'No, Nem, you were told to stay put.　You're going to stay here and stay put until Serena and Raven come back, okay?

'No!　That's not good enough I have a bad feeling about this.

　Nem and Trish were there, a house that had accidentally escaped the damage caused by Uranos' magic.
　It had been a little while since Raven had left their side. Nem was in a vague state of anxiety. Then Nem stood up and put his hand on the door without listening to Trish's advice.

'Nem will not forsake his mother and father!

Nem!

　Nem runs out of the house. Trish couldn't stop Nem from forcing his way out.

　Then, after running out of the house, Nem ran straight to the spot.
　Nem should not have mastered magic power sensing yet. But Nem could clearly see where the two of them were.
　Nem was unconsciously performing magic power sensing. Without realizing that it was magical power, Nem ran towards the two men's magical power.

　Then Nem arrived.
　The place that should have been lined with houses and various shops was now empty. Only the faintest remnants of fire could be seen in the wreckage and debris.
　The smell of burning wood, stench and dead flesh spread around the area. Nem knew it belonged to the people he had lived with in this town so far. But he didn't look back. Because if he looked back and accepted the reality in front of him, it was as if he would never be able to move these feet again.
　And Nem gently stared at the street ahead from the shadow of the collapsed house that still had residual heat left in it.

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

　Nem couldn't speak, his breaths beginning to tremble as he secretly looked at them with his agitated, tear-filled eyes.
　A corpse lying there. One arm is missing and a lot of blood is scattered around. And already there is no breath.
　--It's Raven. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. And even from a distance, he could see his father's face.
　And beside him was the figure of Serena, the silvery white cat tribe Serena, who was kneeling on her knees and had an expression of distress on her face. In front of her, an expressionless Uranos had his hand pointed at the tip of a miscellaneous broadsword sword. Apparently, Serena was protecting Raven, who was lying behind her.
　Nem ducked behind the rubble, watching the scene as he stifled his breath.

'The blood has been diluted, passed down through generations, hasn't it?　The blood of the ancestors has died out. You were too focused on the White Cat tribe. Therefore, I am able to point my sword at you now.

　Ulanos' words were plain. There was no hesitation in killing her from now on.

''Beastmen are an excellent race. But the beastmen can't handle them, I will manage them. And I will feed the empire.''

　That was what Uranos wanted.
　But Serena was no longer listening to Uranos. She turned her sad eyes, laden with love, to Raven, who had died quietly behind her. Also, Uranos had noticed this as well.

''Love........''

　Ulanos softly muttered. But the strange thing about it was that for some reason there seemed to be an emotion in Uranos' words at that moment that hadn't been there before.



"Of course, power is a necessity, or you can't save the ones you love.

You're going to kill me?　Your mother and your sisters.

It depends on my mood. It depends.

....

I'll ask you one last time, your power is so fascinating. It seems that your power is superior to that of the white cat tribe, isn't it?　It's worth a second thought.

The will is ... the same.

Then Uranos leaves Serena's answer behind and asks again.

'Third Princess Serena, will you come with me to the Empire?'

　And you know what?

No, I don't belong here.

　Serena replied without hesitation.

'Phew, brilliant--'

　But while Uranos admired Serena's strong heart, the next moment, without hesitation, he slashed his neck.
　A splatter of blood danced in the sky and scattered to the surroundings. Serena fell slowly from her back to the ground as it was.
　Nem saw the whole thing clearly from the shadows. -- with trembling and shaking eyes, he saw the moment his mother was killed.
　Nem is conflicted in his mind about his future actions. But Raven's voice repeated over and over in his head, "Stay here. My body doesn't move because I'm not sure if I should take this step or what I should do. --I know the right answer. I can't do anything about it. Nem knew that.

'Anor Feria is a symbol of peace, you could say. But it is a falsehood. There is no peace that can be created between races. Today, under the watchful eye of this clear sky, this city has come to an end. That is why what I have done is so meaningful. What do you think?　This will settle your doubts. Take it as a mercy of my own, and take it for what it is.

　Serena is lying on her back, staring at the blue sky. Her neck is puckered open and a large amount of blood is dripping from it. And she can hear Uranos' words fuzzily without speaking.
　But Serena doesn't understand. Why did Uranos do this?　Did you have to kill him?　From now on, Uranos will kill Trish somewhere in the town and, as the word goes, he will end Anor Feria,
　Uranos said. 'There can be no peace that can be built without the separation of races'... but Serena couldn't understand those words. Because in this town, it was possible and natural. Uranos' words were just a complication. It's a cause to justify the killing.
　And Uranos' nonsense was no longer audible to Serena. It's the same as this cloud that drifts across his vision from right to left.

'There will be no stopping it. Beast or not, life will end sooner or later.

Then, with those words, Uranos disappeared from Serena's presence for the last time.
　Serena looked at Uranos' figure, relying only on the sound of his footsteps. Serena's gaze remained pointed straight at the sky. Beside her, there was already the figure of Raven, who had already run out of breath. But Serena couldn't move her body anymore.
　Even though it was at her neck, Serena could still speak. But she didn't have enough energy left to be able to speak. In this situation of exhaustion, where she had used up her magic power, she felt the last of the wind and it was all she could do to keep her eyes open.
　At that moment, the sound of an explosion could be heard again, and then a single wave that disappeared. --that would be Trish's. The people of this town that had left the country and arrived here, welcomed Serena warmly. Their corpses litter the area, most of them in pristine condition. My beloved Raven is dead, and Trish, who I adored like a mother, is dead.

　The only thing that remains is Nem.

　He reaches out to Raven beside him to see if she's okay. But Raven doesn't take her hand back.
　In the meantime, the sound of explosions echoed throughout the town, with fire coming from various places. The flames were gradually spreading towards the inside of the town. It would get here in a heartbeat.

　Then, the magic of Uranos disappeared from the town, and when it did, there was Nem's figure in front of Serena and Raven, who were lying down.
　Nem looked down at them, and when he did, he fell to his knees in place. He took his father and mother's hands and gently grabbed them. But there was no response.

''Mother my father........''

　One after another, large tears pour out of Nem's cheeks. But as the flames around him only spread, there is no voice to answer Nem's words.
　And then, there was a hand gently grasping Nem's hand. -- Serena's.

''Mother!''

　Nem wiped away her tears and spoke to her mother. Her eyes are red and swollen with tears, and Nem starts to cry, her shoulders shaking as the tension is broken by the fact that Uranos has left and reached her parents. Then Serena's eyes slowly open.

''Ne........m.......''

　His voice was weak, and he knew it wouldn't last very long. But Nem must have mistakenly thought his mother was safe. There was a smile on his face, and it had turned to tears of joy.

　Serena held Nem's hand with unreliable strength and looked into her daughter's eyes as she looked down.

'I love.......I do, Nem.......'

'Mother!　Run!　He's gone now!

....

　Serena hasn't recovered. She's just using this life force to keep her breathing.

'Listen, Nem........'

　Serena herself, of course, knows that. That's why she needed to tell her daughter at the end.

'Nem, listen to me? .....

　Serena strained her voice. Then she spoke to Nem, whose smile was slowly crumbling.

''The Empire is gathering ... soldiers ... a lot of soldiers ...''

　Serena needed to pass on any bits and pieces of information she could learn from Uranos, even if it was in bits and pieces.

'There's a war coming.......nem.

　As Serena lay there, she thought back to what Uranos had said, and she kept thinking about the true meaning of the Empire. It was the last thing she could do while her death was imminent.
　Then he realized something. I don't know what the purpose of Uranos was in telling me that. Maybe he was caught off guard in the face of the dead. However, he is the Emperor. He may not have slipped up. But either way, if that's what he was after, Serena thought that he needed to tell her that.

''Nem ... there is a lore in this world associated with dragons.

'Mother!　The flames are upon us!　We need to get out of here quickly!

　The fire was slowly gathering. The flames that engulfed the town were closing in on them in no small measure, igniting the wreckage that should have been finished burning. The flames also spread to the collapsed rubble, gradually spreading to the surrounding area.

'Listen, Nem,'

　But that didn't stop Serena from talking. Serena needed to tell Nem, who naturally cried again as she realized her mother's condition.

'The Empire wants ... dragons, if not all of them, dragons.

Goooooooo.......a dragon?

　Nem wipes away her tears as she hears her mother's last words.

'I'm going to use the warriors ... to defeat the dragon race, so ... war ...'

　But the explanation was choppy and unknowable to Nem, who had no knowledge of it. But Serena expected that if only she knew it in bits and pieces, it would someday come through Nem's mouth to Minerva. So, first and foremost, she told her about it.
　And from the moment I told her that, the last of Serena's power was rapidly disappearing.

''Nem I love you.........''

Mother........................

Oh, he's strong and he'll find his master.

　It came from the mouth of a young Nem, because of his childhood. It's not a particularly deep meaning. But with these murmurs, Serena wanted to return, even if only for a moment, to the happy days that she had left the country selfishly and finally obtained. There's Raven, there's her beloved Nem, and there's the happiness of everyday life. Those days.....

'Mother?'

　Serena will never know how much Nem will grow up in the future.

'Come on, Nem ... go on, this place is dangerous.

　Flames were spreading around the area, and they were visible until they were right in front of them. In a few minutes, the flames would envelop the two of them in their surroundings.

''[Lightning Sol]........

　Then Serena used the last of her remaining magical power and clothed Nem's legs with lightning. Nem didn't even look at that, she just stared at her mother's face and the flames around her.

''Mother!　Mother!　The fire is coming!　If we don't get out of here soon, we're already there!

'Nem!　Run!

'Mother is coming with us!　It's my father!

I'll be alone...

　But then Serena's voice trailed off. Even though she was a beastman, it was only natural that she was already dead. It wasn't on the level of whether or not she could speak, it was a wonder she was alive. Nevertheless, Serena still lived to the very end for Nem's sake.

'Mother, sire?'

I'm not sure...

　Serena was dead. The magic she had cast on Nem was her last strength.

　With tears in her eyes, Nem touches her mother's cold face. But there is no expression, and Serena no longer opens her mouth.

　Nem noticed her mother's death, and when she did, she slowly stood up. Raven has already been dead for some time. And now Serena, who had just taken her last breath. Nem didn't understand.

''Why.........?　Why....

　Why did this happen?
You can ask the question out loud or in your mind, but you won't get any words back.
　'Why?' Serena asked, "What do you think of this?" but Raven would no longer answer.

　Just then, a piece of fire wood fell down beside Nem's side.

''Mya!''

　Nem just barely avoids it, and gradually flinches from the scene. But his mother and father are still in front of him.
　You can't just stand there cowering in place against the debris that is falling one after another, and Nemm leaves the place, screaming. With Serena and Raven lying down and holding hands by her side, Nem ran briskly through the changed city with lightning-clad feet.

''Ah!''

　But the necklace around his neck caught on a fallen timber branch tree and fell to the ground. Nem paused for a moment and tried to pick it up as it rolled away. But then the debris and wood blocked the path in front of him. A loud crash. Sparks flew and Nem covered his face as he screamed.
　The blue shining 'Anor's Light Crystal', a memento of Serena and the two Ravens. But there was no more time to go and get it, no more time to worry about it. Nem left immediately without a moment's regret.

''Huh ... huh ...''

　Out of breath, Nem dives in a straight line through the flaming town. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she ran out of the familiar town she was used to walking through with her eyes unable to see ahead.