such actions devoid of self-awareness, however, just as Carol had stated, shall be commended as of greatest service to the kingdom.
A ceremony was held for her, wearing a formal dress with a sword of courtesy in her hands, Thearesia failed to dispel the sensation that she was walking within a dream from the beginning to the very end.
No, if this was a dream, then Thearesia had always been walking within a dream.
Ever since she had been blessed with the『Divine Protection of the Sword Saint』, ever since she had first felt the Sword God's presence near herself, Thearesia's heart had been within the dream shown by that great being.
Hence this too, was a dream. The dream shown by the love of the Sword God, sunless evermore, never to be dispelled.
Therefore, if there were to come a time she was liberated from this dream, thenーー.
"ーーーー"
A commotion splintered the wild enthusiasm of the excited crowd in the ceremony.
That being aimlessly stepped into the ceremony hall, in spite of all the voices calling for his restraint.
In his hands, an unsheathed, decayed, tattered, rusty sword.
He wore a dark brown, soiled tunic, the colour of his visible skin also besmirched in dirt and filth. But before knitting brows to his state, there was something everyone could instinctively sense.
ーーEmanating from that being, the essence of dread.
ーーNo, the essence of swordsmanship.
"ーーーー"
Before the being wordlessly bracing himself, Thearesia too faced him with the sword of courtesy.
The king, standing on the same altar, halted the palace guards attempting to surround the outlaw. She was grateful for that. With this, no obstruction would come in the way.
Nobody would now get in the way, of her tryst with the『Sword Demon』here.
ーーNo signals given.
However, as though arranged for beforehand, the blades of the two simultaneously eloped, giving rise to a shrill note.
The rightfully dull blade directly collided with the unmistakably holy sword, albeit one for courtesy. Sparkles danced exuberantly, slashes tore the air, and two shadows intertwined on the stage as though in dance.
"ーーーー"
Whilst swinging the sword, Thearesia was struck with admiration. Her mind enlivened, her heartbeats hastening.
In Thearesia's eyes, as ever, were the white rays concocted in the midst of battle. All she had to do was to trace those rays, all she had to do to kill was to trace those white rays, such guidance of the Sword God's could she see.
The itinerary to triumph shown by the pinnacle of the sword, forged by the Sword God, was being broken through by mere devotion and maddening ardour of the Sword Demon.
The floating white rays were rended by the rusted sword as though they were visible.
Intercepting every single one of the countlessly emerged white rays, the Sword Demon roared a war cry, and stepped towards the pinnacle of the sword he couldn't ever reach.
Heartbeats palpitated. Each and every time, each and every time, they exchanged blows.
Each and every time their swords overlapped, each and every time the contour of white rays was severed, each and every time their gazes entwined.
She was in love, with the demon of the sword before her eyes.
Each and every time, each and every time, each and every time, the『Sword Saint』fell in love with the『Sword Demon』.
She loved him. She loved him. She loved him to an unbearable degree.
ーーShe was in love with this person to an unbearable extent.
"ーー~hk."
The ceremony utterly disordered, amidst the attentive gazes of a crowd so great, Thearesia couldn't help but find it comical when she thought of what she was doing.
Her cheeks, hot. Her chest, palpitating. Each passing moment, her love aggravated.
The truth is, I want to throw away my sword right away, and jump to his chest.
There is nothing to take away from me. Ever since a long time ago, precisely when we first met, ever since my heartbeats first rose because of you, I haveーー
"ーーーー"
The option for her to run away into comfort, refusing to face him, was thwarted.
Not by the reprimanding voice of the Sword God, but the glint in the eyes of the demon before her, repudiated it with all of his soul.
That he shall take it away through his own strength, borrowing not the hands of anyone else, not even yours.
With solely his own strength, with his own tenacity, with all he had proffered to the sword, he shall take the girl away from the Sword God.
Just how much, for how long.
Just how many times, hundreds of times, tens of thousands of times, hundreds of millions of times, must he have thought of her self.
The sword slashes melded, locked against one another, their tips shimmered, and exchanged blows however many times.
And, the swung strike accompanied by the Sword God's enraged voice wasーー,
"ーーーー"
The rufous blade fractured, its tip twirled into the air and bounced upon the altar.
The one to achieve this, with not a smidgen of uncertainty, was the『Sword Saint's』soulful strike.
All or nothing, the singular strike of the『Sword Saint』with nonpareil might.
However,
"My"
"ーーーー"
"My, win."
The treasured sword, had been taken from Thearesia's hands.
Her palm numbed by the impact, the treasured sword fell to her rear with a shrill report. And, positioned by Thearesia's fair neck was the halfway broken dull tip.
The beautifully bedecked『Sword Saint』, lost, to the uncouthly trained『Sword Demon』.
That was the moment the treasured sword was defeated by the dull blade, and the phantasmagoria known as the『Sword Saint』was shattered.
"You're weaker than me, so you no longer have any reason to wield the sword."
The voice smote.
Upon consideration, it's been quite a while since having heard his curt voice.
And to think his first words, would be this.
"If I don't wield the sword... who will."
"I'll succeed your reason for swinging the sword. You simply become my reason for swinging the sword."
His reason for swinging the sword, was to protect something.
You become that reason, whilst enunciating so, he took his tunic's hood off.
As the sullied, sour face glared at her self, Thearesia shook her head.
To take it away from her, to protect her, in spite of having come to say such cool things, he truly didn't understand the female heart. Although he's a sword, so it could not be helped.
"What a harsh person you are. To render all of someone's resolve and determination useless."
"I'll succeed all of that too. You just forget that you ever held the sword and carefreely... let's see. You just live in peace behind my back, raising flowers or something."
Ah, that is so, soーー.
"Whilst being, protected by your sword?"
"That's right."
"Will you protect me?"
"That's right."
If he were to count her self amidst what he cherished, and, if he were to respond to her love.
Thearesia smiled at the words of the Sword Demon, of Wilhelm.
Subsequently touching the sword at her neck, she took a single step forward.
By touching the sword blade, she felt Wilhelm's two years.
Pondering that all this time, if he had been thinking of her self, her chest warmed.
With the rise of emotions she could not bear, tears appeased Thearesia's eyelids. They slowly brimmed over, and trickled down the smiling Thearesia's cheeks.
"Do you, like flowers?"
"I don't hate them anymore."
"Why do you, swing the sword?"
"To protect you."
Her patience, at its limit.
Ever since she had relinquished the sword from her hands, she could no longer hear the Sword God's voice.
She saw nothing but Wilhelm.
She felt nothing but Wilhelm.
She had nothing but Wilhelm.
Gently nestling close to his chest, she faintly tilted her head upward.
Her eyes closed, Thearesia's lips imbricated with the lips of Wilhelm. Love surged upon the soft, warm sensation, and Thearesia's world revolutionized.
With her cheeks dyed, she gazed at the man, her beloved, before her eyes.
Wilhelm said nothing, silently awaiting her words.
Such odd conduct. She was the one waiting. He seemed to not understand that, so once again, just like before, she initiated,
"Are you, in love with me?"
"ーーYou know that."
A brusque reply, and he averted his face.
The moment she rounded her eyes upon the answer, in the world ensconced only by the two entered sounds. The temporal pause of the spectators came undone, and a large number of palace guards advanced towards them.
Present there were the figures of personnel well acquainted with Wilhelm.
"Goodness gracious."
As Wilhelm formed a somewhat relieved expression upon seeing them, she puffed her cheeks.
To look someplace else when she is standing right before his eyes, just what impudence was this.
She had not even heard him say the words he ought to yet.
"There are some things I want you to express in words, you know."
"Ah."
Wilhelm turned his head, scratching his cheek as though to varnish the situation over. However, before long he yielded to Thearesia's gaze and sighed, embracing her slender waist closer to himself once again.
And gently drawing his face close to the astonished Thearesia's ear,
"Someday, when I feel like it."
ーーIt felt it would take a long time for him to feel like it.
Bearing such displeasure in her mind, she nonetheless avidly anticipated that day's befall.
Her weakness being what she lost her heart to, Thearesia forgave the words of the one she loved.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
ーーAfter that, looking back on it now, a lot happened.
Welcoming Wilhelm as her husband, who had cut into the ceremony and had perpetrated unprecedented recklessness by asserting he would take away the leading lady was one tribulation.
Succeeding Thearesia, who had quit being the『Sword Saint』, Wilhelm enrolling in the Royal Guard with the recommendation of Bordeaux and the others as well was one tribulation.
Having affirmed a lifetime of service to Thearesia, Carol entered a relationship of love with one of Wilhelm's comrades and the question of whether she would marry him or not was one tribulation.
Having accumulated an exceeding number of large-scale feats in battle, Bordeaux being provided a seat in the committee that settled major political situations was one tribulation.
With so much, truly so much happening, those days were really fun.
"I'm in love with you, Wilhelm. What about you?"
"ーーーー"
In the end, never did he ever pronounce the words that followed. Though he did prove through his actions in his words' stead.
Only either a kind woman, or a woman who was head over heels in love with the man could have been swindled by thatーー since both held true for Thearesia, she kept on getting swindled.
Their time as a couple, passed in tranquillity and carefreeness.
Just as Wilhelm had promised Thearesia, ever since that ceremony, never even once did he make her grip the sword. Neither did Thearesia bear any lingering sentiments towards the sword. The Sword God's voice had long become inaudible.
Yet, the『Divine Protection of the Sword Saint』did occasionally come to surface.
For example, when cooking, upon gripping a kitchen knife she spontaneously understood the optimal angle for striking and such. Above all, having an ability to cut aptly comprised merely the first step in preparation, as she began to learn more about what followed she started to realise that being a housewife was much tougher than being a swordsman.
"...Ah."
In addition, this was also about the time she learnt how to control the『Divine Protection of Death God』. She accidentally cut her finger with the shell of an ingredient whilst cooking.
Voluntarily created wounds were anyhow subject to the Divine Protection. Pallid from the wound she had carved onto herself, as she panicked in an attempt to somehow stop the bleeding, the bleeding ceased immediately.
ーーWas it really so easy, she thought, nigh revolted.
Accepting the Divine Protections' existences, and controlling their power.
Despite of having been conferred a title so immense as the『Sword Saint』, in reality she was merely a little girl without even a grasp on the things she possessed.
If only, had this happened much earlierーー such mighty emotions, brimmed her heart reminiscing the images of her brothers.
"Thearesia."
"ーーHm."
At such junctures, Wilhelm returned as though wilfully.
And as Thearesia concealed her deepest heart, he removed her tender robes, and domineeringly advanced.
On such moments, was she saved.
"Are you, in love with me?"
"ーーーー"
Only that question did he stubbornly refuse to answer, though.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
After that, again, a lot happened.
Truly, a lot happened.
The couple's son was born, Heinkel.
The lady whom Heinkel welcomed as his wife, and she gave birth to who would be Thearesia's first grandchild, Reinhardt.
ーーNobody at all, was to have been at any fault.
Not Heinkel, whom she proudly called her son, who devoted greater sincerity and endeavour towards the sword than anyone, with full earnesty and effort.
Nor the bride, who was afflicted by the illness called『Sleeping Beauty』, depriving Heinkel of any opportunity for vindication and left the child Reinhardt all alone.
Nor Reinhardt, who was blessed with talents capable of sending shivers upon a single glance, his childish frame crammed with preordainments of an unneeded extent.
No one was at fault.
That's why the one at fault, just as always, was her self.
Heinkel distorted, the bride was taken prisoner to dreams, and Reinhardt endeavoured to be loved by such parents.
She found her self, having been the first one to take notice of this and fail to do anything, to be the utmost foolish and good-for-nothing.
"There's a battle called the Great Subjugation... the battle to bring down the White Whale. Over there, I'll..."
A knight of the Royal Guard only in name, and a weighty mission only in name.
The trembling voice of her son accreted upon the submitted proposition, and Thearesia, alone and solitary, cemented a decision.
The longsword she once favoured and habitually used, had since always been under Carol's care, retained in condition identical to back then.
"I am against it. What are you thinking!"
Though she was well aware this would happen, Wilhelm was against Thearesia's decision.
She was pierced by a sharp glint infused with will.
His hair mingled with white, his voice lost of its former youthfulness, even so, Wilhelm's foundation shan't change.
His dignity, his zeal, his clumsiness, everything continued to be the way Thearesia had fallen in love with, and continued to love.
"ーーI, have made my decision."
"All arbitrary! Just who asked for something like... could it be."
Wilhelm realized on whose proposal Thearesia's obstinate attitude came to be.
His face tinted red with fury, his insuppressible essence of swordsmanship split open.
"That idiotic buffoon... feel some shame... ~hk."
"Neither you nor I, have the right to say that."
"ーーーー"
Wilhelm identically lamented for their son. His furious expression fading, Wilhelm bit his lips.
His fury persisted, yet suppressing his anger and feigning composure was something he had become adultlike in.
"I too, will take charge..."
"You have your own duties to fulfil. You must be aware, Wilhelm. ーーIt cannot be that you have forgotten, Ford-sama's grief."
"ーーーー"
The daughter of the king's younger brother Ford, had been kidnapped by someone who intruded into the royal castle. As the commander of the Royal Guard, Wilhelm had the duty of retrieving her at once.
It was impossible to have the Sword Demon travel alongside to the Great Subjugation.
The call made in substitution for him was for Thearesia, the currently active successor of the『Divine Protection of the Sword Saint』, requesting her participation in battle.
She could not refuse. Her days of tranquillity lived in relinquish of the sword were solely concocted upon her own selfishness.
She could not, presume upon that any longer.
"Thearesia, something like this is..."
"Wilhelm."
Thearesia called her husband, who attempted to persuade her all the more. Before his face, his breathing faintly halted, she enquired with a smile.
A question, after a long time.
"Are you, in love with me?"
"Wha... ~hk."
Unrestーー the same emotion as the past, she saw.
Whilst smiling, Thearesia used her hand like a sword and swiped Wilhelm's shoulder. An attack that slashed the air, cleaved the skin.
Bared defenceless before his wife, Wilhelm was unable to react to the strike coming from beyond the bounds of his attention, as the wound on his shoulder started to bleed.
"Thearesia... What are you doing?"
The power of the『Divine Protection of Death God』was activated on the shallow wound of his shoulder. It wasn't severe, but the bleeding shall subsist. As long as Thearesia remained next to him like this, as long as she didn't take distance from him.
"Thearesia?"
Her body gently leaned onto his chest.
Whilst feeling the sturdiness of the arms that caught her, Thearesia placed her lips on the wound on Wilhelm's shoulder.
The blood dyed her lips in scarlet, she felt the taste of her husband's blood for the first time.
"With this, you can no longer come after me. Because if you're close to me, that wound will not close."
"You did something so stupid for something like that... Let me make it clear, even if the bleeding does not stop I will still"
"If you do then there'll be no point."
With a faint smile, Thearesia let go of his body.
And, whilst pointing towards the wound on Wilhelm's shoulder,
"I shall leave that wound as is. So that you do not follow me. I will close it once both of our jobs are done."
"ーーーー"
"No need to worry, who do you think I am? I am the strongest swordsman in this world, the most powerful after you."
"Even if you compare yourself in your mid-forties to in your youth ..."
"Don't say anything so redundant."
She flatly shut the mouth about to articulate discourtesy.
Geez, this was how it was after more than twenty years of marriage.
The steel remained yet unchanged. Hence,
"I'm in love with you, Wilhelm."
"ーーーー"
"Yes, that's correct. Answer that afterwards."
"Afterwards?"
Wilhelm furrowed his eyebrows, to whom Thearesia nodded.
And, whilst pledging their reunion upon her husband's woundーー.
"Upon my return, that day, please let me hear the words I didn't get to hear."
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Her memories, were evanescing, dissipating.
Visibility disturbed within the sandstorm, sounds of the environs became sporadic and difficult to grasp.
"ーー!"
Someone's wrathful roars, shrieks, screams, could be heard.
One plane of her visibility was saturated in verdant greenーー no, it was the ground. It was the hue of a grassland. Upon surveying the surroundings, a dense fog locked the world in its entirety less than ten metres from her.
The subjugation forces had suffered halfway decimation, and her unit faced annihilation.
A desperate stampede began, and failed to perceive which direction to run into amidst the thick fog.
However, solely a vague sense of titanic pressure from the other side of the fog could be felt. Hence, voices flew, fleeing to its opposite direction.
"ーーーー"
All of a sudden, she was unable to remember what had occured.
Within the severe, violent clash, the engagement should have nevertheless progressed in their favour, and despite having long retired from battling, her might should have also served to be useful, that was how she ought to have feltーー.
"ーー?"
Her thoughts went only so far before she took notice of faint malaise.
She glanced down to her palm. Something, was off.
There was no problem in her limbs, her eyes, her feet.
But she somewhat felt as though, she had lost her wingsーー.
"The Divine Protection..."
She realised.
No longer could she anywhere feel, the sensation of the『Divine Protection of the Sword Saint』. All the same for the Sword God, who had remained beside her no matter how estranged and distant from the sword she was.
That scorn, was no longer anywhere either.
"Reinhardtーー!"
Thearesia simultaneously had a hunch to whom the Divine Protection had gone after vanishing from her body.
Was this the same feeling her uncle got when he sensed Thearesia had inherited the Divine Protection. Otherwise, it may simply be that Thearesia was aware of Reinhardt's limitless natural talent.
Whichever it may be, Thearesia did not doubt that the generation of『Sword Saint』following her would be Reinhardt.
That intuition was perhaps traitorous to her own son, Heinkelーー but no longer remained either anyone she could put the blame on, or the time for her to put blame.
"ーーOh my, for a lone lady to remain in a place like this, quite gallant indeed."
The graceful voice of a young girl, unbecoming for the time and space, resonated.
Turn back and Thearesia saw a petite shadow within the dense fog.
White clothes, platinum tinted hair.
Intimate and affectionate, an amiable gaze imbued with sympathy boundlessly extolling togetherness towards the unacquaintedーー misdirected love, to an odious extent.
"ーーーー"
"It seems I have not quite been taken a liking to."
Bracing her longsword, Thearesia stepped forward.
Had she been in peaceful times, she may have bore concern for the young girl. However, this was the world of death ruled by the dense fog of the White Whale.
A young girl emerging here, transcended mystery.
Even without the『Divine Protection of the Sword Saint』, Thearesia's body bequeathed part of a former genius with the sword. Manifesting adequate ability of the zenith of swordsmanship, the bolting slash rended the young girl's petite figure into twoーー,
"ーーI wish to, understand you."
The young girl's voice tickled her eardrums, and her consciousness was impeded.
With a splintering sound.
Within the darkness, her consciousness descended.
As though sinking within lukewarm water with her limbs bound, Thearesia's body submerged, wilting.
The future of her grandson, the heart of her son, the bride who connected the two, worries and disquietude ran past her as though in haste.
And, in the end,
"Wilhelm"
Calling the name of the man she loved, her consciousness ceased in its entirety.
Andーー.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Thearesia: "A pathetic, face..."
Steadily opening her eyelids, there she saw a crumpled face
His head had become completely white, and more wrinkles of ageing had proliferated on his face, but she could not help but think that this was handsome in its own right.
There was no way she could have mistaken.
It was the face of her husband. Though it seemed quite some time had passed since that parting.
"ーーーー"
She inhaled, a deep breath.
There were others close by, could it have been Heinkel, and Reinhardt. She could feel their presence.
All three men of the Astrea family had assembled here, perhaps gone out of their way just to meet her, just to give her a sendoff.
Because everyone, is so kind.
Wilhelm: "Thearesia, I am..."
Wilhelm choked on his breath, his face etched with wrinkles.
Exceedingly unseemly before their son and grandson.
Just where did he forget his dignity and majesty. Above all, looking back at it now, such weaknesses of his surprisingly stood out always as well.
Thearesia: "Listen, Wilhelm..."
Her voice was husky, yet peculiarly youthful.
As if it wasn't hersーー no, it was unmistakably hers, but she was supposed to be a proper grandma now.
It seemed like her voice back from when she had first fallen in love, how embarrassing.
"ーーーー"
When she had first fallen in love, she felt awkward upon feeling so.
There was not much time left, yet they wasted time simply gazing into one another.
But, even still, that's alright.
Thearesia had sufficiently conveyed the words she should have conveyed. Wilhelm, too, must realise that.
Therefore, the one in need of time, of opportunity, of words was him.
Thearesia should simply, quietly wait for those words.
Albeit she will have to wait, her hopes will assuredly be fulfilled. That's the kind of man Wilhelm Trias was.
That's the kind of husband Wilhelm van Astrea was.
Wilhelm: "There is something I must tell... you."
"ーーーー"
Wilhelm; "I-I am a poor speaker... I fail to convey my thoughts well, and caused hardship to you as well.... that's why even in more than twenty years, never even once did I..."
"ーーーー"
Wilhelm: "For twenty years, I may have made you feel distressed. But, I am..."
Thearesia: "ーーA stupid person."
Seeing him struggle to speak, as he clumsily fumbled to form words, she could no longer bear it.
Ended up laughing. Truly, just what was this man saying.
Thearesia: "Did you really, never notice?"
Her hand reached for the cheek earnestly seeking heartbreak, the countenance verging on tears even now.
Her body was terribly heavy. There was not much strength left in her body, but pouring all of her remaining strength into her fingers, she wiped away the tears trickling down his face.
Thearesia: "You had always, been saying it."
"ーーーー"
Did he perhaps intend to hide it.
Did he perhaps intend, he could conceal it by simply never expressing it in words.
Thearesia: "Your eyes, your voice, your conduct, your actions, had always."
All of what Wilhelm, had directed towards Thearesia.
Had been, more than anything, clearly conveying this person's heartーー.
Wilhelm: "I am, with you"
Thearesia: "You are, with me"
That's why, it was sufficient.
"ーーIn love."
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
From the beginning till the end, my life was surely one filled with blessings.
I had my brothers whom I was cordial with, I had a female friend who was always warm towards me and took tender care of me, I was saved by many people, I met Wilhelm.
I'm sure, lots of problems still must be remaining.
But I have faith, that you all will be alright.
But, the truth is, just one thing.
There was just one last thing, left in my heart that I regret I didn't get to ask.
ーーHow surprised would you be if you got to know, that it was actually love at first sight?
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Their exchange of words of love with one another, was the end.
Smiling in satisfaction, her cheeks dyed with the tint of love, and eyes glistened with tears, Thearesia van Astrea's form lost its shape and crumbled in the blink of an eye.
Within the arms of the kneeling Wilhelm, no longer visible was the figure of a bloodied, gasping woman, what was bequeathed was only a wreath of ashesーー and that alone, gave credence to the sentiment that she was here.
"ーーーー"
Her life incinerated within his arms, Thearesia had become a wreath of ashes. Wilhelm looked down towards such vestiges of Thearesia's, his gaze simply casted down, wordless.
???: "...Are you, satisfied now?"
And, instead of the silent, immobile Wilhelm, a man raised his voice.
The red-haired middle-aged manーー Heinkel, aimed a glare pervaded with hatred at Reinhardt, who was standing beside him.
Reinhardt slowly met that gaze, and shed a sigh.
Reinhardt: "Satisfied, what do you mean?"
Heinkel: "Don't play dumb, it's just as how we saw it! Are you satisfied? You must be satisfied now! Both in name and in reality, the position of『Sword Saint』is all yours now, congratulations! The rumours of you robbing it by killing the previous generation, are now true without a speck of doubt too. Tell me, aren't you satisfied? Hey!"
Reinhardt: "I don't quite understand, what you are saying."
Heinkel: "Don't you make that blank face! You shitty brat!"
Exhaling a hoarse breath, Heinkel tried to grab Reinhardt.
However, Reinhardt avoided his fingers, and constrained the body of his real father through his palm, as the latter stomped the ground to a paining extent.
There remained not a scintilla of impact on the form of the current generation『Sword Saint』for slashing the previous『Sword Saint』to death. The truth is, it didn't serve to be an opponent either.
As though that truth was shoved onto him, Heinkel's throat faintly shuddered.
Heinkel: "Don't get carried away, Reinhardt... ~hk."
Attempting to inveigle such tremors of his own heart, Heinkel grew further frantic, and spat out whilst pointing a finger towards Reinhardt.
Heinkel: "No matter how many sweet nothings you line up, what I saw won't change. It is fact that you slashed down mother... Thearesia van Astrea. I'll proclaim it. I'll spread the word, such that nobody approves of you as the『Sword Saint』anymore!"
"ーーーー"
Heinkel: "No matter how unconcerned you look, there's no way you'll let go of your honour as『Sword Saint』. You may have dubiously managed so far, but not anymore. The one slashing his own blood relative to death is the『Sword Saint』? The sword of the kingdom? Hah, don't make me laugh! You murdere~r!"
Reinhardt: "Deputy Commander, no matter how many times you say it, I do not understand what you mean. ーーIt is the Deputy Commander's misunderstanding, that I slashed the previous generation to death."
Heinkel: "Hu… h...?"
To Heinkel who argued vehemently, Reinhardt gave a quiet response. Heinkel rounded his eyes upon those words, but Reinhardt did not seem to intend deception or making excuses.
Reinhardt did not seek to opine. Reinhardt, was stating the truth.
Reinhardt: "The enemy just now was merely a corpse mobilised via some secret arts. It could not have been the previous generation『Sword Saint』... grandmother. Did you not misconceive something?"
"ーーーー"
Heinkel made a stupefied expression at Reinhardt's words.
He then rammed his hands into his red hair, tearing them off violently. A faint laughter leaking him, Heinkel, with an unhinged smile,
Heinkel: "Then, what was that at the end? When she was, talking to father!? When she was glaring so bitterly at you and me... what was that, if that wasn't mother!"
Wilhelm: "ーーEnough, now stop, Heinkel."
Canines bared, Heinkel burned with emotion transcending hatred. The one to halt Heinkel's fury was Wilhelm, having maintained silence until now.
The aged swordsman, remaining in his crouched stance, tore a sleeve of his coat and treated the wound on his right legーー the locus impaled by the longsword.
The wound that shouldn't close to due to the ability of the『Divine Protection of Death God』, had started losing its efficacy since the moment Thearesia's being was lost. ーーNo, prior to that, it had stopped from the juncture the sane Thearesia had returned.
What ached instead was the wound carved onto his left shoulder at their parting.
The sane Thearesia on his left shoulder, and the demised Thearesia on his right leg.
With the loss of both, the wounds carved with the『Divine Protection of Death God』dispelled in their efficacy.
Heinkel: "Stop, you say... father! Are you fine with that!? This guy is...!"
Wilhelm: "Stop, Heinkel…..Stop."
As Heinkel attempted to snarl again, Wilhelm forbade him once more.
Taking off his coat now lost of a sleeve, Wilhelm wrapped Thearesia's ashen vestiges in the opened cloth. It would be far too lonesome to abandon her to the wind's mercy as is.
He believed he must, at the very least, return her ashes back to her grave.
Heinkel: "ーー~hk."
Seeing the state of his father, Heinkel gnashed his teeth in vexation and swallowed his words. And, retrieving the ashes, Wilhelm stood up on a teetering gait.
Even if his bleeding had ceased, his body had lost a considerable amount of blood. The wound on the joint of his right leg was deep, making it feel uneasy to let him walk by himself. Reinhardt instantly attempted to support his tottering shoulders.
However,
Wilhelm: "ーーStay away!!"
"ーーーー"
Wilhelm's bellow abjured those fingertips about to touch him.
Reinhardt halted his raised arm, and Wilhelm did not attempt to turn towards his countenance. Gazes never intertwined, the Sword Demon inhaled silently.
Wilhelm: "Reinhardt..."
Reinhardt: "ーーYes."
Contrasting Wilhelm's quivering voice, Reinhardt's voice was confident and dignified.
Closing his eyes upon hearing his tone, Wilhelm articulated.
ーーIt was, a question.
Wilhelm: "Do you regret, that you slashed your grandmother... Thearesia to her death?"
"ーーーー"
A faint interval sojourned in the answer to the question.
Or perhaps, this dialogue may have gotten deemed meaningless, similar to Heinkel's earlier.
However, following a pause, Reinhardt responded.
Reinhardt: "No. ーーI did the correct thing. I, shan't regret it."
Wilhelm: "...I, suppose so. That's right."
"ーーーー"
Wilhelm: "You are correct. I am mistaken. ーーThat is why, there is no longer anything to talk to you about."
Responding with a quiet voice, Wilhelm turned his back to Reinhardt.
The grandfather and grandson, without ever facing one another, concluded the decisive dialogue.
And, with a single upraised finger Wilhelm pointed towards the city's centre,
Wilhelm: "I am worried about the City Hall, to which Garfiel-dono is headed. If it would be possible, then I would request you to head there to provide support.『Sword Saint』 Reinhardt-dono."
"ーーーー"
Terribly formal and unduly distant, upon his polite words Reinhardt looked in the direction his finger was denoting. He then nodded, and finally glanced toward Heinkel.
Heinkel, yet charred with hatred, faintly paused his breath to those blue eyes, but Reinhardt let pass such trivial terror of his,
Reinhardt: "The outdoors are dangerous. Deputy Commander, if it would be possible then head to a shelter. ーーAlong with Wilhelm-dono."
Heinkel: "Y-You just shut the hell up! Hurry up and disappear!"
Hurled with the words of a seeming sour loser, Reinhardt turned his face away. He then bolted towards the waterway, leaping as though to kick the water's surface, with momentum enough to bound over a building he disappeared in the direction of the city's centre.
Witnessing his inhumane talent and ability, Heinkel spat. He subsequently rushed to Wilhelm, who was steadily dragging his right leg as he walked. However,
Heinkel: "Father-dono, going alone is..."
Wilhelm: "Please leave me alone. I don't want anyone to see my face, right now."
Heinkel: "Father..."
Wilhelm: "There is no need for you to worry about me. You should just worry for your own safety. Hide yourself in a suitable building or shelter... You, should be fine."
Leaving solely his opinion behind, Wilhelm walked, deserting Heinkel.
His wife's ashes wrapped in the coat he carried, he dragged his feet and faded into the distance.
"ーーーー"
Left behind, unable to call for his halt, or walk by his side.
Left behind, as Wilhelm dwindled out of view, Heinkel wasーー.
Heinkel: "What's, your problem... what's your problem, what's your problem, what's your problem, what's your problem, damn it, what the hell is your problem!"
In the plaza bereft of anyone, glaring at the stone pavement, Heinkel spouted his fury. Tearing at his head, roaring his rage inexplicable in words, he hurled the sword fastened to his waist to the ground.
Strummed by the ground with a solid echo, the beautiful knight sword glided across the floor and fell.
Heinkel: "Shitshitshitshit, god damn everyone...! Everyone just go die...! Just go die~e~e~e~e~e~ ~hk!!"
In the deserted plaza bereft of anyone, only Heinkel's bleeding screech resounded in solitude.
The screech, melding boundless, ceaseless resentment and grief, echoed far and wideーー.
Grandfather, father, grandchild, the battlefield uniting the Astrea family, thus drew its conclusion.
Once a lady, a grandmother, a mother, a wife.
The end of Thearesia van Astrea engraved wounds upon the hearts of the respective three.
ーーWith this, all of the battlefields in the fight for the Watergate City of Priestella drew their curtains.