Nadja Berlioz 

This is my last will

I can no longer face those I’ve killed, those who died because of me, and those who cared for me.

A few years ago, back when I didn’t understand anything yet, I traveled as a Singing Warrior, using my healing powers to tend to the wounds of warriors.

As a unique and precious ability, I was highly valued on the battlefield and even called the “Silver Saint.” Foolishly, I took joy in being needed in that way, simply as a human being.

I believed I, too, could do something for this world.

But the fighting never ceased, and the number of casualties continued to rise day by day.

Lux Aeon Brillnova, the male heir of the Brillnova family that ruled the hostile empire, was a cruel and ruthless fiend who burned cities, defiled people, and took lives.

To stop that devil, supernatural power was required.

That is why I received power from a red demon.

Without even understanding what that meant… 

On this day, two people visited Nadja, who lived on the outskirts of the village. The first was a human messenger delivering a letter.

Rather than “visiting her”, the messenger merely slipped the envelope containing the delivery under the door; opening the door, let alone speaking, was out of the question.

And no wonder. In this village, Nadja was known only as the “Silver Witch” and shunned by all.

The only one who worried about her was her younger sister, who now lived far away in the capital.

The letter that arrived that day was also from her sister. She didn’t even need to read it to know what it said. “Don’t worry about the curse, let’s live together,” it would say.

For the past six months, similar letters had been arriving once a week. Nadja had continued to ignore them.

The reason was obvious: Nadja’s curse was a demonic one that took human lives in exchange for immense power.

Her former healing power had been horribly twisted, becoming something that harmed those she cared about.

Therefore, Nadja wished to wither away alone in the wilderness. Her sister, while hoping they could live together, never forced her.

Amidst this, a second visitor appeared before Nadja.
It was a boy from the village whom she had seen a few times before.
He introduced himself as Gremmy.

“My name is Gremmy! The man who’s going to become the strongest warrior in this village! Nice to meet you!”

After opening the door and exchanging greetings, he grabbed Nadja’s hands firmly with both of his and shook them vigorously.

According to Gremmy, he seemed to know about Nadja’s exploits from when she was known as the Silver Saint, and he had come out of concern that she was currently being mocked by the villagers as the Silver Witch because of the curse.

He explained that this wasn’t the first or second time he’d come to visit her; he’d just happened to see a messenger arriving today and decided to come on a whim.

Even so, Nadja wanted to avoid putting him in danger.

“I’m sorry you came all this way, but I can’t be friends with you.”

Nadja watched Gremmy shuffle away from the window.
She hated herself for trampling on the conscience of such a young boy. Her heart twinged with pain.

Yet she had a feeling deep in her heart that he would return. So, when he showed up again a few days later, she found herself listening to him without even realizing it.

“I joined the Resistance! And I want you to help us too, Nadja!”

He told her that the evil clutches of Lux Aeon Brillnova were closing in.
…However.

“I’m sorry, I just can’t…”

Gremmy didn’t press her for more details or try to persuade her.
Is this really the right thing to do? Nadja’s heart churned restlessly, like a bitter winter gale.

It was another day. Gremmy had started dropping by Nadja’s house for any reason he could think of, chatting casually about his daily meals and his parents.

Because of this, Nadja had begun to open up to Gremmy little by little, and opened the door to welcome him once again.

But one day, a familiar woman was standing beside Gremmy.

“Olivia…?”
“It’s been a long time, Nadja.”

Although Nadja had distanced herself from people and the battlefield, she clearly remembered the face of the woman standing before her, Olivia.
They had been comrades who had fought side by side on the battlefield back when Nadja was still known as the Silver Saint, and Olivia was one of the few people Nadja could now open up to.

Naturally, she knew the reason Nadja avoided people. The fact that Olivia had come here meant…

“We’ve run out of options. The Imperial Army will likely reach this village within the next few days. If that happens, this place…”

Olivia shook her head. When she did this, it meant the situation was truly dire.

“…But if I go into battle now…”

Just as Nadja looked down, lost in thought…
Bang! A short gunshot rang out.
Wondering what was happening, she looked toward the village and saw flames already rising there.
Yes, the Imperial Army had arrived.

It was a scene of utter devastation.
By the time Nadja and the others arrived, more than half the village had already been burned and destroyed, and the people had been herded into a single spot.

“Hey, you. Do you want to live?”
“Y-yes…”

The invading army led by Prince Lux was singling out villagers one by one and speaking to them. With a malicious grin.

“I see, I see. Well then, kill the child standing next to you right now. If you do, I’ll let you live.”
“Wha…?!”

The villager glared at the invading army. Nadja and the others couldn’t just rush out recklessly, so they could only watch from behind cover.

“What’s wrong? You can’t kill your own child? Well, I suppose I have no choice… Then, try imitating a pig.　Come on, what’s the matter? Or do you want to die?”
“Y-you monster… Oink… oink…”
“How amusing, heh… heh heh heh heh! Die, pig!”
The mother and child fell to the blade, and the air was thick with blood and terror.

But…
Nadja wasn’t the kind of person who could just stand by and watch. She couldn’t let it go.

“If there is evil in the world, I shall sever it. If there is light in the world, I shall sever it. This is the Soul Reaper.”

Ignoring Olivia’s attempts to stop her, Nadja did not halt her advance toward the invading army.

Then, blue flames surged from Nadja’s right arm. She gently extended it toward the invading army.
From there, it all happened in the blink of an eye. The blue flames she unleashed turned into light, engulfing the army.
To put it more accurately, perhaps one should say they were “sucking them in.” But it was clear to everyone watching: the flames were sucking the life out of the invading army and the villagers burning to death in the village, rampaging as if they were alive.

This was the curse Nadja bore: the power to reap lives.

“Eeeeeek! Retreat! Retreat!”

The surviving invading army, upon seeing the Soul Reaper, trembled as if facing a supernatural monster, and the disorganized soldiers fled in a panic.

However, it wasn’t just them who were terrified by the sight of the Soul Reaper, or rather, Nadja.

“W-what… was that…?”
“So those rumors were true after all…! That Silver Witch…! You summoned them too, didn’t you!?”

The eyes of the villagers, who had been gathered in one place, all turned toward Nadja at once.
Though a variety of emotions were reflected in those eyes, there was one thing missing… trust.

“…I’m sorry. I’m leaving now.”

Nadja returned home, hurriedly packed her belongings, and headed for the village boundary.
However, Olivia and Gremmy were waiting there.

“Thank you for earlier. Normally, we in the Resistance should have taken the lead in fighting. Even if we had no chance of winning.”
“That’s not true! I was the only one who could fight in that situation… that’s all.”
“Hehe, I’m glad to hear you say that. After all, the Resistance needs someone like you right now… Please, could you reconsider? I’ll take full responsibility for convincing everyone else.”

Olivia truly understood Nadja.
If that’s the case, then if I’m fighting for her…

That was the moment Nadja had that thought.

“…! Nadja, watch out!”

Olivia stepped in front of Nadja. When Nadja looked back, she saw an iron arrow deeply embedded in Olivia’s back.
There was only one source of iron arrows in this area.
The invading army were still lurking nearby.

“Olivia!”

Nadja supported Olivia’s collapsing body. But it was clear the wound was already fatal.

“Ugh… Please, Nadja… You must become everyone’s hope…”
“O-Olivia!”

Gremmy, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings, took up a defensive stance to shield the two of them.
But there were no longer two of them.
Olivia, held in Nadja’s arms, had drawn her last breath.

“Olivia…!”

Nadja stood up again, and the Soul Reaper in her right hand began to glow more brightly…
That cursed power was being released from its seal, poised to descend once more upon the war-torn land.

“…Olivia, I’ve received your feelings. …I will return to the battlefield once more, in your place.”

And so, Nadja joined the Resistance and took command in Olivia’s stead.

Ever since Nadja joined the Resistance, their forces had remained undefeated.

Led by the Silver Witch, they combined the strength of various brave warriors to steadily defeat the advancing Imperial Army.

At first, the Resistance members had feared Nadja’s power, but seeing her fight on the front lines, they began to look upon her with respect.

For this reason, Nadja quickly succeeded Olivia and became the Resistance’s leader in both name and deed.

“With this, another town has been saved.”

Figaro, the Resistance’s strategist, stood by her side and praised Nadja.
Just as he had planned, this advance left only the capital, where the Imperial Army’s castle stood tall, remaining.

“We can do this! We can do it now!”
“Yes, this is all thanks to the Silver Witch… no, the Holy Saint…!”

The Resistance was fired up as they faced their final enemy.
But Nadja also had her concerns.
Through the fierce battles thus far, the power of the Soul Reaper had grown even stronger.
It was said that now, she could even summon the clouds of the Underworld, capable of reducing even the souls of the dead to nothingness.
Even so, this power was indispensable for the Resistance to win. Nadja decided that until the capital was recaptured, she would continue fighting alongside these people.

“Our plan to retake the capital has been leaked. What’s more, my sister and that boy have been kidnapped by that despicable prince…”

The day of the operation to retake the capital had finally arrived.
This time, they planned to storm the capital based on a meticulous plan devised by Nadja herself, in collaboration with the military strategist Figaro.

But then, the unexpected happened.
Reports began pouring in from various units that enemies were lying in wait along the planned routes.

Furthermore, news arrived that Nadja’s sister and Gremmy had been abducted by the enemy.

“What is going on! Could our plans have been leaked to the enemy…?”

Yes, Nadja had assigned Gremmy a top-secret mission: to secure her younger sister, who lived in the capital.
Only a very few people knew about this…
Just as Nadja was worrying about the situation, another messenger came running up to her.

“Lady Nadja! We’ve received a demand from the enemy’s palace! They say if you value your sister’s and Gremmy’s lives, you must come to the palace alone! What shall we do?!”

There was no other choice.
Reaching the palace where Lux was staying would be nearly impossible as things stood, so…
Nadja took a deep breath and decided to head to the palace all by herself.

The palace she entered was eerily quiet.
Prince Lux was likely doing this on purpose so he could take Nadja down in front of the public.

“Welcome, Silver Witch Nadja.”

As expected, a large number of soldiers had been gathered in the palace hall. Standing in the center was, of course, Prince Lux.
And right at Lux’s feet lay Gremmy, bound and lying on the ground. His body was covered in wounds, likely from resisting capture.

“Return Gremmy and my sister. Otherwise…”

The Soul Reaper in her right hand had already begun to tremble. It was reacting to Nadja’s quiet rage.
Just then, someone appeared from behind Nadja.

“Oops, it would be better for them and the people of the city if you didn’t use that carelessly.”

It was Figaro, the Resistance’s strategist.

“You! What are you doing here?!”
“What am I doing here? I think the very fact that I’m standing here is the answer to that question.”

Yes, it was none other than the strategist who had betrayed the Resistance and leaked their plans.

“Well done, Figaro. I’ll give you a reward later. And Nadja… I’m sorry to be so abrupt, but you’re going to die. Don’t worry, your sister is already waiting for you on the other side.”
“…No way…”

At Lux’s words, Nadja froze for a moment.

“…Hmm, actually, I’ve changed my mind. I’ve decided. I’ll kill this brat first.”

With the casual ease of someone choosing a dessert after a meal, Lux pointed his sword at Gremmy at his feet.

“No, stop…!”

And then.
There was a squelching sound as something was crushed.
Lux’s sword was stuck right where Gremmy’s heart should have been.

“Gremmy!!!”

Ignoring the sword tips and arrowheads pointed at her, Nadja ran toward Gremmy.

“Na-Nadja… Take my life and defeat him…”

Gremmy breathed his last in Nadja’s arms.
From Gremmy’s body, the Soul Reaper sucked away his fading life.

“Ugh… Aaaaaah!!!”

Nadja couldn’t think of anything.
Ironically, by absorbing Gremmy’s life, the Soul Reaper had awakened to its true power.
Blue flames blazed with such ferocity that they seemed capable of burning away every soul in the universe.
Even the steel swords and arrows raining down on Nadja were consumed by the blue flames and turned to ash.

The royal palace was instantly engulfed in blue flames.
Many of the soldiers in the hall had their lives consumed by the Soul Reaper’s blue flames.
Looking around, among the many corpses lay the traitorous strategist, Figaro… His soul had been burned away, and he lay on the ground with an expression of agony.

“Aaaah! Someone! Anyone! Isn’t there anyone who’ll save me?!”

The wailing voice of a young man could be heard from outside.
It was unmistakably Prince Lux’s voice.

“Damn it… What is this…? How can she possess such power! I can’t end it yet, not until Father acknowledges me…”
“Too bad for you.”

Lux had fled to the top of the tower, but the raging blue flames were slowly closing in on him.

“Y-you…!”

She raised her right hand, pointing the Soul Reaper at Lux. Lux, not to be outdone, brandished his own sword, the Empire’s latest weapon called “Electric Seven Sword”, before her.

“This sword is the ultimate weapon, modeled after the power of the flame giant! There’s no way I can lose…!”

As if trying to convince himself, Lux muttered, then let out a shriek and lunged at Nadja.
But it was already too late.
With a single glance from Nadja, the Soul Reaper’s flames transformed into a barrage of fire spears, piercing Lux’s body. And now, they threatened to burn him to ashes from the inside out.
The moment he chose to face the Soul Reaper with a physical sword, his defeat was already sealed.

“Gah…! H-hot… It hurts…!”
“Compared to all the atrocities you’ve committed, dying from this much pain is a blessing.”

Lux’s dying eyes looked up at Nadja’s face.
There was neither hatred nor regret in them.

“…What do you gain by killing me? Do you plan to become a hero or something…?”
“…..What are you trying to say?”
“From now on… my family will seek revenge on you. And so, the flames of war will spread… How are you… any different from me…? Silver Witch… you, too, are an unmistakable demon.”
“…!”

And with that, Lux broke into a beaming smile. As if in response to that smile, the Soul Reaper glowed, and a pillar of fire like a fire-breathing dragon’s breath shot upward. The flames of judgment burned everything about Lux to ashes.

Thanks to the “efforts” of the Resistance and the Soul Reaper, Lux’s army had been crushed.
It was a battle that claimed countless lives on both sides.
Even so, the members of the Resistance were sharing in the joy of victory.
However, Nadja was nowhere to be seen among them.

Nadja continued to walk through the windswept wilderness.
She had no idea how the Resistance would go on living from here.

But if there was one thing she knew for certain, it was that there was no longer a place for her there.

The Soul Reaper is a power beyond human understanding.
Having used it to kill people, Nadja is no longer human. Nor is she a god… she is a demon.

I am no longer allowed to return.
This curse will likely never be broken.
But this tragedy must end here. That alone is my atonement to those I have wronged, and the only path to ensure a righteous future for tomorrow.

Yes, this is my last will.
That demon… I will find and destroy the flame giant who bestowed upon me this cursed soul-eating power.

This world no longer needs demons. Therefore, it has no need for me, who has become a demon.

Until the day I reach the Underworld and destroy every last demon, I will keep walking.