-what?!"
"L-Look!"
Fermin pointed to the crystal ball in her palm.
Its blue light had been rekindled.
