Pillar of Yita

”Drop it, Alice!”

”Don’t be afraid——!”

A loud shout echoed through the ’Valley’, bouncing between peaks of the Pyramid and resonating in everyone’s hearts.

Alice and the crow on her shoulder both turned their heads, the latter’s crimson red eyes flashed a cold light, while the girl’s eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of the boy above the ’peak’ of the Pyramid —— Fang Hong stood alone, as if amidst an army, but he had truly arrived as promised.

Her hand trembled involuntarily, and she stopped altogether, slightly opening her mouth as a surge of suppressed emotions —— unease and fear burst forth in her heart, leaving her completely frozen in place with a complicated expression that seemed to narrate:

”Mr. Ade, I...”

At that moment, Fang Hong’s appearance was utterly wretched, his alchemist’s coat tattered like a beggar’s, his face etched with dust and fatigue, but only his eyes remained unyieldingly firm, making him appear to the onlookers like a god descended to earth.

And thus, the legend of a hero was born ——

From his position at the bottom of the Valley, thousands of feet separated them, looking at each other, but Fang Hong only nodded seriously, as if in response, stretching his hand out to her from afar.

”Alice, come back, to our side——”

The scene reflected in Alice’s eyes; tears finally spilled over on her pale cheeks.

The crow on her shoulder flapped its wings and flew into the sky, its crimson eyes like the flames of the Golden Star, becoming immensely huge while emitting a deafening roar: ”Don’t listen to him, act now, don’t forget your sister...”

Alice instinctively stepped back, her heart wavering.

”Elisa is already saved,” but Fang Hong shouted out, interrupting Toragotos’s words: ”Alice, now you need to save yourself!”

”This is also, saving all of us!”

The girl’s mouth dropped open, as if something had struck her heart, while through her tear-blurred vision, lines of text seemed to unfold before her:

Elisa: Alice.

Elisa: Trust Mr. Ade.

Elisa: I love you, sister.

She stood on the other side of the screen with tear-filled eyes, forcing a small smile towards her sister.

And Alice had lost all ability to speak, her tear-filled eyes reluctantly moving away from the surface of the Light Cocoon, and at that moment, it felt as if all the strength had been drained from her body.

The girl used up all her courage in that instant; dizziness overcame her, and the next moment, she was barely aware of what she was doing.

She lifted her head.

Just in time to meet those cold, crimson pupils.

”You chose betrayal, human.”

That was the cold voice of Toragotos.

In mid-air, the crow spread its wings, elongating behind it into wings that blotted out the sun, its body growing increasingly larger, gradually taking on the form of a Giant Dragon —— covered in black, its slender tail gently swept aside, its head and twin horns arching back, its gold-red pupils seemingly burning the vision of the girl before it.

It emitted an extremely furious scream, lunging at the girl with a swoop of its wings.

Alice’s face paled, helpless and uncertain as she watched the scene, taking another step back in isolation, watching the increasingly distant image of her sister, tears streaming down her face as if silently saying goodbye:

”Farewell, sister.”

But at that moment, Alice felt an odd sense of relief, an unprecedented peace.

However, Elisa did not give up; the twin sister seemed to be breaking free from the bonds of space and time, stretching out her hand to her sister with all her might, against the gale that hit her face, while Alice swayed unsteadily.

”Alice, your Dagger!”

She shouted.

Alice blinked, subconsciously looking towards her waist.

But at that moment, a loud shout seemed to rise in the hearts of both:

”Connected!”

”Elisa, now——”

”Use your authority!”

That was Fang Hong’s voice.

And in that moment, reflected in the twin sister’s eyes, was the pair of long Daggers —— silver-white, narrow and flexible blades, like a ray of sunlight piercing through the endless darkness.

It was born on a warm afternoon, in front of the two sisters, named Dawn.

At that moment, it was indeed a Dawn, the first light born on the Horizon after the long, dark night.

Elisa stretched her hand with all her might towards that Dagger.

And at that moment, the power of Ether, fast as light and electricity, in an instant, pierced through the strata, also penetrating the thick bedrock, crossing the constraints of space and time from the world above, reaching the depths below ——

...

”I am the craftsman.” After the military personnel left, Fang Hong said thus to her over the radio channel.

”Over a certain distance, I can connect with my creations.”

”But, Miss Elisa, you are the owner of Dawn, so I need your help.”

”At that moment, we will have only one chance... perhaps, we can even save Miss Alice.”

”Also to save, all of us.”

In the private channel between the two.

Elisa only remembered calmly nodding at that time.

But her feelings at the moment were far from the tranquility of before, feeling more like the lone watch in a Storm, because before heading to this world, she had promised to protect her only sister.