Saul Caim 

Vengeance begets vengeance, over and over until all is lost. Is the future we hope for at the end?

The Paragons—servants of God created to resuscitate the devastated Earth. They restored the land for a long, long time, spanning generations. They lived their lives repeating the same things like machines, without commendation or reward.

Though they were created in mankind's image, their bodies could not grow or reproduce. Only an artificial "mother" created by God could bring about the next generation. Could one truly say they were "living" in such a state?

Such doubts spread among the Paragons, and before long they were brought together by one Paragon's hand. The great leader, Ahav. Dubbed the Innovators, they expanded their forces to rebel against Machinekind.

That was when Ahav met Saul. Saul was once a man who toiled away restoring the surface for the Machines, but his loyalty one day came crumbling down. The day he lost his family in an accident.

The Machines, as if replacing a broken light bulb, gave him a new "family." Saul's heart cracked under that callous treatment.

We're not tools! We're human beings! We're not puppets that move to your will!

Ahav heard Saul's lamentation and accepted him as he was, welcoming him as an indispensable member of his revolution. Saul's addition bolstered the Innovators' strength even further, and would eventually create a surge that split the world in two.

As that surge grew larger and larger... The Returnees appeared, and it was time to bare their fangs at the world.

It was finally time to rebel against the Machines. Isabelle and I received orders to eliminate the Returnees, and set out for Ionia Colony. You could say the result of this battle would determine everything for us. But when it came to her...

"I can do it. I know I can do it..."

"What's wrong? Can't stay calm?"

She had been biting her nails and mumbling to herself the whole time. Anyone could see she was stressed.

"Yes. That's right... We're rising up against our rulers. It's only natural," she said.

Isabelle Yagrush. She was once the daughter of a family of Paragons tasked with restoring a large swath of land. When she was suddenly appointed a commander, she started doubting whether she could really fight...it didn't fit her at all. She was a little unstable, but no one was more reliable than her when it came to talent and combat ability as a commander.

"Saul, aren't you frightened?"

"I made up my mind when I joined the hardliners. Nothing'll change that now."

"Right..."

Well, it's no wonder she was scared. We were rebelling against the very system appointed to this world by God. Not to mention it was up to us to lead the charge in the very first battle. I guess it was up to me to encourage her in my own way.

"Hey Isabelle, what's the anger that drives you? If you joined up with us, there must be anger inside you that stirs up your heart."

"Anger..."

"I have it. It won't go away no matter how much you try to extinguish it—just keeps burning right here. That's why I'm gonna hunt down all those damn Machines," I said, putting my hand over my heart. My heartbeat and the heat from within—they told me to fight.

"...I have it too."

"Then only think about that. Put your anger in the furnace and fill your whole body with it."

With that, Isabelle started to stare off into space and mumble to herself again. After a while, her frightened expression completely disappeared, replaced by something else.

"Heh, hehe... hehe..."

Isabelle's eyes burned with fierce anger.

"You can do it if you try," I said. "That's the face. Hit 'em head-first with your anger."

"..."

"What? You're staring at my hand."

"Your hand is shaking, you know."

I looked at my left hand. I hadn't noticed until she said it, but sure enough, it was trembling.

"Haha, it's just trembling with excitement!"

"...Heh, hehe, if you say so."

"Mr. Saul, Miss Isabelle, we will be arriving in Ionia Colony shortly," came a communication from the bridge.

Well...the big stage was finally here. Why don't we run wild and give 'em a show? We'll let you have a taste of our anger.

The battle of Ionia was one-sided from start to finish. No matter how the moderates banded together to resist, they couldn't match the hardliners' research into combat techniques and weaponry. We only had to finish off one more Returnee to complete our extermination mission. Honestly, it was surprisingly abrupt. I thought someone crazy powerful might show up. But whatever. We heard the last one is in the church. All right, how should we kill her—

When I regained consciousness, I was in a solid white room. I stood alone, with no idea how I got there. Where...am I? I should have been fighting in Ionia. Destroying the city, burning it all down. I was trying to kill the Returnee with my own hands. Or at least I should have been.

"...home, dear."

"Huh...?"

I suddenly heard a voice behind me. When I turned around, I saw my wife and my daughter Michal, who should have been dead.

"Mi...chal..."

"Papa! Welcome home!"

Michal hugged me, and I felt at ease from her soft touch and her smile as brilliant as the sun. When was that...? That's right, it was just like when I was basking in the sun with Michal. How...nostalgic.

"That's right, Michal. Is there anything you want to do? Today's special, so Papa will make any wish of yours come true."

"Really? Umm, then..."

Michal put a hand to her head in thought, her eyes sparkling.

"Did you think of something?"

"Yeah! Papa, you and me—"

"Hmm? What...was..."

The next moment, my world was engulfed in burning crimson flames.

"What's—!?"

"Dear..."

"Pa...pa..."

I heard their voices from beneath my feet. But all I saw there were burned and blackened human shapes.

Ah. ...Ah. Aaaaaaaaa—

"Michaaaaaal!"

Where am I? In the gloom, I could only hear my heavy breathing. That place I was just in—was that a dream? No, more importantly...

"I'm...alive...?"

"Yes. You fell unconscious while carrying me, and we've been transported here to Olympias."

At the same time as I heard that voice, a bright, burning light flooded my vision. I let my eyes adjust to the light and looked over toward the voice, where I saw Isabelle, wrapped in bandages. Just then, I recalled the scene from back then.

"Oh, yeah... I remember now."

I had cornered the Returnee girl. But I was flooded in light from that scrap metal hunk of a gun...and I lost my body.

"Looks like your new body suits you."

I tried moving my arm. I could hear the distinct metallic sounds of the machinery running inside.

"A mechanical arm... It seriously pisses me off how ironic it is that us Paragons are so suited to machines."

"Are you not happy that we match now?"

Isabelle nimbly waggled her mechanical arm in a beckoning motion.

"If you say so."

"At any rate, we should both be glad we survived, no?"

"Yeah, you're right."

Sorry, Michal. Looks like I still can't go where you are.

My newly assembled body creaked in response.

We set out from the hardliners' base in Olympias and headed for Ephes Colony, under orders from our leader Ahav. Ahav had surmised that the Returnee would be hiding there. My soldier's intuition told me that, too. The airship's intense shaking felt strangely comfortable, if it were rousing my spirits.

"So Caladbolg's first battle is for control of Ephes. It's not like me to get this excited."

My new partner, Caladbolg. The weight of the high-caliber laser cannon felt just right in my hand.

"I look forward to it, Saul," Isabelle said.

"It's in good hands. This invasion will destroy all of Ephes with the Returnee as a tribute to our paradise."

Above all, it was so no one would suffer the same as us.

"Another step toward an ideal world," I said.

"...It does sound nice."

"Something wrong with that future? Haven't you had enough of living like a puppet to someone else's will?"

"Naturally, I've had enough of this controlled life. But, I understand one thing. Our refusal to be controlled might not lead to a world better than our current one."

"That's what we're here for, isn't it? I don't mind offering up my life to change the world."

Isabelle responded calmly to my emphatic words. "I hadn't taken you for such a romanticist."

"What about yourself? Why do you throw yourself into battle?"

She stroked the fresh scar on her cheek. "I'm not so devout as you. I can only truly live while I'm fighting."

Even as she said that, she looked at the sunset outside and smiled fiendishly.

"Dying for a cause is quite 'human,' wouldn't you say?" she asked.

"Human, huh? Hah, guess you're right."

We were unmistakably human. No way in hell we were just an imitation.

The battle for domination of Ephes began with Isabelle's spine-chilling speech. The incensed troops destroyed the outer walls and swarmed into the city. It didn't matter how much they fortified their defenses—moderates were moderates. Domesticated types didn't stand a chance at holding back our rage.

The battle quickly became a matter of mopping up the remnants. Right after that, I noticed something strange. A momentary flash of light on the outskirts. I recognized that light. No doubt about it! It's the light that Returnee girl fired!

"Isabelle! Hop on!"

I retrieved Isabelle and floored it toward the source of the light. If the map data was right, the airship landing pad was there. We'd bring them down before they escaped this time and put an end to it! When we got to the pad, I saw that Returnee and her little friends about to board a ship.

"Saul!"

"Yeah!"

The 240mm high-caliber convergent laser cannon Caladbolg! The tiniest scratch from it would be enough to burn that flimsy ship of theirs down!

"I'll smash y—"

"You shall not!"

The next part was simple. All I had to do was pull the trigger. Or it should have been, but someone rushed into my way!

"Piece of shit! Outta my way!"

I turned around and mowed down the incoming armored vehicle without a second thought. But the next moment, right as my laser hit, a massive explosion ripped the armored vehicle apart from inside. That force and destruction weren't just from my laser. Was this guy planning this from the start!? The blast was approaching. I wouldn't make it in time!

"Saul!"

Isabelle's quick judgement saved me. I was a hair's breadth away from getting burnt to a crisp when she deployed a shock resistant field.

"Ha, haha, ahaha! Oh, you've done it now!"

"Sorry you had to save me, Isabelle. Didn't realize they'd try and suicide bomb us..."

"Oh, don't you worry about it. It was only because you learned to master it so quickly that I made it in time."

"Thanks. But, uh...those guys already got away."

What should we do from here? The vehicle's burning remains still lay in front of me. You really got me good, you crazy bastard. I'm sure your sacrifice carved a path for their future. Even though you were an enemy, I have to commend your actions. A real shame... Maybe if the world weren't like this, we could have talked to each other.

"Finally found ya..."

A large desert stretched across the Anatolian peninsula. Isabelle's high-speed attack ship lay right smack in the middle of it. She must have flown it all the way from Ephes. Since it was still in one piece, it probably hadn't been shot down, but encountered some other kind of trouble.

"You're late."

I pushed up the sand-covered canopy to see Isabelle lounging underneath.

"Whoa, that's the first thing you have to say to me? Do you know how long I've been looking...hey!"

Before I could finish talking, she walked straight toward our airship, and then as if nothing had happened at all, said, "Let's go after them."

I broke into a grin at her casual ease toward going out hunting.

"But how are we gonna know where they are?" I asked.

"I'm positive I damaged their ship. They should surely need to stop for fuel and repairs. That's where we'll crush them in one fell swoop!"

Persistent as ever. She never failed to amaze me.

"That means their routes are gonna be limited."

"Yes—we won't let them escape. Heh, hehe..."'

We still had enough fuel, so it was possible to chase them. But I had only gone out to search for Isabelle, so we were low on weapons and soldiers. I wasn't sure if we should go back or keep pursuing them...

"Heh, this time, for sure..."

Who was I to bring her spirits down?

"Hey, Bosheth! Keep an eye on the routes they're likely to take!"

"Roger!"

"Ishvi, Abinadab! Destroy the attack vessel, just in case!"

"Yes, sir!"

After that, we began our hunt for the Returnee.

"...It's so boring here."

Looking down from the rear deck, there was nothing but desert. It was desert everywhere we went, and I was getting tired of it.

"It's beautiful, don't you think?" Isabelle mused.

"...It is?"

"It reminds me of the lands the Yagrush family maintained. We repaired a hilly desert area like this for generations."

Isabelle smiled forlornly, touching her hair ornament. "Until the Machines took it from us, that is."

"That hair ornament...is it important to you?"

"Yes, it's the one and only thing that's shared all this time with me."

"I gotcha. It's like it makes you who you are, yeah?"

"...You really are a romanticist about the strangest things."

"Hey, don't make fun of me. Besides, it's rare for you to talk about yourself."

"Even I want to give into sentiment sometimes."

"Sentiment, huh... Hey, say we didn't have to fight at all...what would you do?"

Isabelle gazed wistfully at the far-off horizon and said, "I wonder... If such a world ever comes, I might like to take all our lost land back and start again from the beginning."

"Heh, hahah!"

"What's so funny?"

"No, it's just—you're an admirable woman after all. I know you could make that come true."

"Of course. I'll take that as a compliment."

"Yeah, and—"

"Hmm?"

"If you don't have enough hands, you can call on me. I'll run anywhere you want if it's for your dream."

I wanted to see the sight of you laughing like usual. From now on, I'd always be by your side.

Another battle began between Saul's pursuit troops and Lena's group. One of the soliders had discovered a heat source reading of the Pequod sitting in an abandoned colony. The Innovators arrived at a structure on the outskirts of the city, where Isabelle set off alone and Saul's troops deployed in pairs. The Returnee's group would have the territory advantage. Breaching that gap should have been a major turning point for the battle, but what awaited them in the city was—

"Shit! What is that!?"

The hermit of the abandoned city, Blue Stein, controlled the city's defense system to initiate the battle with a swarm of flexible carbon tubes. The tubes, which ran every which way under the city, raced freely across the ground, flying in from all directions and forcing Saul's troops to split up. For as many tubes as they destroyed, there were inexhaustibly more, leading to a battle of attrition that went nowhere. They couldn't afford to be worn down here. The moment the word "retreat" crossed through Saul's mind... A shadow dashed right past him.

"No way...!"

Isabelle Yagrush had jumped right into the swarm of tubes.

"Isabeeelle!"

"Captain Saul! What do we do here!?"

Even Saul's well-trained soldiers were visibly shaken at the sight of Isabelle charging toward an unknown enemy.

"Ishvi! Malchishua! Don't let it get to you! We'll take them down one at a time with concentrated fire!"

"...Roger!"

Alongside his reinvigorated troops, Saul made use of Caladbolg to destroy the tubes.

"Awful reckless, aren't you, Isabelle!?"

Despite his concern, the battle was about to move on to the next phase. Isabelle had slipped past the swarm of tubes and engaged in battle with Yonah and Gideon.

"Ha, haha, I fooound yooouuu!"

Isabelle smiled, deeper and eerier than ever. Her smile was warped, trembling with joy.

The unfolding battle with the moderates was incredibly fierce—Isabelle smiled mysteriously amid the freshly spattered blood, and then, she was gone.

She was too far for Saul to reach. By the time he saw her, it was already too late.

The feeling of loss struck him. Such an emptiness spread through him that he couldn't move a single step, as if a whip had ensnared his legs. Not even the passion that drove him could reach his hollowed-out heart.

The sand fluttering in the wind, the sky steeped in crimson. The scenery she said was beautiful. None of it meant a thing to him as he faded into the boundless desert.

Everything had changed. All color faded. The world turned gray.

"I...I lost you...again..."

He wasn't sure how much time passed after that. Saul watched the sun sink beyond the horizon as twilight fell. In his hand, the hair ornament Isabelle once wore gave off a lonely gleam.

"Captain, we've finished."

"I see. You worked hard..."

While Saul stood paralyzed, the surviving soldiers had buried Isabelle in the soil of Antulya. They hoped that, at least in Saul's memories, that she would stay laughing haughtily like always.

"Captain, what should we do with this boy's body?"

"Want us to tear him apart? Might make you feel a bit better."

As the soldiers voiced their resentment, Saul silently held them back.

"But he—!"

"I won't let you look down on someone who gave his life in battle," Saul said.

"S-Sorry, we went too far."

"Give the kid a proper funeral."

"Yes, sir!"

Saul glanced at the boy's body as they buried him.

"Never thought that kid from back then would come this far..."

It was too late for regrets. Who would have thought defeating the boy back then would come back to shake him to his core in a different way? Those words he had spat at the boy became blades piercing his own heart.

"You sure worked hard, kid. There's nothing here, but at least you can rest in peace."

"Captain."

The soldiers stood in a row, awaiting Saul's words. There was rage in his eyes. A passion that wanted to burn everything inside him was flickering to life. Ishvi, Bosheth, Abinadab, Malchishua. Each one of them was an elite soldier who had escaped near certain death alongside him. They would be enough to take revenge.

"Let's get 'em."

The soldiers all slammed their boots down in response. Saul's heart was still empty. But that was okay, he thought. There was no time to mourn his loss. There was no time to fill the void. There was no point in smoothing things over.

"I'm off, Isabelle."

Because she was no longer there to answer.

The Pequod flew away from the abandoned colony of Antulya and headed farther east.

The strange scenery stood in sharp contrast, marked by barren mountains and filled with scattered debris from ruins and machinery. The Pequod rested there because they had determined it was the best place for battle.

"Perfect terrain for a counterattack, eh? Well, the location doesn't matter."

"Captain, we can go at any time."

Everyone nodded deeply. These were the faces of men who had made up their minds.

"That's the look I like to see. We'll take that Returnee down in this battle. Entrust your lives to me."

"Yes, sir!"

"Captain, my life is in your hands!"

"Yeah, understood. Even if we fall here, you keep going."

"Roger!"

"All right, let's treat ourselves to some revenge! Let the battle begin!"

"Understood!" the men cried in unison.

One by one, the soldiers descended from the airship circling the skies of Zeleucia. The last one was Saul, who straddled his armored bike and revved the accelerator. "This'll be the last battle—let's make it a good one!"

A roaring sound tore through the air. As the bike slid side to side from the impact of landing, a series of explosions hindered his charge. Blue Stein's traps had been activated. Saul was unbothered, destroying the traps one by one with the machine gun mounted on his bike. His soldiers flanked him on both sides, following him at full speed.

They aimed for the center. No cheap tricks, just a single-point breakthrough. The Pequod was stationed within. As his bike squealed, Saul howled, "Doesn't matter if it's a trap! We just have to smash through 'em! Come at meee!"

"—Then how's this!?"

A roar. A gunshot.

In that moment, ammunition weaved through the smoke from the explosions. It pierced clean through the bike's armor, crushing it flat with the impact.

"Guh!?"

Miriam had sniped it with her unparalleled accuracy from the rocky area ahead of the Pequod. Saul tumbled forward, thrown off his bike, and Yonah and Blue Stein chased after him.

"This is the end!"

"Captaaain!"

A bullet headed straight for Saul, only for one of his soldiers—Ishvi—to block its path.

"...Ishvi!"

"You can't...kill...the Captain!" Ishvi said, dashing forward. Struck by bullets or body parts blown off, he didn't care. He had legs that could move just fine. He had fangs that could tear into his prey. As long as his fighting spirit remained, that was enough. Just before exhausting the last of his strength, Ishvi ignited explosives, scattering him and the traps into pieces.

His death became a driving force for the surviving men as they kept on running. Together, they acted as one. In perfect harmony, they became a beast whose only purpose was avenging Isabelle. The silver hull of the Pequod came into view. A little bit longer, and it would be within Caladbolg's range.

"—I think not!"

But Blue Stein activated a protective barrier, barring their way to the ship. The barrier was sturdy, keeping anyone from passing through. If they lost time here, they would soon be riddled with bullets. Saul readied Caladbolg. It was an easy target, but there was no time to hesitate.

However, Saul was never hit, and Caladbolg never fired. The airship circling the skies had crashed into the barrier.

"Bosheth...!"

At the moment of impact, the hull crumpled like paper. Simultaneously, the shock caused the defensive barrier to collapse. The widespread explosion and shockwave brought Yonah's team to a complete stop. A single instant was born. Taking advantage of that gap, the men pushed forward through the black smoke.

"Captaaain! The rest is up to you! It's been an honor to fight alongside you 'til the end!"

Just past the wreckage of the airship, Abinadab turned around and headed back into the smoke.

"Your death won't be in vain, Abinadab! Malchishua, let's hurry!"

"Yes, sir!"

Deep creases were carved into Saul's face. His target was just a stone's throw away. They ran through the black smoke, and finally—the Pequod was visible to the naked eye.

"We made it!"

The moment he aimed Caladbolg, ammunition grazed him under the arm. The black smoke they had hidden in was slowly clearing. Miriam's next bullet would surely strike true.

"Next one's the end for you!" she cried.

"I don't think so! Malchishua!"

"Yes, sir!"

Then, Malchishua moved in front of Saul, facing him and shouldering the muzzle. Their intention was...

"Seriously, a human shield!?" Miriam said. "Shit!"

Although she had fired immediately at Saul, the bullet hit Malchishua directly, missing Saul.

"The time you guys bought for yourselves gave us the victory! Drop dead, you damn Returnee!"

Saul roared, and a torrent of light burst forth.

"Drop dead, you damn Returnee!"

Just as the light from Caladbolg was about to pierce through the Pequod, it collided head-on with another light. The streams of light flickered violently as they tried to devour each other, before fading and disappearing entirely.

"They canceled out...!?"

"I... I made it..."

Saul saw the Returnee, Lena, in front of him. She was the only one who could have pulled off that trick. However, she felt the repercussions of using Daybreaker at its full strength, and lost consciousness on the spot.

"Lena!?"

"Tch, again...!" Saul spat.

"Don't even try it!"

A bullet cut through the air and pierced Caladbolg's barrel. Saul made the split-second decision to toss it away, throwing his body into the rubble before the next shot could hit him. But the armor-piercing bullets capable of destroying his armored bike tore the rubble to pieces.

"Pain in the ass..."

Saul crept closer to the Pequod, peeking out to look for a chance to strike back. Though he closed the distance considerably, without Caladbolg, he could only use a small-calider machine pistol. To get rid of the Returnee, he would need to cross through an uncovered area all at once.

"No more turning back, Innovator!"

"Oh yeah? Think you can keep fighting me protecting the Returnee like that!?"

He tried to attack, but an armor-piercing bullet grazed the rubble. Thanks to Miriam's high accuracy keeping him in check, Saul found himself unable to attack.

"Ha!" Miriam laughed. "Think you can close the gap unscathed!? Don't make me laugh!"

It was about 20 meters. Close enough for her to blast him away.

"I'll never let you get your hands on Lena!" she cried.

"How can you all just blindly follow the Machines' bullshit!?" Saul called back. "We've all been through the same hardships, so you should understand! This Earth doesn't need new rulers! We don't need Returnees in our paradise!"

"How many innocent Paragons do you have to kill before you're satisfied with your stupid ideology!?"

"Of course the weak get culled—that's natural selection!"

"You guys took everything from me! And that's all you have to say!?"

"You idiots are all the same!"

"Shut up, you don't know shit!"

Saul made up his mind and jumped into the line of fire. Miriam quickly aimed at him with perfect precision. Saul pointed his own gun at Miriam, and as they both squeezed the trigger, the sound of gunfire suddenly rang out.

"Huh...?"

The bullet that should have finished him off had gone in a completely different direction.

"For the sake...of our...ideals..."

"Malchishua! Well done!"

"Ugh, he survived!"

The bullet Malchishua fired in desperation had pierced Miriam's right arm, rendering it immovable.

"Too bad!" Saul taunted. "You're mine!"

Saul was closing in on Miriam's group. Miriam's situation looked hopeless, but even with her dominant arm ruined, she hadn't lost yet. She analyzed the situation calmly, and arrived at one unshakeable truth. Saul's target was only Lena. So what she should do next was—

"Die already!"

An echo. The sound of falling. Bullets struck Miriam in the abdomen and leg, and Saul in his heart.

"...Hah, how 'bout...that...?"

Miriam held Vambraze in her hand. She had taken out Vambraze, which Yonah gave her for self-defense, and shot Saul with her left arm.

"Sorry...Isa...belle..."

Saul collapsed, a pool of blood spreading around him. Miriam got up from where she crouched and mustered her remaining strength to drag Lena to the Pequod. Saul's strategy had sacrificed his beloved subordinates, and even himself. It never bore fruit, only adding the faintest color to the ashen mountains.

I was one step too short again... Damn it, my body won't even move right. It hurts so bad I'm gonna come apart. Am I just gonna rot away? What an unsatisfying ending... I can't stand it...

"Hm? Where...?"

When I came to, I was standing in a pure white room.

"Hold on. The same place again? Real cheap."

Back then, my wife and my daughter Michal had greeted me. So this time—

"Captain."

"You guys..."

This time, it was my companions who fell on the battlefield.

"Why the long face?"

"I-I..."

I couldn't accomplish anything. I offered up your lives, and we lost. What kind of face am I supposed to greet you all with?

"—Honestly, what a pathetic expression. Keep your chin up, Saul."

There stood Isabelle, who should have been dead. Her usual attitude, her usual smile. Relief flooded me, seeing Isabelle the same as ever.

"Haha... You never change, do you?"

"Better than you are at the moment, at least. Well, then? How long do you plan to tarry here?"

"I'm just a miserable loser. What am I supposed to do if I don't even have the strength to fight?"

"How comical. Is that gigantic body of yours just for show? If you still have a body that moves, stand up and fight!"

"Guh...you didn't have to...hit me with that arm..."

Isabelle had slammed her prosthetic arm into my chest. Intense pain assaulted me and the pure white room fell to pieces.

"If you want to be at my side, then keep fighting until the last moment your body crumbles to dust!"

That's right. My body could still move. You really wanna leave things like this, Saul? Just waiting to rot away? There's no way...in hell!

"Yes! That's the face! I know you can do it—that's the man I admire!"

----------

"...Isabelle!"

The first thing I saw was the sky, just as red as the sunset I once saw with her.

"...I'm...still alive...? Guh...!?"

When I touched my chest where I had been shot, I felt something rough. Something there must have shattered...

"Ha, haha... So you're the reason I lived, huh? Sheesh, you never stop surprising me..."

Apparently, she still wouldn't let me die.

Yeah, that's right. I'm alive. Alive, alive, alive...

No matter how disgracefully I survived, I still had things to do. As long as even a single arm worked, that was good enough, right? It was a hell of a curse, but somehow it was comfortable to me. My life, my heart—I'd sink my teeth in and burn it all down!

"This will be...my final act of revenge...!"