My father and I were still focused on warding off the lizardmen, and being wary of the giant golem slowly advancing toward us.
Even then, we still kept our conversation going.
"I'm not staying? What do you mean?"
I asked my father with nervous tone.
"You'll board the airship and flee. Alone!"
My father answered promptly.
"Flee alone?! How about you?! And Leon and Aizen?!"
"We're not going!"
My brothers joined in as they cleaved through the monsters.
"Like Aizen said. We're staying with father to fight off the monsters."
"You should head off to your airship as we hold them off, Fina."
I stomped my feet in anger.
"How could you ask me to save myself and leave you here to die? I'm staying with you till the end!"
My father suddenly approached me and grabbed me by the shoulders.
My brothers formed a blockade around us to make sure father could say these words to me uninterrupted.
"Fina, this is no longer a battle we could win. That golem had made it impossible for us."
"Then why I have to escape alone?"
I asked with angered voice.
"We need someone to alert the people to evacuate."
"We could send some soldier back to do that. Or I could make a quick communique in my airship and return to fight here with you!"
My father shook his head.
"It's not just that. I need you to survive!"
"But I exist for the Zeref's cause. What reason for me to stay alive if you're gone?"
My father smiled at my statements of loyalty.
"We might lose this battle this time. But as long as you're alive, I'm sure you'll eventually find a way to turn things around. Even if it's the end of world."
Father was implying for me to reclaim this land from the monsters someday.
Even though he and my brothers would not be there to see it.
"As long as you strive to banish this hellish nightmare of a world, you will be serving the Zeref's cause. You'll have a reason to survive."
"Father's right, Fina!"
My brothers joined in on convincing me.
"You'll be doing this for our family!"
Leon said firmly.
"And if it's you, I'm sure you'll be able to fix everything in the end."
Aizen added confidently.
Father strengthened his grasp on my shoulders.
"As the head of the Zeref Household and as your father, I'm imparting you my last words."
I could not help but tremble at what my father just said.
"Save yourself and do everything you can to make our sacrifices meaningful."
Hearing those words filled me with great determination.
Like fire perished by the wind, all my fear vanished in an instant.
A raging sense of duty burned within my very core.
I embraced my father and imparted my last words to him.
"I'll do it! I promise you won't die in vain! You have my word!"
I could feel my father's tear dropping down my head.
He did not speak anymore words to me.
He did not wish to. He was not willing to say those words of farewell. My brothers were the same.
Hesitantly, I released my embrace from my father and hurriedly rushed back toward my airship while he and my brothers marched deeper into the battlefield.
Fortunately the earthquake did not damage my ship as my crews must had made it slightly hover off the ground when the disaster happened.
The rest of the Zeref airships, however, were already wrecked and unfit to fly forever.
As I was about to climb the ship's extendable stairs, I looked back to my family who were battling hard against the monsters.
That was when the eyes on the giant golem flickered with golden light.
Bursting forth from those eyes were golden rays which shined brighter than the sun itself.
The rays shot through the battlefield where the monsters and the Zeref army engaged at.
The light decimated everything it touched, including the most of the monsters, all of the Zeref army, and my father and two brothers.
I could not help but to shed tears as I witnessed my family's demise.
Considering I had a mission to fulfill and seeing the golem had shifted its focus toward my airship, I hurried to the bridge where my crewmen were waiting for me.
I noticed my lady servant was with them as well, cowering with great fear.
I promptly gave them my order.
"Activate the flame propeller! We're leaving!"
"Yes, my lady!"
The ship turned airborne in no time given my previous order to be at the ready.
The two metal protrusions on the back of the ship burst forth with blue blazes once more and we set off to the sky with great speed.
It barely took fifteen seconds before we lost sight of the golem and kept ourselves out of its firing range.
"Set course to Count Orlo's territory, the Taga region."
I ordered the helmsman.
I shifted my gaze toward the one with magic equipment on their ears.
"Send a high-alert communique to all watch towers in Damai. The message: Evacuate all people to neighboring regions urgently!"
"Yes, my lady!"
"And once you're done, contact Tagasity stronghold in Count Orlo's territory. Inform that the Zeref army has fallen and we are requesting Count Orlo to open his borders for our refugees and escort from his army if possible."
"Understood, my lady!"
As we flew through the coast of Damai, I took a moment to think of the situation I was handed.
Except for my brothers' infant children and their wives, my family had perished.
The monsters were invading my homeland. And my ultimate goal was to reclaim the land.
The solution would be to gain a force that could help me retake my home from the monsters.
I wondered what I could do at this point in time to achieve that.
I could go to the capital and plead aid to the imperial family directly.
I could also try asking help from one of the Seven Great Houses.
But their help did not do much for the nobles whose region fell by the outbreak.
Perhaps I should reach out to the sultanate in the Great Desert?
What about the feudal lords in the far east?
Or should I do the unthinkable and go beyond the sea to the north?
Or do something crazier and fly to the deep southern ocean?
I did not care whether I had to go all over the continent. I would not give up.
That being said, my first priority at the moment was to ensure the people of Damai had somewhere to go.
Which was why I made the airship to head to Count Orlo's territory. To ask him to make safe passage for my people.
Leon and Aizen's families were already evacuated to their wives' families in other regions where their ruins had not experienced an outbreak yet.
Though given what just happened, I was not so sure anymore.
I needed to make time later to confirm their safety.
"My lady!"
A crewman interrupted my thought.
I lifted my head to see why he was calling me, but I soon found evidence of it.
As if the sun was being devoured by something, the light of day gradually dimmed and grim darkness began to envelop the world.
It was still the middle of the day and no solar eclipse was supposed to happen during this time either.
"Stay calm. Maintain our bearing."
"Yes, my lady!"
I wondered what was causing this phenomenon.
It was definitely ominous. Especially since this happened right after the golem appeared from the ruin.
"My lady, I have something to report!"
The crewman I entrusted with communication called to me.
"Speak up!"
"I tried contacting Tagasity Stronghold, but no one was answering."
"The communication line was busy?"
"No, my lady. The communication went through. I just did not receive any reply."
I frowned my head due to the oddity.
The Tagasity Stronghold was a well-manned facility.
It would be understandable if we could not reach them since their line could be busy during this time of crisis.
But for the communication to went through and received no reply...
I had a bad feeling about this.
"Switch to the open broadcast channel. Let's find someone we can actually contact."
The open broadcast channel was referring to the open receiving device which captured any magical communication wave.
In the world of Dunia, mages managed to create communication device through tampering with magic crystals and alchemy.
This communication device sent out waves that transports sound.
The waves would then be captured by a receiving device that would relay the sound to the receiver.
These waves could be directed to go to a specific receiver. A method which we used to contact the Tagasity Stronghold.
But one could also send out the waves to go anywhere and let it be captured by any receiver nearby. Often used to send distress messages.
The crewman pushed the button that would let us hear the captured wave in the open receiver.
"Emergency! Emergency…"
"Request help, urgently…"
"Monsters had penetrated through…"
"Please send aid…"
"…"
Dozens of broadcast poured into the open receiver. All were distress signals
These were communication waves originating from nearby regions as well as at least the western half of the continent.
For all of them to signify distress meant that similar things had happened in the other ruins.
"AAAHH!!!"
The lady servant staying in the bridge suddenly screamed. She was looking out the window which faced the ocean side.
The crewmen and I turned our gaze to see what was frightening her.
We were left speechless by our discovery.
A scaled dragon which size tripled the giant golem emerged from the bottom of the ocean.
Having escaped the abyss, the otherworldly monster set on its first prey on the surface realm.
Us.