Omniscient POV
"Who am I? … I am… Saber."
The mark on Ars's left hand glowed a deep red.
"So, umm, Saber-san, why are you in our house?" Ars asked.
"It's bothersome to explain everything, kid. Just touch that tree while thinking about the question you just asked, and also think about what Heroic Spirits and the Throne of Heroes are," Saber replied in a cold tone, clearly annoyed, shooing him.
"Would that really do anything?" Ars asked, skeptical.
After all, for the past few days, he had been trying to understand the World Tree and the strange things (mana) he had started seeing.
He had even tried touching it before, hoping to feel some change—like that one time he thought they had truly connected, when he felt its emotions. But nothing had happened since. So his doubt was only natural.
"You really are a dimwit. Why are you so slow? Just touch the damn tree and be done with it," Ars heard her say.
At this point, he could practically feel her glare on him. So he didn't argue and did as he was told.
Ars touched the World Tree, and this time, it was different. A golden hue began to surround his body, starting from the hand pressed against the tree.
It spread through him, and he felt a clear connection form. He could even sense its emotions. It felt happy—somehow excited.
If he could really ask it questions, then there was only one he cared about.
"Did you… kill my parents?" Ars asked, his voice cracking. His eyes, however, were sharp as he stared straight at the World Tree.
What it was, or the fact that he was its guardian, didn't matter. If he was going to move forward, he needed to know this.
The moment he asked, he felt its emotions shift—complex and mixed. Ars was too young to fully understand them all, but he clearly felt sadness. Soon, golden letters appeared in his mind.
'NO.'
Seeing that, Ars finally released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. His heart was racing.
The tree simply could have lied—he knew that.
But something deep inside him told him to believe it. He wanted to believe it. He felt no malice from the tree.
His eyes grew wet, and he tried to wipe the tears away. A gentle green light wrapped around his body, soothing him.
His exhaustion faded, and it felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted from his heart. Ars understood—it was the World Tree's way of comforting him, trying to cheer him up.
Now that Ars had calmed down a little, he moved on to the more important questions.
"Now tell me—what are you? What is a guardian, and what is their job?" he asked.
'I am the World Tree. All life on this planet, and the planet itself, is connected to me and my survival. A guardian's true role is to help me connect with other planes safely.'
Golden words appeared in Ars's mind.
"Other planes?" Ars asked, curious, unsure what that meant.
'I will tell you more when the time comes. For now, there is no need for you to worry about such things. Live as you wish.'
The words appeared again.
Ars thought about it for a moment but didn't press further. He glanced behind him, but there was nothing there that he could see.
Turning back to the tree, he asked, "What is she? Why is she in this house? And what are Heroic Spirits and… the Throne of Heroes?" Ars asked, remembering what Saber had told him to ask.
As soon as the question formed in his mind, the golden aura around him flashed. New knowledge flooded directly into his head—about Heroic Spirits, Servants, Command Seals and the Throne of Heroes.
It was a strange sensation. Nothing needed to be explained; he simply knew. But all that knowledge was of another world.
The sudden transfer took its toll. His breathing grew heavy, and sweat formed on his face.
Slightly exhausted, Ars let go of the World Tree, and the golden light around him faded. He stepped back to where he had been standing before, staring ahead in silence.
"Was there really nothing you could do back then? Couldn't my parents have been saved?" Ars asked into the empty air.
There was a brief, heavy silence. Then her voice answered.
"When I was suddenly summoned there, your parents... were already dead. You were the only one still alive. There was nothing I could do," Saber said.
Ars stood still, his body trembling for a moment before he steadied himself with a deep breath. Then he lowered his head in a bow, facing where he hoped she was standing.
"Thank you for saving my life. I'll remember it for the rest of my life. I'm truly grateful—to both you and the World Tree," Ars said, intending for both of them to hear.
In response, a branch of the tree rustled, and green leaves drifted down, settling gently over him. Ars remained there quietly as Saber's voice spoke again.
"There's no need to thank me. I made a deal with that tree and simply fulfilled my part of it. That's all. Thank it if you want—I don't need your gratitude," she said in her usual cold tone.
"Even so, it's because you appeared there that my life was saved. It doesn't matter whether it was a deal or not. Thank you," Ars said, still bowing.
"Tch. Stand up, kid. Don't ruin the mood. I'll be leaving then," Saber said.
"Wait! Can you tell me your name? Saber isn't your real name, right? And can't you undo your invisibility?" Ars asked.
"You don't need to know that. Just call me Saber. And I'm starting to like this invisibility. I'll keep it," she replied.
"If you won't even tell me your name, then can I at least call you hero? I mean, you're supposed to be some kind of ancient hero, right?" Ars asked excitedly, filled with simple curiosity and awe.
But for some reason, a long silence followed.
The mood felt strange—even to Ars.
"I am no hero. Heroes don't fail. Stick to calling me Saber. I will be around if you are in danger. I will protect you until you can protect yourself.
Come back tomorrow at this time. I will teach you some self-defense, at the very least," Saber said. Sadly enough, Ars could feel the pain in her voice as she said those words.
The wind flowed gently, and silence swallowed the place. This time, she was truly gone. Ars could no longer feel that strange presence he had sensed before.
After that, Ars returned to the World Tree to clear the doubts still lingering in his mind. It turned into a long night.
He learned many things about this world—magic, gods, heretic gods, and Campiones. This world was nothing like what he had believed before.
Only after three more hours did he return to his room. Strangely enough, he didn't feel tired at all, even after staying awake for almost the entire night.
Thanks to the World Tree's power, his fatigue vanished whenever that green light enveloped him.
After that night, Ars began learning basic swordsmanship from Saber. She was able to partially remove the invisibility from her sword, so Ars didn't have to swing blindly at an unseen blade. She had no magic to teach him, so magic was out of the question.
He trained every night after his grandmother and the nurse in her room fell asleep. Thanks to the World Tree's rejuvenating power, he didn't feel exhausted at all.
Life continued like this, quietly and steadily. Three months passed in the blink of an eye.
Nao came once every day to check on them, and the two nurses rotated shifts to look after his grandmother.
Grandpa Hiro visited whenever he could, though he rarely stayed at even his own house and was usually away somewhere else. Ars didn't know where.
Ars was slowly getting used to his new life in Japan. Then, his grandmother's health began to deteriorate.
Ars tried asking the World Tree for help, but there was little it could do. It had already used a huge amount of mana to summon Saber and save Ars, and what little mana remained was needed to maintain the barrier, provide mana to Saber and fulfill its other duties. Its mana was still recovering.
Before long, Ars's fear became reality. His grandmother passed away after struggling with cancer for twenty-five years.
It was only because of the World Tree that she had survived such a terminal disease for so long.
*
*
*
"Ars-kun, are you okay? You should really reconsider staying here alone. It would be better for you to come live with me and my family," Nao said as she looked at Ars, who sat curled up with his arms around his legs in the corner of the room, the funeral having ended a few hours ago.
"Kid, you should go with Hayasaki-san. An old man like me can't look after you properly. And it's better for you to stay away from this place," Hiro said, trying to convince Ars.
During Sumiko's funeral, Gan'an and Nao's husband, Masato had also come. In the brief time Ars met Gan'an, the man suggested that Ars move in with the Hayasakas.
After all, part of the deal Sumiko made with Gan'an was for him to take care of Ars until he finished his education, and Gan'an had agreed to shoulder all costs and responsibilities until then. To Gan'an, it was just a small matter.
And Hiro could tell Gan'an wasn't saying that out of pure kindness, but he had observed Nao over the past few months.
Hiro couldn't properly take care of Ars anymore, so at the very least, the boy wouldn't be hurt under Nao's care—even if Gan'an had his own plans regarding the World Tree.
After all, it didn't matter to Hiro what happened to that accursed tree. All that mattered was that the kid could simply grow up in a safe environment.
"I don't want to go anywhere else. I can take care of myself. You all don't have to worry!" Ars said as he ran out of the hall toward his room.
"Kid! Hey! Come back here!" Hiro shouted, but Ars didn't listen.
"Let's give him some space. Right now, he has too much going on in his head. Maybe with some time, he'll change his decision," Nao said, stopping Hiro as he was about to go after him.
Ars rushed into his room, crying, opened the door, and slammed it shut. He ran to his bed and fell onto it, unable to hold back his tears anymore.
But what he didn't expect was that someone else was already in his room.
Ars heard the sound of soft breathing beside him. He turned and saw a small girl sleeping on a chair, a volume of the manga he had recently bought lying open over her face. Confused, Ars walked over and gently lifted the book.
Revealed was a beautiful young girl with blonde hair tied to the left side of her head with a blue scrunchie. Her eyes were closed, and a bit of drool had escaped as she slept. She looked strangely familiar—uncannily so.
"Nao-san?" Ars muttered in confusion, his young mind wondering if Nao had somehow shrunk into her younger self.
After all, he had spent months dealing with a sentient tree and an invisible woman. At this point, nothing felt impossible.
Hearing Nao's name and feeling the weight lift from her face, the girl stirred. She opened her beautiful blue eyes and wiped her drool with her sleeve. Ars was standing right in front of her, staring down at her face.
"Mama?" she mumbled groggily, still half-asleep and mistaking him for her mother.
Then her mind cleared.
She realized a boy was standing far too close, staring at her. Startled, she let out a small, cute yelp and instinctively punched him in the face, mostly hitting his nose.
Ars staggered back with a groan. The hit wasn't very strong, but it still hurt. He rubbed his nose and asked, confused,
"Who are you, and what are you doing in my room?"
The girl looked around, noticing the bookshelf filled with manga and light novels beside her. Recognition flashed across her face.
"Ah," she said in realization. Noticing Ars rubbing his nose in pain, she quickly bowed her head.
"Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to," the girl apologized, remembering that this was the day of the boy's grandmother's funeral. It really wasn't the time to cause him more pain.
Ars looked down at her. She did seem genuinely apologetic, so he decided to let it go.
"So, who are you? And why are you in my room?" Ars asked.
"Uh, I'm Hayasaka Ai. I came here with my mother. It's a pleasure meeting you," she said almost professionally, quickly composing herself after the initial blunder.
"Your mother? By any chance, is Nao-san your—"
"Yes. She's my mother," Ai replied.
"Then why are you in my room?" Ars asked.
"I was just wandering around, and when I saw the shelf full of manga… this happened," she said awkwardly.
"…Okay. You should go downstairs. Nao-san is there," Ars said as he opened the door.
"I didn't get your name," Ai said as she stepped out into the hallway.
"I'm Arsalan… Arsalan Adeon Arvendis," Ars replied.
"Oh. I really hope you can get over your loss," Ai said softly. She suddenly reached out and wiped away a tear still clinging to his face, surprising him with the gesture.
"Let's hope we meet again, Arvendis-kun. See you next time," she added before heading down the stairs.
Ars stood there for a while, unmoving. Ai was strangely mature for her age, even though they seemed to be around the same age.
He went back inside and noticed the manga volume lying on the chair. Picking it up, he placed it back where it belonged. He felt calmer than before. Strangely enough, getting punched in the nose had worked like a shock, grounding him.
That night, Ars ate dinner alone in his room, even though Hiro stayed over. Nao had wanted to stay as well, but Hiro reassured her and sent her home with her daughter.
After dinner, Hiro knocked on Ars's door to talk. Surprisingly, it wasn't locked this time. Maybe Ars wanted someone to talk to as well.
When Hiro entered, Ars looked a little surprised. He stared at an empty space for a moment, then slowly shifted his attention back to Hiro.
Hiro closed the door gently behind him and leaned against it for a moment, watching the boy sitting on the bed.
Ars's shoulders were tense. His gaze was unfocused, fixed on nothing in particular. For a nine-year-old, his eyes held far too much weight.
Even though he had calmed down a little after meeting Ai earlier, staying alone and thinking about everything again had only made his heart feel heavy again.
Hiro walked over and sat on the chair beside the bed. He didn't speak right away.
Silence stretched.
Then Hiro sighed, long and tired.
"What's going on in that little head of yours, hm?" he asked quietly.
Ars didn't answer at first. His fingers clenched the bedsheet. For a moment, it looked like he wouldn't say anything at all.
"…Why is it always me?" Ars finally said.
His voice was low, almost swallowed by the room.
"Everyone keeps getting taken away," he continued. "Mom… Dad… Grandma…" His lips trembled. "Why am I the only one left behind?"
Hiro didn't interrupt.
"I had so much to say," Ars whispered. "So much I still wanted to do with them. I never told them how much they meant to me. Not even once."
His breath hitched.
"Not to my parents. Not to Grandma."
Tears fell, but Ars didn't bother wiping them away.
Hiro's eyes softened.
"Your grandmother," he said slowly, "was a strong woman."
Ars looked up.
"She suffered alone for twenty-five years," Hiro continued. "Pain, regret, mistakes… life wasn't kind to her. But you know what she never did?"
Ars shook his head.
"She never blamed life," Hiro said. "Not once. When she made mistakes, she didn't curse fate. She worked to fix them. When she was hurt, she endured. When she was afraid, she kept going."
Hiro let out a quiet chuckle.
"She was stubborn like that."
Ars listened silently.
"If you really want to do something for them," Hiro said, his voice firm but gentle, "then don't cling to the dead."
Ars flinched slightly.
"Live," Hiro said. "Live properly. Live happily. Carry their parts with you and move forward."
Hiro placed a hand on Ars's head, rough but warm.
"That's how you honor them. Not by drowning in guilt—but by surviving."
Ars's eyes shook.
"But… it hurts," he whispered.
"I know," Hiro replied. "It should. If it didn't, that would mean they didn't matter."
The room grew quiet again.
Ars slowly leaned forward, resting his forehead against Hiro's arm. He didn't cry loudly. He just breathed, shaking, as the weight inside him spilled out little by little.
Hiro stayed there, unmoving.
Outside, the night wind rustled softly.
And somewhere unseen, the World Tree and a woman drowned in similar grief watched in silence.
[A/N: How is the chapter? Leave a comment and a review. Add this fic to your collections and donate as many power stones as you can.
This fic really needs all the support it can get. It gives me motivation to see all your support.
The next chapter will start after a time skip. I know Ars (he's just a child after all) is shown as a crybaby most of the time and is going through a lot of pain right now, but this is just part of the process. He loses everything—that's how his character and fate are shaped. He won't be a crybaby when he becomes an adult. These losses are what truly made him starved for affection and a family. Next chapter will have more of Saber.
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