Chapter 5: Second Sun

After the flames vanished, the oppressive heat disappeared in an instant. Faint sobs and cries from the villagers echoed from every direction. Reika stood still, amidst the dreadful noises that surrounds her.

But… he came from Earth, right? H-how could he possess such a strange power if he was just a human there…?!

She shifted her gaze back to Soru. Although he kept a stoic expression, his actions exposed the truth—they practically shouted that he did possess one.

Just think about it, Reika! Every situation we faced so far—every time we were in danger, he acted like he knew everything...!

Her lips trembled as she whispered to herself, "M-Maybe it was true… If he really had powers, that would explain everything—why we managed to survive until now..."

At that moment, Reika heard the dragon unleash a deafening roar. Everyone turned their eyes upward and froze as the Wildfire Dragon became engulfed in flames.

ROOAAARR!!

Its entire body burned intensely, yet the dragon remained unaffected. It showed no signs of pain or injury, which caught everyone by surprise.

The dragon responded by soaring higher into the sky. The sheer height it climbed made its fiery silhouette visible to the entire village. Against the sky, it resembled a phoenix reborn from the flames.

With one powerful flap of its wings, it extinguished the fire in an instant, as if it had never existed.

A heavy silence fell over the village.

ROOOOAAAAARRR!!

The villagers instinctively clutched their ears at the dragon's sudden cry. As the roar faded, the beast raised its head toward the heavens and opened its massive jaws.

A fiery orb formed within its maw, growing larger with each passing second. The sky brightened as the blazing fireball outshone the sun. Heat surged through the village, turning puddles into steam. The air pressed down on them—suffocating and relentless.

Everyone was afraid. They couldn't think ratioanally after they witnessed how terrifying it is.

They were powerless in front of the dragon.

Soru stared at the dragon as it prepared its devastating counterattack. The fireball reached its full size in no time.

"It's over for us..." one of the villagers muttered, barely audible amidst everyone's despair.

In a split second, the enormous fireball in the dragon's mouth just vanished. Everyone stared in confusion, unsure of what had just happened. Moments later, their bewilderment turned to shock as flames erupted across the dragon's body once more.

The dragon let out another deafening roar.

ROOOOAAAARRR!

Despite being consumed by fire a second time, the flames failed to harm its thick scales or pierce its skin. With two powerful flaps of its wings, it expelled the flames with ease. The villagers that witnessed the dragon's resilience began to tremble in fear.

“T-The dragon's still alive, even after being burned twice?!”

The dragon's behavior turned erratic. It flapped its wings furiously and ascended higher into the sky, climbing rapidly. Its massive form shrank until it disappeared into the clouds above.

Everyone was silent. They were scared by the idea of what the dragon might do next.

“M-Mom... Will that monster come back?” a child whispered, trembling.

The child’s mother wrapped her arms around her and gently stroked the back of her head. “Hush... It won’t come back again,” she murmured.

All eyes remained fixed on the sky for what felt like an eternity. No one dared to move, even an inch.

They waited for a long period of time. Yet, the dragon never returned. The tension slowly eased, and a wave of relief washed over them like cool water.

“Thank the heavens! The dragon hasn’t come back!”

“Maybe it got scared after being burned twice for no reason!” another added with hope mixed in his voice.

Just as the villagers began to celebrate, a deafening bang echoed through the sky, shattering their fragile sense of peace.

BOOOOM!!

Everyone’s gaze shot upward as the sky cleared in an instant. Thick clouds scattered outward, forming a wide circle that revealed a strange object blocking the sunlight.

As it drew closer, its silhouette came into focus. Their hearts collectively sank with dread at what they just saw.

“It... It’s...!”

The object held no mystery—it was the dragon, plummeting toward the ground at terrifying speed. The thunderous sound earlier had come from the beast breaking the sound barrier, accelerated by gravity. Its speed pushed the dragon to travel beyond Mach 1.

“E-Everyone, it’s the dragon!”

Panic spread like wildfire. The villagers each shared the same desperate thought at that moment: run as far away as possible.

They moved instinctively, driven by a primal urge to flee. Everyone ran without looking back. Parents clutched their children tightly and sprinted with every ounce of strength.

Amid the panic, one figure stayed still.

It was none other than Shin Soru.

Reika was about to flee with others but stopped when she noticed him.

What is he doing at a time like this...?

Soru kept his eyes fixed on the beast above. He squinted, trying to focus on its massive frame as it obscured the sun.

“I’ll use it on that thing...” he murmured.

He lifted his hand slightly and shielded his eyes from the sun’s glare, trying to see the dragon more clearly.

“Stay put.”

The moment he uttered those words, the sky suddenly erupted with brilliance.

Startled by the sudden change, villagers who dared to look up shielded their eyes. The light quickly reached the ground and cast an unearthly radiance over the village. Fearing that the light would blind them, those who were unable to turn away in time instinctively covered their eyes.

Although it lasted only a moment, those who witnessed it felt a surge of terror. In their eyes, the dragon had turned into a blinding white mass of light. The light managed to outshone the sun, resembling like a second, more brilliant star in the sky.

The intense light that scattered across the heavens got sucked into the dragon. Then, a deafening sound of explosion followed the brief stillness.

BOOOOOOM!!!

When the shockwave reached the village, everyone covered their ears in pain. Many felt an agonizing ringing, while others winced as blood trickled from their eardrums.

Seconds later, some of the villagers saw a dark object plummet from the sky, trailing thick smoke behind it.

THUD!!

The ground trembled as it crashed down, sending a faint vibration through the soil. Those who got curious approached it slowly, trying to overcome their sense of fear with curiosity.

When they saw it up close, their eyes widened in disbelief—it was the dragon’s lifeless body.

Its once-imposing form were ruined beyond recognition. Charred like burnt wood, its scales had crumbled into dust, leaving behind only a husk of the fearsome beast it once had been.

Some villagers murmured in astonishment at the dragon’s corpse, while others turned their attention to the smoldering remains of their village. Despite the grim aftermath, Soru’s timely intervention greatly lessened the casualties.

Still, he couldn’t undo the damage. Lives had been lost. Children cried out as they ran to their parents and siblings, terrified on what they saw around them.

Some villagers never reunited with their loved ones. Those who survived sat among the remains of their dead families. They clutched lifeless bodies, their cries raw and heartrending.

“My child... You’re still so young! Why did you have to leave us so soon...?”

"UWAAAHHH!! Papa... Please don’t leave me...!"

Silas gave orders to those still able to move. He tasked them with gathering the bodies of the dead and bringing them to the center of the village. Without hesitation, the villagers began the grim task, lifting each lifeless body and laying them side by side.

Five villagers had died—either burned to death or crushed beneath debris—while eleven others suffered minor injuries. Thankfully, no one else was missing. Those who had lost loved ones gathered around the bodies, mourning their loss, while others stood in silent grief, tormented by the helplessness of failing to save them.

Amid the sorrow, one man lying beside his family’s bodies suddenly stood. He grabbed his hatchet, clouded by intense emotion inside him. Everyone near him was shocked by his actions.

“My family was killed, all because I was too busy helping others...” His voice trembled with guilt. “If I had saved them first, maybe...!”

He raised the hatchet and pointed it at his chest. Reika saw it from a distance, and her heart skipped a beat.

That man—wasn’t he the one who guarded the entrance gate?

The anguish in the man's eyes said everything—it was sorrow, regret, and hopelessness. At his feet lay the lifeless bodies of a young child and a woman.

They were his only family.

“IT’S BETTER IF I FOLLOW THEM THAN LET MYSELF DROWN IN DESPAIR IN THIS FORSAKEN WORLD!!”

Before he could drive the blade into his chest, a villager rushed forward and grabbed his wrist in time. Others quickly intervened, wrestled the hatchet from his grip, and tossed it to the ground.

As the guard struggled against those holding him back, a fist suddenly struck his face. Blood poured from his mouth and dripped down his chin. He looked up and saw Silas standing in front of him.

“Are you out of your mind? Do you think ending your life will spare you from your misery?” Silas shouted in anger.

The guard shoved the villagers aside and wiped the blood from his mouth.

"What do you think your wife and daughter would say if they saw you doing this to yourself?”

“Old man, don’t you dare...!”

His words faltered as two familiar figures appeared behind Silas. Mathilda, his wife, and Emily, his daughter, stood there, staring at him with worried eyes.

“M... Mathilda? Emily...?”

He blinked in disbelief, but when he opened his eyes again, they had vanished.

The man quickly sank to his knees, his body. Tears began to stream down on his face as he sobbed quietly.

“I’m sorry... Mathilda, Emily. I failed you both as a husband and a father...”

The villagers gathered around him, offering what comfort they could. Silas knelt beside him, resting his hand on the guard’s shoulder.

Reika couldn't help but only watch the scene unfold in front of her. The faces of the villagers who had lost their loved ones stayed in her mind.

I couldn’t do anything to save them...!

Reika saw their devastation of the mourning people—the helplessness in their cries as they grieved for those who would never return.

As she recalled the moment she fell from the rooftop, she realized the thought of death hadn’t even crossed her mind back then.

Reika let out a quiet sigh and looked away.

Maybe this served as a reminder that death always lurked nearby, waiting for its moment. That the hands of eternal slumber could reach us at any time...

While Reika wandered through her thoughts, she suddenly noticed Soru walking toward the village entrance. Wanting to escape the gloomy atmosphere, she quietly followed him.

...

Soru followed the path back to where they had come from. Halfway through, he stopped and gazed at the setting sun, its orange-red light sinking slowly below the horizon. He watched the wheat sway in the breeze and the distant birds soaring overhead. The scene felt peaceful—a perfect reflection of nature’s quiet calm.

As he took in the view, he sensed someone approaching. He saw Reika walking toward him. When she reached his side, she stopped. A light breeze tousled her hair, lifting it gently above her shoulders.

Now that Soru stood in front of her, Reika couldn’t speak right away. She stood frozen, torn between confronting him about his powers or staying silent.

Should I ask him directly? What if he denies it?

Her mind raced as she stood beside him. There’s no time to hesitate. I need to know the truth—right now.

“I...!”

But before she could speak, Soru turned to face her. His cold, empty eyes met hers, devoid of emotion. His expression hadn’t changed since the moment they first met.

Those eyes...

Reika lowered her gaze and spoke in a soft voice. "I had a suspicion that you were the one who saved me when we fell from the sky. And with the monsters... I think you used some strange method to deal with them."

She paused for a moment.

"When you extinguished the flames that destroyed the houses and possibly killed the dragon, it all became clear... Every question I had was answered."

Soru remained silent and listened without any reaction.

“There are families grieving, mourning those lost because of the dragon’s destruction…” Reika’s voice faltered as a tear slid down her cheek.

She looked up at him. “If you have that kind of power, why didn’t you use it sooner? Why didn’t you save every single one of them?”

Her tears kept falling as she searched his face for any trace of empathy. But Soru’s face remained stoic, untouched by the suffering he just witnessed earlier.

“I simply did what I thought was efficient,” Soru said coldly, his voice steady and unshaken. “Besides, there’s no specific reason to save every single one of them.”

“Their deaths... are not my concern.”

Reika’s breath caught in her throat. She got shocked by his response, especially his last words.

“H-How could you...?!”

Without thinking, she raised her hand and aimed it at his face.

"How dare you say that about your own kind?! You... You are heartless!"