That day, I made an irreparable mistake.

Did it collapse because fire burned it? Or did fire burn it so it collapsed as a result of it?

Many wooden houses were partially destroyed and still burning.

You could hear the sound of burnt wood falling together with the crackling sound of burning flames, but alas, you couldn’t hear people screaming.

Nothing remained of the village.

The living have been turned into an unrecognizable black ma.s.s.

The unlucky ones, well, only grotesquely torn parts of them remain scattered.

Flesh burnt beyond recognition and blood could be found everywhere.

Destruction and slaughter have engraved their marks on the soil, together with what remained of the people.

Who could have known?

This little village was peaceful and untouched an hour ago.

Who could have known??

All that changed to pure h.e.l.l on earth by one boy’s trivial choice.

Who could have known???

That the only survivor and the cause of this was the boy.

「Ugh, uwa, uu……sorry, I’m sorry」(Boy)

This black-haired boy was now shedding tears, while holding a woman who lost her left arm, in his embrace.

She was a beautiful blonde wearing black clothes that were covered in blood now.

You could still see the life in her eyes. They haven’t lost their shine completely, but between the lacerations, bleeding and the loss of an arm, her condition was extremely serious.

It’s a surprise she’s still alive.

「……boys don’t cry……」(Woman)

「Oh, Aishis you’re awake!?」(Boy)

Even in this state, she managed to put a firm smile on her face.

She gave him a light smack on the head with her right arm, but he didn’t stop crying.

All because he knew there is no way to save her.

All because he was responsible for what happened to her, and he knew it all too well.

「Idiot……why! Why did you help me! Because of that I killed everyone!!」(Boy)

「Shin, your words……?」(Aishis)

「Jake, Serene and Lily, everyone! And Aishis, you………you as well……I killed you too」(Shin)

She is still breathing. However, that gave him no comfort at all.

She has very little time left, a minute or so.

It was obvious who did it, who was responsible.

「W-w…ell…… this is just because I was clumsy?」(Aishis)

Her trying to make light of the situation made him attempt to laugh, however he did it feebly and with the same sad expression he had from the beginning.

He couldn’t understand her att.i.tude. It was wrong.

She should blame him. She should get angry and hate him. She should just want to kill him.

「Don’t play with me! What’s the meaning if only I survive!?

This is done, I killed everyone, what do you want me to do now!?

At least Aishis, you, I wanted you to be saved……!」(Shin)

When he made the choice, the mistake, the irreversible one, she was still safe.

He wanted her to be safe, yet she chose to save him instead.

「Haaa, for the cry-baby to worry about me……am I in this state because of that too?」(Aishis)

Even when he asked her, she still wouldn’t say why. That’s why he stopped asking so she could die in peace.

「Aishi!? A-a, Aishis your body!?」(Shin)

What was happening before his eyes made him shout involuntarily out of astonishment.

Her body, wrapped in light, started disintegrating into particles at her feet.

「……I think that didn’t last as expected」(Aishis)

「No way, just now, you were cutting your soul!? Why……tell me why!!

This was going to happen even if you survived! Why does it have to end like this!?」(Shin)

「…………」(Aishis)

This was the price of the miracle that saved him. It was her, the price was her being, in its entirety. Her body and life were being consumed gradually.

She looked up at him, at his eyes still questioning her in silence.

He cried until he was so tired his face swelled. The end result was you couldn’t tell which one of them was actually dying.

His guilt was so immense he nearly collapsed.

Mustering the last of his strength, he asked:

「Why did you help me」(Shin)

「Sheesh.

Finally…I thought we could have a decent conversation, boy……」(Aishis)

「Shut up!!

As expected, aren’t you the imprudent violent sister!」(Shin)

This kind of retort made her smile happily from the bottom of her heart, it was wonderful.

「Hehe, my principle is to not abandon the friends who tell me to do it」(Aishis(

「A, Ai, shis……I, I will!」(Shin)

「This……guard it……don’t give it to…anyone……」(Aishis)

Barely able to speak, with her last ounce of strength, she tore her pendant, a silver crescent-shaped one, and gave it to him, who was covered in her blood.

「It’s not a keepsake……something important, so, pro……tect……」(Aishis)

「Oh, wait, wait! please wait for a moment!

I still have some things to say. A lot of things to say!」(Shin)

Clutching the pendant in his arm, he felt her shake because now even her right hand was missing.

Almost all of her lower body disappeared into light. In his arms, he felt that she was much lighter. That was because more than half her weight was disintegrated into particles of light.

「I understand, it’s……ok」(Aishis)

「It’s not, ah, stop! Don’t disappear!」(Shin)

Nothing below her chest remained now. One of his hands had nothing to hold anymore.

「Fufu, it’s strange……」(Aishis)

「And, that isn’t like……please wait, wait a moment!」(Shin)

But it disappeared immediately. The weight in his hand was gone.

All that was left was a smile that didn’t belong to such a tragic place.

「……Yes……even though a boy, in the arms of a man.

It’s quite decent, romantic even————」(Aishis)

「Ai————!?」(Shin)

Desperately, he tried to grab the scattering light particles, even though he knew his efforts were futile. Many, many times he grabbed, cutting through the air, yet nothing ever remained in his hand.

Soon after, it hit him. The feeling of loss overwhelmed him.

「—————————-!!!!」(Shin)

And yet, he couldn’t make a sound. The sadness was so deep and breathtaking he couldn’t let out a word even if he wanted to. He wailed to the heavens in deep silence.