The atmosphere was heavy; only the sound of powerful blows striking the shattered ground echoed throughout the area, once used for a great battle.
What had once been a vast forest had 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 name alone, inspired terror in those who heard of them.
The famed millennial dragons that ruled during the golden age of the demons. Beasts so large they could destroy an entire kingdom on their own.
They lay dead upon the ground; some pierced by powerful magical attacks, others mutilated. Many were still falling lifeless from the sky, even after the battle had ended.
The sound of footsteps began to echo across 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 had 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 shone with a strange glimmer 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 immediately: this young man was dying. He was missing parts of his body, such as his left arm and right leg. Deep cuts covered his entire body, along with a massive gash across his neck.
Despite all those wounds, he was still breathing, wondering how everything had come to this.
His armor was shattered, to the point that it looked as though he were not wearing any at all. The bandage that once covered his eyes had fallen off long ago during the battle.
This young man's name was Reo Amatsu, former heir of the Amatsu family, one of the most influential and powerful families of the Zerynthia Empire.
"I thought I had made the best decisions… I did the best I could," he murmured to himself in a low voice.
Hearing footsteps approaching his direction, he could not help but slightly raise his gaze. He saw several distorted figures.
After a few seconds, they were face to face. The people who had arrived were students from the empire's prestigious magic academy.
Two young men with imposing appearances, tall and handsome, both wearing serious expressions.
Accompanying them were three women from the same academy, the only difference being the distinct emblems on their uniforms.
Each emblem represented the country they came from. The tallest of the three was a complete beauty: she had beautiful bicolored hair, white and black, flowing down to 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 that condition, his appearance was impossible to discern due to the dense mana enveloping 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 girl was the first to speak, proclaiming herself as Reo Amatsu's sister.
She was Himari Amatsu, Reo's younger sister. Despite the fierce battle, they seemed not to have fought in it at all, judging by their clean uniforms—unlike Reo's.
After the battle ended, they had been treated quickly, their wounds healed and their clothes changed.
"You knew that your mere presence at that school 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 as he took a few steps closer.
'This guy does nothing but spout 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 school," he replied with difficulty.
Apparently, his answer irritated the entire group. Even the sisters who had feared him until moments ago now gathered the courage to confront him.
"Anyone who is normal!"
"A freak like you should have been cast out of the world!" both shouted angrily.
Reo only listened, saying nothing. He was completely accustomed to those remarks; they caused him neither anger nor sadness. It wasn't as if he could feel them.
"Do us a favor and die quickly," said the second young man, who had remained silent until then. It was Renzo, the strongest of the group.
Without another word, he turned around and began to walk away. The others soon followed, except for Himari, who remained silent, watching her older brother.
All she could see was the blood staining the earth and the trunk against which he was resting.
"I expected nothing from you, and yet you still disappointed me," she declared, not caring about the weight of her words.
"… " Reo remained silent, as if he were not paying them any attention.
'I did everything I could… I did what that person told me…' he questioned in his mind as he felt his consciousness growing increasingly hazy.
With the little energy he had left, he raised his gaze toward his sister. He couldn't see her clearly; he had never been able to see anyone as they truly were.
He had learned to perceive people's mana in order 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 drift past her.
She lifted her gaze 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 black-haired woman of short stature stood observing the dead body of her companion. Her gaze was cold, devoid of emotion; even the weather seemed to reflect the situation.
The rain fell gently. The area was deserted, and all the soldiers who had been there hours earlier had departed, leaving behind the bodies of their enemies.
"Again…" she murmured.
She crouched 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 whispering 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 behind no trace of either of them.