[3] The End and the Beginning (3)

Chapter 3: The End and the Beginning (3)

July 14, X777.

A small village located in the southern part of the Fiore Kingdom.

At the edge of that village was a communal cemetery.

Here, three siblings with silvery-white hair and blue eyes stood in black mourning clothes, holding bouquets of flowers.

In front of them were two gravestones.

They belonged to the siblings' father and mother.

A week ago, their parents had ventured into the forest to gather medicinal herbs, only to be brutally killed by a monster's attack.

The forest was a restricted area due to an ongoing monster extermination requested by the village from the mage guild, but their parents had risked entering it to find a birthday gift for their eldest daughter, who was about to return. Tragically, they didn't survive.

Their parents, who had cared for them until so recently, were now gone.

This morning, the villagers had held a funeral and laid their parents to rest in the cemetery, but the siblings couldn't bring themselves to leave.

The overwhelming grief of losing their parents was too much for the young siblings to bear.

"Sis, I'm cold…"

"Are Mom and Dad… never coming back?"

"Guys, …I'm sorry."

Looking at her younger siblings, Mirajane Strauss swallowed her tears and began thinking about what to do next.

Now, the siblings were the only family each other had left.

The world wasn't a kind place where children who had lost their parents could easily earn a living.

With their future looking uncertain, Mirajane knew she had to take care of her siblings.

She made that determination before their parents' graves.

But just then—

"Ugh… ah… ahhh…"

"Sis, there's—there's a ghost! A ghost!"

"Ahhh!"

The younger siblings, who were still clinging to her and facing away, screamed in terror, claiming they had seen a ghost.

Mirajane quickly let go of them, turned around, and grabbed a rock.

She aimed to throw a nearby rock at the figure she thought was a ghost.

But—

"A person…?"

It wasn't a ghost.

What she saw was a tall man, clad in a tattered and shredded black coat. His long, dark hair, almost black with a faint blue sheen, hung down in disarray. His body was covered in bloodstains.

Yet, it was only natural to be cautious of a man suddenly appearing from the bushes beside the graveyard.

With all her strength, Mirajane hurled the rock at him.

"Get lost! Don't you dare lay a hand on my siblings!"

"..."

"Wh-what's the deal with you! Stay back!"

"..."

The blood-stained man raised his head despite being hit by the rock.

One of his eyes was unfocused. From beneath the strands of hair covering his face, blood trickled down like tears. Seeing this, the siblings were overcome with fear.

It was only then that the man seemed to notice them. Even as Mirajane continued to throw rocks at him while glaring fiercely, the man kept drawing closer.

"Don't come any closer! Stay back…!"

"Wh-what is he…?!"

The siblings shut their eyes tightly, thinking the terrifyingly jagged spear the man held in one hand would be their end.

"…Huh?"

Seconds passed as Mirajane braced herself for death, her eyes closed. But then she felt something unexpected—a gentle, soothing touch in the darkness.

Slowly, she opened her eyes.

What greeted her was the man, his hand placed gently on her head. He wore an expression of relief, as if he'd finally found something he'd been searching for, a quiet smile on his bloodied face.

"A person… after all…"

"Hey! Hey, are you alright?!"

When Mirajane saw the man's smile, she realized he had no intention of attacking. Despite his blood-stained face, his expression was gentle, kind, and… pitiable.

It was as if he'd found a glimmer of light in the darkness—a man who, upon seeing the siblings, wore a look of contentment, as though he'd finally been saved. The sight left her at a loss for words.

"…"

"Hey! Hey, are you listening?!"

"Not a ghost?"

"Big sister…?"

Without another word, the man collapsed.

With a loud thud, the man hit the ground. Elfman and Lisanna opened their eyes and saw clearly that what had fallen was no ghost.

The younger siblings looked to Mirajane, seeking guidance on what to do next.

After a moment's hesitation, Mirajane hefted the man's arm over her shoulder.

"We can't just leave someone dying like this. We'll bring him home. Lisanna, go get the doctor. Elfman, help me carry him!"

"O-okay!"

"Got it!"

And so, the siblings were left with no choice but to leave their parents' graves behind and return home, determined to save the man.

...

[Ciel's Perspective]

A deep, endless darkness.

No light reached this place, nor any sound. Within this abyss, I was sinking further and further into the void.

My eyes could see nothing, and the cold sensation of being submerged felt like a nightmare I never wanted to recall. Yes, this was the very same dread I had experienced when the gods first cast me into eternal darkness.

I remembered my first human life—bound completely and cast into the swamp-like abyss they named "endless darkness."

By now, I should have grown used to it. Death and eternal confinement should no longer frighten me.

I should have felt numb, indifferent.

But why, then, am I trembling in fear?

Is it that I'm hoping for salvation from someone?

In this void—this abyss where nothing exists—what am I hoping for?

As I fell deeper into my own questions, a voice suddenly reached my ears.

A song, echoing in the depths of this place where nothing could be seen or heard. A beautiful voice.

Before long, a faint beam of light filtered through my closed eyes.

As the light pierced the darkness, it began forcibly pulling my body up from the abyss.

As the bright light washed over me, I opened my eyes to see a slightly weathered wooden ceiling above.

My vision was only partially clear.

I felt a slight stinging sensation over my left eye.

Turning my head towards the soft singing beside me, I saw a girl.

In stark contrast to the abyssal darkness I had known, she seemed to glow like a single beam of light—singing gently.

"Where… am I?"

"Oh, you're awake?"

Noticing that I had regained consciousness, the girl stopped her singing and approached me where I lay.

I tried to sit up, but the sharp, searing pain kept me from moving properly.

"Argh…!"

"You shouldn't try to move yet. The doctor said you shouldn't move at all for a while."

"...I'll ask again—where is this place?"

"This is Norlen, a village in the Kingdom of Fiore."

"Norlen… So, this isn't Hell after all."

"Hell? It might be a bit messy, but this is definitely a place where people live!"

"I apologize. I didn't mean it that way… argh!"

"Don't move too much! The doctor said it's a miracle you survived at all. Your arm's bones were completely shattered, your internal organs were in a jumble… you even had a gaping wound in your abdomen. If my siblings hadn't found you, you wouldn't be here now."

So this is what a miracle feels like.

I had faced Acnologia and survived.

The thought made me laugh bitterly without realizing it.

To have lived through that… it really was a miracle.

Acnologia.

The moment I arrived in the future, I was faced with it.

From the very first instant I laid eyes on it, I never thought I stood a chance of winning.

Even with all my experience battling countless gods, I knew instinctively that I couldn't defeat it as I was.

Every fiber of my being screamed at me not to fight.

And yet, I had no choice but to stand my ground.

Not because I wanted to survive, but because I needed to measure the limits of my strength.

Once you start thinking about survival, you lose your edge.

So I fought, transforming pain into exhilaration, turning every moment into a test of my resolve.

That life-or-death struggle stretched on for a full week.

In the end… the best I could do was leave a few shallow scratches on Acnologia, the Dragon King.

And in exchange for those small wounds, I ended up like this.

Even my Six Paths Of Reincarnation was temporarily sealed after being struck by its claws.

With no magic left to cast Dragon Slayer spells, I barely managed to use the transfer scroll Anna gave me to flee to an unknown place.

"How on earth did you get those injuries? Did a monster attack you?"

"…Yes. I was attacked by a monster."

"I see."

The girl kept asking questions, and I gave vague answers.

Just then, the door opened and children with the same hair and eye color as her entered the room.

"Huh?"

"Brother, you're awake?"

"And you are…?"

"They're my siblings. Oh! I just realized, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Mirajane. The quiet boy over there is my younger brother, Elfman. The lively, adorable one is Lisanna."

"Mirajane, Elfman, Lisanna… those are lovely names."

"What about you, brother?"

Finishing their introductions, the children looked at me with eager, shining eyes.

I smiled faintly before giving them my name.

"My name is Ciel. Thank you for saving me. I realize it may be presumptuous, but could I stay here until my injuries heal? I promise I'll repay you."

I knew it was a shameless request.

But what could I do in this state?

I had no money from this era, and the few valuable items I owned had all been destroyed during my fight with Acnologia.

Right now, I had nothing to my name—not a single coin.

In other words, I was destitute.

Even if I wanted to earn money, my body wouldn't allow me. I was little more than a helpless patient.

And as much as I wanted to repay the siblings' kindness, I had nothing to offer. Was it really okay to ask for this? Would they throw me out?

"Of course. In your condition, you wouldn't be able to move around anyway. Please stay and rest until your injuries heal."

"Yeah, make yourself at home."

Their response was the complete opposite of what I had expected.

The siblings took me in without hesitation or conditions.

"Are you sure it's all right? I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I have nothing. I have no way to repay you."

"That's fine. We knew that when we brought you here. Our parents always taught us to help those in need, no matter what."

"...Even so."

They were far too kind, far too innocent to welcome a stranger into their home for such a simple reason.

People like them would surely be taken advantage of by villains someday.

"Ciel, it's such a pretty name! I'm looking forward to getting to know you!"

"...Thank you. I'll be in your care for a while."

I wanted to say more, but when I saw Lisanna's bright, clear eyes, I found myself at a loss for words.

And that's how I came to meet the Strauss siblings.

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