Ch. 141 The surrounding buildings were all burning

At some point, she had already entered the scene of the fire.

The surrounding buildings were all burning, leaving only a street strewn with bodies lying in all directions.

Leading into the distance.

In the distance…

What was in the distance?

Why was it just a pitch-black void like an abyss?

“Melina?” Mia turned her head and called out.

There was no response.

She saw that the surrounding flames were not a scorching orange-red, but had black mixed into the red.

‘An environment?’

Mia gripped her weapon; in just two breaths, she had realized her current situation.

Feeling the gaze of something, Mia looked up.

On a house clung to by black-red flames crouched a pitch-black beast.

The beast was like a shadow existing within a patch of space; it looked at Mia and tilted its head.

“Do you want to save people that badly?”

The beast inquired.

The voice appeared directly in Mia’s mind.

“Yes.”

Mia admitted it.

Although this was the first time she had seen it in this form, Mia had known the beast’s true name for a long time.

Cath Palug.

“Then, let’s have a comparison.”

Cath Palug’s voice was neither male nor female.

Neither old nor young.

The scene before Mia changed, and two iron cages set upon woodpiles rose from the ground.

Inside the iron cages, a puppet was placed in each.

Faceless puppets modeled after Melina, with crimson hair and wearing black robes.

A faceless wooden puppet wearing a white dress, modeled after Artoria, with a slightly exaggerated ahoge on top of its blonde hair.

“If you could only save one person, who would you choose?”

Cath Palug asked while crouching atop an inverted, pitch-black cross.

“Who is more important?”

“Who is more valuable?”

“Who can be abandoned?”

“Make your choice after comparing them.”

Mia looked at the two iron cages set upon the pyre.

She smiled.

At first, short breaths of air escaped from deep within her throat, and then she let out a ‘hissing’ sound as she inhaled.

Finally, she couldn’t help but let out a burst of ‘hehe’ laughter.

If there were one word to describe Mia’s current state…

Then it would be this word.

“Amusement”

—

Artoria stood in a city.

Like a sinner, she wore a hooded cloak that concealed her face.

This was a golden city.

She saw a horned horse pulling a carriage, emerging amidst the cheers of tens of thousands of people.

The people cheered and praised in the language of Britain.

A voice rang out behind Artoria.

“That was originally your place.”

“The King of Britain?” Artoria did not look back, watching the carriage pass before her.

Cath Palug was fabricating false prophecies.

“But it should have been yours, shouldn’t it? You sacrificed more than she did; it was you who pulled out that sword, not her.”

Pitch-black magical power turned into tentacles, touching the girl’s back.

“I am the King of Britain,” Artoria murmured.

“Yes, it should have been you all along…”

An ethereal voice lingered in her ear.

“But she is stronger than you, more mature than you…”

“That is merely my own problem,” Artoria replied with her head lowered.

“I understand, but are you truly content? Content to let all of this have the possibility of turning into nothingness?”

Scene after scene appeared before Artoria.

Extracted from her memory, these scenes only recorded moments of ‘failure’.

The fact of’success’ could be erased.

There were only heavy moments filled with loss and despair.

“Why do you always fail while she has smooth sailing?”

Cath Palug was bewitching the girl’s heart.

“It’s not fair,” it said. “Success should belong to you, and the throne should belong to you too.”

“You aren’t any worse than her, right?”

Become the strongest.

Even if you have to use every means possible, eliminate the obstacles before you.

Eliminate those existences that are stronger and better than yourself.

In the silence, the Beast murmured and whispered.

Crimes committed out of jealousy and emotions born from comparison were its favorite food.

A pitch-black tentacle stroked the girl’s earlobe.

‘You cannot let others be stronger than you.’

It conveyed bewitching words.

Segment after segment, wave after wave, it eroded the girl’s mind.

But, “Why?”

Artoria questioned the Beast.

She did not desire to become king because she craved power.

When the girl grasped the hilt of that sword, she already knew her end; Britain would surely meet its conclusion.

But even so.

She only hoped that the smiles on people’s faces could last for one more day, and that the death of this country could come peacefully, like falling asleep.

Artoria pulled the sword from the great stone.

“Besides, even if it’s like that, isn’t it quite good?”

The girl turned around.

The black cat stood right in front of her.

And this place was still that golden city.

“At least the people are scattering flowers and praising the King’s name. Isn’t that quite good?”

She gripped the hilt, drew the sword from its scabbard, and slashed toward the shadow-like Beast.

The blade, with its golden halo, cut a ripple as if passing through water, and the black Beast was split in two.

The illusion collapsed simultaneously.

—

“Now, make your choice.”

Aboard the inverted cross, Cath Palug urged.

“This is my choice.”

Magical power surged, fluttering the hem of her clothes.

She held her staff high.

The majestic magical power, like a storm, swirled the flames within the illusion, and Glintstone Crystals grew within the magic storm like bamboo shoots after rain.

Cracks appeared.

Those were spatial cracks, tearing this illusion apart.

Carrying considerable anger, the full explosion of magical power directly shredded the small environment shaped by the young ‘Beast’.

Space shattered, then fell, disappearing in an instant like snowflakes.

Mia was standing in the village again.

The fire was blocked at a crossroads ahead.

“Melina!” Mia called out.

She had no idea what would happen to Melina, who was bound to her soul, while she was in the illusion.

Melina appeared by Mia’s side.

“Are you alright?!” she immediately asked.

No, that tone, due to excessive worry, was less of an inquiry and more of a demand.

“Ran into a bit of trouble. What about you?”

Mia carefully scrutinized Melina, whom she hadn’t seen for a moment.

It seemed there were no changes to her body.

“It was as if I suddenly lost consciousness…”

Melina was somewhat resentful of Mia’s sudden ‘disconnection’.

“It’s good that you’re okay.” Mia breathed a sigh of relief.

However.

“We have to hurry over there.” She looked ahead with a frown.

Having experienced the illusion just now.

She wasn’t sure if Artoria and the other two had encountered the same thing.

If so, had they successfully escaped?

If not, then they could only rely on Mia.

They should be very close to the source of the fire.

Mia rang the summoning bell.

Facing the appearing Spirit Wolf, Mia transferred all the liquid from the blue flask of sacred tears into the red one and threw it to Texas, who reacted quickly and caught it in its mouth.

“Rescue the survivors as much as possible!”

After giving the command, Mia grabbed Melina’s hand and ran toward their destination.