Almond was dead.
He sat there, his colossal body burning like fire. The grass around him ignited from the heat, the flames slowly spreading outward.
Shinji and the others could only stand there and watch.
A strange feeling settled in.
"Hey… even though he was truly evil… he looks kind of pitiful."
Shinji whispered.
"He almost killed you guys!"
Akidou shouted back.
The sun was setting over Deepgreen. The sky turned orange, casting a radiant glow over the ruined battlefield—severed mushrooms, deep cracks splitting the earth, and the colossal sacred tree Perga cleaved in two.
"Hey, let's get out of here. It's getting dark."
Alba walked toward them as he spoke.
"It's going to be freezing if we sleep out in the open tonight,"
Gumber added as he approached, Lumber unconscious over his shoulder. A Musheria warrior walked beside him, carrying Omelet.
Akidou stepped forward and hoisted Omelet onto his back.
"Ow… my arm…"
Gumber stopped in front of Alba. Alba understood immediately and lifted Lumber into his arms. Then Gumber patted Alba's arm.
"Hey… my leg hurts."
So Alba ended up carrying Lumber in his arms and Gumber over his shoulder. With his massive build, it hardly slowed him down.
"Need a lift, Shinji? There's still space left."
Alba asked.
"No, I'm fine. I can walk."
Shinji walked over to Kriz's body. He stared at him for a moment before lifting him up.
"You won't be left behind, Kriz."
They were ready to leave Deepgreen after their long adventure.
The Musheria appeared before them and bowed in gratitude.
"Thank you, humans! Because of you, we won't have to die anymore."
Shinji smiled and scratched his head.
"It's nothing. Defeating him also freed Kriz."
Akidou glanced at them.
"Hey… what are these small things anyway?"
The long battle was over. It was time to return to where they belonged.
"Let's go!"
At the front were Lio and Shinji, Shinji carrying Kriz's body. Behind them was Akidou with Omelet on his back. At the rear, Alba carried Lumber in his arms and Gumber over his shoulder.
Behind them, near the split remains of Perga, the Musheria waved goodbye.
"This is amazing… I wonder when we'll see humans again."
After they left, someone suddenly ran out, face pale with fear.
"H-hey everyone…! Zoe, Beast, and Ceasar… they've disappeared!"
Further along the way, Shinji suddenly felt something was missing.
"Hey… why did we come here? I have a feeling like we was forgot something."
Gumber yawned from Alba's shoulder.
"I don't know? The old man told me to come, so I came."
They walked a little farther before shouting in unison:
"THE DEMON KING INSCRIPTION!"
But after the battle, the inscription was nowhere to be seen.
Omelet stirred slightly on Akidou's back.
"Oh—Omelet, you're awake?"
The inscription slipped out from Omelet's back pocket.
"There it is!"
Akidou bent down to pick it up, wincing in pain.
"You okay?"
Alba asked. Akidou forced a smile.
"I'm fine."
They continued their journey home. Reaching the stone wall, they followed it in search of the exit.
"Feels peaceful now. Almond killed everything, so it's quiet,"
Alba said casually. They reached the hole in the wall. Gumber had to climb down on his own because of Alba size.
They left Deepgreen and returned to Greenpath. The sun is setting, and creatures here were more active than in the morning.
On a large rock sat a strange creature with a long body but no legs. It was yellow with purple stripes. It yawned, revealing long fangs. Two small wings fluttered briefly before it noticed them.
It lunged.
They ran immediately.
Further ahead, a tree by the roadside cracked open. A large split revealed a mouth in its trunk and eyes above it.
"Hel… lo…"
The tree greeted them, but they kept running.
The path was blocked by a thick vine barrier.
"Lio, can you cut these?"
Akidou asked. Lio stepped forward, raised his sword, and slashed.
"What kind of plant is this? Soft like grass, but with huge leaves. Weird."
They pushed through and continued.
Soon, they approached the fairy village—the home of the ant race Anteria. Cooking tools were being set up: ovens, knives, spoons.
Lio suddenly stopped Shinji and pointed at Kriz's body, then toward the village.
Shinji understood.
He set Kriz's body down and stayed behind to guard it.
The others entered the village.
An Anteria woman spotted them and called out joyfully:
"Everyone! The leader's friends are here!"
Children ran out from underground tunnels, holding wooden and leaf toys. They surrounded the group.
Akidou looked uneasy.
"Aren't you kids scared of us?"
They shook their heads.
"No! You're Leader Kriz's friends, so you're good people!"
One child held up a toy proudly.
"Leader Kriz made this for me himself!"
The group felt a heavy weight settle in their chests.
More Anteria emerged. The same woman brought out a large cake.
"Here, eat. I think Kriz will be back soon."
Akidou gently set Omelet down.
"Can you treat him?"
Alba lowered Lumber.
"He's lost a lot of blood. Can you bandage him?"
The Anteria woman examined them carefully, then said to the ant child sat next to her.
"Mimi, go inside and bring the herbs."
Omelet was given a bowl of medicine made from yellow, green, and orange leaves, along with a tiny furry creature with big ears and a long tail that squeaked continuously. When mixed, the concoction turned pitch black and smelled horrific.
Akidou immediately ran off to vomit.
The woman fed the entire bowl to Omelet.
Lumber was wrapped in thick green leaves. When Gumber touched them, he yelped.
"What the hell?"
The leaves were covered in tiny spikes.
"They're rich in nutrients. They'll help him heal,"
The woman explained.
More adult Anteria climbed out of the tunnels, stirring bowls of batter.
"Hurry up, Olivia! We need to finish baking before Leader Kriz returns!"
Olivia—the kind Anteria woman treating them.
"Do you need your arm wrapped?"
She asked Akidou.
"I'm fine. Treat him first."
He pointed at Omelet.
Watching them wait for someone who would never return, Akidou felt a crushing weight in his chest.
He gathered his courage.
"Hey… Kriz must've been really important to you, right?"
They laughed warmly.
"Of course. He's the reason the Anteria tribe still exists today."
Children played. Adults prepared. They waited.
Akidou couldn't bear it anymore.
"Olivia… Kriz…"
Olivia turned, still applying medicine to Lio's wounds.
"Yes? Do you want to know more about him?"
Akidou lowered his head.
"Kriz is dead."