Chapter 189 - <13>
The Trading Island was much larger than I'd been led to believe. About eighty percent of its coastline was sheer cliffs, surrounded by a treacherous reef that made it difficult for ships to approach, let alone get near the island itself. The place was normally uninhabited, with no one staying here outside of the trading season.
Its shape, if I had to describe it, was like a pudding that had been tilted and had a spoonful scooped out of it. That scooped-out portion was the only open area, with a port at its lowest point. Beyond that lay a settlement where people gathered only during the trading season, and at its center was a large meeting hall where humans and the Soukai Clan held their initial talks each year. Negotiations between the Coastal Defense Administration, the Commercial Guild, and the Soukai Clan were held there. As expected, Touo and the rest of us weren't even allowed to enter the building and were unceremoniously turned away at the gate by an Administration official. We'd seen it coming, so all we could do was shrug and walk away.
Touo, despite being a fellow Tarnien military officer and the commander of the Suien Unit, was ostracized as well. He left the meeting hall, muttering the most elegant curses he could muster.
"My apologies."
Slumping his shoulders, Touo apologized. Ritz clapped him on the shoulder and laughed.
"Don't worry about it. We knew this would happen."
"Perhaps, but…"
"Just getting to this island is a small step forward."
During the current negotiation period, our chances of meeting the Soukai Clan were significantly higher here than back in Suien. With trade shut down, it was better to be on this island, where there was at least some possibility, than to spend our days idly in Suien with no progress.
But if the negotiations broke down, this island would likely be completely abandoned. If that happened, the Soukai Clan might never visit again. Since no one knew which island they lived on or where they came from, the chances of making contact would be slim. We had no choice but to bet on this tiny opportunity.
"We'll be moving our warship away from the island. If talks between the Soukai Clan and the Coastal Defense Administration collapse and we're headed for war, we'll need to take some sort of action."
Touo sighed and shook his head.
"Good grief. To think I'd have to watch my own military be annihilated just before my retirement."
"So you truly believe you can't win a fight against the Soukai Clan?" Edward asked.
Touo gave a wry smile.
"Of course. We're on the sea. Our warships can't replenish their weapons, but the water manipulated by spirit users is limitless."
"I see. So there's an absolute difference in resources."
"Precisely."
After a polite nod, Touo turned back to Ritz.
"So don't you dare follow us, Ritz. There's no need for you to lose your life for Suien."
Being called out in front of everyone left me with no room to move.
"Where were you planning on going?" Franz asked.
I scratched my head, feeling the weight of Edward's mild disapproval and Franz's confusion. I couldn't exactly say that seeing Anna's state made it hard to be around her, so I'd been planning to ask Touo if I could stay on his ship until this problem was resolved.
"There's nothing to do here, so I figured I'd help Touo out."
I tried to bluff my way past Edward, but behind me, Touo let out a small sigh.
"This is a military matter. We don't need you."
"...That's cold, Touo."
"Cold? Hardly. I have no intention of letting a man with companions to travel with board a ship that might be sinking."
"Tch…"
I clicked my tongue softly. Touo looked directly at Edward and nodded.
"Duke Baldia, I'll take my leave."
"You've been a great help. Thank you."
"Well then, after the battle…"
Touo and Edward shared a firm handshake. We all knew the negotiations would break down quickly, but we didn't know what would happen after. We'd asked Touo and his men to unload several weeks' worth of emergency rations for us.
If the fighting dragged on, we'd have to live off that and wait for Touo to come back and pick us up from the island's port.
I sighed as I watched Touo depart. There were plenty of people at the meeting hall, but otherwise, it was just the four of us on this island. Normally, I would've enjoyed the peace and quiet, but under the current circumstances, it was oppressive. Anna, her eyelids still swollen, was staring blankly out at the sea.
Last night, Ritz had known. He'd been next to her as Anna slipped into bed and cried with muffled sobs. Of course, with Anna in such a state right behind him, there was no way he could sleep. Yet, with no idea what was going on, he couldn't comfort her either. He could do nothing but lie awake until morning.
Anna had cried silently all through the night.
Please, don't cry. Please, just go to sleep, he had prayed, but it was a wish that would not be granted. When the time came, Anna had quietly slipped out of bed and left the room without a word to Ritz. A little while later, Franz had returned instead, looking at Ritz as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he'd said nothing.
Ritz honestly didn't know what she wanted or what she was thinking anymore. He understood that she was probably scared of him, that she disliked him, but even that didn't explain some of the more unnatural parts of her behavior.
If that was the case, she could just say something, but all she did was look at him with apologetic eyes. Maybe Anna didn't want to break the promise she'd made. Maybe she believed she couldn't go back on her promise to stay with Ritz.
But if that was it, he'd told her yesterday that it was fine now. So why did she cry after that? He thought telling her it was fine would have eased her mind a little.
Ritz's own mind was in a state of utter confusion over what to do.
It all started when Anna went to stop Kamala's rampage. When he'd sent her off, everything had been normal. But from the moment she returned, something was different. Anna wouldn't even look at Ritz.
He was sure Kamala must have exposed his bad habits, but if that were the case, Anna didn't show the expression of disgust he would have expected. So maybe that wasn't it.
But Anna was overly averse to his touch. A hand on her shoulder was swatted away. An attempt to pat her head was brushed off. At this point, he could only think she hated him.
Wondering if he'd done something to offend her, he'd simply apologized and bowed his head, but all she'd asked him then was if he was in love. Ritz, who harbored feelings for Anna, had honestly looked her straight in the eye and subtly hinted that he liked her, but upon hearing that, Anna had run away. From there, the situation had only gotten worse.
If she hated him, if she didn't want to see his face, she should just say so. But then why would she cry when Ritz was the one to suggest they part ways? And for the whole night, at that.
Being stuck with just the four of them on this island for weeks in this situation was unbearable. That's why he'd asked Touo to let him on board, but he'd been flatly refused. Now, stranded on the island, there was no escape.
"What now?"
Franz's voice was tinged with dissatisfaction. He was likely annoyed that they couldn't even get a seat at the negotiating table and were now abandoned on this empty island. Ritz answered him cheerfully.
"When you land on an island for the first time, there's only one thing to do, right?"
"...Which is?"
"Sightseeing, of course."
"What are you talking about?"
Franz stared at him, utterly dumbfounded, and Ritz just shrugged.
"Well, is there anything else we can do?"
"..."
When pressed, Franz fell silent with a complicated look on his face. He'd probably realized there truly was nothing else they could do on this island. The breakdown in trade between the Soukai Clan and the humans had been caused by their group's presence, but from the locals' perspective, they were complete outsiders.
"All we can do is watch and see if we can somehow talk to the Soukai Clan after the negotiations are over. Which means, with talks just starting, there's nothing for us to do right now. Make sense?"
"...I suppose so."
"Right? So, I asked the crew, and they said the best tourist spot is the view from the highest point on the island."
"Climb?"
"Yeah. Apparently, it takes a few hours."
"Impossible."
Franz, who hated walking, admitted defeat immediately. But this reaction was all part of the plan. The real destination was a little ways from here.
"Alright then, let's head to point number two."
"Is it close?"
Franz, lazy as ever, was the first to ask.
"Come on, you need to get some exercise."
Though exasperated, Ritz hoisted the provisions Touo had left them onto his back. It was pretty heavy, but it would be fine if they stuck to flat ground. Besides, if the four of them just sat around staring at each other with nothing to do, he'd inevitably become conscious of Anna. That would be tough.
"Come on, let's go see the island's main attraction."
He turned back with a bright smile. Instead of Anna, who usually jumped at the chance, it was Edward who nodded.
"A little light exercise is the best way to kill time. Let's go."
"Roger."
With a quick reply, Ritz started walking toward their destination. He sensed Edward prompting Anna to start walking, and she did. Franz followed after them.
The port was the lowest point on the island, and the farther one moved from it, the higher the elevation became. The crew on Touo's ship had told him the best view was from the highest point, which was a grassy field. From there, you could see the entire island and the archipelago spreading out on the opposite side.
However, it took even the sailors several hours to get there. Which meant, with Franz's pace, if they went today, they'd never make it back before dark. Since people only lived on this island for a set period, they didn't know what might happen after nightfall, so that was too dangerous.
Instead, he'd heard about a place in the center of the island. If you walked along a fissure so deep you couldn't see the bottom, you would find a sight so beautiful it was like a painting, one that captivated all who stood there.
It was said to be a wide terrace, miraculously left behind in the middle of a cliff face on the other side of the island, across the fissure. There was a grove of trees, a meadow where flowers of the season bloomed, and a pure white waterfall, fine as silken threads, that continuously spilled its droplets into the sea.
It was hard to believe, but this green terrace was well-known even to the ships that passed by, and occasionally they would look through their telescopes to see the beautiful sight. But there was absolutely no way to approach it from the sea.
The back of the island was a terrible reef, with rocks jutting out into the sea, so numerous that the point where the island met the water was invisible from a ship. It was a dangerous area that no human could approach.
Because of this, ships had to make a wide detour around the island, taking a route some distance away. This route, known to sailors, was wide and free of reefs, making it a familiar passage for long-distance voyages.
But even a miraculous place like this could be reached by crossing the island on foot. In fact, during the pearl trading season, merchants would go to see the spot to spend their holidays, and even soldiers would come to visit.
Since it was a place even merchants could get to, it didn't involve trekking up steep mountain paths or through dense forests, so even Franz, who had gained a decent level of stamina from their travels, should be able to make it.
After leaving the settlement and walking for a while, we reached the gaping mouth of a cave, dark even in the daytime. Holding a Salamander-lamp aloft, we entered, and the scenery changed within a few dozen minutes. The entrance was a proper cave, but after a short while, it became a massive chasm that split the earth in two, from the sky to the ground.
What had been the cave floor was now a path on the side of the chasm, barely wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side. On one side was a rugged rock wall, and on the other, a deep cliff whose bottom was impossible to see. A fall into that terrifying darkness would surely mean you'd never be found.
The chasm was covered by a forest above, making it feel like we were inside the woods, with sunlight filtering through the trees. Thanks to that, it was dim but not completely dark, creating a strangely wondrous sight.
Admiring the unique scenery while maintaining a subtle silence, we reached the light-filled exit leading to the green terrace in about two hours. It didn't take long to cross this relatively small island.
After passing through the inorganic rock fissure, the sudden flood of sunlight made me squint in surprise.
"It's so bright…"
Even Anna, who had been silent the whole way here, let out a murmur at the light. A strong sea breeze blew in along with the light, bringing a refreshing coolness. It was a welcome change, as there had been almost no wind on the path so far.
As my eyes gradually adjusted, a scene so picturesque it was easy to see why it was said to be like a painting appeared abruptly before me. The terrace, jutting out from the sheer cliff, was about the size of the decks of two of the ships we'd arrived on combined, making it much wider than I'd expected.
So many people must visit, as a path had been trodden into the ground, flanked by small, untouched groves of trees. A little way off, in a sunny spot, early summer flowers bloomed in profusion, as if competing in beauty, creating a vibrant scene.
Mixed in with the cheerful cries of seabirds, I could hear the fierce sound of rushing water from somewhere. Could it be the sound of that beautiful, silk-like waterfall I'd heard about? And beyond this natural vista of green and flowers, the deep blue sea stretched out.
Spotting a figure in what I thought would be an empty place, Ritz stopped short. Everyone was rendered speechless by the sight before them.
There stood a man dressed head-to-toe in black, from his hair to his clothes. He had his back to us, frolicking with a flock of seabirds.
Some were flapping their wings, others resting… The man was nearly hidden by the countless white wings of the seabirds, yet he gently extended his hands to them. The gloves he wore were also black.
A white seabird was perched on the palm of his hand, and more on both of his shoulders, their great wings spread wide. It was as if the man were a bird tamer with wings of pure white. The birds, like his servants, huddled close to him, knowing no caution.
The man seemed to sense our presence and slowly turned around. The white wings of the seabirds took flight all at once, obscuring our vision like a white tornado.
As pure white feathers, shed from the seabirds' wings, danced down like snow, the man in black smiled serenely.
"Well now, Princess. We meet again."
The man who emerged from the flood of light created by the white wings was Kuchiba.
"Kuchiba…"
Anna muttered in a daze, and Edward and Franz tensed up. Ritz instinctively stepped in front of Anna protectively and put his hand on his sword. Kuchiba laughed, amused.
"My, my, failure. Still intend to protect the princess?"
"What did you say?"
"Even though you are no longer needed by Her Highness."
"Kuh…"
Kuchiba had been watching from somewhere since the day they'd met. And he knew about their current, tangled situation. The thought was more infuriating than I'd expected. But Kuchiba pressed on, twisting the knife in Ritz's wound.
"The best thing you could do is at least disappear from her sight, wouldn't you agree? Can't even a failure of a nephew understand that much?"
Laughter rang out from Kuchiba in front of him. For a moment, Ritz was at a loss for words, but in the next instant, blood rushed to his head.
"Even I know that much!"
He drew his sword and charged at Kuchiba, who leaped high into the air. He'd used a wind spirit again. Ritz gnashed his teeth as Kuchiba landed in the treetops.
"Damn it! Are you running away?!"
"Running? Don't be absurd. I am on vacation, you see."
"Vacation?!"
"That's right. I've just finished a job."
With a soft chuckle, Kuchiba muttered as if to himself.
"Though a rather troublesome interruption did occur."
"Isn't your job to interfere with us?!"
"...It is most helpful to be able to combine two jobs into one. For this, I have you and the princess to thank."
With that, Kuchiba deftly moved through the treetops. He was frighteningly nimble.
"It was a simple job. But with this, the humans will once again learn to fear us higher races."
"Higher races?"
It was a term he hadn't heard often. But Kuchiba wore a cruel, matter-of-fact smile.
"It refers to us, the demi-humans, who are positioned above the humans. The people of this continent, with the passage of time, forget that we are the higher race and behave as if they are the masters of this land. Even though my god gave them life out of pity."
He spoke as if humans, who far outnumbered the demi-humans, were a mere afterthought. And their god… the god connected to the place they were now heading, was said to have created humans.
"There's no such thing as higher or lower among living things. Aren't all lives the same?!"
Anna, who had been far behind him, shouted out. He turned to see her eyes fixed squarely on Kuchiba. Kuchiba, who treated Ritz with such scorn, smiled gently.
"As expected of the princess. Such merciful words."
But at those words, Anna's face stiffened.
"I'm not a princess. I'm just ordinary."
Anna had felt a sense of wrongness at being called a princess by Kuchiba all this time. But Kuchiba, a smile still on his face, stated it plainly.
"No, Princess. You are the princess of all of us higher races."
"You're wrong! I'm just an ordinary girl."
As Anna desperately denied it, Kuchiba smiled.
"Do you still wish to know the truth?"
Anna flinched at his words. Why was she called a princess? The truth would make it clear. In other words, if she knew the truth, she wouldn't be able to go back to being a normal girl from an orphanage. That was what Kuchiba was asking. After a moment's thought, Anna looked straight at Kuchiba and answered.
"I want to know. If there's a truth, I want to know it."
"Even if it brings you suffering?"
Anna's eyes turned toward me. Her clear, direct gaze was filled with accusation, staring at Ritz. He instinctively looked down. He knew she was blaming him for facing her with pretenses while hiding the truth, but he couldn't answer.
"...I still want to know."
At Anna's reply, Kuchiba nodded.
"If that is the princess's wish, I have no right to stop you. Then, we shall meet again someday."
As Kuchiba bowed respectfully to Anna, Ritz shouted.
"Where are you going?! Are you running away?!"
"You just don't understand. I told you, the job is finished, didn't I?"
Kuchiba's tone was one of exasperation as he looked back at Ritz with cold eyes. But I couldn't stay silent here. I might be afraid of facing Anna after this.
"So what was the job?"
"...Did I not mention it before? My job also includes starting wars…"
"But we're still in negotiations. The war hasn't started."
As Ritz glared and said this, Kuchiba laughed.
"It has long since become a war. The negotiations on this island never even took place."
"What?!"
"The only ones at the negotiation hall were the Soukai Clan's messengers, there to deliver a declaration of war. That's why I thought I'd leisurely watch the war from here before heading home."
Kuchiba turned his gaze to the sea spread out before them. Dozens of elegant ships, the likes of which I had never seen, floated there without sails. Their power source didn't seem to be the wind. The Soukai Clan's ships must move by manipulating water.
And at a distance from them, a group of ships was approaching, as if to head toward these elegant vessels. There was no mistake, it was the Tarnien military's fleet.
From here, the scene was a bit distant, like watching a fleet of toy boats.
"Well, now that I've been found, I can't stay here. I suppose I'll be going."
A faint, amused smile played on Kuchiba's lips as he jumped down from the tree.
"Then, Princess. Have a good journey."
"Wait, Kuchiba!"
"You too should disappear quickly. From the princess's sight."
"You bastard! Wait!"
Without stopping at Ritz's voice, Kuchiba leaped into the fissure in the rock and vanished. I chased after him, but he was gone, as if he'd melted into the darkness.
"Damn it!"
I muttered, and then heard Franz's voice, filled with tension.
"Ritz!"
I hurried to the cliff's edge and saw that the Tarnien army had fired its cannons at the Soukai Clan. A few seconds later, columns of water shot up, and the sea surface roiled violently. The Soukai Clan ships floating in the waves rocked all at once.
"...They're serious," Edward muttered, gazing at the sea just as I was.
"Yeah. It's really started…"
There hadn't been a battle between demi-humans and humans for the past fifty years. The last conflict was between the Fire Nation Roshozu and Fornu, and even then, the Fornu army was unable to take control of the road connecting Roshozu and Motiana, so the fighting ended without escalating.
If this battle continued, a full-scale war would be inevitable. It was hard to imagine this country, which already had a front on its border with Zeum, could maintain another one. What would happen to this nation then? It was futile for Ritz to think about it, but the thought alone was heavy.
Powerless to do anything but watch, the four of us stood frozen, anxiously observing the battlefield. The Soukai Clan manipulated the water spirits, creating numerous water vortexes on the sea. The ships were tossed about like leaves as the Soukai Clan's swirling water vortexes relentlessly hammered them like cannon fire.
Even with the Soukai Clan having the overwhelming advantage, the Tarnien army didn't back down and continued to attack.
"Fools… Why don't they retreat?"
Edward grimaced and let out a low growl.
"There's no need to stick with such an incompetent commander who won't fall back in this situation."
"Well, yeah. But the Coastal Defense Administration guys probably have connections to the central government, so they can't afford to defy them."
"I am aware."
Franz, overhearing their conversation, chimed in.
"Is it because it would affect their own promotions?"
"Exactly. In times of peace, the only way to get promoted in the military is to win battles and show results."
"...Even in a situation like this?"
"I doubt they expected the situation to get this bad."
I looked over and could see that even the large warships were being violently rocked. On deck, some were preparing to attack, while others bailed water. The command and the deck were likely in a state of chaos.
"They won't be able to maintain the front for more than a few hours like this. One wrong move and they'll be wiped out."
"Yeah. Fighting the Soukai Clan at sea is impossible."
In their desperate situation, a few cannons fired indiscriminately for a counterattack struck the Soukai Clan's ships and set them ablaze. Though the Tarnien army was at a severe disadvantage, the Soukai Clan wasn't getting away unscathed.
"What happens if the battlefield expands?"
Without taking his eyes off the battlefield, which was growing more dire by the moment, Franz asked in a faintly trembling voice. This was his first time seeing a real battle.
"...For starters, the town of Suien will probably be annihilated."
"For starters?"
"Yeah. At this point, the Tarnien army will likely kill the hostages. They no longer have any reason to be lenient with the people of Suien, who used hostages to engage in threatening diplomacy."
"I don't want to hear it, but what comes next?"
"That would depend on negotiations. Even the Soukai Clan trades pearls for food supplies, so a prolonged conflict would be tough for them. Both sides will want to end the battle with an advantage, so I don't think the Tarnien army will back down so easily against the Soukai Clan."
The battlefield before them was becoming increasingly chaotic. Soukai Clan members from sunken ships were boarding the warships, and small skirmishes were breaking out everywhere.
Is Touo safe?
Just as that thought crossed his mind, Ritz noticed an unusual presence. He turned to see Anna, radiating an aura of rage. Ritz had never seen her like this before and was taken aback.
"...Anna?"
He called out cautiously, but she didn't react.
"Hey, Anna…?"
But at Ritz's words, Edward and Franz noticed and turned, freezing as they too stared at Anna.
Her cheerful green eyes, sparkling in the sunlight, had deepened in color and held a dark, burning glow. Her clenched fists were so tight that her nails dug into her palms, drawing faint traces of blood. Her disheveled hair, now tinged with a fiery red, stood on end, dancing in the wind blowing up from the sea.
Anna, radiating fury, took slow steps forward, muttering something under her breath. Unable to make it out, I strained my ears and caught the end of a word.
"...Selfish…"
With that mutter, an eerie sound began. A low, groaning noise. Standing on the cliff, I wondered if it was a rockslide or the earth rumbling, but the sound didn't seem to be coming from the ground. Then perhaps thunder? But when I looked up, there wasn't a single rain cloud in the sky.
"What's that sound?"
Franz asked, his brow furrowed with anxiety.
"I don't know…"
Shaking his head slightly, Ritz saw an unbelievable sight. The entire sea was churning. He gasped at the unprecedented spectacle. The sea was synchronizing with Anna's emotions.
"...What is she planning to do?"
He muttered softly, but there was no way it would reach Anna. Before he knew it, Anna was standing at the very edge of the cliff, staring out at the sea.
"The Aerials are buzzing… The Undines… they're afraid."
Ritz, who couldn't see spirits, could only nod at Franz's whispered words. The low, surging sound grew stronger, and each of the countless waves on the sea before them stirred as if alive.
Looking toward the battlefield, he could see that the fine swell of the sea was violently rocking the ships of both the military and the Soukai Clan. A considerably wide area of the sea was trembling violently.
They were in such utter chaos that neither side was in a state to maintain combat.
"Anna, stop."
To prevent the situation from worsening, Edward tapped her shoulder, but in the next moment, he was sent flying with a splash of water. My eyes widened as the thing that had flung Edward away materialized. A ribbon of water was surrounding Anna's entire body, protecting her.
Edward groaned as he rolled to break his fall.
"It seems she can't hear us."
"Wh—"
"She's going to lose control."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the violent waves began to converge on a single point, creating a deep depression in the sea. Before our eyes, the sea floor seemed to suddenly give way, swirling into a vortex as it collapsed inward.
"...The king awakens."
"What?"
"That's what the Undines said."
"The king?"
In that moment, Anna's voice, filled with rage, echoed across the area.
"Adults are all so selfish!"
"...Anna."
Stunned by the utterly out-of-place scream, Ritz watched as a fierce roar erupted before his eyes.
The vortex spun faster and faster, and from it, a massive pillar of water shot up toward the sky.
"What is that?!"
The massive pillar rising straight up from the sea to the heavens instantly clouded the sky. A fierce wind blew, and a violent thunderstorm assaulted the people below.
While being pelted by the painful rain and wind, Ritz recognized the enraged roar that mingled with the thunderstorm.
That massive pillar... was a Water Dragon.
I looked over at Anna. Amidst the fierce wind, rain, and roaring thunder, she was staring straight at the battlefield. Her eyes were filled with the same fierce rage as the weather.
I knew I had to stop her somehow, but I didn't know how.
The Water Dragon headed straight for the battlefield. It roared, and the sea where it rampaged grew violent, its waves swelling. The Soukai Clan, either out of fear or desperation, summoned water spirits to challenge it, but they were helpless before this mighty Water Dragon.
"The Soukai Clan is no match for this…"
As Franz muttered, Ritz gave a small nod. Indeed, this power was on another level.
The sky rapidly clouded over, and a painfully strong wind and rain began to blow. Franz threw himself to the ground to protect himself. Even Ritz felt like he would be blown away if he wasn't careful.
But Ritz couldn't just lie there. Even though he wasn't a spirit user, he knew one thing. He couldn't do anything about the giant Water Dragon, but he had to stop Anna, no matter what. And the one who could do that was probably Ritz, who was used to being hit by water spirits.
Looking around, Franz was desperately enduring the thunderstorm and wind. Edward was still on his knees where he had been knocked away.
In this situation, things like being avoided or disliked had to be set aside. But their recent distance had grown so great that he didn't know how to stop her. For now, the only thing he could do was get close to Anna.
"Anna!"
He shouted her name, loud enough not to be drowned out by the fierce storm.
"Anna!"
He placed a hand on her shoulder, and the intense ribbon of water struck his body violently. But Ritz was not one to back down over something like this.
"Listen to me, Anna!"
He raised his voice, and Anna turned around. He grabbed both her shoulders and turned her toward him. But the moment he saw her eyes, he was at a loss for words. Despite being drenched by the rain, it was clear that she was crying. Tears streamed from her wide-open eyes.
"I hate you…"
"Anna…"
"I hate everyone! Why do you hurt people with your assumptions? Why can't you join hands? Why do you lie? Why does everyone have to be so judgmental?!"
Unable to say anything, he remained silent as Anna's eyes locked onto Ritz. He felt pathetic, helpless in the face of her intense anger, able only to stare back at her.
"Is pretense more important than life? Even if our races are different, we're still the same people, so why does one have to be superior? Whether one is higher or lower is meaningless in the face of life!"
Fierce anger poured from Anna's mouth. He hadn't been watching Anna closely since they arrived in this city. He never knew she was carrying so much rage inside her. Bewildered, he gripped Anna's shoulders firmly.
"Calm down…"
Anna violently shook off his hands.
"Don't touch me!"
"Please, Anna…"
Not knowing what else to do, he simply pleaded with Anna. But Anna wouldn't look at Ritz. Her eyes were filled with anger, gazing at something far away.
"If people can't be considerate of others, then everyone should just disappear! Everyone, everyone should just disappear from this world!"
The Water Dragon attacked the Soukai Clan and the Tarnien army like a mad beast. The sea raged with white-capped waves, and a pounding rain fell. It was like a great storm.
Water fiercely struck Ritz as if to protect Anna. Though it was water, the pain of the blows was as heavy as being struck with a blunt weapon. But he couldn't let himself be thrown off.
"Let go! Let me go!"
Her body trembling violently, Anna struggled to escape Ritz's arms, screaming.
"I can't take it anymore. I hate this!"
Enduring the pounding pain, it dawned on him.
Assumptions, lies, judgment, pretense…
The starting point of Anna's anger was Ritz himself. On top of that, the burdens of ethnic discrimination, riots, and the breakdown of negotiations had piled up. Anna, unable to confide in anyone, had her emotions collapse the moment she saw Kuchiba and the battlefield.
If their relationship had been as it was before, she never would have been cornered like this. Anna would have definitely come to Ritz for advice, and if she had, Ritz would have held Anna in his arms as he always did, enveloping her.
And yet, the distance between them was far too great.
He held the still-struggling Anna with all his might, stopping her movements, and glanced out at the sea.
Perhaps because they were strong in the water, a few of the Soukai Clan's ships remained afloat, but the Tarnien army was already in a state of annihilation. The Soukai Clan might be fine, but if the sea grew any rougher, the humans thrown overboard wouldn't survive.
"Please, just stop!"
"Noooooo!"
"Stop it, Anna!"
Ritz knew how confused and regretful she would be when she came to her senses. That's why he had to stop her here, no matter what. He loosened his embrace, placed his hands on her shoulders, and bent down to look into her face.
"Don't cause any more deaths! You're the one who'll get hurt! You want to protect everyone, right? You don't want to kill people!"
A hiccuping sound escaped her, and Anna's eyes trembled. Ever so slightly, confusion, not anger, began to spread across them.
"This is wrong. If you kill people with your anger, you're the one who will suffer. You're the one who will regret it. Causing something like this… it's not like the usual you!"
As he finished speaking, Anna's eyes burned with anger again.
"What do you mean, 'like me'?!"
He felt the ribbon of water slamming against his body grow even more intense, but he had no intention of avoiding it.
"You don't understand anything! Nothing about me, nothing at all!"
Tears spilled from Anna's shouting eyes. Normally, he would apologize without knowing the reason, but he was done letting things spiral into chaos while remaining silent.
So, he made his decision. No more holding back.
"Yeah, I don't get it! I don't get you at all!"
"Then don't tell me what's 'not like me'!"
"But I do know you'll regret this to death! That alone is reason enough to stop you! Do you get it, you idiot?!"
He spoke forcefully, grabbing her shoulders. Anna's body stiffened, and she looked up at Ritz with a contorted expression. It was working. Ritz's voice was reaching her, even just a little.
He spoke earnestly, looking into Anna's eyes.
"If you kill someone, you'll see them in your dreams, won't you? You'll be the one who suffers, right? I don't want to make you suffer."
"Ritz…"
"If it's my fault, then kill me. It's my fault to begin with, right? Then let it end with my life! I'll give you my life, so don't drag others into our problems!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Anna shoved him with all her might.
"Ritz, you don't understand! That's what I hate! Why do you decide everything so selfishly? Why do you decide my feelings for me?! Of course I don't want to kill you!"
In the downpour, Anna, with rain streaming from her hair like a waterfall, cried and screamed violently. Ritz grabbed her shoulders and yelled back.
"Then make me understand! If you've come to hate me, then tell me you never want to see my face again! If I did something, then tell me you hated it! It makes no sense! I'm not you!"
"And I'm not Ritz! I don't know what you're feeling!"
Anna violently shook Ritz off. His hand slipped in the rain, and for a moment, his fingertips lost their grip. In that instant, Anna shook her head and began to back away.
"I can't take it anymore… I'm just so tired!"
The scene unfolding behind Anna made Ritz panic.
Right behind her… is the cliff.
"Wait!"
"No! I'm not listening to another word you say!"
"No, that's not what I— I mean, just stop!"
"No!"
Her body trembled violently, and in the next moment, Anna's foot slipped on the wet grass. She fell backward, and beyond her was the cliff edge.
"Ah…"
By the time Anna herself realized it, it was too late to regain her balance. He instantly reached for her hand, but his rain-soaked fingers slipped.
"Damn it!"
As Anna was about to disappear from sight, he instinctively leaped from the cliff. He grabbed Anna's hand, and her eyes widened.
"Why…?"
"It's just my nature."
With that short reply, he pulled Anna tightly into his chest. If he became a cushion, she might have a chance of surviving.
He wanted Anna to live, no matter what. It was far more important for her, with her healing powers and beloved by all, to survive than for Ritz, who had lived a selfish life as a mercenary.
He was well aware that the area below was a reef. He'd probably die from this. Death came surprisingly easily, it seemed. He had thought that maybe decades from now, if he were still with Anna, he would properly propose to her… but he never dreamed his life would come to an end so soon.
Unable to die when he wanted to, unable to live when he wanted to. How fittingly, ridiculously like him.
Resigned, he held Anna tight and closed his eyes. Suddenly, a fierce wave crashed into them from the side. Before he could comprehend the situation, Ritz was slammed not against the ground, but against the cliff face, and lost consciousness.