Alumina Flamme 

Extreme violence, boiling alive, burning alive.

The miniature garden.
A small ideal world that God created by her own will.
The Elementals, beings who have been given a share of power by God, coexisted there with life forms prepared to make it thrive.
Elementals were special to life forms, and they have come to be thought of as the voice of God.
Humans saw the image of God in their great power – sometimes they feared them, sometimes they respected them, and eventually they became a symbol of faith.
This was the embodiment of the world that God desired.

It was a world where everything proceeded according to God’s will.
However, it began to crumble with a single event.
The appearance of the one who was closest to God, who possessed her power.

The cracks that arose were small at first.
However, they continued one after the other, and before long, it began to affect the entire world of the miniature garden.
The world was reaching its limits, and God decided to put it in the right direction, using the body of a certain girl as a vessel.

The disgraceful humans were purged by the new life that God has unleashed on the earth, and the world was on the path to destruction.
However, God’s plan was thrown off course by a weak girl. She was a mere human being, without even the power of the elementals.
God tilted her head.
Why did that girl resist when she couldn’t even win?
Why protect the shameful humans?
There was a reason why only she could resist.
It was the power of hope that grew within her.

Hope had only a small power.
Merely budding in her heart, it could not even inflict a single wound on God.
But it goes without saying that she, and she alone, was a human being in God’s eyes in a world created by God herself and disappointed by it.
At the end of the fight, God disappeared from the miniature garden.

A forsaken world where neither God nor the elementals existed.
The humans who escaped the judgment walked around the devastated miniature garden and did their utmost to fulfill their desires until the inevitable day of their doom.
Even though it was filled with fury and sorrow, and everyone was killing each other, the history of mankind did not end.

This is the story of the world of the miniature world that God left.
A story of humans who have transcended the ages and taken a new step forward.

The snow was falling steadily and piling up in puddles of blood that had spread across the ground.
In the ripples created in the pools of blood, two shadows were shimmering.
They were the corpses of human beings hanging from iron poles.

“Mother, Father…”

In front of the two corpses was a girl kneeling on the ground with her head hanging down, sobbing.
How long had she been like that? Snow had piled up on her lustrous black hair and her white dress that exposed both shoulders.
Her appearance suggested she had grown well, but at this point, she didn’t care if her clothes got wet.
Especially compared to her parents, who had been executed without question.

“What have… you done…”

The girl spoke each word in pain, and a woman in silver armor replied coldly, without changing her expression.

“‘The four spirits must not cross paths.’ Even you have heard those words before, right?”

The Sibyls, who control the power of elementals, have an unspoken rule that forbids them from killing each other.

“They executed them for… breaking the taboo? They would never do something like that…!”

The girl wanted to immediately jump on the woman, but she was surrounded by soldiers under her command, preventing her to even touch her.
The girl’s anger naturally turned to the ground and she hit it again and again.

“Your parents did nothing wrong.”
“…Oh?”

Then why did they kill them?
The girl couldn’t understand what the woman was saying at all and turned around.

“Your sister broke the taboo. She killed my daughter with the power of the elemental.”
“My sister, Whisker… killed her? Ah, that can’t be… She’s the most serious and righteous person of all!”

The girl met the woman’s eyes. The woman said that her daughter was killed, but she looked strangely calm considering that.
In fact, her gaze seemed to be filled with no emotion.
To the girl, she seemed extremely creepy.

“It’s all a fantasy. No matter how much you try to convince me that she is good, it doesn’t change the facts at all.”
“My sister… What happened to my sister!?”
“She’s dead.”
“It can’t… be…”

The woman, who had been watching the girl lament the loss of her sister, muttered, “Well,” and gave orders to her soldiers.
“Burn down the Flamme family mansion,” “Anyone who unloads the corpse of the family head shall be severely punished,” and other ruthless words were showered on the girl.
After the soldiers had left, the woman spoke.

“You’re the only one left.”

As she said this and took a step, then two, the girl closed the distance between them in an instant.
And a sharp, clanging sound rang out.

“…You aimed for my neck in the shortest distance. You have quite a good hand.”
“Why… It should have reached you!”

It was the sound of the girl’s knife being deflected by the woman’s arm as she tried to plunge it into her neck.

“That movement, that strong will to kill someone without hesitation, and above all, those eyes. You really do resemble your sister.”
“…! …Don’t you dare talk about my sister!”

The girl’s arm, which was aimed at the woman, flared up red in response to her anger and shot flames at the woman’s face.
However, the woman was unharmed, only the tips of her hair were slightly scorched.
Then she fired a fireball at close range, with the same result.

“Liar…”
“That’s impeccable power for a Fire Sibyl.”

Sibyl – that’s the name of one who wields the power of the elementals that flow through their bodies.

“Will you let me see a little more, Alumina Flamme? Come on, the enemy of your family is here.”

The woman took a step forward.

“…Uh, uwaaaaaaahhhh!!”

Die, die, die!
Alumina tried with all her might to burn the woman to death.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t reach her.

“Is that all you have?”
“No… I’m still…-!?”

Taking the opportunity that Alumina stumbled, the woman easily lifted her up. She no longer had the strength to resist her, and could only watch as the corpses of her parents, hung as display, slowly receded into the distance.

“Father, Mother…!”

The woman carried Alumina to the station where the locomotives were stored – the place that connected the fire country, Valka, with other countries.
Soldiers were waiting on the road leading to the station, waiting for the woman to return. They were all wearing the same uniform, a jacket with two vertical rows of buttons down the front and a thick coat.
Armed, they alone would easily be able to take control of the town where Alumina lived.
The woman set Alumina down in front of them and instructed them to put shackles on her.

“Let me go! What are you going to do?”
“I wanted to invite you to my academy, since you have no relatives.”
“What…? You killed someone’s family, and now you have the nerve to do this…!”
“My original plan was to execute you as well, but it would have been a waste since your qualities are comparable to your sister’s.”
“You’re being selfish…!”
“You have no room for negotiation. I will always accomplish what I set out to do, no matter what it takes. Look at that.”

The woman indicated the servants of the Flamme mansion, Alumina’s birthplace.
They were all blindfolded and handcuffed.
They were lined up in a row, sitting on the ground, and behind them stood a female soldier holding a drawn sword.
Her intention was clear.

“S-stop it! They have nothing to do with this!!”
“Then you know what to do, right?”

The woman was calm.
Her attitude and expression showed her strong determination to continue executing people without hesitation until Alumina nodded.
Alumina answered, her head hanging weakly, as if squeezing a voice from the bottom of her heart.

“…I've had enough of this…”
“You’re a good girl, you understand. Come on, let’s go. To my academy.”

Soon after, the vehicle carrying the two headed south.
Alumina looked out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of her hometown that was slowly slipping away from her.

“Ha… Haa…”

The first thing that caught her eye was the burning Flamme family mansion.
The flames were gradually gaining strength, as if they were calling for help from Alumina, the owner of the house.
Everything she loved was taken away in a day.
But she never looked away.
To engrave all the pain she had experienced today into her memory.

And on that day, Alumina made a vow.
She would one day exact revenge with her own hands on Aurelia, the woman who had taken her beloved family from her.

The academy that Aurelia had brought her to was an institution that had more land and technological power than the four great nations, and gathered children from all over the world who had the potential to use the power of elementals.
Alumina had only heard the name of the academy from her sister Whisker, but the actual place was far from the impression she had.
Screams and shouts were heard in the training, and the atmosphere was meritocratic.
People were not allowed to leave the academy without permission.
As soon as she arrived, Alumina saw the reality of the academy and muttered to herself in self-deprecation.

“…It’s like a prison.”
“Alumina, what’s wrong?”
“No… nothing.”

Aurelia had now handed Alumina’s custody over to the girl before her – Lavis. The wheelchair-bound girl was a gifted girl who was achieving particularly excellent results at the academy.
Judging from her appearance and the way she spoke, she must have been of noble birth from some country.
In the bleak atmosphere of the academy, she seemed to heal the wounds in Alumina’s heart after the succession of painful events.

“I’ve shown you around the academy, but do you have any questions?”
“…”

Lavis stopped her wheelchair and turned to face Alumina. She lowered the corners of her eyebrows as if she sympathized with her situation, and gave a little smile.

“Hehe, that’s not surprising. I’ve heard about you from Lady Aurelia, it must have been a tough day.”
“… Ah, what-“

What do you know? Alumina realized that she was about to vent her negative feelings to a wheelchair-bound girl who looked weaker than her, and quickly shut her mouth.

“What?”
“N-nothing.”
“…I see.”

Lavis chuckled, then suddenly remembered something and said “Ah.”

“That’s right, there’s a place I haven’t introduced you to yet. Let’s head there.”

As Lavis told her, Alumina was brought to a certain place. There was a huge door like a castle gate.

“Please come this way.”

Alumina entered as she was told, and stopped in her tracks at the strange smell drifting from the dimly lit room.

“The smell of a beast… No, it’s not just that. Is this blood…?”

She sensed an ominous presence. However, Lavis paid no attention to Alumina and moved to the center of the awfully large room.

“Alumina, please come quickly.”
“…What the heck are you-“

Just as Alumina reached the center where Lavis was waiting, the ground began to rise up, surrounding the two of them.

“What!?”
“Actually, there was one thing I forgot.”

The somewhat flustered Lavis’s voice began to take on a disturbing tone, and Alumina involuntarily stiffened.

“What is your goal?”
“Hehe… Don’t be so cold to me. I just want to have a bit of fun. I would say this is a ‘welcome party’.”
“It doesn’t feel like that at all. Or maybe you’ve been living here so long that you’ve lost your senses?”
“You’re quite talkative for a Valka girl.”

Lavis was smiling teasingly with narrowed eyes. And just as Alumina was about to grab her by her shoulder to question her… Lavis’ body suddenly collapsed with a “splash.”

“…Huh?”

A large puddle spread out at Alumina’s feet.

“A Water Sibyl…!? Lavis, where are you?”
“My, learn your manners.”

The lights in the room were turned on as Lavis’s words echoed around the area.
Then there was the sound of something rising up in front of Alumina. The area was surrounded by a nose-piercing odor that spread quickly.
The source of that smell was a strange monster with a jet-black body and a human-like shape.

“Why is a Scourge…!”

Scourge – the beast of the end.
According to ancient legends, they were black monsters created by God to destroy humanity.
And they were also the reason why the Academy was gathering Sibyls.

“Didn’t I tell you this was a welcome party? I was worried about Lady Aurelia’s opinion on you. So I want you to show me how well you can fight. Oh, and if you get scared, you can always ask for help, you know?”
“…What a terrible place.”

Alumina laughed fearlessly and raised her hand towards the Scourge, who was approaching.

“Very well, bring it on.”

In an instant, flames erupted.

After being “welcomed” by Lavis at the Academy’s training grounds, Alumina used her powers as a Fire Sibyl to defeat Scourges brilliantly.
Lavis praised Alumina with a gentle smile, but perhaps dissatisfied with not seeing her panicked, she rambled on about Aurelia’s message and left the room.

Afterwards, Alumina was assigned to a platoon as a combat member against Scourges, having shown that she could fight against them.

“I never thought I would be kept alive just because I had the power of a Fire Sibyl…”

At that time, Aurelia had said that she would be welcomed into the Academy, but she didn’t completely believe it.
Alumina had expected to be executed or to be treated cruelly like a slave.
But Aurelia really saw her as nothing more than a Scourge fighter.

“I’m sure she intends to make me fight Scourges until I’m no longer of any use. But that’s fine for now. If I keep struggling, a way will surely open up one day.”

A deep crease was etched into the letter of call that Alumina held in her hand.
The order stated that she was joining a team searching for the platoon of Lenas, a mage officer, who had gone missing near the border.

“I don’t care what the orders are. I will fight and win. That’s all.”

When Alumina headed to the meeting point, several girls were already waiting there.
In the middle of them was a woman with an eyepatch and a large sword, looking just like a commanding officer.
When the woman noticed Alumina, she walked over and held out her right hand.
　
“I am Elheim Erde, the mage officer who is the commander of this platoon.”
“I’m Alumina.”
“Hm… You don’t have a family name?”
“Yeah, I don’t need one anymore.”
“Oh… Pardon me.”
“…”

Alumina stared silently at Elheim, who sincerely apologized for her impoliteness.
Many of the academy’s students were of noble descent.
Nobles tend to hang out together, and she’d seen many who acted arrogantly like Lavis.
Naturally, she’d assumed Elheim would do the same, but it seemed she was wrong.

“Is there something on my face?”
“No. It’s nice to meet you, Elheim.”

After shaking hands, Elheim explained the details of their mission and then led her teammates to an hangar.
There, a transport vehicle made with the academy’s latest engineering was enshrined. After the driver had confirmed that everyone was in the vehicle, it departed.
As the vehicle rattled and shook, Elheim took out a small watch from her pocket and checked the time.

“If Lenas’s squad is still alive, it’s highly likely that they have fled to the abandoned city of Srenica near the border. It’s about three hours to get there, so you should gather your strength until then.”
“”Yes!””

The soldiers sat down and didn’t say a word after that.
They were a highly trained unit. After studying the situation, Alumina sat down a little further away from them.
She closed her eyes as her thoughts wandered back to her distant homeland.

Alumina and her team approached the abandoned city of Srenica within visual range of the naked eye.
Nearby the city, there was an overturned transport vehicle belonging to a disappeared squad.
When Elheim finished checking to see if it belonged to Lenas’s platoon, she instructed a girl under her command to raise a smoke signal.
A few moments later, four smoke signals of the same color rose in rapid succession from the city.
Elheim had returned to the vehicle, and reminded the waiting members of her team of the purpose of this order.

“There are probably four survivors, some of whom may be injured. The fact that Srenica has been abandoned for so long makes it extremely likely that Scourges are hiding in it. Rescue the survivors before sundown!”
“Alright!”

As soon as she finished, the vehicle started moving toward the city. The tension increased as they approached the city.
Some people were muttering in small voices with their eyes closed, while others were praying.
Even Elheim’s troops, who seemed to be used to fighting, looked nervous.

Soon after, the vehicle stopped.
Elheim stood in front of the door and announced to her troopers,

“This abandoned city is a good place for Scourges. Cover each other’s blind spots and don’t miss anything!”
“Yes!”

The unit rushed into the city.
Many of the houses built of stone and brick have collapsed, leaving only their foundations.
There were also areas of overgrown vegetation and traces of wild beasts that had inhabited the area, indicating that a considerable amount of time had passed since the area was abandoned.

“Huf… Huf…”

Alumina unknowingly realized that her breathing had become shallow.
She might be caught off guard by a small Scourge that could hide in a gap in the rubble.
Just that thought gave Alumina, who had never experienced combat within a city, a glimpse of why everyone was so nervous.

“Captain Elheim, there are Scourges.”

A member of the team, who was leading the way, spotted the Scourges swarming around a dilapidated fountain in the plaza.
There were eight confirmed Scourges.
All of them were classified as second class specimen.
The Scourges had a physique that exceeded that of a large carnivore, and a direct hit from their sharp claws and long arms would be enough to kill a human being. However, this was limited to humans without any power.
Even if they were to swarm a little, they would be no match for Sibyls, who manipulated the power of the elementals.

“Stay back, I’ll take care of them.”
“Are you all right?”

Alumina was worried about Elheim as she headed toward the fountain alone, and a girl soldier answered.

“Captain Elheim’s power shines in places like this. Watch.”

After bringing all the Scourges within her range, Elheim thrusted her arm toward the ground.

“Earth Elemental, answer my wish!”

Instantly, a sharp spear of earth emerged from the ground and pierced the Scourges.
The Scourges struggled for a moment, but soon stopped moving.

“That is the power of her elemental. Isn’t it amazing?”

The girl bragged about it as if it were her own, and Alumina nodded in agreement.

“There must be survivors of Lenas’s squad near here. Search everywhere.”
“Alright!”

While the squad members began to search for survivors, Alumina felt something was off about the Scourges’s lack of response.

Can an experienced platoon really be defeated by a Scourge that Elheim alone was able to eliminate? Or is something still lurking here…?

In the end, without finding an answer, Alumina decided to join the search.

The rescued members of Lenas’s squad all had tragic looks on their faces.
Their uniforms were stained so red and black with blood that not even their original color was recognizable.
None of them could walk properly, and they were so weak that they would collapse at any moment if they were not carried on the shoulders by Elheim’s team.
The medics rushed to the scene to provide first aid, but although the women had injuries, they were not fatal.
The stains on their uniforms, which were thought to have been caused by serious injuries, were all spilled blood from their comrades.
Elheim asked the girl to whom Alumina was lending her shoulder.

“Where did Captain Lenas go? Can anyone explain what happened to you guys?”

The girl, carrying a bow as tall as she was, looked away and mumbled something, perhaps startled by Elheim’s angry look.

“W-we… were…”
“Tell me slowly, please.”
“We…abandoned our…mission…”
“Hmm…What was the mission?”
“Ah…capture…the Blue Knight…”
“The Blue Knight…?”

Alumina asked the confused Elheim.

“Do you know about it?”
“The Blue Knight is a monster that has been talked about in the academy. It is said to appear on the battlefield and go around killing civilians. It is classified as a special type of Scourge… but I never expected to hear its name here.”
“These kids were killed by the Blue Knight.”
“Yes, there’s no doubt about it.”

As soon as they finished, a look of alarm crossed over Alumina and Elheim’s faces.
If they were right, the Blue Knight could be lurking near the abandoned city.
And just as they felt a tingling sensation down their spine…

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!”

A piercing female scream echoed through the city, and something rolled at their feet.
It was the corpse of the pilot of Elheim’s team, whose torso had been cruelly torn to shreds.

“Ugh-“

A hideous smell filled the air in an instant.
It was the smell of raw, burned internal organs spilling out of the body.
While many groaned and covered their mouths, a girl from Lenas’ squad had her memory of the carnage been brought back to her, and began to cry and apologize.

“Ah… Ah, Haha… I’m, sorry…! W-we only managed to survive!”

The girl’s voice stirred everyone’s anxiety.
It had already begun to spread to Elheim’s platoon.

“Calm down! If you let your mind get disturbed, you’ll get into its hands!”
“Elheim! Look!”

Alumina’s voice rang out, and she pointed at something.
The girls’ gazes were focused on a single point, and there stood a monster clad in blue flames.

“Is that the… The Blue Knight…?”

While the other soldiers were intimidated by the Blue Knight, Alumina was strangely calm.
For the people of Valka, who live in a land of extreme cold, fire was a symbol of faith. They may revere it, but they did not fear it.
And so Alumina felt something else when she saw the blue flames flickering around the deformed Scourge.

“Those flames… It must be suffer-“
“Everyone, take the wounded and leave this place immediately.”

Alumina’s thoughts were interrupted by Elheim’s voice.
The girls of Elheim’s platoon wanted to stay and fight, but as soon as they understood her intentions, they retreated.

“That will do.”

Saying this, Elheim walked toward the Blue Knight. Perhaps she was willing to sacrifice herself.
The act of sacrificing oneself to help many others was surely a virtue for her.

“That’s just… selfish.”

To Alumina, that just seemed like a waste of life.
Anger started to simmer inside of her.

“You’re a very bold woman, aren’t you?”
“…Alumina, why are you still here?”
“I thought I’d stop you from dying.”
“You think I’m going to be defeated by the Blue Knight?”
“Well, that’s better for you, isn’t it? Whether you die or survive.”
“Are you out of your mind? Did you think the two of us could resist that monster?”
“Yes. At least we’d have a better chance of surviving than if we’d faced it alone.”

Elheim’s eyes wavered.

“I don’t care what you cling to. But I think it’s wrong to throw your life away so easily. That’s why I can’t just leave you like that.”

Alumina knew.
In this world, there were many who lost their lives unjustly. And she knew the feelings of those left behind.
Just as Alumina readied her scythe, the roar of the Blue Knight echoed through the abandoned city.

“…!!”

The Blue Knight approached Alumina headfirst and thrust out its sword.
The speed of the sword, wielded with an arm strength that surpassed that of a human, was so great that every blow could be a fatal wound.

“…Hah!!”

However, Alumina calmly assessed the thrusts and parried them with the hilt of her scythe.
Then, taking advantage of the Blue Knight’s attack with force, she spun her own body vigorously and unleashed a high-speed strike of her scythe at it.
Alumina’s blow deeply carved a wound on the Blue Knight’s body, as if it had been scratched by a huge beast.
If it were a human, the wound would be fatal. However, it was a Scourge. No matter how many wounds it received, its movements did not stop.

“It is truly a monster, but-“

Then, as if to fill the gap in Alumina’s attack, Elheim’s elemental power burst at the Blue Knight.

“Thank you!”

As the Blue Knight charged forward, hit by a spear of earth that suddenly appeared from the ground, Alumina swung her scythe again.

“…!!”

The Blue Knight’s cry, almost like a moan, echoed through the air.
Alumina and Elheim felt that they might have been able to defeat it.
However, as if to mock their feelings, the balance that had been maintained on thin ice gradually began to crumble.
No matter how many wounds it received, it never fell.
It would constantly regenerate and get back up, relentlessly targeting Alumina.

“Damn… you…!”

Knowing that even a direct hit would mean instant death was mercilessly chipping away at Alumina’s concentration.
Her arms were numb from fending off such heavy attacks, and the elemental power she used to fight back was dull due to fatigue.
The same applied to Elheim, who was assisting her.

After surviving more than a dozen exchanges, the two fell to their knees.
They had been throwing all they had at it, but the monster before them still had strength left.

“Can it still… stand up…?”
“So it’s as monstrous as they say.”

Out of breath, the two mustered all their strength.

“I can’t die… I must not die until I clear my sister’s name…”
“Alumina…”
“I can fight. I can still fight!!”

With an angry look on her face, she mustered herself up and stood up, but Alumina herself couldn’t even see straight ahead.
So all she could do was watch as the Blue Knight’s sword pierced her stomach.

“U…gh, AAAAAAAAAHHH!?”
“A-Alumina!!”

“Alumina, the true purpose of weapons is to take a life. You can land the quickest, shortest hit on your opponent’s weak spot without them noticing. That way you can’t lose.”
“Even if it’s someone’s life?”
“Yes, if it is on the battlefield.”

Don’t take your aim away from their vital point.
She held a small knife in my hand and smiled at me.
That was the first lesson my sister Whisker Flamme taught me.

When my sister was still at home, she used to train me.
She was strict with herself and others.
I’m sure it was because she inherited the blood of the fire country people who survived in the harsh snowy mountains more than anyone else. That’s why she showed no mercy to me, even though I had only just picked up a weapon.
Carelessness can be fatal, so always hit your enemy with all your might.
That was the second lesson she taught me.
I’m not the enemy, so why do you hurt me?
My sister’s fist would often slam into my head as I would whine.
In the end, I never managed to beat her, and I couldn’t even touch her…

“…mina”

It was then that I woke up feeling someone calling me.

“Alumina.”

I noticed that my sister was standing right there.
My legs naturally moved toward her.

“Sis! It’s me, Alumina!”

It didn’t matter if it was a dream or an illusion. I wanted to reach my sister one more time.
I knew that she has done nothing wrong, that she was not the kind of person who would kill someone for no reason.
I wanted to tell her that even if the whole world turned against her, I was always on her side.

“Sis, I-“
“Alumina, have you forgotten what I taught you?”
“Eh… …Ah!?” “

As I was about to reach her, a sudden, intense pain ran through my body. A pain that burned me from the inside out.

“Hey, Sis…”

She didn’t answer. Then, looking down at me as I writhed in agony, she spoke.

“It’s painful. But there’s no need to resist. If you abandon everything, you will be completely free.”
“F-Free…? Does that mean… I will die?”
“This is not death. It’s rebirth.”

Then my sister reached out her hand to me.

“Now, give it all up.”

She was always right. But-

“…Wrong.”

Sis never whispered sweet words to me.
She would extend a helping hand only if I resisted until the end. That’s the kind of person she was.

“Who are you?”

The moment I shouted that, the world I saw shone brightly like a snowy field illuminated by the morning sun…

///////

“G-G-GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!”

Pierced by the Blue Knight’s sword, Alumina struggled to ease the pain even a little.
But her body was so high she couldn’t even touch the ground, and she couldn’t hear anything.

“A-Aluminaa!!”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Elheim unleash her elemental power. She was probably trying to stop the Blue Knight from moving.
But the more she tried to do something, the deeper Alumina’s body pierced by the sword sank, and she was hit by even more intense pain and flames.
The two of them had no way to change this hopeless situation.

“Not enough… I am still not enough…”

Alumina squeezed out a voice as Elheim lamented her own powerlessness.

“El...heim… R-run…”

It was hard to even put words together.
But Alumina didn’t stop resisting.

If I stop living of my own accord, Sis will be disappointed in me. That’s why I won’t give up…! I will live, and I’ll do anything to live. Even if… I have to eat you!

That’s when it happened.
Alumina felt something well up from her body.
It hurt, and it was hot. But it wasn’t a physical pain; it was a strange feeling that mysteriously filled her heart.

I see, these are… the Blue Knight’s flames. Its flames…

The Blue Knight’s flames disappeared into Alumina.
With each flow of power, Alumina could feel the Blue Knight getting weaker.
And finally, Alumina escaped from the Blue Knight’s restraints.
Pulling out the sword that had been thrust into her stomach, she plunged the knife she had taken out of her pocket into the neck of the Blue Knight, who was clutching its head in pain.

“… …”

The blow wasn’t fatal, but it was enough to drive the Blue Knight away.
The Blue Knight was left in a daze, and Alumina, who had been watching it go away, muttered something that was neither puzzled nor surprised.

“I-I… am alive…? Why…”
“…!”

She thought she heard someone’s voice.
It was Elheim’s voice, checking the situation. However, Alumina didn’t know what she was saying.

“… …”
“!? U…gh, my body, is hot-“

In an instant, Alumina was hit by a sharp pain that made her whole body seethe, and she writhed. At the same time, she felt a thought conveyed through the Blue Knight’s flames.

“Ah-“

Alumina understood in an instant.
The flames, the warmth.
And what she had really been fighting against.

Was I… going to kill Sis… With my own hands…!?

Alumina’s body became even hotter.
Elheim could no longer bear it, so she let go of her hand and distanced herself from her.

“Alu…mina… even you…”

Alumina’s body was instantly engulfed in dark red flames.
Strangely enough, she now resembled the Blue Knight she had been fighting with just a moment ago.
She was consumed by anger and remorse at herself for not realizing it until they had killed each other. No one’s words could reach her anymore.

I have to find my sister.

The only thing that controlled and drove Alumina now was her feelings for her sister. She picked up the scythe that was lying in the corner of her vision and started walking in the direction the Blue Knight had left.

“…! …!?”

Something was desperately shouting.
It was surely trying to get in her way. Anyone who gets in her way was an enemy.

An enemy… that’s right. Enemies must be killed.

Alumina simply swung her scythe down at the thing in front of her.

///////

The girl, wrapped in crimson-black flames, continued to wander in pursuit of the Blue Knight.
In her wake, all that was left was the earth turned into a burnt wasteland and the countless corpses of Scourges.
But in the end, she ran out of strength and collapsed.

“S..Sis…”

The girl curled up weakly and held a blue flame in her hands.
Perhaps it was thanks to the flames she stole from the Blue Knight that she was able to barely maintain her human form.

“Ahh… How warm…”

The girl had a vision of her sister in the small flame, and fell asleep, embracing it as if hiding a treasure.