Burnt Bridges

Looking at his map, Michael knew that this road led to a town called Cendri. He didn't know anything about it, but since they were willing to imprison or torture an innocent person, elf or not, he was seriously doubting that he'd resist burning the place to the ground.

The town itself was only three hours away from Westwood, yet Piers Morgan could barely trot anymore, let alone gallop. The sun was also beginning to set, but that was a good thing in Michael's eyes, as he worked far better under the cover of darkness.

"Alright Piers Morgan, I've worked you hard enough. Try not to cause as much trouble as your namesake," he says, hopping off the horse and slapping it on the ass, causing it quickly trot into the forest, leaving Michale alone on the dirt road.

Michael pulls his cloak from his inventory and throws it over his shoulder along with wrapping some fabric around his face to try to conceal his face. He puts his new sabre on his hip and begins running as fast as possible towards Cendri, occasionally having to dip into the forest to avoid travellers.

An hour later, Michael reaches the outskirts of a relatively large town, however, despite it almost being midnight, it sounded as if a festival were going on. The ache in Michael's heart only gets heavier as he realises this, and once he sneaks into the village and climbs atop a roof, his fears are confirmed.

In the centre of the town square was a large wooden pole, and tied to it was a heavily blackened corpse with a pile of ashes beneath it... All of the skin on the corpse had been burned, leaving a gaunt figure that lacked any identifiable characteristics... Except, Michael noticed that the corpse was female, and had previously had larger than average breasts, even despite the state of its body.

The corpse was tied to the pole, but its hands were clutched under its stomach as if the person were trying to pray while they burned... Michael eyes moistened as his legs gave out, the sheer weight of what he was witnessing forcing him onto his knees.

"Tiffania..." he mutters futilely. She was dead, burned to death for literally no reason aside from having longer than average ears. The kind, innocent girl he used to watch on his T.V had been burned to death...

What truly made Michael angry, however, was the fact that the town was celebrating around Tiffania's burnt body. People danced, people sold food and sang... Were there not a corpse next to them, he'd have felt the need to join in... Yet...

Michael lowers the fabric concealing his face and climbs off of the roof, slowly making his way through the crowd and approaching what was left of Tiffania. He stands below her body, trying his best to not break down...

*Clap!*

A man slaps him on the back and wraps his arm around Michael's shoulders, "Kid, what's with the dour face!? You gotta lighten up and celebrate! It's not every day a demon dies! Hahahaha!"

...

Michael pulls the guy off of him and continues to look upon Tiffania, memories of the anime going through his mind. This is my fault... If he hadn't taken Saito's place, none of this would have happened. Everything would have gone according to canon, with Tiffania eventually joining the magic academy and being accepted by Tristain...

None of that would happen now, and it was all because of him... Michael wipes the tears from his face and decides his course of action. "I've failed you, but I'll at least give you a fitting burial... You don't deserve to be left up here.

Ignoring the crowd around him, he climbs up the pole and cuts the burnt and shrivelled ropes somehow still holding Tiffania's body up, allowing her body to drop to the ground. Not minding his discomfort over touching her burnt body, he rolls her onto her back and prepares to pick her up and leave this place... Only to notice something he hadn't seen from below...

Tiffania hadn't been praying when she burned... She had been holding something... He ignores the angry yells of the townsman behind him and carefully unclasps her hands and reveals a ring with a large green gem affixed atop it.

"This..." he mutters, eyes widening as he remembers what this is... It's the ring that was used to resurrect Saito after his death!... C-could he use it to bring back Tiffania!?

*Thud!*

Michael's head tips forward as a rock hits him, he turns a hateful glare at the angry-looking townsfolk and warns, "If you all don't leave now, I will kill you all."

...

The man who'd previously clapped him on the back laughs, "Haa!? And how're you gonna do that? Elf love-AARGH!" he suddenly screams as orange threads of lightning punch through his chest, instantly killing him.

The townsfolk all scream in response to this, all chaotically running this way and that. Michael knew the town guards would be on him soon enough, but he wasn't willing to waste another second with Tiffania dead. He didn't know how effective the ring was, nor if it had to be used immediately after death.

He picks up the ring and holds it over Tiffania's blacked body, pushing as much magic as possible into it and hoping that it'd work. The gem begins to dimly glow, the light slowly increasing as he pumps more and more magic into it.

"Come on! Please don't fuck me on this! At least give me this one thing!" he whispers, feeling his mana reserves rapidly dropping as the glow incapsulates Tiffania's body.

"GO!"

Finally, Tiffania's body releases a bright flash, momentarily blinding Michael and everyone else who might've been observing him.