Where am I? was the first question on Ein’s mind after he regained consciousness. He tried to move, but his body felt like it was being restrained by something, locking him in place. He wasn’t sure if his eyes were open or closed. In fact, he couldn’t even tell if his surroundings were warm or cold. But there was one thing that he did know—his memories had, fortunately, been left untouched. With his latest exploits still fresh in his mind, Ein set about unraveling the events that had led to his current predicament.
If I recall... Ein had defeated the red fox chief, Shannon, and put an end to the grisly, centuries-old feud between Ishtarican and the foxes. However, a small display of compassion had left his heart open to attack, causing his body to spiral out of control; much like Arshay’s had. Before losing consciousness, Ein had activated the Follower skill he’d received from Marco. In that desperate act, he had pleaded for a certain trio of heroes to assist him. Ein remembered it all too well.
Then am I in the afterlife? If Ramza the Dullahan, Misty the Elder Lich, and Marco had been successful in ending his rampage, the crown prince’s void-like surroundings surely had to be where people went after death. Unfortunately, it was a difficult theory to test in his current environment.
“I did well,” Ein muttered to himself.
I worked hard. He’d risked his life to defeat the red foxes—a feat that not even the first king had been able to pull off. With the foxes out of the picture, at least one impending threat to Ishtarica had been squashed. The nation had one less danger to be concerned with, and its future had been assured. It’s a happy ending for all. There’s no need for me to work any harder now. It’s pretty common for the hero to die at the end of a story anyway. Ein couldn’t help but mock himself.
Yet, his heart remained uneasy. He fell silent and told himself that this was the end. Everything was over. The final page of his story had been flipped; all that was left was to close the book for good. That’s all.
Ein couldn’t utter another word. Was it by sheer coincidence that he had regained consciousness, or was this a reward for his hard work? His eyelids grew heavy. Though he had no idea if his eyes had been open or closed up until this point, he felt his consciousness being quickly stripped away—as though he’d fallen into a deep slumber.
The end was near.
His time, his consciousness, his whole existence as Ein von Ishtarica was coming to a close.
Do you really want it to end? As the question filled Ein’s heart, Ishtarica’s lush scenery flooded his mind; his memories of his time in the nation rushed back to him. The smiles of his family and those near and dear to him were vividly seared into his brain, refusing to ever let him forget.
“Don’t be silly. There’s no way...that I can let it end here.”
A strong determination filled Ein’s heart. His fading consciousness instantly became more vivid, and the world around him began to regain its color. It was better than seeing nothing at all, but his vision was still mostly obscured. He realized that he was in a dimly lit space that was warm and damp—filled with heavy, stuffy air. When he strained his eyes, he noticed that he was in a familiar stone prison.
“This is the Demon Castle’s...”
This was the cursed room that he had seen on his way to Jayle’s grave. As Ein stepped forward, he could feel the granules of sand and dust scattered across the stone tiles underneath his shoes.
“How unsightly.” A voice echoed from the corner of the room.
Ein turned to the voice and spotted a little girl, crouched down and clutching her knees. He couldn’t make out her face because she was facing the floor, but there was no mistaking this child.
Ein stood in front of her, refusing to be intimidated. “Why did you appear in front of me, Shannon?”
“I wanted to disappear. But because of you, I couldn’t,” the red fox replied.
“That answers nothing.”
“You think you have the right to talk like that? You’re the one who devoured my magic stone.”
Now that she mentions it... Ein hadn’t consciously tried to eat the magic stone, but he even remembered the sound it had made when he bit down.
“Why were you after Ishtarica and King Jayle?” Ein inquired. “Not to mention that you had me in your crosshairs too. Why in the world would you want Heim as a puppet?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Shannon replied. “Because I wanted to take everything away from you.”
“It couldn’t be any less obvious. While we were acquaintances, we only met once during the party that night.”
Shannon giggled. “You just haven’t realized it.”
“What do you...”
“I’ve always, always wanted to ensnare you. I didn’t mind if it took me years, decades, or even centuries. I wanted you to experience exactly what I’ve been through. That’s all there is to it.”
“What are you on about?!”
“Shut up. I no longer care about a dryad like you who failed to save me.”
Shannon refused to say another word. Ein bent down and placed a hand on her shoulder. He shook her petite body, but she maintained an almost magnetic gaze on the floor without ever raising her head.
Just how long had Ein been standing there? He tried his best to get anything out of Shannon, but his attempts ended when he felt an unignorable heat wave emanating from beyond the door. He was instantly distracted by the warmth, and when he turned back to face Shannon once more, she had vanished without a trace.
Ein hastily rushed out the door, hoping he’d figure out what was going on if he headed outside. A familiar corridor continued through the Demon Castle, and he noticed a crimson light flooding in from the windows that lined his surroundings.
“What’s going on?” he wondered aloud.
Questions flashed across his mind as he rushed ahead and ran out of the castle. The former capital was enveloped in hellish flames.
A dark-haired man resembling Ein stood in the distance, in front of the crown prince. “Your end will come very soon. Everything about you will be finished,” the man said.
Unlike Ein, the man had long dark hair that fell to his waist, and looked to be around five years older. He was considerably taller as well. Ein had never seen this man before, but this mysterious figure’s voice sounded awfully familiar. It’s echoed in my head before.
When the crown prince had fought against Glint and killed Shannon, this very man’s voice had filled his heart.
“You have no choice but to unite with me,” the man continued.
“I understand now,” Ein said. “No wonder I suddenly started hearing a voice at that moment.”
“I expect no less from the one who gave birth to me. I appreciate your swift understanding.”
“Being complimented by you doesn’t make me happy at all.”
“Don’t say that. I’ll feel forlorn. I love you.”
“I didn’t expect to hear that. I thought you’d despise me for getting in your way.”
Though the two had met for the first time today, they conversed like they were old friends. Neither said much, but each could easily understand the implication of the other’s words.
“Indeed,” the man replied. “You purposefully postponed our union. You even summoned a three-person cleaning crew, so I suspect that you loathe me to an extreme degree. But even so, I love you.”
“Oh?” Ein said. “And why’s that?”
“Because I’m your spawn. It goes without saying that I’d love you; why would you ever assume the opposite?”
“Because I hate you, of course.”
“Heh. Heh heh heh. Ha ha ha ha ha! I’m ecstatic! I didn’t think you’d view me like that!” The man’s voice trembled with delight as he abruptly shifted his tone. He sounded a touch annoyed as he went on, “Apologies. It seems like they’re here.”
The man turned his back to Ein and started walking ahead. “I’ll return after I deal with that trio outside. You stubbornly refuse to unite with me, but I’ve grown even stronger. Surely, you cannot resist me.”
“W-Wait!” Ein called.
“Don’t be so hasty. I’ll be back soon.”
The man’s last word echoed throughout the castle as he vanished like the mist.
“I...” Ein started.
Is really there nothing I can do? He pummeled himself with questions and frantically sought for answers. He once again felt his consciousness gradually fading away. But the crown prince refused to give up. I’ll never let myself get knocked out here! He steeled his resolve and balled his hands into tight fists.
He was left alone to view the blazing inferno, desperately searching for a way to offer his assistance.