Mekphis sees himself with certainty in his fading consciousness.
　Like a reminder of the past, it comes back vividly to his brain - the day when everything changed.

　The feeling of being alive was about to be achieved by looking at the past that was alive.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　It was an ordinary family that could be found anywhere. If I had to pick a less ordinary part, it would be that the family that lived in the red-roofed house was well known in the neighborhood as wizards.
　Most importantly, the two sisters who lived there were so beautiful that no one in town knew of them. They were born in such a warm community where everyone around them treated them like children and grandchildren because they were so close, as if they were always working together.

　They looked like twins, and they were so beautiful that they were highly respected in the town. Her older sister has purple-blue hair and one dumpling. She has a lively, friendly, and sober personality, and her friendly expression is well known throughout the town. In contrast, her younger sister, perhaps because she has taken a step behind her sister, gives the impression of being a ladylike and gentle daughter. The resemblance is in their facial features and height, while the younger sister had soft, slightly lightly pigmented brown hair that reminded me of a pool of autumn sunshine.

　She was dainty, but her skin was so white as china that her veins looked thin. She always wore a long skirt to hide the slenderness of her body, and her jacket looked like a hand-sewn cape.


　Whenever the two of them went out together, they would call out to her and men would gather around her.
　But with her younger sister standing behind her, she usually smiles socially and treats them sloppily.


　From the time she was born to this day, she has admired, respected, admired, admired, admired and loved her sister. I've worked hard to be like her, hoping that one day I would be like her.


　As always, it was the sisters' job to protect the house while their parents were on their duties in the outside world.
　But even that was abrupt for her sister when they were both twenty years old and the tentative peace was easily shattered, but the precursors to that had been in place for many years now.

　That's exactly what the sisters thought their parents gave them equally, considering the magical talents they thought were given to them by their parents....



'Fathers. It's been a long time this time.

　On their way home from shopping for dinner, they were heading up a hill to their home on top of a small hill with the reddish-brown sun in the background. They walked up a straight road with the warm indoor light popping up in the background.

　Suddenly the subject of the conversation came up and the sister broke her face, acting stoutly so as not to cause her sister any anxiety.

Melia is a worrier," she said, "I'm sure she'll be fine. I'm sure she'll be fine, and your father and mother both said we'll be going away for a bit this time.
'Yes, but...'
I'm sure your mother and father would like to go home as soon as possible. 'Yes, I'm sure they have a lot of reports left. I'm sure the Governor already knows that. We'll have to do some moxibustion once.

　Her sister, Yol, turned her soft eyes in dismay. He swallowed the words that almost overflowed, "I wanted to follow you," which started to reach his throat. Maybe I should have headed for it myself from the beginning.
　You may think the choice to follow, but of course you don't act on it. Yol had never once considered leaving Melia alone, and he was determined not to do it.

　Yol had always felt a pullback that there was such a difference in magical qualities between the sisters. On the other hand, she had begun to feel like a parent, that she didn't have to send her sister out into the outside world, that she could just go. That she had to protect her sister.

　Because, considering that they were only a month or so apart in age, I would think about it. That he had absorbed all of his sister's talents.
　His parents had been avoiding it, but originally Yol and Melia were twins. However, Yol was born prematurely and born early, leaving Melia with her mother. She was born the following month as a premature baby. In a very rare case, Melia's life should have been given up, considering the risk to the mother once it was discovered that they were twins.

　However, it was said that the mother, whose only selling point was the strength of her body, had been given Melia by the benefit of healing magic, which at the time was just the activity of her cells.


　That's why I thought it was my role to protect Melia and my sister. She knew her sister who envied her, but that didn't faze her.

　And yet, the people around her only gave her a fair assessment, despite Yol's feelings. Perhaps it was because she had a double-digit magician as a parent, but at the age of twenty, Yol was on the verge of becoming a single magician.
　The invasion of demons remains harsh, and the frequency with which mages are driven to the outside world is high. In the current situation where they are unable to defend themselves, the only mage they can counter is the one they can rely on.

　It's not just a matter of time before you're ready for the next invasion, the country - humanity needs a powerful wizard to prepare for the next invasion.


　Though they don't say it, the people who live here also act cheerful and shiver every day.

'Yol can help your fathers...'

　Yol's chest tightens at the sound of her voice lamenting such helplessness. He tried desperately to endure it, but by this time, Melia was ashamed and blaming herself for being the only one in the house who couldn't live up to expectations.
　When she was a child, they had both been given the opportunity to learn magic by her father.


　The family's policy was against becoming a magician, but the magic was to help him save himself...as a force to save his own life, and his father had tried to teach him after a struggle.
　But that was the beginning of it all. It was the inevitable beginning.

　Everyone has magical power, the energy body that makes up magic. But Melia couldn't do anything as if the thing called magic power itself was completely lost.
　Magic power is rooted in the magic ball contained in the blood from the heart, which is a circulatory system. However, Melia, who was born as a premature infant, had an inability to produce magic spheres within that organ. Of course, it's not even life-threatening.

　At least there was no Melia in the family of magicians whispered about by those around her.

　Still, Melia was frustrated in the face of training that hadn't even begun, and she cried all night that day. Even after that, if her parents or Yol were away from home for even a short time, Melia would cling to them and keep reminding herself alone.
　She never came out of her room after that.

　Yol knew what her sister was doing since the day she failed that sister. Not once or twice did he sit outside and watch in silence to delay his return.
　And at the sound of sobbing cries coming from the window, Yol held his knees and waited incessantly, biting his back teeth, for the time to pass.

　Perhaps Melia was still tormented every time her parents went out into the outside world. It was not something that even her sister, Yol, could resolve.
　So even though she knew it was irresponsible, she lied to him when she said, "I can help, can't I?

''Melia has a lot more talent than I do, and I'm sure the day is not far off when she will wake up from her slumber and her magic power.

　Yol spun as he held back his floating teeth to keep the tragedy from taking over the words.

　Melia forced a swallowing smile at those encouraging words. Yol doesn't meet the straight gaze that Melia directs at him head on.
　Yol's gaze is all he can do as he looks at Melia's neck. That's why she makes a smile and fakes it.

　In fact, Melia was more of a hard worker than anyone else. If it was only one genre of magic, Yol would be the best of the bunch. Even so, when it came to housework, sewing, and knowledge, she surpassed even Yol, a magician, in that regard. How much effort has been put into this in the shadows? Watching from the side........Yol felt even more resentful of himself.


　Even though he decided to protect her so much, if we talk about effort alone, Yol is not even close to Melia's feet. And yet, Yol's talent has blossomed remarkably well, and the people around him raise their hands in praise. The word "genius" is thrown around so casually.
　Yol was too scared to even imagine how much it hurt Melia to be put away in one word: talent.


　So the fact that he had manifested a rare power in addition to magic and at the same time received the honor of being an honored single mage made Yol even more painful.
　He didn't need too much power to save humanity. Instead, why didn't he give his sister, who worked harder and wished for more than anyone else, even a little power?

　Although it was a small detail, Yol was celebrated by her family that day.

　So Melia celebrated Yol more than anyone else in the family.

　She praised Yol more than anyone else.

　More than anyone else, she rejoiced at Yeol's promotion.

　More than anyone else, she envied Yol's talent.

　More than anyone else, he envied Yeol.

　More than anyone else, she wanted Yol's power.

　
　With Melia as the only other person, this was the time when her parents only saw Yol. And Yol could only see Melia.
　Only I can understand. It's because of me that I understand. The twisted smile her sister gives her........


　That's why Yol couldn't leave Melia alone, no matter what. That's the mission to make effective use of this power.
　If I can protect my beloved sister, I don't mind being hated. It was a decision that Yol had made after accepting the current situation, desperately hiding his heart.


　At that time - when humanity had gathered in one place and was finally able to make a living.......that thing appeared. A huge, black, evil demon.....
　It feeds on humans and immediately becomes its own food.

　The biggest evacuation advisory for all of humanity was issued a week after his parents went out into the outside world...................two days after the emergency call was made for Yol.
　Yol left, leaving Melia behind with a backward glance. 'I'll be home in a minute,' he said, and left.


　Melia, who was left alone, decided not to go to the place of refuge that Jor had told her about beforehand, but to wait at home for her return.
　It was said that the demon appeared in Alpha. It's quite far away, and in the unlikely event that it is invaded to this point, it won't make any difference where you take refuge.
　That's probably the only difference between the two, whether you can survive for an hour or not.

　No, Melia felt that staying in this house and protecting her place of return was the only duty she could do with her lack of power.
　She waits at home, repeating the self-condemnation she has been experiencing for years, wondering why she is the only one who has to wait for her family to return to a safe place to die.


　She doesn't even turn on a light and watches the setting sun emotionlessly, and all Melia hears is the creaking of the rocking chair.
　How long has she endured the blood-soaked thought? The anxiety she was already holding in her house was getting to be too much. The fear of waiting for her to come home is proportionate to the mockery of her own helplessness.

　It's because I can do housework. Why is it because I can sew clothes?
　Why can't I use magic like everyone else....that's the only thing that hurts me. Nowadays, the people of the town treat me warmly, but that's because I have excellent parents and Yol was born from them.

　I don't need to compare it to Yol, who met everyone's expectations and even exceeded them with ease. Melia had completely betrayed their expectations. The mindless words that still linger in my ears accuse me of being alone, "Oh, I'm glad I inherited my talent, even if it's just one person," a neighbor's uncle or someone said something like that.

　Melia is not recognized for any of this. I can't stop feeling that way.

　It should be a part of my daily life, but I feel alone and empty and alone.
　It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're going to do with it.
　So, the words of the father who suddenly spat out, the words of the father to Yol, "That's our daughter," - the words to Yol.
　Even Melia knew very well that they were not parents who would make a difference to the two of them. That's why I thought that. In the end, that's what they meant.


　To Melia, her parents love her, and she loves her sister, Yol, too. Everyone loved Melia. Every day is happy and warm.
　But the expectations of her parents still pass.

"Phew...........

　Self-mockery and a face that leaked out unconsciously and for no apparent reason. These thoughts were interrupted by a noisy sound at the front door.
　There is no such thing as a human being remaining in this town. Immediately after thinking that, a snatched voice did indeed make Melia's eardrums tremble. There's no way to mishear it.
　Because that's--.

　I finally came back. Thinking that, Melia rushed out of the room, and was immensely disappointed.
　There was Yol lying there with his entire body covered in blood.

'Yolu!!!!!　Yolololol....

　I ran over and looked at every part of his body with my confused head.
　The clotted blood was clinging like a pressure ulcer on the black skin. I put in a thin arm to hold her up and let her lean against me.
　But Melia felt a lukewarm touch on her arm, which made her faint. Yol barely opened her eyelids at the desperate call to her.


Well, just wait and see... soon... there's a bandage somewhere to stop the blood...

　Yol weakly pulled on Melia's shoulder as she shook her head. I don't feel any kind of power there, just the weight of the arm.

''Listen to me. Both your father and mother.........''
'No!　I don't want to hear it!　Yol wouldn't leave me alone, would he? I don't want to be alone....
I'm sorry, Melia.

　The words with only righteousness on them did not deviate as usual. I was looking into Melia's eyes so as not to let her escape. He must have come this far even though he was seriously injured. He must have run this far even though it wasn't long anymore. Instead of sweat, reddish-black blood was staining his entire body.
　It was cold, as if it had already run out of things. It was so cold that I wondered if body temperature could drop to this level ... it was just cold, like iron.

　Why can't he look away from me like he usually does? For once, Melia couldn't help but wish for it. She didn't want to believe it.

'Yol?　Yol, Yol, I mean...

　I can't find the light that is always vibrant in the faintly open eyes. A thin film of drops that seemed to be squeezed out at the end.
　But the force that shook Yol's body was weak. Even if he thought he had to call someone to call a doctor, there was no one in this town right now, leaving Melia behind.

　The silence that had come was not one that had descended because Melia had no way to do anything about it. In the silence of the house, Melia looked down at Yol's face with a sullen and despondent gaze.

'I don't want to be alone, Yol...'

　And then my gaze downward went to the AWR, which suddenly overflowed. Two pairs of daggers. Her parents had bought her one the day she became a magician.
　They were the result of the talent she had shown.
　Immediately after seeing them - the corner of Melia's mouth lifted as if she had tugged on the heartstrings.



　It's funny, funny, funny, and wacky.
　I cannot wail over the death of my sister, whom I loved more than anyone else. When I thought that, I realized that I had a feeling that I had been locked up in a cage. The emotions that had been sleeping deep inside me, locked up in a cage.

　I pull out a single dagger. How heavy it was, I thought. The weight of the slender metal is insane as a single weapon.

...Hiccup.

　I've always been jealous of them. Longing and hatred are emotions that can live together. I loved her, but at the same time I hated her. I wish she wasn't here. Still, she is Melia's sister. She is an irreplaceable sister.
　She is a strong sister who has always been by my side to protect me.

　The hand that grips the dagger slips out of my hand as it strengthens to the point where blood soaks through it, and it makes a quiet, empty dry sound on the floor with a clang. I bury my face in my chest where I've stopped ringing to hold him. Regardless of the blood on her face, if it's hers..............but her dry tongue licks it off involuntarily as it sticks to Melia's mouth.

'...........sweet.

　The tears that poured out with a thud and delay. It was the source that made up the one being called Yol. I felt Yol strongly in the blood that flowed down my throat. He felt like his sister was coming in, giving him strength.
　I could feel Yol inside me. Everything about her filled me and made me feel safe.

　Feeling Yol all over her body, Melia let out a raging sob.

'Don't leave me alone oh yolu.........'

　Twitching and crying continuously, Melia wanted to be with her, wanted to be with her all the time, and kept licking the sweet feeling blood that flowed out.


　◇ ◇ ◇