DEAF VICTORY

Rain had stopped and thunder was no more. Sky which had recently been swarmed and besieged to the point of rapture was now peaceful, illuminated by brilliant rays of the sun above. City of white stone stood ravaged beneath the clouds, half its buildings completely destroyed, while the other half was barely standing. Yet, despite the ravaged state, city’s atmosphere has never been better. Thousands of people were grouped around the ruins, sitting on the crumbled stone and drinking ale and wine while laughing.

The plain outside the city walls was swollen with corpses, some of mighty men and women and some of indistinguishable beasts of all sort. Shallow and deep craters could be found everywhere, and billowing smoke has yet to settle properly. However, even such grimness couldn’t stifle the joy people felt in their hearts.

Just at the moment as they felt their world collapse, when their only Divine Magus was about to perish under enemy’s blade, sea of white flames appeared out of nowhere and drowned half their enemy forces while also killing all the False Gods. Then, the white flames wrapped themselves around their Queen, but instead of killing her, they brought her back from the doorway of death. No one had a clue about where those flames came from, but they were eternally grateful nonetheless.

In one of the few persevered buildings of the city, at the topmost floor and in the isolated room, a bed of silken sheets was placed in the corner. Currently, atop of it, a beautiful woman of silken white hair was sleeping peacefully. Her pale skin had regained some crimson color as though blood had finally reached her cheeks, while her furrowed brows had relaxed at last. Next to the bed was a young woman and an elderly man, both sitting in silence on the opposite sides, as though afraid even a single sound would startle the woman awake.

Ly’el gazed at Y’se with the warmth of thousand suns, while beneath it lay sorrow and guilt. Sorrow for her heart was broken, and guilt for she was unable to do anything. While, perhaps, other may not know the source of those white flames, she did. Although, at the time, she was in a half-dead state, she had witnessed the burning sea collapse unto the False Gods and devour them whole in less than the time it takes to blink. While she wasn’t able to see the figure, the flames were more than enough to dispel all her doubts about their savior.

It has been three days since, and Y’se remained comatose all the while. Her injuries were serious and, despite the fact that the white flames and her own constitution had managed to prevent any lasting injuries from remaining in her body, she was still on the threshold of death when she was saved. The elder across from her was one of the Divine Magus of their Clan, one well-versed in alchemy no less, and even he was unable to explain why is she still alive.

“How long do you think it will take for her to wake up?” Ly’el asked through telepathic communication.

“… I’m not too sure myself,” elder, whose name was Ra, replied solemnly. “Most of her surface injuries have been healed up, but the shock to her soul was too much. She’s currently in the deep state of sleep; even if we were to blow up this entire building right next to her ear, she would be unable to hear it.”

“What’s the situation like in other places?” Ly’el asked, shifting the topic.

“Battle’s still ongoing,” elder Ra said. “It’s a miracle we were able to claim victory here. From what I know, Y’se was ordered only to fight until city gates were felled, and she was supposed to retreat afterwards.”

“Heh, whoever ordered that clearly didn’t know jack shit about her.” Ly’el sneered lightly.

“Aii, she was always the reckless, proud type,” elder Ra sighed, shaking his head bitterly. “It’s lucky a savior came. White flames… it was probably that boy Lynne, right?”

“Oh?” Ly’el arched her brow, looking at the elder strangely. “You know?”

“… everyone knows,” the elder smiled bitterly. “However, what he did probably cost him a lot…”

“You know where he is?” Ly’el asked immediately when she saw the gleam in the elder’s eyes.

“Don’t ask, child,” the elder said, sighing. “No benefits will come from knowing.”

“… if you can’t tell me, won’t you at least tell her when she wakes up?” Ly’el pushed.

“No,” elder replied firmly. “You two should just be grateful you’re alive, and move on. It’s the best thing to do.”

“… heh, move on?” Ly’el shook her head, glancing at Y’se. “I’m afraid that’s impossible. Would you at least tell me what it cost him? And why?”

“Aii, why are you so stubborn, little girl?” elder Ra glared at her lightly. “Can’t you just obey your senior for once?”

“Sure. Just answer my questions and then I’ll obey you no matter what!” Ly’el said, smiling brilliantly.

“Ugh…” Y’se suddenly grunted, prompting both of them to immediately stop their conversation and focus onto her. She moved her body slightly as her arms twitched. Her eyes opened as she blinked a few times, immediately shifting her gaze around, recognizing Ly’el and the elder. “Lynne… w-where is he?” she asked in a coarse voice. Ly’el’s expression darkened while elder Ra merely sighed. He suddenly took out a familiar bottle from his spatial pouch and moved it toward Y’se’s lips.

“Oi, are you trying to get her drunk?!” Ly’el exclaimed when she recognized that the bottle was actually Heavenly Ale.

“It will stimulate her,” elder Ra explained as Y’se took a few gulps. “Besides, if I gave her water instead, knowing her, she’d most-likely claw my eyes out once she got better.”

“… oh, yeah. I forgot about that.” Ly’el nodded as she remembered drinking was one of the things Y’se enjoyed the most.

“Where is he?” Y’se asked as elder Ra helped her sit up and lean against the backside of the bed.

“He’s not here child.” elder Ra said in a solemn tone, not hiding the truth from her.

“… but… those flames…” Y’se muttered, furrowing her brows. “I would recognize them. There’s no way he’s not here.”

“He never appeared,” Ly’el explained. “Only his flames.”

“What happened? Where are we?” Y’se quickly shifted her focus onto the battle itself.

“We won,” Ly’el smiled warmly. “We’re currently in the city.”

“What?! We won?!”

“Aye,” Ly’el nodded. “He not only healed you, but wiped half the enemy’s forces away. It gave us an opportunity and we took it.”

“He… aah, that fucking idiot…” Y’se sighed, shaking her head.

“Aii, my lady, watch your tongue!” elder Ra exclaimed, but his tone was rather warm. After all, he had watched this miss grow up from cradle, and seeing that she was well finally caused him to breath a breath of relief.

“Eh? Old man Ra, what are you doing here?” Y’se suddenly exclaimed.

“What do you mean what am I doing here?!” the elder exclaimed right back. “Taking care of you, obviously!”

“… why? I’m perfectly fine.” Y’se said while the poor elder rolled his eyes in disbelief, as if to say ‘does this girl even realize how worried we were for her?!’. “Anyway, we won. That’s great! What about the other battles?”

“Still ongoing.” the elder said.

“Eh? Seriously, why are you here? Hurry back and heal others up! I’m sure their pill supply isn’t infinite.”

“It’s fine,” elder Ra shook his head. “I was stationed in the Great City, but it hasn’t been invaded yet which is why I came here.”

“Isn’t that where the grandpa is?” Y’se asked, furrowing her brows. “Are they trying to avoid him?”

“I very much doubt it,” Ly’el said. “They’re just probably still preparing. After all, very few can contend against him.”

“It’s as miss Ly’el said,” elder Ra added. “They’ll probably attack when they see the results of other battles.”

“… what are the casualties?” Y’se asked.

“… immeasurable.” elder Ra replied bitterly.

“Aah,” Y’se sighed, shaking her head lightly. “Ly’el… I’m… I’m sorry, you know, for not being able to help him…”

“Perish the thought,” Ly’el said, hint of sadness flashing through her eyes. “We both knew what we were getting into once we joined the war. I’m sure he wouldn’t say anything if he had a chance to.”

“Aii, if only that bastard helped us earlier.” Y’se said, gritting her teeth for a moment.

“If he had a chance,” Ly’el said. “Do you really believe he’d stand on the side and watch it all unfold without helping us?”

“…” Y’se remained silent glancing at the elder sitting next to her. “How is he?”

“How would I know?” the elder shrugged his shoulders.

“You know his circumstances, old bastard!” Y’se glared at him for a moment. “Can you at least tell me if he’s still alive?”

“… he’s alive,” elder Ra said, smiling. “Retch, Scarlett, Rio and others are still alive as well.”

“… that’s good to hear.” Y’se said, nodding lightly. “Pu, if he has enough freedom to help us, he’s probably just toying around with his opponent.” even though she said, Y’se knew that it wasn’t true. Although she couldn’t say exactly how much he sacrificed to save her, it probably wasn’t little.

“… he’s not alone, and this isn’t the only place that’s being helped,” elder Ra said, sighing lightly; he felt a tinge of pain cross his heart, as he was well aware what type of beings those eight were fighting. Yet, even so, they still kept their eye out for the outer world, trying to minimize the casualties as much as possible while probably already preparing to die themselves. “Without them, I’m afraid, our losses would be even greater.”

“Look no further than this place,” Ly’el said, glancing out the window toward the razed city. “If we were left to our own devices, we’d all have been dead by now.”

“Indeed.” Y’se nodded in agreement. “Oh well, it’s not like we can change anything at this point. I’ll still need a couple of days to completely heal my injuries, then the three of us can head over to the Great City. I’m sure that they won’t say no to more help.”

“Hm,” elder Ra nodded, smiling warmly. “Your grandfather also wanted to come, but other elders had to hold him back as his absence would spell doom for them.”

“Aii, that old bastard is even more emotional than a woman,” Y’se said, causing elder Ra to shiver; she was perhaps the only person in the world who dared call the Patriarch ‘old bastard’. “Good thing he’s surrounded by sensible people.”

“Alright,” Ly’el said as she got up. “Let’s leave her to her own devices and get drunk elsewhere, old man.”

“… aah, young people really have lost all respect for us old ones.”

“Say that when you start acting like one.” Ly’el said.

“What did you say young brat?!” elder Ra roared after her. “Are you saying that I don’t act like a proper, wise elder?! Humph, it looks like I have to give you a lecture while we drink!”

“Aii, your resistance towards drinking only grows lower as you grow older.”

While the two conversed, Y’se watched them leave with a warm smile which quickly turned bitter as the two finally left the room. She glanced out the window and remembered the moment she felt warm flame coat her whole being. She was on the doorstep of death – rather, she knew there was no saving her. Not even the most heavenly of pills or mages could have brought her back from that point. Yet, against all reason and logic, she survived. Now, she wasn’t even able to properly express her gratitude to him. Who knows if he’ll ever come back? And even if he does, would he look for her at that time? Would he still be the same reckless youth she knew him as?

“You better live,” she mumbled as she closed her eyes. “Otherwise, I’ll get really pissed off, you damned brat…”