So Be It

As Illya died in my arms, I watched everybody else around me. I couldn't bring myself to look at her... it didn't feel real that she was dead.

This was the girl who fought twenty people at once and came out alive. I healed her once, but I couldn't do it again. I don't know how she transferred her lifespan to me... I was shaken, stuck staring at Carl specifically.

More people came up from a ridge behind him, waving their hands to Ruby's sight. Ruby answered with a chipper tone. I found myself angry at first but was able to logically think that Ruby didn't have a connection to Illya like I did. She was celebrating that Quake had been defeated by the people of her city.

Meanwhile, Dani, Carl, Faith, and I were all by Illya's side, closing her eyes out of respect.

"She did what she wanted to... we have to respect that..." Carl said. I would've considered him the last person to listen to Illya's request, or even shed a tear for her.

"Sky... I'm so sorry about Illya," Dani said. She rested her head on my shoulder from behind and I lightly let Illya's body fall to the ground to stand up.

Halfway to standing up, I realized it didn't feel right to leave her there, so I picked Illya's body up, slinging her over my shoulder, and looked back at the people Ruby was talking to.

"Quake has been defeated! And... I did nothing. No, the credit does not belong to me, but to the man we all once despised. Sky Asterio. He single-handedly defeated Quake... the praise, the glory, it is his," Ruby said. She held me on a display made by her hands to exaggerate my efforts to the people.

"This will prove that you're a good man, Sky," Ruby told me with a smile.

My wet hair covered my eyes now, with only a few missing strands out in the open to see the people of Zealous standing around, closer to Ruby, and cheering my name. It felt... wrong...

"I didn't do shit, it was the other Arkians. I annihilated your city, Dani, Lia, Mandi, Rin, Ren, Ellios, Carl, Alexia, Alatus, Fudo, Ellie, Tavian, Dante, Amera, Moon, and Noboki are the ones who deserve the credit. I did nothing. I destroyed a civilization, and killed my sister," I told Ruby.

I walked past her, moving to the graveyard left behind almost instantly after I finished my sentence. Behind me, Dani, Carl, and Faith followed close behind.

Every step I took felt draining. It felt like I lost everything, missing a piece of me so important. By no means did I feel attracted to Illya, but knowing that I failed another person and got another person killed... it stung in a way I hadn't felt before. I couldn't protect everybody...

"ATTENTION CITIZENS OF ZEALOUS!" I turned my head at the loud exclamation of a person holding a scroll on the opposite mountainside.

Ruby peered close to see who was making all of the racket, only to have an arrow enter her chest. I saw the tip explode once it left her back, and she fell to the floor right in front of a crowd of all of her people.

Carl and Dani immediately tried to jump into action, but were unable to because I held them down. My hands planted on Carl's shoulders and one stern look at Dani told her to hold off.

"Why?! Ruby's hurt!" Carl shouted out to me. I ignored him, lightly putting Illya into my arms, and handing her off to Carl.

"Let me handle it," I sharply said. Carl took Illya from me and I recalled the Mahina Armament to my left arm, walking in a steady stride toward where the arrow was shot from.

I eventually passed Ruby's body, pushing golden strands into her body to heal her, and standing brave against the person who shot.

Another arrow came flying by, begging me to catch it and snap it in half. This time, it was aimed for Ruby's head. I caught it, like I predicted, and snapped it in half, summoning a wall of golden strands to protect her.

"Stay out of this! You don't want this!" The shooter told me.

I threw the Mahina Armament straight at his chest, cracking the bow down the middle, and severing his right arm from the small inch that I missed. I clicked my tongue, walking closer to the point of origin from the arrow.

I climbed the ridge of the destroyed mountain and looked down to witness a strange scene... one with a ton of soldiers, readied with shields, swords, and arrows with strange metal tips.

"Stay out of this, citizen!" Somebody said in the back.

When I first saw her, I was immediately reminded of Red... she had blistering red hair, almost resembling blood... I was utterly shocked to see her, thinking it was Red the entire time. I tilted my head in confusion while staring at her, and another arrow was let loose toward me.

I flicked it away with the Mahina Blade seamlessly and jumped down from the ridge of the mountain to get to eye level with her.

"I've never seen another person with red hair... you're the second..." I said out loud, lost in a mix of emotions I couldn't describe.

"You've... seen a person with red hair before...? That's impossible... unless..." She took a look at my left hand, and I immediately knew that she would hunt me.

"You're... Sky... Asterio...?" She said. Her red hair rippled in the wind as her face turned from a look of happiness to confusion, to anger. It was Wrath I saw in her face, one I knew far too well.

"You killed my sister... you killed Red... you were the one who prevented us from reuniting," She said to me. I kept a straight face, staring at her.

I couldn't help but smile. I felt myself slipping again after I spent such a long time growing... I couldn't decide if I wanted to kill her...

Oh, but I had to, didn't I? She would leave me with no choice, wouldn't she?

"I didn't kill your sister, Zeal did. I protected her for as long as I could. What do you want with me?" I asked her from afar, but she stood silent, and her soldiers stood ready.

"We were here to reclaim Zealous now that it's destroyed... it's just like Genesis told me, it would be up for the taking after today," She admitted with that look of Wrath still swarming her.

"I won't let you touch what doesn't belong to you," I told her adamantly. What stood between her and taking Zealous was me... nobody else was strong enough to get into a battle, especially with this many people.

"Look at that... an Asterio being possessive... kill him, leave no survivors," She said. She waved her hand, turning in the opposite direction while giving me one last annoyed side-eye, and the soldiers began to charge me.

"So be it," I muttered to myself.