The Solitary Ghost and the Girl with Nowhere to Turn

If I am not strong, I cannot protect the past.

If I am not strong, I cannot keep my promise.

That is why I slew my old, weak self.

With no memories beyond the last nine years, the Holy City of

Yugosland was the only place Leon could call home. He walked alone

through the streets in the dead of night, dressed in rags. The scars of battle

had left his dark coat ragged and worn, and his hair was thick with clotted

blood.

He trailed his useless left leg—a mechanical prosthetic—behind him. It

made for a pathetic sight. However, none of the people he passed on the

street held any pity whatsoever. One averted their eyes. Another looked on

with barely concealed disgust. Two of them muttered to each other as he

walked past, and another dumped a bucket of cold water on his head. A

woman from a second-floor window. She spat on him and yelled, "Get out of

here, freak!"

Soon, the corpse arrived at his lodgings, a vast mansion, and one of the

few physical reminders of his past.

"I'm home," he said as he entered, though there was nobody within to

answer.

Still, behind Leon's crimson eyes dwelled the image of the two who

used to share this abode with him. He walked alongside those phantoms to a

room on the upper floor. There, he collapsed on a bed.

"Almost four years now…"

Four years since the day he lost everything. Four years since his life

became a living hell.

"…I don't deserve forgiveness. But if there's just a chance that I could

make things right…"

Leon didn't finish that thought. He closed his eyes and fled this cruel

world.

The man had started with nothing. No memories. No purpose. No standing.

No sanctuary. Without those things, he was afraid, and so he sought them.

It was only now he realized what a mistake that had been. There was

nothing wrong with nothing. With nothing, he could leave this world behind

and avoid having to feel the despair he felt now.

"If you wish to find what you seek, you must choose a path and follow

it."

It was in that hellish world that he—that I—discovered those two

people.

"I will show you the way. How you walk it…is up to you."

The Second Hero of Salvation, Claire Redheart.

Teacher. Mother. Purpose. She was everything to me.

But she wasn't the only one.

"Don't fret it. We'll protect you."

Rheinhardt Crossline. He was like a big brother. A small big brother, but

he was still my family.

I wanted to spend my life with them. I wanted to pay them back for all

they did for me.

But…

"It's all…my fault."

…on that day, I lost everything.

"Leon. Rheina. I…"

She went somewhere far away.

"Hey, partner. The next time we meet, let's…"

And he went somewhere far away.

I screamed. I knew it was in vain, but I threw out my arms and

screamed.

Wait. Don't go.

Don't…

"Don't leave me alone!"

The dream, like all things, came to an end.

"Don't leave me alone? …Ridiculous. I did this to myself."

Then the corpse closed his mouth and turned his attention to what had

awakened him. Leon's ears could hear a pin drop a mile away. An intruder

on the lower floor posed no problem at all.

"…Fool. You should have contented yourself with the first-floor safe

and left."

They were coming up the stairs. They were nearly at the door. Five

paces. Four, three, two, one…

The door opened. But when Leon saw who it was, he looked puzzled.

"Ah! I…I thought you might be in here!"

It was a young woman with long white hair that came down to her hips.

Smooth, unblemished skin and sparkling green eyes. A true beauty in every

sense of the word. Certainly not the kind of person one might expect to be

breaking into houses in the middle of the night.

"…I remember you," said Leon.

"Ah, um… Alice Campbell, at your service."

"…One of the people the kobolds attacked in Shuzeria Dungeon."

Alice's eyes were downcast.

"You really don't remember, then," she said.

From that, Leon deduced the two must have met some time before, but

he couldn't recall when.

"I came because I…"

"I don't care about your life story," Leon replied. "Hurry up and get out

of my house, and never show your face again."

It was a harsh rebuke, and Alice seemed genuinely hurt by his words,

but she worked up her courage and looked the corpse in the eyes.

"I came because I want to learn from you! And I'm not leaving until

you agree!"

Her eyes were filled with the fire of wrath, like a misbehaving child

defying her parents.

"Ask some other hero. They'll be only too happy to help."

"I…I want to learn from you! I don't want to ask anybody else!"

The two argued for some time, but neither relented.

This girl's not listening to me. We're just arguing in circles. Still, I can't

just kick her out. I can't use force against a young lady.

Yet the girl's stubborn nature was proving hard to overcome.

The thought of taking on an apprentice was beyond the pale. Leon

Crossheart lived alone and planned to die alone as well. That was the

unspoken promise he had made to himself. There was only one thing to do.

…It's a little mean, but I have no other choice.

Mired in doubt, guilt, and self-loathing, Leon opened his mouth to

speak. To deceive the innocent young girl before him.

"In that case," he said. "I'll give you a trial. A trial to see if you are

worthy of being my disciple. If you pass—"

"Then I can learn from you?!"

Leon nodded, and Alice's angelic features blossomed into a smile, as

though it were already a done deal. Leon knew, however, that her dream

would never come true.

If I break her heart a little, I'm sure she'll give up, just like all the

others. There's nobody on this earth who can stand beside me.

No matter what, the place at Leon's side had to remain empty. He was

incapable of protecting anyone.

"You can sleep here tonight. Assuming you don't have an inn already,

that is."

"Y-yes! I mean, no! I'd be glad to! The truth is…I have no money…

Ehehe."

Thus, the desperate girl and the lonely ghoul began their short stay

together.

Early the next morning.

"Wakey-wakey! Time to get up!"

A cacophony of clashing pots accompanied the girl's yells. It sent

Leon's mind back to another time, to a morning long ago.

"Get up! It's morning!"

"This racket could wake the dead! Oh, wait—you are dead!

Ahahahaha!"

It felt as if Leon were transported back to the days of his rowdy senior's

merciless awakenings.

And that made it all the more irritating.

"…Be quiet," he snarled, causing Alice to jump and quiver.

"I-I-I-I'm sorry!" she yelped. "I-i-it's just…you weren't waking up,

so…"

"Who cares? I don't remember asking for a wake-up call, do you?"

Leon sighed and righted himself. Alice smiled nervously and said, "I…

I've made breakfast. I worked really hard, and I think you'll like it!"

Leon observed the girl's bloodshot eyes. She didn't appear to be lying.

She must have risen quite early and been slaving over the stove all this time.

She wanted his approval. She wanted Leon to stop and look at her. He

could see it in her eyes.

It would be a lie to say Leon wasn't happy about that, at least partially.

But despite—or perhaps because of—those feelings, he had to disappoint

her.

"I'm a ghoul. I don't eat human food."

His staunch refusal left no room for discussion.

"Your kindness is wasted on me," he said. "Never cook for me again."

This revelation came as some shock to the eager Alice, whose face

slowly fell.

"…I'm sorry. I suppose I got a little ahead of myself, didn't I?"

She left the room. Leon could see the tears forming in her eyes as she

did. It pained him…but it was for her own good.

"It was the right choice," he muttered beneath the crushing weight of

guilt. "…I'm sure it was."

The corpse heaved a deep and helpless sigh.

Later, after Alice had finished eating, Leon told her, "Grab your bags.

We're leaving."

At the sound of his voice, Alice jumped out of her seat. "Whoaaa…,"

she said, as though she'd just witnessed a miracle.

"…What's that for?"

"W-well! You spoke to me! You spoke to me!" she said, as if expecting

Leon to be angry. "I was worried…you know, after breakfast…"

Watching her express relief, Leon felt a twinge of pain. He knew the

blame for that morning's exchange fell squarely on his own shoulders… Yet

when he looked into Alice's eyes, he felt a strange sense of déjà vu. It felt

like one more step would bring all his old memories flooding back. Then he

would remember who this girl was, and if that happened, he wouldn't be

able to ignore her any longer.

Thus, Leon steered the conversation back on track.

"…Get ready. We're leaving in ten minutes. If you're not packed by

then, I'm going without you."

"Y-yes!"

Alice's loyal demeanor was unshaken in spite of Leon's unkind

treatment. She trotted back to her borrowed room, put on her equipment, and

hurried down to the front door where Leon was waiting. The pair of them

then left the mansion and headed into town.

"Um," ventured Alice. "Are we going to a dungeon? What kind?"

"We're not. We're heading to the guild."

"Oh, th-the guild?"

"Yes. Most people have this impression that adventurers just explore

dungeons. Especially newbies like you." Leon looked Alice in the eye and

continued. "But an adventurer's life isn't restricted to the collection of

Testament Stones and anomalies."

The Shroud affected not just the area where the disaster first occurred. It

had also spread to surrounding lands. One of an adventurer's tasks was

cleanup.

"Quests don't bring in a lot of money," Leon explained. "And nobody

earns a hero's title by fulfilling them. However, the risk of death is less than

half that of dungeons. You can use them to gain experience until you're

ready to take on greater challenges. So today, your trial is to complete one."

"S-so what you're saying is…you're worried about my personal

safety…?!"

It was true, but Leon worried what might happen if he admitted it, so he

ignored Alice's question.

"But…this quest will most likely involve entering a dungeon,

nonetheless, will it not?"

"…Perhaps."

"Still, you chose a quest because you were mindful of my well-being!

That's so nice!"

This girl was beyond help. She would believe whatever she wanted, so

long as it made her feel better. Leon was already fed up with her, but even

so, he couldn't help but be charmed by her excitable nature.

…That was why he found it so painful knowing how it was all going to

end.

I only bring pain to those around me. Once she realizes this, she'll

leave. Just like all the others…

Leon remained silent, trying not to feel anything about their imminent

farewell, and soon the pair arrived at their destination. Leon opened the gate

and led Alice inside. The guild was packed with adventurers, just like any

other day, and the energy within its walls was starkly different from the

outside.

However, as soon as they noticed Leon, the place fell silent.

To Leon, this was an everyday occurrence. But Alice became scared and

confused. She stopped in her tracks, her bright green eyes trembling.

"…Keep walking. Stay by me."

Trailing his left leg behind him, Leon walked toward the notice board to

which quest notes were pinned. However, on his way…

"Tch! Who do you think you're lookin' at?"

"Get outta here, freak!"

Leon's fellow adventurers looked at him with anger and revulsion. But

Leon didn't care. No emotional outburst could rattle his bone-dry heart. It

had been four years since that tragedy, and ever since then he hadn't felt a

thing.

But Alice stopped and, in a strong voice, yelled…

"Please retract that statement!"

"…Excuse me?"

"I…I said…please retract that statement! L-Leon is not a monster!"

It was clear from her tone that this was not a point she was willing to

back down on.

"…Don't bother," said Leon with a sigh. In the last four years, nobody

had ever stood up for him before. It almost made him…happy, but such a

thought was enough to spark his self-loathing once more.

Still, there was nothing for it now. Leon made to step between the big

man and Alice to stop an altercation, but just as he did…

"You got guts, kid. I like you."

A bellowing voice rang out across the guild. The man was so large, it

seemed his shoulders would scrape the ceiling, with scars all across his arms

and face. The man Alice confronted seemed like a baby by comparison.

"I…it's Velgo the Hawk!" he squealed, his brow erupting in sweat.

This man, Velgo Zahaj, was one of Yugosland's heroes and a veteran

adventurer besides. His was a face that Leon knew well. Yet Leon ignored

him, making his way to the quest board, and after running his eyes over the

notes posted there…

"Here, this one'll do for today."

Leon tore one off and brought it over to the counter, where he signed it.

Then, having no more reason to stay here, he and Alice made for the exit.

But just as they were about to reach it…

"Hold on, girl."

"Eep?! Wh-wh-wh-wh-what is…it?"

"Word of friendly advice. Pack it up. Bein' round that guy ain't good for

you."

Suddenly, Alice's frightful shivers stopped.

"You're just another one of those—"

"Don't get me wrong, kiddo. I'm only thinkin' about you."

"About me?"

Alice cocked her head in confusion. Velgo nodded and then spoke.

"Claire Redheart. Rheinhardt Crossline. You've heard of those two,

right?"

Claire Redheart, the Second Hero of Salvation, and Rheinhardt

Crossline, otherwise known as Shining Rheinhardt, Claire's most gifted

apprentice and the boy expected to succeed her.

Leon glared harshly at the man, but did nothing.

"They lost their lives during the Festival of the Holy Spirit four years

ago. By the hand of your friend there."

"Allegedly," Alice corrected.

"Yeah, you're right. They never did find any proof. But everyone knows

it was that lousy corpse. I mean, you just gotta ask yourself who benefitted,

huh?"

But nothing the man said could change Alice's mind. She simply did not

believe it. Perhaps Velgo noticed this, for his face contorted into a wry smile,

and he said, "I don't buy it either. There's no motive could have possessed

that man to take the life of his two friends. But what I'm sayin' flies

regardless of whether the boy's a killer or not. I'm talkin' about what he is,

missy. I don't think you're ready for that."

Velgo's next words seemed to come with some distress, but that didn't

stop him from saying them.

"If you wanna be happy, you'll leave him and never look back. I'm

tellin' ya, wherever that kid goes, death is sure to follow."

Misfortune came to all who stood by Leon's side. That was Velgo's

warning.

"It don't bother me, of course. Death comes for us all sooner or later.

Occupational hazard. But what about you, missy? You sure you won't regret

this?"

Velgo could tell at a glance that Alice's main motivation was her own

happiness. And yet…

"I…I won't! I'll…stay by his side! There's nowhere else for me to go!"

Velgo smiled at the girl's answer, but Leon frowned grimly.

She's stubborn. Almost like…

Velgo seemed to be thinking the same thing. He looked up at Leon with

a thick smile and said, "Hey. Doesn't she remind you of somebody?"

"…Hmph."

Leon avoided his gaze aloofly, which made the giant burst into laughter.

Then he faced Alice and added, "Well, stay safe, missy. If you change your

mind, you can always come party up with me."

Then he turned his large back to them, ending the conversation. In

response, Leon strode out of the guild. Alice followed alongside him and,

after a few moments' hesitation, asked…

"It's…not true, is it? What that man said. What you did to your old

friends. It's not true, is it?"

"…Velgo wasn't lying," Leon replied. "Most of what happened that day

is as people think. Four years ago, during the Festival of the Holy Spirit, a

horde of fiends attacked the town. And the one who brought those fiends

here…was me."

Leon's words were a densely wound web of truth and lies, impossible to

unravel.

The massacre at Yugosland. The people's sorrow. They were all…

"…My fault. It's all my fault. I destroyed it all. And…"

This was Leon's confession. The manifest weight of his sin.

"…I was the one who killed Master and Rheina."

Leon and Alice boarded a carriage and set off for their next destination.

"Ah! Look over there! Horses! Wild horses!"

Ever since departing, Alice's eyes had been glued to the window, yelling

and pointing at everything that went by. She seemed eager to keep the trip

interesting, but for Leon, her excitement was nothing but an unwelcome

nuisance.

"…Don't you know how to sit quietly?"

"Ugh. S-sorry. B-but there aren't any other passengers; I'm not

disturbing anyone."

"You're disturbing me. Now sit down."

"Huh? A-are you trying to say…m-my witty banter isn't good enough

for you?"

What witty banter? Leon wanted to ask but refrained. He simply

shrugged, and Alice made an indecipherable expression before muttering

under her breath, "You really don't smile anymore…"

"Ghouls can't smile," Leon replied. "We don't have emotions."

"That's not true," Alice shot back, and slowly raising her head, she

looked Leon directly in his crimson eyes. "I remember you, you know. Just a

little, but I've seen you before. With Claire and Rheinhardt. You were

always smiling back then."

Did we really meet each other in the past? thought Leon. But deep

beneath the surface, dark clouds roiled. Before he knew it, Leon opened his

mouth…to deny his own emotions before they revealed themselves.

"It doesn't matter whether I used to smile or not. What difference does it

make to you? Whatever we were in the past, you and I are strangers now."

After he finished speaking, Leon regretted his words. What was he

doing, letting some kid's optimism get to him?

"…Sorry. That was out of line."

"N-no, I was at fault too. I dug up old wounds you weren't comfortable

discussing…"

The carriage fell silent. But only a few moments later, Alice opened her

mouth again.

"I don't think this is a pleasant topic either, but I must tell you… I want

to make you smile. I can't go on watching you cry like this."

"…Ghouls don't cry. Like I said, we don't have emotions."

"No, you are crying. Inside… Just like I was."

Alice didn't want to anger Leon, but still she spoke. It was all the leadup to her next statement.

"I want to heal your troubled heart, Leon. I want you to smile again.

That's why I'm not going to give up. Not ever."

Karna village was a small mountainside community of less than a thousand

people. The village was highly traditional, and the buildings and lifestyles

were quite antiquated. Outside, farmers toiled in the fields, each turning a

suspicious eye toward the outsiders in their midst. It was clear from the

looks on their faces that they treated Leon and Alice as intruders into their

isolated community.

Or at least, the adults did.

"Hey, mister! Lady!"

"Are you two adventurers? Where do you come from? Tell us a story!"

The children only displayed welcoming smiles. However, there was

little point in conversing with them, and Leon ignored their badgering. Alice,

on the other hand…

"This man is actually one of the Heroes of Salvation! We've come a

long way to help your village!"

Her usual timidity was nowhere to be found. When talking to children,

Alice's innate cheeriness came to the fore. But Leon only found her actions

bothersome.

"Are you going to talk to the elder?" one of them asked.

"We'll show you the way!" said the other. "As long as you tell us a story

after you—"

"Get away from them!"

A gruff man working in the fields interrupted the child's eager request.

He puffed himself up and walked over to the pair.

"Didn't your parents tell you not to speak to outsiders? Do you want to

catch their ills?!"

It was sadly the way around these parts to pin any calamity on outsiders.

"Why are you being so mean?" the kids cried. "They've come to save

our village! Why are you mad at them?!"

The children's souls were beautiful and pure…but they lacked the

power to make their ideals a reality.

"Don't talk back, you cheeky brats! Now get the hell outta here before I

give you a hiding!"

They were only kids, after all. They couldn't speak out against the

tyranny of the grown-ups. The moment the farmer's fist came down, they

scattered in all directions, crying.

"Tch…"

Giving a rude tut to the two outsiders, the farmer turned and walked

away.

"…Why do grown-ups never talk to children properly?" asked Alice,

forlorn.

It wasn't because the village hated kids that they used violent means to

keep their children in line. They were trying to protect them, and Alice knew

that. But that only made it sadder. It was as if the adults simply didn't know

the best way of dealing with the situation.

"…My master said that sometimes love drives a person to do things

they don't want to," said Leon.

There was no better emblem of that sentiment than what the pair

encountered after a few minutes' walk. By the side of the road was a house

emitting a putrid stench, and parts of it were falling off. It was coated in

human waste, and it even looked like the other villagers had been throwing

stones at it.

"Looks like the infected and their families are treated the same

everywhere," Leon noted.

Blue-Eye, the disease that turned people into fiends. There was no cure,

and just like the Shroud, its precise cause was unknown.

"…Blue-Eye is believed to be contagious, just like other diseases, even

though there's never been any evidence to suggest it's true," Leon said.

Many people could live knowing they might turn into a fiend at any

time. But when it was their loved ones on the line…they could be driven to

do the unthinkable.

"Can't we do something?"

"All we can offer is a temporary reprieve. After we leave, there's no

telling what will happen."

In all likelihood, the villagers would go right back to their persecution

without ever thinking that what they were doing was wrong.

"The only way to end this is to banish the Shroud, kill all the fiends, and

put a stop to this disease once and for all… But we both know that's not

going to happen."

Perhaps once, he had harbored such hopes. If Claire and Rheinhardt

were still around, they probably would have made an effort to save these

people. But they were gone, and any idealistic fancies died with them.

Everything now was Leon's fault. As Alice walked alongside him, she

turned and said, "Nothing's impossible, Leon. You will save the world. I

know you will."

She really believed it. But Leon laughed it off and kept moving.

Then the pair arrived at the house of the village elder, the client for

Alice's quest.

"As stated in my humble request, I would be much obliged to receive

the services of two capable goblin-slayers such as yourselves."

The elder bent down and adopted a meek, servile attitude. It was the

behavior of someone begging for salvation.

"The fiends inhabit a cave in the mountains behind the village. Our

people are going missing every time they forage for herbs in the forest…"

He continued to implore Leon, throwing away his dignity. The reason

for that was…

"They took my dear daughter captive! Please, you must save her!"

"…It'll be dealt with."

Leon left the elder's house and went straight to the mountains in

question. On the way, he addressed Alice, who walked alongside him.

"I said before that novice adventurers ought to focus on quests to build

up experience instead of entering dungeons. That's because of how fiends

behave. Broadly speaking, they can be divided into two different kinds…"

"You mean the mistborn and the illborn, right?"

"Exactly. The former are humans mutated by the Shroud. It takes away

their intelligence but makes them physically strong in return. The latter are

humans who succumb to Blue-Eye. They're smarter but weaker than their

mistborn counterparts. The other difference is that mistborn can't leave their

lairs, which means it's mostly illborn fiends that plague humanity."

As they neared the cave, Leon continued.

"I chose a safe quest for today, but even if you get yourself into trouble,

I'll save you. However, I won't protect you. Bear that in mind."

"Um…aren't saving and protecting the same thing?"

"No, they're not. Saving you is my obligation. Protecting you is my

prerogative. And I don't protect anyone. Ever."

That was his self-imposed curse. Leon lost the right to call himself a

protector the day his friends lost their lives.

As their conversation drew to a close, the two of them arrived at the

entrance to the cave.

"…Let's head in."

"O-okay."

Attempting to steady her rattling knees, Alice took a few tentative steps

inside, and then…

"U-um, Leon? Wh-what are you doing?"

He crouched down, one ear pressed to the ground.

"Be quiet," he said. "Don't distract me."

With that curt response, Leon focused intently on listening, picking up

the sound waves reverberating through the cavern floor.

Ghouls lacked a sense of taste, and their sight, smell, and touch were all

less sensitive than a normal human's. However, their hearing was

extraordinary, and in locations with lots of echoes, like caves, they could

detect things other people couldn't.

"Thirty-eight fiends," he said. "And…seven people."

"Oh, my!" Alice gasped. "Then we must go and help them at once!"

"…Yes. We must grant them their salvation."

The two made their way deeper into the cavern, guided by the lights of

burning torches affixed to the rocky walls.

"An illborn goblin is about as strong as a normal adult male with no

Source-manipulating ability," Leon explained. "Their senses are no stronger

than a human's either, and they can't see in darkness."

Thus, the goblins' den would become their graveyard. It wasn't long

before Leon spotted three goblins, standing just before a turn in the tunnel.

"You wait here and watch," he said.

Leon raised the pistol in his left hand, taking careful aim at the torch

providing the goblins with light. The gun fired, and the cave was plunged

into darkness.

The goblins were thrown into a panic. The Reaper drew near.

The "battle" lasted all of three seconds. One per rotten puddle that lay

around him at the end of it all.

"…May your rest be eternal salvation."

Leon muttered his prayer and glanced back toward Alice. "Come," he

said, before venturing deeper into the cave.

The path was a bloodbath. After Leon mercilessly dispatched another

group of goblins, Alice turned to him and asked, "Um…am I only here to

watch? Isn't this supposed to be a test?"

"It is a test," Leon replied. "Not of your skills but of your mind. So, yes.

Watch."

Alice didn't understand what Leon meant by that. Leon could tell she

didn't see what he had in mind and started to wonder if he was making a

mistake. While he chewed on that, Alice suddenly spoke.

"Still, I can see how strong you are," she said. "Nothing like the ghouls

I know."

"…Yeah," Leon replied. "I'm not like other ghouls. The others of my

kind are unintelligent and are rated as Class Four fiends, slightly above a

goblin. I'm special."

It sounded like he was boasting, but Leon knew there was nothing to be

proud of.

"I regenerate any fatal wounds instantly," he added, "and my arm can

tear a human to shreds. I also possess a superhuman level of hearing and a

human intelligence that allows me to use these skills to the fullest… All the

ingredients to become a powerful force, held back only by my heart."

"Your…heart?"

"That's right… I used to be a coward. I hid behind my master and

fellow apprentice, shaking in my boots. I was pathetic."

Leon sighed and stopped speaking. Any more and he would open old

wounds he didn't want to revisit.

"Anyway, you're starting to let your guard down. Keep it together."

"Y-yes! I'm sorry. B-but…you're far stronger than any of the fiends in

this place…"

"Nothing's safe when you're out adventuring. And something stinks

about this job."

"Ah. Now that you mention it, the stench is quite unbearable this far in."

"…True. They're creating something. Hence the smell."

"Creating something? You mean like a trap? A weapon?"

"You'll see. For now, we need to find out about their leader."

If it was just a particularly strong goblin leading them, that would be no

problem.

"Intel is an adventurer's best friend. What kind of fiends are there? How

many? What are their strengths and weaknesses? Knowing the answers to

these questions can be the difference between life and death."

"That's true. Weren't you the Adviser back when you worked with

Claire and Rheinhardt?"

"…That's right, I was."

"How does it work? How do you find things out about the enemy?"

"Mostly deduction based on clues they leave behind… For example, if

you use chemicals on their feces, you can find out its composition, and thus

work out what species you're dealing with. Plus—"

Some people have special abilities that let them find out more about a

fiend, he was about to say, when…

"Wha?! Wh-what's that?!"

"A mural. Painted in human blood, by the look of it."

It wasn't particularly artistic. It looked like a child had just slapped red

paint on a canvas. But it was clear what the mural depicted.

A brother and sister, hands joined in peaceful harmony.

"Usually, when goblins make wall art like this, they use their own

excreta. It serves the same purpose as cats or dogs marking their territory.

Whenever they use blood…that means it's just for fun. And the species that

most enjoys that sort of behavior is…"

A vampire. But just as the thought occurred, a faint memory stirred and

filled him with anger.

"L-Leon?"

Alice's voice snapped Leon back to reality. He took a deep breath to

calm himself.

"…We need to find out who made this painting. And the quickest way

to do that is to use my power."

Leon stepped toward the painting for a closer look.

"If I don't come back," he said, "give me a shake, will you?"

"Huh?"

Alice didn't have time to wonder what Leon meant before he reached

out and touched the painting. And as he did…

The corpse's mind was filled with someone else's memories.

"Wh-what are you doing, Father?!"

"Out of the way, Eren. There's no cure, you know that. The only

answer now…is death. Otherwise, she'll turn out just like your mother."

"Help me, Eren!"

I stood in front of the trembling girl.

"I told you, Father. A brother always stands up for his little sister!"

"She's not your sister anymore!"

There was a struggle. I took the knife. Excitement. The gleaming

blade.

…And red.

Red red red red red red red red red red red red red red red red red

red red red.

Everything my eyes fell upon was dyed a deep crimson.

"…Father…"

After that, the memory receded, and Leon returned to the real world.

"L-Leon?"

"…The reason I was my team's Adviser was because I possess a special

ability."

"A special ability?"

"That's right. I can read the minds of fiends. I can see their pasts, their

thoughts, everything."

The reason Leon had this ability was because he was a Red-Eye.

Most fiends were Blue-Eyes, who, as the name suggested, possessed

azure eyes. Those with crimson eyes were rare examples who managed to

keep their humanity. That was what made Leon such an effective Adviser.

"The person who painted this mural used to be a young boy who wished

to protect his sister. In my experience, people like that tend to end up

becoming quite large."

The younger the child, the bigger they wished to be. It was an obvious

expression of strength to someone like that.

"A child who wants to protect. A beast that paints with blood. Based on

all this information…it's highly likely we're dealing with an ogre."

"An ogre? Not a hobgoblin?"

"That's what most people would think. Most fiend hordes are led by a

larger specimen of the same species. But there are exceptions to every rule,

and this is one of them. Just keep in mind that an ogre is a Class Two fiend;

much more dangerous than a regular hobgoblin."

"M-my, how scary. B-but you can beat it, right, Leon?"

"…Yeah. Of course I can."

Leon couldn't answer any other way.

"…Let's keep moving."

With heightened caution, the pair advanced through the tunnels. The

voyage was not difficult; Leon managed to surprise attack many of the

goblins they came across, reducing them to rotten puddles and pilfering their

Testament Stones. There was no sign of this supposed ogre leader at all, and

soon Leon began to worry.

"Something stinks about this place."

"Indeed. My nose is about to fall off…"

That wasn't what Leon had meant, but Alice wasn't exactly wrong

either. The stench seemed to be getting worse with each passing second. For

Alice, who still possessed a normal sense of smell, it must have been torture.

But it meant that Leon's destination was drawing closer. He walked a

few steps farther, then stopped.

"You stay here," he said to Alice. "Don't move a muscle until I call for

you."

Leon left Alice behind and ventured forward into a wide-open space. As

he did so, he muttered to himself, "Not exactly what I had in mind, but I

suppose it's what I asked for."

He couldn't show this to Alice as it was. It would shatter her mind.

Leon shot out the torch, as before, and shrouded the area in a veil of

darkness. After slaughtering the goblins there, he took one more look

around.

"Should be a little better now the place isn't so lit up," he pondered. He

called over to Alice, who entered into the wide stone chamber. It was mostly

natural, with some minor goblin modifications.

"…Gasp!"

As soon as Alice set foot inside, her eyes went wide.

The room was filled with an eye-watering stench. It was made up of the

goblins' odor as well as that of their excrement and one other thing that

Alice didn't realize until it was too late.

She could hardly be blamed. After all, it was a smell that a wholesome

young lady like her would have never had reason to encounter.

The last and most overwhelming component of the uncontainable

stench…was goblin semen.

"…Ghk."

The ground was littered with bodies. All of them belonged to human

women. Their clothes had been stripped off, and their arms and legs clumsily

amputated. To the goblins, the limbs were an unnecessary hindrance. These

were not prisoners but tools.

Alice felt something heave inside her.

"Urgh…!"

She threw up onto the floor. She shuddered violently, and her eyes were

wet with tears. Watching her pitiable state, Leon spoke in a quiet, solemn

tone.

"Velgo said I only bring misfortune to people. There's no denying that."

He looked around at the bodies.

"…ill…me…"

One of them spoke. She spoke for them all.

"Kill…me…"

The weeping of the womenfolk filled the chamber. It was like a prayer.

Leon nodded…and rescued them from their living hell with a bullet to the

head.

"We Heroes of Salvation," he said, "must, more than anyone else,

respect life. We must save as many lives as we can. And that means that,

sometimes, we find ourselves in situations like this."

If you stay with me, you'll carry this pain with you wherever you go. Do

you really want that to happen?

Leon knew nobody would ever choose to live like that. From now on,

the two would have nothing to do with—

"I won't leave you. Ever."

Leon was shaken. His face betrayed no emotion, but the next words out

of his mouth made it clear.

"I…don't understand."

How did she come to that conclusion? Leon could not fathom what

chain of reasoning or emotion had led her to that point.

"Are you after my inheritance?"

"I don't need anything like that."

"My social status? Just so you know, I don't have any."

"I don't want anything like that."

Then why? Leon's mind ground to a halt as he struggled to comprehend.

Just then…

"Ugh…ah…"

A faint, tortured groan from somewhere far off revealed the location of

the last survivor. Leon found himself using their existence as an excuse to

escape.

"…Let's head over."

Leon did not wait for his disciple's response. He set off walking at once

to flee the labyrinth of his own thoughts. Like a loyal puppy, Alice followed.

"Um…," she said. "I've been counting the enemies we've encountered

so far, and I make it thirty-seven. That means there's only one left. It must be

the leader, right? The ogre?"

"No. From what I can hear, it sounds like a goblin."

"Huh? But then…where did the ogre go?"

"That's what I've been wondering," Leon replied. "Think back to the

entrance, when I told you how many enemies there were. Was there anything

strange about that number?"

"Y-yes. I thought it seemed a little low."

"Exactly. Thirty-eight is far too low. To form a horde like this, you need

at least two hundred."

"And yet there's not even a fifth of that number here. How could that

be?"

"If I had to say, it's because of cannibalism. Most fiends don't attack

others of their species, but goblins are an exception. When there's not

enough food to go around, they resort to eating each other. Reduces the

number of mouths, and feeds the rest. The thing is…when there's a strong

leader in place, that doesn't happen."

"Because he steps in and stops them from fighting?"

"Precisely. Fiends powerful enough to lead a horde usually have a

strong sense of teamwork. They stay within their territory to keep the others

in line."

"B-but…we've searched this whole cave and haven't seen any fiends

strong enough to be the leader."

"No. That's why something stinks about this job."

The dwindling numbers. The absent commander. What did it all mean?

Minds whirring with the myriad possibilities, Leon and Alice came at

last to the deepest caverns of the tunnel network.

There, a new and even more horrifying sight awaited them.

"Agh…gah…ghh…"

"Hii-hii-hii! Hii-hii-hii-hii-hii! Meat! Meat! Meat!"

In a small stone chamber, the final goblin thrust his hips repeatedly,

lying atop his poor victim, who grunted in pain.

"Grh…ghh…ah…"

Leon approached and addressed the oblivious fiend. "You must really be

enjoying that. Didn't notice I was here?"

Then, he grabbed the goblin by the scruff of the neck, tore him away,

and launched him into the wall, where he was smashed to bits.

"Who…are you? …Adventurers…?"

The woman still seemed sane. Her eyes were glazed over, but there was

still a trace of strength in her voice.

"That's right," Leon replied. "The village elder sent us. We've come to

slay the goblins."

"The…elder…," she spoke between pants, as though squeezing out

what little energy remained. "The village…is in danger… A few days…

ago…someone came… They told…the fiends…to attack…the village… To

dig…a tunnel…"

"…Who was it who said this? Did you see their face?"

"I…only heard…their voice… A pretty voice…like…an angel…"

"…Thank you. Thanks to you, the mystery is solved."

The mystery of the missing goblins. The mystery of the absent leader. It

was all planned.

At the back of the stone chamber was another large tunnel. No doubt it

led to Karna Village.

"They left behind their weakest and attacked the village. Probably just

as we were entering the cave."

"Th-then that means the village is…!"

A terrifying thought occurred to Alice. But the woman on the floor

already knew what she was about to say.

"Please…! Save…the village…!" she pleaded as tears streamed down

her face. Leon took no time to respond.

"I will. Now…rest."

"Thank…you."

With the woman's gratitude still ringing in his ears, Leon took his pistol,

pointed it between her eyes…and sent her tortured soul to heaven.

"…I always feel so powerless," he said after it was done.

If only Claire were here. If only Rheinhardt were here.

Then perhaps this story would have ended differently.

"I'm the Hero of Salvation, but what I can offer is only a false one.

What a wretched tale."

A dry, rasping voice, wet with heat.

Seeing this, Alice attempted to summon up what courage she could.

"Even if you feel powerless, you can't bring yourself to give up, can

you?"

"No. That is the fate I inherited alongside my title. I will never run from

that."

Leon thought of the lives he'd taken within the system of caves.

The women, whose dignity had been stripped from them and who

begged for the sweet release of death.

The fiends, once human and once possessed of sacred souls.

"No more sorrow, no more sin."

That was why the Hero of Salvation was here.

A fire in his heart, the corpse took off down the tunnel.

As Leon's left leg was a steel replica, he couldn't run like he used to, but he

could still travel at great speeds by hopping, like a pebble skipping on a

pond. Hurtling down the mountain path, he soon arrived at its base and

continued on toward Karna Village.

I should be concentrating on my legs…but I just can't stop thinking

about it. That person the woman mentioned who riled up the goblin horde…

Could it be?

A memory of someone surfaced in his mind. A reunion Leon had been

awaiting ever since that tragic day four years ago. If they were behind all

this, and if Leon could see them again…

It's unlikely I'll win…but I need to try. It's the only reason I'm still alive.

With these conflicting emotions swirling in his mind, Leon soon arrived

at the heart of the chaos. The village was under attack by goblins. The watch

fought bravely, but they were badly outnumbered.

"Looks bad. They're not going to last much longer," he said.

"Wh-what can we do?" asked Alice.

"Goblins are cowards by nature. If we take out their leader, they'll

rout."

Using his superhuman hearing, Leon picked out a likely prospect.

"I'll head west from here and eliminate the commander. You see if you

can help anyone on the way. Get them away from here, but leave the fighting

to me. Understood?"

"Y-yes!" replied Alice.

Her face was pallid with fright, but in her heart a fire burned. She would

stick by Leon's side no matter what, and she would save the people that

needed saving.

"…Where do you get that courage from, I wonder?"

Leon sighed. He didn't know whether to be impressed or shocked. He

simply took his pistol in hand and fired in the direction of an old man who

had fallen on his backside. The bullet whizzed through the air…and pierced

the skull of the goblin about to swing his axe, turning him into a puddle of

flesh juice.

"Over here, sir!"

Alice pulled the man to his feet and helped him evacuate. These days,

every village like this had a large shed to use as an emergency shelter. Its

sturdy construction would keep the villagers safe.

Of course, there were fiends for which even the shelter would prove no

greater impediment than a sheet of paper, but for the current crisis, it would

suffice, if only because Leon's target was no longer present.

"Did he sense I was here and leave? Or…?"

Leon could never predict his moves. Still, his absence meant Leon could

focus on his main task.

Kill the leader. Save the villagers. Head west.

Soon, Leon and Alice came across the body of a fallen villager. It was

the farmer from before, the one who had accused outsiders like Leon and

Alice of harboring the disease and who tried to warn the village children

away from them. His back was unmarred, and even face down in death, he

gripped his machete. He must have stood bravely in defense of his village

until the very end.

Like how I should have died… Giving your life so that others may live,

to become the cornerstone of a brighter future… I won't let it be in vain, my

friend.

Leon looked ahead, from where he felt an immense pressure bearing

down on him.

"Help…us…"

They were there; the four children who were curious about Leon and

Alice earlier in the day and came over to talk to them. The thing standing

over them was huge with black skin the color of deepest night.

As soon as Leon saw it, another memory began to play.

I wanted to grow up big and strong, like the hero from my

storybooks, so I could protect my little sister.

"What's going to happen to us now, big brother…?"

"It's okay. I'll take care of you."

Father lay still in a growing puddle of red. I took my sister's hand

and fled the village. There was nothing for us there now.

"We'll head to the next town. There must be people there who

can…"

Surely someone, somewhere in this big, wide world, knew a cure for

my sister's disease, I thought.

…However.

"Wh-what? But you said if I paid you, you'd cure her!"

"I was lyin', obviously. There ain't no cure for Blue-Eye. Once you

catch it, it's over."

The town was not as warm and welcoming as I'd imagined. It

brought no hope; only despair.

So we fled into the mountains. And there, we grew weak.

"Big brother…I'm hungry…"

"Wait here. I'll go find us something to eat."

All I could do was watch as my sister became less and less by the

day. I became thinner too and started forgetting things.

"Ah…ahhh…"

The longer I went on living, the hungrier I got. Almost everything

edible I found, I gave to her.

"Ugh…gh…ah…"

But one day, everything changed. All I can remember is eating until

my stomach was fit to burst. It tasted sweeter than anything I ever

thought possible.

"Big…brother…"

I remember hearing my sister's weakening voice.

…and when I next awoke, she was gone.

My mouth dripped with a nectar of unparalleled sweetness.

"Where are you?!"

I screamed. I shouted her name across the mountains.

But I never heard her reply.

I left the cave and stepped in a puddle of red. My eyes in the

reflection were blue, just like hers.

I was happy. But it made me miss her all the more.

"I need…to find her."

As the memory ended, it coincided with reality.

"Leon!"

Alice's warning rang in his ears. The corpse moved like a whip. A

reflexive gunshot. The bullet found its mark in the creature threatening the

children…but failed to get through its jet-black skin.

"Ugh…Aaaaah…"

Emitting a dull groan, the monster slowly turned toward Leon.

An ogre. That was the name for him now. That was what he had

become. The boy who wanted to grow big and strong to protect his sister.

His wish was granted and denied in the same foul moment.

And yet he still didn't realize it.

"Nooo…! You're…not her…"

Even now, he searched. For something he would never find.

"I pity you," Leon said with a crimson glint in his eye, aiming his

handgun. "But that is why I must destroy you."

"I…I'll help!" said Alice.

"No. Stay out of the way. You won't land one scratch on him with your

weapon. You'll only get yourself killed."

Sit back and watch, he was saying. Don't even help the children get to

safety. With that, he dashed into battle, firing a silver bullet at his

invulnerable foe. Once again, the bullet failed to pierce its mark and bounced

off the creature's boulder-like skin.

The ogre's sorrowful expression slowly turned to irritation, as though he

had just been bitten by a fly.

"Roooaaaaaaaghhh!"

In an instant, the beast closed the distance, his thick arm whistling in the

wind. Leon sprang back to avoid it. The attack failed to even graze, but Leon

felt its power nonetheless.

"…One slip and I'm done for."

Realizing this, Leon's hand went to his belt, to the holy sword, Calit

Gelius. His master's sword, with power enough to slay any fiend, no matter

what protections it boasted.

However, as Leon gripped the handle, lightning flew from the jet-black

scabbard, defying his touch.

Calit Gelius had a will of its own. It chose its wielder, and rejected those

it deemed wanting. Leon was allowed to touch the sword, but Calit Gelius

had never once let him draw it.

It was as if it was saying, "Do not presume upon my aid."

"…All right, then. Just watch. I'll win this on my own."

His fingers trembled, but Leon Crossheart did not back down.

"Come, my brethren," he said, his eyes burning with conviction. A

moment later…

"Groooaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

…the ogre attacked.

Leon leaped aside to dodge its fist, like a slung hammer, before closing

his eyes.

His world went dark. He surrendered his sight, honing his inhuman

hearing.

"Grooh… Roooooaaaaagh!"

Leon carved each one of those sounds upon himself. Their wild volume.

Their terrifying rhythm. He leaped, evading a whirlwind of blows, each one

deepening his understanding. Then, at last, he heard the truth concealed

within them.

"Grooooooaaaaa Where are you? aaaaaaaah!"

The boy…was crying.

"Rrgh… Rrooo Where did you go? oooooogh!"

Behind that feral noise. Between each harrowing beat…

"Groooaaaaa I have to aaaa protect you! aaaaaaaaaaaagh!"

…was his pain.

"Roaaa I will aaaaaa protect aaaa my sister! aaaaaaaah!"

Then, after dodging countless blows, and with his eyes still closed, Leon

spoke.

"Exhaust thy passions and be silent, for the Lord invites you into His

presence. Let thy soul be purified, and receive His forgiveness. Then shall

the Lord take and cleanse thy sin, and thou shalt be saved."

It was a passage from scripture. A prayer for the soul of a wretched

criminal about to depart.

Leon slowly opened his eyes and looked at the approaching ogre.

"Groooaaaaaagh!"

As the beast swung its massive limb, the corpse lowered his eyelids.

"Let anguish be my guide. Fist of Apollogeist. The fire's glimmer.

The red monkey's eyes."

Leon's steel right arm responded instantly, with geometric patterns

appearing across its surface. The next moment, in the darkness of the night,

one of the dark limb's powers was revealed.

"Arts of Steel, Deploy. Abominable Armament Number Two: The Fire

King's Cleansing Flame, Shining Finger."

Responding to his call, the steel prosthetic melted and adopted a

different shape: that of a giant lance. It was covered in shimmering shapes

and was composed of many ringlike segments.

Then the rings began rotating, spinning. The immense friction turned

the lance a burning red, and it radiated such heat that Leon's skin soon

started to bubble and melt, battling the ghoul's unnatural regenerative

abilities.

Anyone who saw him would think the same thing. He was killing

himself, over and over again. And they would be right. This was the power

that dwelled within Leon's false arm. This was the reason it was created.

It was a tool for a monster to kill a monster.

Now, with that power at his hand…

"…I shall impale you."

The creature's hide was tough as steel, but it was no match for Leon's

superheated spike. The boy once lost his home under his father's crimson

flow. Now he would lose his life to that same hue.

"Ah…ah…"

From his open mouth came a voice. And then, the ogre wept.

"Gloria…"

His whole body slowly melted into a fetid puddle. A shining green

Testament Stone lay in its center. Leon picked it up, and…

"May your rest be eternal salvation."

He prayed. For the misery-stricken boy and his sister. May they meet

again in Paradise.

"Look! The goblins are running away!"

It seemed the goblins all instinctually knew of the death of their

commander. They fled the village in a mass exodus.

"…It's over."

Leon staggered. The powers within his false arm and leg were great, but

their costs in Source consumption were great also. Unable to stay upright,

the ghoul fell to one knee.

"Mr. Hero!"

"Are you okay?"

The children he protected came rushing over to check on him. Just as he

was about to answer them…

"Look out!" Alice cried. "He's coming from the right!"

From out of the bushes, one smaller goblin leaped at Leon, sword

drawn. But the ghoul didn't register him as a threat. Instead…

"…You'll make a fine meal."

He turned and gripped the creature's face with the fingers of his steel

right arm.

"Ghh! Geh…gah!"

The goblin's brave attack sliced a tear in Leon's coat, lacerating his

pallid skin. But the ghoul paid no attention to his own dripping blood. He

only drew the trapped beast closer while lowering his mask.

Leon Crossheart was not only a human, he was also a monster. That was

why no matter what he did, society treated him like one.

The look in the villagers' eyes was proof enough.

"…What is that?"

They stared, shocked, and muttered among themselves, watching the

ghoul partake of his meal. Leon sliced the fiend's belly and consumed his

entrails while the prey still lived. From the goblin's lips came constant

screams of agony, almost as if he was saying, Just kill me already.

It was such a horrifying sight that even the villagers started to feel a

little sorry for the fiend.

"Urgh…!"

Several people vomited. The ghoul continued feasting on his catch…

until about one-third of the way through his meal, when the goblin finally

expired. The corpse immediately deteriorated into a rotting puddle.

"Damn… I was enjoying that."

Leon lifted his face. Wet chunks fell from his red-stained mouth. His

crimson, glowing eyes scanned the crowd and fell on a small girl. One of the

children who called out to him and Alice shortly after they arrived in the

village.

The goblin ambush just now must have rattled her. She had fallen to the

ground, shivering in fright.

Poor thing.

Leon slowly walked over to her and held out his hand.

All he wanted to do was help a girl stand herself up.

However, the other villagers could only see one thing. Even the children

who had been kind to him at first.

All they saw was a monster choosing his next victim.

"G-get away from her!"

The children stood in his way. Their teeth chattered, their knees rattled,

but still they stared Leon down.

"I-if you lay a finger on Atolie, I'll…!"

His face was fierce and determined. Seeing it, Leon was overcome with

self-pity.

"What am I even trying to do…?"

Who would ever accept his hand? The hand not of a fellow man, but of

an inhuman brute?

Nobody. His mind clouded in red mist, Leon had forgotten that. And so

he had made a mistake. He had allowed himself to think, for one small

moment, that he could live among them.

"…I'm sorry."

Leon apologized and turned away. The villagers saw him not as the

savior of their home, but as a new foe, to be treated with fear and revulsion.

Amid a wave of pitch-dark hate, Leon replaced his mask, hid his face,

and turned to Alice.

"Do you still…?"

He had meant to sound uninterested, dispassionate.

But Leon couldn't stop the emotion leaking through the cracks in his

heart.

"Do you still want to stand with a monster like me?" he asked.

Alice must have noticed it, for she shone back a smile brighter than the

sun.

"You are not a monster," she said. "You are the Hero of Salvation."

The sincerity of her words was clear in her expression.

The ghoul scoffed, then began dragging his left leg as he walked toward

her.

"…Let's go," he said.

"Yes!"

They walked side by side.

"I ended up leaving everything to you this time, Leon. But I promise

you I'll pull my weight on the next job!"

She walked slowly, keeping pace with the crippled ghoul. Then she took

his hand.

His crimson-stained hand. The one everyone else rejected.

"…You'll get blood on you," he said.

"I don't mind."

Leon made no attempt to free himself from her grip. He could shake her

off no longer.

Alice seemed to take that as validation…and acceptance.

"I'm very pleased to be working under you, Master Leon."

There was nothing Leon could say to that pleasant smile, those grateful

words.

Even though he'd planned to fail her from the beginning.

Even though he'd sworn never to get close to anybody again.

All he could say was…

"…You're a fool."

But which one of them was he referring to? Her, for making the wrong

choice? …No. There was only one person here deserving of his spiteful

words.

"…You're a fool."

He said it again, then sighed. A sigh as cold as the body that housed it.

And yet…for the first time in four years, a flicker of warmth returned

to that tired old corpse.