Herald Of Ruin (6)

“Knock it off, Arael!”

Even from the reactions of the four of Flowers, Birds, Wind, Moon—no, the three who remained—you could tell.

Arael was not trying to absorb Azadine’s body into herself; she was, on the contrary, trying to give her own body to Azadine.

Twins could exchange blood with each other. If Arael sacrificed herself, Azadine might not only survive but also recover from his crippled state and regain his strength.

But receiving such a great favor would mean he had to forgive Arael.

He hated that. Azadine was not ready to forgive Arael yet. And now she was forcing forgiveness upon him?

Judging by Indim’s, Seraph’s, and Dimia’s faces, this had never been agreed upon. He did not want to be saddled for life with the duty to forgive her because of a decision she made on her own.

“Arael! Then you absorb me instead! You have to lead the rebellion!”

“…That was a lie.”

“What?”

“That talk about rebelling for the prosperity of the Aragasa! Let the Aragasa burn for all I care! Prosperity—what nonsense!”

“……”

Looking back, it was obvious. There was no reason Arael wouldn’t hate the Aragasa.

“Even so, I don’t get it! Why sacrifice yourself for me? Why are you….”

“Azadine. I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I acted high and mighty, but the truth is I was afraid. If I didn’t pretend to be strong—if I didn’t bluff—I feared the powerful would crush me on a whim. And… no excuses. I was young and foolish too.”

“……”

“As a child, I was an Aragasa like any other, and I despised and scorned the weak—because that was normal among the Aragasa. But when I stepped into the wider world, I understood. It was the Aragasa who were wrong to force such things upon children. By the time I realized that, my status was already too high, and I had too many subordinates. I was afraid to apologize to you in front of them, to show tolerance for the weak—to show weakness. I feared they’d be disappointed after worshiping me, so I pushed you away even more. I couldn’t even apologize properly; I just kept living as the vaunted rebel Arael.”

The strong and arrogant Arael—she confessed it had all been a disguise, a mimicry to protect herself.

Outside the magic circle, Seraph, Dimia, and Indim looked troubled by what was unfolding.

“We have to stop her….”

“No! If we go in now, we’ll get fused! If those with different blood fuse, Lady Arael dies—and we die too!”

“But if this continues….”

“Lady Arael!”

Even as they heard her admit that their very existence had cornered her, Arael’s followers still needed her.

Arael looked at them, then looked back down at Azadine.

“Don’t….”

Azadine flinched at the tears falling onto his face.

“Please, don’t do this. What am I supposed to do if you do? Hating you was how I kept myself together. But if you apologize now… do I have to accept it? If you die for me, then I have to forgive you! Why force me to forgive you? I’m not ready to forgive you! This isn’t right, Arael! Stop this ritual right now! This isn’t for me—it’s just to appease your conscience!”

“Azadine….”

But Arael did not stop the ritual. The magic circle roared, and a powerful force of the Nether rushed into Arael’s body.

He wanted to stop her, but Azadine’s crippled body could not so much as move a finger.

“When I was most lonely and in pain, you scarred my face! You slapped away my outstretched hand and humiliated me! And now, again, you’re going to abandon me on your own terms? Don’t be ridiculous! If you want to apologize for real, then drop this sorcery and let’s live on—me with ruined arms, you with ruined legs! Let’s be powerless, but lean on each other and live! Otherwise, we’ll be Aragasa—starving for strength—until we die! Please… sister! This isn’t right!”

“!!!!”

For the first time, Azadine called Arael “sister.” But… the ritual had already passed the point of no return.

Arael smiled.

“What I stole long ago… I’ll return it, Azadine.”

Like charcoal catching fire, embers flared within her, searing her skin, burning her body to ash.

And that ash flowed into Azadine’s body, healing his severed arms and legs… and the old scar that marred his face.

Astonishingly, eyes formed in Azadine’s face—the same deep violet as Arael’s—and tears of blood streamed down.

“Arael!”

Azadine seized her with arms that were beginning to move, but her body crumbled away.

“Y-you… idiot!”

“Please… forgive me.”

“I won’t! I can’t forgive you! If you want my forgiveness, then live long! Live long—talk with me, share meals with me, spend time with me… that’s how affection grows, and then maybe forgiveness comes! Don’t do what you want and demand forgiveness like this!”

“Heh… heh heh….”

Smiling to the very end, Arael turned to ash and vanished.

As Arael’s body disintegrated and fell, Azadine collapsed, pounding the floor.

“Arael!”

With a beastlike sob, tears spilled from Azadine’s eyes and fell upon the heap of ash.

Azadine wept—and then fainted on the spot.

Both Azadine and Arael had attempted the fusion while in terrible condition. Even for a normal person it would have been a tremendous shock; in their state, they would not wake for some time.

Meanwhile, the three of Flowers, Birds, Wind, Moon moved Azadine to a cabin in the hold and conferred.

“What do we do now?”

Dimia asked her comrades.

“Lady Arael is….”

“She deceived us.”

Indim shivered.

“She didn’t care about the Aragasa’s prosperity—she just wanted revenge. On the Aragasa….”

As she spoke, Indim unconsciously scratched her lower belly.

“She used us!”

“Enough, Indim.”

Seraph shook his head.

“I can fully understand Lady Arael’s feelings. Azadine is her legacy. We must honor that.”

“But can Azadine use the Kazas Grimoire again?”

Dimia wondered.

“What do you mean?”

“She said she’d return what she took. Maybe Flowers, Birds, Wind, Moon is now within his body….”

“Will he become as powerful as Lady Arael?”

Seraph and Indim were startled. Arael’s overwhelming might had come from being Azadine’s twin—and from holding the grimoire that should have gone to Azadine.

Of course, she was also brilliant and skilled… but so was Azadine.

If Arael’s grimoire had been given to Azadine, he might become as strong as—no, stronger than—Arael.

“It won’t be that simple. He’ll have surely lost the Kazas Grimoire. And the newly grown flesh on his arms… it’s like a child’s new skin.”

Saying so, Dimia gently turned over the unconscious Azadine on the bed.

“Wow… he really looks like Lady Arael.”

“They’re twins.”

“I wasn’t thinking much before the eyes formed, but… now I’m tempted.”

Dimia licked her lips as she said it.

“Honestly—after sacrificing your own sister, is this the time to rate a man? He’s hardly in any condition.”

Seraph’s face twisted in displeasure at Dimia’s remark.

Both Seraph and Dimia had survived only by sacrificing their siblings. Both were still so weakened by the aftereffects of fusion that they could scarcely stand, let alone feel desire. They were patients, no less than Azadine.

And the death of their dearest blood—having just suffered that, Seraph frowned at Dimia’s careless words.

“No, I mean, if Azadine grows stronger, then maybe….”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t tell me you want to make Azadine a stand-in for Lady Arael? No. Impossible.”

Indim objected.

“Why?”

When Dimia asked in simple curiosity, Seraph answered.

“Azadine’s reputation is abysmal among the clan. And many who followed Lady Arael, frankly, were in love with her.”

“Your brother included.”

“…In any case, Azadine is a man. He’s handsome, sure, but that alone won’t rally the clan.”

If Arael became clan leader, some fantasized that marrying her—becoming the leader’s husband, the consort—would bring them power.

Arael cleverly exploited such fantasies—such desire—to expand her faction.

Azadine, on the other hand, was hardly the right material for that.

“His reputation is too awful. He was known as Azadine of Disgrace—no way.”

“Now that he has eyes… his face looks very much like Lady Arael’s. What if we disguise him as Lady Arael?”

Still unwilling to give up, Dimia kept proposing reckless ideas.

“Out of the question.”

Indim rejected it immediately. Seraph explained the reasons in detail.

“Lady Arael was always front and center. If now she suddenly appears masked, speaking little, and works from the shadows, she’ll be exposed at once. Even if their faces match as twins, their voices are completely different. And Azadine’s body still moves in the Kazas-style—too strongly to retrain. Any Aragasa would see through it.”

“Sigh….”

Dimia shook her head.

“If this won’t work and that won’t work, then we’re finished. Should we raise the white flag to Sion Ethar and surrender?”

“If we’re surrendering, do we offer Azadine as a gift?”

When Indim said that, Seraph grimaced.

“I want to protect Lady Arael’s legacy. Don’t say things like that—even as a joke.”

“Loyal dog, aren’t you. Seraph, Dimia—you two fused, I didn’t. If I decide to abduct him now, neither of you could stop me.”

From the aftereffects of fusion, Dimia and Seraph were practically invalids. Of course, as Aragasa—among the strongest of them—they weren’t threatened by ordinary sailors or beasts even half-dead, but that also meant they knew well how dangerous Indim was.

If Indim set her mind to it now, they could not stop her. Even before their injuries, Indim had been the strongest of the four. Among Flowers, Birds, Wind, Moon, the one holding the title of “Moon” was always the most formidable master.

But neither Dimia nor Seraph took Indim’s threat literally.

“You liked Lady Arael most. Emotionally… and, ahem.”

“W-what are you talking about? I….”

Indim flushed bright red, denying it.

“I know you’re shocked that Lady Arael betrayed us, but… huh?”

Seraph suddenly sensed a malevolent aura and jumped.

Moments later, screams from the sailors echoed from outside.

“Uaagh! S-sirens!”

“Cursed Netherstorm!”

“Netherstorm….”

Hearing the sailors’ cries, Dimia, Seraph, and Indim rushed out to see black thunderclouds massing in the western sky and gale winds howling. From the sea, monsters leapt up to attack the ship.

“Don’t tell me… is this the Age of Jupiter?”

Seraph frowned.