I'm Sorry..

"What are both of you doing?" Kyle asked, hovering not far away.

"Hm? Oh, Sarah was afraid I would get angry with her, so I explained that I would never hurt her," I explained.

"That's not what I asked."

"That's why she hugged me, and I just comforted her."

"Do you know how long I've been trying to get close to her? And this is what you do?"

I took a deep breath, observing the surroundings. "You know this isn't the right time to discuss this, right?"

"Do you think this is the right time to be intimate!" he shouted.

"That's why I didn't give you Glory. You're still controlled by your emotions."

"Like you turned this place into a hell? Do you think I don't know the reason?" He spread his left hand, revealing the horrifying sight around. "You turned this place into a hell just for revenge against them, didn't you?

You don't care about the inhabitants who live here. You're only looking for the quickest way to destroy The Heretics! You don't care what happens as long as you achieve it! Even if that path becomes torture for others!"

I appeared in front of him, staring sharply. "You don't know what I've been through. You don't even know what I've done to keep them safe. Do you think I want this? You have no idea how cruel they become the moment we let our guard down. I'm just doing the same to them."

I could feel anger boiling inside me, like magma slowly rising to the surface, ready to erupt. I clenched my fists tightly, restraining myself from hitting his know-it-all face.

He didn't understand what I had experienced, to the point where I was forced to do things I hated.

Did he think I did all of this because I wanted to?

"Stop considering yourself the most tormented in this world! Don't you see how your actions torment them?" he exclaimed in a high tone.

I let out a sigh, a final attempt to calm my anger. "Then what do you want? To let Vulture do as they pleases? To let the group under The Heretics devour human flesh? To let people live in illusions? In a beautiful dream that isn't even reality?"

I snorted at his words.

"If you want to know, they are still living in the glory of their kingdom's triumph. They don't even acknowledge the existence of other races. What I did is just a small fraction of what could happen in the future if they're unprepared. You don't even know that the Queen intends to rule this world, do you?"

Ah, how satisfying it was to see his shocked expression. The face of someone who just realized how corrupted these royal elites are. If only he knew that the council members were also collaborating with Vulture, and it wasn't just one council member. Their entire families were involved as well.

"This world is not as beautiful as you think, Kyle. This is not a fantasy world with pleasant stories. Behind the offered beauty lies deep darkness. You may not have experienced it yet, but once you feel that darkness, I hope you are prepared to face your shattered soul.

I simply don't want them to experience the same, so I am preparing them for the future. This way, they won't recklessly attack other kingdoms, won't cause suffering to others, and certainly won't fall into a pit without a glimmer of light.

You may not understand now, and I hope you never will. Because you still have an intact soul, a soul that has not witnessed the cruelty of the world. Once you witness it with your own eyes, I assure you, the only thing you will yearn for is death.

Unfortunately, I cannot choose that path. Because the lives of all of them, the lives of the people in this world, are in my hands. I am responsible for saving them from the impending apocalypse that will soon arrive. Even now, I am forced to act to prevent their annihilation.

You don't know who has been watching over us all this time, don't you? You don't know that there is someone capable of toppling this great kingdom as easily as flipping a palm, don't you?

You...

You don't understand how much I have to endure. So shut your mouth before I do it for you. Do you understand?"

I took a long breath, turned around, intending to leave and prepare to meet Miss Sheila.

"But what you're doing is wrong!"

Unable to restrain myself, my hand had already swung, hitting his face, sending him down and crashing onto the ground not far ahead. Dust filled the air, obscuring his figure as he now coughing with blood flowing from both sides of his mouth.

I rushed over, kneeling in front of him, intending to heal him, only to remember that healing magic is already exist and unavailable to me. As I was about to help him stand, he brushed away my hand.

"I-I don't need... your help," he replied curtly, then fell to the side due to losing balance.

"Kyle, I-"

There's no need for you to say it. I don't want to hear it. I don't need an apology from someone who doesn't value the lives of others," he stood up again, trying to maintain a steady posture despite trembling violently. "I'm ashamed of myself for choosing to follow you.

I never expected you to be someone like this. You disgrace the name of humanity. I will prove to you that this world can still be saved without resorting to your rotten methods."

He flew away, leaving me on the destroyed road where Sarah arrived shortly after. She stood in front of me, extending her hand while lowering her body, urging me to accept it.

Once again, I took a deep breath, holding her hand that felt so delicate despite having fought countless battles. And together, we headed towards the meeting place. There, I was certain that Miss Sheila was waiting, folding her arms and grumbling to herself about why I was late.

Meanwhile, Kyle, who was now atop the kingdom's wall, observed the sorrowful view of the city, determined to help them in his own way, a way he was confident Zent wouldn't understand. He would make that man understand that there were still ways that didn't require sacrificing others.

How happy he would be when he could make that arrogant face realize that he was right. He couldn't wait for that day to come.

"Won't you stop Kyle?" Sarah asked, worried.

"No, he will understand on his own what I'm saying. He will also realize that no one has died since the war began. No one even injured. Only those who sided with Vulture have become corpses," I glanced behind, wondering where the teenager had disappeared to before finally looking at Sarah, who was now holding my hand.

"Kyle needs to realize that the beauty he thinks exists doesn't really exist. To attain it, we need to eliminate the darkness in this world first. Otherwise, the same thing can happen again, and I don't want that."

Her grip tightened with a worried expression on her face. "But, are you okay? Don't you have to sacrifice your soul to use Glory?"

I didn't know how to answer that. Because until now, I felt like my chest was about to explode. But what was far worse, like what happened to the Pirate Captain, still hadn't surfaced. The last time I had a nosebleed was when I penetrated the kingdom's barrier, which I had just learned about, when Kyle questioned how I could break a barrier he himself was unsure of destroying.

I also don't want to assume that my soul is greater than others' so that I can use Glory as if I don't value life. There might still be secrets behind the usage of that transparent cube that I haven't understood yet. I also haven't found the fourth Holder, apart from Celine, Prince Alcya, and Zhao Feng.

Ah, I haven't explained what a Holder is.

A Holder is someone destined to wield the Glory. There are ten Holders, whom I speculate also come from different worlds.

Does that mean there are ten worlds transmigrated to this world?

I'm still not sure.

Most likely, yes, maybe even more.

What I'm certain of is that I believe the fourth Holder is inside the Clockheart. Who is that person? I still don't know because they haven't revealed themselves yet. It is through them that I will know when I have found the other Holders. I last met them about a week ago, before we embarked on a mission to steal energy from the Clockheart.

I just remembered that we have to bring it to someone. But who?

Ah, never mind. I'm sure that person isn't that important either. They haven't even paid us, so it doesn't matter if we keep this Glory for now. Besides, they're not a Holder, so why should I worry?

What Zent didn't expect was that the tenant would turn out to be a crucial figure in the future.