White Crow

January 1st

The eleventh year of the Forest of Dreams

Nine o'clock in the morning

The city had adorned itself with its lovely white dress. Everyone in that city stood in the square, waiting for something to happen. There was a golden cup there, placed at its centre. On the side opposite the city's main entrance stood an army of Jinn numbering close to three hundred. Beside them stood both the Second Commander and the First Commander, wounded from the King's attack. On the other side stood the First King's army, led by the Second Commander, Hugo, with the Third Commander, Haizaki, withdrawn from the army. On the margins stood Stella, Hiro, Yol and Aki, watching quietly for what would happen.

Atop one of the buildings that looked out over the square, not far off, a person sat scooping up a handful of snow and eating it.

The horns of a military band rang out to create the atmosphere of a ceremony of honour, heading straight for the cup. The Highest Minister of the King arrived then, and behind him a person dressed entirely in white, his hands bound. The difference in height between Hiroshi and the person walking behind him was clear to everyone there.

The instant she saw that person, a little curiosity came over Stella, and she said, "Tell me, why do they need this ceremony to end the war?"

Aki answered with a little hesitation. "Actually... they're going to spill blood among them. The point of it is that they spill innocent blood as a sign of the pact, that it's the last blood. To sum it up, it's a foolish thing to justify their actions..."

Aki stopped talking all at once and turned her gaze quickly towards the crowds around her. Yol said to her, "What's the matter? What's come over you all of a sudden?"

"It's nothing, only... I felt Wendy's opinion a little while ago."

"Wendy? Oh, that girl who was sleeping in the street last night."

While Aki was about to speak, she felt she'd only be wasting her time by talking, and chose to ignore it.

Then Hiro muttered words carrying a little anger. "A sacrifice, then. To sell hope to these people, they need a sane victim."

At hearing those words, Yol felt, for the first time in his life, that he agreed with him.

Hiroshi guided the offering to stand before the cup. Long white hair spilled out, and beneath it eyes covered in a white cloth were revealed, and a green apple.

The instant they saw that girl's face, the public square erupted with all kinds of sounds. But despite the difference in people's opinions, the name mentioned on their tongues was one.

The Saint of the Forest...

The instant she heard that name, panic struck Stella, and she looked towards Hiro. "Hiro, isn't that the name..."

Hiro answered her, the lovely white flames on his back turning into a raging, blazing fire of intense heat. "Ah, it's the girl who helps that village of the elderly. Is this what you meant by what you said that night?"

Though Hiro was on the verge of losing his mind at any moment, he remained lost in thought, the thoughts circling in his head.

A child... she's a child. Were you like this the whole time? Is the matter worth taking this far? What about your words that day... what about your promise...

An image came to Yol's mind of himself fighting with savagery and madness, in the hell of those battles amid the scattered corpses and the smell of rotting blood.

Disgusting... disgusting... disgusting... disgusting... disgusting... disgusting... Revolting... revolting... revolting... revolting... revolting... revolting... revolting... revolting... I'll vomit...

Seeing what he considered ideal collapse before him.

What was I fighting for?

That thought made his innards nearly come out of his mouth.

Hiroshi stepped back while one of the Jinn executioners advanced, carrying in his hand a somewhat short sword, while another seized the girl to hold her head over the cup. The executioner raised his sword into the air to carry out his task.

Amid the sounds and disturbances around them, and although it was only a matter of counted seconds, Yol set his hand on his sword.

If I let this happen, I'll never be able to make another decision in my life. I understand it. I understand the matter completely. I'll become a better person, I'm certain of it, even if it isn't now. But... why... why can't I move... but... what can I even do... And even though I know it's only an excuse, the fear stops me from moving.

Yol sank to his knees then, clutching his stomach from the pain.

If I step in now, maybe I can stop it. But what if they don't listen to me? What do I do... maybe I'll kill the executioner and flee with the girl. What do I do... So do I kill Hiroshi and take his place? What do I do... No, then the King will grow angry and destroy everything. What do I do... Is one girl's life this important? What do I do... No, the matter isn't about that girl. What do I do... I'll surely kill myself. So what... a life... revolting... no.

They shut their eyes hard, hoping for something to change.

"Make sure you both look carefully in front of you. So make absolutely sure to carve that scene into your minds."

Aki's strong, confident voice brought each of them back to reality. The brightness of the morning sun lit up their eyes, making the view harder for them. And with sounds of astonishment filling the place around them, there was a person carrying a man's severed hand in his own hand. That only added to the astonishment of those around him.

Hiro laughed then, as helplessness took him, and said, with sorrow plain on his face, "To do the right thing whatever the situation. The strength to act on matters the way you see fit as right. It's truly amazing. And also, far beyond me."

At that time, it was as if he were living out reality while watching the climax of a scene in his favourite film, that eternal moment that makes you close your eyes afterwards, stunned.

Ah... so that's it. That's the thing.

Everyone who was on the execution platform stepped back. Even the executioner, who was still standing there, stunned, his hand not yet fully severed. He rolled over as he advanced towards the cup.

"Don't worry, you can flee. I won't kill you."

Everyone who had been on that platform moved away and returned to the ranks of the spectators. Itsuki took the hand he was carrying and squeezed its blood into the golden cup. "Right, here you are. You wanted blood to settle these matters."

And despite everything that had happened, the shock plain on Hiroshi's face was over something greater than what was happening in this ceremony. "I can't believe you revealed yourself just to save this girl."

Itsuki was a little surprised by his reaction, and soon remembered what frightened him so. Akihiro stepped back a little behind him, sweat filling his face. "I can't believe he showed himself this way. I don't think it bodes well."

While everyone looked with astonishment towards Itsuki, standing there, it made the whole city fall into a state of complete quiet.

The instant they saw his face, there was nothing distinctive there, just a boy who differed from the rest of the people around him.

The White Crow...

The instant that truth became clear in their minds, and before terror could take hold in their souls, a black cloak gleamed in the middle of that square, fluttering. No, it had been there the instant they realised the matter. Perhaps no one saw it out of sheer fear, which made Itsuki turn around.

And before he could realise what was happening, a large red light was heading towards him at tremendous speed. That red light was nothing but two enormous masses of flame, which soon turned into a storm of raging fire, until the golden cup began melting at once.

These things were happening in front of both Yol and Hiro. And when Hiro looked around him, he couldn't find a trace of Stella. The instant those raging flames calmed, everyone turned their gaze towards the owner of that black cloak, raising her staff towards Itsuki, doing battle with him. With that blue hair adorned by that red crown, that person was none other than Stella. Her fingers trembled as she held her staff. And yet, standing there and fighting in that way only made her more resolved in facing that battle.

And from among those flames, an exposed back was revealed to all. Beneath his feet, a thin ice surrounded them from below, melting at once.

Itsuki stood then in the middle of those flames, and a deep blue colour lit up from his back. And despite that, that blue mark took the shape of the interlocking triple crescent moon on his back, the truth of that crow....