A boy knelt on the ground, trembling slightly as he sobbed.
"It's my fault... Because of me, Chichi..."
Dark red mist began to gather around him, swirling greedily like a predator feasting on grief.
GRRR—
Suddenly, a low growl of a zombie wolf echoed in the air. At this sound, the dark red fog seeped into Jis' body, signaling a change. The mist darkened, and simultaneously, the energy of the black wolf waned.
As the zombie wolf and the boy faced off, the fog ebbed and flowed, and a wild light ignited in the boy's eyes.
GRR— GRRR—
With the dark red mist swirling around, the breath of another predator, lurking unseen, became ragged as it stealthily targeted the boy. Droplets of saliva dripped from the zombie wolf's maw, betraying its ravenous hunger.
Then, in a sudden leap, the wolf lunged, aiming its broken fangs at the boy's neck.
WHOOSH—
In that instant, the dark red mist around Jis erupted into a towering spiral. The energy transformed into a vast, flame-like fog, hurling the wolf skyward.
"Raaargh—"
A bizarre scream tore from the boy's throat as dark red energy flooded his unfocused eyes. Yet, the wolf, undeterred by this change and driven by hunger, lunged again, drooling.
ROAR—
Instinctively, the boy raised his arm, which the wolf snapped at. Amidst this madness, he smiled slyly and locked eyes with the wolf.
"Graaargh—"
Raising his other hand, he summoned a cloud of blood mist. The energy in his palm churned violently, sparking with light.
CRACKLE— CRACKLE—
Sensing danger, the wolf released the boy's arm and recoiled.
BANG—
With a single burst, the bloody mass from the boy's hand struck the wolf's head. Electrified as if by static, the wolf's body shattered in a muted explosion, scattering fragments everywhere.
After the explosion's aftermath settled, General Gareth and his surviving soldiers stared at Jis in stunned silence.
Their faces registered a mix of shock and amazement.
"Wow~! The hero triumphed!"
Cheering, they rushed towards the boy, seemingly oblivious to the ominous dark red glint in Jis's eyes.
"Something's not right… No, halt!"
At General Gareth's urgent shout, the soldiers halted in confusion.
But it was too late for some; they were already caught up in the dark red whirlwind that Jis had unleashed, spiraling into the air.
THUD— THUD—
"Argh— My back..."
Shock and fear distorted the faces of those who had been tossed skyward and then slammed back to earth.
It became clear then: Jis was losing control of his powers.
"The mist vortex is growing stronger! Keep your distance from the hero, everyone!"
The mass of dark red mist churned violently, mirroring the turmoil within the boy.
Suddenly, it expanded, morphing into something akin to a massive waterspout.
As time passed, the dark red waterspout grew darker and expanded its reach, tearing through the canyon rocks as if grinding them to dust.
WHOOSH— SCREECH—
Now, the swirling dark red mist, carrying fragments of rock, resembled a colossal siege weapon.
In the midst of this chaos, Rylie, gazing up at the towering waterspout, called out.
"Blackbee Wizard~! Try to do something~!"
"Hmm, what can I do against a monster like that... Should I launch a fireball at it?"
"What? Is setting everything ablaze your only solution?"
"W-What? Mastering fire magic is no easy feat! Huh~!"
As Blackbee Wizard and Rylie bickered, a flustered General Gareth intervened.
"Enough, this is not the place for arguments! Oh no, the mist whirlwind is intensifying! Everyone, fall back further!"
THUD— THUMP—
"Argh—! Ouch, my head..."
"Watch out, there are rocks in the dark red whirlwind! Everyone, get down!"
Fear and astonishment filled their eyes.
A brave soul attempted to rush in to rescue their hero, only to be repelled by the fierce winds or struck by a rock caught in the tempest, resulting in a gruesome, bloodied outcome.
"Long long~!"
Longlong, who was restless in place, also rushed into the whirlwind, but his body was light and his running speed jumped out in the other direction.
CLANK— CLANK—
At that time, Rylie, who hit both fists wearing a gauntlet a few times, stepped up.
"Ah, this isn't going to work. I'll go and give him a super punch so that he can wake up."
"Oh! It's dangerous, hero!"
The soldiers tried to stop Rylie, who was running toward the dark red mist vortex, but they were in a situation where it was difficult to keep themselves in check due to the intensifying wind.
Rylie, who leaned forward, slowly moved forward one step at a time.
Sometimes she hit the flying rock mixed with the wind, and the small piece of stone hit her and walked toward the boy.
SLASH— SLASH—
A sharp piece of stone with dark red energy stretches large and small wounds on her body.
However, Rylie, who had natural strong physical strength, did not give up and persevered through the dark red fog one by one.
"Ah! I see Jis!"
SWOOSH—
As he approached Jis, Rylie, who almost lost her balance in a powerful fog storm, quickly fell on her stomach.
As the fog storm felt slightly weakened, Rylie, who crawled up to Jis, stretched out her arms and hugged the boy from behind.
"Aaargh—!"
However, the boy frantically struggled to push away Rylie, who had suddenly clung to him as if he had lost his reason.
Holding onto Jis tightly and unwilling to let go, Rylie murmured into the boy's ear, whispering softly.
"It's all right, Jis… It's all over now. Everything's okay now..."
Perhaps the words were helpful, the boy's struggle gradually weakened.
Then, Rylie, who was relaxed, gently tapped Jis on the chest and reassured him as if singing a lullaby.
This was an act that could not be successful if it wasn't for Rylie, who had the monster's power.
Soon after, the dark red energy that filled the boy's pupils faded, and the waterspout, which was roughly driven around him, gradually weakened.
"Jis! Are you back to your senses?"
"Riley? What's going on here…?"
THUMP—
When all the dark red fog finally disappeared Jis, in a temporary state of exhaustion, fell unconscious.
The boy, who almost put everyone in danger like that, fell fast asleep in Rylie's arms.
* * *
BANG—
"Argh—! The hero's lost it again! Let's get out of here!"
An explosion rocked a room at the top of Stormwatch Castle's tower.
Dark red mist seeped through the tower walls, originating from that room.
"Raaargh— Huff, puff—"
"Jis, are you alright?"
Startled, Rylie hurried over to assist Jis.
"Uh... I'm fine, Rylie... Could I have some time alone, please?"
"Sure, just call if you need anything~!"
After a moment's hesitation, Rylie left the room with forced cheerfulness.
Since regaining consciousness at Stormwatch Castle, Jis was plagued by recurring nightmares.
He endlessly ran in these dreams, night after night, but never managed to save Chichi.
His companions often visited, trying to comfort him, but he only greeted them with a vacant smile.
As he spent more time in solitude, his guilt deepened, and he became increasingly withdrawn.
'You're to blame! Chichi's death is your fault!'
At times, this guilt manifested as a vision, viciously tormenting him.
Anger would then surge within him, overwhelming his emotions.
"Raaargh—"
Involuntarily, a beast-like growl echoed from deep within him.
During these moments, dark red energy swirled around Jis, and when it intensified, it led to outbursts like the recent explosion.
Meanwhile, Lord William, who was briefed on all the battles with the zombie monster, shouted angrily.
"Get those traitors now! The deserter who left battlefield is beheading!"
The lord's stern orders rang out in the middle of the Great Hall.
Then, as if he had already taken action, General Gareth beckoned, and the soldiers dragged the craggy Grimbald and Tyria.
In the middle of the Great Hall, Tyria closed her eyes without saying anything.
Grimbald, on the other hand, had his nostrils raised as if he had done nothing wrong.
"Boy hero, what do you want me to do? They left the battlefield at the end, but there are not a few performances they have shown so far."
Jis, who came down to the Great Hall at the call of the lord, stared at Grimbald.
Then Grimbald looked straight at the boy and shouted excitedly.
"Woo— Woo— I'll do the same thing the next time it happens again—!"
"Hiss—! What do you say, meow! …... Jis, I'm sorry, meow..."
Tyria, who temporarily hissed at Grimbald, bowed her head slightly toward Jis. Her eyes were full of sadness like a boy, too.
"No, Tyria. You have done nothing wrong."
The boy, who briefly made eye contact with Tyria and shared their hearts with each other, looked back at Grimbald and spoke weakly.
"Mr. Grimbald… I understand how you feel. But… I don't want to see you again in the future. I'm sorry."
After that, Jis asked Lord William for his understanding and went back to his room.
After the boy departed, Lord William, who paused briefly to sigh, made his decision regarding the two accused.
"Tyria, you are exonerated, as your innocence is vouched for by the hero."
At Lord William's command, a soldier approached and freed Tyria, who swiftly vanished into the surrounding shadows.
"Grimbald! Your crime is grave! Fleeing from your comrades in battle warrants death. However, in light of your past contributions and the hero's mercy, you are spared. Leave now! You are banished from this island forever!"
Thus, Tyria was absolved of the false charges. However, from that day on, she was never seen again.
And Grimbald, now an exile from the island, never crossed paths with Jis again.
* * *
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK—
Today, like every other day, the boy sat silently, gazing out the window of the tower. Suddenly, a knock at the door jolted him.
'It's me, boy. Brave.'
Startled by the Pseudo Dragon's voice echoing in his mind, he quickly opened the door.
"Mr. Brave!"
As soon as the door swung open, Pseudo Dragon leapt from the floor onto the table and spoke.
'I'm sorry about Chichi.'
"Yes, it's an unavoidable matter. It's all my fault..."
The boy hung his head in sorrow. Brave, watching him with a look of sadness, flew to the window.
'Boy, the Spirit King still lives in the Forest of Illusion, where you once visited. Seek him out. He might know how to bring back Chichi.'
At Brave's words, a faint glimmer of hope lit up the dim room.
"Chichi... Can we really bring her back?"
"I'm not certain. Since both Spirits and Fairies are ethereal beings from the spirit world, the Spirit King might have a way."
With the Pseudo Dragon's words still hanging in the air, Jis bolted through the door.
Soon after meeting with Lord William, the boy packed only essential travel items in his bag, informed his colleagues, and set out alone for the Forest of Illusion.
Rylie, watching him with a melancholic expression, voiced her concerns.
"Should we really let Jis go alone?"
"Long long...?"
"Hmm— He's surrounded by dark red energy. What's there to be afraid of? What if we accompany him and end up engulfed by that energy? Heh heh—"
Thus, Jis embarked on his journey solo, reminiscent of his first arrival on the planet Kepler.