Online In Another World

Those still within the valley witnessed the conclusion of the devastating war against a singular figure, filled with returned hope.

“He did it…! Emilio won!” Melisande remarked.

It was a shock to those few left on the battlefield as all eyes were drawn to the sky. The surviving member of the Nihilum Core duo stood to his feet with his mouth agape.

“The brat actually beat it…What the hell,” Scarlet said in disbelief.

Despite the condition of his body, Everett picked himself up, even though Yuna and Melisande both clearly advised him not to push his body.

pa(nd)a no vel “Everett!”

“What’re you doing, you oaf?!” Yuna called out.

Though even in the state his body was in, Everett ran forward while looking up, covered in his own dried blood as his body was swarmed in cuts from the battle.

“–Somebody needs to catch ‘im, right?!” Everett shouted.

It was an undeniable point made by the bumpkin shielder, stifling the protests of the two behind him as he rushed forward, moving towards the spot where Emilio was plummeting down to. Even with his body left worn and torn, Everett moved one foot in front of another while clenching his teeth past his own pain, setting his sights on catching his friend.

“Hold on, ‘Milio, I’ve gotcha!” Everett shouted out.

Though as he raced forth, the wounded shielder found himself lagging as his body didn’t move as hard as he had hoped, only able to watch as the Dragonheart rapidly descended and he only became slower.

“C’mon…Move, body!” Everett harshly mumbled to himself.

Further and further, faster and faster, Emilio plummeted, only a mere few moments from landing at such a velocity that the impact would result in an unsightly splatter of crimson.

“–C’mon!” Everett shouted.

Reaching his arms out as he raced forward, the injured shielder was no more than a few meters where he should be in order to catch his friend, however–

“–Oopf!”

Everett kicked a pebble, which didn’t immediately trip him, but it flipped the lever in his aching body, causing him to collapse just short of catching the Dragonheart.

No…! Everett thought.

Yuna and Melisande were too far behind as well, exhausted from the arduous war, only able to watch what felt like in slow motion as Emilio plummeting, nearing the ground.

Just before the impact came, with all three desperately reaching out, ropes of what looked to be blood suddenly lashed out, latching onto Emilio and snatching him from the air.

“Huh–?” Melisande let out.

As they all looked over, they witnessed the Dragonheart be plucked from his fall, brought into the arms of the Nihilum Core member–Scarlet.

“I’ve got him,” Scarlet breathed out, not looking in great condition himself.

A sigh of relief simultaneously left from each of the three; Everett struggled to pick himself up, being helped up by the demi-human rogue and the rookie mage as they moved over to Scarlet.

“Helluva thing he pulled off. I thought we were all goners for sure,” Scarlet said, “…Well, not all of us were so lucky.”

Though the words of the Nihilum Core man were meant for his comrade, who was impaled multiple times and left fallen on the battlefield, they stuck out to the others as they recalled the sacrifice of Asher.

“Yeah,” Everett quietly said.

Melisande looked at Emilio, who was held in Scarlet’s arms, looking as though he was peacefully slumbering.

“Is he alright…?” She asked.

“Good question, let me check,” Scarlet nodded, “He’s definitely going to need to see a healer though. The Guild Foundation should be sending in forces soon enough, don’t worry–they’ll get all of you patched up, too.”

Through some unknown method of blood manipulation, the horned man used shapes of blood like a stethoscope, checking the young man’s pulse.

“Hey? How is he?” Yuna pressed for an answer.

There was a pale look on the wounded man’s face as his crimson irises seemed to dim with a light lost even after triumph.

“What is it?…” Melisande looked at the man.

Scarlet opened his mouth, “…He’s already dead.”

Those words were haunting to them all, seeming surreal at first as the young man looked as though he was merely taking a stroll in the land of dreams.

“Dead?…No. That’s a lie,” Melisande said faintly, shaking her head.

Everett, once again, showed vigor unlike any other as he marched forward without any assistance, “The hell are ya talking about, huh?!”

“Hey, don’t–!”

Though Yuna tried to grab onto the shielder’s shoulder to stop him, he brushed her off, getting right in Scarlet’s face, who didn’t shy away from Everett’s intense glare.

“Check again,” Everett sternly said.

“Do you think I want the hero who saves our sorry asses to be dead?” Scarlet responded, “Check for yourself, if you want. But, I’m telling you the facts here: it’s a tragedy, I know, but–a battle like this wasn’t going to come without loss.”

“Loss?!” Everett shouted, gripping onto Scarlet’s shirt, “Haven’t we lost enough?!”

The adamant look in the eyes of the elite adventurer didn’t vanish, “Against the Dread, I’d say we got lucky with these losses.”

“You–how can ya say that?!” Everett cocked his fist back.

As the grieving bumpking threw his fist forward, Scarlet didn’t budge, not attempting to move out of the way, block, or counter–seeming to accept it. Though before the knuckles of the shielder could reach Scarlet’s nose, his arm was caught by Yuna.

“What’re ya doin’?!” Everett sharply asked.

“I could say the same to you!…Look around you! Is this really the time to act like a raging idiot?!” Yuna yelled.

Though anger filled the veins of the man, as he was about to tug his arm away, he looked back to see tears streaming down Melisande’s cheeks, who remained silent, having fallen to her knees.

It didn’t feel real.

Even if victory was gained, it didn’t surmount the loss that had been left in its wake.

“…No, you can’t leave me…Not you too…” Melisande said as tears left her eyes.

Everett’s anger left as he calmed down, kneeling down as he reached his hand out to pat the girl’s head of silver hair before stopping himself, instead giving her a comforting hug.

“It ain’t fair…It’s because of him that I’m even alive,” Everett said.

The sobs of the young girl were heartbreaking to hear, but she slowly looked up with her bottom lip trembling, nodding as well, “He was there…when I was all alone–he was the light in that darkness…So why? Why did he leave?”

“He didn’t leave ya’. He did this for ya’,” Everett told her.

It was a bittersweet win as the destroyed valley was left with imprints of death and grieving recruits.

Yuna was quiet, though the hardened woman didn’t shed any tears, a look of sadness was present on her face as she pulled her scarf up, “…It always ends like this.”

After a few more minutes of the fresh grief being bitterly felt, the air shook from an unknown source, producing a slight whistle that traversed the wind.

Scarlet looked up, “Took you long enough.”

It became too much to ignore as the others looked up; Yuna found herself staring up at what looked to be enclosed ships made of steel, though they swam through the sky instead of the sea, hoisted by platinum balloons that bore the sword-and-shield emblem of a familiar organization. There were a dozen of the colossal, airborne vehicles, emitting steam through pipes that seemed to keep them afloat, though mystical as they were to witness.

“…That’s…” Everett began to say.

“The Guild Foundation,” Scarlet said, “If they bring ‘him’ in, there might be hope for your friend.”

“What?!” Everett’s expression lit up.

Even Melisande was drawn away from her tears, looking up towards Scarlet as words of hope left his lips.

“Listen, don’t get your hopes up,” Scarlet told them, “It’s a one-in-a-hundred chance–no, one-in-a-thousand, more likely, but…I take it by the looks on your faces that anything above zero might as well be a one-hundred percent chance.”

There was a smile etched across Everett’s lips as he nodded, clenching his fist tightly, “Yer’ damn right! If there’s a way, he’ll find it! Ain’t that right, Melisande?!”

It took a moment for the silver-haired girl to even find her voice as she parted her lips, stifled by these faint embers of belief given before she nodded, “That’s right!”

“Who is this person you’re referring to anyway? Somebody that can bring back the dead…” Yuna asked.

Scarlet watched the metallic ships descend upon the valley, “Well, it’s not exactly that. Let’s just say that this guy can make the impossible possible for the dead.”

“How do you know he’s coming? I mean…you can’t know for sure, right?” Melisande asked, trying not to get her own hopes crushed once more.

The Nihilum Core member let out a sigh, ruffling his own hair, “They’ll send him–I’m positive of that. He’s a special associate of the Foundation: he’s the only person that can make sure the Dread doesn’t reincarnate.”

As one of the flying ships of the Guild Foundation landed, a platform extended from the hull of the vessel, allowing the first within it to greet the eyes of those waiting on the deserted battlefield.

What stepped out first was an unexpected figure; towering over three meters tall, wearing a black cloak and a large hat that hid their face, was a person shrouded in enigma.

“That’s him,” Scarlet said, “–Grimsol.”

There was a specific presence given off by the one named “Grimsol”–an inhuman feeling from the silent, towering figure that approached with audible steps.

“Hey!” Scarlet called out to the figure, “Before you get started on the Dread, help this one out! He’s the one that defeated the Dread–he died in the process, but his soul is probably still in his body, right?!”

No response came from Grimsol as he was yelled at by Scarlet, though the figure changed his course, slowly walking over to the group.

A hand was extended to the fallen Dragonheart as Grimsol placed his black fingertip against the young man’s chest.

“Emilio Dragonheart…” Grimsol spoke in a breathy, deep voice, “It would be unwise to let one with his talents perish; only more death would come of his absence.”

It was unnerving that the figure already knew of the young man’s name, though nobody was able to emit words in the presence of the deathly man.

“Can you save him?” Scarlet asked, putting forth the question the others had in mind.

Grimsol stopped for a moment, “I do not make such promises…I am not a healer nor a savior. However…I can give him the chance to save himself.”

“Save himself…? How?” Melisande managed to utter out.

The enigmatic figure placed his hand upon the Dragonheart’s chest, emitting a cold, unnerving aura that seemed to trigger a response from the fallen boy’s body. After the unknown action was taken, a bright-white, glowing sphere could be seen in Emilio’s chest.

“The soul…I will have a piece of it stay, leaving an anchor for the rest of his soul that is in the After…” Grimsol explained, “…With that, he will be able to resist the After. However…It is merely up to his own strength and will if he is to escape the After and return to his body. Prepare his vessel…”

Without any other word, Grimsol pulled away, moving on as he seemed to search for the remnants of the Dread while members of the Guild Foundation left in the dozens, scattering throughout the valley in the aftermath of the battle.

“Prepare his vessel? What’s that mean?” Everett asked.

Scarlet handed the body of the Dragonheart over to Everett, wincing at the wound still present on his chest, “…Tch. Get him to a medic–if he manages to escape the After, then he’ll be returning to his body. It won’t do him any good to return to a body that can’t even support life.”

“The ‘After’?” Melisande repeated.

“Stop asking questions and go!” Scarlet barked.

“Right!” All three of the others said in unison.