The relentless explosions echoing from all directions revealed how arduous the night had been for the people of Autozam. The four tower guards, charged with crushing the resistance and hunting down the Vision's armies, executed their duties with fierce determination. In just a few days, they had razed several cities and demolished numerous underground strongholds.
The battles between the machine users and magic sword wielders were fierce. Several key generals of Autozam were captured and taken to the East Tower before being moved to the West Tower for exile. However, one of them had concealed a micro-explosive. A massive explosion rocked the East Tower, shattering parts of its walls. Flames shot into the sky, spreading in all directions. This was the deadliest blow Autozam could deliver to Runes after three months of resistance.
Hikaru opened her eyes as the chaotic sounds of explosions echoed from outside. She felt incredibly weak, her vision blurry as she blinked several times in an attempt to see more clearly. She found herself lying in a foreign room. The wind blew through one of the open windows, carrying the suffocating scent of night—a smell she recognized all too well when death lingered nearby. Turning her head to look outside, she gazed toward the dark sky illuminated by relentless bursts of fire.
Seeing this, she was reminded of her own battles. The painful explosions and the image of Cephiro crumbling beneath her feet flooded her mind. Umi had desperately followed her, but she couldn't let her die that way. Fuu had left her alone without her usual protection. Then, she saw Lantis—how she had pushed him away, their hands slipping apart. He was engulfed in flames as the annihilation lights shook the heaven and earth.
She felt like a failure. Why did she live only to witness everything she loved being destroyed? Why was she still alive? She kept asking herself these questions, unable to escape the haunting memories that pressed down on her, driving her to the brink of despair. She couldn't bear the weight any longer. The crushing burden filled her heart, dragging her into a deep abyss.
Her outstretched hands grasped at nothing but people, turning their backs on her and walking away. She screamed with all her might, calling out for help, but no one heard her.
"This world does not want you to exist. As long as you live, true power will never belong to humanity." Albatross was right...
"Why did you cause all of this?! I want to kill you!" Princess Aska was right. I should have died for them...
"Die for the people who still want to live!" They were right!
"Are you protecting yourself?!" I have lost them all. Why am I the one who survived?!
"The future... It will be different. The world will become more beautiful, and there will be peace. I want to make that happen. I will go to make that happen. So, for Cephiro, be strong... live... hold on for as long as you can..."
Am I the one who said that to you, Lantis? I lied. I am weak. I can't make it happen. I promised to return, but there is no place to return to. My hands have destroyed it!
When another massive explosion occurred, she screamed with all her might. The fire illuminated her dim room. Entranced, she stared at the flames that could kill. Her eyes glistened, reflecting the inferno raging outside. Staggering to her feet, she walked toward the fire, captivated. The scene before her shifted, and she saw Cephiro engulfed in flames. Hikaru collapsed to the floor as heat surged, burning everything around her. Ignoring the pain, she grasped at anything she could destroy, the fire growing ever larger.
Let me sink into it... Let me go and let everything go... she pleaded in her heart. Hikaru closed her eyes, surrendering to the fire.
How long have I been here? Am I asleep? I can't feel myself...
It felt like someone was shaking her body, calling her name. She felt light entering her eyes; She sensed someone preventing her from falling into darkness. Everything around her felt shrouded in the cold... The fog around her blurred the figure in front of her. Was it Lantis?
No. It was the man with golden hair... and his vicious words played like a daunting melody: "I will help you..."
Curse you!
Hikaru jolted, instantly recognizing the man before her. Panic surged as she pushed him away, throwing herself hard to the floor. Desperate to escape, she struggled to stand, her body trembling violently, her heart racing with fear. That man regained his footing and chased after her, grabbing her hand and pulling her back. As her feet got tripped, she lost her balance. Protecting her from falling hard, Nair quickly embraced her. They both fell with his elbow bracing against the impact.
"Stop struggling!" Nair shouted, warning her.
Hikaru, still trying to free herself, set him on fire. The intense flames forced Nair to release her. The dancing fire spread throughout the room, even reaching the ceiling and causing it to collapse.
"Stop! Don't run!" he yelled again, shielding himself from the falling debris with ice wall. Leaving that woman alone in her mentally unstable state was truly dangerous... "STOP!"
But Hikaru ran even faster. She wanted to escape from this place, from that man—the one who killed Lantis, destroyed Cephiro, and brought all of this upon her!
Hikaru found her surroundings unfamiliar, and she lost her sense of direction. The thick black smoke filled her lungs, choking her. Several times, she tripped over something and fell flat on the ground. Shards of glass from shattered windows were scattered all over the room... Traces of fire were everywhere... Smoke... And from within it, someone emerged.
A woman ran toward her, "Miss… Please, be calm..." That woman tried to soothe her, but the flames surged again before she could finish her sentence.
"Cresta!" Nova shouted as she deflected the large flames heading toward her.
"Don't use magic! This place could collapse!" Nair intervened, blocking the energy sphere from Nova's hand with an attack that emitted a freezing chill to dampen Nova's energy and Hikaru's fire. But it was also a bad decision. The collision of the three forces triggered a more massive explosion that destroyed the hallway and created a huge hole in the tower's wall.
Hikaru, Nair, and Nova were thrown in three different directions. Nair was buried under the rubble, while Nova plummeted to the floor below where they had been... Hikaru felt her head hit the floor hard, and her vision went dark, but she forced herself up, staggering as she tried to walk toward the only open path she had left.
Outside, Lune watched her tower and began to wail, "Our tower... They're destroying it..." Lune shook her head in disbelief, recalling Elva's words about how insane this particular prisoner was, "She's truly a living bomb... She is fiery…"
Meanwhile, Hikaru continued fleeing from those two. She hurried up a staircase as fast as she could. She reached the top of the tower, where the wind blew fiercely. Thinking she could jump to end everything, suddenly, the same cold force struck her back, freezing her and slamming her to the floor. She tried to get up, but Nair managed to capture her.
Hikaru struggled fiercely, thrashing against Nair with every ounce of strength. "Don't touch me! DON'T TOUCH ME!" Her cries pierced through the stillness of the night. Desperately, she summoned flames to burn him, but Nair subdued her with an overwhelming coldness.
Nair recalled Nova's plea: "If you don't want her to die, don't let her live in despair. She tried to kill herself in her cell..." and somehow, these words escaped his lips:
"You want to die?! Then go ahead and die! You'll become the murderer of your own child!" Nair shouted angrily, shocking her body to wake up her senses.
Those words hung heavily in the air, and Nair groaned in frustration, wondering why he felt this way at a time like this. He couldn't see Hikaru as a mighty Pillar but only as a woman who was utterly shattered. He pulled her close, hugging her tightly as he pressed her into his chest. Her sobs muffled against him—a haunting sound that cut through his heart.
"Just cry... but please, don't run away. You're only hurting yourself..." Nair observed Hikaru's head and legs, which were bleeding from several cuts.
"What is my mistake? What is my sin? Why do I have to go through all of this? Why..." Hikaru sobbed into his chest, repeatedly pounding against him as she asked why. Her punches grew weaker and weaker until, finally, her hands went limp.
"Nair?"
Nair saw Nova approaching. Her robe was burnt and torn in several places, and her face was smudged with dirt. She looked as disheveled as he felt. He found it amusing to see Nova in such a mess for a moment. With his eyes, Nair warned her to approach cautiously while Hikaru seemed to calm down, though she was still sobbing.
Nova breathed a sigh of relief, observing Nair's concern for Hikaru. "You go to such lengths to save her..." Nova saw the flames around them begin to die down on their own. She saw Hikaru, silent, with her head in Nair's arms. Nair continued to hold her; his eyes filled with sorrow.
Seeing the two Pillars, Nova was lost in thought. Reflecting on everything that had transpired, she wondered, "Aren't you the same as her? All this time, we've only focused on our mission, never on your heart..."
"I am a Pillar of Runes. Doesn't that mean I am only useful if I die?"
That was the worst sentence I have ever heard from your mouth, Nair. You mustn't say it, but it must mean something. You only say that she doesn't matter to you on your lips, but you care about her. You are searching for something in her existence that shouldn't be there. She's not just a flaw in your plans.
"Nair," Nova called softly, looking around. "I've lost my tower…"
"I'll take her to my place. Come with me to look after her."
Nair's tower, situated in the heart of Iron Palace, was the tallest in Runes. Named the Star Tower, it afforded Nair a view of Runes and the stars that had been his companions in his lonely life. Few were permitted near the tower except for the eight tower guards, who were his trusted aides, and Nova, the Magic Guru of Runes.
The multi-storied tower, each level featuring circular balconies and numerous chambers within. On the ground floor lay a vast banquet hall flanked by gardens and ponds. Above that were a large meeting room and a library filled with ancient texts about Runes and an extensive collection on Autozam civilization, magic swordsmen, and various nations of the world. In its heyday, the tower had bustled with hundreds of magic swordsmen and state dignitaries managing various affairs. But now, things were different.
Nair's personal quarters were on the topmost floor. Nova wondered if Nair would take Hikaru there, but instead, Nair entered a chamber on the ground floor. It was a simple yet beautiful room with a large window opening to a garden. The window was open, and the wind fluttered the curtains...
Nair tried to lay Hikaru down, but Hikaru's hand gripped his cloak tightly. She did not want to be alone in a place she was not familiar. Her eyes were tightly shut, unwilling to see the strangeness around her.
"Let go of me," Nair pleaded. "You are safe here, and I can watch you." Nair pried Hikaru's hand from his cloak with a bit of force. He felt Hikaru's cold hand. "Calm yourself here!"
"Nair!" Nova reminded him. Nair looked at Nova, and Nova knew what needed to be done. He approached Hikaru and cast a spell. Instantly, Hikaru lost consciousness. Her eyes were now closed in sleep. "This is better," Nova said, pleased with the outcome.
"She is so troublesome. You might as well keep her unconscious all day! Losing two towers in one night is enough for me! You should know that! That's why I confined her to the West—her power needs to be contained!" Nair glared at Nova, blaming her for moving Hikaru to the Northwest without his consent.
With that, Nair turned and stormed out of the chamber, slamming the door behind him. Leaning against the closed door, he stood still. "Damn it!" Anger coursed through him, but it was directed inward. He had saved Hikaru, and in doing so, he felt, somehow, he had betrayed himself. Clenching his fists tightly, he left the room, the weight of his choice heavy on his shoulders.