Fire was burning.
Endless, soaring flames clung to everything the blue-haired monster saw.
The convent had been transformed into a sea of fire.
Those who had once bullied her, mocked her, beaten her until she was covered in bruises, and even left her on the brink of death had now turned into charred remains.
Just a few seconds ago, she had been one of them.
But that flame demon had glanced at her briefly and left immediately.
So the fire didn't last long. After it died out, the monster's body began to recover instantly.
Charred bits fell away piece by piece, revealing blood-red, newborn muscle.
In the next moment, tender skin spread over the monster's body like growing grass. From her bald head, hair as clear and blue as the sky sprouted rapidly, falling to the floor within a few breaths.
She didn't move; after all, there was no need to.
Screams were still coming from outside, but it didn't matter.
Let it all burn. It has nothing to do with me anyway.
She closed her eyes.
Then, the sound of hurried footsteps arrived.
She heard an extremely soft voice calling out several names.
What was it... oh, the monster remembered.
They were the names of the orphans in the convent.
The voice called out name after name, but not a single person responded to her cry.
Her voice slowly shifted from a soft whisper—fearful of being heard by the flame demon—into heart-wrenching screams.
Jack, Emma, John, Nosa, Mick...
They all had names. Even in death, someone would call their names to find them.
How fortunate. I want a name too.
But what should I be called?
The blue-haired monster thought, imagining her own name.
First, it couldn't be a duplicate. If there were two people with the exact same name in one area, it would probably cause trouble for others, right?
But everyone else is dead, so even a duplicate would be fine, wouldn't it?
No, no. They have families, people who care about them. Even if they're dead, friends or survivors might come looking for them later, weeping before their tombstones and shouting their names.
“...”
Thinking about it that way, there was really no need to give herself a name.
After all, there wasn't even a single person who would call it. Was there?
She thought to herself.
Then, the footsteps stopped beside her ear.
She opened her eyes and saw a familiar figure.
The Sister.
Her face was distorted, and she held a wooden stick in her hand. Perhaps it was for self-defense? But what kind of protection could something like that provide? The Sister is so stupid.
She thought.
Then the Sister raised the stick, her hands trembling.
Mhm, looks like she's going to hit me again. Whatever.
Then, the stick dropped to the ground.
“Why... Why is it...?!”
The Sister knelt on the ground and pulled her into a tight embrace.
“Why did it have to be you?! Why are you the only one who survived?!”
“...I don't know,” the blue-haired monster said softly. “I didn't want this either.”
“Are you kidding me... Are you kidding me...?”
While weeping, she picked up the monster and grabbed the wooden stick again.
“...Sister?”
“Shut up!” the Sister barked.
She carried her to the doorway, poked her head out, and looked back and forth for any sign of the flame demon, her whole body shaking.
After confirming she didn't see the flame demon, she hurriedly rushed out with the monster—
Then, something jumped down.
From behind them.
“Hey, hey, for real? I didn't burn it for long, but I was being serious!”
The Sister stopped in her tracks.
“How sensible. If you had taken one more step forward, I would have made my move.”
Trembling, she turned around.
The flame demon, Balor, was smiling, a bright ball of fire burning in his hand.
The monster could hear the Sister's teeth chattering.
“Hey, old woman. Leave her behind. I can let you go. After all, burning your meat probably wouldn't be very interesting.”
He pointed at the blue-haired monster and spoke to the Sister with a hint of mockery.
“Get lost.”
The monster felt the Sister tighten her grip on her.
So she said, “Sister, run away quickly.”
The Sister looked down at the monster in her arms with a look of utter confusion.
“I'm already very happy that you were willing to take me out,” she said softly. “So, leave me behind.”
She didn't think there was anything wrong with what she said.
She only knew that the Sister set her down, facing away from Balor.
“Run.”
“Sister?”
“Run!”
The Sister's voice became hoarse from extreme fear and despair, and her body wouldn't stop shaking.
But she turned around and, stumbling while waving her wooden stick, rushed toward the flame demon.
“...Seriously?” the flame demon muttered, then snapped his fingers.
The flames then swallowed the Sister.
Right before the monster's eyes.
“...Huh?”
A question had just formed in her heart.
Why do that?
She could have lived if she had just handed me over to him.
Why didn't she?
“Sister.”
She wanted to ask her questions.
Doubts arose.
Was such a sacrifice meaningful?
Why would you sacrifice yourself for me?
Since you were willing to sacrifice yourself for me, why weren't you even willing to give me a name before?
Why?
By the time she snapped out of it, Balor was no longer of this world.
There was only a flat slab of meat.
Then, an old and fanatical voice reached her ears.
She turned her head and said, “Are you here to hit me too?”
...
“No, no, what are you thinking?”
Something lightly patted her face, bringing Eladia back to consciousness between dreaming and waking.
“Esper...”
Esper sighed.
“Did you have a nightmare?”
“Mhm...”
Esper thought for a moment, then solemnly tucked Eladia in again.
“Goodnight. I hope you have a good dream.”
After saying that, she closed her eyes.
“Mhm...”
Eladia also closed her eyes.
Only this time, what she saw in her dream was no longer the Sister being burned to death.
It was the child who was still whispering words before her death.
“Don't... forget me again...”
She was like the sun.
A sun that illuminated all darkness, dispelled all loneliness and cold, and released kindness toward everything within her sight.
Her sun.
“Esper.”
A smile appeared at the corners of Eladia's mouth. As if making a vow, she no longer hesitated, but spoke solemnly and resolutely.
“I will absolutely, absolutely never forget you again.”
She held her own blazing sun tightly in her grasp, craving and relying on that warm sensation.
“Because I love you, Esper.”
(End of Volume 4: The Maiden Who Plucks the Blazing Sun)
Rate on N.U.
