Mian Telseuras 

Decapitation, eye trauma, burning alive, crushing, mass death, bludgeoning, strangulation, suicide, general war-related themes such as extreme violence.

The world of the miniature garden was created by God.
Furthermore, God gave birth to humans in this world and to Elementals who bring it color with the power of nature.
Humans evolved their species and culture with the blessings from the Elementals.
And as they interacted with humans, the Elementals became self-aware.
At some point, humans learned to give their lives to the Elementals and to create Sibyls, who spoke on behalf of nature.
The four Sibyls, each hosting the Elementals of fire, water, wind, and earth, dispersed across the world, fostering prosperity in their respective lands.

Mian Telseuras, the Earth Sibyl, protected the land of Luthra.
She was also the leader of the “Aterima faith”, which worshiped the goddess Nefeshé. Nefeshé was said to have appeared to those who had survived the harsh nature and given them fertile land.

The Earth Elemental had healing powers that gave rich earth and peace of mind.
Like the wise Earth Sibyls who had come before her, Mian too brought healing to her followers, guiding the Aterima faith alongside Luthra’s development.

The “citadel of Anchieta” had the largest cathedral in Luthra, symbolizing the country of the Aterima faith.
Mian resided in a mansion on a hill not far from Anchieta.
She was born into a noble family of devout Aterima followers, and even before the Elemental possessed her, she loved her mansion, which overlooked the cathedral from its balcony.

“Lady Mian. The Water Sibyl from Tioquia, Lady Juna, has come to visit.”
“It’s already that time, isn’t it? Very well. Please let her come in.”

Mian’s face lit up with joy when she received the news from her servant.
Juna Salacia was the guardian of the Water capital of Tioquia, located on the edge of Luthra. She was a kind-hearted Sibyl who, like Mian, believed that the power of Elementals should be used for the benefit of the people.
For this reason, the two of them had a close friendship and worked together as allies.
Though they had a firm bond of trust, their busy schedules inevitably meant infrequent meetings.
Mian was looking forward to seeing Juna for the first time in a while.

“Juna! I’m so glad to see you looking so well.”
“You too. I’m relieved to see that you haven’t changed at all.”
“We Sibyls don’t age, so it’s only natural that we don’t change appearance.”
“Hehehe. That’s also true.”

Even though she was born into a noble family, all that was provided was tea and simple flour-based pastries.
The people of Luthra, who believed in honorable poverty, were content with this.
The two girls chatted and laughed while having tea.
After a pause in the conversation, Juna spoke up gravely, “Actually…”
Her face was somewhat shadowed.

“This is just a rumor, but… I’ve heard that Agidis, the northern country, is planning an invasion of Luthra under the command of the Fire Sibyl.”
“Agidis… It’s one of the countries that has been repeatedly invading others, but I can’t believe they're targeting Luthra…”
“Besides, we have not had any contact with the Fire Sibyl for a long time since the last one. Since we do not know what kind of person the current one is, it is best to be cautious.”
“I agree. I’ll try to take countermeasures as well.”

Agidis, the country of the Fire Sibyl, was a land of scarce resources and arid lands, where people were forced to live in harsh conditions.
The country had prospered by capitalizing on its advanced iron manufacturing engineering based on the power of Elementals, but it has been unable to solve its fundamental resource shortage and had frequently invaded and looted neighboring countries.

Mian, who felt something unpleasant in her heart when she heard the news from Juna, immediately sent an Aterima priest to Agidis as spy.

The spy that Mian had sent on a reconnaissance mission returned to Luthra.
His body was cut off from the neck down, leaving only the head.
His face was distorted and rigid with fear, and flowers were buried in his eye sockets.

“Damn… What a…horrible…!”

Mian, seeing that wrapped in a package with no sender’s name, shook with anger at the cruel treatment. She realized that Agidis had launched an invasion of Luthra without any kind of warning.
An emergency meeting was held in the cathedral, and a volunteer army was immediately formed by Aterima priests and followers. Mian was appointed as their commander.
She had been well-versed in all kinds of studies since she was a child, and had a deep knowledge of military science as well.
However, despite her efforts to lead the army in battles throughout Luthra, she was unable to do anything in the face of the tremendous onslaught of Agidis’s army, and the battles were repeatedly lost.

A young man named Edain gently caressed Mian’s head, who had become depressed due to the responsibility she felt as a commander.
Edain had supported her since before she made a contract with the Elemental.
They had grown up together since childhood, but when Mian decided to become a Sibyl, they vowed to devote their lives to each other even if they could no longer share the same time.
To Mian, he was a friend, a parental figure, and a companion.

“Why did…this happen? My strategy should have never been wrong…”
“Lady Mian… Too much depression is poison for your body. Your strategy was not bad.”
“Then why!? So many people died! And… They were killed in such an undignified way!”

The behavior of Agidis’s forces as they ravaged the defeated Luthra lands was too much to take in.
Houses and establishments were destroyed to the point of excess, and all manner of money and food was looted.
Women and children were used as playthings, and the men who were left behind were killed for the amusement of the soldiers.

“They would call my name before they passed away. And I could do nothing for them…”
“Lady Mian…”

Edain hugged Mian tightly as she trembled in fear.
He comforted her as if he were comforting a child, repeatedly telling her that “It’s all right”.
Mian regained her composure, stood up, and clenched her fists.

“It’s okay. There are still many people in Luthra. To protect them, we must move forward.”
“Yes, we must. First of all, what should we do about the followers who have retreated from the defeated areas…?”
“We will send them to Anchieta as soon as possible. Let them heal their wounds in a well-defended place.”
“Hehe… You’re finally starting to act like the Lady Mian I know.”
“It’s thanks to you. If I falter again… will you comfort me again?”
“Of course.”

The two kissed in a small, empty Aterima church.
At that time, they still had no doubt that they would have been able to drive back Agidis’ army and restore peace on Luthra.

“We must act with a small troop of about five men. Agidis’ army will climb up from the valley. You must intercept them, constantly switching between archery and supply. Luthra is our land. We know its advantages, so we are sure to win!”
“Oooooh!! As the goddess Nefeshé and the venerable Mian will!!”

As the shouts of the congregation echoed, Mian looked back once more at her strategy.
There was a large bridge passing through the canyon. It was the only way to invade Anchieta.
Mian had deliberately collapsed part of this bridge, rendering it impassable.
Inevitably, Agidis’ army would have to cross the river and climb up the valley on its own.
The plan was to wipe out the opponents when they were massed together and their advance was stalled.

The time came for the mission to be carried out.
As planned, the Agidis army climbed up from the valley, where the footholds were poor. The Aterima followers were waiting for them from a high position, and attacked the enemy with ferocious archery.
Amidst the Agidis army’s screams of agony, units began to retreat one after another. At the command post, a short distance from the valley where Mian was stationed, excitement grew as the signs pointed to the operation’s success.

“It looks like our geographical advantage has paid off after all. With this momentum…we might be able to push through this…!”

Mian was looking at the battlefield through binoculars, and she couldn’t help but smile.
However, after a while, she sensed something disturbing in the air.

“The followers…there’s something off.”

The followers, who had stopped moving with their bows at the ready, were suddenly caught in a pillar of flame that erupted from the valley floor, and instantly reduced into ashes.
Not missing the collapse of their vanguard, the Agidis army reversed at once and quickly climbed the cliff.
With the ground under their control, the followers’ coordination shattered, and they were being slaughtered without mercy.

“Those flames… It must be the Fire Sibyl!!”
“Lady Mian, the operation has failed! They will arrive here any minute! Please retreat!”
“B-but… Everyone is still in the canyon…! And if the Sibyl is with them, my power could…!”
“We cannot afford to lose you as well! Please, please back off!”
“Gh… I understand…”

Urged by the priest, Mian leapt from the command post.

No matter how much resistance a human may put up, everything will return to nothing… This is far more powerful than my healing powers, almost demonic in its destruction. The former Fire Sibyl was not as powerful as this one…
How could I possibly…resist that vicious flame?

Once an opportunity was seized, the battle was instantly overturned by the overwhelming power of the Fire Sibyl.
Witnessing this, Mian was overcome by the fear that victory might be impossible, but she hastily shook her head to dispel the thought.

What good is it if I don’t believe in the future?
As the Sibyl leading the people of Luthra, I must stay strong.
I have to make sure to not make any more sacrifices…

Mian steered her horse and left the canyon.
The distant screams of her followers were stuck in her ears.

The fight continued as they were pursued by Agidis’ army. But they could not even resist in the face of the Fire Sibyl’s mighty power, and various villages and towns had fallen one after another.
Mian, forced into retreat, arrived at the “Holy City of Alesandia”.
A long time ago the Aterima faith was called “heretical”, something that was unthinkable today.
It was said that Alesandia was the birthplace of the Aterima faith.
Fearing persecution for their heresy, the church and town were built deep in the forest, out of sight. They were well protected, although not as protected as Anchieta.

In addition to being nervously in command of the operation day after day, Mian was troubled by the news that her friend Juna had turned against her, although it was uncertain.
Convinced that she was nearing the limits of her physical and mental energy, she decided to take a short rest in this relatively safe place.

“Oh… It’s a miracle of the Saint…! The pain is going away…!”
“I’m only enhancing your healing ability. If you overdo it, the wound will open up.”
“Thank you… Lady Mian, may God bless you…”
“God bless you too.”

Using the healing powers of the Earth Elemental, Mian healed the injuries of the few followers who managed to escape from the slaughter of Agidis’ army.
After treating the last patient in the church, which had been turned into a makeshift open-air hospital, Mian was approached by a group of local children.

“Ehm, are you really the venerable Mian?”
“Yes, I’m Mian the Earth Sibyl.”
“Wow, the real thing!! Hey, Lady Mian! Can you read us this book?”
“Okay. Please sit down here”
“Yes!”
“Good. Let’s start… Once upon a time…”

Mian felt relaxed as she read the picture book to them.
Although she was revered as the saint of the Aterima faith and was in command of the battle, she had not achieved any results, and the casualties had continued to increase.
She was more grateful than anything for the quiet life that those children brought to her worn-out heart.

“Lady Mian, thank you! Let’s play again!”
“Yes. Be careful on your way home.”
“Yes! Bye bye!”

Mian waved to the backs of the children as they left. The sun had begun to set and the place was no longer crowded.
However, though the children had brought her solace, it was merely a form of escapism.
In an instant, she was brought back to reality and fell into an intense sense of loneliness and helplessness.
As she felt depressed, Edain approached her.

“Lady Mian. I am so glad you are here. Are you okay…?”
“No, it’s nothing…”
“But you are shivering.”
“I’m not cold, and I’m not sick. I’m just scared…”
“Lady Mian…”
“I know I look strong in front of you, but I’m also really scared! Under my command…many of the Luthra people have been killed by the ruthless Agidis army! I can no longer…carry it all by myself…”

Mian revealed her true feelings to the only person she could trust.
As she expressed them for the first time, her emotions overflew like a dam.
Edain hugged her as usual and spoke with a somewhat tense look on his face.

“The only thing I can do is protect the Sibyl…and, there is only so much I can do…”

Saying that, he released the embrace.
Then, Mian noticed a small pendant with a blue-glowing stone now hung around her neck.
The stone emitted a soft, gentle light.

“What’s this…?”
“It's a stone that is attuned to my life and radiance. It won’t be much comfort, but you can think of it as my alter ego. Well, even though it looks like a toy. Ha ha ha.”

Edain gave a sheepish smile, embarrassed by his own cheesy gesture.
However, his kindness went straight to Mian.

“That’s not it! Edain, I’m so happy!”
“I’m honored if you’re pleased.”
“So…this is the light of your life… It’s so pretty…”
“May I have one of yours someday?”
“Of course! So we can match, hehe.”
“A-And… No, nothing.”
“Oh…?”

Edain stopped after he was about to say something, but Mian did not want to pry too deeply because they had known each other for a long time.
She left the church with him, thinking they could talk another time.

–Another time.
Just as the sun rose and fell again.
Mian was under the illusion that another time was a matter of course.

The army of Agidis, led by the Fire Sibyl Tita, was far greater than expected.
Even though many priests were defending the perimeter of Alesandia, none of them were able to fulfill their role.
In front of Tita’s reddish-black flames, human strength was worth as little as dust, and every last one of them was burned to ashes.

“HAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

Tita scattered the flames of her malice throughout Alesandia with a metallic, unpleasant laugh.
The smell of burning flesh pierced the nose along with the black smoke from the burning houses.

Though Tita had been slaughtering like a maniac, she had her own reasons for setting an entire city on fire.

“Mian! Come out now! If you don’t want the people here to be roasted alive… AHAHAHAHA!”

Her target was Mian.
The greatest threat to the invasion of Luthra was the power of the Sibyl, so targeting her life was only natural.
But even so, Tita’s behavior was unusual.
She repeatedly screamed Mian’s name, laughing and raging in emotional instability.
She was filled with a twisted, almost obsessive distortion, as if she had come to kill her former lover.

Mian, realizing that Tita wanted her, thought for a moment.
She knew that she was the hope of the Aterima followers, whether she was proud of it or not.
However, she was also Tita’s target, and if she left, there was a possibility that everyone might be spared.
Needless to weigh the odds, Mian slipped out of the church’s old bunker and appeared in the burning city of Alesandia.

“This feeling… AAAAAAAAAH, I FOUND YOU!”

Tita had felt the presence of the Elemental that dwelled in the Sibyl, so she prepared her huge sword Diabolos, and rushed toward Mian.
Mian tried to transform the earth and create a wall as a shield to catch the blade.

Just then, a man caught the sword right in front of Mian’s eyes.
Edain shouted as he blocked the Diabolos with his own sword, which was much thinner and smaller.

“Lady Mian! Please run away while you can!”
“No Edain! You don’t even have a chance of winning…!”
“Go! You must go! You cannot die here!”

How could he…!
It’s too rash for a human to stand up to the power of a Sibyl, especially a Fire one!

Just as Mian rushed to join him, she was surrounded by several Aterima followers.
They were trying to restrain her and carry her away from the battlefield.

“Lady Mian! Do not let his courage be in vain!”
“NO! EDAIN!”

Her desperate resistance and cries were fruitless, and Edain’s figure grew further and further away.
In that last moment before he vanished from sight, Mian thought she saw him smile.

Half-forced onto a horse, Mian was now moving away from Alesandia.
Slumped like a child exhausted from crying, she clutched the pendant Edain had given her.

He will be fine.
He will run away, hide, and come back embarrassed after wrapping the Fire Sibyl.
It has to be.

Mian wrapped her hands and peeked inside. Her pendant was glowing pale.

Yes, he is alive.
This is the light of Edain’s life.
As long as it shines, he is fine…

Mian was telling herself that over and over again, as if she was praying.
But her wish did not come true.

The light in her hand suddenly lost its luster and shattered without a sound.

Thanks in part to Edain’s voluntary sacrifice, Mian and some of the Aterima followers managed to escape Alesandia and return to the citadel of Anchieta, home to the great cathedral of the Aterima faith.
Although the word ‘return’ sounded good, it was more accurate to say that they were driven into a corner with no other choice.
The moment that would have decided the existence of the country of Luthra was already at hand.

Mian was assigned a room in the cathedral and lied on a bed.
Surprisingly, she had accepted Edain’s death.
She did not misjudge Tita’s competence based on wishful thinking.
She knew that Edain would have never made it back alive.

However, it is one thing to accept it and another to pretend it never happened.
Mian had mourned and grieved over the loss of Edain, and her heart had fallen into a deep, deep swamp. She lost the will to perform her official duties and became an hollow shell.

Anchieta, the largest city in Luthra, still had enough priests and volunteer troops, but most of its citizens were civilians who did not have the means to fight.
The unfavorable state of the war was plain for all to see, and anxiety and fear spread through the city in an instant.
In order to seek salvation, they took action.
It was not to take up arms to fight, nor to abandon Luthra and run away.
It was to do one simple thing… Pray.

The citizens gathered at the cathedral in unison and continued to chant the words of their prayers.
To Nefeshé, the fertility goddess worshiped by the Aterima faith, and to Saint Mian.

Save our lives, save our families, save our faith.
Please save us.

The prayers grew louder, eventually becoming cries that echoed throughout Anchieta.
For the people of Luthra, devout Aterima followers, it was a natural and righteous act.
But Mian, whom prayers were directed to, took one look at the people looking up at her from the upper floor of the cathedral, then drew back the curtains and slipped back into her bed.

To the current Mian, their cries sounded like nothing but curses.

The people killed by the Agidis army, Edain…
None of them were saved.
Prayers save nothing.

Mian, herself a devout Aterima follower, was torn between her faith and the reality of her powerlessness.

“Lady Mian! We ask for your presence once more!”

The cries of the people in front of the cathedral grew louder and more fervent.
Judging the situation would spiral out of control, Mian forced her heavy body to rise and emerged from the balcony.
After admonishing the voices calling the saint’s name, she took a deep breath and spoke.

“Listen to me, people of Anchieta! With the power of Aterima, we shall defeat the forces of Agidis and the Fire Sibyl Tita! I promise you that we will make peace! In the name of the goddess Nefeshé!!”

Mian returned to her room to a frenzy of cheering, and fell to her knees.
The promise she had just made would never be fulfilled, and she herself was well aware of that.
Her mind was unable to keep up with the collapse of the self she had built, and she suffered from violent dizziness.

Then, a few days later…
The army of Agidis finally reached the city of Anchieta, running with a cloud of dust.

“Miaaaaaan… I found you…”

Tita, having found her prey, licked her lips with a look of delight on her face.
Her eyes were fixed on the cathedral.

Despite the obvious difference in strength, the Aterima followers fought unexpectedly well against Agidis’ forces.
Was it because it was the last remaining land of Luthra, or was it their faith?
Their desperate resistance inflicted heavy casualties on the Agidis army.
However, this was due to the brute instincts of the followers, and not a “strategy”.

No one was following Mian’s commands.
The non-combatants were running around crying and screaming, and the streets of Anchieta were filled with a pandemonium of enemies and allies.
Mian was stunned as she gazed at this hellish scene, which was devoid of any semblance of leadership or discipline.
As a matter of fact, her role became meaningless.

I didn’t make the wrong choice not just as a Sibyl, but as the Aterima saint…
Why is nothing going right…!?

Even the followers who had fought desperately were now being overwhelmed.
Anchieta was doomed to fall.

“It’s over! This is the end of Luthra!”
“Mommy! Where’s Mommy?”
“Lady Mian! What are we going to do?”

The people who had taken refuge in the cathedral clung to Mian.
Without the strength to support herself, Mian collapsed to the ground.
She knew she had to take action, but she had no idea what to do.
As she was feeling weak, one of the followers who had been assisting her whispered in her ear.

“Lady Mian, the sound of battle is gradually approaching us. If we remain here, this place will be in danger. It would be better for you to evacuate.”
“Yes, that’s right… Judging by the state of the battle, it may be unavoidable…”
“A large group moving together will draw attention. The first step is for Lady Mian and us to go. We’ll evacuate the other people later.”
“What…? I can’t leave the children and be the first one to flee!”
“But…”

She continued to argue with the assistant.
What kind of saint, what kind of Earth Sibyl, would have left her people behind and flee before anyone else?
Mian had not achieved a single victory in this war, but she wanted to maintain her pride as someone who led others.
In fact, it was all that was left for her.

After yet another exchange, the assistant finally relented and offered a solution.

“I understand. Then, let the women and children go first, and then you-“

His words were drowned out by a roar.
A cannonball fired by the artillery unit of Agidis’ army had hit the cathedral.

“Ah… Ah… No way…”

A cannonball hit the cathedral, causing the ceiling and walls to collapse. Many of the people who had been evacuated were trapped underneath.
These included followers who were helping, men who were lamenting the future of Luthra, women who were clinging to Mian, and children who had been separated from their parents.
Pieces of flesh splattered from those near the point of impact, and blood spread beneath the rubble with moans.
The survivors were desperately trying to rescue their people, but they could not be saved.

It is all because… I hesitated to evacuate…
If I had acted quickly and without being stubborn, surely it would not have turned out this way…
Always, always, always. People die around me.
After I make a decision, after I take action…

There was absolutely no malice in Mian’s principles of action.
Rather, she was a righteous person who deserved to be called a saint.
But unfortunately, fate is not always on the side of justice.
Fortune and misfortune are equally distributed to all.
Mian just happened to keep drawing the misfortune card.

Even though she was a Sibyl with the power of the Elemental, she had the same mental strength as an ordinary girl.
Sadly, Mian no longer could accept this reality.

“…I can’t stand this!! No matter how I try to lead Luthra, everyone is going to die! That’s our fate!!”
“A saint can’t say such things…”
“I have enough… I don’t want to stay here any longer!”
“W-Where are you going?”

Crushed by her grief, self-doubts, and self-reproach at her failure to control the situation, Mian abandoned her role as a Saint.
She hadn’t decided where to go. She just didn’t want to stay here.
Mian poured out her feeble heart, something unthinkable for a saint, and left her people bewildered.

But at that moment, the Agidis army, charging on the signal of a cannon hit, invaded the cathedral.

“We don’t need prisoners! Kill them all!!”

True to those words, the evacuees were slaughtered.
Women, children, and the elderly were all killed, no one was spared.
Perhaps because they understood the overwhelming difference in power, they did not scream.
They let themselves be killed, silently.

Mian, no longer remembering that she was the Earth Sibyl, watched the carnage in a daze.
Then an Aterima follower, who had been in a different part of the cathedral, suddenly appeared.

“Lady Mian, there is a hidden passageway in the back of the cathedral. Please come this way before they find you.”
“…”

According to the follower, using the secret passage led to a hideout on the outskirts of Anchieta, where a small number of civilians had taken refuge.
But Mian gave no answer.
The impatient followers were heading for the hidden passageway, half-dragging Mian with them.

The citadel of Anchieta was a symbol of Luthra.
It was not long after that that it became completely engulfed in flames.

After escaping Anchieta from the cathedral through a hidden passageway, Mian stumbled into the hideout of the Aterima followers.
Although it was called a hideout, it is nothing more than a large, primitive hole dug in a small mountain, with no facilities for survival.
There were about 20 people who have managed to escape, and they were sitting and nodding off in various places.
When Mian entered, all eyes were on her.
The people’s empty eyes showed no faith in the Saint.

“Saint Mian… You're safe. If you abandoned the women, the children and the town, then you may well be saved.”

Those sarcastic words were flying, not unlike those of the Aterima followers.

“It seems that her action led Luthra is in this mess… I can’t believe that she has fought Agidis so many times and never won a single battle! What an incompetent commander!”

Those people laughed in disgust and spat at Mian.
The faithful followers rose up in anger at their conduct.

“You bastards…”
“What a saint! Have you heard the rumors? She had an affair with one of her servants! A saint who lost her virginity is so hilarious!”
“You…! How dare you blaspheme against our saintly…!”
“I say what I want! She’s the big criminal who ended Luthra!”
“…I cannot forgive that. Renegades will be punished.”

The follower suddenly struck him without question.
Then, straddling the man who groaned and fell, he picked up a rock that had fallen nearby and smashed it into his face.
Again and again.
The other refugees watched blankly, not uttering a word.
Only the sound of a human face being crushed echoed through the hideout.

Eventually, the follower stopped and stood up.
His nose bone and throat were crushed and he could not clear his airway. He was convulsing, emitting a gurgling sound that did not sound like breathing.
When Mian rushed to him, he had already run out of breath.

“I am very sorry, Lady Mian. If it weren’t for the contingency, I would have tortured him until he wished for death.”

As the follower said that, he kicked the corpse away.
The man’s blood splashed slightly, sticking to Mian’s cheek.

These people are going mad.
At a time like this, when the country is about to be lost, aren’t people supposed to look after each other? Isn’t that what faith is supposed to be?
The Aterima faith does not preach such things.
When did it come to this?
Had something gone wrong without my knowledge?
I don’t care about this or that anymore…

“…No more.”
“Lady Mian…?”
“I said no more. I don’t care about any of you, or this country.”

The refugees remained silent, looking as if they had just witnessed something incredible.
Mian continued.

“I’ve never been in a war. How could I possibly understand what to do?! You keep saying ‘Lady Mian this, Lady Mian that’… Why don’t you think for yourself a little?!”
“A-A Saint should not say such…”
“I am the Earth Sibyl! I’ve never been a Saint!! This is just what you call me… Countless people have died! What does it matter if I’m a saint or if you worship me?!”

The sanctioned followers were shell-shocked, betrayed by the saint they believed in.
Unconcerned, Mian continued to rant like a child.
She continued to complain about the people of Luthra and her own upbringing.
Her words were perfectly reasonable for a normal girl.
However, no one saw it that way.
The sacrifices were already too great to be put away by complaints.

One of the refugees who had been listening to the argument twisted his face in disgust and then slowly approached Mian.
He punched her in the face with his fist and began to strangle her.
He spat out angry words mixed with tears to Mian, who had absolutely no idea what had just happened.

“You stupid brat…! You made everyone die and now you say you “didn’t want to do it”? You’ve got to be kidding me!!”
“Ha…ha…”
“You can’t tell me that you weren’t flattered by being called a Sibyl and a saint!!”
“Gah…”
“You think you’re the unluckiest person in the world…! My whole family is dead!!”

His face became even more bloodshot as he put pressure on the fingers around Mian’s neck.
Everyone was convinced that he really intended to kill her, but there was no one to stop him.

He just called me a “war criminal”… He may be right.
The guilty must always be judged.
If the people of Luthra pass that judgment, I will accept it willingly…

She had resigned herself to the fact that this was her destiny.
But in her fading consciousness, Mian wished.
She had a wish. She wanted to live…

And then, she woke up.
She wondered if she was supposed to be dead, and looked around to see thick vines of some kind of plant that were growing at a rate that threatened to cover the hiding place.
Mian, still in a foggy state of consciousness, stared at it.
There were bodies of people who had been strangled and suffocated, bodies that had been shredded… They were the tangled corpses of the refugees who had been with her just moments before.

“I… Did something terrible…”

She immediately understood what the scene meant.
Was it an unconscious act born from her wish to live?
Mian had used the power of the Earth Elemental to lay hands on the people of Luthra.

Mian arranged the corpses of the people she had killed neatly in the corner of the hideout and laid them down.
She treated them as she would the living, with utmost care.
When she laid the last one down, she sat in front of them.

The earth Elemental has healing powers…
And yet… Instead of healing, I have destroyed everything.
The city, the country, the people.
The path I walk is always accompanied by someone else’s suffering.
If no one is going to punish this sinner who spread misery… I am going to do it myself.

From not far away, the sound of the approaching army of Agidis could be heard.
They were going to find this hideout. And then capture or humiliate Mian.
But she did not choose that future.

Mian pulled out her sword from inside her jacket, sheathed it, and held it in reverse grip.
Without showing any hesitation, she thrust it into her chest.
She fell forward and died.
It was as if she was deeply begging for people’s forgiveness.
Her lifeless, broken face turned sideways, her empty eyes fixed on the horizon.
But her darkened vision no longer reflected the country, the people, or anything else.

–In that moment, the country of Luthra had been destroyed.
The few surviving citizens would have been enslaved by Agidis, and stripped away of their dignity and belief in God.
The name of Mian Telseuras would never be spoken of as a great person who worked hard for her country.

A few hours later…
Mian’s body was mysteriously covered with flowers and grass, perhaps as a parting gift from the Earth Elemental.
Then, a girl with skin as white as porcelain appeared.
She was faintly glowing, her form seeming unreal, and had a mysterious expression, in between crying and smiling.
The girl reached out with a small hand and brushed away some of the flowers and grass surrounding Mian.
The face revealed beneath lay peaceful, eyes closed, as if freed from the suffering brought by the war.
The girl stroked Mian’s cheek and spoke, her words meant for no one in particular.

“The more humans are oblivious to their folly…the more they believe in ideals. Not knowing that what awaits them is only tragedy…”

Mian’s body and the Earth Elemental began to glow with a dull light.
Then, after flickering its light like a candle several times, the whole body slowly disappeared.

In the girl’s hand was a flower.
When she let go, the flower flew away into the distant sky, carried by the wind.

“There they are! The Aterima followers who escaped!”
“Who cares about those corpses! Where is the Earth Sibyl? Find her! Find her!”

Agidis’s soldiers rushed into the hideout.
The mysterious girl was nowhere to be found.