The fight was over. Both sides, it was a loss for both sides. Both sides were left with less than half of what they began with. But at the same time, not a single non-combatant in that dark city died. A purge did happen, but it wasn't a purge of the weak.
Sunny looked at the destruction, the bodies, the horrific state of people he was just giving a speech to. Could it be, Gunlaug was right? Could it be Nephis was—shaking his head, he went over to Gunlaug's charred body before slicing its head off. Grabbing it by what little hair it had left, he climbed up the mountain of bodies and presented it to all the survivors.
"The Golden Tyrant has fallen!"
No cheers came.
Silence did.
And then a call rang out.
"Demon Commander!"
"If we had retreated, Gunther would be alive!"
"Curse you!"
Though the number was small, it sounded like thousands of curses were being cast upon him.
"Curse you, Sunless!"
---
"Sunny!"
Cassie chased him down the alley as his pace quickened. Soon enough, he reached the end of it, a wall blocking the exit. His figure trembled as his fists clenched, the memories of the villagers consuming his mind. Just like Umbra the nameless slave, he too had become a demon commander. He who claimed to be a hero threw others into a fight he knew they could not win.
That wasn't the part that bothered him, though. He who claimed to be a hero had no regrets. That is why he slammed his fist into the alley wall, causing Cassie to flinch back. This wasn't a simple temper tantrum. Biting his lip to the point it bled and clenching his fists until his nails dug into his skin and pierced it, not a tear slipped out.
If he cried, then that would mean he regrets. He can't regret, he can't change what has already happened, so regret will be meaningless. No, it would be worse than meaningless—it would be pointless self-pity. He doesn't deserve that self-pity. No, those curses were his punishment for his failure.
When he came back to his senses, he felt Cassie's arms wrapped around him, his shoulder damp and growing damper as time went on.
"I know you won't cry, so I'll cry for you."
A sad smile formed on her face as tears fell from her pale blue eyes. Releasing his clenched fist, allowing blood to drip from his hands, he was about to wipe her tears before noticing his hands stained. Not with his own blood, but the blood of those who he had cut down, the blood of those he let die, the blood of his comrades who he led to death.
That's why before he could wipe away her tears, he pulled his hand away, resting his head on her shoulder.
"Sigh... we can't have Nephis coming back to this shitshow, can we?"
"Hm?"
Sunny smiled before picking his head up off her shoulder and stretching.
"Every single one of the survivors, everyone who was in the castle or outside the walls, I'll meet them all up one on one and one at a time inside the camp. Make a tent to use, that should be good enough."
Cassie turned around and though she couldn't see, she could feel it. Placing her hand on his back, she felt as if it was much wider than before. Sunny had resolved himself to carry the entire sin of this war.
---
"Me and my brother came here together, and now, he told me to stay behind! He said you, you!"
Sunny looked at the girl who was at most a year younger than him, with tears pouring from her eyes.
"What was his name?"
Sunny's voice rang out like a robot. If he had a tone of regret, then she might forgive him. Sunny knew he didn't deserve forgiveness.
"Harper, his name was Harper."
Sunny remembered him all well. When they first arrived here, he was the receptionist at the Dark Castle. Later on, he had left the Dark Castle to join against the purge. In truth, he was a spy, Sunny knew this well. But still, when that battle came, he fought brave. Despite being a spy, he fought against Gunlaug's men like he had something he needed to protect. Now Sunny knows what that thing was.
"Harper was brave—"
"I don't want a brave corpse! I want my brother back!"
Those words, for the first time ever since he started these meetings, caused him to freeze.
In the next moment, the girl summoned a memory. It looked like a simple dagger memory. Holding it tight until her fingers turned a ghostly white, she bit her lip while tears slid from her face.
"If you want repentance, then before you fall to hell, tell my brother your sins!"
She threw her arm towards him. As it reached his neck, she stopped, her body trembling.
"Why didn't you dodge!"
Sunny took a step forward, causing the blade to dig slightly in his neck. Drizzles of blood ran down it before Sunny locked eyes with the girl.
"If you kill me, I will not blame you, but if you don't, I can assure you one thing."
For the first time, the girl had gotten a look at his eyes.
"A fate much worse than death awaits me."
Minutes later, the girl walked out of the tent, and in came the next.