Anared's death was like a sledgehammer to Heira's mind. Even after the city fell, an irrational part of her wanted to believe that it was still possible for him to be there, still possible for him to appear before her just fine.
It couldn't be said that the two were a normal couple by any means. Anared was so focused on becoming worthy that he hardly spent any time with her and Heira was too prideful to ask for more of his time.
But, at the end of the day, they were fiance and fiancee, two people tied to one day be husband and wife.
For Anared, it might have been an uphill battle to claim her hand. But, he had already been so close to the peak, so close to gazing at the horizon from the other side of the mountain.
But reality was cruel.
Just when he was nearly there, just when Earth was about to fall, just when he had almost earned the right to call her his wife... Leonel appeared.
He stood indifferently in the skies, his entire focus ironically on a woman of his own. He hadn't even spared a thought for Heira's threat.
At that moment, Heira's roar suddenly sounded through the battlefield. It carried a pain that cut deep, the kind of wounded cry that could only appear from a beast wrestling its death throes.
However, in maybe the greatest irony, even that was drowned out by what happened next.
The city gates of White City were suddenly slammed opened, their loud BANG reverberating through the battlefield.
"Knights of Camelot! CHARGE!"
King Arthur's voice resounded, Excalibur pointing to the skies as he urged his white steed forward.
Syl and Rie collapsed to their knees, tears falling like an endless rain down their cheeks. They stared toward where their brother had been just a moment ago, completely shell shocked.
To Leonel, Anared was an annoyance that didn't know his place, a man who threatened the life of his Aina more than once.
However, to these women, he was a protective brother and husband. He was a man who confronted Leonel because he believed he had done his sister wrong. Even in his final moment, his thoughts of killing Aina were only to seek revenge for Rie's true mother.
But this was the way of the world. Two opposing viewpoints could make an enemy of two innocents. And for Leonel, with how much he cared for Aina, he simply couldn't bother to listen to Anared's reasoning. Anyone who wanted to harm a hair on her head... deserved to die!
Heira glared hateful toward Leonel in the sky. Strong bursts of energy seemed to swirl around her, but something even stronger restricted her body.
She bit down on her lips so hard blood dripped down from her fair chin, staining her once white dress with droplets of crimson.
Before Leonel could even think of turning his blade toward her, she crushed a bracelet on her wrist, vanishing.
Leonel finally sent a glance in that direction, his brow not even furrowing.
If she wanted to target him, that was fine. It was just that she should know he didn't like to lose.
if she wanted to target Aina, however... he wouldn't mind sending her to the same place her fiance had gone.
Leonel gazed toward the Palace and then the battlefield below before aiming his surfboard toward the distance. He had done enough. Now, he just wanted to check on his friends.
**
The war for Earth completely flipped on its head. It was the kind of sudden change one read about in fairy tales. But, unlike such tales, the deaths were very much real.
Some died without graves, their families having long since left them and their names forgotten to history.
Some died valiant deaths, protecting what they cherished to their backs and leaving the earth with heads held high.
Many of these were people even Leonel had come to know. As astounding as his victory was, the deaths of those like Roaring Black Lion and Flowing Wind couldn't be reversed. They would rest for all of eternity.
...
A certain figure rushed over the ocean waters, his breathing coming out in huffs and puffs. Every heave he took seemed to come with another drizzle of blood pouring out from yet another hole in his body.
Fear colored the face of this figure, whatever arrogance he had once had vanishing with the wind. All he could think of was running for his life.
Despite the fact that there was nothing over his shoulder, he kept looking, panic evident in his eyes. Whatever had caused him to feel such fear had clearly left a shadow over his heart that wouldn't be disappearing anytime soon.
If Leonel or Aina had been there at this very moment, they would have easily recognized this young man as Raynred, the Young Heir to one of Terrain's Powers. As for why and how he had ended up in such a state, maybe only those on the ocean battlefield could have given the answer to that.
"Land!"
Raynred's eyes lit up.
All this time running across the ocean's surface, he had felt as though he was rushing across pins and needles instead.
The ocean was so wide and expansive, but there wasn't a single place to hide. At least on real ground, there would be forests and caves to make use of. All he knew was that he had to get away from that monster.
Raynred had no idea the situation on the battlefield had changed. The truth was that he had run away long before Leonel forced the Puppet Master out of its hiding spot.
'... I'm not running... right, I'm just allocating my services to another battlefield... That's right...'
Raynred shuddered when he thought of the deaths of Jilniya and Wilson who had come to help him.
And then there was that damned old man. He was on his last legs but he actually managed to stop his father from splitting away to help him.
Raynred grit his teeth.
They were just delaying the inevitable in his eyes. A single person couldn't possibly change the tide of this war. Earth was finished!
Finally stepping on land, Raynred's sharp senses grasped onto the sounds of battle from tens of kilometers away.
Checking his surroundings, Raynred quickly climbed up the side of a dilapidated building to lay eyes on a massive domed fortress in the distance.
A sinister glow lit his eye.
That was right.... wasn't this that Royal Blue Fort that Pisces whore spoke of?