Chapter 25

Euphemia's Perspective

The tables have been tipped. The point is, I assumed the Faerie was some kind of divine being who guarded people. However, it appears that this being is malevolent and has no qualms about slaughtering people. The darkness is oozing around her, and I could feel how horrible she is even without an Artes like myself.

The Faerie's eyes staggered to us after slaying two guys. She didn't have thought of halting, directly drawing a dark blade from the mid-air. She ignored Sekki who was before me, as she appeared right through my side and about to slash me in half.

I don't have time to dodge. If I receive the slash she was about to do, then I could end like those two lifeless people.

"Sekki!" I shouted.

"Tch…!" Instead, Sekki pushed me, and he voluntarily suffered the injury to me for him. When the sword contacted Sekki, it began to emit a dark Kaminari that engulfed the entire area. As for the whole entire area, it changed when the Kaminari exploded. The trees disappeared and they became tall old buildings. It had been quiet and peaceful for no apparent reason. Even Sekki and the Faerie vanished.

This area was not in the mountains, but rather a man-made location. It reminded me of when the Schatten showed me my home; it's like another domain, but who made it?

"Sekki!"

'Sekki'

'Sekki'

But the only response was my own voice echoing from time to time. It doesn't seem like someone is here either. I got on my foot, as I dusted myself. When I roamed around once again, I saw a garden-like scenery. There are angelic statues on both sides, and I can also see a fountain.

"What kind of place is this?"

My legs began to take the path toward the fantasy garden I discovered. It kind of surprised me when I saw how beautiful it was.

"Who made this domain? If this domain connects from the memory of the host then, it could only be me or Sekki. It's not me, so it's from Sekki but what in the world is this place? The whole place is paradise itself."

I'm sure Sekki is someplace around here. I need to get back to him because he took the damage from that attack just to protect me. I couldn't just leave him alone after that heinous attack.

I couldn't use my artes to find him. I need to look for him around here.

I began walking my feet to this one-of-a-kind realm, determined. Massive magia created the area. For some reason, I felt the ground shake as I walked ahead to a specific location.

"W-what is happening?!"

It wasn't long until the entire place devolved from serene to chaotic. The buildings began to quiver and break, some were shattered, and the atmosphere became painfully hot as the entire area was consumed by fire.

"Everything had been shattered. The paradise we thought was a mere place for devils. They killed the weak and took the kids who had a strong magia. They massacred everyone, and soon this place was abandoned." Who was talking? As if someone was narrating the tragedy of this place, it was interfering with my thoughts.

"Who is going to save us? If the people we thought would defend us turned out to be the ones who would kill everyone. We are merely tools in their hands. The empire has already abandoned humanity in order to gain more power. We became their puppets, unable to fight for our freedom."

"Sekki? Is this Sekki? He is…" I need to save him. He is trapped, "SEKKI!" I screamed.

"I don't know who you are or what your background is. However, don't give up! If no one has rescued you up to this point, I am here to help! So don't give up and don't believe the illusion! Sekki, I'll find you! "

This is most likely made by Schatten who interfered with Sekki's memories. But I thought we were fighting the Faerie? What could have happened to that Faerie?

I went inside the burning structure. Some of the chandeliers were dropping from the ground as the rubble fell. It appears to be real and lethal. But I continued, searching for Sekki who could be trapped inside.

"Sekki! Where are you? Sekki!"

While shouting and screaming is what I did, I noticed a kid who was sitting in the corner. He was like watching the whole scene and didn't move there. "There's another person here?" I walked close to him and I felt strange when he lifted his head to glance at me.

He has messy bloaty blonde hair, wearing a pure plain white as he was holding a bunny-stuff toy.

"What exactly are you doing here? Why are you meddling in his memories?" It communicated with me; how is this possible? Aside from me, someone else is here, and he appears to be rather informed about Sekki. That matured face was staring at me, and he didn't flinch till I replied.

"I've come to save him. Give up if you're going to stop me. No one can stop me from getting what I want." It was a serious conversation from me that ended with him laughing, "Ahaha! Ahaha! Can you help him? There is no one who can save him from his fate. Even if you save him here, everything will end up the same. Death."

My heartbeat harshly throbbed because of what he just said. I squeezed my hand in rage, not wanting to provide that kind of excuse to anyone I know. "I'm going to change his fate. You don't tell me to give up, and I won't give up until his fate is secured." His eyes widened, possibly because he wasn't expecting to hear what I just said. Even yet, he had that stupid smirk on his face. As he was staring at the stuff-toy he was holding.

"Then…you can try. Sekki is in that room together with the Schatten."

"Schatten?"

"The Faerie was under Schatten's power since she had a shaky faith in mankind. Only the strong survive in this world. It wasn't really new because the Faerie was feeble. If you want to save him, you must first defeat the Schatten." The young boy stood and began marching on the opposite side. "W-wait, just who in the world are you?"

"Hm? You don't know me, huh? Ms Humph, you should try to remember my name."

"Huh…?" and he disappeared just like that. Wait, did he just call me…"Ms. Humph?"

Aside from that, I took the young boy's statements. He stated that Sekki was in that room. The room door was a little rusty and antiquated, but it wasn't on fire. I have all the bravery I need to go the opposite way. When I opened the door, the first thing I saw was a hole in a cliff in the deepest vastness of the unknown.

"Wait a minute..."

As I gingerly entered, my sweat began to dissipate. I'm not sure if there's any firm ground I can step on. Every step I took was deliberate and exact. I couldn't see it, the path.

"Sekki!" I called out for him. Again, no one is answering me. "No one is here! Where…in the world…"

That boy said that I can try saving him. But he didn't say how I would save him at all. This space is blinding darkness, and to defeat the darkness I need light. But the light, where is the light?

"Ugh! I don't know. All I know is I want to save him!"

"Kekekek. So, how are you going to save him?" Abruptly, I'd heard someone who has an evil rough voice talking to me, "You don't know anything about him. Kekekek, if he just didn't save you, then you are the one who'll suffer. Saving someone who he doesn't even know, he must be a hero indeed."

This is the Schatten. "Yes, I don't know anything. So, I'm ready to learn about his past—." an image of a younger Sekki appeared out of nowhere, my words halted as I wasn't expecting that the Schatten would show me his past.

Sekki's Past.

"Sekki! W-why are you…doing this?"

Sekki was holding a knife that was already covered in blood. He was coldly looking at the other children who were cowering in fear.

"I have to protect him."

"...!"

Sekki replied without hesitation. After that, he took the lives of children, one after one another until everyone had been killed by him. The massacre was caused by him.

But who in the world does he want to protect?

Sekki sat in the corner behind the room's door. He wasn't crying and yet still staring at the weapon he used to kill.

"If…if someone could just save us all…T-then…isn't it that wonderful?"

It happened in the blink of an eye. He stumbled to the floor, blood coursing through his veins, his eyes wide open and lifeless.

"S-sekki…died?"

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"Death is unavoidable. Everyone will fall into it. You cannot save someone you don't even know."

The Schatten kept on babbling.

My chest is tightening. I couldn't endure what I just saw, his past he died? But the Sekki I know saved me. If he is already dead, then who in the world am I saving?

"Sekki! Tell me!"

No, I can't just give up because of something I saw. No matter who he is, no matter what his past is, no matter what the reason behind his killing…

"Sekki is Sekki! I won't abandon someone who saved my life!"

"W-what are you—!?"

A speck of light began to uncover within the darkness. It was really blinding and warm.

"Light?! A light in the midst of darkness!? Impossible! " The room continued to overlay the light as though the Schatten's voice was being driven away as I saw Sekki who was chained, but those shackles immediately fell into bits and liberated him from the Schatten's claws.

I didn't think much of the strategy because Sekki was about to fall. I jumped toward him to catch him. When he saw I was trying to reach and save him, Sekki's eyes opened widely and he appeared surprised. Instead of letting me catch him, he firmly embraced me.

"What are you doing, stupid. You could die saving me."

"Stop complaining, I'm doing what is the best."

The whole place crumbled, the debris of chains was floating within the thin air, even the warm light showers on us.

We're about to fall when Sekki summons something. "Undyne!" Then we were overwhelmed by a massive flower. The Faerie was the one who saved us.

I'm not sure what happened next, but it appears we successfully escaped the Schatten's dominion.