FRAGMENTS / Parallel Works
LORD of ARCANA: Knights of Vermilion
Verse 00: In which a young heart makes its first steps toward adulthood.
That person was the greatest Slayer to have ever been born in that tiny old town, or so the girl believed.
She looked stunningly beautiful. Always dressed in the crimson colors of her guild, she wore armor carved out of slain monsters as gracefully as she wore the peaceful smile on her face. She felt awesomely strong. Although her slender fingers were covered in gunpowder burns and crystal dust, her hands still smelled of flowers, fresh herbs and warm bread. As she walked through the town gate every morning, a sky-blue feather in her dark hair and a golden firelance on her shoulder, she always looked like a princess from an old fairy tale.
A princess? Yes, because although that person was a Slayer who killed thousands of monsters to make a living, she always felt as warm and nurturing as sunlight on a warm spring day. Her battles were fought not to slay monsters or seek strength, but to protect the people and paint the town with smiles. Thus, the townspeople have slowly begun to call her the Slayer Princess.
Having grown up by that person's side, the girl always believed that she would live on forever. One day, she would become stronger and join her princess on her travels. As she trained herself with the firelance and hunted goblins in the nearby woods, she dreamed of he day when she would leave the town together with that person and see for herself the true meaning of her strength.
So she believed since the day she was able to walk on her own. However, that beautiful dream was not meant to come true.
One day in the early spring, the Slayer Princess failed to return together with her group.
There were nothing about explanations given to the girl that made any sense. That person, so powerful that she seemed invincible, was struck down by a monster while hunting in the wilderness. That person, so beautiful that she seemed to shine, was now covered in her own blood somewhere out there. Confused and angered by that possibility, the girl soon came to the only conclusion that seemed in any way reasonable.
The Slayer Princess, invincible on her own, must have been struck down because she was held back by the people she mistakenly called comrades.
That was the conclusion the girl came up with as she waited for that person's return at the town gate. The man she always traveled with these days, that bleak and quiet man with blue hair and eyes always covered by a mask of black steel. That man who she always called "leader" as if he had no name of his own. Surely, that man got in her way somehow. Surely, he was the one responsible.
As the girl waited at the gate with eyes full of anger, those unforgiving thoughts circled in her mind. As the gate opened and that man walked in, her eyes narrowed. He moved smoothly and easily, as if unburdened by a single scratch, as he carried that person through the gate. She smiled weakly, her skin pale and her armor still stained with black and red, and reached out to ruffle the girl's hair with her hand as she always did. Although the smile on her face was as peaceful and warm as it always was, her hand felt unbearably weak.
Three days later, on a beautiful spring day when the sunlight felt warm and comforting, the Slayer Princess passed away with a smile on her face.
The girl could never forgive that man for her death. Still, as she wrapped that person's scarlet cloak around the cross marking her grave, she couldn't help but remember the last few minutes of her life. The warm smile given to that man who led her to her death. The last words that left her mouth, as warm and affectionate as they were helplessly weak.
"I'm glad to have been able to meet you... my friend."
The girl couldn't understand those words. Why would that person, so beautiful and invincible, say something like that to the man who was responsible for such a sorrowful ending? She couldn't accept it... no, she didn't want to accept it. Yet, because those words came from that person, she decided that she wanted to understand them above anything else. Thus, she made a decision.
On a beautiful spring day when the sunlight felt particularly merciless, the girl's footsteps felt louder and heavier when she left her house. Her usual dress was discarded, replaced by the crimson colors of her guild. Her platinum blond hair was cut short and decorated with a cerulean feather. With her shoulder propping up a golden firelance that looked far too heavy for her small figure, the girl made her way toward the guild house.
If she wanted to understand, she needed to follow the same path that person did.
If she wanted to accept, she needed to follow that man until he felt responsible for what he has done.
With those unforgiving thoughts spiraling in her mind, the girl took a deep sigh and stepped onto the threshold.
And thus, on that beautiful spring day when the sunlight felt particularly merciless, another story in the endless adventure called "life" began.
Verse 00: In which a young heart makes its first steps toward adulthood.
That person was the greatest Slayer to have ever been born in that tiny old town, or so the girl believed.
She looked stunningly beautiful. Always dressed in the crimson colors of her guild, she wore armor carved out of slain monsters as gracefully as she wore the peaceful smile on her face. She felt awesomely strong. Although her slender fingers were covered in gunpowder burns and crystal dust, her hands still smelled of flowers, fresh herbs and warm bread. As she walked through the town gate every morning, a sky-blue feather in her dark hair and a golden firelance on her shoulder, she always looked like a princess from an old fairy tale.
A princess? Yes, because although that person was a Slayer who killed thousands of monsters to make a living, she always felt as warm and nurturing as sunlight on a warm spring day. Her battles were fought not to slay monsters or seek strength, but to protect the people and paint the town with smiles. Thus, the townspeople have slowly begun to call her the Slayer Princess.
Having grown up by that person's side, the girl always believed that she would live on forever. One day, she would become stronger and join her princess on her travels. As she trained herself with the firelance and hunted goblins in the nearby woods, she dreamed of he day when she would leave the town together with that person and see for herself the true meaning of her strength.
So she believed since the day she was able to walk on her own. However, that beautiful dream was not meant to come true.
One day in the early spring, the Slayer Princess failed to return together with her group.
There were nothing about explanations given to the girl that made any sense. That person, so powerful that she seemed invincible, was struck down by a monster while hunting in the wilderness. That person, so beautiful that she seemed to shine, was now covered in her own blood somewhere out there. Confused and angered by that possibility, the girl soon came to the only conclusion that seemed in any way reasonable.
The Slayer Princess, invincible on her own, must have been struck down because she was held back by the people she mistakenly called comrades.
That was the conclusion the girl came up with as she waited for that person's return at the town gate. The man she always traveled with these days, that bleak and quiet man with blue hair and eyes always covered by a mask of black steel. That man who she always called "leader" as if he had no name of his own. Surely, that man got in her way somehow. Surely, he was the one responsible.
As the girl waited at the gate with eyes full of anger, those unforgiving thoughts circled in her mind. As the gate opened and that man walked in, her eyes narrowed. He moved smoothly and easily, as if unburdened by a single scratch, as he carried that person through the gate. She smiled weakly, her skin pale and her armor still stained with black and red, and reached out to ruffle the girl's hair with her hand as she always did. Although the smile on her face was as peaceful and warm as it always was, her hand felt unbearably weak.
Three days later, on a beautiful spring day when the sunlight felt warm and comforting, the Slayer Princess passed away with a smile on her face.
The girl could never forgive that man for her death. Still, as she wrapped that person's scarlet cloak around the cross marking her grave, she couldn't help but remember the last few minutes of her life. The warm smile given to that man who led her to her death. The last words that left her mouth, as warm and affectionate as they were helplessly weak.
"I'm glad to have been able to meet you... my friend."
The girl couldn't understand those words. Why would that person, so beautiful and invincible, say something like that to the man who was responsible for such a sorrowful ending? She couldn't accept it... no, she didn't want to accept it. Yet, because those words came from that person, she decided that she wanted to understand them above anything else. Thus, she made a decision.
On a beautiful spring day when the sunlight felt particularly merciless, the girl's footsteps felt louder and heavier when she left her house. Her usual dress was discarded, replaced by the crimson colors of her guild. Her platinum blond hair was cut short and decorated with a cerulean feather. With her shoulder propping up a golden firelance that looked far too heavy for her small figure, the girl made her way toward the guild house.
If she wanted to understand, she needed to follow the same path that person did.
If she wanted to accept, she needed to follow that man until he felt responsible for what he has done.
With those unforgiving thoughts spiraling in her mind, the girl took a deep sigh and stepped onto the threshold.
And thus, on that beautiful spring day when the sunlight felt particularly merciless, another story in the endless adventure called "life" began.