Chapter 72
-Irene.
Sometimes she thought.
If.
If she had been stronger.
Couldn't she have prevented all the tragedies left in the past days?
-I can no longer stay by master's side... nor should I.
-So this is farewell.
The master's back silently departing.
It was a scene full of regret.
If she hadn't let you go alone then.
If I had enough strength to protect you.
-Please, live.
Everything felt like her fault.
So she drove herself.
Swinging the sword, sweating, coldly hardening her tattered heart.
With resolve to never break again.
'But.'
She wasn't sure if that was enough.
Just because you try your best, good results don't always follow.
The girl was still powerless.
She just kept going forward.
Even in deep powerlessness.
Looking for her star, as master had said.
-Find your own star.
The fox wandered through pitch-black dawn.
***
The sky was dyed with dark colors.
Dark clouds that suddenly gathered swallowed the sun, then soon began dropping raindrops one by one.
Was a storm coming?
The wind's signs were ominous.
Whoosh-.
Following the roughly fluttering sea wind, the thin rain streams gradually grew thicker too.
It was truly the worst weather for sailing.
Rain pouring with fierce momentum.
Despite such bad weather.
A standoff continued on the ship's roof.
Intense impact sounds rang out.
Thud! Crack!
The hunting dog's fist struck her abdomen.
As she groaned at the dizzying pain, a following kick lodged into her shin.
The fox staggered for a moment.
"Ugh...!"
A breath full of pain flowed out.
Though she tried hard to maintain her posture, her tattered state seemed about to collapse at any moment.
Irene barely maintaining consciousness.
Before her stood the gray robe.
"See~? Why couldn't you just stay quiet?"
The hunting dog sneering.
A cold smile lingered at his lips.
Judging by how he was even humming, he seemed quite pleased with the current situation.
The hunting dog lightly rotated his wrist.
"Do you perhaps like getting hit? Why do you keep giving me reasons to hit you?"
"......"
"Oh? Not answering?"
Thud-!
Though it was called a standoff, in reality it was closer to one-sided beating.
The fox was barely maintaining consciousness.
Due to her exhausted stamina, she couldn't even properly hold her sword.
It was natural.
In a state of being drugged with sleeping medicine, far from losing consciousness, she had sprinted at full power, cut down dozens of guards, and finally reached the roof.
No strength remained to resist.
"Tough bitch... how is she not collapsing?"
A body condition where normal people would have fainted long ago.
Irene was enduring purely through willpower alone.
"Thanks for the entertainment! Even after not seeing you for so long, your endurance is still the same?"
Crack-.
The hunting dog grabbed the girl's hair.
After firmly fixing her by grasping it, he struck with his palm.
Slap-!
Searing pain.
A red handprint remained on her snow-white cheek.
Perhaps something burst in her mouth, blood dripped between her lips.
The hunting dog smiled blatantly.
"You know, right? You can never beat me."
"......"
"You haven't forgotten who captured you and your siblings? This is the second time you've been caught by my hands."
The fox couldn't refute even upon being mocked.
It was all true.
Irene already had a record of defeat against the hunting dog.
When she was secretly trying to leave the village with her siblings, the man before her eyes was the one who had persistently pursued them.
He had ultimately beaten her down and thrown her into iron bars.
"Accept it. What can you do about this being your fate?"
It was the same now too.
He was an opponent beyond reach with her tired body.
"Well... shall we continue?"
The hunting dog raised his hand again.
Just as he was loading his fist, a voice suddenly stopping him was heard.
"That's enough."
A young man in neat formal attire.
The person called 'guest' who had been watching the situation from behind until just now.
He politely stopped the hunting dog.
"If you harm her more here, it seems the merchandise value will be damaged."
"What? Didn't I tell you not to interfere?"
"I merely spoke a highly rational judgment. If she ends up with scars, your employer will be angry."
"...Tsk. I know."
Perhaps the mention of the employer had effect?
The hunting dog ultimately clicked his tongue and withdrew.
When he released the hair he was holding, Irene's posture that had barely been standing collapsed.
The girl fell sitting with one knee bent.
"......"
"Hmm? Is the drug finally taking effect?"
"She endured for long, didn't she? It's a drug that knocks out even bear beastkin in one go. Rather, the fact that she maintained consciousness until now is amazing."
"Well, it's roughly over anyway."
The hunting dog brushing off dust on his hands.
He turned his back without hesitation, then ordered the soldiers remaining in place.
"Roughly move that bitch~ You'll die if there are scratches, so keep that in mind."
"Yes sir!"
"Sigh... can't trust these idiot bastards. I'll follow too so hurry up and drag her."
"Yes!"
Several personnel clung to the fox.
She had become completely battered.
She lay sprawled out in a daze.
"......"
Irene didn't resist.
She was giving up.
This much was enough.
At least she had done her best, so it seemed okay to give up now.
It was a despair too unreasonable to hold hope.
-Isn't it okay to expect a miracle sometimes?
-You never know! Maybe someone will appear like a prince on a white horse and save us.
Words she had heard from Anne once.
When trapped in the dark mages' laboratory, words given to mean hold onto hope.
The fox bit her lip tightly.
Right.
The role of princess in danger.
Sitting quietly and waiting for a prince on a white horse was certainly not a bad experience.
Because it was the feeling of her weak self being saved.
'But...'
This time too?
Just how many times would this make?
If she waits for help whenever crisis comes, just how many princes on white horses would her life need?
The girl was skeptical.
'Maybe.'
This might be right.
Though she had her lifelong enemy before her eyes, far from revenge, she couldn't even leave a single wound on his body.
She had been played with helplessly like a toy.
What meaning was there in such a shabby struggle?
If she couldn't live without others' help, wasn't that not a proper life?
The qualification to wish for a prince on a white horse.
She didn't have it.
She would only offer her neck to approaching crises.
"......"
The fox sank into deep powerlessness.
Perhaps because her body was tired, her thoughts rolled particularly gloomily.
As her arms were being grabbed by soldiers like that.
<Irene.>
A nostalgic voice touched her ears.
It was master's voice.
Her consciousness hadn't been whole since earlier, and now she was even hearing hallucinations?
Irene blinked her unfocused eyes.
<Why do you not stand up again?>
She couldn't distinguish due to her hazy consciousness.
The girl only answered weakly.
<Do you not intend to fight?>
I'm tired.
My body won't move anymore.
<You've changed.>
<You weren't the type to make such excuses.>
<Wasn't your way to get up and hit them again and again when there was someone you didn't like?>
Two years is enough time for change.
Really a lot happened.
After you passed away, I don't know how hellish a path I walked.
So much that I don't even remember how I endured that period.
<It seems you want to whine.>
It's been a while.
Just listen to your disciple's complaints.
<I didn't mean to scold.>
<I was just surprised.>
<I thought you had closed your heart's door since that day, but it seems you still have enough courage left to reveal your inner thoughts to others.>
It's just a hallucination anyway.
<It's your freedom to think however you want.>
That's true.
It's not particularly important at this point anyway.
<Tsk tsk... Seems you've properly hit a wall.>
<Just what kind of person did you face, for a stubborn one like you to be giving up?>
It's one of those who killed master.
I tried to face them as best I could, but in my tired state, I couldn't match them at all.
<Won't you regret it?>
<The young foxes will be counting the days until their sister returns... are you really saying you'll leave your siblings behind?>
<Then why do you make such a painful face?>
Then what am I supposed to do?
Even though I want to stay by those children's side, problems aren't solved by feelings alone.
<Irene.>
There have been many crises until now, but this time I don't think I can overcome it.
<You've forgotten the teachings.>
<The words I gave you... have you already erased them from your mind?>
<Though I told you to always remember.>
I remember.
You told me you wanted me not to submit.
To become someone who doesn't bow down.
<It's fine to be blocked by unreasonable beings.>
<Even if all of you is denied, and only wretched trembling remains, it's okay.>
<Just don't bend what you believe is right.>
<That's what life is.>
<Words I made you hear until your ears wore out.>
I tried to live like that.
Because I wanted to be like you.
Though it might not have met the best standards, I think it was a life in the right direction.
Almost to the point of wondering if it was too foolish.
<That's enough.>
Is it sufficient?
<Spirit dwells in the sword.>
<Each footstep taken in life gathers, making that person's sword shine.>
<Now is the time to face your true self.>
True self...?
<Open your eyes, Irene.>
<A brilliance beyond compare will surely wrap around your hands that have walked an upright path.>
<Become a flame that burns pure white.>
<Correct all injustice, make evil-doers kneel.>
"......"
Irene stood in place.
Whispers dyeing her ears.
As she chewed over the calm voice, her hazy consciousness felt like it was gradually becoming clearer.
It was as if understanding she had been missing all along suddenly flashed.
-Find your own star.
The girl understood the meaning of those words for the first time.
Until now, she had thought of the word 'star' as meaning 'precious people' or 'beliefs to protect', but in reality it was a word bound to a much broader concept.
A star means life itself.
<Open your eyes.>
The direction one aims to advance in life.
Only after establishing that does spirit finally dwell in the sword.
It holds true light.
Irene Foxis.
The direction that name held.
The life following it.
The star it meant.
The sword finally formed.
<Open your eyes.>
After the pitch-black dawn passes, one name is attached to the daybreak that finally arrives.
None other than the name of life dwelling in the girl's sword.
Crimson Flame (紅焰).
Whoosh-!
Suddenly sparks flew.
The hot energy gradually heated up, then began erasing even the chill of the raging typhoon.
The falling rain streams evaporated before even wetting her body.
In the omnipotence dyeing with high temperature.
"...Blaze."
The girl opened her eyes.
***
Meanwhile.
There were slit eyes watching all these scenes.
"Finally, the appearance of Crimson Flame."
The snake muttered.
The voice that had been acting as the fox's master soon regained its original youthfulness.
An ominous smile hung at his lips.
"It's time for awakening."
The wicked resonance flicked its tongue.