Not long after smoke began to rise in Alubarna.
In Cattleya, a town near the sea, a man was running.
Although relatively close, he hadn't perceived the anomaly in Alubarna, which was still several hours away.
It wasn't a distance from which the black smoke rising into the sky could be seen.
The man had heard about the incident that occurred in the neighboring town of Nanohana.
He hadn't yet seen it with his own eyes.
But hearing the story, he couldn't sit still.
A member of the Rebel Army rushed to their base tent, bursting inside.
Naturally, his comrades were there, greeting him with somewhat startled expressions.
Ignoring the canteen offered to him, he shouted to the leader seated deeper inside.
"Hah, wheeze... Kohza! It's serious! You have to come now!"
"What is it?"
"There's a visual Den Den Mushi in Nanohana... The King is speaking!"
A loud thud echoed.
Kohza, the leader, seemed to have leaned forward, nearly knocking over his chair.
Not just him, but the others in the tent also appeared stunned.
Kohza stared at the man who had just entered, his face pale with cold sweat, listening to the report fearfully.
"He said he was the one who stole the rain from the citizens...!"
"What did you say?!"
He involuntarily stood up, knocking his chair over.
Kohza's face had visibly changed color.
"And he... told the citizens that?!"
"Right now! We got word from the guys in Nanohana, they're gathering everyone to hear him speak!"
"That's preposterous! Cobra, why on earth would you do such a thing...!"
Unable to stay still, Kohza dashed out.
He hastily left the tent, ignoring his comrades' attempts to stop him, and headed for his horse.
"Wait, Kohza! It's too late even if you go now!"
"How can I ignore this...! You shouldn't be saying that, King!"
He leaped onto his horse and galloped away swiftly.
His destination was the neighboring town of Nanohana.
He would have to cross the desert, but the distance wasn't great.
Whether he would make it in time was uncertain.
If the speech had already begun, there was no way to erase everything that had been said.
But even so, he couldn't ignore such an outrage.
Kohza urged his horse faster, his face grim.
Only immense rage filled his chest.
Any respect he once held for the King was now close to zero.
Yet, it wasn't quite zero, because he hadn't forgotten the time they spoke when he was a child.
Kohza arrived in Nanohana faster than ever before.
He rode his horse through the town, searching continuously for the place where the trouble was surely unfolding.
The closer he got to the town center, the more he heard a voice he hadn't heard in a long time.
By the time he understood what that voice was saying, he was gritting his teeth in agony.
He rounded a corner and entered the main street leading to the port.
He immediately saw Royal Army soldiers with a visual Den Den Mushi.
On the installed screen, King Cobra's face was projected prominently, and Kohza's anger flared even hotter.
"King!!"
Leaping from his still-moving horse, Kohza stood directly in front of the screen.
Soldiers holding weapons turned around, but he paid them no mind.
Now, for the first time in ages, he met Cobra's eyes.
Seeing a face a little older than he remembered, Kohza spoke, calmly despite his simmering rage.
"What... what were you just saying?"
"Kohza. Just in time. I wanted you to hear this too."
"Hey, don't be foolish. You, you of all people, shouldn't be doing that."
"Kohza, I—"
"I said stop it!"
"I stole the rain from this country. As a result, many citizens died. It is all my responsibility."
Kohza's desperate shouts were in vain, the words were uttered again.
And many citizens were listening.
Shouldn't those be the words he absolutely must not speak?
"Using Dance Powder, Elmar and Suiren withered—"
"Stop it! That's a cruel joke! Everyone, don't listen!"
"In Alubarna, the rain continues to fall as always—"
"That's not something you should admit...! No matter the truth! You, of all people, shouldn't be saying that!"
"It was I who, in a moment of emotion, plunged this country into chaos..."
"Deep down, I believed in you!!"
"It was none other than me."
Kohza, clenching his fists until blood seeped out, ran to stop the visual Den Den Mushi.
But soldiers, already on guard, immediately stopped him.
Two soldiers grabbed his arms and shoulders, restraining him.
He felt the collective gasp of the people on the main street.
Cobra's expression remained unchanged, while Kohza, in contrast, was beside himself with fury.
"Don't you understand how those who collapsed in the withered towns felt when they died?! No one harbored anger or resentment towards you...! They all died believing in you, saying, 'It's not the King's fault,' 'He's a great man'!!"
"I understand. That's why I'm apologizing like this—"
"What you're doing only insults them! It's not about the truth; at the very least, you should say you're innocent, even if it's a lie! What about their feelings then?!"
Seeing Kohza struggling desperately to move forward, Cobra closed his eyes and sighed softly.
"I deeply regret my reckless actions driven by momentary emotion... I will strive to ensure such a thing never happens again. I wish to apologize from the bottom of my heart to both the dead and the living."
"Have you gone mad...?! Do you think that's sincerity, you bastard!!"
"This incident is my stain. I'm sorry it took so long. I thought and thought, thoroughly, and finally, I was able to make a decision."
Cobra opened his eyes and stated calmly.
At those words, Kohza felt a chill run down his spine.
"I don't want to leave this stain of mine as it is."
"What...?!"
"Perhaps there are those in the country who know about this event. Someone might speak of it. Bad rumors might even spread abroad. That is terribly frightening."
"What are you saying, King...?"
"Therefore, I intend to erase everything."
A sudden gunshot.
Kohza's shoulder was pierced.
The shot fired by a Royal Army soldier elicited screams from the citizens.
Was it due to the pain, or because of the unbelievable words they heard?
Kohza, losing strength and collapsing, could no longer think.
"To forget that detestable Dance Powder incident found in this town, I intend to erase this town. Everyone, I'm sorry. Will you die for me?"
A dozen or so soldiers simultaneously aimed their guns.
Their targets were unarmed citizens.
Without any hesitation, triggers were pulled.
"Stop it!!"
"Do it."
Several gunshots overlapped.
Even more screams erupted, the town became a scene of people fleeing in panic, and bleeding bodies fell.
A peaceful everyday life collapsed in an instant.
Hidden soldiers emerged in droves, firing one after another.
The number of fallen people gradually increased, and the town became stained with blood.
Old and young, anyone in sight was shot.
It was a hellish sight.
Forgetting even the pain in his shoulder, Kohza, lying face down, clutched his head.
The burning sensation in his eyes was not a mistake.
He was tormented by regret and despair, thinking that this was not the outcome he had wished for.
"Why... why did it come to this...?"
Innocent people were screaming.
Powerless, they were wounded and fell.
Kohza watched the scene, unable to do anything.
He resented his own powerlessness.
He felt as if their resolve, their actions, all their sacrifices until now had been in vain, and his heart was indescribably ravaged.
"The country... everyone... wanted to know the answer...! Wasn't that why we were fighting?!"
The gunshots continued without ceasing.
Just as Kohza lowered his gaze as if giving up everything, Rebel Army soldiers also arrived.
Not just those who were in Nanohana, but even those who had followed Kohza from Cattelya.
All were armed and, seeing the situation in town, immediately began to fight.
As a result, the town of Nanohana and its citizens were further wounded.
"Are you okay, Kohza?!"
"Damn it, the Royal Army guys are setting the town on fire...!"
"At least, I am..."
His comrades rushed to help Kohza up, but he was unresponsive.
Meanwhile, the damage to the town spread.
Soldiers went around setting buildings ablaze, and fires began everywhere.
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