The atmosphere was heavy; only the sound of powerful blows striking the shattered ground echoed throughout the area, previously used for a great battle.
What had once been a vast forest had now been reduced to nothing, with the sky stained by the smoke of combat.
The ground, cracked and scorched, was covered in blood. There were far too many corpses of enormous beasts that, by merely naming them, instilled terror in those who heard.
The famed millennial dragons that ruled during the golden age of demons. Beasts so large that they could individually destroy an entire kingdom.
They lay dead upon the ground; some pierced by powerful magical attacks, others mutilated. Many were even still falling lifelessly from the sky, after the battle had already ended.
The sound of footsteps began to echo throughout the area. Several royal knights, warriors, and adventurers who had managed to survive were gathering at a single point to be treated by healing mages.
'How did all of this happen…?' were the thoughts of a young man on the brink of death.
Of the entire battlefield, a single tree managed to survive, even remaining in perfect condition. It was an abnormally large tree compared to those that had once inhabited that place.
Its azure-colored leaves shimmered with a strange gleam of victory after the battle. At its base lay a young man, his back resting against the enormous trunk.
Anyone who saw him would know it: this young man was agonizing. He was missing parts of his body, such as his left arm and his right leg. He had deep cuts all over his body, along with a massive gash across his neck.
Despite all those wounds, he was still breathing, wondering how all of that had happened.
His armor was shattered, to the point that it seemed as though he was not wearing it at all. The bandage that covered his eyes had fallen long ago during the battle.
The name of this young man was Reo Amatsu, former heir of the Amatsu family, one of the most influential and powerful in the Zerynthia Empire.
"I thought I had made the best decisions… I did the best I could," he murmured to himself in a low tone.
Upon hearing footsteps approaching his direction, he could not help but slightly lift his gaze. He saw several distorted figures.
After a few seconds, they were face to face. The people who had just arrived were students from the prestigious magical academy of the empire.
Two young men with imposing appearances, tall and handsome, both wearing serious expressions.
Their companions were three women from the same academy, with the only difference being that they bore distinct emblems on their uniforms.
Each emblem referred to the country they came from. The tallest of the three was a complete beauty: she had beautiful bicolored hair, white and black, that reached her waist, large blue eyes, and an enviable figure.
The other two girls were identical, at first glance twins, both with dark blue hair and large eyes of the same color.
All of them observed the young man on the verge of death. Even in those conditions, his appearance was impossible to distinguish due to the dense mana that covered him.
"Even in that state, he still scares me…" murmured one of the twins, turning her gaze away from Reo.
Her sister hugged her from behind to calm her, while she too averted her eyes. The other three youths, meanwhile, intensified their stares.
"Are you still resisting… little brother?" the white-haired one was the first to speak, proclaiming herself as Reo Amatsu's sister.
It was Himari Amatsu, Reo's younger sister. Despite the arduous battle, they seemed not to have fought in it, judging by their clean uniforms, unlike Reo's.
After the combat ended, they had been attended to quickly, their wounds healed and their clothes changed.
"You knew that your mere presence at that academy would cause all of this, and yet you still decided to enroll. What did you gain by betraying your own family? Tell me, Reo," demanded one of the young men, stepping a few steps closer.
This guy does nothing but say bullshit after bullshit, Reo thought as he slowly turned his gaze toward Seiran, the young man who had spoken.
"Anyone can… anyone can enter that academy," he replied with difficulty.
Apparently, his answer irritated the entire group. Even the sisters who had feared him until recently had now gathered the courage to confront him.
"Anyone who is normal!"
"A phenomenon like you should have been removed from the world!" both exclaimed angrily.
Reo merely listened, saying nothing. He was completely accustomed to those comments; they produced neither anger nor sadness in him. It was not as if he could feel them.
"Do us a favor and die quickly," said the second young man, who until then had remained silent.
It was Renzo, the strongest of the group.
Without another word, he turned around and began to leave. The others were quick to follow him, except for Himari, who remained silent, observing her older brother.
All she could see was the blood staining the ground and the trunk against which he was leaning.
"I expected nothing from you, and yet you still disappointed me," she declared, without caring about the weight of her words.
"… " Reo remained silent, as if he were not paying attention to them.
'I did everything I could… I did what that person told me…' he questioned in his mind, as he felt his consciousness growing increasingly dim.
With what little energy he had left, he raised his gaze toward his sister. He could not see her well; he had never been able to see someone as they truly were.
He had learned to perceive people's mana to use it in combat or, at the very least, to know that someone was there.
Himari slowly turned to follow her group of friends. As she did, she saw one of the great tree's leaves pass in front of her.
She looked upward and watched as the leaves began to fall, as if marking the end of an era.
She smiled faintly at the sight and resumed her walk, moving away from the lifeless body of Reo Amatsu.
◇ ◇ ◇
A short woman with black hair was observing the dead body of her companion. Her gaze was cold, devoid of any emotion; even the weather seemed to accompany the situation.
The rain fell softly. The area was clear, and all the soldiers who had been there hours earlier had left, abandoning the bodies of their enemies.
"Again…" she murmured.
She knelt beside Reo's body and, gently, placed her hand on his cheek. She was the only person in this world capable of seeing him as he truly was.
"Let's go back…" she muttered.
She pressed her forehead against his while murmuring inaudible words. An intense purple light began to manifest, forming a magic circle beneath both bodies.
The light intensified until it seemed to replace night with day. It lasted several minutes, until it suddenly vanished.
Leaving no trace of either of them.