[6]

From there, Izana's solitary struggle began.

On a battlefield where he could not use magic, fought resolutely, cutting a path through the Byakko army.

His only weapon was his longsword. Swinging it, defeating enemies armed with guns, he continued to advance towards the southern tip of the residential quarters. His intensive hand-to-hand combat training with Ace came in handy.

However, the injuries he obtained along the way were also deep. The bleeding from the bullets that gouged out his side and when he went flying from the shockwave would not stop.

Walking despite such circumstances, he finally began to lose consciousness.

"Am…I not…there yet….?" he asked, though no one responded. The end of the street was far away. As his vision was spinning and turning blurry, around the corner were people who had collapsed. They were Suzaku soldiers.

"E…everyone, are you okay?" he shouted as he ran towards them. The three soldiers there were all covered in deep wounds. If the enemy found them, at this rate, they would probably be killed on the spot. In order to save them, too, he had to meet up with Ace quickly.

"….You guys, I need to ask you something…have you seen a young soldier with a red mantle?"

Izana asked. The soldiers shook their heads. As Izana gave up and began walking, all of a sudden there was an explosion.

"Suzaku soldiers! Kill them!"

He could see two Byakko soldiers running towards them. Each was carrying a rifle at the ready. Izana stood, but there was no strength in his legs. With all the damage his body had taken, he was reaching his limit.

It's hopeless! Just as Izana thought, preparing himself for the worse-

Something came rushing over fiercely from the other end of the street and sent the Byakko soldiers flying.

"!?"

No one knew what had happened in that instant. Rubbing his eyes, he recognized the identity of the one who had saved him. It was a war chocobo.

"Chichiri!" Hearing its name called, Izana's beloved bird cried out in return. This chocobo had come running when its owner was in a pinch.

"Ugh…that damn bird…!" The Byakko soldier who had been sent flying got up. But Izana was faster, drawing his sword and running up to the enemy.

"Uwaaaa!"

His sword thrust through the enemy's chest. He attacked the soldier next to them the same way.

It was no longer about swordsmanship or anything. It was about savage, genuinely primeval killing.

Izana cleared away the blood and stood, unsteady on his feet. Although he had already lost the strength to walk-

"Not yet…!"

Izana straddled Chichiri's back and took up the reins. Chichiri cried out and dashed off across the battlefield.

Clinging to Chichiri's swaying back, Izana aimed for the rendezvous point. What went through his head wasn't about what had happened up until now. It was all scenes of the past.

Eight years ago, Izana's hometown was destroyed. Caught up in the Byakko Army's military movements, many innocent villagers had been massacred.

Izana's parents had also gotten caught up. The only survivors were Izana, his younger brother Machina, and his younger brother's childhood friend, Rem. That day, they lost everything. Relatives, neighbors, and friends, and all memories concerning them.

But even if a feeling of emptiness and indifference filled Izana's chest, he did not have the time to be stricken with grief. If he did not grow stronger, who would protect Machina and Rem? With that in mind, he decided to act as Machina and Rem's foster parent, even though Izana himself was only 13-years-old.

From there, the three of them moved to a refugee camp where they spent a number of weeks. At first Machina and Rem were depressed, but Izana persevered with good cheer and little by little they showed him their smiling faces again.

After a while, they found Rem foster parents and the two brothers were left alone. To raise Machina, Izana gave it his all and worked. And when his fifteenth birthday was upon him, he took the cadet qualification exam and sat the test right on the spot. He failed, but entered the armed forces instead. All of it was for his younger brother's sake.

Though they were poor and they had plenty of hardships, he was never unhappy because Machina was there for him. Those who lived for someone else lived far more rewarding lives than those who lived only for themselves. Izana was convinced of that.

–Reminiscing up until that point, he felt a sudden shock.

Izana was falling to the ground. It seemed that he had suddenly fallen from Chichiri's back. Furthermore, without realizing it, he had lost consciousness.

Chichiri, who noticed that its master had fallen, looked surprised as it rushed back. The moment it licked his face to rouse him, all of a sudden a gunshot sounded out from somewhere.

"Keeeh!"

Chichiri let out a sorrowful cry. Its body jolted and shook violently, and fell on its side to the ground.

"Chi…Chichiri!"

Taken aback, he got up and looked at Chichiri. Blood flowed from the bullet wound that had pierced Chichiri's body. On reflex, he tried to cast healing magic, but of course he could not use magic at all. He could not heal Chichiri's wound.

At last, the sound of footsteps grew closer. Turning around, he saw five to six enemy soldiers approaching. This time was the end. Its master's demise approached with the sound of the military shoes.

At that moment, the words that left Izana's mouth-

It wasn't his younger brother's name, but the name of his comrade-in-arms who he met in the last moments of his life.

"Ace! Aceee!" Izana shouted himself hoarse. At the time he screamed, a red light blasted over his head.

"Huh!?"

It was a gigantic fireball. The scorching hot mass of flames neared the enemy soldiers and all at once consumed them down to nothing. It couldn't be, he thought-

"I'm here! I'm right here!"

Ace was standing at the end of the street.

Seeing that figure, the edges of Izana's lips curved into a smile. What Areshia had said was true. He could use magic without being affected by the Crystal Jammer.

"Izana!" Ace shouted, running up to him. Kneeling at Izana's side, he used healing magic. But while the wound closed, the blood that he had lost would not return. Strength would not return to his body. Izana had come to realize that his life was fading.

Next to Ace was a girl with a sword in hand and a boy wielding a spear. The girl looked at Izana's wounds and murmured to Ace, "It's too late."

"…I know," Ace answered her. Most likely, those two were the "siblings' Ace had once talked about. Mose likely, they were his comrades of equal strength.

Leaving the waging of war to children was wrong. Izana had always thought that. However, he had not been able to defend Suzaku himself. In that case, he had no choice.

(I have no choice but leave it up to those kids…!)

"Ace…this…!"

"What is it?"

"A communications device…that…bureau director Areshia said to…. give…. to you."

Ace nodded and took the device. With that, Izana's mission was over. He had no further desires.

Before long, Ace turned his back to Izana. Watching that back, Izana thought, Aah, he kept his promise, that it's unnecessary to look after me upon my death.

Izana was satisfied with his comrade's behavior. Then he whispered to the beloved bird at his side, "Th- thank you for coming…Chichiri."

Chichiri answered with a weak cry. Izana muttered, in a fading voice, "Let's rest for a bit…"

It looked like he could no longer move. Turning his face up from where he had fallen, Izana looked up. The smiles of his loved ones came to mind. His younger brother, and his younger brother's childhood friend. That he had not forgotten their faces meant that they were still alive. Relieved, Izana said to himself.

Machina, take care.

Rem, I wanted to see you one last time.

Chichiri, I'm glad you were with me to the end.

He was not sad, because was not alone. He still had his memories of this world. He was alright with all of it.

Thinking so, even though he was prepared–

At the time of confronting his death, something in Izana's heart unexpectedly changed.

He had noticed it. That his death meant that he would vanish from the world. At the moment of his death, the memories concerning Izana would disappear from Machina and Rem's mind. All traces that Izana had lived would disappear from this world.

"Ah…Aaah….!"

At the same time, a dreadful fear overtook him. It wasn't a fear of pain. It was a hopeless fear he hadn't noticed until he was on the verge of death.

"…No…" a trembling voice came out. "No…I don't want to die…!"

It was a pitiful voice. Was he really so weak? Even though he'd decided that when his time came to die, he'd face it bravely.

"I don't - I don't want to die…! I don't want to die, I don't want to die…!"

As Izana's voice rose, Ace, who was a distance away, turned to look over his shoulder.

"Izana…!"

Ace rushed over to Izana and grasped his hand. His expression was distorted by sorrow.

Seeing it, Izana realize. This guy wasn't the cold person he'd thought he was. He was kind, just like Izana's younger brother. Izana's chest filled with warmth. The feeling of his hand relieved Izana's fear of death.

(That's right…It's not as if I'll disappear entirely.)

Indeed, the memories involving him would vanish from this world. But the truth of what he accomplished would not be lost. That he'd raised his brother, and entrusted the COMM to Ace, all of it would remain as fact, connecting him to the future.

Izana believed that, and forced a smile.

"How silly of me, Ace…You'll just forget anyways," Izana said, grasping his hand. "You mustn't look back…face forward. Keep your eyes on the enemy on the horizon. Someday, bring down Byakko-" Izana mustered up the last of his strength to tell him.

"And save this country."

In response to Izana's voice, Ace returned his grasp.

Feeling that reassuring touch, Izana closed his eyes in peace.

Wow has it been a while. This version is unedited. I'll be doing a whole edit of Chapter 0 (which is done as of this part!) next. I just wanted to get this up.