Two sides were at odds. A conflict of two ideologies that were initiated by two opposing oppositions. One's deed was done on behalf of order as well as a revolting emotion towards the targets, making the deed a bit more personal. While the other was done purely out of random events but based on naively moral justification—no real personal relation yet for now, and being involved in this situation solely because of the intuition to protect.
It was the debate between the two most prominent individuals in the scene. The arguments which not only conveyed through hundreds spits of words but also through the sheer force of many explosions… vibrating the crust, annihilating the flying dust, ricocheting the debris, and hurling the hot air in an attempt to crush the opposition who constantly and willingly received the full impact of the blast with her body in order to defend the innocent third party: the native inhabitants.
"What's wrong with your weird barrier? Unable to recast it again and now using your own body instead to protect those filthy humans?"
There was the winged abomination creature whose laugh never seemed to fade within the chaos it created through seemingly endless explosions. No matter how loud the explosion sounded, no matter how long that hideous creature had been spitting the explosion through that sword, its energy never seemed depleting even for one bit… both energy for spitting that lowly insult, and for creating yet again countless explosions of condensed energy.
The target of that grotesque creature indirectly—intentional or otherwise—wasn't its literal opponent, for it was only a small part of its crafty method.
Shot right in the heart, one steady strike towards the most fragile structure. North, south, west, east… above and below… from all possible directions. Crashing its explosive claw that tore the surrounding space and nature; disturbing the green ecosphere by turning it into a color of turmoil—a color of nothingness steaming from the obliterated rubbles and ruins. Within such an atmosphere where the spark of thunderbolt diffidently showed its abstract form, a silhouette figure was seen standing still above the scorched ground… a muted eye witnessed one and the only, which could justify the recent bombardment incident done by the only one evildoer.
When the air molecules of the meadow were doing their purification job, exiling the imported black vapor for one's eye to see clearly. One noteworthy thing to see first was a single black horn that contrasted white hair, for it was the telltale sign telling the Devil managed to get through unharmed after half and an hour of seemingly unending demolition.
The dust slowly reduced, went down by the gravity and blown away by the wind, revealing even more the silhouette—the outline of white hair and the shape of squinted lemon-yellow eyes looking at the winged abomination with a loathing stare.
"Astonishing! Really astonishing!"
The winged abomination then laughed and laughed after the end of an explosive vibration that propagated as an acoustic wave through a transmission medium they called a gas—a polluted gas that filled the chaotic space between the winged abomination and the one-horned Devil.
"Your body ain't scattered and bloody debris even after got beaten by my explosions, tanking it from every angle with your bare body without any form of defensive magic but a trash rag. Your agility and the durability of your body are quite impressive, I admit it. Not even a screaming I've heard when you were inside my endless explosions. As I expected from one of such a kin."
The dual shrill voice, a voice of the mother and her son, was then heard. Arrogantly smirked at the silenced Devil who ain't giving a single damn to reply, for the Devil simply was too busy to protect her heart: the native inhabitants of Kasala Village. Her effort eventually paid off—not a single soul or body fell as a casualty from the third party side, not even a single spark of fire nor dust capable of tainting the clothes they wore.
"But my explosions did finally hit you, ain't they? I bet it hurt like hell." the winged abomination continued, still keeping her condescending snigger, "Don't blame me though. Blame the humans behind your back. The humans whom you try to protect."
Stunned expression was shown; the humans who were insinuated by the winged abomination, were revealing their stunned silence utterances. Feeling pathetic before the two superior creatures. Too weak to watch each other's back, let alone to stand at the vanguard and sacrifice one's life for another. Too weak yet also too scared. If only they didn't possess such traits, maybe their devilish savior—the one-horned Devil—wouldn't suffer for the wounds indirectly caused by their weaknesses. And the death of the maiden would've been avoided. They were just a bunch of low-caste humans who escaped for a peaceful life on the edge of the region. A pathetic weakness for the two saviors, and the cause of their demise.
Gritted his teeth the little boy was, could be seen from the scared and stunned crowd of the humans. It brought his bitter memory after hearing the last remark of the winged abomination creature. A memory that kept him living until this very moment from a loathing emotion for the evildoers who took his older sister's life.
"That thing is right. We all are the weaknesses for those we call saviors," the boy, Gizado, was muttering to himself, "To protect is a weakness. It killed big sis Salda, and it will soon kill another savior if this continues."
For a moment, Gizado's mind played a trick on him. For a blitz second, instead of staring at the one-horned Devil's shoulders, his eyes stared at someone's shoulders that existed half a year ago. Shoulders that he would never see again except for this short moment—his older sister's shoulders when she tried protecting him just like today. Didn't want the bitter history to repeat itself, his heart yearned to scream to the one-horned Devil to leave them be, so that she could survive and keep living as she, in the first place, had nothing to do with the wellbeing of Kasala village. She was merely just someone whom he found napping on a tree by accident. It just so happened that his village was in danger. And so rescuing his village until this point, until willingly shed blood for his small village was already odd enough to begin with. She was a Devil after all. Even if the Devil wanted to escape and save herself, he assured none would whine.
Such an outlook however, would soon get shattered to bits by the one-horned Devil... changing his pessimistic way of thinking forever and believing that Erynew wasn't the kind of Devil everyone thought about,
"To protect is not a weakness, nor it is strength. It's simply an act of reckless selfishness. For some, to protect means to find one's contentment by overlapping their future with others through a compromise relationship. They aren't afraid of death, for there is someone who keeps living for them – someone who carries their hopes and dreams." with a determined heart, a straight sight and an honest tone… Erynew took a fancy to correct the misleading common sense.
Words full of sincere sentiment trembled in the hearts of Kasala inhabitants. In the midst of the precarious situation, they found Erynew's words as a storm neutralizer… pacifying the uneasy hearts and at the same time somehow neglecting her born nature as a supposedly fearsome Devil the destroyer of all. Such a thought was none—none such a thought crossed their mind; heck such was even missing from their minds.
And without realizing it, Gizado's tears slowly rolled down his tiny cheeks as it pleased. Erynew's words were like a punch to his face, banishing all of his negative emotions towards the village he blamed for the death of his older sister. Until he came to realize that it wasn't about that… it was about her sister's legacy… her life and the future she gave to the inhabitants of Kasala village,
His mind once again played a trick on him. It was a quick flashback… half a year ago at this exact situation except that time was a bit warmer than now. Erynew's silhouette slowly turned, the white hair turned black and short as the single horn slowly disappeared. Erynew's silhouette turned into Gisalda's, his older sister who stood right in front of him when she was about to protect her little brother from a fist of steel. Such a sentimental moment strangely occurred… maybe because Erynew's presence reminded him of his older sister… one way or another,
And the last words his older sister said to him were—
"Hahahahahahahaha!"
A sinister and horrible laugh was then heard, and it was such an unfortunate for Gizado, because thanks to that hideous laugh, his mind was slammed back to the reality of the present time… and after dropping his last tears, it went pop.
"What a hilarious twist… a Devil who's willing to protect and cherish one's life is the same being who nearly annihilated the whole world five hundred years ago." with a grotesque, the winged creature was trying her best to hold back her disgust laugh, "I can't stop wondering why those humans willing to get protection from a vile creature—"
"Shut up!"
A sudden outburst of anger, not only shocked the winged creature but also the rest of Kasala's inhabitants—and also the one-horned Devil. The sorrowful anger of a child that muted everybody and shut every mouth,
"What devil? What vile creature?! I've got no a damn idea what happened five hundred years ago, and I don't give it a damn. I'm living right here and right now, and that is the only thing that matters to me. And what I know between now and five hundred years ago, it's a creature such as you that I'll call a devil. You made my family, my friends, and my village suffer. You killed my sister. In my eyes, you are the vile creature!"
The one-horned Devil slowly turned her head to find out who uttered such stunning words and bravely conveyed everything to his heart's content—anger, sorrow, and grief that was already stored too long inside his little heart, all of those emotions abruptly flew freely in a form of determination.
From reckless nature, and the way he conveyed his anger… the one-horned Devil really didn't have to look back, for she already knew who that kid was. She kept looking forward, to the winged abomination who was still a bit shocked by that bold child's remark and his hateful stare. However, that was no ordinary hatred but white hatred which didn't belong to just him anymore. It was hatred that he shared with the rest of the inhabitants, realizing he didn't have to suffer alone, didn't have to bear this hatred alone. Because this agonized torment was also a life his older sister gave… her future and trust for Kasala inhabitants that someday they would be free from this ephemeral bondage.
And that someday is today,
A shocked expression then turned into a sneer across the wrinkled face, "Maybe you're right, kid. I am the vile creature." the dual voice of the winged creature was then heard replying to that boy, "And maybe I should've ended this little play a long time ago."
The winged creature then spread its large wings, stretching the two layers of its thin skin, and began to flap slowly. The accumulated air beneath the winged creature began to form a condensed wind, pushing its hideous emaciated body skywards. On its way, the winged creature stared at the one-horned devil, haughty calling her, "Erynew. If I was allowed to be honest, I was considering recruiting you to become one of ours. You could be a great asset for us… especially the element of surprise you bring with you… because your kin that was rumored already extinct for five hundreds years ago, could be a big surprise for the world. But then… I don't think so… no… you are evidently no match for me. Maybe, if I killed you here, I would become a new hero for killing the last living Devil in the world. Hahahahahahaha!"
Didn't bother the mockery, Erynew chose to keep silent and observe every possible move that winged creature would make. By flying up to the sky, making every bit of the winged creature's body exposed. Nothing that blocked the view and nothing to hide. From that limited but little information Erynew had, she concluded that the winged abomination creature was about to end this with one big powerful attack which impossible to dodge or block.
"Die all of you! Die alongside your protector!" echoing, the vile winged being's scream echoed across the green field as it pointed the Wolframs up to the sky. Erynew's prediction was right, the vile winged being was about to obliterate the village and all the hills around the village by utilizing one massive powerful blast.
The Wolframs began to emit its gloomy light. It absorbed a lot of energy from the vile creature as it blazed in a shade of murky aura from its grip and its dark metal which changed the color of the skies into an upsetting and unsettling atmosphere. Such brought a lot of depressed temper for the eyewitnesses, because no more floating white cotton in the skies no matter how far one's eye could see… the vast green plain turned into a dim and somber color.
The Kasala inhabitants became uneasy, seeing such a scene becoming worse. The murky aura of Wolframs didn't seem liking to stop growing thicker and bigger in size as it kept absorbing more energy from the body of that vile creature. As a result, the skies filled with thick dreary mist and changed a broad daylight into a bleak night. The phenomenon, however, didn't last long and it wasn't a good sign either as the dreary mist was being absorbed back into the sword at once, revealing the sunlight and blue skies once more… yet the edgy feeling was still there.
Despite that, when they took a glimpse of placidity within their protector and noticed not a single doubt inside her heart… even though their feet were already at their limit to hold an urge to run from the catastrophe, trust was still the one they believed. Looking up toward the skies in harmony, with in-tune determination,
"What is it? Aren't they afraid of death?"
Such an act and determined response instead confused the winged creature,
"Very well, I shall then give you all the most gruesome death you have ever experienced!"
Laughing maniacally before the prey, the winged abomination began to collect the remaining murky mist and aura from the surroundings. Compact and harden it into one dense dark energy around the sword which hundreds of times more powerful than the attack before. Confidently predicted that this one blow would definitely eradicate everything before it in a large area, especially anyone who dared to stand on the ground below.
And then it started… the winged creature swung the sword heavily, launching one massive energy that traveled in light speed towards the target. The vile creature smirked in early victory as Kasala inhabitants closed their eyes. Even with eyes closed, they still able to perceive the radiance of dark energy from behind the eyelid.
Until they heard a whisper out of the one-horned Devil's lips,
"It's ready at last."
Five seconds, thirty seconds, and finally after more than a minute and nothing really happened since then… they dared themselves to open their eyes only to find that they were still alive, and in fact, nothing happened… not a single damage done by that attack, both in the environment or their bodies, as if the attack never existed in the first place.
Only one thing that changed though, and it was the one-horned Devil. She was now holding a wooden staff in her hand. Its diameter was relatively small, and the length was a bit shorter than her body. Despite the wood looking a bit brittle and the surface seeming rough and uneven, appearances were often misleading as they said. What really mattered was the content of that wooden staff and the power it held.
"What! What the hell just happened!" a loud scream, indubitably would come from the skies and once again it echoed across the green plain, but this time it carried a shocked emotion. It was a natural reaction for an obvious reason, even Kasala inhabitants still were trying to understand what just happened within that split seconds, "An explosion of energy that was supposed to destroy everything… got destroyed instead?!"
The difference however… was a shocking relief for the sufferers, and a striking tension for the vile winged creature who stared blankly to the ground below, watching that all of the humans were still alive and their bodies were still intact as her mind kept struggling to comprehend a phenomenon that was beyond all known sense.
While the winged creature's mind was dazed and loosed all of her basic sense, it was the right time for Erynew to do a counterattack. One jump done by one foot was enough to send Erynew up to the sky. And in less than one inch, her lemon-yellow eyes were already staring at the wrinkled perplexed face. The nervous reflex system, pulled the winged being a few steps back in order to facilitate a safe distance between itself and the one-horned Devil.
No matter how fast that pair of skin-layered wings pulled its master, the Devil was done with her ritual. Using her free left hand, Erynew cast a spell, conjured strong force energy through a blood-red magic circle that was formed on her left palm, pushing the winged creature so hard that the space behind her was cracked and eventually shattered, exposing a black space turned out to be a portal Erynew had been prepared some time ago.
And thus the existence of the monstrous being was no more on this green plain… nowhere to be found except one who created that portal who knew the whereabouts. Given that Erynew was about to open yet another portal, Kasala inhabitants could make a final closure that she would end this suffering for good in another place… a place they wouldn't want to ask nor know about.
Every single head looked up, watching the one-horned Devil who stood still high in the skies. Before she departed however, there was one thing she must do. An obligation in the form of a pure smile and a thank you for one boy whose voice she heard before… a voice full of compromise, a genuine welcome that embraced herself as she was.
Better now than later, she thought,
"Gizado…"
One name being called from the skies. Despite the height, the boy named Gizado was able to catch what the Devil was going to say to him. Even if he wasn't able to hear her clearly, he could perceive what she was saying through her moving lips, for the phrase was so familiar in his ears—one childish phrase he wasn't able to forget no matter how long, for the phrase was his older sister's last words to him. His eyes widen. He simply couldn't believe he was about to hear it again after half a year had passed… the exact same childish phrase.
"…thank you for being angry for me. You truly are the savior's savior."
A glimpse of her smile was then shrunk into the space portal beside her. Hence her existence also vanished from this plain; only for a while though, because he knew she would come back soon enough and that childish phrase wasn't her last.
Maya, a little girl near him then walked approaching with her tiny smile as the tranquility came back to overwhelm the Kasala hills once the Devil and the abomination creature vanished only gods know where,
"It's going to end now, isn't it, once and for all?"
Maya asked him a simple question,
"Yeah."
And being answered by a simple whisper and a weak nod but adorned with a pure smile,
"I'm sure Sis Gisalda would love to hear this wonderful news, wouldn't she?"
"Yeah."