As the monster's wailing shook her ears, Emma turned to scan her surroundings. Her breath was still shallow and rapid, her eyes unfocused.
"Ahhh⎯⎯⎯⎯!"
"P-please…! Save me…!"
"Ahhh… ahhh!"
"Mom! Dad!"
Screams and cries echoed from all directions. A collective of negative human emotions filled the air.
The long stone walls were collapsing in places. Wooden houses were either burning or had gaping holes as if something had rammed into them.
The village was being destroyed. Emma's dull eyes captured the ever-changing scene of the Rubid Village.
'Hahaha.
What's this? It's exactly the same as before.
The village being destroyed by the monster.
Blood splattered everywhere.
People's heads exploding.
It's exactly the same as back then! '
Once more, the familiar yet unfamiliar voice reached Emma. Her heart pounded wildly in response, beating faster than ever.
That couldn't be.
There was no way this voice could reach her.
Even in countless nightmares, she never heard this voice. No small breath, no loud shout. In that warehouse, the only sounds were her heartbeat and breathing.
But now, after all this time…? Here?
Emma's unfocused eyes searched for the source of the voice. Though she believed it was impossible, the vividness of it drove her to search.
'Nothing has changed.
Everything is the same.
The same goes for you.
That person called you a genius, but just look at yourself now. Look around you. '
"Oh… oh…."
Emma muttered as if she were speaking for the first time, or like someone delirious from a fever.
She still couldn't find her. She hadn't found the owner of the voice. But it was clearly here. Nearby.
'Hahaha.
You still haven't come to your senses.
What good is it to grow up?
What good is it to learn mana?
You still can't do anything.'
Something approached Emma. Reflexively, she reached out. She didn't know what it was. But she heard it. It was coming towards her. That was reason enough for Emma to reach out.
But.
"Ah…?"
[Krrk.]
What her outstretched hand touched wasn't soft skin but a slimy, hard surface. Sticky fluid flowed. Bringing her hand closer, she saw it was red blood.
This wasn't the owner of the voice.
"Ke, kek…!"
The monster's tail wrapped around Emma's neck, lifting her into the air. Her legs flailed helplessly, kicking the air.
Emma tried to pry it off with her hands, scratching at it with her nails, gripping as hard as she could. But it was useless. The more she struggled, the more her strength waned while the monster tightened its grip.
Ah, there was one difference!
The most important one.
In Emma's blurring vision, she saw the monster's face contorted with pain, its right eye pierced by her blade. Veins bulged like those of a snake.
Next to the monster…
'Long time no see, Emma.'
The image of a young girl, smiling brightly, flickered as if it might disappear at any moment.
The face that tormented her every time she thought of it, but one she still longed to see despite the pain.
"… ke, ugh…!"
Whether it was from her scratched corneas or the monster choking her, Emma's vision kept blurring. Blood pooled in her face, and hot tears streamed down.
'Emma.
Unlike back then.
There's no *me* to protect you now!
Hahaha.'
Back then, a 14-year-old girl. The pride of the village and Isabella's older sister by four years.
Isabella.
Her bright smile was the last thing Emma saw as she stopped struggling.
---
"Thank you so much, young lady. Thanks to you, my work has become much easier."
The village chief straightened his back, which had been bent for a long time, grimacing in pain. It had been a while since he had moved so busily, and his back ached more.
The village chief's old warehouse, a dusty place filled with all sorts of miscellaneous items, stood as a testament to time.
"But… is it really okay for you to help us like this? You must have things you need to do, and I wonder if we're making you help us for no reason."
"..."
"Huh…?"
When she didn't respond at all, the village chief turned his head. They had been having a smooth conversation until now, so her sudden silence felt strange.
Looking back, the state of the young woman who had been cheerfully working with him just moments ago was alarming.
"What's wrong, young lady? Are you feeling unwell? Your face is as pale as if you had a nightmare!"
She seemed to be struggling even to breathe. Her breaths were coming too fast, as if she were suffocating.
The village chief quickly grabbed her face to check her complexion and was shocked.
Her skin was as cold as ice, lacking the basic warmth a human body should have.
"This is serious…! In times like this… ah, right! Just wait a moment. I'll quickly get some warm water!"
Emma reflexively grabbed his hand as he tried to leave the warehouse. Though she said nothing, her face, filled with fear, shook from side to side.
"Just wait a moment. I'll be right back."
Misunderstanding what Emma was trying to convey, the village chief patted her back and moved away.
As he crossed the threshold to leave the warehouse, the village chief disappeared. … disappeared? What disappeared?
No, no.
Emma, you know.
Let's move past this quickly.
[Crrk?]
Beyond the threshold, something red appeared as if it had been waiting. Those amber eyes weren't new to her either.
They absolutely couldn't be new.
After all, they belonged to the monster that had just killed her.
"What… is this…."
Facing an unbelievable situation, Emma finally managed to utter coherent words.