Aizawa Daisuke Page 6

  expending both magic and physical strength.

  Her breathing is ragged.

  Even while keeping her senses sharpened to pick up signs of pursuers, she has been

  thinking the entire time.

  That moment, what was the truly correct choice?

  What was the best choice?

  This question without an answer is merely going round and round in her head.

  Stabbing Doem, her fiance , was an on-the-spot decision. But it was by no means an

  impulsive action. Within the limited amount of time allotted to her, she had concluded

  that this was the best choice. Or at least, it was supposed to be.

  But her plan had failed.

  Doem still lives, and she is now a fugitive.

  But hindsight is 20-20. Her mistake was in mis-gauging Doem’s true strength. But that

  does not necessarily mean that her choice to eliminate Doem was also a mistake.

  It can even be said that she had no other choice. The instant she saw her changed

  father… the instant she saw the eyes of the king of Oriana Kingdom, Rose had decided

  to eliminate Doem. The connection between Doem and the Order and all other rumors

  involving the Order had instantaneously turned into confirmed truths in her mind the

  instant she saw the father who had lost his self and been turned into a mere puppet.

  That’s why she drew her sword.

  Was she impulsive at that moment?

  Was she too impatient?

  Was she not moving in haste and anger?

  At the time, Rose had thought herself calm.

  She did not want to borrow Alexia’s nor Natsume’s help. To the very end, this matter

  must have handled purely within Oriana. That’s what her intuition told her, and that’s

  what she followed.

  This political intuition of hers was not wrong.

  Although she ultimately failed, this is Rose’s own mistake, and a problem of Oriana

  Kingdom alone. The sparks have yet to spread to Midgar Kingdom. She had

  unconsciously avoided the worst case scenario.

  But that, too, is merely a matter of time.

  The words that Doem had shouted when she fled reverberate inside her mind.

  “Surrender yourself before the end of the Festival of the God of War! Otherwise, I’ll

  make the king of Oriana Kingdom start killing VIPs!”

  If the Orianan king truly kills VIPs as Doem threatened… war will break out. Rose

  could not tell how serious he was, but she gets the message that the Order sees her

  Oriana Kingdom as no more than a mere pawn.

  If that really is so…

  Rose gnashes her teeth in vexation.

  Her father was not a particularly enlightened monarch, and Oriana Kingdom is not

  that big of a country.

  But he is her one and only father, and it is her one and only motherland.

  And that’s why she wanted to protect them both.

  That feeling was what fueled her agitation.

  Rose slams a fist into the wall of the underground tunnel.

  All that can be said at this moment in time is that she had let her emotions free rein

  and acted impulsively. If she can eliminate Doem, then all would be resolved. Such had

  been her misreckoning.

  But after all is said and done, Doem himself is also a mere pawn. The Order has most

  likely spread its roots deep into Oriana Kingdom, so getting rid of Doem alone would

  not resolve anything whatsoever.

  There should have been a different choice.

  A magical choice that could have solved everything altogether…

  Rose sinks into a sitting position in the damp underground tunnel.

  If only she had chosen the absolute best solution, and everything had gotten resolved…

  Catching herself thinking such impossibilities, Rose laughs in self-derision.

  Everything is already done and in the past. She does not even know why she is fleeing.

  What does she plan to do after fleeing?

  What should change if she flees?

  Should she not surrender?

  Oh yes… surely that would be best.

  “I see… I should just surrender.”

  She still does not know what she should have done instead at that time. However, what

  she should do at this moment in time is clear to see.

  If she surrenders, at the very least, war would be evaded.

  She feels just a little bit lighter. But then she is immediately assaulted by an overwhelming

  sense of loss and sorrow.

  Rose takes out a wrapping paper from MagRonald out of her pocket. She’s already

  eaten the contents, but there’s still a faint smell of bread coming from it.

  Then she thinks of a certain black-haired boy. Surely he has already heard of her

  incident by now. What does he think about it?

  Is he worried for her?

  Does he believe in her?

  Could it be… that he is searching for her?

  If she had successfully eliminated Doem and restored the king’s sanity… if there had

  been such a future where everything is resolved perfectly… could she had spent her

  entire life with him?

  Surely that was merely a dream that she had wanted to see.

  “I’m so sorry…”

  Rose apologizes.

  A single tear rolls down her cheek.

  The dream that she had painted has already crumbled into dust.

  Rose carefully folds the MagRonald wrapping paper, then returns it to her skirt pocket.

  Almost as if it is the last fragment of her dream.

  “Ow…!”

  A sharp pain runs through Rose’s chest. She peeks into her shirt to see a pitch black

  patch of skin.

  That is the proof of demon possession. The symptoms have appeared only recently.

  At the very start, her dream was already an impossible one. Rose hangs her head and

  laughs.

  That moment, a soft sound reaches Rose’s ears.

  Is it the sound of a pursuer?

  But the sound is too gentle and beautiful to be footstep. When she strains her ears, she

  recognizes it as the sound of a piano.

  “Moonlight Sonata…?”

  As someone well versed in music, she knows that song. This song that had been

  exceptional well received even in Oriana the country of arts is now coming from the

  tunnel in front of her.

  “How beautiful…”

  The performance is so deep and perfect that it is as if the performer is pouring everything

  of his whole life into it.

  Rose begins walking towards the source of the sound, as if led by moonlight.

  This place is called the Royal Capital Underground Labyrinth, but Rose feels that it’s

  more of a historic site than a labyrinth. The ground is properly paved with stone, and

  there are carvings of reliefs and ancient letters on the walls.

  On the way here, she’s come across several doors in the walls, but none of them could

  be opened. Either a key was required, or some ancient mechanism had broken down.

  The sound of piano grows closer.

  Then Rose turns a corner, and sees a big, broken door in front of her.

  The sound is coming from beyond.

  Rose ducks through the large hole in the door, and finally arrives.

  The space she finds herself in is a cathedral with fantastical light shining through. The

  sky high stained glass depicts the three heroes and the defeated demon.

  Radiant light is falling from the stained glass.

  And in the middle of the light is a single grand piano.

  “Shadow…”

  In this long forgotten cathedral, he is here, playing Moonlight Sonata by himself.

  Rose closes her eyes and concentrates on that beautiful melody.

  The Moonlight Sonata that Shadow plays is different from any other rendition that

  Rose has ever heard before. The song might be the same, but the expression can vary

  greatly based on the performer.

  Shadow’s Moonlight Sonata is darkness.

  A deep, endless darkness. With a single ray of light shining into it.

  Is that light from the moon? Or is it…

  But before she is able to arrive at an answer, the performance comes to an end.

  Only after fully appreciating the lingering note reverberating around the cathedral

  does Rose clap her hands.

  The clapping of a single person echoes.

  Naturally, Shadow hears that clapping. He stands up, and bows elegantly in response.

  “Shadow, you are…”

  Abruptly, Rose realizes that she does not know what to say next. However, she feels

  that Shadow would definitely leave if she does not say something.

  “Among all the renditions of Moonlight Sonata that I’ve ever heard, I can say with

  certainty that yours is the best. Umm…”

  Rose herself does not know what she is saying.

  There surely are other things that she should ask Shadow.

  “What is it… that you hope to achieve…”

  So says Shadow in his reverberating-from-the-abyss voice.

  “Eh…”

  With a little thought, Rose understands. He is inquiring about the incident.

  “I… merely wanted to protect everyone… wanted to grasp the best future… But I could


  not do it…!”

  Rose squeezes out her words.

  “And it’s over…?”

  “Eh…?”

  “Your fight, it’s over…?”

  “Even I… don’t want it to end here…!”

  Rose hangs her head but clenches her fists.

  She wanted to make it work. Even now, she still thinks so. However, there is no longer

  anything that she can do.

  “If you still have the will to fight… then I shall grant it to you…”

  So saying, Shadow gathers violet magic on top of his outstretched hand.

  “…Power.”

  “Power…?”

  The violet magic grows increasingly bright, beautifully coloring the entire cathedral.

  The dense magic causes the air to vibrate.

  “If I gain that power, would I be able to change the future…?”

  “That would depend on you.”

  Rose finds herself enthralled by the violet magic. What if she possesses Shadow’s

  strength?

  Then surely everything would have been different.

  If she has the strength… then there would still be things that she can do. As the

  princess of Oriana Kingdom, there would still be things that she needs to do.

  Light returns to Rose’s eyes.

  “I… want it. I… want that power…!”

  “Ask, and you shall receive…”

  Then the violet magic is let loose.

  It shoots straight towards Rose’s chest and, after being sucked in, begins circulating

  around her body.

  That warm strength calms Rose’s agitated magic. Her magic, which had felt somehow

  heavy and unresponsive, silently begins flowing like water.

  “How amazing…”

  Rose thinks so from the bottom of her heart.

  So this is Shadow’s magic…

  So this is the world that Shadow sees…

  “Resist… and prove to me that you are worthy to fight beside me.”

  Before she realizes it, Shadow’s figure has already vanished.

  Only his voice remains, as a lingering echo.

  “Forget it not… true strength comes not from power, but from the way you live…”

  Then Shadow’s presence fades entirely.

  Rose is left alone in the cathedral.

  She hears the footsteps of her pursuers. She feels the vibration in the air.

  Magic more than she has ever felt in her entire life fills her entirely.

  She had even considered resigning herself to being caught. But now, with this power

  in hand… there is so much that she can still do.

  Rose draws her narrow sword, steadily gazing at the broken door.

  Then the next instant, a group wearing black appears through the door… and blood

  fountains.

  They had, without even knowing what had happened, fallen to Rose’s sword.

  After staining the cathedral with blood, Rose sheathes her sword and closes her eyes.

  So this is how Shadow has been fighting against the Order all along. In places beyond

  anyone’s eyes, endlessly continuing the fight.

  Shadow’s Moonlight Sonata rises back up in Rose’s mind.

  She feels that she’s come to understand the single ray of light shining into the deep

  darkness.

  That light is perhaps Shadow himself. He is not the darkness, but the single ray of light

  standing against the darkness.

  So Rose believes.

  “See, if we keep unrolling this roll of thread, then we won’t have to worry about finding

  our way back.”

  So says Alexia while proceeding through the underground passage.

  “Yay us.”

  So replies Beta from behind while yawning.

  “Did you just yawn?!”

  “Nope. But we have been at this for more than half a day already, so how about let’s go

  home? She’s probably not in the underground labyrinth anyways.”

  “I wonder indeed. I got the information from a pretty trustworthy source though…”

  “How about let’s go back for now and re-confirm the information?”

  The two’s footsteps echo around the underground passage illuminated by Alexia’s

  magic light.

  The monotonous passage continues into the distance.

  Abruptly, Beta senses an enormous magic signature, and stops her feet.

  After a slight delay, Alexia also stops, and turns around.

  “Just now… someone used magic. And an incredibly big one at that…”

  “Perhaps it was Rose-sama?”

  “By the way, did you sense it even faster than me?”

  “Mere coincidence. I am only proficient enough to protect myself.”

  “Well, whatever. Let’s hurry.”

  The two begin running towards where the magic had come from.

  Then they pass through a large, broken door, and find themselves in an old cathedral.

  “Rose-senpai…”

  There stands Rose, with her eyes closed.

  At her feet are several men wearing black who are no longer breathing. Sensing Rose’s

  vibe being different from usual, Alexia does not approach any further.

  “So it’s Alexia-san…”

  Rose slowly opens her eyes.

  “That magic, what happened…”

  “Power was given to me, and I… I will walk the path that I believe in.”

  So saying, Rose walks past Alexia.

  “W-, wait a moment! What is going on anyways?! Why did you stab your fiance ?!”

  Rose turns only her head around at Alexia’s shout.

  “Alexia-san… I’m sorry, but I don’t want to drag you into my problems.”

  Then she gazes at Alexia as if looking at something bright.

  “Just tell me the reason! I can’t help you if you shut me out!”

  “Telling you would already be dragging you in.”

  Alexia glares into Rose’s eyes.

  “Inside the Holy Ground… we could not do a thing. Not knowing who is right and who

  is bad, we were there merely as onlookers. I have this really strong feeling that if I

  remain in the dark, someday something really important to me is going to be stolen

  away. We talked about this, didn’t we?! That’s why we said we’d protect what’s

  important to us, all 3 of us, together!!”

  Listening to Alexia’s words, Rose seems to be looking at a faraway place.

  “I really wanted to believe in the words from that day. But in spite of that, why are you

  looking at me with those eyes? Are you also treating me like just another onlooker?!”

  “I’m sorry…”

  “Answer me!”

  Rose’s smile is tainted heavily with sorrow.

  “I… can no longer return. That’s why I’m envious.”

  “I don’t get it. Are you saying that you’re envious of an onlooker who doesn’t know

  anything?!”

  “That’s not what I meant. I have already lost many things, and surely will lose many

  more things from here on. Everyone will reject me and curse me as evil.”

  “What is it that you plan on doing…?”

  “I’m sorry… I have to go now.”

  Rose begins walking, but Alexia stops her with a tongue click.

  “Stop right there.”

  So saying, Alexia draws her sword.

  “I’ve had enough. I’ll stop you even if I have to use force. I am no onlooker.”

  Rose also draws her thin sword.

  Alexia and Rose gaze at each other. In Alexia’s red eyes is anger, and in Rose’s honey-

  colored eyes is deep sorrow.

  Rose’s sword flickers.

  The next instant, both of them move at the same time.

  Their reaction is concurrent, the speed of their sword is equal, and their skill is on par

  with each other.

  For the briefest of moments, surprise flashes in Rose’s eyes. Rose is the strongest in

  the Magic Swordsman Academy. There should have been a significant difference in

  skill between her and Alexia. At the very least, that’s how things had been when they

  entered the academy.

  However, Alexia’s sword has grown so much in such a short period of time. Furthermore,

  Alexia’s sword bears great resemblance to his sword.