Elheim Erde 

Child abuse, misogyny, eye trauma, dismemberment, eating alive, human experimentation, complete loss of bodily autonomy, dehumanization, extreme violence. One of the characters carries sexual undertones about her suffering.

“…How many times do I have to tell you!? Are you trying to tarnish the name of the Erde family!?”

A teacup was thrown angrily at the girl’s feet.
The smell of herbs rose up and the liquid inside flowed down her legs.
Her white, tender skin was immediately invaded by a bright red color.
A stabbing pain must have been coursing through her. But she did not even scream.
Other things had priority over her pain.

“…I’m so sorry, Father…”

The man snickered at the voice she managed to squeeze out.

“Hmph, you think you can distract me by keeping your mouth shut like that? That’s why women are so…”

I made the wrong choice again.

The girl, who had been waiting for her father’s reaction, finally realized that she had made a mistake.
She hurriedly twisted around to show her apology.

“Hey, when did I say you could move!? You really don’t listen, do you?”
“I’m so-“

She realized that she had just reflexively apologized, and she shut her mouth.
But it was one of those behaviors that her father hated.
The man’s face was filled with disgust and disdain. Toward his own daughter, with whom he shared blood.
Out of the blur of her vision, the man was saying something.
After her body stiffened at the man’s abuse, she couldn’t hear anything, as if she lost her hearing as well.

There’s no point in crying.

The girl has been repeatedly abused by that man to the point that she has lost the will to live.
Each time, she thought that this was inevitable, that she was being reprimanded because she was a disobedient child causing trouble for her father, and she disciplined herself.

All of Father’s deeds are done for the sake of the prestigious Erde family. So he shouldn’t be the one at fault.

I will continue to make choices that will make Father happy.
I believe they will be the right choices for him and for me.

After several reprimands, her father’s education came to an abrupt end.
Puzzled by his unusual behavior, the girl waited for him to speak.

“…Elheim.”
“Yes”
“Get ready now.”

The man said and indicated outside with his finger.

“…Eh?”
“Hah… You didn’t listen again. You really are a good-for-nothing woman, and you expect me to tell you everything from one to a hundred?”
“Oh… Hm… Heh…”
“You’re going to the academy.”
“!?”
“A woman as inadequate as you are would not normally be allowed through the doors of the academy. But the generous Lady Aurelia has accepted you.”

In essence, the man was asking her to leave the house and move to the academy by herself.
He was effectively kicking her out.
The girl had no idea what was right for her father.
He looked at the girl, who had been unable to move, and after sighing deliberately, he spoke.

“You must not bring shame to Lady Aurelia’s family name. Do you understand?”

After seeing her father back off, the young girl stifled the pain of the burn on her leg and cleaned up the pieces of the teacup scattered around her feet.

“…We were waiting for you, Lady Elheim.”

When the girl prepared herself and went outside, she found a carriage used by the servants, a man in charge, and two guards waiting for her.
Elheim bowed her head as she looked up at the mansion.

“…I will go now, Father.”
“Oh, you don’t look well, is something the matter?”
“No, it’s nothing. Let’s go.”
“Certainly.”

Elheim was sure to never come back there again.
She looked at the passing cityscape of Aurun.
Looking out from the swaying carriage, she saw a father and son laughing as they passed by.
Elheim leaned out the window, feeling a tug in the back of her head, and saw the son being carried on his father’s shoulders, arms flailing in the air, frolicking.

“You are good for nothing.”
“If you can’t make decisions, don’t even think for yourself.”
“Why are only girls born in my generation?”

All the memories of her father that well up in her mind were filled with curse words.

“If only… I had been born a male. Like that father and son…”

As a child, the girl imitated men, thinking it would please her father.
Looking back, it was that day when she made her first wrong choice.
She can’t really go back, and she can’t repair the relationship with her father.
So, at the very least, she had no choice but to keep walking so that her actions were the right choice for her father.
That is the vow that Elheim Erde has made.

Since joining the academy, Elheim had devoted herself to learning combat techniques and studying, even sacrificing sleep.
Her aversion to choice dulled her thinking.
Therefore, she tried to overcome it by imitating the choices made by others.
Spending days immersed in the task at hand, to the point of not being able to let any distracting thoughts enter her, was the ideal environment for someone who was afraid of making decisions.
From tactics and how to control the power of elementals, to what to eat each day and what clothes to wear.
Elheim had a systematic grasp of what was right and what was wrong, and over an enormous period of time, she continued to learn all sort of things.

And by the time Elheim finished her studies, she was recognized as an excellent Earth Sibyl.

That was about the time she received a direct call from the department in charge of recruitment and mustering at the academy. A male staff member handed Elheim a rolled-up piece of paper.

“…”
“What’s wrong, you’re not going to take it?”
“Ah… no, I’ll check.”

She removed the seal and looked at the contents. There were three names listed, with her own name at the top.

“E-Elheim’s unit… I’m the captain?”
“Yes, your hard work has paid off. Congratulations, Elheim Erde.”
“Oh, thank you very much…”
“Hmm?”

The man smiled as he noticed that Elheim’s hands were shaking.

“Don’t worry, you can do it.”
“E-Excuse me…!”
“Oh, hey-”

Elheim didn’t have enough time to respond.
She bowed slightly and left as if she was running away.

“…Phew.”

After reaching a place where she could calm down and avoid being seen, Elheim regained her breath and cooled down, realizing that she had been running with a handful of paper in her hand.
Her hands were still shaking.

“…I’m scared.”

All she could think was anxiety about her future self, who would be forced to make decisions as a commander.
Dark thoughts were popping up in her mind.

If I decline the request now, it should be accepted.
There was still plenty of time before the starting day. I should return to the staff right now and say that “I want to decline,” they would be able to help me. If I ask that kind-looking person, it would surely be fine.

It would be easy to just run away.
But if I chose that path, I would be denying myself and the time and effort I have put in to get to this point.
Of course, Father would hear about this.
And so my answer is…

“No, I can’t… I can’t do it… I can’t do it.”

Again, Elheim had no choice.

It was a unit of only four people, with Elheim at the center.
At first, she had trouble as a leader, but by imitating the actions of other commanders and practicing in battle, she began to produce results.
And when she made confident choices and began to show her dignity as a commander, the size of the unit had doubled.
Those days of foolishness were gone.
Elheim thought of her parents back home.

“Father, will you look at me a little better now? Mother, will I ever be able to laugh with you again?”

Elheim’s current self would have been able to say that to her father face to face.
After all, she has been through that much.

I am not a good-for-nothing woman. I am a woman who can make the best choices of all.

But Elheim had forgotten something.
She was making the right choices solely because she was mimicking what she had experienced.
If she were faced with an unfamiliar situation, her incompetence would have been exposed.

It was not long after that that her will was shaken again.

In recognition of Elheim’s excellence, an order was issued: Rescue a caravan that was attacked by the Scourges.

It was a caravan from Epitaffa, the wind country, that carried important resources for the Academy. Losing it would have been an immeasurable loss for both sides.
Elheim had heard that many Sibyls had been deployed as escorts, but only the corpses of the guards and their wagons remained at the location where the Scourges had attacked. Judging by the current situation, there was a strong possibility that the merchant was also eaten alive by a Scourge. However, there was one thing that concerned her.

“It’s not that they’re well-behaved. Considering the size of the caravan, it’s too clean.”
“Captain Elheim, I have something to report.”

According to a report from a member of the team scouting the surrounding area, a group of Scourges was attacking a house away from the wagon.

“You think that’s where the traders are running to?”
“Yes. And amongst the herd, we have confirmed the presence of a high-ranking Scourge.”
“What?”

As Elheim moved to a hill overlooking the houses, she noticed a conspicuous specimen among the group of Scourges attacking the houses, and she frowned in disgust.

“It’s a third class specimen…”

Said specimen was a rare one that had only recently begun to be reported.
Scourges were classified into five major classes, most of which were assigned to the first or second class.
The classes after four were vacant, and was only assigned to monsters that were said to have existed in the Dark Ages, monsters no one had ever seen.
A third class Scourge had a physique the size of an average house, and boasted a strength that was far superior in both durability and attack power.
It was only a matter of time before the house was destroyed.

“Martina, what do you think?”
“None of us have any combat experience. With your strength, we may be able to win. But that’s not the only enemy…”

Martina, a female adjutant who was watching the situation next to Elheim, analyzed it this way.

“Captain Elheim…! There is a figure in the carriage!”

At that moment, a girl who was watching the carriage shouted.
When Elheim and Martina checked with their telescopes, they saw what looked like a figure standing between the carriages.
It was a Sibyl who was tasked to escort the carriage, whom they had assumed was dead.
She was holding no weapons and was just swaying vaguely in the wind.

“Captain, your orders.”

All the men in the unit looked at Elheim at once.
She had a critical decision to make.
She could have joined up with her escort and destroy the horde of Scourges.
Or, abandon the escort and surprise the herd on their own to rescue the merchant – it was one of these two options.

“…”

Elheim pondered.
Should she help the guards she could see, or the caravan she couldn’t see? The information was all uncertain, but not everything was known.
As the leader, she had to choose what she thought was best from such uncertainty and make a decision.

“At this rate, we won’t be able to save them. Please give us your orders!”
“Ugh…”

But Elheim just couldn’t bring herself to put so many lives on the line.
Right now, the fate of everyone was weighing on her back.
The more time passed, the more failure became unforgivable and couldn’t be fixed. Just thinking about it made Elheim’s heart tighten several times over.

“I-“

Her body felt heavy. She couldn’t even breathe properly. It was as if something had taken over her body.

“You really are a good-for-nothing woman”

Her father’s words echoed in her mind.

“I will…”
“Captain, please allow me to speak.”

As her vision wobbled, she noticed that Martina’s hand was resting on her own. The trembling has subsided.

“…I allow you to speak.”
“Thank you very much.”

Martina proposed a plan on Elheim’s behalf.

“The captain and you all will go to rescue the merchants, and I will go alone to the wagon. I am a Wind Sibyl, and with my power I can join you immediately after checking on the wagon.”
“But what if there is a Scourge?”
“I will be fine. Trust me.”

Martina’s eyes were filled with a certainty that she would not let anyone lose their lives.
Elheim’s decision was made by Martina.

“…I understand. As you have heard, everyone, take your positions!”
“Yes!”

After entrusting such an important decision to Martina, Elheim formulated a tactical plan and put it into action.
After watching Martina using her wind powers to head nimbly towards the carriage, Elheim and her warriors began attacking the Scourges.

While Elheim and her troops were pulling the Scourges away from the houses, Martina had reached the carriage and proceeded cautiously, looking around.

“I think… it was somewhere around here.”
“…me …e me”
“!?”

She pulled the knife from her waist and listened carefully.
The sound came faintly from the center of the densely packed wagons.
Just as she tried to approach quietly, something appeared between the carriages.
It was a Sibyl, who was being eaten alive by a Scourge. Half of her body had been swallowed whole, and blood was dripping from the gaping maw.

“…me, Sav… me.”
“Ah…!”

…By the time Martina gasped and covered her mouth, it was too late.
A dull squelch rang out.
The Scourge who had been devouring the Sibyl’s body, was now looking down at Martina.

“It-it’s a third class…”
“… …!”
“I will stop you… I won’t hold back!”

Martina prayed for the safety of Elheim and her troop as she took on the mighty Scourge.

Meanwhile…
Elheim was engaged in single combat with a third-class Scourge that she had pulled away from the house.
Dodging its giant scythe-like arms, sometimes using her greatsword, and sometimes using her body hardened with her earth powers to deflect attacks, she slammed her elemental power into the Scourge’s body.

“… …!”

The Scourge flinched.
Elheim’s attacks were definitely landing.
But she couldn’t let her guard down. The battle seemed to be in her favor, but if she were to receive a serious blow, the situation would be reversed in an instant.

“Ha…!”

She swung her greatsword with a burst of fighting spirit, slicing the Scourge’s outstretched arm away.
The Scourge, who had suddenly lost an arm, lost its balance.

I can do it!

Seeing this as an opportunity to win, Elheim quickly turned her arm and concentrated her elemental power into her greatsword. She put all her strength into a slash that came down on the Scourge’s head.
The moment the blade bit into the wriggling compound eye,

“Gah… Ha!?”

A sideways blow hit Elheim.
Unable to withstand the impact, which felt like being hit by a log, she reeled and crashed into the ground.

“…ha… Cough.”

Using the elemental power flowing through her body, she quickly stood up, and a large amount of blood spilled from her mouth, staining the ground.
With her consciousness becoming cloudy, she glared at the Scourge.

“Uh, gaaaaaaahhhhh!?!?”

Her right eye was burning hot.
At that moment, the Scourge raised its tail as if to provoke her. Something round was stuck at the end of the tail – and as the tail shook, it fell out and rolled across the ground.
Elheim then realized that her field of vision was narrowing, and that the thing that had been stuck in its tail was her own eyeball.
Perhaps realizing she did not have the strength to fight, the Scourge charged towards Elheim.
If she collided with that giant in her current state, she would not stand a chance.
If she was defeated, it would all be over. Her head throbbed with the pain from having her eyeball ripped out.
Facing imminent death, Elheim realized that, mysteriously, she was regaining her composure.
Then she felt a change in the elemental power welling up from within her body. She didn’t know why, but it felt as if her power and the elemental were joining together more.
Elheim let out a sigh and thrust her great sword into the ground.
In an instant, before the Scourge could crash into her, countless spears of earth protruded from the ground, piercing the Scourge’s body and pinning it down.

“… …”
“Huh, are you begging for your life? Die, monster.”

Elheim struck a blow with all her might.
The Scourge, cut in half, died before it could even let out a desperate yell.

The battle was over.
With the men of the caravan rejoicing in their salvation, Elheim dragged her heavy body and hurried to Martina, who had yet to return.

“Oh… No…”

However, what awaited her was the pitiful figure of Martina, half of her body eaten by a Scourge.
Her hand held her favorite knife, and it pierced the Scourge’s head with precision.
Her expression seemed to be filled with determination, as if to say that she was going to take the Scourge with her.
She had sacrificed her own life to save her comrades.

“I’m sorry… It’s all because I wasn’t good enough…”

Elheim gently closed Martina’s eyelids and, forgetting the throbbing in her right eye, cried alone.
The lesson she had learned in exchange for the life of her comrade was too heavy a burden.

Elheim became highly regarded within the academy for saving the caravan. This was despite the loss of her comrade.
The adults seemed to be disregarding that, and this disturbed Elheim forever.
But the seasons passed without resolution…

Elheim received a new mission and was heading to the site in a transport vehicle.

“Rescue a squad, huh…”

Bitter memories flashed through her mind.
She felt like another life would be sacrificed, and her right eye throbbed.

“Hey, what’s wrong with your right eye?”

The one who called out to Elheim, who was lost in thought, was Alumina, a new addition to her platoon.

“You’ve been rubbing your eyepatch for a while now, and I’m concerned about you.”
“Ahh…”

She hadn’t even noticed that she was touching her eyepatch until it was pointed out to her.

“You don’t have to tell me if it’s something you find difficult to say. Everyone has those things at some point.”
“Newbie, don’t ask Captain Elheim any rude questions.”

The other members of the squad looked at her as if to reproach her for her blunt question.

“No, it’s no problem.”

Elheim calmed the girls, who were suddenly furious, and gave Alumina a self-deprecating smile.
She then told her about the path she had taken so far.

“…So, we have a similar past.”
“If that’s so, does that mean that you are burdened with something?”
“Ah… It’s no big deal.”

Though she said that, it seemed she couldn’t hide the emotion in her eyes.
Elheim felt the urge to ask her about it, but since it was no big deal according to her, there was no way to pursue the matter.
There was still some time before they arrived at the site.
As she closed her eyes to regain her strength, Alumina spoke in a voice only Elheim could hear.

“Pretend I’m talking to myself and don’t pay attention.”
“Oh.”
“I hope I’m not mistaken, but listening to you, I can’t help but get the feeling that you’re leaving your fate and the one of your unit to others.”
“…”
“I hope someday you don’t have to take it back. That’s all.”

With those words, Alumina closed her eyes.
Glancing sideways at her, who immediately began to snore in her sleep, Elheim muttered to herself.

I know that too.

The vehicle shook with a thud.

The Elheim platoon came to the rescue of a platoon that had fled to an abandoned city. They destroyed the Scourges they encountered there, and rescued the survivors.
No casualties were reported from the platoon or the survivors.
Just as Elheim was relieved that they had accomplished their mission without losing anyone, the peaceful atmosphere was instantly thrown into hell.
The knight clad in blue flames stood in front of Elheim and her comrades.
It had inflicted tremendous damage on a number of platoons.
If they were to engage in a serious fight, there would have been many casualties.
It was not too late. Elheim made a quick decision and ordered her crew to move.

“Everyone, take the wounded and leave this place immediately.”

Elheim gave a strong order to the girls who were all disagreeing.
Although at first they also showed their intention to resist, they soon changed their minds and retreated, taking the wounded with them.

“That will do.”

Without looking back at her distant companions, Elheim smiled with satisfaction. Then, just as she had done the day she lost her right eye, she stepped toward the Blue Knight, ready to stab it.

“You’re a very bold woman, aren’t you?”
“…Alumina, why are you still here?”

It was Alumina, whom she had assumed had withdrawn, that stopped her in her tracks.

“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.”

It was a sharp observation.
Not being able to say anything back, Elheim changed the subject.

“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.”

Alumina looked straight at Elheim.
Her eyes were filled with such a strong will that it made her want to look away.
A strong will to help someone, just like Martina’s.

“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.”

The moment Alumina readied her weapon, the Blue Knight’s roar shook the air around them.

“…!!”

The Blue Knight leapt into the air, closing the distance in an instant and attacking the two.

The battle was fierce.
While Alumina was dexterously handling the scythe with her arms and body as if it were a limb, fending off the Blue Knight’s barrage of blows at close range, Elheim assisted her in the gap that arose when she turned to attack.
Although they had not trained together, their coordination was so brilliant that it was too good for being improvised.

No, this is Alumina matching my movements with mine…

For a newbie, she was so used to the situation, who was she?
Such questions ran through Elheim’s mind during the battle, but before long she was cornered by the Blue Knight to the point where she no longer had time to think.
No matter how much damage she inflicted on the Blue Knight, it regenerated its body and rose to its feet again and again.

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

The two of them ran out of strength and knelt on the spot.
The Blue Knight approached, swaying gently.

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

However, no matter how much she put up a false bravado, she couldn’t reach the Blue Knight.
The Blue Knight’s sword pierced Alumina’s stomach.

“U…gh, AAAAAAAAAHHH!?”
“A-Alumina!!”

She was held so high that her feet couldn’t touch the ground, and no matter how much Alumina resisted, her own weight allowed the sword to penetrate.
Elheim also attacked the Blue Knight with all her elemental power in an attempt to get her off the ground. However, none of the attacks were fatal, and every time the Blue Knight moved, Alumina’s body sank down and caused severe pain.
The situation was way too hopeless.

“Not enough… I am still not enough…”
“El, heim… R-run…”

Even as she was being toyed with by the Blue Knight and writhing in pain, Alumina wanted Elheim to survive.
But she couldn’t move a single step.

Her life or be killed by the Blue Knight along with Alumina – it was one of two options.

“U…Ugh, why… why…! Why can’t I choose!?”

Elheim was afraid to make a choice.
No matter how much she learned from the loss of Martina, she could not choose between life and death.
As she crouched and scratched her head, Elheim suddenly realized that she could no longer hear Alumina’s screams.
She couldn’t hear the Blue Knight’s groans either.
As Elheim raised her head, the first thing she saw was Alumina stealing the Blue Knight’s flame.

“…Are you really using those flames as your food?”

After being hit by a barrage of flames from the Blue Knight, Alumina drove her knife straight into the Blue Knight’s neck as it stopped moving.

“…”

The Blue Knight stumbled and fled the abandoned city.

“Are you… safe?”

Alumina stood there, stunned, unable to believe it.

“I-I… am alive…? Why…”
“Alumina!!”

Elheim ran over to Alumina to check on her seriously injured abdomen, but the hole that should have been there was rapidly closing up.

“What’s happening…”
““!? U…gh, my body, is hot-“”
“Alumina? Hey, pull yourself together, Alumina!”
“Ah-“

The hand that was touching Alumina felt a pain, as if it was being heated by something. At the same time, she felt a burning heat on her skin, and she couldn’t help but distance herself from Alumina.

“A… Alumina… Are you turning into that monster too?”

In front of Elheim, Alumina was engulfed in dark red flames.
No matter how much she called out to her, she didn’t respond. Her eyes, which had been filled with strong will, had faded. It was as if she was being controlled by someone.
Elheim couldn’t take her eyes off the flame-covered Alumina, who picked up her scythe.
She approached her with unsteady steps.

“What’s wrong, Alumina! Don’t you understand what I’m saying!?”

Alumina didn’t respond.
She simply raised her scythe and swung it straight down.

///////

When Elheim woke up, it was a familiar sight.

“…T-This is the medical department of the academy….”

She tried to take a closer look at the room, but her body was not moving as well as she would have liked.

“I’m not even strapped to the bed… why are my arms and legs not-“
“Ah… so you noticed it!”

Elheim tilted her head at the bouncy voice, and a girl from her squad stood there.

“That’s good, you made it back safely.”
“Yes. Thanks to you, Captain, we were fine. But…”

Elheim didn’t miss the sudden gloom on the girl’s face as she looked her way. A bad feeling crossed her mind.

“Sorry, but could you please pull back the blanket a bit? I can’t help but feel hot.”
“Um… well, I was told to call the doctor when you woke up! I’ll call him right away!”

The girl left the room after saying so, as if to stir things up.
Soon after, the doctor came in. Without even greeting him, Elheim asked him about the situation.

“Doctor, what happened to my body? Did they give me some strong anesthesia?”
“Elheim… I don’t know how to say it.”

The doctor was strangely hesitant.

“Please don’t lie to me. I must return as soon as possible and fight the Scourges so as not to tarnish the Erde name.”
“…You can’t.”
“Eh?”
“You can’t return anymore.”
“Wh-what are you talking about… I’m fully conscious and my elemental powers haven’t weakened. In fact, I can feel that my powers have increased! So how can you say I can’t return!!”

The man carefully chose his words and began to speak slowly.

“Please listen, calm down and listen… You no longer have your arms and legs.”
“…Ha, ha, you are joking.”
“I’m not lying. Take a look.”

The man slowly removed the blanket that had been covering Elheim. Her body was gradually revealed, and from her shoulders down and stomach down, there was nothing.
Her arms and legs were literally gone.

“AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH”

The girl’s heartbreaking cry echoed.

The man who was her doctor said that it was a miracle that she was still alive in this condition.
He explained various things, but Elheim’s dignity as a human had been completely messed up by the misfortune that had befallen her, and she was in no state to listen to what he was saying.
The only thing she could barely remember was that she had been found to have burns and Scourge bite marks on her body.
They couldn’t find any of her missing limbs, probably because they had been eaten by the Scourges.
After the man left, Elheim did nothing but stare blankly at the ceiling of the recovery room.

A few days passed.
Alumina came to Elheim’s room to visit her.
When she asked her what had happened, she told her that she had no memory of what had happened and that she had collapsed on the plains and been discovered by troops from the Academy.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you.”
“Are you leaving?”
“I’ve been reassigned to another unit.”
“…Well, good luck.”
“Um, I’m really sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it, I was going to fight the Blue Knight and die anyway. As long as I’m alive, I can be useful.”
“Elheim… Thank… Cough, cough…”
“Your throat is burning and you’re not feeling well, right? Don’t do anything rash.”
“Yes.”

Without saying much, Alumina left Elheim.
They didn’t exchange many words, but it was still lonely to lose sight of the presence of other people.

“This room is huge… Or maybe I just got smaller.”

She felt like there was a big hole in her chest, so she tried to twist her body, but it didn’t work.

“I told Alumina that I’m fine, but what could I really do in this state…?”

At first, Elheim’s team members came to visit her, but as soon as the decision to disband the troop was made, no one came.
She thought they were heartless people.
But it couldn’t be helped.
They were afraid to even look at her body in such a pitiful state.

“Heh, I’ll never forget… the way they looked at me.”

Even the girls who fought alongside her were like that.
The reaction of the Erde family was obvious.

“My father will never accept me anymore… Is this… The end for a woman who couldn’t make her own choices? Hehe-“

By now, her father must have heard about it. Elheim muttered to herself, and suddenly noticed something cold running down her cheek.

“There’s no point in crying…”

For her father, crying would not be the right thing to do. She knew it in her head, but no matter how hard she tried to control herself, the tears just keep flowing endlessly.

“…Gh …Ugh.”

She had no arms to wipe away the tears.
She had no legs to stomp her feet in anger.
All she could do was bear the sensation of the tear-soaked pillow on her skin.

“…AAAAAAAAAAAH!”

Her father’s words came and went like a crashing wave.

“You are good for nothing.”
“If you can’t make decisions, don’t even think for yourself.”
“Why are only girls born in my generation?”

These cursed words were repeating over and over again.
In the end, she was unable to change any of her father’s words.

“What… should I have done…?”

Elheim continued to cry, as if shedding the tears she’s been holding back for over a decade.

“I don’t know, I DON’T KNOW…!!”

No one was there to comfort her.
It was all because she had continued to entrust her fate to others.
Knowing this, all she could do was continue to cry like a baby.

Elheim’s voice was so loud that it could be heard outside the room. As she was crying madly, she didn’t notice the changes in the room.
Everything in the room, from the walls to the furnishings, was crumpled, as if they had been crushed by something.

A few weeks had passed since that day when she let everything out with her tears.
Elheim’s tears had long since dried up and she had regained her composure. She suddenly began to question the fact that someone as useless as her was still alive for so long.

“Why haven’t I been expelled yet from the Academy?”

The academy was not a place that would forever shelter incompetent people who did not contribute to the fight against the Scourges.
In order to enjoy freedom, they must continue to demonstrate a reasonable level of competence.
The one who embodied this policy more than anyone else was Aurelia Grundlage, who continued to stand at the top of the Academy.
She was described by students and staff alike as “cool-headed and cold-blooded,” and there was no way she would have kept Elheim.
At least, that’s how Elheim perceived it.

“Haha… Not in this state. Father would probably refuse to accept me, so expelling me might be difficult.”

At that moment, Elheim sensed the footsteps of someone approaching the room. From the distance between her strides, she could tell that it was not the girl from the medical department who always came to take care of her.
Since losing her limbs, Elheim had been voluntarily training to sharpen her senses. Her accuracy has visibly improved, and she now able to accurately guess the number of people approaching the room.
And that was not the only result of her training.
There was a knock on the door, and when she answered, she heard an unfamiliar male voice.

“Elheim, do you have a moment?”
“No problem. Come in.”

A man wearing a tattered and sooty lab coat entered the room at Elheim’s prompting.
The sooty armband indicated that he belonged to a department involved in the research and manufacture of weapons.

Will I be disposed of?

Her body naturally stiffened with tension.
The man quickly noticed the change in Elheim, and spoke to her in a concerned tone.

“I’m sorry I’m dressed like this. I haven’t come here to harm you-“
“No need to explain, can you tell me what you want?”

As Elheim narrowed her eyes, the man let out a small shriek. It seemed like it was becoming unclear who was in the higher position.

“A-Actually, there’s something I’d like your help with, Elheim…”

The man said that he wanted Elheim to be the central figure in his research project.
It was to bring back to the front lines those Sibyls who for some reason were unable to fight before they reached a certain age.

“My research requires cooperation from the subjects. You have achieved outstanding results, so I would especially like to ask you.”
“…Can you still say that after seeing my current form?”
“Yes, there is no particular problem with that.”

Elheim gradually became more and more irritated by the man’s pompous way of speaking and how he chuckled while looking at her missing body parts.

“And that’s it…? What do you know about me!”

As soon as she glared at the man, she used her elemental power to lightly hurt him. Normally, it was strictly forbidden to use power against humans, but if she didn’t do that, she would have went crazy at any moment.
The man was crushed by an invisible force and crouched on the floor, crawling along on his hands and knees.

“Y-yes… ugh… that’s it… that power!”
“Huh?”

As soon as the elemental power left his body, the man jumped up and ran over to the bed where Elheim was lying.

“Elheim, this will be of great significance to you.”
“S-stay away from me. What do you want me to do?
“I want to bring people closer to the elementals.”
“Closer? What the heck…”

According to him, the Sibyls who control the elemental power are unconsciously circulating said power in their bodies to improve their physical abilities and natural healing power.

“So, if we could circulate that power more efficiently… What do you think would happen?”

Elheim’s eyes widened in surprise, as if she had an idea what the man was talking about.

“Do you have any idea?”
“The reason I can survive in this state is because of my elemental power. Is that so?”
“Exactly. I’m glad you figured it out so quickly.”
“So that’s why my power is getting stronger. The feeling I felt back then was right.”

Elheim looked at the flowers that had been offered to her as a condolence gift.
Then, the flowers withered in an instant. And then, new flowers bloomed and withered again.

“I couldn’t have done this before.”
“My, my… you have incredible power.”
“Wait, if my powers have improved since I lost my limbs, then your research-“
“Yes. It’s just as you imagined, Elheim.”

The man spoke his best words to Elheim, who looked at him with wide eyes in shock.

“In fact, I have received permission to talk to you from not only Lady Aurelia, but also from your father.”
“F-Father…?! What about him!?”
“He looked pleased, at least to me.”

Those words continued to eat away at Elheim’s core.
Poisonous words that easily took away her ability to judge.

“It may hurt a liiittle, but there is a way to overcome the pain. There is a wonderful world waiting for you.”
“Even though I’m like this… I can still be useful to Father…!”
“Of course! Your name, no, Erde’s name will be etched in the history of the Academy!”
“I’ll join you… I don’t want to be here anymore. Let’s do it now!”

Elheim had once again left her fate in the hands of others.
Even if what was awaiting her was hell.
There was nothing that could stop her now.

“The experiment was a success!”

Those watching from the darkness clapped their hands in praise of the good work.
Their gazes fell on the countless remnants of second-class Scourges they had recovered for the experiment.
Their bodies had been so ground up that their original shapes were no longer recognizable, and the mingled pieces of flesh formed a pattern that resembled an abstract work of art.
The ground was caved in as if it had been gouged out, indicating the magnitude of the force of the blow.
What had caused this destruction in the first place?
The answer lay in the box they were gazing at with interest.

“This was made possible by embedding the power of a crystallized elemental.”

The man who led the research was so happy about the results that he continued to talk with excitement.

“We still need to do more trials before it can be put to practical use, but this will be a big step forward in the battle against the ever-worsening Scourges!”
“Excellent, well done.”
“Thank you!”

A stern-looking man approached from the darkness.

“Its power is truly impeccable. So, what are the issues in officially putting it to use?”

The researcher replied bluntly to the man who asked, "Is it the cost, after all?" 

“The operational issues will be resolved by the time we reach the practical stage.”
“I see.”
“However, due to its nature, it cannot be mass-produced, and we have to be careful about the maintenance costs… after all, once the test subject is shaved off, it can’t be restored to its original state.”

The researcher lowered the ends of his eyebrows apologetically.
His gaze seemed to be testing the expression of the man in front of him.

“It doesn’t matter.”
“I-Is it okay?”
“Does it matter to you? I have the ownership of it. I said you can use it as you like, and you can focus on making the battle against Scourges more favorable.”

With the owner’s approval, the researcher’s complexion brightened. He continued to bow toward the man repeatedly, as if his head were about to touch the ground.

“T-Thank you!”
“…She was a disgrace to our family until the end, but now she should be of some use.”
“Oh?”
“We have an agreement with the Grundlage family, so if you ever need materials, just let me know. You can use them as much as you want.”
“Thank you… for everything!”
“I look forward to seeing results. Now it’s time for our meeting, I’ll leave the rest to you.”
“Yes! I will not fail you, Lord Erde!!”

The stern-looking man left the place with the men who had come to watch the experiment.
The words of acknowledgement that had been repeated until they were out of sight had now turned into words of excitement at the fact that he had received the owner’s approval.

“Hehe, hehe, hahahaha! We’ll do it! We’ll bring peace to this world!”

The man was laughing loudly and staring at the box standing alone on the training ground.

Surrounded on all four sides by iron fasteners to prevent it from falling over, it looked like an iron coffin from the outside.
The center was carved in a way that allowed the inside to be seen, and something flashing red could be seen peeking out.

“…”

It was a girl-like thing connected to a myriad of tubes through which a red, shimmering liquid flowed.
Even though it could be described as such, it retained very little of human parts.
It had no arms or legs, and no feminine parts.
It was likely that any organs unnecessary for use had been discarded. Her exposed body was so emaciated that her bone structure was visible.

“…uh.”

For a brief moment, her beautiful green eye flickered.
She was alive even in this state.

“…ah.”

At that moment, her body suddenly started to tremble, and steam started to erupt from all over her body.

“Oh… this can’t be good. Are you okay, Elheim?”

The man who had been talking to the head of the Erde family a moment ago spoke to her in a nonchalant voice. Naturally, there was no proper reply.
But the man didn’t seem to mind, and began to caress Elheim’s efficient body without any hesitation.

“Mmh… It looks like the heat sink isn't working…”

After identifying the area that needed improvement, the man said calmly.

“I’ve got your father’s permission, so let’s cut out this, this, and this too. Yes, that’s good.”
“…uh, ah”

There was a slight reaction to the word “father.”
Even in this state, she still seemed to want to be useful to him.

“I’m happy for you, Elheim. Now you can be even more useful to your father.”
“…”
“Hehe, it’s amazing that you can still smile. Perhaps this is also a gift from your elemental power… Well, we’re running out of time, so let’s head back.”

With that, the man tilted the box containing Elheim and carried it away somewhere.
In the shaking box, Eleheim thought of happy feelings.
She thought that by offering herself, she could keep her parents who had abandoned her.
But there was one more thing to be happy about.

“…”

I don’t have to make a choice anymore.
Just thinking that made her heart leap with joy.

“Oh my, you must be very happy.”

Those were the remains of Elheim Erde.
One day, they would become a symbol of hope for humanity in the fight against the Scourges.
The path she chose in the end was the right one for humanity. But whether it was the right one for her – even she no longer knew.