they all stood in astonishment. "How… does this happen again?"
Nier broke their stupor, his voice trembling with panic, "We must bring the survivors here to take shelter in the house!"
Berko, holding Nier angrily, said, "Why should we waste our time on the people of this filthy town? The perpetrator is here!! Our priority is to find him! Let him be busy killing his despicable kind—it'll make our mission faster…"
Maybe he had wanted to do this since he first saw him… since he first touched Nier. But now was the time.
Elir gave Berko a strong punch to his jaw, sending him crashing into Azar's house wall. Berko grabbed his bleeding jaw, glaring at Elir in pure hatred. If only I could move now and kill him! But he couldn't. Though Elir only struck his jaw, his whole head pounded with dizziness.
Nier realized what happened and shouted, "Elir!! Why… did you do this… Why do you always do this?!"
Anger still smoldered on Elir's face. A punch to the jaw is not enough…
Sol shouted, "What are you doing, you damn—!" He drew his weapon, stepping toward Elir. "You're to be punished for assaulting a commander!"
Rin stood in front of Elir, who seemed ready for another swing, and said, "Sol, please, stop! I'll discipline him once we return to Farata… but now is not the time!"
Berko got angry as he stood, "Not the time?!"
Rin shouted, "Yes, it's not the time! Look around you—this town is on fire! Bial is under Farata's rule. If we leave these survivors… Elir won't be the only one punished!"
Sol reluctantly said, "All right, but the priority is to find the perpetrator!! That's our mission!"
Berko didn't respond, still fuming.
Rin said, "Berko and I will go inspect the fires, and you, Sol and Heemi, search for survivors. Then let's meet here again."
Sol nodded, gesturing to Fojta. Heemi said, "Inini… let's go."
Rin moved to assist Berko, but he pushed him away, standing on his own. Berko looked at Rin and said, "If you don't control your follower, you'd better look for another job when we go back home!" Then he walked off, followed by Rin, Elir, and Nier.
Nier's heart raced. "These familiar streets… the shops, the houses… all being devoured by flames…" The heat intensified as Nier pressed on. Smoke clogged his vision, but Nieth's eyes let him see two distinct auras—one white, one black—on the ground before them.
Nier looked closer and recognized Ayk's unconscious body. He screamed, "They're Ayk and Ino!!"
Sol shouted, "Ino!!"
Nier said quickly, "They're still alive… their spirits are faint, but they're alive…"
Before they could move, Elir seized Nier's shoulder.
Nier snapped, "What!!"
Elir stared ahead at six white auras. The smoke receded to reveal five men in red cloaks, led by a man with long red hair. Nier had never seen Elir so shaken.
The leader raised his head and said, "Hello… I have been waiting for you…"
Sabana arrived with Seeta and Mika at Azar's house in the midst of chaos. Heemi, Sol, Fojta, and Inini were transporting wounded survivors inside. Azar stood at the entrance, saying:
"Drink, you poor souls… drinking will help with the pain… but you'll pay me for these drinks once this is over!! Drink, drink! Azar's house is open to everyone!"
Seeta looked at him with disgust. Sabana asked anxiously, "Heemi, what happened?"
Heemi said, "The city is under attack, Sabana…"
Mika, eyeing the scattered flames, asked, "We see it, Commander! But what the hell is happening?!"
Inini replied, "We don't know… but we're bringing survivors here until the fires calm."
Sol told Sabana, "Rin, Berko, and their group went to find the source of the fire."
Seeta shouted, "Nier!" She turned to Sabana. "Commander! Can we go too…"
Sabana surveyed the area. "Yes, it looks like things are under control here. We'll go to support them."
The heat intensified. They shielded their eyes from the flames as if an inferno surrounded them. But turning around, they saw no raging flames—just a man with fiery red hair and five red-robed followers.
The red-haired man smiled ominously. "Where are you going… we just arrived!"
Sabana jumped back. "Seeta! Mika!"
Both answered, opening Nieth's eyes. "Yes!!"
His grin disappeared when he saw their extra eyes. "How… how…" he growled, "How dare you… to obtain the power of the God's soldiers like this!!"
Mika's and Seeta's eyes widened in terror. Seeta said, "Commander Sabana… their auras are white…"
Sabana gasped, "What?"
Worry flickered over Mika's face as he watched the men's large bows glimmer with fiery arrows. "I don't like that… I don't like that at all…"
Nier's eyes widened at the fiery-haired man's face. He was oddly familiar, yet now he showed no fear, no tears. Nier said, "You!!" and drew his weapon, Elir doing the same.
Rin exclaimed, "Impossible… the balloon seller from the festival…"
Berko cried, "How! How… and his soul is white??"
The man said calmly, "We do not differentiate between white and black souls. You are all equal in the eyes of the god Vihara…"
His followers drew swords ablaze with fire. Berko recoiled in terror, "What is this?! What is happening?!"
The man declared, "My name is Valwa, servant of the god Vihara! I am the man who will fulfill the god's will, and I will kill everyone on earth!!"
His followers advanced, their flaming swords. One shouted, "Your weapons will not work against the weapons of fire!"
Rin, hearing that name, trembled. "We must flee from here! Now!!"
Nier pleaded, "But Ayk and Ino are there…"
Berko said, "No time!!"
Nier froze in indecision. Anxiety flashed in Elir's eyes. I know that look— But Nier darted to Ayk and Ino. Elir yelled, "Nier!"
Too late. One attacker sprang at Nier, sword raised. Elir dashed forward at terrifying speed, ignoring Rin's cry, "It won't work!! Our weapons cannot fend them off!!" Elir thought, Then I'll block them with my body…
Before the blazing sword reached Nier's head, Elir stood in front, raising his blade. One hand on the hilt, the other pressing the steel, heedless of his own bleeding. Fire licked at his face, but he pushed until he flung the attacker aside.
Seconds stretched like hours. Then Nier's soft voice reached him, "You saved me, Elir."
Elir spun, roaring, "Never do something like this!!"
The follower staggered away. "It cannot be… he blocked Exlazir swords with his weapon!"
Nier lifted Ino, carrying him over to Rin and Berko. Elir grabbed Ayk's shirt, flinging him aside near them. Then Elir turned back to the foes.
Valwa scowled. "Tell me… these weapons you carry… are they…" His eyes burned. "Bones of one of the Lights? You have desecrated the bodies of the Lights, the god's soldiers!"
He glared at his men. "Everyone we know and love awaits us in heaven… do not keep them waiting any longer!!"
Their swords flared higher, their fires stretching beyond reach. "Yes!!"
The four found themselves alone before those blazing swords. They could block with Nieth's bone-weapons, but could they handle the raging fire at such close range? Smoke clogged their lungs, and ruins threatened to collapse around them.
Berko said, "We must flee."
Rin cried, "I don't want to stand here and fight, but will they let us leave?!"
Elir knew the real issue: Nier. Nier brandished his sword. "I will not flee. Now that I know who killed those at the festival and the people of Bial, I will never let them go! I will not flee. I will not retreat."
Elir stood beside him, weapon raised—he wouldn't flee either. They tried to kill Nier.
Rin's blade trembled from his own shaking hand. "Berko… we mustn't be a bad example. Let's go…"
Berko drew his weapon and backed off. A role model? They might all die here—I'll run as soon as I can.
A heavy figure stirred behind them, stepping beside Rin and Berko, drawing his sword. Rin panicked, "Ayk, you're bleeding! You must hurry—"
Ayk said firmly, "It's nothing. We trained with open bellies before. I'll protect Nier and his friend who saved me, even if it's my last breath."
Arlo shouted, "Commander Noel… they're fighting there… we must help them…" He looked at Noel, crouched on the ground, muttering, "Not again… not again…" as fear and disbelief consumed her.
She repeated, "It's happening again… why… why…" She never should have come.
Arlo begged, "Commander, please…" She hid her face. "No… no… I won't go…"
Arlo scowled, "Then I will. Forgive me for disobeying orders, Commander." Noel sobbed, "I want to go home… I want to go home…" as he left her.
Noel tried covering her head and ears to block the screams and crackling flames, but the scorching heat still pressed in. A gentle voice said, "Poor thing…"
Noel peered up, tears streaming, to see a fiery red-haired woman stroking her face. "You must be terrified… but aren't you afraid of never reaching paradise?"
Noel stammered, "W-what?"
The woman said, "A soul cannot reach heaven while it remains here. It'll be stuck, never reuniting with those it loves. This is the end."
Noel sobbed, "I don't want… I don't want that…"
The woman whispered kindly, "Then return to God. Leave these sinners and join us…" She offered her hand, and Noel accepted, rising unsteadily. Noel saw many Bial residents behind the woman, still bleeding and crying, but clinging to the idea of paradise.
Arlo reached Azar's house before the battle broke out. He searched frantically, calling, "Inini…" She stood ready with the others, turning at his voice. Arlo realized how pointless it was. Then he saw a flaming arrow heading straight at her. She didn't notice, looking at him. Even if she felt the heat, she wouldn't dodge in time.
He was too far. But a hand with a kitchen knife rose, attempting to cut the arrow. Its owner shoved Inini aside—Azar, who had saved her. The arrow struck Azar's hand, burning flesh and steel.
Azar howled, "Ahh! Hot! Hot! Damn!"
Arlo arrived, pulling Inini into a fierce embrace. She trembled from the impact. He stammered, "I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I shouldn't have left you…" repeating it over and over, holding her tight.
Inini's eyes brimmed with tears.
The red-haired man shouted, "Your weapons won't work against the weapons of fire!" Azar clutched his burned hand. "You bastard… you injured my money hand! I'll never forgive you!"
He pulled another knife from his pocket. "I can't rely on Frata's army to protect us." He continued, "I'll protect our damned kids who joined the army…"
Fojta murmured, "What… protect us?" He's no different from those men trying to kill us… I hate him… I hate him…
Arlo raised his weapon, standing before Inini. "Inini… stay behind me." He shouted, "Why!! Why are you doing this!!"
The man said angrily, "The Lights do not have the right to form bonds like humans. God did not create them for that. They exist to worship Him and obey His commands!" He went on, "Don't mock God any longer!"
He turned to his men. "In my name, Vera… let Torath's power flow through your arrows!" They lifted flaming bows, crying, "Yes!!"
Sabana felt the heat rise further, the air thickening. "Damn… the flames are everywhere. How do we fight that?!" Mika grimaced. "It's not like we have a choice…"
He raised his weapon, uncertain how to block pure flame. A fiery arrow sped toward Mika's head, scorching the air so he couldn't breathe. He swung his weapon, trying to split the fire in two. Seeta and Sabana shrieked, "Mika! Move back!!"
Mika shouted, "To where!!" as he brought his blade through the flames. A normal arrow would be cut in half, but this was no normal arrow. It should've lodged in Mika's skull by now…
But the arrow fell in two halves. Mika and the Black Wings stared. He… he split the arrow. Vera and his men gaped at it on the ground.
Vera hissed, "These weapons… are they…"
His followers' arrows glowed brighter as Vera's rage grew. He screamed, "Show me how you'll keep blocking our endless arrows!"
Seeta drew her weapon, stepping beside Mika. Her adrenaline soared. Sabana stood behind them, shaking off her fear. "All right, all right… There's no escape now."