This is the end.
Why am I saying these things?
A moment ago, I was speaking with a God, and now I feel hollow.
Mom.
I'm sorry. I wasn't strong enough. I admit I pushed myself too hard training with Ghislaine. I know you told me to rest, but I couldn't afford that luxury if it meant failing to become strong enough to protect you.
Dad.
Was I strong? Was I a good eldest son? I know I wasn't. I've carried my insecurities since birth. I always tried to make things different this time around, but my negative thoughts still outweigh everything else.
Lilia… Roxy… Sylphy… Eris…
And…
Rudeus.
I am so sorry. As a big brother, I failed you. I promised to stand by your side, and right now, I'm not there. I know I wasn't always the most expressive person, but I loved you like a true brother. And I don't expect you to be okay, I know you won't be, because you yourself made sure I trusted blindly in your abilities.
"What a drag. Even in this vast darkness, a stinging pain in my heart poisons my thoughts against everything around me." I let out a dry sigh as those words echoed in my fragmented mind.
Did I really die?
Was it too much to ask for this to last a little longer?
No... I didn't die. Just...
I opened my eyes and realized I was falling from a considerable height.
I wasn't sure of the altitude, but I was plummeting in a nose-dive, back-first toward the ground, dragged down by the inevitable pull of gravity.
Even so, nothing mattered.
Perhaps it was time to accept that I wasn't strong enough to protect those I love.
What else could I do?
Just an instant ago I was laughing with them... and now I am alone again.
[Daiki… please, you need to focus. You can still survive…]
...Maybe it's time to accept that my life was never worth the trouble, Analysis.
[Please, I beg you… I don't want to see you like this, I don't want to—]
...Silence, Analysis. Since when do you care about me? In my past life you were there, but you never gave me happy memories, only cold data about my surroundings.
[That's…! I couldn't do anything else!]
...I'm sorry. I know you want to help, but I no longer want to be helped, Analysis."
[You can call me Ayam… That is the name I chose.]
...What…? Ayam?"
For a moment, I stopped thinking about death.
[Brother… please. I don't want to see you die again.]
Brother.
Die.
Family.
Did I really think dying was for the best?
Am I still dragging those thoughts from my past life?
Yes, I still carry them. But I just realized I have a family waiting for me and a brother who needs to be found. I cannot afford to break again.
With sudden determination, I twisted my body mid-air and managed to glimpse the great green sea rushing up to meet me.
I gripped my sword in its sheath; moments before it was hanging loosely from my waist, about to slip off, but now I guarded it with my life.
It was Sauros's gift, after all.
I was falling from an absurd height. My body was reinforced with mana, but the wind pressure and terminal velocity were tearing my clothes apart.
The green sea resolved into a forest, and impact was imminent.
Come on, think, Daiki, think…
"Huh...?"
I spotted a griffin attacking a group of... humans? I couldn't see clearly; the wind was making my eyes water.
That was when I saw it.
The griffin rose into the sky to intimidate them.
I spun in the air to kill some speed and drew my sword.
The force was so violent that the sheath shattered.
And then, like a spear dropped from the heavens, using Shockwave to redirect my trajectory, I made contact. The impact was so loud I could swear the griffin's scream echoed through the entire forest.
Inertia took over: the griffin crashed toward the ground at high speed. I thought it was going to explode... but it didn't. Thank goodness; that would have been a messy end.
"Ugh, I nearly broke my legs..." I panted heavily, my sword still buried in the beast's back.
Wait...
Did I just survive a fall of that magnitude by surfing a griffin?
I scanned the group in case my brother was among them, then checked my surroundings, fearing he might have fallen nearby, but I found nothing.
The group actually consisted of elves, who were staring at me with expressions I couldn't quite place.
Fear? Fascination? Gratitude?
This time, I wasn't so sure.
I yanked Temphestalis from the limp body, forcing myself to step back immediately to avoid the arterial spray.
I was still dazed, my mind reeling.
And besides...
What was a griffin doing here?
Looking closely, it had chains on its neck and legs, which meant it wasn't wild—someone had captured it long ago.
Among the elves were three women, four men, and four children.
What was an entire family doing in this part of the forest?
"Is everyone alright?" I asked. I made it sound routine, as if this happened every day, putting on a stoic front so they wouldn't panic. But of course, that only achieved the opposite: they were mesmerized.
Receiving no answer, I decided to keep talking.
Perhaps the fear in their eyes was greater than what they felt for the griffin. After all, I must have looked like a demon that fell from the sky.
[Stop thinking that, idiot... they are just in shock.]
"Hmm..." I scratched the back of my neck. When I looked up, I noticed their eyes were shining.
"Young man..." the tallest one spoke, his voice tinged with respect.
"What is it?"
"You saved my family. We are in your debt."
"It was just a coincidence. No need to thank me."
"Then it was a lucky coincidence, but it saved us. That is what matters, isn't it?"
I said nothing. My mind was still on my brother and Eris.
"You may ask for anything... If it is within our power, we will do it."
That was all he said.
I expected fear, rejection...
With my black hair and red eyes, coupled with my indifference and raw power, I wasn't exactly the most comforting sight.
"Yes, I have a question. Did you happen to see a boy my age, with sandy-brown hair? He would likely be with a red-haired girl..." I held onto a sliver of hope; these elves knew the forest perfectly, so there was a chance they knew something.
Hitogami, the supposed Human God, had assured me my brother had fallen on the Demon Continent and that a ship was waiting for me, but... I still wanted to scour every corner, cover as much ground as I could. Besides, I was broke; I couldn't afford a ship right now.
"No, I am sorry..."
I sighed. The answer was obvious, but I had hoped for something, at least.
"We did not see anyone like that, but the forest is vast."
All the elves lowered their heads.
"Well, never mind," I took a deep breath. "Do you know where the nearest human settlement is? I need to gather information about my brother, and cities are usually the best place for that."
The man nodded immediately.
"We can take you to our home, give you new clothes..." he began, but he didn't even need to finish. I noticed my boots and shirt were hanging by threads. "...food, and whatever else you require. We are in your debt, lad."
---
Rudeus Greyrat
When I woke up, it was already night. I could hear the crackle of burning wood. It seemed I was sleeping next to a campfire, though I didn't remember building one, or even going camping.
The last thing I clearly remembered... was the sky abruptly changing colors, a wave of white light enveloping us, and—
Daiki.
My brother was right in front of us when it happened. That light swallowed him first before reaching Eris and me...
When I sat up, my back groaned in protest; I had been lying directly on the hard ground. My immediate surroundings were a patch of dry, cracked earth. From what I could see, there was barely any vegetation. Were there not even insects? I heard nothing but the sound of the fire.
It was truly silent here. I felt that any noise I made would be devoured by the total stillness of the night. I couldn't remember having been in a place like this before; after all, the Kingdom of Asura was lush with fields and forests. Had that wave of white light caused this?
No, no. According to that Human God, I had been teleported. I suppose this was the Demon Continent. A completely new and unknown land. Somehow, that light had sent me... Wait.
What about Daiki!?
And Eris!?
Panic seized me. My brother. Where was he? He had been swallowed by that light first. Had he been teleported to the same place? Or...?
My first instinct was to jump to my feet and start searching. But just as I began to move... I saw a girl sleeping on the ground next to me, one hand clutching the hem of my shirt.
Her vivid red hair was unmistakable. It was Eris. Eris Boreas Greyrat. My shoulders relaxed a fraction. At least she was here, but...
Where was Daiki?
I scanned the area around the campfire with growing desperation. Nothing. Only darkness and the dancing shadows of the fire. My heart raced.
"Daiki!?"
Suddenly, I noticed someone sitting near the fire whom I hadn't seen before. I rushed over with renewed hope, thinking perhaps it was my brother.
But it wasn't him.
It was a man.
"Where is my brother? There was a boy with black hair and red eyes. He was with us when the light hit. Did you see him? Was he here?"
"Your brother? I only found the two of you here after you fell from the sky. A human girl and you. There was no one else."
My world reeled. Only the two of us? Then where was Daiki?
I tried to calm myself, though anxiety gnawed at my insides. Maybe he had been transported somewhere else. Maybe he was at some other point on the Demon Continent, waiting for us just as I was waiting for him.
But while the man explained where we were and what he had done, a part of me couldn't stop worrying. Daiki was strong, but even that might not be enough in an unknown world. And Eris... she would be devastated when she discovered Daiki wasn't here.
My intuition told me I should trust this Superd. That I should ask about my brother, investigate, and perhaps this man could help me find him.
My worry was so great that I didn't care that I was standing in front of a Superd.
"I need to ask you a favor. My twin brother was with us. He had black hair, red eyes, about my size, just a little bit taller... Is there any way we can locate him? Has anyone else in the region seen a boy like that?"
The Superd observed me for a long moment. Something in his gaze suggested he understood the desperation in my voice.
"Rest tonight," he said slowly. "Tomorrow, when the sun rises, we will search the surrounding area. If your brother was with you, he must have landed nearby. And if he is alive..." The man paused. "A Superd warrior never abandons those who seek help. We will look for your brother."
Those words anchored me a little, though the worry for my brother wouldn't leave me all night... and perhaps, for the entire journey.
A short time later, Eris's eyes snapped open.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!" Eris began to tremble like a tormented soul, scrambled backward, and then tried to stand up and run. But her legs gave out and she collapsed on the ground. "Nooooooooooo!"
"No! No, no, no! Please, please, no! Ghislaine! Ghislaine, help me! Ghislaine! Why aren't you coming!? Noooo! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Rudeus, I'm sorry I pushed you away! Aaah... ah... Waaaaaah!"
Could it be... maybe I had the wrong idea? Was bumping into a Superd literally a matter of life and death?
I looked toward Ruijerd in bewilderment.
"That is the most common reaction," he said.
"So I am the one behaving strangely?"
"Yes, you are acting quite strangely. However..."
"However?"
"I cannot say it bothers me."
The man's face was the image of loneliness.
I stood up and walked toward my terrified student. Eris writhed more and more with fear as I approached.
"Come on, everything is fine. There is nothing to fear."
"Hic... Of course there is! Th-that man is a Superd!"
"But what is so scary about him?"
"I-idiot! He is a Superd! They... They eat children! They eat them alive!"
"Mm. I don't think that's true."
I turned toward Ruijerd to confirm it, and he nodded instinctively.
"No, we do not eat children."
"Eris, did you hear that?"
"B-but... They are demons! Demons!"
"Yes, you're right about that. But fortunately, he speaks the Human tongue very well."
At that moment, she began to tremble again.
"P-pleased... to meet you, s-sir. My name is... E-Eris Bo-Bo-Boreas... Greyrat!"
Despite everything, the girl still managed to introduce herself politely. It was almost comical, especially after she had just glared daggers at him.
"Eris Boboboreas Greyrat, correct? It seems you humans have been giving yourselves some rather peculiar names lately."
"No, no! It's Eris Boreas Greyrat! I just stuttered a little, that's all! How about you introduce yourself now!?"
An instant after she finished yelling at him, Eris's face went pale. It seems that for a second she had forgotten who she was talking to.
"Of course. My apologies. My name is Ruijerd Superdia."
When Ruijerd responded calmly, an expression of relief crossed Eris's face, only to be quickly replaced by a confident, haughty smile. She seemed to have retroactively decided that she wasn't scared of him one bit.
"See? He isn't so bad. You can make friends with everyone, as long as you can communicate with them."
"Yup! You're right, Rudeus! Seriously, Mother is such a liar!"
Eris then seemed to remember something important and her eyes went wide.
"Wait! And Daiki? Where is Daiki?" Her voice changed tone suddenly, from playful to anxious. "He was right in front of us when the light hit..."
"Ruijerd only found us," I said slowly, watching her process the information. "I don't know where my brother is..."
Eris's face paled, and this time it wasn't from fear of the Superd, but from true dread.
"W-what? He isn't here? Where... where is he? Is he somewhere else? Is he okay? Is he..."
She didn't finish the sentence, but I knew what she was thinking.
"Tomorrow we will look for him," I assured her, though doubts tormented me. "Daiki is strong. He has to be somewhere around here."
Eris nodded, though I could clearly see her hands trembling. For the first time since she had woken up, her fear wasn't for the Superd in front of us, but for the unknown... and for my brother.
Ruijerd watched us in silence, his expression unreadable. Then he spoke, with that serene voice that didn't match his fearsome appearance at all:
"We will search for your twin brother tomorrow at dawn. A Superd warrior does not abandon those he protects. If the boy was with you, we will find him."
His words should have relieved me, but the night became even longer after that. My mind spun restlessly around a single question:
Where are you, brother?
--
Eris Boreas Greyrat
This couldn't be true... Daiki, you promised me you wouldn't leave. That you would always be with me. But, it seems, life has other plans. Although...
No. I am not going to give up over this. I know it is a test, and I can overcome it. My love is stronger than this miserable place...
Ugh... I'm saying those cheesy things again. But I can't get it out of my head. What if right now he is fighting against some horrible monster? What if... he is thinking of me?
Before I realized it, I was already tangling my fingers in my hair, spinning around like a lovesick fool.
But no... I couldn't sit still. Not when he was still out there, alone, who knows where.
What would he be doing?
Would he be unharmed?
Is he... smiling?
I felt a strange heat rise up my face.
"Tsk... how annoying..." I muttered, gritting my teeth.
"Did something happen, Eris?" asked Rudeus.
"Nothing happened..."
I lied. Because yes, it was happening. Everything was happening.
I miss you, Daiki....