The water of the twin waterfalls grew harsher in their murmuring, as if something grave was about to occur amidst this beauty clothed in darkness.
And the cause was this intrusive entity.
The violet creatures gathered around it all at once, staring firmly at it as the air thickened, deepening the dread of the scene while the sky was already starting to cloud.
Liura trembled, pointing with her finger:
"Look! It's opening."
Roy frowned calmly:
"It doesn't look like something trivial… it's gazing at us with arrogance."
A little girl beside her mother whispered:
"Mom! That crystal… it's truly dazzling. It's opening with the grace of a flower."
The people murmured among themselves as if something catastrophic was about to unfold.
The White One shivered, words failing him:
"My journey ends at this point…"
A deep silence engulfed this place, isolated from the noise of the world…
Suddenly! A melodious voice echoed from above the sky, drawing even more attention:
"By the order of Her Holiness the Saintess, we have come to enact the ritual of 'Annihilation.'"
Liura screamed:
"Where is that voice coming from? What does he mean by that?"
Roy shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Show yourself! Hiding behind that sphere won't save you!"
Mixed emotions spread through the crowd, and someone whispered:
"What does he mean by 'Annihilation'? Have we been sentenced to a mass execution on this cursed day?"
The mysterious entity replied with a powerful voice accompanied by a faint chuckle:
"I see the outlines of fear beneath that 'confident' tone of yours…
Boy, do you know the meaning of true beauty?"
Roy scowled angrily:
"What are you implying?"
The voice thundered:
"The magic of nature will be condensed for the sake of Her Holiness, 'Contesta.'"
He raised his hands high toward the sky.
A massive radiant aura flared, expanding slowly around this once-living place.
Terrified screams filled the air.
Color began to fade gradually:
The trees lost their brilliance and turned white.
The grass turned into a deep charcoal black.
The violet creatures of all kinds dropped at once after losing their pigment, and moments later, their bodies crumbled into dust and vanished.
Liura was struck speechless by this abrupt transformation:
"What exactly just happened?! The place changed instantly!"
The White One shared her shock:
"The land has lost its life entirely. All colors have disappeared…
But why are the three of us still alive?"
Roy's eyes widened with dread, and he fell to his knees, shattered:
"I couldn't save them… this is all my fault!"
The crystal fully opened—
And out stepped a man, his skin pale like ash.
His gray strands swayed with the wind.
His appearance was noble and unblemished.
His metallic attire bore the engraving of a moon, above which stood a woman on a colossal flower.
He spoke with coldness, his tone steady:
"We are the Knights of the Temple, and I am Walter, the loyal commander of the Saintess 'Contesta.'"
He followed his words with sorrow, a tear slipping beneath his eye:
"Her beauty was never ordinary. She was far more than a queen.
She spread her enchantment across the continents, and none felt sadness or pain.
I owe her my life.
And the beauty I have annihilated today… is but a humble offering to Her Holiness, so that she may regain her radiance."
Roy fell into silence, as if accepting the inevitable.
Liura stiffened, speaking in a faint voice:
"What is this man even saying…?"
The White One pointed upward:
"Look!"
In the sky, five more crystals shimmered—identical to Walter's—slowly opening.
From each emerged a masked knight…
As if the suffering had only begun.