Kyouno frozed
Because—right before her eyes—
A scene of unspeakable horror had unfolded.
On the cold, ashen ground, littered with smoldering embers,
lay a figure she never imagined she'd see in such a state.
It was… Mana.
No—more accurately… what remained of her.
The dragon-shaped arc of sword aura—
merciless and precise—
had cleaved straight through her sister's neck
without a shred of hesitation.
A slash as cold as fate itself.
"..."
"...."
"...."
The air fell into a chilling silence.
Kyouno stood frozen, as if petrified.
Her small hands trembled, her eyes wide open,
not blinking even once.
Before her—
The sister who, just last night,had held her close in gentle arms,
had sung her lullabies, had warmed her with love—
Now lay there.
Silent.
Shattered.
That once-living body, now crumpled
like a broken puppet discarded in the flames.
On a bed of ash and soot,
no blood seeped from the wound.
The searing heat of the attack had vaporized it on contact,leaving behind only curls of gray smoke and the nauseating stench of scorched flesh.
The little girl's eyes went hollow.
Her pupils dilated, reflecting the image
of a world that had just collapsed.
Everything around her blurred,
fading into a watery haze—
all but the vision of her sister's body before her.
She couldn't comprehend.
Couldn't accept what she was seeing.
Even as her legs moved on their own,
even as she stumbled forward,
and wrapped her arms around what remained
of her sister's upper body—
Her eyes remained vacant.
"Sis… Mana… are you oversleeping again?"
Her voice was lighthearted, teasing—but beneath it, a fragile fracture lingered.
"Geez, it's always the same with you…
Do you know how hard it is for Mom and me to wake you up?"
The tremor in her voice deepened.
"Mana… how about… you don't sleep anymore, okay?
Open your eyes… please?
Come on, let's get up…
Let's go out for a hunt, just like we always do…"
Her voice cracked.
Hesitant. Broken.
"M… Mana… please…
Stop this joke already, okay?
Open your eyes…
Look at me…
Scold me… like you always do when I mess up…
Yeah… Kyouno's such a troublemaker, right?
You always hated that, didn't you…?
So why are you so quiet now…?
You should be lecturing your bratty little sister…"
Her words, laden with denial—
with desperate, crumbling resolve—
screamed inside her collapsing mind.
And in the end,she broke.
Tears fell.
Drop by drop, they traced her frozen cheeks,
then landed on her sister's pale, lifeless face.
"Mana… Mana… Mana…"
The name spilled out in sobs,
each syllable trembling and choked.
No matter how many tears fell…
No matter how many times she called…
Those eyes…remained forever shut.
Unmoving.
The cruel, unchanging proof of a truth too merciless to bear.
Her sister, Mana… was truly gone.
Without a single farewell, without a moment's hesitation, she had used her own life to block that merciless strike — to save her.
And the final sound Kyouno had heard from her sister's lips...
Was not a goodbye.
But a scream — raw, agonizing, and full of fear and sorrow.
That scream rang out like a horrifying discord in the symphony of blood and smoke.
Her death… was absolute.
No chance for parting words.
No chance for one last look.
The little girl, her mind shattered, knelt motionless on the broken ground.
Her empty eyes stared ahead as she clutched her sister's body,
Fingers trembling and digging deep into flesh and blood — refusing to let go.
"Tsk tsk, I thought a single strike infused with my Flame Dragon Sword Aura would be enough to send you to your grave. Who would've thought you had such stubborn luck?"
A voice—arrogant and leisurely—echoed through the sea of fire.
Each word dripped with disdain and cruelty, as if he were simply enjoying a blood-soaked game.
Kyouno froze.
Her eyes flared wide, locking onto the figure who had just spoken with a gaze full of fury and disbelief
Every hair on her body stood on end.
There was no mistaking it—
It was him.
The one who had dominated her completely in yesterday's battle.
Julius.
Kyouno's eyes widened, her expression tightening.
Every muscle on her face twisted, as though her body was bracing itself against an overwhelming storm of emotions.
And then—
A sudden flash of hatred ignited within her.
Fierce. Blazing. All-consuming.
"You... You...
My sister Mana...
YOU KILLED HER!!!"
Faced with the fury in her eyes, Julius stood there—
Calm. Unbothered.
As if he had merely crushed a nameless wildflower beneath his foot.
No remorse. No regret.
In fact, a twisted smirk curled at the corner of his lips, dripping with disdain.
"That girl? My sword strike was aimed at you. She was the one who chose to throw herself in its path.
If anyone's to blame, it's your family—for defying the Emperor's orders.
Think of it this way: I'm simply delivering justice on His Majesty's behalf—cleansing this world of disobedient traitors."
His arrogant speech, word after word,
Denied the horror of what he had just done to the lifeless body of the girl lying in the snow.
Each word pierced Kyouno like searing-hot needles, digging deep into her flesh.
Her heart clenched.
Her mind screamed.
He had taken Mana.
Stolen her laughter.
Stolen the warmth of her gentle embrace.
"YOU BASTARD!!!
GIVE MY SISTER BACK!!!"
Her scream tore through the air—
No longer the cry of a child…
But the roar of a soul drenched in rage.
Kyouno clenched her fists.
Her nails dug deep into her palms, drawing blood—
But she didn't feel the pain.
Because now, what surged through her…
Was pure, burning hatred.
....