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Silence of the Dragonrider, part 3.2
Chapter Index
Part 3: Crushing Blow
2
It was thundering. Distant yet powerful. Repeating like an echo. Over and over.
Judith got up.
She had regained a little composure after crying. The letter, which she had yet to remove from its envelope, was still clutched in her hand.
The envelope had become crumpled. When she noticed, she hurriedly straightened it out. She checked to make sure it wasn't torn anywhere, breathed a sigh of relief, and placed it on the desk to carefully smooth out the remaining creases.
She gazed at the envelope once more. This was her father's letter. It was the letter her father had written for her after everything that happened. She was certain that something important must have been written in it.
Her finger, which was about to open the seal, suddenly stopped. She wondered what was written there. She felt she really wanted to know. But at the same time, she was afraid to know. She was frightened beyond compare. She had learned firsthand that sometimes the truth did nothing but hurt people. Although she needed to muster her courage, she wasn't quite able to find it no matter how deeply she searched.
Holding the envelope like that, Judith was unable to move. She could neither put it down nor open the seal and read it.
Her trance was broken when she once again heard distant thunder. Judith turned to look out the window where she saw the sunlight shining and raised an eyebrow. Distant thunder?
She heard the sound of footsteps. Someone was running towards her.
Right after the footsteps came the shape of a Krytian outside the window, and it passed right on by without looking in her direction. It was followed by more, one right after another. A short while later, she was alone once more. The distant thunder was continuing without pause.
What's going on? Children would be one thing, but it was unusual for Temza's adults to be in such a rush. Judith felt apprehensive since she couldn't sense their feelings for herself.
She decided she should check it out. As she was about to leave the room, she remembered she still had the envelope in her hand.
In the end, she didn't even open it, let alone read it. After comparing the outside of the window with the envelope, Judith decided to leave the letter for later. This wasn't something that should be read hastily. It was something that she should sit down and focus on seriously. Averting her eyes from her fear, that's what she persuaded herself.
Judith retrieved a slender letter box from a shelf. It was decorated with Krytian-style patterns and as soon as she made sure it was big enough, she removed the lid and placed the envelope inside. When she shut the lid again, it made a clicking sound. With this, it wouldn't open easily.
Judith nodded, returned the letter box to the shelf, and went outside.
There were many people gathered. They all nervously peered down from the fenceless cliff edge, exchanging anxious glances.
Judith was perplexed as she realized that they were all looking down towards the Fortress on the earth far below.
The sound was now more like a muffled drum than distant thunder. The echoes made it difficult to tell, but it seemed to be coming from the direction of the Fortress.
Judith slipped through gaps among the crowd and advanced up to the cliff edge. She leaned forward to take a look.
The sea of clouds, which usually concealed the lower world, was unusually scattered today, exposing what lied beneath. But what Judith saw there was not a familiar sight for her.
There should have been nothing but rocks and sand surrounding Temza. But despite that, in the distant space which stretched before the earth, it was turning dark. It went black, and then it was rippling with movement.
An intense light flashed in one corner of the black ground. A few moments later, that distant thundering sound reverberated nearby.
The surrounding shapes momentarily stood out in the flash of light. Seeing that, Judith's eyes opened wide. That darkness, it's all alive. There were some kind of creatures that literally covered the ground under Temza. Some kind of—she couldn't think of anything except monsters. That there could even be such a large number of monsters, and yet...
The light was being emitted from the side closer to Judith's feet; in other words, just in front of the cliff. Judith barely noticed something emitting that light at the foot of the mountain. Further in front of that, she saw the familiar roof of a building: the Fortress. The Fortress looked terribly small facing the surging wave of monsters, and she didn't think it was just because of the distance.
This was a battle. The Fortress was fighting against the monsters.
At that moment the black swarm was rushing forward like it was being sucked towards a single point, which was the Fortress.
Judith leaned forward to try and get a better look when an adult beside her grabbed her shoulder, saying, "Hey, that's dangerous. Step back a little."
Without any chance to object, Judith was pushed back.
"My word, this is the first I've ever seen such a thing."
"I wonder if those knight people came because of this."
The adults were all talking to each other at the same time. Because of the Great Circle, they were now sharing their worry. It was no wonder so many people checked out the scene below all at once.
Judith wanted to try and somehow approach the cliffs once more. Her father had left for the Fortress along with the knights. Her father was there, on one side of that battle in the lower world.
"Judith, that's no good. What are you doing?"
"Mister Murcy." Judith addressed the aging man who approached.
"It would be awful if you fell. Come on over here."
"But Dad's down there. I have to go to him!"
Murcy stared with wide eyes, an exaggerated and un-Krytian-like expression. "So Hermes went to that, uh, Fortress, was it? At a time like this?"
Up until now, whenever Hermes would leave Temza, he usually let Murcy and the neighbours know. Hearing that he hadn't this time, Judith had a bad feeling.
"I understand how you feel, Judith. But as you can see, it's getting serious down there now. It'd be better to wait here with us."
"But-!" As she was about to argue, she suddenly stiffened. Agitated, she looked all around with a startled expression.
It felt like someone had whispered in her ears—a memory came to Judith.
Ba'ul. But it wasn't him. It was completely different. It wasn't gentle.
She then saw that Murcy and the other townspeople were also looking around with puzzled expressions. Realizing that it wasn't only herself, Judith grew all the more suspicious. Ba'ul wouldn't do something like this.
"Just now...something-"
"A-Ah, I feel like I heard it."
It came once more. This time it was a bit clearer than before.
It was like it was telling them to get out of the way. That seemed like the intent, even though it wasn't being said with words. It seemed terribly angry. It was a mercilessly cold and cruel sound.
It was definitely not Ba'ul. It was similar to Ba'ul, yet something completely different.
It wasn't aimed at Temza. Rather, it felt like someone's distant shouting had reached their ears.
Impatient, Judith pushed the adults aside and gripped the cliff edge. There was no doubt that it came from the land below. But unfortunately the lower world was concealed by the drifting clouds again. Judith bit her lip. The clouds were large and would take a while to pass by like this.
Murcy and the other adults reached out and pulled Judith from the edge a second time. Judith struggled to return somehow as they tried to drag her back. Abruptly, their grips slackened and Judith nearly ended up pitching forward. When she tried to complain, she noticed that the adults were staring towards the lower world in unison.
Beyond everyone's gazes, hidden far beyond the sea of clouds, some terrible presence was rising. Before she knew it, the sound of distant thunder had ceased.
"What...?"
Suddenly she heard a sound that was different from all the others up to now. It was strangely dissonant. Judith had never before heard any noise like it. It rang out in a horrifying tone, which reverberated between the mountains like a malignant disease.
Following that, she heard what sounded like a few explosions. Although it was similar to the distant thunder noises, these sounds were a bit smaller and muffled.
She then heard a third "voice". In the clearest and most terrifying pitch she'd ever heard, it said to feast. Judith didn't even want to try thinking about what exactly it meant.
She then heard a commotion arise, and it was soon followed by an even louder racket. The full story was hidden from her field of view beneath the clouds, and Judith bit her lip in frustration.
Finally, a thunderous roar that surpassed all the preceding noise resounded, and one area under the clouds shone brightly. At the same time, she heard that dissonant sound once more. The sea of clouds then went silent altogether.
What's going on in the lower world—did something happen to the Fortress?!
A frightening premonition ran through Judith. However, a momentary break in the clouds allowed her to catch a glimpse of the Fortress' familiar roof. Faster than she could sigh in relief, the clouds slipped in and once more obscured the Fortress from view.
The terrifying presence from earlier was still there. Although she wasn't quite certain whether she sensed it through the nageeg or through some other way, she definitely felt it regardless. What was certain was that all the Krityans there sensed the same thing.
That presence was moving. Towards them.
Judith backed away from something overwhelming and invisible. Something was coming. And extremely quickly.
It approached, instantly clearing the distance separating Temza from the lower world. The sea of clouds churned into a vortex, creating an opening. Something dreadful appeared from within.
Run—
It reached Temza faster than Judith could finish that thought. Brushing past the mountain face, brushing past the cliff edge, passing right in front of Judith and everyone else, it appeared above them.
Two eyes like a storm. That was the first thing Judith noticed. It was glaring at Temza, its gaze like a thunderous sledgehammer.
It was a living thing. It floated against the sky without wings, was covered in long hair, with nothing like hands or feet to be found, its irregular shape constantly changing and writhing, slender and huge; it was a horrifying creature.
It remained still in the air, doing nothing but watching.
It didn't say anything. It wasn't trying to tell them anything. Nevertheless, like a violent tempest, it held no mercy. It was radiating silent dread.
Over countless generations, the Krityan race had cultivated peace and maintained tranquility as their strength, and without exception, they all trembled now. It was like the Great Circle had been detonated and shattered to pieces by the menace before them.
The hellish eyes suddenly narrowed. Just as they noticed that, without any warning, it turned the other way and flew off without a sound.
It had all happened in the blink of an eye.
Everyone watched the figure fade into the distance with bewilderment. As if the air had suddenly thinned, they were all damp with cold sweat and struggling to breathe.
"What...just happened?"
Someone finally expressed what they all felt, which was the cue that freed everyone who'd been frozen in place. They all began chattering at once. Nobody was listening to what anyone else said. The only one who was different was Judith.
"Was that a monster? There are monsters that huge?"
"Could that thing have been living up on Balbusa all along......"
Thanks to being cut off from the Circle, Judith didn't end up having to directly share everyone's anxiety. Besides, she had her hands full with her own worry.
The image of the Fortress she'd seen just before it was hidden in the clouds. That was the only weight on Judith's chest.
Dad. Dad.
Despite the hustle and bustle around her, she continued praying solely for one thing.
Please be alright.
------
In the end, everyone decided to evacuate. Although they called it that, it didn't actually mean they were leaving Temza. Instead it meant they would assemble in a public building and keep an eye on the situation overnight.
Faced with a monster like that—even though it left without doing anything, not a single person doubted it would have done something horrible had it felt like it—it didn't seem like it would provide much peace of mind, but even so, they couldn't help but want to do something. No one raised any objections.
Since they simply couldn't all fit in one place, each district went to different buildings. Judith went to the assembly hall, which was also where her nageeg training had been.
"What about getting the knights at the foot of the mountain to come?"
"It's too dangerous to go down the mountain. You saw what was going on down there."
"Oh, it's possible the knights were attacked by that monster, too."
Scattered yet still cramped inside the buildings, everyone huddled together for various discussions. With everyone exchanging their worries with each other like that, their unrest couldn't be easily settled. The unfamiliar circumstances just made them all the more anxious.
The children were the exception. Most hadn't joined the Circle yet so although a few were being affected by the adults' uneasiness, they were recovering their usual mood more quickly. They left their parents' sides and gathered on their own to engage in a different discussion from the adults.
"What's going on?"
"I'd like to go home soon."
"But doesn't this sort of thing get you kind of excited?"
Judith was also with the other kids. She felt like her worries were eased as they laughed and told each other silly jokes. Although she hadn't spent a day without the Great Circle*, it felt like she was brushing a distant and nostalgic memory.
"Judith, it kind of feels like you've changed again," said Nelni, a girl the same age.
"You......think so?"
"Yeah, it's more like how you always used to be. I like you better this way."
"......Thanks." She couldn't say that it was because she'd been cut off from the Circle. That she'd turned back. Judith couldn't do anything but smile vaguely.
It wasn't such a nice secret at all.
"Did you bring that with you?" To change the subject, Judith pointed at the stuffed doll that Nelni was holding.
"Well, we can't go home today. If it got lonely, I'd feel sorry for it!"
"It's not the doll, it's you who's lonely."
When Fent teased her, Nelni turned to argue with him. The other children cheered on each side.
Judith watched the exchange with a bitter smile, but when she took a closer look, it wasn't just Nelni holding some item. Everyone was doing something like hugging or clutching their respective treasure. Judith remembered the letter box she'd left at home. Dad's letter. In the end, she still hadn't read it.
It didn't seem like she'd be able to read it until this commotion settled down, but even still, she regretted not keeping it with her. How it would've comforted her heart, if only she had it with her now.
It didn't look like she'd be able to leave tonight, so she'd retrieve it tomorrow. Even if they decided to continue with the evacuation, she'd go and get only that. No matter what anyone said.
As what was an unusual night in Temza wore on, the people's worries couldn't be easily dispelled.
------
The night was dark. The stars were dim and the moon wasn't visible. The shadows were foreboding, a heavy weight pressing right down on the earth.
Within that darkness, the only light was emitted from the brightly-shining double rings created by the barrier blastia. The barrier, which extended diagonally to protect the Fortress, was magnificent, flawless even. Normally it should have been deployed horizontally, but the halo was tilted since the Fortress had been built partially into the face of Mt. Temza. The actual barrier comprised the halo and an invisible sphere which completely enveloped the whole Fortress.
This barrier was also one of the miracles produced by Hermes. During the past one thousand years, all barrier blastia had been excavated and restored, and not even a single one had been newly created. However, Hermes had made that a reality. There wasn't anyone who couldn't comprehend just how much significance this held for the people of the Empire, who spent their lives shut inside the barriers.
However, that invention of the century had been abandoned. Now, the Fortress was almost entirely deserted. They had taken as much as they could possibly carry, but most things had still been left behind.
Alone and within the dead Fortress, Hermes lamented.
The knights escaped. Not only the knights originally stationed there, but the reinforcements from the imperial capital as well. The engineers also went with them. There wasn't anyone but him left here anymore.
The Fortress, which was surely prepared to endure no matter what sort of ordinary monster attacked, was all too easily defeated by the dreadful being that had suddenly appeared.
As his painstaking work was destroyed as easily as clipping grass, Hermes watched with bitter thoughts. To Hermes, it was clear from the start that it had been intended as a show of force for the people who barricaded themselves in the Fortress.
After discussion, the knights, who had suffered severe losses, at last made the decision to abandon the Fortress and to transport Hermes and his research results to the imperial capital under the cover of night.
However, the vast group of monsters that closed in during the day wouldn't leave, and were still crowding before the Fortress. No matter how they hid, no matter how covertly they slipped through the shadows, their prospects were hopeless from the beginning. Nevertheless, the consensus was that it was preferable to staying put, which under the circumstances meant certain death, a view with which Hermes also agreed.
Sure enough, as soons as the knights emerged, howls rose throughout the darkness and the monsters began to move all at once.
When Hermes lifted both hands before his chest, a shining console appeared there. With smooth motions, he quickly moved his fingers.
As he did, the hoplon blastia lining the Fortress' upper parapets fired in unison. Destructive beams of death were fired one after another, and as they exploded on impact, the shapes of innumerable monsters stood out within the darkness. The swarm became confused and fell into chaos. Some turned around and tried to attack the Fortress, but it was futile with the barrier obstructing them. They were simply mowed down by a single blow from the hoplon blastia.
Although the Fortress appeared as a mere speck compared to the hordes of advancing monsters, it certainly lived up to its name. In both defense and firepower, it was overwhelming the enemy.
However, the reason Hermes remained alone wasn't because he was relying on its strength. He was aware that this victory was a temporary one. The knights knew it, too. That was why they escaped. That was why Hermes stayed.
When the knights were escaping, Hermes had entrusted them with the notes he had written about his own research results and the situation as far as he knew it. Even if they couldn't bring back a single blastia, reproducing one should be possible as long as they had those notes. All he could do afterwards was pray that his sponsor, and the people who would succeed him, would fill in the gaps.
And thus he remained. He pretended to be accompanying the knights, then secretly broke away from them and stayed behind.
The reason wasn't simple.
For one, it was because he thought it was necessary for someone to provide cover for their desperate escape. Hoplon blastia couldn't be controlled from a distance. It was necessary for someone to be in the vicinity to operate them.
Hermes felt that this was his duty. In the end, he didn't tell anyone that he knew he himself was the direct cause of this situation. Although it was all of humanity that was the underlying cause, he didn't think his sins became any lighter because of it. In multiple senses, this was surely his own way of atonement.
Besides, escaping meant leaving Temza. It meant leaving those dear to him in danger. Regardless of Duke's words, he feared the worst case.
Leaving the hoplon blastia to fire on their own for a moment, Hermes looked up at the mountain behind him. The mountain of Temza, towering amidst the darkness. He wondered if he couldn't see a tiny light that might be mistaken for a star at that distance, but that was impossible from below the cliff.
But despite that, Hermes was still looking through the solid bedrock for what he pictured.
Judith—
He recalled the day she was born, as well as the days just the two of them spent together after they lost his wife. The day Judith walked for the first time, the day she first raised her voice and called him "dad", the day they had a fight, the day they made up, the day she first cooked a meal—the thing was far too creative to be called a dish, but since she had cooked it with all her heart, Hermes was defenseless.
Hermes' vision blurred. His gaze turned back towards the dark horizon. But as he was also deeply moved by something there, his eyes became watery. There were just more of the same memories beyond there, too.
Days with family, days with research. Thinking back, he realized how completely he was blessed. Such memories were often obscured in the shadows of grief, but now they were brightly shining, like wiping away the dirt from a precious gem to reveal its glittering heart.
Reminded once more of the countless treasures he possessed, he offered his wholehearted gratitude.
He didn't have any more tears. Although he was indeed filled with sorrow, Hermes' heart was as calm as the ocean after a passing storm.
He waited. How far had the knights managed to get away? The tireless hoplon blastia continued sweeping up the monsters one after another, but Hermes was no longer paying attention.
He waited. He fixed his eyes on the darkness ahead with anticipation.
The stars in the night sky vanished.
Hermes' expression stiffened faintly.
--It's here.
A jet black shadow, far darker than the inky night, came piercing through the gloom. Terror given form. Death borrowing the guise of a living thing. His fate.
Entelexeia.
Even though it had been on the distant horizon, it was right before him a few moments later. The barrier 's light illuminated its fearsome shape. It was covered in hair that was midnight-blue,almost black, and its writhing body was huge and elongated. At the tip of its incomprehensible body were two merciless glaring eyes.
For a moment, it halted before the Fortress and raised its head, then slithered up to the barrier. The barrier flickered for an instant as if to resist it, but the intruder immediately passed right through the boundary with ease. As it came in contact with the invisible sphere, Hermes noticed that the detailed formula equation, which stood out around its body, was flickering as the equation was replaced.
Entelexeia ingest aer. Not only that, but they freely manipulate the aer itself. In that case, using the surrounding aer to draw a formula nullifying the barrier's force field would seem about as easy to them as breathing.
Although they had already pulled off the same feat during the day, and although he was already somewhat aware of this, Hermes was nevertheless astonished by the Entelexeia's ability to surpass the barrier blastia's processing speed, but he did not back down. To think that there existed creatures which surpassed the finest and greatest achievement in human history...
Aer, the root of all things. And the Entelexeia, the most evolved beings in the world. Just what kinds of lifeforms would appear as evolution pressed on even further? Perhaps the inevitable advent of such a being was the will of the world itself. Hermes secretly regretted that he wouldn't ever see it happen with his own eyes.
As the near-black Entelexeia crossed the barrier, its body flashed and it mowed down the hoplon blastia lining the parapets. The blastia, which were constructed with metal, were all too easily smashed, scattering parts and sparks over the parapets.
Hermes was caught in the Entelexeia's hellfire-like eyes. With all his heart and soul, he mustered all of his willpower and met its gaze.
The Entelexeia was silent. It had already decided its course of action, and conversation was unnecessary at this point.
Even so, when Hermes gave a deep bow, it responded with something akin to a vague hum.
"You are...the Dark One," Hermes said while straining to keep his voice from trembling. "I expected it would be you. One year ago, you were already advocating for our destruction more than anyone else. I thought for sure that you would come to do it yourself."
Hermes knew that, unlike Ba'ul, his opponent was perfectly capable of comprehending spoken human language.
Swiftly and discreetly, Hermes ran his fingers across the console. This produced a change, albeit small, in the formula equation generating the barrier's halo. Just like that, keep on constantly altering its form.
The Entelexeia—the Dark One noticed that change. It swung its large tail and promptly struck at the barrier—it was repelled. Those big eyes became even wider.
"This is a reverse barrier," Hermes said quietly, the emotions in his voice subdued.
When it all came down to it, trapping monsters with a reverse barrier was simply using the barrier's restrictive function in the opposite direction. There was no reason that the Entelexeia, which could breach the barrier, couldn't break through. However, even though it had just passed through the boundary moments ago, the Dark One was not able to break through it.
Hermes had taken measures in advance, and so the reverse barrier's formula crest was undergoing successive changes tremendously quickly. In order for the Entelexeia's interference to work effectively, finding the correct key was necessary. Otherwise, the blastia itself could be destroyed, but the barrier blastia was installed deep inside the Fortress and wouldn't easily be reached, even by an Entelexeia.
The Dark One hummed once more. Its eyes were narrowed. While it felt annoyed, at the same time, it still seemed to find satisfaction in meeting unexpected resistance. It was not particularly perturbed, at least.
That too was anticipated by Hermes. The barrier blastia's calculation speed was not infinite, after all, and the Entelexeia surpassed it. No matter how rapidly the formula continued changing, he saw that it was only a matter of time before it caught up. He was taking on one of the rulers of the world. Furthermore, he was up against a being that ranked in both first and second place.
The Dark One closed its eyes. It concentrated its vast willpower on perceiving the frenetically-changing formula. It peeled back various outer layers to search out any factors that were altering the key itself. With precise and rapid intuition that exceeded logic, it pursued the right answer in order to escape.
Having predicted this situation, Hermes' actions were not a waste of time. With its attention turned elsewhere, it would not notice and be overly concerned with him. He didn't think it likely that the Entelexeia would read the information moving around on his console of light, but Hermes pretended to be as nonchalant as possible. He tightly closed off his nageeg with all his strength, trying to keep it from sensing his mind.
The Dark One observed approvingly as the edge of its mind detected the correct key and pried open the gate. Brushing aside the counter-formula that prevented unauthorized contact, it continued twisting further inside. No matter how deep underground the barrier blastia's body was, it didn't matter anymore. Let alone disabling the barrier, it could directly contact and destroy it.
As Hermes stared ahead, one reading approached the required value. The Dark One's will was finally reaching the barrier blastia. Further beyond that, it could even see the "spring" used as the source of the barrier blastia's power. Although it was sustaining the barrier, it was rather tiny for a spring. It was no wonder this environment was barren.
As it attemped to focus its stretched will back to the barrier blastia, the Dark One noticed something strange. Another large stream was flowing out from the spring. The hoplon blastia were inactive now, and besides the barrier, just what would be consuming that much power?
The Dark One's will followed the flow. Beyond it, there was—an absurdly large mass of power. Furthermore, it was still swelling larger with each moment.
The Dark One's eyes snapped wide open and glared at Hermes.
"It's a bomb," Hermes said while nodding slowly. He gave no sign of trembling. "I drew it directly from the 'spring'—the aer krene—and converted it to heat."
The reading arrived at the required value. Hermes turned his gaze from the display to the Entelexeia. His eyes were overflowing with pure resolve.
"I have committed a sin. I will accept the punishment. However, as for why I'm doing this, it is because I am part of the human race. You have declared that you are an enemy of humanity. For the sake of my family, for the sake of my brethren—I will have the privilege of retaliating."
As it heard Hermes' proud words, the Dark One twisted within the barrier blastia. Simultaneously, the barrier's halo disappeared without a sound.
The Fortress was instantly plunged into darkness, but without a moment's delay, the Dark One's opened its oblong mouth, which had been hidden under its long hair. Fire blazed in the depths of its throat and rapidly swelled. During the day, the Dark One had instilled despair in every person stationed at the Fortress with that power which could even rival the sun.
While squinting his eyes at the brightness, Hermes executed the final input, a smile even rising to his face.
The Dark One released its entire huge blaze.
Somewhere in the Fortress, the lid holding back the immense power burst open.
From the sky and the ground, two suns were born, met, and became one. A false dawn chased away Temza's night.
The Dark One, together with its roar, was swallowed by the light and heat.
With a strange, protracted sensation, Hermes stared as his atonement and resistance were simultaneously fulfilled.
Love for his family, passion for research, things he finished, things he wasn't able to do, dreams. Anything and everything disappeared in the light. Even though he hadn't been able to measure up, he had decided to stick to the path he believed. His pride in that, too, became white and faded. Sadness, joy, everything. To brilliant white.
Hermes shouted.
Some split seconds later, the final moment was swallowed by the light.
A name. An irreplaceable name.
And then—
Nothing.
----
[END OF PART 3.2. ~The Dark One~ (yes, this is its hilarious name) also appeared in the Empty Mask, judging from its description. The next part will be...fun... 👀
*This part was really confusing so I just tried what I could. (JP if anyone has a better idea: 〈大いなる輪〉を知ってからそう日がある訳でもないのに)]
Part 3: Crushing Blow
2
It was thundering. Distant yet powerful. Repeating like an echo. Over and over.
Judith got up.
She had regained a little composure after crying. The letter, which she had yet to remove from its envelope, was still clutched in her hand.
The envelope had become crumpled. When she noticed, she hurriedly straightened it out. She checked to make sure it wasn't torn anywhere, breathed a sigh of relief, and placed it on the desk to carefully smooth out the remaining creases.
She gazed at the envelope once more. This was her father's letter. It was the letter her father had written for her after everything that happened. She was certain that something important must have been written in it.
Her finger, which was about to open the seal, suddenly stopped. She wondered what was written there. She felt she really wanted to know. But at the same time, she was afraid to know. She was frightened beyond compare. She had learned firsthand that sometimes the truth did nothing but hurt people. Although she needed to muster her courage, she wasn't quite able to find it no matter how deeply she searched.
Holding the envelope like that, Judith was unable to move. She could neither put it down nor open the seal and read it.
Her trance was broken when she once again heard distant thunder. Judith turned to look out the window where she saw the sunlight shining and raised an eyebrow. Distant thunder?
She heard the sound of footsteps. Someone was running towards her.
Right after the footsteps came the shape of a Krytian outside the window, and it passed right on by without looking in her direction. It was followed by more, one right after another. A short while later, she was alone once more. The distant thunder was continuing without pause.
What's going on? Children would be one thing, but it was unusual for Temza's adults to be in such a rush. Judith felt apprehensive since she couldn't sense their feelings for herself.
She decided she should check it out. As she was about to leave the room, she remembered she still had the envelope in her hand.
In the end, she didn't even open it, let alone read it. After comparing the outside of the window with the envelope, Judith decided to leave the letter for later. This wasn't something that should be read hastily. It was something that she should sit down and focus on seriously. Averting her eyes from her fear, that's what she persuaded herself.
Judith retrieved a slender letter box from a shelf. It was decorated with Krytian-style patterns and as soon as she made sure it was big enough, she removed the lid and placed the envelope inside. When she shut the lid again, it made a clicking sound. With this, it wouldn't open easily.
Judith nodded, returned the letter box to the shelf, and went outside.
There were many people gathered. They all nervously peered down from the fenceless cliff edge, exchanging anxious glances.
Judith was perplexed as she realized that they were all looking down towards the Fortress on the earth far below.
The sound was now more like a muffled drum than distant thunder. The echoes made it difficult to tell, but it seemed to be coming from the direction of the Fortress.
Judith slipped through gaps among the crowd and advanced up to the cliff edge. She leaned forward to take a look.
The sea of clouds, which usually concealed the lower world, was unusually scattered today, exposing what lied beneath. But what Judith saw there was not a familiar sight for her.
There should have been nothing but rocks and sand surrounding Temza. But despite that, in the distant space which stretched before the earth, it was turning dark. It went black, and then it was rippling with movement.
An intense light flashed in one corner of the black ground. A few moments later, that distant thundering sound reverberated nearby.
The surrounding shapes momentarily stood out in the flash of light. Seeing that, Judith's eyes opened wide. That darkness, it's all alive. There were some kind of creatures that literally covered the ground under Temza. Some kind of—she couldn't think of anything except monsters. That there could even be such a large number of monsters, and yet...
The light was being emitted from the side closer to Judith's feet; in other words, just in front of the cliff. Judith barely noticed something emitting that light at the foot of the mountain. Further in front of that, she saw the familiar roof of a building: the Fortress. The Fortress looked terribly small facing the surging wave of monsters, and she didn't think it was just because of the distance.
This was a battle. The Fortress was fighting against the monsters.
At that moment the black swarm was rushing forward like it was being sucked towards a single point, which was the Fortress.
Judith leaned forward to try and get a better look when an adult beside her grabbed her shoulder, saying, "Hey, that's dangerous. Step back a little."
Without any chance to object, Judith was pushed back.
"My word, this is the first I've ever seen such a thing."
"I wonder if those knight people came because of this."
The adults were all talking to each other at the same time. Because of the Great Circle, they were now sharing their worry. It was no wonder so many people checked out the scene below all at once.
Judith wanted to try and somehow approach the cliffs once more. Her father had left for the Fortress along with the knights. Her father was there, on one side of that battle in the lower world.
"Judith, that's no good. What are you doing?"
"Mister Murcy." Judith addressed the aging man who approached.
"It would be awful if you fell. Come on over here."
"But Dad's down there. I have to go to him!"
Murcy stared with wide eyes, an exaggerated and un-Krytian-like expression. "So Hermes went to that, uh, Fortress, was it? At a time like this?"
Up until now, whenever Hermes would leave Temza, he usually let Murcy and the neighbours know. Hearing that he hadn't this time, Judith had a bad feeling.
"I understand how you feel, Judith. But as you can see, it's getting serious down there now. It'd be better to wait here with us."
"But-!" As she was about to argue, she suddenly stiffened. Agitated, she looked all around with a startled expression.
It felt like someone had whispered in her ears—a memory came to Judith.
Ba'ul. But it wasn't him. It was completely different. It wasn't gentle.
She then saw that Murcy and the other townspeople were also looking around with puzzled expressions. Realizing that it wasn't only herself, Judith grew all the more suspicious. Ba'ul wouldn't do something like this.
"Just now...something-"
"A-Ah, I feel like I heard it."
It came once more. This time it was a bit clearer than before.
It was like it was telling them to get out of the way. That seemed like the intent, even though it wasn't being said with words. It seemed terribly angry. It was a mercilessly cold and cruel sound.
It was definitely not Ba'ul. It was similar to Ba'ul, yet something completely different.
It wasn't aimed at Temza. Rather, it felt like someone's distant shouting had reached their ears.
Impatient, Judith pushed the adults aside and gripped the cliff edge. There was no doubt that it came from the land below. But unfortunately the lower world was concealed by the drifting clouds again. Judith bit her lip. The clouds were large and would take a while to pass by like this.
Murcy and the other adults reached out and pulled Judith from the edge a second time. Judith struggled to return somehow as they tried to drag her back. Abruptly, their grips slackened and Judith nearly ended up pitching forward. When she tried to complain, she noticed that the adults were staring towards the lower world in unison.
Beyond everyone's gazes, hidden far beyond the sea of clouds, some terrible presence was rising. Before she knew it, the sound of distant thunder had ceased.
"What...?"
Suddenly she heard a sound that was different from all the others up to now. It was strangely dissonant. Judith had never before heard any noise like it. It rang out in a horrifying tone, which reverberated between the mountains like a malignant disease.
Following that, she heard what sounded like a few explosions. Although it was similar to the distant thunder noises, these sounds were a bit smaller and muffled.
She then heard a third "voice". In the clearest and most terrifying pitch she'd ever heard, it said to feast. Judith didn't even want to try thinking about what exactly it meant.
She then heard a commotion arise, and it was soon followed by an even louder racket. The full story was hidden from her field of view beneath the clouds, and Judith bit her lip in frustration.
Finally, a thunderous roar that surpassed all the preceding noise resounded, and one area under the clouds shone brightly. At the same time, she heard that dissonant sound once more. The sea of clouds then went silent altogether.
What's going on in the lower world—did something happen to the Fortress?!
A frightening premonition ran through Judith. However, a momentary break in the clouds allowed her to catch a glimpse of the Fortress' familiar roof. Faster than she could sigh in relief, the clouds slipped in and once more obscured the Fortress from view.
The terrifying presence from earlier was still there. Although she wasn't quite certain whether she sensed it through the nageeg or through some other way, she definitely felt it regardless. What was certain was that all the Krityans there sensed the same thing.
That presence was moving. Towards them.
Judith backed away from something overwhelming and invisible. Something was coming. And extremely quickly.
It approached, instantly clearing the distance separating Temza from the lower world. The sea of clouds churned into a vortex, creating an opening. Something dreadful appeared from within.
Run—
It reached Temza faster than Judith could finish that thought. Brushing past the mountain face, brushing past the cliff edge, passing right in front of Judith and everyone else, it appeared above them.
Two eyes like a storm. That was the first thing Judith noticed. It was glaring at Temza, its gaze like a thunderous sledgehammer.
It was a living thing. It floated against the sky without wings, was covered in long hair, with nothing like hands or feet to be found, its irregular shape constantly changing and writhing, slender and huge; it was a horrifying creature.
It remained still in the air, doing nothing but watching.
It didn't say anything. It wasn't trying to tell them anything. Nevertheless, like a violent tempest, it held no mercy. It was radiating silent dread.
Over countless generations, the Krityan race had cultivated peace and maintained tranquility as their strength, and without exception, they all trembled now. It was like the Great Circle had been detonated and shattered to pieces by the menace before them.
The hellish eyes suddenly narrowed. Just as they noticed that, without any warning, it turned the other way and flew off without a sound.
It had all happened in the blink of an eye.
Everyone watched the figure fade into the distance with bewilderment. As if the air had suddenly thinned, they were all damp with cold sweat and struggling to breathe.
"What...just happened?"
Someone finally expressed what they all felt, which was the cue that freed everyone who'd been frozen in place. They all began chattering at once. Nobody was listening to what anyone else said. The only one who was different was Judith.
"Was that a monster? There are monsters that huge?"
"Could that thing have been living up on Balbusa all along......"
Thanks to being cut off from the Circle, Judith didn't end up having to directly share everyone's anxiety. Besides, she had her hands full with her own worry.
The image of the Fortress she'd seen just before it was hidden in the clouds. That was the only weight on Judith's chest.
Dad. Dad.
Despite the hustle and bustle around her, she continued praying solely for one thing.
Please be alright.
------
In the end, everyone decided to evacuate. Although they called it that, it didn't actually mean they were leaving Temza. Instead it meant they would assemble in a public building and keep an eye on the situation overnight.
Faced with a monster like that—even though it left without doing anything, not a single person doubted it would have done something horrible had it felt like it—it didn't seem like it would provide much peace of mind, but even so, they couldn't help but want to do something. No one raised any objections.
Since they simply couldn't all fit in one place, each district went to different buildings. Judith went to the assembly hall, which was also where her nageeg training had been.
"What about getting the knights at the foot of the mountain to come?"
"It's too dangerous to go down the mountain. You saw what was going on down there."
"Oh, it's possible the knights were attacked by that monster, too."
Scattered yet still cramped inside the buildings, everyone huddled together for various discussions. With everyone exchanging their worries with each other like that, their unrest couldn't be easily settled. The unfamiliar circumstances just made them all the more anxious.
The children were the exception. Most hadn't joined the Circle yet so although a few were being affected by the adults' uneasiness, they were recovering their usual mood more quickly. They left their parents' sides and gathered on their own to engage in a different discussion from the adults.
"What's going on?"
"I'd like to go home soon."
"But doesn't this sort of thing get you kind of excited?"
Judith was also with the other kids. She felt like her worries were eased as they laughed and told each other silly jokes. Although she hadn't spent a day without the Great Circle*, it felt like she was brushing a distant and nostalgic memory.
"Judith, it kind of feels like you've changed again," said Nelni, a girl the same age.
"You......think so?"
"Yeah, it's more like how you always used to be. I like you better this way."
"......Thanks." She couldn't say that it was because she'd been cut off from the Circle. That she'd turned back. Judith couldn't do anything but smile vaguely.
It wasn't such a nice secret at all.
"Did you bring that with you?" To change the subject, Judith pointed at the stuffed doll that Nelni was holding.
"Well, we can't go home today. If it got lonely, I'd feel sorry for it!"
"It's not the doll, it's you who's lonely."
When Fent teased her, Nelni turned to argue with him. The other children cheered on each side.
Judith watched the exchange with a bitter smile, but when she took a closer look, it wasn't just Nelni holding some item. Everyone was doing something like hugging or clutching their respective treasure. Judith remembered the letter box she'd left at home. Dad's letter. In the end, she still hadn't read it.
It didn't seem like she'd be able to read it until this commotion settled down, but even still, she regretted not keeping it with her. How it would've comforted her heart, if only she had it with her now.
It didn't look like she'd be able to leave tonight, so she'd retrieve it tomorrow. Even if they decided to continue with the evacuation, she'd go and get only that. No matter what anyone said.
As what was an unusual night in Temza wore on, the people's worries couldn't be easily dispelled.
------
The night was dark. The stars were dim and the moon wasn't visible. The shadows were foreboding, a heavy weight pressing right down on the earth.
Within that darkness, the only light was emitted from the brightly-shining double rings created by the barrier blastia. The barrier, which extended diagonally to protect the Fortress, was magnificent, flawless even. Normally it should have been deployed horizontally, but the halo was tilted since the Fortress had been built partially into the face of Mt. Temza. The actual barrier comprised the halo and an invisible sphere which completely enveloped the whole Fortress.
This barrier was also one of the miracles produced by Hermes. During the past one thousand years, all barrier blastia had been excavated and restored, and not even a single one had been newly created. However, Hermes had made that a reality. There wasn't anyone who couldn't comprehend just how much significance this held for the people of the Empire, who spent their lives shut inside the barriers.
However, that invention of the century had been abandoned. Now, the Fortress was almost entirely deserted. They had taken as much as they could possibly carry, but most things had still been left behind.
Alone and within the dead Fortress, Hermes lamented.
The knights escaped. Not only the knights originally stationed there, but the reinforcements from the imperial capital as well. The engineers also went with them. There wasn't anyone but him left here anymore.
The Fortress, which was surely prepared to endure no matter what sort of ordinary monster attacked, was all too easily defeated by the dreadful being that had suddenly appeared.
As his painstaking work was destroyed as easily as clipping grass, Hermes watched with bitter thoughts. To Hermes, it was clear from the start that it had been intended as a show of force for the people who barricaded themselves in the Fortress.
After discussion, the knights, who had suffered severe losses, at last made the decision to abandon the Fortress and to transport Hermes and his research results to the imperial capital under the cover of night.
However, the vast group of monsters that closed in during the day wouldn't leave, and were still crowding before the Fortress. No matter how they hid, no matter how covertly they slipped through the shadows, their prospects were hopeless from the beginning. Nevertheless, the consensus was that it was preferable to staying put, which under the circumstances meant certain death, a view with which Hermes also agreed.
Sure enough, as soons as the knights emerged, howls rose throughout the darkness and the monsters began to move all at once.
When Hermes lifted both hands before his chest, a shining console appeared there. With smooth motions, he quickly moved his fingers.
As he did, the hoplon blastia lining the Fortress' upper parapets fired in unison. Destructive beams of death were fired one after another, and as they exploded on impact, the shapes of innumerable monsters stood out within the darkness. The swarm became confused and fell into chaos. Some turned around and tried to attack the Fortress, but it was futile with the barrier obstructing them. They were simply mowed down by a single blow from the hoplon blastia.
Although the Fortress appeared as a mere speck compared to the hordes of advancing monsters, it certainly lived up to its name. In both defense and firepower, it was overwhelming the enemy.
However, the reason Hermes remained alone wasn't because he was relying on its strength. He was aware that this victory was a temporary one. The knights knew it, too. That was why they escaped. That was why Hermes stayed.
When the knights were escaping, Hermes had entrusted them with the notes he had written about his own research results and the situation as far as he knew it. Even if they couldn't bring back a single blastia, reproducing one should be possible as long as they had those notes. All he could do afterwards was pray that his sponsor, and the people who would succeed him, would fill in the gaps.
And thus he remained. He pretended to be accompanying the knights, then secretly broke away from them and stayed behind.
The reason wasn't simple.
For one, it was because he thought it was necessary for someone to provide cover for their desperate escape. Hoplon blastia couldn't be controlled from a distance. It was necessary for someone to be in the vicinity to operate them.
Hermes felt that this was his duty. In the end, he didn't tell anyone that he knew he himself was the direct cause of this situation. Although it was all of humanity that was the underlying cause, he didn't think his sins became any lighter because of it. In multiple senses, this was surely his own way of atonement.
Besides, escaping meant leaving Temza. It meant leaving those dear to him in danger. Regardless of Duke's words, he feared the worst case.
Leaving the hoplon blastia to fire on their own for a moment, Hermes looked up at the mountain behind him. The mountain of Temza, towering amidst the darkness. He wondered if he couldn't see a tiny light that might be mistaken for a star at that distance, but that was impossible from below the cliff.
But despite that, Hermes was still looking through the solid bedrock for what he pictured.
Judith—
He recalled the day she was born, as well as the days just the two of them spent together after they lost his wife. The day Judith walked for the first time, the day she first raised her voice and called him "dad", the day they had a fight, the day they made up, the day she first cooked a meal—the thing was far too creative to be called a dish, but since she had cooked it with all her heart, Hermes was defenseless.
Hermes' vision blurred. His gaze turned back towards the dark horizon. But as he was also deeply moved by something there, his eyes became watery. There were just more of the same memories beyond there, too.
Days with family, days with research. Thinking back, he realized how completely he was blessed. Such memories were often obscured in the shadows of grief, but now they were brightly shining, like wiping away the dirt from a precious gem to reveal its glittering heart.
Reminded once more of the countless treasures he possessed, he offered his wholehearted gratitude.
He didn't have any more tears. Although he was indeed filled with sorrow, Hermes' heart was as calm as the ocean after a passing storm.
He waited. How far had the knights managed to get away? The tireless hoplon blastia continued sweeping up the monsters one after another, but Hermes was no longer paying attention.
He waited. He fixed his eyes on the darkness ahead with anticipation.
The stars in the night sky vanished.
Hermes' expression stiffened faintly.
--It's here.
A jet black shadow, far darker than the inky night, came piercing through the gloom. Terror given form. Death borrowing the guise of a living thing. His fate.
Entelexeia.
Even though it had been on the distant horizon, it was right before him a few moments later. The barrier 's light illuminated its fearsome shape. It was covered in hair that was midnight-blue,almost black, and its writhing body was huge and elongated. At the tip of its incomprehensible body were two merciless glaring eyes.
For a moment, it halted before the Fortress and raised its head, then slithered up to the barrier. The barrier flickered for an instant as if to resist it, but the intruder immediately passed right through the boundary with ease. As it came in contact with the invisible sphere, Hermes noticed that the detailed formula equation, which stood out around its body, was flickering as the equation was replaced.
Entelexeia ingest aer. Not only that, but they freely manipulate the aer itself. In that case, using the surrounding aer to draw a formula nullifying the barrier's force field would seem about as easy to them as breathing.
Although they had already pulled off the same feat during the day, and although he was already somewhat aware of this, Hermes was nevertheless astonished by the Entelexeia's ability to surpass the barrier blastia's processing speed, but he did not back down. To think that there existed creatures which surpassed the finest and greatest achievement in human history...
Aer, the root of all things. And the Entelexeia, the most evolved beings in the world. Just what kinds of lifeforms would appear as evolution pressed on even further? Perhaps the inevitable advent of such a being was the will of the world itself. Hermes secretly regretted that he wouldn't ever see it happen with his own eyes.
As the near-black Entelexeia crossed the barrier, its body flashed and it mowed down the hoplon blastia lining the parapets. The blastia, which were constructed with metal, were all too easily smashed, scattering parts and sparks over the parapets.
Hermes was caught in the Entelexeia's hellfire-like eyes. With all his heart and soul, he mustered all of his willpower and met its gaze.
The Entelexeia was silent. It had already decided its course of action, and conversation was unnecessary at this point.
Even so, when Hermes gave a deep bow, it responded with something akin to a vague hum.
"You are...the Dark One," Hermes said while straining to keep his voice from trembling. "I expected it would be you. One year ago, you were already advocating for our destruction more than anyone else. I thought for sure that you would come to do it yourself."
Hermes knew that, unlike Ba'ul, his opponent was perfectly capable of comprehending spoken human language.
Swiftly and discreetly, Hermes ran his fingers across the console. This produced a change, albeit small, in the formula equation generating the barrier's halo. Just like that, keep on constantly altering its form.
The Entelexeia—the Dark One noticed that change. It swung its large tail and promptly struck at the barrier—it was repelled. Those big eyes became even wider.
"This is a reverse barrier," Hermes said quietly, the emotions in his voice subdued.
When it all came down to it, trapping monsters with a reverse barrier was simply using the barrier's restrictive function in the opposite direction. There was no reason that the Entelexeia, which could breach the barrier, couldn't break through. However, even though it had just passed through the boundary moments ago, the Dark One was not able to break through it.
Hermes had taken measures in advance, and so the reverse barrier's formula crest was undergoing successive changes tremendously quickly. In order for the Entelexeia's interference to work effectively, finding the correct key was necessary. Otherwise, the blastia itself could be destroyed, but the barrier blastia was installed deep inside the Fortress and wouldn't easily be reached, even by an Entelexeia.
The Dark One hummed once more. Its eyes were narrowed. While it felt annoyed, at the same time, it still seemed to find satisfaction in meeting unexpected resistance. It was not particularly perturbed, at least.
That too was anticipated by Hermes. The barrier blastia's calculation speed was not infinite, after all, and the Entelexeia surpassed it. No matter how rapidly the formula continued changing, he saw that it was only a matter of time before it caught up. He was taking on one of the rulers of the world. Furthermore, he was up against a being that ranked in both first and second place.
The Dark One closed its eyes. It concentrated its vast willpower on perceiving the frenetically-changing formula. It peeled back various outer layers to search out any factors that were altering the key itself. With precise and rapid intuition that exceeded logic, it pursued the right answer in order to escape.
Having predicted this situation, Hermes' actions were not a waste of time. With its attention turned elsewhere, it would not notice and be overly concerned with him. He didn't think it likely that the Entelexeia would read the information moving around on his console of light, but Hermes pretended to be as nonchalant as possible. He tightly closed off his nageeg with all his strength, trying to keep it from sensing his mind.
The Dark One observed approvingly as the edge of its mind detected the correct key and pried open the gate. Brushing aside the counter-formula that prevented unauthorized contact, it continued twisting further inside. No matter how deep underground the barrier blastia's body was, it didn't matter anymore. Let alone disabling the barrier, it could directly contact and destroy it.
As Hermes stared ahead, one reading approached the required value. The Dark One's will was finally reaching the barrier blastia. Further beyond that, it could even see the "spring" used as the source of the barrier blastia's power. Although it was sustaining the barrier, it was rather tiny for a spring. It was no wonder this environment was barren.
As it attemped to focus its stretched will back to the barrier blastia, the Dark One noticed something strange. Another large stream was flowing out from the spring. The hoplon blastia were inactive now, and besides the barrier, just what would be consuming that much power?
The Dark One's will followed the flow. Beyond it, there was—an absurdly large mass of power. Furthermore, it was still swelling larger with each moment.
The Dark One's eyes snapped wide open and glared at Hermes.
"It's a bomb," Hermes said while nodding slowly. He gave no sign of trembling. "I drew it directly from the 'spring'—the aer krene—and converted it to heat."
The reading arrived at the required value. Hermes turned his gaze from the display to the Entelexeia. His eyes were overflowing with pure resolve.
"I have committed a sin. I will accept the punishment. However, as for why I'm doing this, it is because I am part of the human race. You have declared that you are an enemy of humanity. For the sake of my family, for the sake of my brethren—I will have the privilege of retaliating."
As it heard Hermes' proud words, the Dark One twisted within the barrier blastia. Simultaneously, the barrier's halo disappeared without a sound.
The Fortress was instantly plunged into darkness, but without a moment's delay, the Dark One's opened its oblong mouth, which had been hidden under its long hair. Fire blazed in the depths of its throat and rapidly swelled. During the day, the Dark One had instilled despair in every person stationed at the Fortress with that power which could even rival the sun.
While squinting his eyes at the brightness, Hermes executed the final input, a smile even rising to his face.
The Dark One released its entire huge blaze.
Somewhere in the Fortress, the lid holding back the immense power burst open.
From the sky and the ground, two suns were born, met, and became one. A false dawn chased away Temza's night.
The Dark One, together with its roar, was swallowed by the light and heat.
With a strange, protracted sensation, Hermes stared as his atonement and resistance were simultaneously fulfilled.
Love for his family, passion for research, things he finished, things he wasn't able to do, dreams. Anything and everything disappeared in the light. Even though he hadn't been able to measure up, he had decided to stick to the path he believed. His pride in that, too, became white and faded. Sadness, joy, everything. To brilliant white.
Hermes shouted.
Some split seconds later, the final moment was swallowed by the light.
A name. An irreplaceable name.
And then—
Nothing.
----
[END OF PART 3.2. ~The Dark One~ (yes, this is its hilarious name) also appeared in the Empty Mask, judging from its description. The next part will be...fun... 👀
*This part was really confusing so I just tried what I could. (JP if anyone has a better idea: 〈大いなる輪〉を知ってからそう日がある訳でもないのに)]