I couldn't stop my body from shaking.

　This is the world from seven years ago.

Even the Child of Darkness should still be gone.

　And yet...

(Why is there a woman with a stab in the (a-) blue!

　In my mind, I scream.

　The ogre I met on the old road, the tattooed men and women I met in the Kera Desert - all of them had terrible powers.

　If it weren't for the Golden Marked Demon Hunters, I would have been killed there.

　I wasn't the only one who was surprised.

''Fool, a dragon is a person...?''

　Ms. Ortima let out a voice that was tinged with confusion.

　The same goes for the four hunters.

　No, the villagers behind us also look at each other and say, "What was that? Are you kidding me? And the buzz of anxiety is spreading.

　No wonder.
　A demon transforming into a person is an extraordinary event in this world.

　On the other hand, the tattooed woman has a cool face.

　A member of the Divine Blood Order Nakes who has appeared makes her wear a black robe over her naked tattooed body, as if she were a queen.

''Oh dear, you'll make me take the trouble. You're a bunch of abominable half-demons, indeed.

　A breathless voice.

　Sweet and s*xy, but with a poisonous sense of disaster.

　It was a small volume, but the murmur of the villagers disappeared.

　His age was in his twenties.

　Her entire body is covered in tattoos, and her beauty, covered by her long black hair, is very bewitching. His blood red eyes, though, give the impression of being ruthless without light.

　Gyuu.

Ma'am, Ma'am.

　The trembling fingers of the girl, Ms. Illtimina, grabbed my sleeve.

　She was frightened.

　Somehow, out of all the people in the village of Rudo, only one of them had noticed the threat precisely.

'Who are you people?'

　The village chief stepped forward with his cane.

　The tattooed woman laughed.

''The Divine Blood Cult Nakes. It's a group that purifies the world in order to exterminate the blood of half demons.''

　Then he lightly lifted his beautiful right hand.

　Instantly, a group of white masks and black robes that had been waiting behind me took a bow from within their robes at once and held it up to me.

　The arrowhead at the tip had a cloth wrapped around it, and a flame was lit on it.

''

　Everyone in the village of Ludo stiffens.

'Wait!'

　The village chief shouts.

'We're not just living in hiding here. We don't want to get involved in the world, we don't want to fight with anyone!
Oh, yeah?

　Huw.

　His right hand, wrapped in a tattoo, moved forward.

　Bashshhh.

　Flaming arrows flew through the sky.

　They pierced the buildings of the surrounding village one after another, transferring their flames to the wooden houses.

''Ah!''
No, no!

　The screams of the villagers welled up.

　The flames quickly increase in power and turn into a raging fire, turning the entire village red.

　The black smoke that rises up fills the blue sky.

(Heat.........)

　Fire sparks were flying and a tremendous heat washed over us.

No, the pantry is........

　One of the hunters shouted.

　The flames of malice had ignited in the warehouse-like building at the back of the village.

　The lifeline of the people of Rudo village.

　The food they had been desperately storing up until now was being consumed by the roaring flames.

　In their despair, some of the villagers collapsed from their knees to the grass.　

　The tattooed woman, the

'Hahahahahahahahaha'

　He exposed his throat and was laughing loudly and happily.

(............)

　I tighten my grip on the hilt.

"You!

　Ortima-san readied her bow with a strong killing intent.

　Thud!

　An arrow of flame pierced his shoulder.

''You!''

　Mr. Forn's screams went up.

　The little girl, who was almost asleep in his arms, woke up in surprise.

'........meet?'

　Then, when he noticed what was going on around him, he poked around, and eventually found his mother's heartbroken face and said, "Ohhhhhh! I started crying out loud.

　A fellow hunter pulls out Ortima's arrow.

　Blood spills onto the grass.

'Are you alright, Ortima!
Ku......

　His expression contorted in pain.

　Out of the corner of his eye, the members of the Divine Blood Sect Nekes were aiming their flaming arrows at the villagers this time.

''Ah.........ah.......stop, stop......''

　The girl, Illtimina, was trembling.

　A pale complexion.

　An expression of despair that was showing her a nightmare.

(----)

　As I watched, a strange conviction came to me.

　This was a real event.

　Seven years ago, this event happened in real life, and the memory of A(⋅)man(⋅)inside her reminds me of it.

''...Is it unavoidable?''

　The village chief lifted his staff like a sword.

　Seeing this, the villagers of the Lud village turned into faces of determination, and each of them held a hoe, spade, and knife in their hands.

　All of them are 'Demon Blood People'.

　They are vastly superior to ordinary humans in terms of physical abilities.

(Wait........wait!)

　Still, we are dealing with a group of fanatics with real weapons in their hands.

　In number, there are more than a hundred of them.

　From behind the rubble of the crumbling rock pile, new demons were also flowing into the village.

　--No matter how you look at it, there is no chance of winning.

　While holding and supporting Illtimina-san, who was about to fall, I tried to stop them all.

　Just before that.

"Merle.

　Miss Forn called my name.

　I looked up and she kneeled down next to me and lowered the little girl to the grass.
　The little girl immediately hugged her sister.

'Please, take these children and run away,'

(...what?)

　With a serious light in his golden eyes, Mr. Forn looks straight at me.

I want to free the children. I need to free the children. We can buy you the time you need to do so. So, in the meantime please........

　With that, she stands up.

　While supporting her injured husband, she stood in front of us as if to hide us from the gaze of the Divine Blood Cult Nakes.

　No, she's not the only one.

　The other villagers were also standing casually in a position to hide us, as if they were in sync with us. Likewise, all of the teenagers in Rudo Village were hidden from the other villagers.

　The adults in Lud village knew that the odds were slim.

　Even so, they were still going to dare to choose the path of fighting for the sake of their children.

''........''

　Reflexively, I was about to say something to the village.

　But.

(!)

　I couldn't speak.

　No, I couldn't move my body.

(Ark-in!)

　The soul of the 'Divine Dog Ark-in' inside me was showing resistance.

　Thump!

　Images play in my brain.

　A village engulfed in flames.

　There, the scene of villagers being killed by people in white masks and black robes.

''Ah........''

　The smell of burning.

　A heat so hot you could even feel the pain on your skin.

　Countless sparks of fire glistening and beautifully dancing in the sky surrounded by black smoke.

　The people of the village of Ludo collapsed on the grassy field.

　Ortima-san and Forn-san are there, too.

　A pool of blood spreads across the earth.

　Ms. Illtimina cries out.

　She is running through the forest with an arrow stuck in her back, carrying a little girl in her arms.

　The malicious cultists chasing after her.

　All of this happened seven years ago.

　The moment I witness them, my existence is returned to the world seven years later - Ark-in's soul tells me that.

(It's a lie, isn't it, Arkwin?)

　I looked at my right hand.

　By abandoning these villagers, you think I'm saving myself?

　Seven years later, I, too, will meet Illtimina in the forest where I was summoned, and I will not die in the Great Forest of Aldoria.

　The world will be left with hope.

　I looked up.

　The villagers were terrified, holding their weapons, which were not even weapons.

　They all felt hopeless.

　If I were to save these people - the 'Godgu' that was summoned seven years later would die in the Great Forest of Ardria, and I, here, would be guided by cause and effect to disappear.

　Naturally, I will not return to the world in seven years' time.

"..........

　What are those two options?

　The struggle almost burned my head off.

　Arkyn's soul screamed.

　This is the past.

　One of those events that has already passed, a confirmed event. No interference will be allowed.

　Abandon this village!

　For the world.

　For your own good.

　Don't commit the cardinal sin of abandoning future humanity by saving the people in front of you!

(~~~~)

　I bit my lip.

　Blood spilled.　

　Tears bled.

　Stay on the right path - that's what Arkyn tells me.

　I know.

　I know, it's the right thing to do, isn't it?

　The world would be in better shape if we could just turn away from the tragedy that's about to happen and close our ears to it all.

　Then.

"...Mr. Merle.

　A trembling voice hit my earbuds.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　The flames of the red lotus are burning the village of Ludvik.

　The adults around them are staring at each other at a distance of dozens of maids in the air.

　Behind those people.

..........
..........

　Me and Illtimina-san were staring at each other.

　Beautiful crimson eyes.

　I couldn't take my eyes off of that person's eyes, which were soaked with tears.

　A trembling voice spilled from her lips.

'We're all going to die.'
..........
What do I do?　I know that. But I just don't know what to do about it.

　White fingers are gripping my sleeve.

(............)

　I'm an idiot.

　The burning house collapses and sparks burst. Soaring sparks illuminate the girl.

　I close my eyes.

　--Why am I here?

　For the world?

　For the people?

(...no...)

　I realized that.

　I wondered who had rescued me in the depths of the Great Forest of Aldoria, when I was supposed to die.

　Who was there to protect me until now?

　Who has been there for me all these years?

Oh...

　I exhaled.

　I remember what that man said to me before he came to the world seven years ago.

'...I want to start over.'

　And.

　I am surely in the past (here) to make that wish come true.

　I opened my eyes.

　Her youthful form was there.

　The girl who held her sobbing sister in her arms and stared at me, trembling, was on the verge of tears.

　I laughed.

　I knew I was ready from the beginning.

　But I just realized it too late.

　Arkyn's soul was mourning, but at the same time, it understood. So the resistance that had bound this body to me also disappeared.　

　Having regained my freedom, I say quietly.

''It's okay, I-tee-n-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na.　
..........

　A girl looking up at me.

　I put my lips on hers - by surprise.

　The girl rolls her eyes in surprise.

　The touch of a feather.

　A momentary meeting.

　Immediately pulled away.

　I stared at the dumbfounded girl and said, "Guys, I'm going to help you.

'Guys, I'll help you.'

　A word of determination.

　Then, he stood up with the 'Fairy Sword' in hand.

　In the midst of the raging flames, she slowly walked in the direction of the Divine Blood Cult Nakes and the many demons.

　This life and existence shall be dedicated to her.

　I will leave the world, the future of humanity, and myself behind, and use all I have just to stop her tears.

(I'm Merle.)

　He's a god dog, not a god dog.

"Ma'am, Ma'am!

　Her voice calls out to me in surprise.

　I stopped and turned my blue eyes toward her.

　There was a girl's face, carved with bewilderment - a very beautiful face that was very young, but still had a lot of that person's face in it.

　I narrowed my eyes.

I've always loved it.

　First confession.

　A girl who stiffens.

　A small smile at the figure.

Goodbye, Miss Illtimina.

　I look forward, determined to never look back again.

　Zach, zach.

　I step on the grass and walk through the flames that dance down.

　The adults in the village of Ludo.

　The god-blooded cult of Nakes and the demons who gathered there.

　A woman with a tattoo.

　In order to throw myself into the space where so much murderous intent is swirling, I open the spigot of the great "power" inside my body.

　And I'm...

...divine energy released.

　The power of that divine beast, the Divine Inu, was quietly unleashed into the space where the red lotus flames raged.