Not long after we parted ways with the people we had met on the road, a town that looked like Callan came into view. No, it wasn't as if I could see the city. It was the red flames and the thick black smoke that told us where it was.
A road of stone pillars, far ahead.
That's ...!
Setsuna put all her energy into running. The moment she had witnessed the flames, her anger had swelled to explosive proportions. The girl's tears flashed through her mind. The source of her fear is there. With that thought, she had to hurry.
The crimson raging fire that covered the Callan was far more intense than Setsuna had imagined. It was definitely not just a fire. Even the word "arson" would have been tepid.
From a distance, the city itself looked like a mass of red lotus flames.
I couldn't forgive it. An instinctive reaction to the unreasonable violence was driving him. It wasn't just righteous indignation. It was something more fundamental. Setsuna's core emotions drove him to the city of flames.
She sprinted as if in flight.
As she ran through the streets, she saw many people taking refuge on the sides of the streets. I wondered if they were residents of Karan. The painful scars from the flames reminded me of the people I had encountered on the road.
The fearful eyes of the people focused on Setsuna as she rushed down the street. To those who were running away from the flames, Setsuna's appearance must have seemed strange as she pushed toward the flame.
Through the streets and into the burning flames.
It might have been just like plunging into the flames of purgatory. The blazing red flames were dancing like a madman, setting the buildings of the small town ablaze.
Everything was painted red, and the air was burning with intense heat. My vision was distorted and I could barely breathe.
However, Setsuna did not hesitate. She doesn't even think about her own safety. It didn't matter what would happen. The only thing she cared about was moving forward.
Callan was a small town. The streets were reminiscent of medieval Europe, but there was something fundamentally different about them. Due to the roaring flames, it was impossible to get an accurate picture of the entire city. No, we've just stepped into the entrance of the city.
"Hey, hey, you!
She was stopped suddenly and turned to look at him.
What the hell, we're in a hurry!
It's not safe here! Turn back immediately!
It was a young man who shouted so loudly that it drowned out Setsuna's cries. I'm not sure if he's in his twenties or so. I'm not sure what to make of it.
The hair on his head, parted tightly to the side, was almost burnt. But the man seemed unconcerned. He was sweating profusely as he stared at Setsuna. I was a little pressured, perhaps because the man was not in his right mind.
It is not possible to be sane in a city of flames.
You can't do that.
Setsuna squeezed out her voice and took a glance at the people standing behind the man. They must be the man's subordinates or something. They were all wearing the same clothes. It was more like a military uniform than a uniform. The swords on their waists reminded me that this was a different world.
It's not safe here anymore! Follow our lead and evacuate quickly!
The man was right in his warning. He was right. It was a sound argument. But she couldn't follow it.
I'm not sure what to do. She could see the man flinch for a moment.
I'm not sure if that's enough.
What?
It was natural for the man to have a dubious expression. He must have seen Setsuna as a madman. And he was probably right about that, too. If he wasn't crazy, he wouldn't have jumped into a place like this. But Setsuna did not deny her madness.
"Someone burned down this town, right? What about that guy!
'... Don't worry. I've requested the association to send out armed summoners. I'm sure they'll be here soon.
The man may have been trying to calm us down. I'm not sure what to do. I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear that.
Setsuna was very irritated. I don't want to waste my time here.
I can't wait.
Why not? I'm not sure what to do. There's nothing to worry about.
"She was crying.
It's a good idea to take a look at the information on the web. That's all you need to know about the reason. This is the reason why I believe that. The girl was crying. It must be more than worth it to risk one's life.
I'm not sure what you're talking about.
The voice of restraint was lost in mid-sentence. A roaring whirlpool of flames was raging as if to block out the sound.
We were running through a city engulfed in flames.
As Setsuna ran through the raging fire, she felt her strength being gradually drained away. The heat was intense. Sweat was pouring out of her entire body. Her strength was being taken away and she could not breathe. My consciousness begins to fade.
I'm in a strange town. I don't even know where to go to meet the enemy. Only my physical strength was being consumed in vain.
Even the sky was burning red, and it looked like the end of the world.
Even so, Setsuna continued to run, looking for the man who had burned Callan. Her vision became blurry. But she couldn't stop. Her throat was parched. Still, she kept moving forward. Just keep moving forward. That's all I can think about anymore.
It wasn't an intricate city. It was just that the walls of flames and pillars of fire made it impossible to move forward in many places. Each time, I was forced to change my course. It was after several attempts to change course.
"Burn, burn, burn some more! Burn to the ends of the world!
The crazy man's loud voice pierced Setsuna's earlobe. In the midst of the arrogantly blowing flames, the man's high-pitched laugh sounded like despair itself. Disappointment lurked in the depths of the man's voice.
We were in the center of the city. It was a large park-like space. There was a fountain in the middle, a pillar of water spouting up in a world colored by raging fires. The red glow looked like blood.
A man was standing near the fountain. He was tall and thin, with an excessively long head of hair that seemed to be burning red in the crimson fire. Both of his eyes were upturned, creating an expression of madness. A world dyed in red and lotus. I don't know the colors that make up the man.
I wonder if it is some kind of uniform that he wears on his long, skinny body. The design was similar to the military uniforms of the men we met at the entrance, but if you look at it as a whole, it seems different. At the end of his long, thin arm, in his right hand, he was holding a stick-like object. It was a cane with a decoration on the tip that resembled a dragon's head.
"More! More! More! To the end of the world!
Setsuna was surprised at how rapidly she cooled down when she saw the man laughing hopelessly. Her anger sharpened coldly, instead of feverishly. This had never happened before. Maybe it was the man's stupid laugh that made him do it. Had such a man made that girl sad? It was a feeling akin to disappointment.
I told him.
"Burning down a single town is the end of the world?
Setsuna approached the man as if she was stepping on him step by step. There were a number of benches neatly arranged in the park, but all of them were engulfed in flames. They must be burned out sooner or later. The trees that seemed to have been planted here and there in the park were also on fire. Everything is on fire. But it can't reach the end of the world.
It's a small, very small world.
But for that girl, it may have been everything in heaven and earth.
When I thought about it, I couldn't do it anymore.
A hot wind ruffled Setsuna's face.
"What ...?
The man seemed to have finally noticed us. His eyes glared at us. You can tell that he is crazy just by looking at him. But I felt no fear.
The distance between us was now less than five meters. The other party hadn't even noticed Setsuna until she was that close. He was concentrating on laughing.
Setsuna watched as the man's face contorted. Was it anger? The man's expression changed in the blink of an eye, becoming something reminiscent of a demon. But Setsuna was unfazed. Or perhaps I should say that she was unfazed.
She spat it out.
"Nonsense!
"What do you know, kid?
The man's eyes widened, and at the same time he swung the staff in his right hand. I saw the sparks from the surrounding fire gather in the dragon's jaws.
Setsuna immediately jumped back. The left thigh screamed.
I don't know what's going on.
The man thrusts his staff towards you. I'm not sure what to do. I'm not sure what to make of it. I'm not sure what to do.
I don't even want to know about you.
I'm not sure if you've heard of it or not, but I have.
The man tells me.
I'm not sure what to do.
The man's staff roars. A flash of light comes from the dragon's mouth. A fireball the size of a fist instantly expands, becoming a mass of flames with a radius of over a meter. Then it was unleashed, and in no time at all, it landed on the spot where Setsuna had been standing a moment ago. It explodes, sending flames flying.
Setsuna felt an unpleasant sweat on her back. If he had not moved, he would have been vaporized.
"You're good.
The man's voice was laced with joy.