The torture went like a thousand hornets stinging 12/s. Gruesomely, the couple’s swords cut the same number of eyes. It was Hell incarnate for another three minutes. Then, the dwellbeast staggered and yelled no longer, mouth opened. It fell in a shock, swords sheathed in victory.
Brigade mages split up to clean the whole mess. The victims’ blood had smeared a quarter of Vetus, set ablaze too. The couple sat against a wall, breathless after their battle. “Damn…” Haruto turned to his wife. “I almost caught up to you right there.”
“Yeah,” she nodded, smiling back. “You did great, honey.” But her face changed for the worst. The monster had a low groan, and a more intense fire awoke. She drew her rapier, strolling toward the unfortunate culprit.
“Why… pain… me?” Dark blood dripped from its mouth. “What did… do? Me just alive! Why? Why! Wh—”
Tokino deepened her sword through its throat. “If you hate pain so much, never inflict it on others.” Her eyes were calm rage as the monster’s own faded to black. Yet her smile returned. “Sorry…” she made another move on her husband. From afar, they heard the neighing pegasi of their driver.
“Mama! Papa!” Yukino came out of the carriage, hugging both. Her joy had no equal. In her life, everyone stood confused by her brown eyes. Neither parent showed any despite her long straight black hair, a sign of inheritance. But like them, none understood the flowers of their attire. In her case, purple hydrangeas below around a silky white dress.
She exuded innocence 24/7. Tan flip-flops and endless smiles showed it further. She giggled at Haruto’s complement. “Thanks, Papa. You two did amazing!” she jumped, arms raised. So she had to fix her stringed barley straw sun hat: never removed, even in winter.
“Indeed…” Tokino looked around. “But we’re not done yet. We need to help heal our city.”
“Ooh, ooh!” Yukino raised again, offering magnificence. “Let me try this. I improved over this one!” She answered their prayers, hands on the ground. Runes smaller than pins shined and covered a quarter of Vetus. Within ten seconds, the array had finished. Even veteran mages could waste hours with faulty results.
She always told people to thank her Felix Birthright than her skills. The probability of mana gathering inside runes went ten times quicker. She could even cast arrays within milliseconds. Still, her mother insisted she honed her craft long ago.
She giggled again but stood on her point. “It only works on the non-living, Mama. The plants and trees are still hurt, and, and, and…….” Untimely waterworks rolled down her cheeks.
“What’s wrong?” Tokino looked down, eyes frowned.
She sniffled in their hug. “Sorry. It’s just that I couldn’t save anyone. I feel so many hearts crumbling.”
The devastation hadn’t only affected citizens that day. Bloodied mages perished soon after on their way back. Survivors went braindead, looking at nothing. With such heartache, she sensed none could keep composure for long. Hugging tighter, she sobbed more.
Tokino rubbed her back, having none of it. “Oh, no, no, honey… Don’t ever think that way. Look at me.” She kneeled. “No one’s blaming you for their deaths. None of us could’ve done any better with the situation. We were away for matters to better our city. Your hands aren’t stained red in the slightest. Come here.” She hugged her again, eyes closed.
Haruto kneeled next, holding her shoulder. “Yukino… what truly mattered was that you made good on your promise. I’m very proud of you. Now let’s buy your favorite.”
She ended her tears and, “Hm!” nodded with fists raised. Eyes remained defiant against the sorrow.
In the aftermath, the culprit stared at nothing in a dark room. But the fallen dwellbeast’s gaze, a camera to him. Mages had covered it in a massive body bag.
“Hmmm… that fight was… interesting.”
As this story went on, a true monster failed to show joy.
***
Yukino enjoyed every scoop of her pistachio waffle cone. She held their hands, back home to the capital estate. As Vetus’ current archmage, Haruto’s house on a cliffside dwarfed those of nobility. But no matter his deeds, many shunned its modernist look. An infinity pool lay in the backyard, seen behind two glass walls, separated by black marble. As such, Vetusians deemed their home too alien.
Tokino closed the curtains, the lights off. Their daughter had her room behind theirs, sound asleep hours ago. In bed, another daring move didn’t hurt. “Any idea how they’ll respond to our service?” she lay on his side.
Haruto sighed, staring blankly at the ceiling. “Probably another Hero’s Toast after the funeral. I’d rather stay for the latter.” His eyes lowered. “Not quite a fan of celebrating with those who jeer at your back… all because you view the world differently.”
She moved closer. “Come on now… You know deep inside that everyone respects you. Either way, your beloved citizens will cheer for you. Besides, I’m always on your side.”
His smile returned, looking back. “You never left me in the first place,” he stroked Tokino’s lavender crown.
She giggled. “Why would I ever?” After yet another move, she lay on his chest. “Haruto… do you like being called a hero?” The stars and moon shined through their window.
“I appreciate the notion. But I don’t do it for popularity. That’s what heroes are, right?” His arms wrapped around her. “Why do you ask?”
Her eyes closed, frowning. “It bugs me every day. No matter how I smile, this world rears its ugly head. Heroes can’t survive at all. We save only those we know. Our Yukino believes everyone needs rescuing. I find that impossible.” Her voice faded.
On the other hand, his smile didn’t. “Well… the way I see it is that we’ll get to know them eventually. Then, we’ll be there for them. I find that heroic, like how you saved me when we met. You showed me to be a better hero for all. It is impossible, but we’ve done great deeds ever since.”
Tokino giggled again. “Sounds nice, after all. But honestly, I’d rather be selfish when the worst comes for us.”
Such words hadn’t fazed Haruto, staring above again. “Yeah. Me, too. Though I can’t just leave them, you know? I’ll regret it.”
Eyes, she got up on her elbows to look below him. “Haruto… even if the whole world is against you, I’ll fight. If they hunt you down to its edge, I’ll make sure my rage will reach even the Gods. My passing shall never be in vain.
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“I know our Yukino would be devastated if I die. And that’s why I don’t want you to follow me until then.” She held his left hand. “Let’s promise, Haruto, that our selfishness will never hurt her. No matter our twisted thoughts for each other, we’ll listen.
“If she’d tell us never lift a finger on anyone, we make good on that. Forever till the end.” She held tighter, smiling in tears.
The warm drops on Haruto’s face were of sheer commitment. Not even he could contend, so he repeated the last phrase. “I’d choose the latter in a heartbeat,” he added. With the stars and moon gone, they kissed each other for the night.
***
In the palace, a wheel-less flying limo landed outside. Two people came out, and one had a perpetual grin.
“My king, he is here!” informed a brigade mage. “He has brought one of his city’s delegates.”
Coelestis’ king paid the one in Vetus a visit to the throne room. “Looking younger than most, old friend,” he smiled, eyes relaxed.
“Your majesty.” The other kneeled but heard an echoing chuckle in the hallway behind. Eye squinted, annoyance clad his being. “Why? Why bring him here? That insufferable man.”
He chuckled, mouth closed. “Care not for a small reunion? I rather felt it wouldn’t hurt. It’s been so long for you two.”
The man banged the double doors, showing more teeth. “Yo, Clover! Nice to see ya all in one piece!”
The Vetusian king grunted. “For the last time, my name’s not Clover!” his eyes narrowed. “If you’re here to apologize, forget it!”
He snickered. “Hahahahaha! You deadass thought I dragged my ass here to kiss yours? I’m here for somethin’ else, bruh.” He disappeared from everyone’s sight and reappeared on the throne. His legs had spread, resting a knee. “Tell me about the new guy. I know what he can do, so what’s he like?”
He only told the man a few of Haruto’s feats in battle and his way of rescuing. Somehow, it gave him enough impressions. He patted his shoulder hard and exited the palace.
The Coelestian king’s memory had jogged. “That reminds me, old friend. You’ve trained them very well.” He went toward the balcony and sat at a table. “Darjeeling?” he pulled out two cups.
His old friend listened closely for ten minutes. Sadly, the limo’s horn outside went every second. He sighed, barely able to have a casual talk. The car flew to the skies in his view.
***
The sun shone brighter the following day. Yet, none smiled before the hundred more gravestones. Yukino dried her eyes and gave each a bouquet fast. She held her parents close upon exiting the cemetery, an allowance well spent. But everyone made sure smiles were welcome in the palace garden.
Banquets had laid on rows of tables eleven meters long. Purple banners of their emblem decorated every corner. As promised, many smiled and clanged their ales. The Hero’s Toast never had two-thirds of the populace attend, twice more than when a young Augustus singlehandedly purged an orc raider army.
Drew Barker, imperial mage, cleared his throat thrice at the microphone. The speech went with a long gasp:
“Willkommen, Brüder und Schwestern! Once more, our beautiful city triumphed out of the darkness of this world! Whatever evil looms in her streets, she stands tall, beloved by the Gods!”
The crowd cheered.
“Today’s another day to thank and revere our heroic mages. They’ve led our city to the path of love, peace, and prosperity for over a mega annum! Brave souls that risked their lives against the tragic night we call ‘The Day Our City Bled.’
“Even now, our wounds are still fresh. But I assure you, my siblings, I shall shed no sorrow today. We are to rejoice our heroes at this very moment!”
All cheered louder, mugs raised.
“First, we have none other than the Minagawas! Two phenomenal Children of Athena who’d slain the monster that brought so much pain. And they’ve brought their reputable daughter who restored our city in a flash!”
The family stepped forward to bow and wave. Yukino did so with both arms.
“Next, we rejoice our one and only who has honed his former title for seventy years! The peerless warrior who became the model mage of our time. He had no equal yet walked a humble path. Augustus Richter IV!”
He walked with a cane. Everyone noticed his body now had even more scars. One covered his whole stomach.
“Now, brothers and sisters, I shall announce our beloved king. The distant descendant of our city’s first archmage—and was one himself like his forefathers. Clovis Caesar XXVIII!” Drew walked back. Alas, the sun went too bright for an hour. The brigade cast an array above. After another tick, the Vetusian royalty never appeared. Yukino yawned, cuddling her mother more.
Drew returned to the stand. “Uh… umm… Maybe our king is—” Suddenly, brigade mage Sebastian Hans whispered to him. Haruto noticed he had briefly looked at him four times.
Oh, dear. I feared this would happen. Drew tapped the microphone. “Brothers and sisters, I’m afraid our king isn’t in the mood today. For now, we shall celebrate our brigade mages! The Children of Hephaestus who helped conquer the night. I’m sure dear Clovis shall indeed….”
As he continued his speech, Haruto gazed upon a balcony in the palace. It was the king himself, staring daggers.