CHAPTER 36: Ash and Memory

Dawn broke over the ruined battlefield, but the echoes of destruction still remained.

The two men who had been chained the day before were finally taken away. The infantry soldiers from Velmore, a distant yet formidable nation, had arrived. Velmore had long been known as a closed-off kingdom, wary of outside influence, yet today, they had come.

The prisoners were loaded into a reinforced carriage. One of them seethed with rage, his wrists still bound, while the other desperately pleaded, his voice raw with desperation.

"We didn’t do it! You have to believe me!"

But no one did.

The High-Ranking Officer from Velmore, stood before Kaziel, his presence commanding. His armor bore the emblems of his nation, his expression unreadable. The conversation between him and Kaziel was quiet yet heavy.

Meanwhile, Anna and Helion turned their attention to the other guards and factory workers being handcuffed and escorted into another carriage. Their faces were grim—some resigned, others still struggling against their fate.

The High-Ranking Officer from Velmore stepped forward, his gaze steady. "Thank you for what you've done to save the lives of others. We've recovered a significant number of corrupted Sapphire Hearts that were destroyed in the process."

Kaziel’s expression remained unreadable. He knew there should have been more. But he was also well aware that Miki and the others had taken some before vanishing through the portal.

"Don’t worry about it," he said smoothly. "We destroyed all of them before you arrived."

The commander studied him for a moment before shifting his attention to another carriage. Several Velmorian officers stood nearby, carefully inspecting pure Sapphire Heart gemstones before locking them inside a large containment box.

"After all," the officer remarked, watching the containment process, "we will be taking the pure Sapphire Hearts into our custody this time. We will deal with them later. In the meantime… about the enhanced Sapphire Hearts—"

"We have collected them," Kaziel interjected.

"Very well…" The commander nodded, his expression measured. He recognized Kaziel and his group as Sapphire Heart Collectors, individuals entrusted with the handling of these powerful artifacts under the authority of Her Grace, the High Priestess. However, his gaze lingered on Anna and Helion, who stood near the carriage, a waiting horse beside them.

"It’s impressive how you managed to bring down this entire facility," he remarked, his tone carrying both curiosity and approval. "This place should have been erased long ago before it became something far worse."

He turned to Kaziel, as if expecting confirmation.

Kaziel remained silent.

He had no intention of revealing the truth—that it had been Sakura’s doing. That this destruction had not been by their hands alone.

For now, he let it slide. With a quiet nod, he acknowledged the commander’s words, offering no further explanation.

A moment of silence passed before they exchanged their final words.

Anna leaned against the carriage, arms crossed, her gaze flicking toward Helion, who stood in quiet contemplation. His usual confidence was absent, replaced by a distant, unsettled air.

"What’s… bothering you?" she asked, her tone softer than usual.

This wasn’t the Helion she knew. He was always composed, always in control. But something about this battle had shaken him—deeply.

Helion turned to her, his golden eyes unreadable.

"…Nothing."

The word felt empty, a hollow attempt at dismissal. Without another word, he turned away, moving to assist the guards in securing the Sapphire Heart gemstones.

Anna watched him, her concern evident. She had never seen him like this. Whatever was weighing on him, he wasn’t ready to share it.

A flicker of movement caught her eye. In the corner of her vision, she spotted Sakura inside the carriage.

The Divine Candidate lay in deep sleep, her body naturally regenerating from the battle’s toll. Despite the devastation she had unleashed, she now looked… peaceful. As though nothing had happened.

Once everything was settled, Helion mounted his horse, his posture tense as he watched the carriage begin to roll forward, carrying them away from the ruined factory. The wind carried the lingering scent of ash and stone, a silent reminder of the destruction left behind.

Inside the carriage, Kaziel sat beside Anna, both of them watching over Sakura, who remained in deep slumber. Her breathing was steady, her body naturally healing, as though she had never been the source of such devastation.

Anna’s gaze drifted to Helion through the small carriage window, his silhouette distant as he rode ahead. "For the first time… Helion was scared," she murmured, her crimson eyes troubled.

Kaziel turned to her, brows furrowing. "Scared…?"

"Yes. He was scared of Sakura… it seems." Her voice was quiet, almost hesitant.

Kaziel’s expression darkened. "Then that’s a problem."

Anna sighed, resting her back against the carriage wall. "We just need to understand why. He might have seen something in the future that we don’t know yet. Even though Helion is no longer my familiar, I can still tell when something weighs on his mind."

Kaziel leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, exhaling deeply. The weight of unspoken truths hung heavy in the silence, only the sound soft rattle of the carriage wheels against the dirt road.

Anna clasped her hands together, brushing her fingers idly. "Thank you…" she said softly.

"Hmm? What’s that?" Kaziel tilted his head, confused.

"For saving me back there." she clarified.

Kaziel smirked slightly, leaning back against the carriage wall. "Well… I’m pretty sure she was a better childhood friend than I was."

Anna fell silent.

For a moment, she let herself remember.

She saw Miki’s face—not the hardened warrior from the battlefield, but the girl she had once known. The one who had laughed without restraint, whose bright, golden eyes had only ever sparkled like that when they were together.

A small, warm smile tugged at Anna’s lips. "She was… a sweet girl."

Kaziel raised an eyebrow, a flicker of disbelief crossing his face. "You can’t be serious."

Anna met his gaze, unwavering. "You don’t know her like I do."

He exhaled, relenting. "Well, whatever. As long as she didn’t harm you this time."

With that, he leaned back, arms crossed, closing his eyes—finally allowing himself to rest after the exhausting battle.

Anna, however, kept her gaze on the passing daylight. For the first time in what felt like forever, she saw the open sky.

After so long in the darkness—through the thick forests, the suffocating factory, the chaos and destruction—the sight of the world beyond it all brought an unexpected relief. A quiet sort of peace.

Then, her eyes dropped to the dagger resting in her lap.

Miki’s dagger.

She had managed to retrieve it before leaving the ruins of the factory. Her fingers curled around the hilt, running over its familiar grip. The weight of it in her hands felt heavier than it should have.

And then—the past came rushing back.

"Someday, let’s get out of this world together! Let’s go shopping, buy flowers, and travel the world!"

Miki’s voice echoed in her mind, full of the unrestrained joy of youth.

Anna could see it—so clearly.

The way Miki’s golden eyes had sparkled, shining with excitement. The way she had held Anna’s hand, gripping it tightly, as if they were invincible. The warmth in that moment—so real, so certain.

Anna had smiled back then, squeezing Miki’s hand in return.

“But you should know… there’s no fun in going all alone and carving your own path.”

Miki had blinked, tilting her head in confusion. "Eh?"

Anna’s smile had softened. “Because you can’t follow me all the time. You need to find who you truly are, Miki.”

Her gaze had locked onto Miki’s, steady and unwavering.

“And trust me… you will find what you’re truly looking for.”

The memory faded.

Far away, in a dimly lit hideout, Miki exhaled, arms crossed as she leaned against the wooden table.

She was with Hanz and Rin, the two keeping her company after their escape.
The air was thick with unspoken thoughts, yet the moment was shattered when Rin groaned dramatically.

"Seriously, that Fateweaver was just lucky! He had a Divine Oneness Candidate backing him up—what a cheater~! If not for that, I totally would’ve won!"

She sighed in frustration, flopping back onto her seat, arms folded behind her head.

Hanz, meanwhile, remained focused, carefully inspecting a corrupted Sapphire Heart on the desk. He turned the gemstone over in his fingers, observing the fractured patterns within it.

"Well… at least he’s smarter than you."

"EXCUSE ME!?" Rin shot up, glaring at him. She dramatically seeking backup, pointing at him. "Miki, he just called us dumb!"

Hanz didn’t even look up. "Just you." He sighed, resuming his careful cleaning of the stone with a piece of fabric.

Rin huffed, crossing her arms. "Rude..!"

But Miki wasn’t listening.

She sat quietly, her expression unreadable, lost in thought.

"Miki~?" Rin called again, finally snapping Miki out of her daze.

Miki blinked, only just realizing Rin had been speaking to her.

Suddenly, the door swung open.

A man stepped in—his ocean-blue hair framing his face, with a side bang that accentuated his striking features. His presence was sharp, commanding, and the intensity in his gaze left no room for casual greetings.

"Another corrupted Sapphire Heart to collect this time."

His voice was crisp, direct.

The group turned toward him in unison.

Hanz smirked, leaning back slightly. "Ah, Luke. You came at the right time."

Luke tilted his head slightly, his blue eyes sharp yet strangely familiar. His gaze lingered on Hanz for a moment, as if studying him—measuring something unspoken.

Then, finally, a smirk tugged at his lips.

"Oh, tell me… did you meet my brother?"

Meanwhile, inside the carriage.

The road stretched long beneath them, the gentle rocking of the carriage filling the silence.

Inside, Anna exhaled softly, her grip on Miki’s dagger loosening. Her fingers relaxed, the weight of exhaustion finally seeping into her body.

Her eyes fluttered closed.

Unconsciously, as sleep claimed her, her body shifted—her head tilting to the side. Without realizing it, she leaned against Kaziel’s shoulder.

He didn’t stir. Already lost in deep sleep, his breathing steady and untroubled.

For the first time in a long while, the three of them allowed themselves to rest peacefully inside the carriage.

Helion, however, remained awake, riding ahead on horseback, the weight of his thoughts pressing down on him.

His mind replayed the visions—flashes of fate unraveling before his eyes. When he had locked gazes with Sakura, he had seen something he wasn’t meant to see.

It felt too real. Too certain.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake the feeling lingering in his chest.

His breath hitched as the images resurfaced.

The Sapphire Heart, once pure and radiant, stained deep crimson with blood.

The burning kingdom, its streets drowned in fire and chaos. People screaming, running, falling.

The Emperor—dead.

And then—Amastacia.

She was running. Running through the collapsing city, her breath ragged, her strength failing. She stumbled, falling to her knees. From the ground, her gaze lifted—

And there, Sakura stood before her.

A weapon—an artifact unfamiliar to him—rested in her grip. It was no blade, no staff, but a gun.

Sakura’s voice cut through the air, chilling and absolute.

“How unfortunate, being… I shall end you.”

The gunshot rang out.

Helion jerked awake, his pulse spiking. His grip on the reins tightened.

That wasn’t supposed to happen.

Even his fate-weaving abilities—his power to glimpse into what could be, to rewrite certain paths—couldn’t alter this vision.

It was set in stone.

And now, a thought gnawed at him. A terrifying question.

Had they been wrong all along?

Had they been protecting the wrong Divine Oneness Candidate?