"Let me tell you of a possible future."
The setting sun bathes the world in crimson, heralding the end of battle.
The outcome was already decided; no miracle would occur, and a foregone conclusion was upon Holy Knight Ronius.
"A future where you heeded the words of Holy Knight Verdel, who died so disgracefully at your feet."
Atou held the blade-scarred Holy Knight Ronius aloft with her tentacles, speaking to him directly.
He no longer had the strength to resist. Thoroughly broken by Holy Knight Verdel's swordsmanship, his will to fight and capacity to resist were shattered at the root, leaving him devoid of all spirit.
Atou spoke. She spoke quietly.
Though her duty was to kill him immediately—had to do it, could only do it—Atou proceeded to speak at length.
"Even if you did not agree with that decision, but accepted it. You would be able to return safely home to your homeland.
You would submit your report as usual—well, your evaluation might suffer somewhat—but you could still finish your mission and be on your way.
The ones greeting you would be your beloved wife and daughter. The warmth of your home, the fragrant scent of soup. You would embrace them both, whisper words of affection, and thank the gods for your safe return, vowing again to protect this peace.
...Peace would have come to me as well. I would have been relieved to find you surprisingly reasonable, and drifted off to sleep hoping this tranquility would last forever."
Though spoken quietly, her words were laced with clear hatred.
Why hadn't he done that? Why had he ignored her advice and rushed in foolishly?
A definite anger resided there.
"Let me tell you of the future you chose."
Ronius was already on the verge of death.
Was the bleeding from his lacerations clouding his consciousness? But faint breaths still escaped his lips, and his eyes were open just a sliver.
It was proof his soul had not yet departed.
"You are going to die. You will be tormented miserably, achieving nothing, and then you will die."
Having learned the names of your family, what I should do next is kill them. The way I envision it, Masha and Mina will be tormented before they are killed. Oh, but your daughter was still an infant, wasn’t she? Since we’re at it, I’ll play the monster and eat her. I’m not particularly fond of human flesh, to be honest, but if I roast or boil it and add plenty of spices, it’s quite edible, so please rest assured.
As she speaks at length, Atou stares at Ronius’s face. His expression is filled with anguish, regret, and despair, and as if savoring every ounce of it, her words gradually take on a luster, brimming with ecstasy. Atou was enjoying this situation.
"And there’s more. Between the northern and southern continents, there are the Quolia villages where you stayed during your travels, correct? Without any reason or purpose, I’ll kill all the residents on sight and burn them to the ground. Ah, by any chance, if someone happens to share the name of your wife or daughter, I’ll be sure to torment them thoroughly before killing them, so please be delighted."
Ronius shook his head slightly. It was a protest and a plea for mercy, wrung from the last flickering embers of his life’s flame.
"I was taught by someone important that if I’m underestimated, it’s over, so I must kill them then. So I will kill them. No matter how many—hundreds, thousands—I will kill them. It’s pitiful, and honestly, I don’t want to do it, but I will kill them anyway. That is your choice."
"Stop... please, stop," he rasped, the words scraping from his throat.
She deliberately ignored his gasping pleas. Just as Ronius had ignored the voice of Atou when she sought peace all those years ago. Atou, too, did not grant his wish.
"You were probably a good man. You prayed to the gods, served your country, and loved your family above all else. How admirable. That’s exactly why I despise those who believe themselves righteous."
Having hurled those soul-binding curse words to her heart’s content, Atou was finally satisfied. Perhaps it was more accurate to say she had grown bored. But either way, the life walked by the man known as Holy Knight Ronius was now being crushed here, and that fact remained unchanged.
"Goodbye, Holy Knight Ronius. You, who were gentle and brave, will surely be enveloped in God’s love and head for heaven. From the throned seat in heaven, please watch to your heart’s content as your loved ones die miserably. Fufu, ahaha…"
The witch laughed.
As if cursing everything in existence, as if detesting all things.
Ronius’s heart was driven mad—first by the regret of a catastrophic mistake, then by the certainty that his instincts had truly perceived this evil, and above all by…
the despair his loved ones were about to endure.
"AAAAAAAAAAH!"
"Ahahahahahaha!"
Thus, the investigation party—exposed to an unforeseen calamity by the blind justice and tunnel vision of one man—lost every last life on the southern continent.
Only silence remained.
The sole survivor was the calamity’s hero.
A breeze swept through, carrying a cool clarity as it brushed Atou’s hair.
She gazed quietly at the corpse of the fallen holy knight Verdel for a time, as if offering a silent farewell.
………
……
…
"Your performance was exemplary, Lady Atou. Please leave the handling of the corpses to us."
A figure emerged from behind.
Recognizing the speaker as Gia, the warrior chief who had been lurking in the forest, Atou replied without turning.
"I’d prefer not to waste time. I’ll help, so let’s finish this quickly."
The bodies numbered around fifty.
Leaving them all here risked exposing the battle that had taken place.
Though the blood absorbed by the ground could never be fully cleansed, at least the foul odor of decaying flesh would not linger to attract magical beasts and predators.
Concealment was the utmost priority, and the ability to claim their equipment intact held significant meaning for their resource-starved nation. Thus, the disposal of the bodies was essential.
Atou extended its tentacles, deftly gathering the corpses into a single pile.
While overseeing the warriors transporting the remains deep into the forest, Gear addressed Atou.
"The outcome is rather unfavorable, Sir Atou."
"Yes. They appear to have been investigating some anomaly within this forest. It is possible they suspected our presence."
"To think! That... that is..."
"The sage called Verdel seemed amenable, so I believed success was possible..."
"In truth, we had no intention of provoking conflict with their nation. Our territories are distant; I had privately hoped for the best possible outcome as I listened..."
"Well. It likely means basic-good attributes simply cannot comprehend each other."
Initially, Atou had conducted dialogue with them while posing as a Dark Elf girl who had escaped. This was a strategy to avoid exposing Mynoghra's existence—an action born of not knowing the opponent's true objective.
Through conversation, they would gauge the other party's stance and negotiate. If the intruders withdrew, well and good. If they did not, information security took precedence, and total annihilation was the only option.
That was Takuto's plan.
But as it turned out, this was the result. Perhaps a better method existed, yet considering their objective, extermination was unavoidable regardless. At the very least, the option of revealing Mynoghra's existence could not be considered. Therefore, this outcome was likely unavoidable.
Gear, while understanding they remained in a critical situation, sent orders to his subordinates to expedite the work. At the same time, he stole a glance at Atou and, voicing the doubt he had harbored for some time, posed his question directly.
"Lord Atou... the words you spoke earlier. You truly intend to carry them out?"
"Words I spoke? Oh! About his wife and child? Of course not!"
Ghea was struck dumb by the response.
While Atou negotiated with the armed group under the guise of investigation and diplomacy, they had been hiding in the woods behind them, silently overhearing every exchange.
Under King Takuto of Mynoghra's strict orders not to reveal themselves unless Atou faced danger, they had not joined the confrontation.
They had been observing the entire time, but Atou's words were enough to chill even the heart of the evil Ghea had become.
That it was all a lie... and moreover, Atou's manner, as if to ask "What sort of foolish joke did you take seriously?" left Ghea beyond exasperated, simply speechless.
"I was merely curious about what expression that holy knight would make, so I said it to spite him. I'm a pacifist, you know. I could never do something so terrifying..."
As the girl chuckled, Ghea could not help but feel a chill.
Despite the terror felt at their first encounter, he had come to perceive a certain humanity in her through their interactions.
With her slightly airheaded moments, and occasional dejection when rebuked by the king, she even seemed like a genuine young girl at times.
Ghea now realized his every assumption had been mistaken. Before him stood a being from a different dimension of demonhood entirely.
Of course, this did not make him sympathetic to the slain holy knights.
If Atou had not killed them, Ghea and the dark elves would have been the ones killed instead.
Interrogations by the Western Kingdom were brutal, famously merciless to evil entities.
Should Mynoghra's existence be discovered, their actions were easily imagined, given their devotion to order and justice.
To show consideration for the other party the very moment one's own safety was secured would be utter foolishness.
Ghea had not forgotten the treatment his tribe had received.
There was no need to weigh on a scale whom to prioritize: the dear companions he knew, or some strangers in an unknown place. The judgment was obvious.
"Now, let's set aside the chatter and finish this quickly. There is much to report directly to the king."
"Hmm? Is something concerning you?"
Even though the immediate crisis had passed, Gear tilted her head at Atou's hurried demeanor. There didn't seem to be any obvious problem, but apparently something was heading in an unexpected direction somewhere beyond her knowledge.
"Yes, when we defeated the enemy, I was able to seize some information. It's... not a good trend."
When he killed the Holy Knight Verdel, the dying knight's will had flowed into Atou. Most of it was worthless information about his comrades, but the details concerning the unrest in the Northern Province were more than enough to pique Atou's interest. And above all, the existence called the Witch.
A continental calamity rumored to be on par with the Holy Maiden possessed by the Holy Kingdom of Quolia and the El-Nar Spirit Covenant Union. Fortunately, they hadn't encountered one yet, but if Atou's prediction was correct, it was a being with power rivaling a Hero-class.
Mynoghra was still lacking in both national strength and military power. Even their sole advantage—the power of a Hero—would be diminished if the enemy possessed forces of a similar scale. They would have to urgently consider countermeasures and future policies.
Gear, sensing the gravity of the situation from Atou's attitude, nodded silently. Her concerns were the concerns of the state, and ultimately, a threat that endangered the peace of every citizen.
With a quick hand signal to the war party to hurry the work along, she herself joined in processing the corpses. The world was about to move on a grand scale.