The letter ended. But its words lingered, the meaning clear and loud.
The weight of those words pressed against the air, it was a like a silent ringing in the two's ears, especially Mize.
Liam remained unaffected, his expression calm, indifferent even, as if he had seen and read far worse things before.
But Mize…
Mize felt something gnawing, throbbing at the chest.
His throat turned unbearably tight, a dull sting pricking at the back of his eyes.
His fingers curled instinctively at his sides, nails pressing against his palm.
His gaze broke away from the letter, snapping shut as he inhaled deeply, holding it in before releasing it in a slow, trembling breath.
And then, finally, he spoke.
His voice, usually crisp and full of energy, now carried a slight shake to it.
"So… it really was just as you predicted," he murmured, his words barely above a whisper. "They wanted to create an angel… for immortality"
Liam gave a small nod, his fingers flicking lazily in the air.
The letter, once filled with such heavy words, ignited in an instant, its ashes vanishing into nothingness before they could even reach the ground.
Then, his arm stretched forward, effortlessly pulling Mize's head against his chest.
"Now, now… is my little stomping girl getting emotional over a heartfelt tragedy?" Liam's tone was teasing, but there was a softness beneath it, an unspoken reassurance.
"As if!" Mize huffed, arms crossing tightly over his chest.
But the mist at the corner of his eyes betrayed him.
Liam sighed, fingers reaching up, rubbing gently against the delicate skin beneath Mize's reddening eyes.
His touch was featherlight, but the warmth behind it carried comfort.
"Be strong," Liam murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "At the very least… they were together until the end"
Mize didn't reply.
Instead of the usual fiery temper, he simply turned his head away, allowing Liam's fingers to continue their gentle motion.
His gaze flickered toward the still, unmoving figures on the bed, the man and woman forever frozen in their last embrace.
His tongue curled slightly, pressing against the roof of his mouth.
'I wonder…'
A lump formed in his throat.
His gaze drifted subtly, peeking at Liam's face from this angle.
'I wonder if we can stay together forever too…'
But the thought remained unspoken.
Perhaps it was too soon. Perhaps it was too much.
And yet, as if sensing the shift in Mize's emotions, Liam turned his head. Their eyes met.
And then, Liam smiled.
Not his usual smirk, not the playful grin he wore when teasing him, but something warm.
A rare, genuine smile.
Mize's face instantly burned.
"W-what?!" His voice pitched slightly, panic evident in his tone. "Wanna fight or something?!"
Liam chuckled, flicking a finger against Mize's forehead.
"But you were the one staring at me."
Mize sputtered, his face somehow growing redder. "I... I wasn't staring! I was thinking!"
"Thinking about how handsome I am?" Liam mused, casually rolling his shoulders.
"Liam"
"Yes, dear?"
"I will kill you."
"Not if I kill you with love first."
Mize's lips parted, but no words came out.
Instead, he let out a long, dramatic sigh before abruptly turning on his heel, storming off toward the nearest cabinet.
"Whatever. I'm looking for treasure."
Liam smiled, watching the little doll march over to the old wooden drawers.
Mize was the best at this. His small frame bent effortlessly, fingers moving while he rummaged through every shelf and compartment with the focus of a seasoned scavenger.
And Liam?
Well, Liam wasn't doing much of anything.
He simply leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed lazily over his chest, golden eyes half-lidded.
His gaze, however, was anything but idle.
It followed every movement.
Every little shift.
From the way Mize's dress curved around his legs to the subtle sway of his hips as he reached deeper into the cabinet.
'Hmmm…'
Liam propped his chin up with his hand, nodding to himself thoughtfully.
'The front may be… lacking, but the thighs and hips are top-tier'
'The width and the firmness, she can birth a lot of children for me'
Mize, oblivious to the hungry gaze burning into his back, continued his search, his hands groping through every possible nook and cranny.
Then.
His fingers brushed against something.
His eyes lit up instantly.
"Look, look, Liam!" He yanked the object out, holding it up proudly like a child showing off a rare toy. "I found something!"
But as he turned, just for a fleeting second.
He caught sight of Liam.
Squatting behind him.
Hand propped under his chin.
And eyes glued to his backside.
Mize's entire body froze.
His face twitched.
Slowly, his expression twisted into something between horror and irritation, his forced smile twitching uncontrollably.
"…L-look at this, Liam," he said, voice tight, barely suppressing his inner turmoil.
Liam, entirely unbothered, finally lifted his gaze to meet Mize's.
Then, with all the audacity in the world, he smiled.
"Nice ass"
A long silence stretched between them.
Mize's grip tightened around the object in his hands.
Then.
"Shut up before I bite off your little brother."
Liam immediately straightened his posture, hands raised in surrender.
"Yes, ma'am"
Mize narrowed his eyes.
"…That was too fast."
Liam smiled. "Self-preservation."
"Hmph." Mize huffed, turning back to examine the treasure he found, but his ears remained suspiciously red.
And Liam?
Liam just chuckled to himself, thoroughly enjoying every second of it.
The two of them studied the item in Mize's hands, turning it over, poking at it, trying to decipher.
Unlike regular loot, items that weren't awarded by the system itself had to be identified through several means.
One of the method was the Lord territory's dome. Unless they brought it back to the territory for an official scan, it would remain a mystery.
But of course, there were other methods.
Still, something about it felt… different.
"Say, this item looks like a tier 4 upgrade item," Liam suddenly said, his voice carrying an edge of certainty.
Mize narrowed his eyes, gaze practically trying to drill a hole through the object.
It was a strange hourglass, its frame black as obsidian, yet the glass shimmered with an eerie brilliance.
Inside, golden glitters floated in the upper chamber, but no matter how much Mize shook it, not a single speck fell to the bottom.
"Are you sure?" Mize raised a brow, shaking it again with more force, but the golden particles remained suspended.
He huffed, "Well, even if it's not an upgrade item, it looks valuable."
Poke.
Poke.
Liam watched as Mize persistently prodded at the glass with his finger, curiosity written all over his face.
"Let's just bring it back and use the territory ability to scan it later?" Mize finally suggested.
Liam, however, shook his head. "No need for that"
He lifted a hand, his palm hovering just above the hourglass, and within seconds, a complex formation began to materialize.
Lines of golden light twisted and coiled, forming intricate patterns that resembled the delicate mechanisms inside a watch.
The entire formation pulsed like a living thing, gears shifting and turning.
Mize's eyes widened slightly, impressed despite himself.
"How many auxiliary skills do you have, really?" He glanced up, half-exasperated. "Are you a magic prodigy or something?"
"Correction... formation master prodigy."
Liam's voice carried a teasing lilt, but Mize couldn't argue.
The formation continued to twist and weave, absorbing the item's hidden information.
Then, as if responding to Liam's authority, a system panel abruptly appeared before them.
A single notification blinked into existence.
Mize leaned forward, eyes narrowing as he read.
And then.
"It really is a tier 4 upgrade item!" Mize nearly shouted, clutching the hourglass as if it had suddenly turned into the most precious thing in the world.
His fingers immediately softened their grip, holding it as carefully as possible, as if his mere touch could cause it to shatter.
Liam, on the other hand, remained completely composed, arms crossed as he cast Mize a knowing glance.
The kind of look that said you should've trusted me from the start.
Mize ignored it.
His attention was fully locked onto the description on the panel.
[Hourglass, Tears of Kairu and Aliya]
[Tier 4]
[Description]: A final farewell to the world from the false angels.
Silence settled between them.
Mize's fingers twitched around the frame of the hourglass.
Slowly, he turned his head, gaze flickering toward the bed behind them, toward the two unmoving figures still embracing in their eternal slumber.
His throat felt tight again.
Then, just as quickly, he looked away, only to be met with Liam's ever-playful gaze.
"Why?" Liam's lips curled upward. "Wanna cry again?"
Mize huffed, rolling his eyes, but his voice was a touch quieter this time. "Well… no."
His fingers curled tighter around the hourglass, bringing it closer to his chest. "I'm just…"
Liam tilted his head. "Just what?"
Mize hesitated. Then, after a beat, he finally spoke.
"Before we leave… can I do something?"
Liam studied him for a moment.
The scene shifted.
The army stood in neat formation beneath the towering throne, an unshakable sea of black steel.
The charred earth stretched endlessly before them, still smoldering with dying flames, craters marking the devastation left.
Liam sat lazily on his throne, one arm propped against the armrest, his fingers idly tracing the curve of his jaw.
His golden eyes, half-lidded with doubt, flicked toward Mize.
And then he muttered, "What exactly are you trying to do now?"
Mize didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he stepped forward, his heels slipping off his feet, landing silently onto the cool metal of the throne's platform.
Barefoot.
His long black dress shimmered faintly, its fabric seemingly woven from the darkest corner of the universe, dotted with scattered glimmers like a night sky full of stars.
He continued walking until he reached the very edge of the throne platform.
The wind curled...
Mize tilted his head upward, crimson eyes gleaming, their depth reflecting the faint shimmer that still lingered in this space.
And then he spoke.
"I want to bid a proper farewell… to them"
The words hung in the air for a long moment.
Then.
A change.
A wave of pressure radiated from Mize's body, rippling outward like a whisper carried by the wind.
His form flickered, and then.
His hair began to grow.
Longer and longer, flowing down his back like cascading ink, spreading out in waves, shimmering like liquid darkness.
His dress lengthened, extending past the throne's edge, its fabric unfurling in an elegant, endless train.
The glimmers across the surface brightened, taking on the appearance of tiny constellations scattered across an infinite void.
And then.
A single note.
Soft.
Gentle.
A hum, barely audible at first, like the distant echo of a divine lullaby.
Mize's voice rose ever so slightly, his melody carrying through the air, resonating with the land.
The voice carried the tone of sadness, pain, and the ultimate empathy.
Mize's hand were clasped closely together, his head gazing up, and his hair fell like waterfall on the back.
"She's singing?" Liam was taken aback.
And, the moment Mize's voice touched the scorched earth.
Life bloomed.
All at once, flowers sprouted from the ground.
The soldiers grip over their weapons loosened under this sight, their once absolute cold complexion, faltered... Even for a second, they felt it... 'We were once humans too'
And there before everyone's sight, fragile, delicate petals, unfolding in brilliant hues of white and blue, their gentle glow casting soft light over the desolate field.
The wave of blossoms spread rapidly, swallowing the craters, weaving between the bodies, wrapping around the rusted weapons left behind.
Mize floated higher, his bare feet no longer touching the ground, his dress billowing around him.
His humming continued, soft and haunting, a song unspoken and yet the world resonated with it.
The wind carried his voice across the battlefield.
And then.
A change.
The air shimmered.
And countless translucent figures began to emerge, flickering in and out of sight.
The lost souls.
The people that was cursed by the unknown.
Their forms wavered, trapped in the echoes of their suffering, until Mize's melody reached them.
And one by one, they lifted their heads.
Their twisted, pained expressions softened, the agony slowly fading from their eyes.
For the first time, they seemed… at peace.
"May god... " their voices came...
"May god forgive our sin"
The flowers beneath them glowed brighter, their petals drifting upward like tiny stars, dissolving into the wind.
One by one, the lost souls turned to light.
And then.
They were gone.
And somewhere inside a room deep at the castle, the two immortal bodies shook for a brief second.
The man and the woman opened their eyes for a brief moment, and they smiled... Tears flowing down as their bodies began to slowly dissolve into light particles. "We are free... "
"Finally" The woman whispered, her tears dripping down, "My love... " Her gaze teary, "To the end, together"
And the man gently grasped her face, and cupped her cheeks, "To the end" He smiled as their bodies completely dissolved into nothingness.
-
Mize exhaled softly, his humming fading into silence.
The battlefield was no longer a graveyard of war, it had become a field of flowers.