Sword of Heaven stood motionless as his friends' footsteps involuntarily retreated. Fear gripped their bodies—they could never return to normal again.
Ryo was on the verge of vomiting, sweat pouring unceasingly from his face. His breaths grew heavy, and his legs could barely carry him forward. This haze—perhaps born of the scorching sun's heat—had become a bloody fog.
Sword of Heaven remained silent as he stared at the scattered corpses and mangled limbs all around. Yes—it had to be so; this sight had dredged up all the painful, blood-soaked memories of that day for him. Every scene from that day replayed before his eyes as if it had happened only yesterday.
His composure vanished; his expression turned grim, and he could not control himself. The fog enveloped his vision. His body began to sway, on the verge of collapse, but he resisted at last—gritting his teeth and clenching his fists.
Then, with resolute defiance, he said, "As if nothing happened. Come on, let's move on. Watching won't get us anywhere." And he quickened his pace, forging ahead.
Both Luke and Cater struggled to steady their still-trembling legs, while Ryo remained kneeling where he was, gasping for breath. Ryo challenged, "What are you staring at, Luke? We must keep moving."
Ryo looked at his brother Luke, who was forcing a smile, and reached out a hand to help him to his feet, though his legs had not yet regained their balance. Cater asked, "Are you all right, Ryo? You look exhausted and strained." Ryo replied, "I feel a bit nauseous, but it'll pass on its own. Come on, let's keep going—it seems he's gotten far ahead of us."
But no human who witnessed this scene could ever return to life as it was. This horrific sight, this night, this very hour—they would remain engraved in their memories as long as they lived.
When they finally reached Sword of Heaven's side, everyone fell silent, not a word uttered. As they continued on, their strength was spent and their stomachs empty. From the catastrophe's outbreak at midday until the dead of night, they had not eaten a single bite. But there was no time for that—they had completely forgotten. Who could think of food under these circumstances? The answer, without a doubt, was no one.
A few hours passed; they had crossed the boundary and now entered the western desert. All around lay entrails and remnants that the demon creatures had refused to consume. Everyone felt sick; the stench permeated the air. And no wonder—it must be the remains of the first victims who had tried to flee toward the green plains from the neighboring villages, yet fate decreed they die this day.
Luke paused for a moment, gazing at the remains, sorrow etched deep within him. The others halted as well. Ryo challenged, "What are you staring at, Luke? We need to keep going. True, it's painful, but what can we do? We've encountered such scenes all along; haven't you grown used to it? From now on, you'll see nothing but ruin and corpses everywhere. We must become stronger—so strong that such sights no longer affect us."
Luke remained silent, grief fully dominating his features. Sword of Heaven looked at his sad expression, and finally decided to speak: "Listen, Luke, as long as fate has decreed our ends, it cannot be changed. They were destined to die today; even if we were strong enough to destroy these demon beasts, we could not alter the fate of those marked for death in any way."
Cater stayed silent, lost in thought. Inwardly he said, "What's happening? At first, Ryo could barely stand—he was about to vomit—but now he seems like a completely different person. Perhaps he's grown accustomed to this; we've been through countless terrifying massacres in which he was deeply affected, yet now he appears unmoved. Meanwhile, Luke—who was composed at first—has now broken down. Is it because he was merely pretending to be strong and can no longer hide his sorrow?"
Cater thought for a long moment, then stepped toward Luke and challenged, "Listen, Luke, just be yourself. Don't feign toughness until you're knocked out. Express your feelings candidly and freely—that's how you'll get through this. There's no need to hide your grief. We all feel sorrow for them, but what can we do? We remain too weak to face those beasts. As he said, if fate is inevitable, it cannot be changed. In any case, there's no point in standing and staring; we're just wasting time."
Luke looked at his companions fondly, then gathered himself to set out again. As always, Sword of Heaven led the way, his features dark and ashen; the more they advanced, the farther reached the day's massacre before them. Corpses lay everywhere, and with every step forward, it seemed there was nothing left to return to. Many negative thoughts assailed Sword of Heaven; hope fled and despair took its place. He seemed to drown in hopelessness and disappointment, which was evident on his face. But despite the despair, one must face the truth and accept it—whether alive or dead. He had to come to terms with it.
Along the road, on the left side, lay a small village ravaged and destroyed. The mud-brick buildings had collapsed and the tents burned—no trace of life remained. Sword of Heaven declared, "It appears they were wiped out completely; there's no hope of finding any survivors. It's best we don't go there—let's just move on. We're wasting time by stopping over and over."
He said that, and they continued walking forward, while sorrowful glances kept drifting behind them.
In the far horizon, Arian began to appear before their eyes, behind the golden sands that obscured the view.
In the darkness of night, the wind grew stronger, forming a sandstorm that slowed their advance.
But as long as Arian remained within sight, there was no need to worry or think of the consequences.
They all wrapped themselves in their old, worn-out yellow scarves, then resumed their march through the storm.
Fortunately, the moon was full that night, casting more of its light upon the world and illuminating the path amidst the darkness.
No excuses — I couldn't publish this week, and there's no reason for that.
I apologize for it.
But if you liked the book, don't forget to add it to your libr
ary.