'It's okay, Evangeline. Nothing's going to happen.'
It was a memory from her childhood.
Monsters had ambushed the city that night as well.
The city had become a battlefield, and the Margrave of Crossroad had urgently dashed out from his mansion towards the front lines.
As always, her mother had come to Evangeline's room and held her close.
'There's nothing to be afraid of. When the sun rises, all the monsters will disappear.'
Evangeline knew.
The person most afraid was her mother.
Every time her father went to battle, her mother trembled in fear that he might get hurt or die.
However, instead of expressing it, she would come to her daughter and silently hold her.
'...'
Evangeline turned her head. Far off, flames sprouted from the front lines.
Despite the considerable distance between the fortress and the mansion, the sound of iron was clear. The smell of ash made her nose tingle.
The people's screams and cries, the monsters' howls. And, the stench of blood.
'Mom.'
Evangeline asked.
'When will I have to go there?'
'What?'
Her mother looked at her young daughter in surprise. Evangeline had a mature expression uncharacteristic of a child.
'I heard it from dad. The heir of the Cross family must go to the front lines and fight.'
Her mother's expression fell as if the world had collapsed. Evangeline cocked her head.
'Does mom not want me to fight?'
'It's not about liking or disliking. It's the destiny of the Cross family.'
Her mother once again held Evangeline close.
'It's just... sad.'
'Sad?'
'Because your mother is a coward. I'm scared that your dad might get hurt, and that you might suffer in the future... It's frightening and saddening.'
Evangeline hesitated for a moment, then asked the question that had been on her mind for a while.
'Mom didn't know this would happen, right?'
'Huh?'
'You didn't know that you'd worry about dad every time monsters attacked? You didn't know I'd have to fight there when I grow up?'
The fear that her husband might die. The sadness engulfing her as she worried about her daughter's future.
Every night the monsters attacked, her mother trembled in such a way.
'If you knew this would happen... would you have not married dad?'
Her mother, who had been silently looking at her daughter, answered,
'No. I knew.'
Slowly, a soft smile spread across her lips.
'I knew that if I married your father, every time monsters attacked, I'd spend the night in tears.'
Her mother's rough yet warm hand stroked Evangeline's hair.
'I knew that if I gave birth to you, you too would eventually face the destiny to fight. I knew I'd be saddened by that destiny. I knew everything.'
'But why? Why did you marry dad?'
Unable to understand, Evangeline asked again.
'Why... did you give birth to me?'
Why did she choose this path, knowing it would bring suffering and sadness?
Even though she knew what lay ahead was pain. Why.
"Hmm? I wonder why..."
With her voice trailing off, her mother finally offered a faint smile.
"Maybe because of what continues."
"What continues...? What's that?"
Cradling a blinking Evangeline in her arms, her mother slowly replied,
"You'll understand when you grow up, Evangeline."
"When I grow up?"
"Yes, you'll surely understand then."
Her mother's large, warm hand gently stroked Evangeline's back.
"You'll understand why your mother did what she did..."
Why she moved towards a future steeped in fear and sorrow.
Even three years after her mother's passing, Evangeline still didn't understand.
And perhaps she thought... she may never understand for eternity.
***
"Cough?!"
Gasping for breath, Evangeline opened her eyes wide.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Coughing violently, she spat out blood. A dull pain surged from her back.
Rubbing her rough mouth, Evangeline tried to grasp the situation.
She had been hit by the golem's fist and was flung all the way to the mansion's wall, slamming her back.
'How long was I unconscious?'
It didn't seem like a long time. The golem that had hit her was still coming at her.
Roar!
Why was there a golem here?
Her body reacted before her mind could question.
Clang!
Evangeline quickly strapped a shield to her left arm and blocked the golem's punch.
Thump-!
The shield brilliantly heated white, successfully blocking the attack.
But before Evangeline could prepare for the next stance, the second attack came.
Bang! Crash!
The golem's massive leg trampled on Evangeline's small body.
It was inconceivable how such agility could come from its enormous frame.
Evangeline, blocked by the shield, crashed through the wall of the mansion and rolled into the mansion.
"Cough!"
Evangeline groaned, getting up from the wreckage of the broken wall.
"This is insane, really...!"
Roar!
The golem was expanding the hole in the wall and breaking into the mansion.
With every move it made, the ceiling collapsed and the walls crumbled.
"He's really tearing down someone's house, this bastard..."
Grinding her teeth, Evangeline straightened up and grasped her lance in her right hand.
Clang!
As soon as she gripped the lance, the dazzling light from the shield transferred to the lance.
The attack skill [Damage Payback] was ready.
As soon as that thing charged again, she would counter and end this.
'Come on in, you bull-like bastard...!'
Evangeline waited for it to enter, her eyes gleaming like a hunter's.
The golem in front didn't hesitate and charged directly. Evangeline was timing it perfectly in her mind. Three, two, one-
That's when it happened.
Bang! Crash!
Breaking through the walls on Evangeline's left and right, two new steam golems appeared.
"What-"
Though flustered, Evangeline reacted swiftly.
Thud! Bang-!
She pierced through the chest of an adversary coming from the right with her spear, while deflecting an attack from the left with her shield.
The right one died instantly with his magic core impaled, and the attack of the left one was perfectly parried.
But for the one charging from the front...
"Gh...?!"
There was no means to deal with him.
Thump-!
A fist as large as Evangeline's upper body slammed into her once again.
Crash! Clatter!
After crashing through a wall, Evangeline finally halted after colliding with a wardrobe and a display case.
Dishes and bottles that had been inside the wardrobe and display case poured out and shattered.
"Damn, it...!"
Evangeline wiped blood from her nose while being showered with shards of glass like rain.
Two steam golems charged at Evangeline with rumbling noises.
Narrowing her eyes, Evangeline shouted out.
"Ease up, you monster bastards-!"
Kicking off her crouched position, Evangeline shot forward.
She parried the fist of the first golem with her shield, and with her spear in the other hand, she pierced through the golem's chest. Thunk!
The second golem charged in succession.
Evangeline used the body of the first golem she had impaled with her spear to take the blow from the second golem.
Clatter!
In the moment the second golem tangled with the first and paused, Evangeline thrust her spear forward powerfully. The spearhead that had penetrated the first golem reached the breastplate of the second golem.
Kaboom-!
At that moment, the spearhead flared up.
Returning the enemy's attack stored with her first skill [Damage Save] using her second skill [Damage Payback]!
Boom!
A formless energy burst from the spearhead.
Both the first golem skewered by the spear and the second golem that had been touched by the spearhead exploded, their upper bodies blown apart in an instant.
Thud! Thump, rumble...
"Haah, haah, haah!"
Fragments of the shattered golems flew all around. Holding up her spear, Evangeline caught her breath.
"...Ugh!"
Once the battle had settled for the moment, pain rushed from her injured areas.
Burned skin stung, and her ankle throbbed, having been strained from blocking the sudden attack.
However, Evangeline didn't even think about first aid as she hastily moved toward the outside of the mansion.
'The golem legion ambushed us. A day earlier than expected in Crossroad.'
If things continued like this, even Crossroad wouldn't be safe.
'I need to get back and alert them of the attack...!'
With a limping stride, Evangeline barely emerged from the ruined mansion building.
Just at that moment.
Boom!
The area shook.
It was a large tremor, enough to lift Evangeline's petite body into the air.
"Huh?"
Letting out a surprised sound, Evangeline turned her eyes toward the source of the tremor.
And then, they spotted them.
Boom...! Boom...! Boom...!
A massive horde of golems, over 50 strong, was advancing towards her directly.
With each synchronized step the golems took, the ground quivered intensely.
Already shattered, the walls of the mansion further crumbled, sending bricks and debris flying as if an earthquake had struck.
"What the heck is this...?"
It was then that Evangeline realized.
The three steam golems from before were merely the scout vanguard. These behemoths were the real threat.
'I have to escape.'
There was no other option. Evangeline knew instinctively.
If she tried to confront them head-on, she'd be killed.
'Where's my horse?'
Evangeline scanned her surroundings for her horse, but it had long since fled.
'Should I run all the way to Crossroad?'
Evangeline looked down at her limping leg. Could she possibly run with this injury?
'It's not a matter of can or cannot!'
If she didn't create some distance now, she'd never be able to escape this place!
Gritting her teeth, Evangeline attempted to sprint towards Crossroad. It was at that moment...
Vroom-
Two golems that had been at the rear of the group ascended into the air.
They were a type of golem she'd never seen before. While the other golems were rough and sturdy, these two boasted elegant and sleek designs.
Sensing an unusual threat, Evangeline quickly raised her shield.
That move saved Evangeline's life.
Zing-!
From the fingertips of the two levitating golems, dozens of bright red beams were fired.
It was the same kind of laser magic that the boss monster used during the free exploration period.
But the number of beams was far greater, and there were two of them.
Ping! Pivivivivivivng!
Kwaag-!
Dozens of red lasers obliterated the ground where Evangeline had been standing.
Each time a beam swept across the ground like a whip, explosions and flames erupted.
Evangeline, with her shield raised, absorbed the magical attacks. Her crouched body was relentlessly pushed backward.
"Cough...!"
She could feel the durability of her shield rapidly depleting.
Though straining, she was managing to withstand the attack. The problem was,
Roar-!
As Evangeline held her ground to fend off the magic, the rest of the golems were charging at her.
'I can't get stuck here! I have to hold them off and create distance...!'
Evangeline, holding her shield, began to backpedal.
But just then, her twisted ankle gave way, and she lost her balance.
'Oh no.'
Just her luck, another blunder right here.
With Evangeline's stance compromised, a gap appeared in her defense. The red beams didn't miss the chance and broke through.
Ping! Pivivivng!
"Ah!"
The beams were scorching and sharp. They merely grazed her, but it was enough to sear her skin and inflict wounds.
Droplets of blood spurted from Evangeline's petite body.
The beam that had grazed Evangeline set the ground on fire and immediately caused an explosion.
Tookwaag-!
"Augh... Urgh...!"
Buffeted by blasts and slashed by beams of light, Evangelin tumbled roughly along the ground.
When she managed to barely lift her upper body with a choking sound, she could see giant golems closing the gap.
'Ahh.'
Slowly, Evangelin bowed her head. As clear-headed as she was, her ability to assess the situation was swift.
'It's the end.'
So empty.
Abruptly and suddenly. Death was approaching.
"There's so much I haven't done yet..."
She hadn't dated, hadn't drunk alcohol, hadn't smoked a cigarette.
She hadn't even become an adult yet.
She hadn't had the chance to really figure out what she wanted to do.
"It's ending."
Evangelin slowly closed her eyes.
There was no anger. No sadness.
Just, regret.
That was the emotion the girl felt in the last moments of her life. Evangelin let out a quiet sigh.
"I regret..."
That's when it happened.
"Then you should just do it."
"...?"
"Do all the things you haven't done, one by one."
Suddenly, a voice sounded right in front of her.
Thinking she might be hallucinating, Evangelin slowly opened her eyes and looked ahead.
"Life is short. Don't regret it and waste it diligently, alright?"
A man was standing upright in front of Evangelin, his back to her.
His shirt was soaked with sweat, revealing how hastily he must have run, and he was heaving, his shoulders rising and falling.
Unable to believe it, Evangelin opened her mouth slightly.
"...Senior?"
Then, the man glanced back at her.
The third prince of the Everblack Empire - Ash 'Born Hater' Everblack was grinning, revealing his teeth.
"I came to rescue you, cute junior."