Chapter 21

"Arf! Arf! Arf!..."

Amidst the darkness, no other sound permeates besides your heavy, uneven breaths.

Being in one of the deepest, darkest layers of the Frozen Peaks, ice capable of killing many within moments surrounds you. Yet, despite your body trembling, the cold doesn't seem to bother you in the slightest.

Elizabeth is conscious, yet far from truly able to maintain a barrier around her body on her own. Her mind is lost in horrifying memories that never even existed, conjuring scenes of the dark creature closing in around her.

Her red eyes occasionally emerge from the darkness, as if hunting her in that tight, cold space. In those moments, even the sounds of her huge claws scraping against the ice walls could be heard.

However, even though her mind is not perfectly well, for some reason, the heat barrier remained activated around her. It protects her and adapts to the coldness around her, conserving energy while she unconsciously continues to absorb the ambient mana.

To some, it might seem like a miracle, to others, an absurd and unbelievable tale, a lie spun without any expectation that anyone would truly believe it. Something straight out of a fairy tale.

But the truth is, while her mind is foggy and directionless, it's as if her own mana is consciously protecting her.

Her eyes widen at the slightest hint of noise. Yet, it's all a delusion of her own mind. Sounds created by a mind in chaos, to further terrify her.

Something drips down her arms, neck, legs, and a bit onto her stomach. A sticky, thick substance carrying a faint, singular smell of iron. However, Elizabeth isn't well enough to pay attention to it.

Amidst the darkness, the glow of the sacred sword strapped to her waist intensifies, constantly trying to calm her mind and bring her back to reality. But, trembling and at random moments jerking her head from side to side as if searching for something, Elizabeth doesn't seem to be affected by that magic at all.

At times, she looks up, observing the distant, faint light streaming through the crevices of the cliff. Yet, when the sun finds itself obscured by a cloud and the light weakens even a bit, she quickly hides, burying her head among her arms and legs, shivering as silent tears stream down her eyes.

***************

Ascending to the top of a small stone mound, accompanied by Clovis, Aiden, and Riley, was Ethan, who, gazing at the reflection of the blue moon on the waters behind the demonic castle that bore a strange whitish hue, asked, "How many times has it been now?"

His expression remained stoic, impossible to read. But his eyes hinted that he was certainly looking beyond those waters, specifically, at something even closer, the crowd gathered on the golden sands of the beach beside him.

After the arrival of the bodies, those who were indeed deceased had to be identified and then, after that was done, a brief moment alone was given so that the relatives could bid farewell to the departed.

The tradition of dressing the deceased, donning them with their most honorable attire, in this case, their uniforms of knights from the demon army; The shirts, of a deep blue reminiscent of twilight, are adorned with horizontal stripes in a lighter shade, evoking images of gentle waves on a calm ocean, outlined by fine red lines. The fabric seems breathable, ideal for physical activities, with a fit that suggests mobility without sacrificing form.

The sleeves end in elastic cuffs, ensuring they stay in place even during intense movements. The Kingdom's emblem, proudly placed over the heart, is the image of a white dragon with red eyes, the symbol of the royal family.

The shorts, in a darker shade of blue than the shirt, bear edges adorned with thin bands. The fabric, similar to that of the shirt, seems to resist wear and tear, promising durability.

Completing the ensemble, the socks rise from the black shoes, with elastic bands preventing them from slipping, sharing the deep blue of the rest of the uniform.

Never has it been so cold in the demon realm. If one were to look up at the sky, they could even see small snowflakes being carried by the breeze.

However, despite the strange change, not only in temperature but also in the entire climate of the Realm, with even snowfalls never seen before occurring, no one paid attention to this small yet significant detail. Not a single demon was able to truly grasp the magnitude of such an event.

The Demon Realm not only has a unique climate, separate from all the realms around it. The temperature in its region neither rises nor decreases no matter how many days or years pass.

After all, it's not just about a unique climate, and the moons in the sky make that more than evident. The fact is that it is as distant as it is close to any surrounding Realm because the Demon Realm exists in its own dimension.

There, there are no rains, no sun, and certainly no snow. It is a unique Realm, illuminated only by the two moons at all times, created exclusively for the people who inhabit it.

"Depends... on what you're talking about?" questioned Clovis, standing beside Ethan and observing the steadily increasing crowd on the beach.

"How many times has this been done since I was summoned?"

Clovis fell silent. He knew the exact numbers. In fact, he knew the name of every knight present at that ceremony, as well as those in previous ones.

After all, they pass through him first when they arrive at the castle so that they can finally reach there. However, despite knowing such information, in his view, it would be better if no one else had to bear the burden of knowing it.

"...I'm not sure..."

An absolute silence fell over that place, leaving only the cries echoing from the beach.

Ethan watched that line of dozens of canoes, lined up side by side, at the boundary between the sand and the ocean. His mind constantly drifted in thoughts, but soon enough, the cries always brought him back to reality.

With a firm posture and sometimes half-closed eyes. Crying is not allowed for him. Everyone could cry in that situation, during that ceremony, except him. Clovis is fully aware of that.

However, it doesn't mean he regrets his decisions. He merely relays the orders, but still, it was through his lips that the death sentences of all those men came out. But if that's the sacrifice necessary for him to keep his people safe;

"...No matter how many times it's necessary... I will do it again."

As he clenches his fists tightly, Aiden's eyes scan the entire row of small canoes.

The uniform they are wearing is the same as that of all four on top of that rock. Surely they all sympathize with the fallen comrades, so; "...So why can't I stop seeing her in all these damn canoes?!"

Of all four, Riley certainly was the one who least managed to hide his emotions. His hands tremble, and his eyes fill with tears as he looks at one of the canoes on the beach.

They weren't knights or even comrades, what he was seeing inside that small wooden structure. With her long and simple white dress, without any adornments or details, her red hair spread across the wood of the canoe and swayed gently with the sea breeze; that was his mother.

It's been almost a month, he knows that at some point her day will also come. Understanding that is one thing, but accepting it is completely different. And even though he knows that this will probably be best for her, leaving her painless and at peace, Riley is not ready to accept it yet, and seeing this tradition happening so many times only makes him more certain of that.

The relatives of those who have gone stood before the canoes. Their tears couldn't be contained.

Their hands, when placed on the wood, tremble. But not only because of the waters that beat against the canoes and make them sway.

The act of pushing the canoes into the waters is very painful, causing many to fall during the process. Others, a little stronger, resist the act of pushing the canoes into the waters but cannot rise after doing so.

There are also those whose reality hits them only when the canoes have already departed. They cry and run into the sea, but are prevented by those nearby, after all, those waters are treacherous and dangerous.

When the canoes reach a certain distance, the knights, with bows and arrows, pass through the citizens and prepare for the final act.

That is not an easy task. None of them wanted to do this, at least not in that way... not for that reason.

They raise their arrows and use fire magic on their tips. Once released, the flames dance with the winds until they reach the distant canoes.

The cries intensify, and sadness deepens within each one, as the flames consume the bodies of those who have already departed.

It's not part of tradition, but it's something that has been happening lately. Riley, passing by Ethan and Clovis, raised one hand and caused flames to rise towards the sky.

It wasn't a basic fire magic like the others; it was a much more complex magic. Because the flames were white, unlike what normally occurs, they hadn't been created from his own mana.

Roaring, a large white dragon appeared in the air, rising to the skies and illuminating the path of those who would no longer walk this world.