Even if I succeeded in protecting Nyau, if High Priest Sierotia has been murdered, what has all my effort been for...?
"Th-this happened yesterday. Someone attacked the Sanctuary in the middle of the ritual. The Holy Grail is still missing... everyone is panicking. We don't know what to do..."
The villager said no more, sinking to the ground with a face etched in utter exhaustion. He had likely been swallowed by the chaos, left helpless and reeling.
A dark premonition swirled in my mind. The Commemorative Festival was the last thing on anyone's mind now. The entire village was in a state of hysteria, and the Barrier that should have protected them had already collapsed.
"Second Prince Diluecca was supposed to be here ages ago, but he’s still a no-show. Not that we have the heart to welcome him in this state, even if he did arrive..."
"...What?"
The Second Prince's party should have departed much earlier than we did. I’d been told he was heading to Kataroff Village ahead of us, accompanied by a full Escort Unit.
And yet, he still hasn't arrived?
My mind began to spin.
If that was the case, where was Elsie? She’d said she was going to catch up with the Second Prince...
And what of Demon Beelphegor? I had no idea what that demon was planning. All I could recall was the agony on Ryune's face and her final, whispered words: "Gomen ne..."
Namia—or rather, the Revenant—had apparently stolen the Holy Grail, and Sierotia, the cornerstone of the Barrier, had been killed because of it.
I couldn't fathom what Elsie intended by stealing Nyau’s Mana, nor what her master, Second Prince Diluecca, was thinking.
Questions flashed through my mind like a frantic montage, threatening to overheat my brain.
What should I prioritize? What should I do first?
"...Kiska-san...?"
A soft voice reached me. I realized Nyau was gently clutching my arm.
He must still have been in pain, yet his eyes were filled with a desperate, self-sacrificing concern for me.
"...Sorry, Nyau. It's just... my head's a mess right now."
An inexplicable scream threatened to erupt from the depths of my soul.
"It is all right. If it is you, Kiska-san, it will be all right."
Nyau’s gentle tone resonated in my mind.
"Nyau knows that Kiska-san is stronger than anyone. That is why Nyau believes that even now, Kiska-san will find a way. Nyau believes in you."
That’s right. I had struggled this far because I wanted to save him.
As long as I was doing it for Nyau, I felt like I could still find the strength to go on.
"...Sorry. I'm okay... I'll push through... just a little longer."
I took several deep breaths, trying to convince myself. Somewhere in the back of my mind, a part of me was screaming that I was anything but "okay," but I couldn't afford to stop now. I forced my trembling body to stand.
Suddenly, a cry went up from deeper in the village. "Wh-what is that!?" The commotion spread like wildfire.
Villagers were pointing at the sky, their faces pale with terror.
I looked up reflexively. There, cutting across the pre-dawn sky, were several points of white light. Meteors? No, there were too many of them. And they were racing toward the village at a terrifying velocity.
"...This is bad...!"
The moment my intuition screamed of danger, a chorus of shrieks erupted from the villagers.
The lights were masses of fire, roaring toward the earth like meteors. They descended with blinding speed, trailing brilliant flashes of light.
"Kiska-san...! Look, a Magic Circle...!"
Following his gaze, I saw several massive Magic Circles rotating vividly against the black-purple sky. They were layered in Multilayered Circular Arrays, with intricate Mana Lines glowing as they churned out meteors of immense thermal energy from their centers.
This was Magic. Someone was casting this.
And those flaming meteors were about to slam into the ground—.
"Nyau! Get down!"
I lunged forward, pulling Nyau into my embrace. He nodded weakly and, as we huddled against the ground, his voice trembled.
"...N-Nyau will try to raise a Barrier...!"
He clutched his chest in pain, pressing his hands together to begin an incantation. His composure was gone; his breathing was labored, and his voice cracked with strain. Most importantly—he didn't have enough Mana.
"...Nyau! Don't push yourself! You don't have the Mana for a Barrier...!"
"But... I have to...!"
Nyau’s voice was filled with a heart-wrenching desperation.
But I felt almost no Mana radiating from him. The amount Elsie had stolen was vast, and he hadn't had time to recover. He clung to the incantation like a drowning man to a straw, but the moment he finished, the faint light flickering around him vanished like a snuffed candle.
"...Ah..."
Despair washed over Nyau’s face. As his strength failed and he began to collapse, I reached out and caught him.
"Look out...!"
The villagers' screams pierced my ears.
The fireballs began to impact. One after another, they slammed into the village, followed by violent gusts of wind and a deafening succession of explosions. The earth groaned, and houses screeched as they were crushed into rubble.
"Aaaagh!"
"H-help me! Someone, help!"
Cries of agony echoed from places I could no longer reach. It was like the end of the world. The groans of the dying, the screams of the hopeless—even if I covered my ears, I knew these sounds would haunt me forever.
"If only High Priest Sierotia were alive... if only the Barrier were still up...!" Nyau cried out in anguish.
Right. The Barrier was supposed to have shielded the entire village. If it were functioning, would it have stopped a bombardment like this?
"If the Barrier were up, would the village really be safe?"
"Yes... the Barrier is designed to repel even the most powerful external threats. If we had it, this never would have happened..."
Damn it. So that was it.
Would things have been different if I’d been faster, or if I’d made the right choices?
No, I couldn't afford to waste time on regrets. The village was already becoming a sea of flames from the opening volley. And above us, more meteors were descending to deliver the finishing blow.
"Nyau, hold on!"
I pulled him tight against me, using my own body to shield his head. The heat-wash seared my back; I could feel my skin beginning to blister. To have this much firepower raining down... it was a living hell.
I lost track of time. The fireballs ravaged the town, the explosions drowning out the screams. Debris was tossed into the air as buildings disintegrated one by one.
"...Ngh... ugh...!"
A massive shockwave hammered into my back.
The force threw me across the ground. I curled into a ball, shielding Nyau with every ounce of my strength as we tumbled. The jagged cobblestones tore at me, and sharp pain flared through my entire body. I refused to let him go, locking my muscles and keeping him tucked against my chest.
"Ugh... gah...!"
The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. Despite the overpowering stench of smoke and charred wood, I could smell the copper of my own blood. Just thinking about the carnage around us made me want to retch.
"Ki... Kiska-san...!"
Nyau’s voice, thick with tears, reached me.
I gritted my teeth, fighting to stay conscious. Please, I can't go down yet. I can't leave him alone.
I don't know how long it lasted—seconds or minutes. Eventually, the Meteor Storm finally ceased. A heavy silence followed, broken only by the crackle of fire. Ash drifted down like snow, and charred smoke rose from the mounds of rubble.
"...Ah..."
I forced my head up, desperate to see if Nyau was still alive.
His pale face was right there in front of me.
Was he okay? I carefully checked him over; he was breathing, and my heart hammered against my ribs in relief.
"Nyau..."
"K-Kiska-san... I..."
His voice was a mere shiver. His cheeks were streaked with soot, and his clothes were singed, but he didn't seem to have any life-threatening wounds. Most importantly, he was awake.
"Thank God... you're safe..."
The moment I spoke, a white-hot pain lanced through me, stealing my breath.
What was this? Every movement brought a fresh wave of agony. My right arm was dead weight, and I could feel my back and arm slick with blood. My vision wobbled, and each breath was a struggle.
"Kiska-san...! You shielded me... because of me, you're...!"
Nyau’s eyes overflowed with tears.
He tried to pull me toward him to help me up, but his slender frame lacked the strength to support my weight. Afraid of making him tumble, I forced myself to steady my own posture.
"To... to keep you safe... it's only natural..."
My lungs burned with every word.
I was fairly certain I had several broken ribs. But we were alive—that was the only thing that mattered.
I looked around. There was nothing left that could be called a village. Only burning ruins, the stench of blood, and the broken bodies of villagers. It was a sight so horrific I wanted to scream, yet no sound came out.
A meteor strike of this magnitude... this wasn't ordinary Magic. Someone with a terrifying amount of Mana had targeted this place with intent. But who? And why? Trying to think only made the pain in my head sharpen.
"I am so sorry... Kiska-san. If only Nyau... if only Nyau were more capable... then you wouldn't be so hurt..."
He wept, his small shoulders shaking as he blamed himself for his helplessness. I reached out and pulled him close. Blood was still seeping from my wounds, but I didn't care.
"Don't cry, Nyau. This isn't your fault. The one to blame... is the one who did this to us."
I took a shallow breath. I was still conscious; that was enough. Come on, Kiska. Pull yourself together.
"...There might still be people alive. We have to move, or we can't help anyone."
I knew I was being reckless. I was badly injured, and Nyau was exhausted. But if we just sat here, the survivors would only continue to die. If there were people still breathing, I had to try to help.
As I tried to push myself up, a fresh jolt of pain forced a gasp from my lips. Honestly, even a single step felt impossible. But Nyau put a hand on my back, his tearful voice offering whatever support he could.
"I am sorry... I am so sorry that things have come to this...!"
"Don't worry about it. I'm fine... I can still... do this..."
I didn't know if I really could. But I had to act like I did. Looking into Nyau’s shimmering eyes made me want to be the person he believed in. I had fought this hard to protect him; I wasn't going to stop now.
I hadn't been able to save Sierotia or Ryune. Countless villagers were dead, and we were broken. Demon Beelphegor had claimed Ryune's body, and Elsie was out there somewhere, plotting.
Where did it all go wrong? When did the world spin so far out of control?