Freesia Street.It used to be a bustling street where people shopped at the market after work.Today too, a thronging crowd had gathered, forming a sea of people.No, today the procession was longer than usual.
“Damn, you should at least tell us what's happening before asking us to run. Hey, don't rush me! Still, I need to secure the safe, right?”“Even when we were at war with Pandemonium, Freesia was safe because of its barriers. And now you're telling us to evacuate outside of Freesia.”“...What in the world is happening? Has a war broken out among the Duke's soldiers?”
People, not knowing what was going on, asked the soldiers various questions.Of course, even the soldiers in command did not understand the current situation.They were simply faithfully executing the order from the Duke to “evacuate the people outside the city walls─.”Could it be some kind of drill?A drill to evacuate people in an emergency.
Chills—The soldiers felt their body hair stand on end.
As they had a certain level of intuition for life-and-death battles and wars, they were the first ones to sense the anomaly.The situation had become perilous in many ways.Did the soldiers, who had once faced an army of a hundred thousand just a kilometer away, feel this way?
Their hands and feet began to tremble, and they felt their legs go weak.
“R-Run away! Run away!!!”“We must escape!!!”“Quickly! Quickly! All citizens must swiftly exit Freesia!”
The soldiers, who until now had been guiding people in a gentlemanly manner, suddenly changed their demeanor. The merchant they had grabbed lost his grip on the safe and scowled in frustration.
“Wait, just wait a moment! Even if we run, we need to grab the money first─.”
The merchant couldn't finish his sentence.For he had spotted something rising high into the evening sky.It was a pillar.A pillar of black light.Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa━━──!!!!
Seeing it soar high into the sky, the merchant didn't know what was going on, but he was certain that he needed to get out of there.
It was an instinctive response of a living creature.All the birds of Freesia took flight simultaneously, and all the animals, including small ones like mice and rabbits, began to frantically make their way out of the city.
“Move! Move!”“I'm getting out first!”
In an instant, chaos erupted.They abandoned all their possessions, choosing to flee with only their most precious treasure.That treasure was life.They scattered in all directions like a swarm of bees losing their queen, with some getting pushed and trampled in the process.
"Waaaaaah, moooooom, moooooom-."
Among them were children who had lost their mother's hand.Children were crying out loud, and others were screaming in desperation having lost the hands of their families.That's when a monk with a golden soul appeared and took the child's hand.
"Are you looking for your mother?"
"Mooom, moooom."
"Let's get out of here for now. Saint, can you take care of the child?"
At Enkidus's request, Saint Iris listened quietly. She was blind, but she could sense that something terrible was happening better than anyone else.
That's because Saint Iris was more familiar with goodness and kindness than anyone else.And because she was such a good person, she could sense that something wicked, the likes of which had never been seen before in this world, had appeared in Freesia.Once, the Saint had worked with the hunter Cariote to defeat the King of Beasts in a place called 「The Ancient City」 and had fought against the forces of demons...
"This is the first time I've felt such a frightening aura. Has the end of the world come? To be honest, I'm scared. I just want to run away..."
The Saint thought of herself as fortunate to be blind.It was almost as if the God of Light, Yahbach, had blinded her so she wouldn't have to witness today's events.Enkidus somewhat agreed with her.
"This humble monk thought he had seen everything already..."
A black light ascended, piercing the sky.It was like a spear thrust into this world.Brigitte, who appeared beside them, said,
"...It's a rift in space-time."
A rift in space-time.
A phenomenon that occurs when the world is torn apart, and all cities that have witnessed such phenomena have been destroyed overnight.The most recent case was the millennium city of Uruk, and looking back in history, ancient cities like Babylon, Sodom, and Gomorrah had experienced the same.What all these cities had in common was that magic was highly developed there.And now, would the city of Freesia, known for its magical engineering, only leave its name in history?
Of course, Brigitte couldn't care less about that.
"Judas..."
The fact that a pillar of light was tearing through space-time meant one thing. Someone had transcended, and the magic and energy from that act were ripping through space.Even the skin prickled and nausea was overwhelming due to the intense evil karma seeping out.Brigitte thought there could only be one meaning to this.
"Judas has..."
The time had finally come.Tears suddenly flooded Brigitte's eyes.She had vaguely anticipated this day, but part of her had also been hoping naively that 'maybe everything will turn out fine─.'
The Judas that Brigitte knew always exhibited bizarre ingenuity or superhuman strength in times of crisis and overcame the problems.As if he was loved by all the luck in the world.
I had a vague feeling that it wouldn't be so this time as well.
After all, even the children had come from the future.I thought everything would surely work out this time too, but it seemed that was just Brigitte's hope.
"This idiot...!"
Brigitte yelled at herself, and towards Judas who must be somewhere.
No, could he even hear her voice now?And when she was deeply saddened, Enkidus said,
"Brigitte. Not everything is certain yet. Judas may still be alive. What we need to do now is...."
Enkidus looked around.People were starting to panic and evacuate.The wide-open dimensional rift.It seemed best to calmly but quickly make a decision about what to do.
* * *
"...First, we must close the dimensional rift."
Iris said.When everyone's gaze gathered on Saint Iris, she desperately tried to calm her trembling hands and feet with fear.Her throat was choked, and her breathing rough, but Saint Iris managed to recall her memories with altruism and opened her mouth.
"When Uruk was destroyed... the once-open dimensional rift grew larger and... from the world of Nocturne, Gehenna, an endless evil force poured out...."
Nocturne, having torn through the dimension, sent his forces from his world towards the world of Saba.People fought against them, and the rift was barely closed by the sacrifice of a man called the Saint - Philemon.By sacrificing himself, the man accumulated the karma of goodness and ultimately ascended, becoming one with the god of light, Yahbach.This is the story passed down by the Order.That's why the Church of Yahbach was also the place that recorded the most detailed account of what had happened in Uruk a thousand years ago.
"We must close the rift. It's like a hole in a dam... the more it tries to release from within, the larger it will get. Then the forces will come flooding in...."
Freesia would become hell.No, it might not be just Freesia.Without a hero great enough to be called a Saint, who could possibly stop the evil god Nocturne?
"Do you know how to close the rift?"
Enkidus asked Saint Iris.Soon, Saint Iris nodded.
"For now..."
"Good. Iris, let me guide you to the place where that pillar of dark light is."
With those words, Enkidus looked at the black pillar.It had certainly grown larger than before.His goal was to take Saint Iris towards that place.Having a goal made him feel a bit clearer in his mind.
"I'll go too."
Brigitte, having stopped her tears, volunteered for the task.Enkidus looked at Brigitte with concern, but she had already made up her mind.
"We'll need powerful firepower, won't we? Since all the citizens have been evacuated, there's no need to hold back our strength. Besides, I need to see for myself what's happening out there."
Brigitte's specialty was her strong firepower.At her words, Enkidus felt greatly reassured.
"Very well."
"A party of a wizard, a martial artist, and a blind Saint. The balance of the party seems odd, so we'll naturally need a vanguard, right?"
Then, a familiar voice was heard from somewhere.Turning their heads, they saw a woman with a greatsword as large as a house's pillar on her shoulder, standing on the rooftop of a building, looking down at everyone.
"Queen!"
Brigitte shouted with joy.Queen was one of Brigitte's close friends.
Thump— Whoosh—Queen leaped down and extended her hand towards Enkidus and Brigitte.Clap—The soldiers evacuating the people cheered at the sight of their clasped hands.
"The hero party is all here!""We'll make it somehow! They're the ones who defeated the Demon Lord!""There's hope!!! The Saint is with us too!""...Where is Judas!?"
The hero party.They had always been the hope of the people.Unlike the cheerful crowd, the expressions on Brigitte, Enkidus, and Queen's faces were quite solemn.
Whoooooom—
At that moment, the space beside Brigitte twisted strangely. An enemy? Everyone was on guard, but soon from the portal that appeared in mid-air, wizards with white pointed hats emerged.They wore white robes and held staves made from old pine trees, and the brooches on their necks or shoulders had butterfly motifs.
"Walpurgis."
Brigitte frowned.She had run into the last people she wanted to see at the worst possible time.Friede, the white-hatted wizard, spoke to Brigitte.
"You go ahead. We will take care of the people. Opening a portal outside the city will make evacuating them no trouble at all."
It was infuriating, but true.And the white wizard Friede was a wizard worthy of the white color.Despite their terrible relationship, Brigitte felt relieved to have such a sister.
"Now, everyone, please enter the portal!"
Gudrid, a wizard of Walpurgis and Brigitte's elder sister, shouted at the people. Soon, the wizards of Walpurgis and the Mage Tower cooperated to create portals here and there.
Like unblocking a clogged artery, the lines of people began to diminish, and at the same time, knights in white armor poured in from another portal that had opened elsewhere.
"Saint."
They were the 「Holy Order of Knights」.A group founded a thousand years ago by the companions of a saint who had fought Nocturne in the distant past.
Just two years ago, Roland the Frenzied, who had made a remarkable contribution in the fight against the Demon King Sabernak, was a member of this order.All the knights of the Holy Order, including him, had undergone training to the extent they could be called human weapons, and the tip of their spears always targeted beings that could be called 'evil'.Specialists in combating great evils boosted the morale of the mages and soldiers as they emerged through the dimensional gates.
"Amazing!""Are they preparing for war!?""To think so many Holy Order Knights have gathered in one place! Not just Roland, but Archbishop Turpin is here too!""How splendid...."
Soon, a man wearing a platinum helmet with a cross appeared and bowed to Iris.
"Saint, two battalions will participate in this battle first... but if we collaborate with the White Mages, we can send more troops from the holy city to this place."
Saint Iris, after arriving in this city and meeting Judas, had sent a letter to the Order. It was a directive to always be vigilant, as war could break out at any time.To the Saint, Judas was like a bomb ready to explode, unpredictable, and her predictions came true.
"The black pillar was visible even from the headquarters of the Order. Coming closer, I see...."
Knight Roland sweated as he looked at the black pillar. Despite the presence of the famed Mage Brigitte, the renowned monk Enkidus, and the warrior Queen, he felt far from reassured.Of course, with so many eyes upon them, they could not show a frightened face.They were prepared for death, regardless.
Then Brigitte spoke.
"Sister, there's something I want to ask of you."
"......"
At the mention of a request, the White Mage Friede was slightly startled.Wondering what she might say, Brigitte spoke without hesitation.
"When I give the signal, open a portal toward that pillar. It wouldn't be strange for something unexpected to happen on the way there, so I think it's better to go directly through a portal."
Brigitte's judgment was correct.From this moment on, this place would be at the heart of a mythological era where anything could happen.In fact, the anomaly had already begun.
"The... the moon... the moon is setting.""It's not just the moon. The stars are disappearing. The sky is just... just turning black...."
The world was losing what could be called 'light'.As if someone was trying to cover the night sky with a lid, people were consumed by fear as darkness enveloped the world.
Darkness.It was a primordial fear that humans could not overcome until the moment of death.Witnessing this, Friede sighed.
"...I tried too, but it's no good. I can't open a portal near that pillar. The flow of magical energy in that land is irregular..., my magic and skills are woefully inadequate."
If the White Mage Friede could not open a dimensional gate...That meant there was no mage in this world who could accomplish the task.However, Friede's expression turned very serious.
"But, Brigitte, if it's you… You might be able to do it."
***
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