Vesta Gloriosa Fotia 

Extreme torture, burning to death, mass death.

Agidis, the country of iron.
Founded by the “Hero-King Ydal”, it has developed through iron production.
Most of its land consisted of rugged mountain ranges and barren wastelands, with desertification still advancing in surrounding regions.
As a result, suitable farmland is virtually nonexistent.
It was a harsh environment for humans to live in. The only resource available to Agidis was iron ore, the earth’s bounty.
Agidis sustained itself by trading the iron ore it produced with other nations to obtain food.
However, the amount that could be exported at any one time was limited.
It was simply impossible to feed all its people through trade alone.
The rulers of Agidis were forced to choose between expanding their territory and obtaining new resources, or abandoning their people.
On this critical moment, the existence of “Sibyls,” was brought to Agidis.
A Sibyl is born when a human’s soul is offered to an Elemental, and can wield the power that resides within it.
What Agidis obtained was the power of the Fire Elemental.
Said Elemental bestowed the destructive power of fire, and thanks to this, Agidis developed ironmaking engineering and acquired new weapons.
Having amassed immense wealth through these new engineering, Agidis’s rulers grew ever more greedy for Elemental power, seeking to grasp even greater riches.
And that’s when they realized it.
To dominate this world, all they needed to do was to bring all the Elementals’ power under their control.

–It was an endless spiral of desire.
And the victims of that desire were innocent girls, unaware of the rulers’ schemes.

Vesta, a servant of the fire sibyl “Sylvia Avenius,” was one such victim.
What fate awaited her as she walked through turbulent times alongside the Fire Sibyl?
This is her story.

Agidis had engineering for refining iron ore into iron of higher purity.
It has blessed and enriched the country and certain individuals.
Throughout history, the Fire Sibyls have supported Agidis’s iron-making engineering for many years.

Among the Sibyls who have appeared in public, “Sylvia Avenius” was the most intelligent and was overflowing with leadership talent.
She was not just someone who made Agidis wealthy, but also an important presence for the starving populace.
When natural disasters occurred in the east, she led troops and rushed to the scene, and when tensions rose in the west, she worked to resolve the situation, regardless of her safety.
To the people, her presence was truly worthy of being called a symbol of hope.
Vesta, who volunteered to be her servant, was one of those who admired Sylvia.

“…N-Nice to meet you, Lady Sylvia! I’m Vesta, Vesta Gloriosa Fotia!”

Vesta and Sylvia first met when Sylvia was visiting to mourn those who had died in the civil war.
Strongly drawn to Vesta’s pure gaze and her lustrous red-orange hair, Sylvia appointed her as her own servant.

At the age of 12, Vesta was entrusted with Sylvia’s daily care. As she grew, she was given increasingly important responsibilities, becoming an irreplaceable pillar of support for the Sibyl.

Over the course of more than a century, the life standard of the people living in Agidis has gradually improved.
However, compared to the religious country of Luthra situated to the south, their lives remained wretched.
To become stronger. To become richer.
For the rulers of Agidis, this was both a fervent wish and an ambition.
That will gradually swelled into a great surge, transforming into something beyond the control of the Fire Sibyl who upheld Agidis…

Sylvia’s chambers were located in a corner of Agidis’ capital. She gazed over the cityscape that could be seen from there with eyes clouded by worry.

“Lady Sylvia, you don’t look very well. Is something wrong?”
“…This country will one day be faced with a major crossroads. What awaits it beyond that is either destruction or survival…”
“Lady Sylvia…?”

Sylvia clasped the hand of Vesta standing beside her, gazing at her with deep crimson eyes.
Her hand trembled faintly.

“I suppose I am afraid. Of the insatiable desire of those who rule Agidis.”
“Desire, you say?”
“Yes. Their desire knows no bounds. It will not stop at Agidis, it will swallow up Luthra, and eventually the entire continent.”

Her eyes wavered, mirroring the turmoil within her heart.

“I am an accomplice to that desire. Using the power of the Elemental, I am spurring it on.”
“But it is also true that Agidis is prospering because of it. Thanks to your efforts, the plight of Agidis’ people is gradually improving.”
“This great flow can no longer be stopped. Is there really a future at the end of the road…?”
“Lady Sylvia, it would be best for you to rest now. I shall remain by your side until you fall asleep, so please rest assured.”
“Thank you, Vesta. You are the only one to whom I can reveal my weak side.”

Vesta could only support Sylvia, whose heart was being consumed by the darkness enveloping the nation. No matter how much she devoted herself to her, there was only so much Vesta could do as she was not a Sibyl.

A change in their relationship came during yet another conflict they were sent to quell, on the day Vesta turned 14.

“…Nice to meet you. You’re the Fire Sibyl, aren’t you?”

A girl suddenly appeared before the two of them.
She introduced herself “Celie Möwe.”
She was from an unnamed village in the “Land of Death,” a desert region far from Agidis.
Having inherited the power of the Wind Elemental, she had been traveling across the nations and had stopped by Agidis during her journey.
After that, Celie finished her audience with Sylvia and the powerful people, and was led to an extravagantly appointed room.
The way Agidis’s rulers treated her was nothing short of a state visit.
Watching this scene next to Sylvia, Vesta remembered the words Sylvia had confided.

“Their desire knows no bounds. It will not stop at Agidis, it will swallow up Luthra, and eventually the entire continent.”

Perhaps what she was trying to say was about to happen.
The premonition filled Vesta with an indescribable unease.

“Is there nothing we can do but wait for that time to come…?”

Contrary to Vesta’s feelings, the environment surrounding Agidis was about to undergo a period of change.

–Steel.
A metal that is stronger and purer than iron.
With Agidis’ traditional ironworking techniques, producing steel required an extremely long time, and the effort never yielded a return commensurate with the investment.

But that was when “Celie Möwe”, a Sibyl who wielded the power of the Wind Elemental, appeared.
By combining her powers with Sylvia, the Fire Sibyl, they drastically reduced the time required for steel production and established a stable supply.
Over the years, this engineering evolved further, leading to the successful production of “tamahagane,” a steel of even higher quality than conventional steel.
This revolutionary engineering cemented Agidis’s prosperity.
However, it also marked a significant step toward the wars with neighboring countries that Sylvia had feared.
Moreover, Agidis’ rapid growth caused domestic disparities to widen relentlessly, sparking civil unrest across the land.
Neither the Agidis government nor the Sibyl could halt this great tide.

–Watching the soldiers being dispatched to quell the civil unrest from her chambers, Sylvia let out a deep sigh.

“As expected, the power of the Sibyl is limited in the face of this great trend…”
“Lady Sylvia, you have done your best. Your noble stance, boldly confronting those arrogant rulers to plead this nation’s plight, radiates the same integrity I first saw in you. Please, keep your spirits high.”
“Ah… Thank you, my dear Vesta. The only time I feel at peace is when I’m with you.”

Sylvia, compelled to participate in suppressing the civil war as the standard-bearer of Agidis, was gradually losing her former brilliance, the light fading from her eyes.
Vesta could only watch this happen, yet she resolved to remain by Sylvia’s side as long as she was needed.
Yet even the time she could spend with Sylvia was being stolen away by the frequent civil unrest and the growing numbers of bandits and other marauders.
Agidis’ situation was in the midst of utter chaos.
And yet, the only concerns of Agidis’ rulers were lining their own pockets and preparing for war with other nations.
Witnessing Agidis’ rapid transformation into a military state, Sylvia resolved to appeal directly to the rulers.
Yet the response they gave her, who pleaded the nation’s plight, was the same as always: to send her to the front lines.

“…I’m off, Vesta.”
“I’m sorry, Lady Sylvia… I wish I could accompany you…”
“That’s fine. You should fulfill your duties.”
“Ah… Wait! Sylvia!”

Seeing Sylvia’s back as she left her position, Vesta instinctively spoke…
Not as her servant, but as her best friend who supported her.

“Hehe, this is the first time you’ve called me that outside of my room. What’s wrong?”
“For some reason, I’m feeling uneasy… Please don’t forget that someone here is eagerly awaiting your return, Sylvia.”
“Yes, of course.”

Having heard Vesta’s wish, Sylvia turned on her heel and headed for the battlefield engulfed in civil war.

Thanks to Sylvia’s tireless efforts, the civil wars erupting across the land were finally subsiding. Even the long-simmering battlefields were expected to calm down soon and be pacified.

–As she was riding in a wagon back to the capital, Sylvia carefully examined the state of the civil war so far.

“This uprising was concentrated in the south, an area untouched by previous conflicts. I recall that region, thriving on trade with Luthra, enjoyed relatively good economic conditions…”

At that moment, the carriage shook, interrupting Sylvia’s thoughts, and then came to a halt with a clatter.

“Cabman? What’s the-“

When Sylvia stepped outside to check the situation, she was greeted by…

“Oh… so that’s what it was. You guys are…”

Sylvia spoke in a calm voice, slowly spreading her arms, and…
The next moment, the sound of blades being drawn echoed across the road.

///////

“Lady Sylvia… has been attacked!?”

The news reached Vesta just as the sun was setting.
Sylvia, the Fire Sibyl, was victim of an assault.
It was said that the perpetrator was an assassin sent from Luthra.
Hearing only that much, Vesta rushed to the place where Sylvia had been carried. And upon seeing Sylvia lying on the bed,

“Ah, ah-“

Vesta was at a loss for words.
Sylvia had suffered injuries so severe there was no hope of survival; her life was about to be extinguished at any moment.
Not a trace of the wise Sibyl that was the symbol of Agidis remained.
Now she was merely something barely maintaining her human form, its life sustained only by the Elemental power dwelling within her.

“Ahh… Sylvia… if only I had stopped you back then…”

Weeping in grief, Vesta clutched the hand of what had once been Sylvia.
The faint response that came back was so faint, it was impossible to tell if it was truly Sylvia’s will.

In a mansion in the capital of Agidis….
Others had received word of Sylvia’s fate even before Vesta.

“It seems that things are going according to our plan.”
“Yes, the foolish Sibyl who opposed us is gone.”
“She should have obeyed us. But now Agidis is united. Preparations for the delayed war will also proceed swiftly.”
“By the way, have we decided on the next host?”
“Of course. We have prepared a more compliant vessel that will do as we will.”
“Excellent. Then Agidis is assured of even greater wealth and abundance.”

The scheming of these men, their faces twisted in vile grins, sowed the seeds of new strife within Agidis.
These seeds would soon sprout into a large-scale war engulfing neighboring nations and an endless chain of hatred.

The morning after Sylvia was attacked…
A powerful man accompanied by Agidis’s soldiers appeared before Vesta, who had never left her friend’s side.
Behind him was a young girl with red hair. The girl’s eyes were so vacant, it was impossible to tell where her gaze was fixed.

“Vesta Gloriosa Fotia, you are hereby relieved of your duties as attendant to the Fire Sibyl Sylvia Avenius. We shall dispose of your remains ourselves.”

Vesta was momentarily confused by the man’s arrogant tone as he calmly delivered his words.

“…Huh? W-what are you… saying? Can’t you even show respect to Lady Sylvia…?”
“I have no words for a mere tool.”
“A… mere tool…?!”

The man continued to take a haughty attitude, rubbing Vesta the wrong way. Then, pulling the girl who had been standing behind him closer, he declared.

“We shall now perform the ritual of Elemental inheritance. A new vessel has been prepared here. Vesta, you shall serve as attendant to the new Sibyl. This one can’t even properly take care of her own needs.”

A vulgar laugh echoed through the room.
The taunted girl remained utterly still, seemingly unable to comprehend the words.

“W-What do you think human lives are?! Treating people like disposable tools, treating even your subjects like slaves! Is that how a ruler should behave!?”
“A tool has no right to speak back, does it?”

Vesta felt a surge of rage in her heart.
So these are the ones oppressing the people.
The ones who discarded Sylvia, who sacrificed herself for the country, like dust.
These… These bastards…
For the first time in her life, Vesta felt intense hatred welling up from the depths of her soul. An ugly, twisted emotion strong enough to make her want to kill them.
And just as she was about to be driven by it…

“…Vesta.”

A faint voice called her name.
The voice belonged to the one person she revered above all else, Sylvia.

“…Huh?”

Sylvia’s voice echoed again as Vesta turned. It seemed only Vesta could hear it; none of the men showed any sign of noticing.

“Place my hand… on your forehead. I don’t want… to let them… have their way.”
“…Sylvia… I understand.”

Guided by that voice, Vesta clasped Sylvia’s hand tightly.

“You, don’t dare…!?”

Caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, the man with the arrogant voice showed his first hint of panic.
With a smile, Vesta placed Sylvia’s hand on her forehead, and…

“…Ah… AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!?”

The power of the Elemental flowed from Sylvia to Vesta.
At the same time, the memories of the past Sibyls all simultaneously ravaged Vesta’s mind.
Despair and screams. Hatred and desire.
The feelings and memories of the girls sacrificed as hosts poured mercilessly into Vesta, now their new vessel.
And within her clouded consciousness, the final memory she saw was…

…A regular soldier of the Agidis army, clad in tamahagane armor, who had slain the charioteer with a glittering sword. Beyond him, soldiers bearing swords and bows stood lined up in rows.

“Sylvia Avenius! For the glory of Agidis! You will become our foundation!!”

Countless soldiers surged forward, intent on ending Sylvia.
Even as her own life was being targeted at that very moment.
Sylvia offered no resistance whatsoever, choosing instead to be cut down by the soldiers…

The scene that flashed through her mind completely contradicted the story Vesta had heard.
Sylvia had not fallen to an assassin from Luthra, but to the hands of those she had always cherished.

(…I knew something was off.)

There was no way that Sylvia, who could use the power of the Elemental, would fall behind the assassins.

(It was all… their plan. By eliminating Sylvia, they would unite Agidis through anger. Sylvia was chosen as the sacrifice…)
“…Vesta, I’m sorry I made you bear the same fate as me…”
“No. I was able to feel your noble will. I’m proud to have become a Sibyl just like you.”

Tears spilled from Sylvia’s eyes.

“Thank you. My… Vesta…”

Those were her last words.
Having completed the inheritance of the Elemental and fulfilled her role, the light of life faded from Sylvia’s body.
Her expression was very peaceful.
It may have been a blessing for Sylvia to die with her beloved Vesta by her side.

“Farewell… Sylvia…”
“You… you dare oppose us?”
“I inherited the role of Fire Sibyl along with Sylvia’s will. I shall not yield the Elemental’s power to anyone.”

Vesta’s eyes, glowing crimson like Sylvia’s, glared at the men.
Her eyes spoke volumes.
If they dared oppose her, she would have burnt them immediately.

With Sylvia’s death, the people of Agidis were burned with hatred for Luthra and grew increasingly eager for war.

Desire continued to spread without limit.
War accelerated technical progress.
As these forces became intricately intertwined, the ironworking techniques granted by the Sibyl underwent further development. It became possible to mass-produce high-purity tamahagane without relying on her power.
Blast furnaces were built one after another all over the country, and soldiers were being conscripted.
As the military expanded, the footsteps of the impending war steadily drew closer.

In the mansion in the capital of Agidis…
Its powerful rulers gathered there and made a decision.

“With the death of the Sibyl, the people’s will has been unified.”
“A declaration of war against Luthra will also be made soon.”
“In that case, it seems the time has come to move the role of the Sibyl to the next stage.”
“Indeed, the current one is no longer needed.”

What they desired was a mere puppet to move at their command. Vesta, who had arbitrarily inherited the Elemental’s power from Sylvia, was an extremely inconvenient existence for them.

“We must hold the ritual of elemental inheritance before she can interfere with our plans.”
“The arrangements have been made. We can’t use our usual methods, but it shouldn’t take long.”

Their face illuminated by candlelight bore deep wrinkles.
The schemers manipulating Agidis were quietly setting their plot in motion, unbeknownst to Vesta.

At the same time…
Having left Sylvia’s chambers, Vesta moved through the night, blending into the darkness as she headed toward a certain place.

It was a detention facility built on the outskirts of Agidis’ capital. Vesta found out that the Wind Sibyl, Celie Möwe, was imprisoned there.

“They shouldn’t have noticed yet… I must free her and escape this country…”

The memories of the previous Sibyls flowed into Vesta when she inherited the power of the Elemental. These memories revealed the truth of Agidis, a nation drenched in desire.
The truth Vesta never knew was grim and cruel.
The Sibyls were used sometimes as pawns in political schemes, sometimes as symbols to manipulate the masses.
They have been forced into various “roles” throughout the ages, but one thing remained constant for most of them.
Their families and loved ones were taken hostage.
Sylvia was no exception.
The days of sorrow and anguish etched into her memory resurfaced.

“Oh… I can’t believe… It was me… who caused you such suffering…”

Sylvia had feared for Vesta’s life, afraid the Agidis soldiers would kill her, and thus obeyed the powerful.
The selection of girls to become vessels for the Sibyl, and the imprisonment of Celie who tried to leave the country on her own.
And sometimes even her own body…

“Syl… via…”

Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Sylvia had done everything in her power to protect Vesta.
Knowing that depth of feeling, her constricted heart now wandered, searching for the girl who was no longer there.

“If only you had at least told me…”

Vesta herself knew better than anyone else why Sylvia hadn’t done so. That’s why she couldn’t bear the bitter regret of having done nothing.
How many times had Sylvia been forced to weigh her choices?
How much bitterness had she been made to swallow, sealing off her own heart?
Just thinking about it made tears flow uncontrollably.

“Why must only the Sibyl suffer so much? How much sorrow do you intend to burden us with, just to make a few people rich…?”

No matter how much the country developed, no matter how much wealth they gainedit could never possibly be worth the cost of lives.
This vicious cycle would repeat endlessly as long as Sibyls existed in Agidis.
So, what Vesta can do now is…

“I must rescue Celie and escape this insane country.”

Having made her decision, Vesta immediately sprang into action.

Late at night, Vesta arrived at the detention facility where Celie was being held.
Security seemed minimal, with almost no guards in sight. This meant she wouldn’t need to use the power of the Elemental, and Vesta slipped into the facility without difficulty.
According to Sylvia’s memories, Celie was being held in the deepest part of the first floor.

“This is it… Celie…!”
“Eh… Vesta? Why are you here…”
“I came to save you. If we stay in Agidis, we’ll be killed like Sylvia. Let’s run away together before that happens!”
“You say run away, but…I…”

Looking more closely, Vesta saw that Celie was not restrained but lying on a bed.
Under normal circumstances, she might have noticed the discrepancy.
But desperate to leave Agidis as quickly as possible, Vesta had no room for such thoughts.

“Agidis’ rulers are trying to make their obedient host inherit the power of the Elemental. Come on, let’s-“

Grabbing Celie’s hand, Vesta headed for the exit.
At that very moment…

“I’m sorry, Vesta…”
“Huh?”

A powerful shock struck Vesta.
Before she could turn back, Vesta collapsed to the floor. Through her fading consciousness, she glanced at Celie.
There, Celie stood frozen, muttering apologies under her breath.

It was a lightless dungeon.
Vesta was dragged along a dimly lit passageway by torchlight, held on either side by men.
Only the clanking of her shackles and the chains connecting them produced a jarring, grating sound.

“Uh… Ah…”

As she grimaced against the pain shooting through her head, screams echoed from rooms lining both sides of the passage.
Vesta turned her gaze toward the rooms visible through the darkness.
There, a hellish scene unfolded that made her want to cover her eyes.
Girls hung from ropes suspended by pulleys, tortured by Agidis soldiers.
One girl was subjected to every form of pain.
Another had every emotion forcibly drawn out of her.
The hands and feet of men clad in steel armor continued to trample the girls mercilessly.

There was no light left in the girls’ eyes.
It was as if they had become corpses while still alive…

“No way… these girls…”
“It seems you’ve noticed.”
“Y-You have done such… such cruel things to the host girls…”
“It’s to bring wealth and glory to Agidis.”

The man with the pompous voice walking ahead of Vesta stopped.

“Well, we’ve arrived. This is your final resting place.”

From the open door came a choking stench and muffled cries of agony.

There, bound just like the tortured girls, was…

“Ah… Celie…”

The Wind Sibyl, her eyes hollow.

“It seems to be going well. Release her restraints. Hang this one up instead.”
“Yes.”

Released from her restraints, Celie collapsed limply onto the cobblestones.
The man with the commanding voice watched until Vesta’s restraints were secured, then coldly ordered.

“Wind Sibyl, you will carry out the torture of this one.”
“…Huh?”

Vesta was left speechless at the sudden order.

“You don’t want your villagers to starve to death, do you? If you refuse, I can kill them all with a single word.”
“I understand…”
“Why, Celie…”
“I’m sorry, Vesta… I have no choice…”

Celie, terrorized by the men’s hands, possessed not a shred of will to resist.
The free-spirited girl she had been when Vesta first met her was nowhere to be found.
Forced to witness the brutal consequences of the rulers’ actions laid bare before her, Vesta shed large tears.
His attempt to save Celie had led to her being taken hostage.
Vesta had no means left to resist.

Celie’s torture became more and more severe.
At first, she’d shed tears and begged for forgiveness while torturing me, but that gradually faded away…

“I-It’s not my fault. This is the right thing to do…”

Muttering to herself, Celie continued torturing me as ordered from beyond the stone wall.
As a Sibyl, I had come to realize that my body, perhaps due to the power of the Elemental, possessed greater vitality than that of an ordinary human, and wounds healed faster.
This meant that they could torture me over and over.
If they only wanted to inherit the Elemental’s power, they could have killed me quickly.
Yet they didn’t. They simply enjoyed watching my torture unfold…

Blades crawled across my skin.
Hammers swirled on my teeth.
Iron skewers danced inside my belly.
Flames flickered before my eyes.

–Over and over.
Over and over and over again.
And every time, the pain only intensified.
Blinding lights raced through my mind, flickering over and over.
No matter how much I resisted.
No matter how much I begged.
In this endless hell, I eventually forgot even how to feel fear.
And then.
What clung to my ears, refusing to leave, was Celie’s voice repeating the same words madly, and the vulgar laughter of the men mocking the scene.

–How long had this been going on?

My bodily senses had nearly ceased to function.
The only thing I could barely grasp was that I was nothing more than a breathing lump of flesh.

–Thud, thud, thud.

Something was approaching.
My crushed vision couldn’t make out what it was.
But there was no doubt my body was about to fulfill its role.

“It’s about time. Bring that thing.”
“Understood.”

This voice… Ah, I recognize this voice.
It belonged to the man who appeared before Sylvia and me, and attempted to perform the ritual of Elemental inheritance.
The fact that he had come here meant that…

“I’ve brought her.”

Footsteps, light and out of place here, echoed.
Probably the girl chosen as the host for the Sibyl they had prepared.
But now, I could hear two sets of them.

“Now, before we perform the ritual of Elemental inheritance… Celie.”
“Y-Yes…”

The man spoke to Celie, who remained bowed.

“You are no longer of any use.”
“…Huh?”

Immediately after, a high-pitched metallic clang sounded, and along with Celie’s muffled voice, something thudded onto the stone pavement.

“Oh… I…”
“We now have two Sibyls who will do as we will. Agidis will be blessed with even more wealth and prosperity.”

Only a vile laugh echoed through the prison.
Those were rulers who showed not a shred of compassion for human life.
They needlessly hurt the Sibyls and the people.

“You’re next.”

This hell.
Will it continue forever?
How many more girls’ lives must be sacrificed to sustain this country?
Do they truly believe they have the right to toy with lives, just to keep themselves obscenely powerful?
I can’t forgive them.
There’s no way I can forgive them.

…If that’s the case.

If no one else will judge you.
I will judge you myself!
I’ll burn everything to the ground until this country is reduced to ashes!

“…Become the foundation of Agidis!”

The sword swung down did not wound me.
For the moment it touched my body, it melted away.

“What…!?”
“…H a t e . I hate e v e r y t h i n g.”

A passion fierce enough to consume my very being surged through my whole body.
Somehow, the pain had vanished from my body.
It wasn’t just that I had lost my sense of pain.
My body had been reborn into something entirely new.
My restored vision burned bright red, like flames.

“You, YOU MONSTEEER!!”

The men who had been screaming turned into black masses the moment I raised my hand.
The man who swung his sword at me was now nothing but a roaring pillar of flame.
There was nothing left for me here.
Next, I had to go burn the ones upstairs…

“…N… No… Don’t come…”

Suddenly, I notice something moving in the corner of my vision.
It was Celie, kept alive by the power of the Elemental.

“…V-Vesta…f-forgive me…”
“I h a v e n o u s e f o r y o u . D i s a p p e a r f r o m A g i d i s …”
“Th-Thank you… Vesta… I’m sorry…”

I glanced at Celie leaving the dungeon, then looked at the possessed girls still standing there in a daze.
Their pleading gazes were fixed on me.

“Please… Us too…”

I could sense a faint wish in their eyes.
I embraced the girls tenderly and set them ablaze.
Now, nothing will torment you anymore.

“Thank you… Big Sis…”

Their faint voices reached me.
My tears evaporated in an instant.
Yet the anguish in my heart would not subside.
The girls’ wish.
The Sibyls’ cries.
And Sylvia’s feelings.
With these swirling emotions in my chest, I took a step forward.
I shall bring them to Agidis.
The flames of destruction that reduce everything to ashes.

The rulers of Agidis were shaken by the incident with Vesta.
What they witnessed inside the detention facility was an overwhelming number of soldiers, tortured and burned in every conceivable way: some forced to drink molten steel and burned from within, others with iron stakes protruding from their mouths.
An unearthly, hellish scene stretched on endlessly.
The staircase leading to the basement was discolored black, its original color now impossible to discern.
And within that space, which seemed to absorb even light, black objects resembling human forms lay scattered everywhere.
In a world embodying the stench of death and unimaginable agony, few could maintain their sanity. Agidis would spend many long months unraveling the full truth of this incident.

Furthermore, the whereabouts of the two Sibyls they believed captured remained unknown, forcing the rulers to drastically revise their invasion plans against Luthra.
Adding to their miscalculations was the existence of a “creature” that began to be whispered about from a certain day onward.
The rulers of Agidis could not wage war while leaving it unchecked, and so they spent many years fighting it.

Within Agidis, sightings grew frequent of something enveloped in raging flames.
It wielded Elemental power with ease, instantly regenerating even severe wounds. Defeating it proved exceedingly difficult.
Even steel armor and weapons made with Agidis’ innovative engineering were reduced to burnt paper before it.

Wrapped in scorching flames, consuming everything in sight, its form came closest to what the “Fire Elemental” should be.
Until it was slain in a remote Agidis settlement, the name of the “Flame Spirit”, which wrought utter destruction, spread throughout all of Agidis.
Was its beast-like roar a lament for someone, or a wailing cry of fury toward the one who brought tragedy upon the Sibyls? Not a single soul knew the answer.