4. THE TRUTH SHE NEVER WISHED TO LEARN The siren eased the tension. As soon as they heard about a potential enemy assault, they burst out of the bathroom and ran to their rooms. Athly didn’t have time to waste getting dressed, so she quickly put on her top and trousers while she was still dripping wet. The alarm warned of an impending attack from the enemy, which meant they had to go intercept them. And so, Air sprinted to her room on the east side to prepare her weapons for the battle to come. However, Athly didn’t follow suit. Instead, she turned away from Air and ran in the opposite direction. Rain… Rain… She sprinted toward the men’s barracks, mentally chanting one boy’s name all the while. One thought had eclipsed her duty as a soldier. Her highest priority was reaching Rain before Air did. …Air tried to shoot me! The memory of their encounter remained vivid. When Air thought Athly knew their secret, she moved to end her life. Rain… Athly had no concrete reason to believe he would react differently. But he might. They’d spent a lot of time together, so there was a chance Rain would hear her out. Anyone who knows the secret has to die… But…what if he didn’t? What if Rain, like Air, was willing to kill her to keep their secret? She couldn’t outright deny that possibility, at least. No, I can worry about that later. I have to find Rain before Air does… And if she wanted to get to Rain first, the enemy assault was a stroke of luck. The army had ordered an emergency sortie, so Athly simply had to catch him and ride out into battle with him before Air could. That seemed like the best way to survive her current predicament. Athly finally reached the men’s dorm, which was already in chaos. Regular soldiers and cadets ran about, preparing for the battle at hand. The hallway was heavily congested, probably because over two hundred people were using it. Some soldiers hurried to the hangars, while others headed to the command post. Luckily, Athly spotted Rain among the crowd and called out to him, “Rain!” “What?!” She dashed toward the familiar figure and dove straight into his chest. “Whoa!” “Thank God…!” “Wh-what’s the—?!!” Rain caught her in his arms, then did a double take when he realized how she was dressed. The water dripping down her body was alluring enough, but her top was also unzipped, revealing her chest, and she clearly wasn’t wearing any undergarments. No one around them seemed to notice because of the emergency, but the close proximity made it readily apparent to Rain. “Rain, come with me,” Athly demanded, paying her appearance no mind. “Wait, what?” “There’s an emergency dispatch. They asked cadets to form impromptu pairs and go on patrol. Come on, let’s go,” Athly lied hurriedly as she dragged Rain along. He should’ve partnered with Air, but she made up something to get him out of there. She’d lied to get her way, but at that point, it didn’t bother her. Her life was in danger, so she had to risk it. Please…Rain, please…, Athly prayed in her heart. She wished as hard as she could that Rain would fall for her poor lie. Rain paused for a moment to consider what she’d just said, mulling over his options. But eventually, he made his decision. “Impromptu pairs, huh? Well…” Athly’s desperate gamble… “Okay, let’s head to the Exelia hangar.” …paid off. “…Right. Let’s go!” Athly exclaimed. She knew that reinforcing a lie with another lie would only create a more tangled predicament. Even a child knew that much. But lies were the best she could manage in that situation. She grasped Rain’s hands tightly and left the corridor, towing him after her. A few moments after Athly and Rain concluded their exchange, Air appeared. “Haaah, haaah…,” she gasped and panted as she looked around, hoping to spot her partner. Where is he…? Athly had just barely beaten her to the punch. Where did he go?! Air had dashed through the crowd in her disheveled coat. On her back, she carried her two rifles, and her personal pistol hung from her waist. They were truly lethal weapons with silver bullets in their chambers. Rain…? Air wondered where he was as she searched for him in the crowd. She figured he might’ve left already, but believing he would be there, she kept looking. However, she failed to find him after ten minutes. Luck had favored Athly, leaving Air behind. A large number of mages had gathered in the Exelia hangar. An emergency dispatch meant prelaunch procedures were greatly shortened, so Athly and Rain quickly obtained a rough map of the area and got into an M4 Exelia. Their dispatch point, which was a mile to the west, was marked on the map. Their mission was to search for a suspicious intruder and call for reinforcements if needed. The two of them weren’t standard soldiers but cadets. And cadets were treated differently in emergencies. That was why they’d gotten reconnaissance duty. “Rain.” “Yeah.” Rain boarded the Exelia after hearing her call out to him. And as soon as she got into the manipulator’s seat, Athly stepped on the pedals with both legs and swiftly accelerated. Their Exelia reached maximum speed within seconds as they headed a mile west. There were no signs of people or other facilities in their way, so they stopped along a road that was halfway up a mountain. It overlooked the base, making it the perfect place to keep watch, so the eastern army had gone to great lengths to hide it. Only HQ knew about the spot, so it was unlikely that an enemy soldier had found it. “……” They soon reached their designated spot, which was an abandoned rock formation. Athly parked their Exelia in a relatively open area, completing their preparations. All that remained was to keep watch and report to HQ if they detected the enemy. Sunrise was close at hand, so faint moonlight was the only source of illumination on the mountain. Visibility was poor, and no matter where they looked, pitch-black darkness surrounded them. The moonlight failed to illuminate vast strips of the surrounding woods. But conversely, the lack of visibility applied to the enemy as well. The moment anyone turned on their Exelia’s lights, they’d reveal their position. And if a western unit did that, they’d get crushed by the combined might of the entire eastern army. “……” An hour passed as they remained on guard duty. Nothing unusual happened, so they simply responded to the scheduled transmissions sent their way. No one had spotted the enemy since the initial sighting. This is strange… Athly pondered what that meant. Another thirty minutes passed before Rain spoke up, saying, “This is a dud. I bet the enemy ran off. They kicked us out of bed for nothing.” Rain hung his head, lamenting the wasted time and effort. He then sank into his seat, preparing to fall asleep. They’d spent all day traveling to carry out a surprise attack, which had tired him out. Athly sighed as she looked at him and said, “You can sleep if you want, but that means you’re keeping watch on the way back. Got it?” “You should also get some sleep.” “No, I can’t do that.” There was no sign of the enemy. Knowing that much, all they could do was wait for their next orders. The fact that no one could find the enemy unit didn’t mean they’d be called back immediately. In fact, they’d likely wait another two hours in that position. Their mission was, for all intents and purposes, to stay put and wait. Any normal cadet would have fallen asleep, even if their partner had also zoned out. And honestly, if it had been any other day, even the straitlaced Athly would’ve counted among them. I can’t sleep…, Athly thought, nerves strained. Her heart had been thumping since she’d come out on this mission. No, even before that. She was sweaty and sick to her stomach, but none of it had to do with the enemy raid. That was the least pressing thing on Athly’s mind. She’d effectively admitted to Air that she knew their secret, which ended with an attempt to silence her. She faced mortal danger. And now that she’d dragged Rain away, Air would believe she was hostile. If Athly returned to the base, Air would kill her before letting her speak even a word in her defense. And so, she had to talk things over with him right away. That’s my only way out… Air was exceedingly cautious, and Rain was just as sharp as she was, but he would be slightly less cautious around someone he’d known for many years. They’d been partners for such a long time and had built up a bond of trust between them. Athly decided to gamble on that relationship and speak to him, hoping to discover more of the truth and survive. What were Rain and Air up to? What was their true objective? What dark secret had they hidden from everyone else? These answers would clear the anxieties that had plagued her for the past few months. And only Rain and Air could provide them. She planned to learn how the silver bullet, the people who disappeared, and the repeated shifting of the world all linked together by speaking to Rain. And yet…Athly faltered. I… Rain prepared to turn over and fall asleep, but she still couldn’t muster up the courage to call out to him. She had a sinking feeling that the moment she spoke about it, her relationship with Rain would crumble. I’m scared… Once she asked even a single question, there was no turning back. The moment she probed into this secret, her relationship with Rain would irrevocably change. But even knowing that, she knew she couldn’t stop. That fire in Athly’s heart was still burning—the fire that had reduced her home and parents to ash. Whenever she wavered and found herself unsure of what to do, the sight of her burning parents, as well as the crimson girl who’d killed them, floated to the top of her mind. She remembered what happened every time. She’d tried closing her eyes, but it felt like the image had somehow burned into the back of her eyelids, overshadowing her inner conflict. …… Rain had fallen asleep. He’d been trained to take advantage of any short period of time to catch up on his rest. That seemed like the perfect moment to question him, but Athly knew better than to mistake his current helplessness for genuine weakness. Her hand crept to her waist…toward her pistol. …I’ll probably need this. She expected their discussion to turn into a negotiation, so she needed a weapon. Considering her position, she had to assume the worst. She had to assume Rain would consider shooting her. And so, she prepared herself for that outcome by confirming her weapon worked. Athly steeled her heart, no longer holding any optimistic expectations or hopes. I guess I can’t service my gun here… She realized she couldn’t afford to make any noise, so she hopped off the Exelia and down to the ground. Leaving Rain behind, she entered the woods and jogged to an area illuminated by the moonlight. She eventually stopped at a point one hundred and fifty feet away to service her gun. The trees around her looked extremely thick, and she ended up farther away from the Exelia than she’d planned, which seemed suspicious. Then again, if Rain woke up and asked, she had the option of lying about going to the bathroom. However, when she stopped in those woods… “Huh…?!” …she found something extremely startling. Something that couldn’t have been there, something that shouldn’t have been there, appeared before her very eyes. “…Oh? Who’s there?” a rather slender figure asked. “Now, what are you doing so far off the beaten path?” It was hard to tell their gender due to their baggy, light-blue clothes and fair skin, but the voice clearly belonged to a man. But that wasn’t the reason for her surprise. A man appearing in the middle of the woods was startling enough, but the massive, black machine behind him really grabbed her attention. The man sat atop a mechanical monstrosity…the Razor-Edge Model she’d seen rampaging through the battlefield that very afternoon. I have to take him out… Athly drew her pistol and fired a bullet without a second thought. There was no room for negotiation or conversation. He was a soldier of the West, and perhaps even the one they’d been after. But the moment she shot her Bullet Magic… “Wow…” “Ah…!” “That’s a nice gun you’ve got there. Let me take a look.” …the pistol slipped out of Athly’s fingers. In the blink of an eye, the man appeared in front of Athly and caught her right hand. “L-let go!” “Oh, sorry,” the man said as he released Athly, who stumbled back a few steps. “There’s no need to panic. I’m not a bad person,” he claimed as he let out a light chuckle. “Ugh…,” Athly grunted as she steadied herself. The man acted like he’d done nothing out of the ordinary, but he’d somehow closed the gap between them and grabbed her arms in less than a second. The moment she shot at him, he appeared right in front of her and grabbed her hand. “Who are you…?” “Who, me?” the man asked as he spread out his arms, acting dumb. “I’m Kaisei. Listen, I promise I’m not looking for a fight. I’m just here to meet a Ghost.” The man before her had a slender frame and long, thin limbs. He wore baggy light-blue clothes and had long hair that he tied behind his head like a woman’s. Overall, his facial features seemed fair, gentle, and oddly androgynous. But his unusual features couldn’t compare with the strange statement he’d just made. “A ghost…?” “That’s right, a Ghost. Do you know about the Ghosts?” he asked, like it was the most casual topic in the world. But Athly paid it no mind. She had no time to chat. There was no doubt in her mind that he was the intruder, so she needed to eliminate him right away. She had to pick up her pistol. It rested several feet away, meaning she needed at least two whole seconds to retrieve it. But this man was a mage and a pretty skilled one at that. In his presence, one wrong move spelled doom for her. “Come on, you don’t have to be so wary,” the man said in a soothing tone. He’d easily noticed her gaze flicking over to the pistol on the ground. “Like I said, I’m here to meet a Ghost, not fight someone or steal anything. I know this isn’t the best proof, but you’re still alive, aren’t you?” Essentially, he claimed he could’ve already killed her if he so desired. His words bordered on being a threat. “So do you know anything about the Ghosts?” Kaisei carried on, undisturbed. “I don’t…,” Athly replied, albeit unwillingly. And she was telling the truth. What was a ghost, truly? The first thing that came to mind was a dead person…or rather, the detached soul of one. And Athly had never seen any of those. “Oh, sorry. I don’t mean the kind of ghosts that haunt houses. It’s a system I made, you see, and they’re something that really exists. They tend to look like ordinary people.” “What…?” Athly mumbled, eyeing the man suspiciously. Each of his words made less sense than the last. “My apologies,” Kaisei said, turning around as he noticed the dubious expression on Athly’s face. But despite the fact that he’d turned his back on her, she didn’t grab her gun. “See, I’m in no real rush. I just wanted to touch base with that Ghost. Generally speaking, I let them roam free. Give me a minute, and I’ll explain everything.” Kaisei walked back to the Razor-Edge Model and sat atop its fuselage. He seemed to completely relax, and the moonlight shining down on him afforded him a certain mystical quality. “Ghosts are a special kind of being. Only the most powerful and talented mages can become one.” “Uh…” Athly could do nothing but voice her incredulity. “Fundamentally speaking, their job is to spread the war. To stoke the flames, you know? That said, in most cases, they don’t know much beyond that. Most of the time, they just fight however their heart commands them. Despite their uniqueness, they function as part of the military, so you might’ve even met one.” “I doubt it.” “Well, maybe you just don’t know it. Like I said, they look like ordinary people.” His voice sounded so relaxed that one would be hard-pressed to believe he was a soldier in enemy territory. However, his explanation remained cryptic. According to Kaisei, there were magical “Ghosts” who lived and fought only on the battlefield around them. “Well, for most people, Ghosts are pests that intensify the war. They kill people needlessly, and plenty of towns have been destroyed in the battles they instigated. It’s just second nature to them. And they’re out there, even now.” “……” “Again, I don’t mean evil spirits. They actually exist.” Thus far, his story seemed to have nothing to do with her. She couldn’t imagine any single person causing such destruction. It felt like a legend from a faraway country. “But things have changed recently,” Kaisei added. “The total number of Ghosts has decreased, starting with one named Kirlilith.” “Ah…!” “The Ghost of the Traxil race, Kirlilith. The Ghost of the Oud race, Alec. And oddly enough, even Deadrim, the Ghost of the Achiral race. They were all skilled soldiers, but they’ve been dropping like flies the last few months. It’s…curious, to say the least.” Most of what Kaisei was saying was nonsense to Athly, but one thing he’d mentioned stuck with her—Kirlilith, the name of the girl who’d killed her parents and burned down her hometown. How does he know her name? “Did you hear a name you recognize?” Kaisei asked, noticing the look of confusion on her face. “Ah…” “Because, if you did, you’re quite unusual yourself.” “What?” “I mean, they’re names you can’t possibly remember,” Kaisei proclaimed. She shouldn’t have recognized any of those names…because no one should have. “Based on your reaction, I’d say you remember Kirlilith.” “……” “Gone quiet on me, have you? Oh well… Just so you know, Kirlilith’s existence was wiped from history. That’s why only a select few in this world remember the Crimson Ghost’s name. The world’s changed to one where she never even existed.” “Never existed?” “She was erased.” Erased… Athly’s right hand, the very one that had ended Kirlilith’s life, trembled in fear. What is he saying? Nothing made any sense. Kaisei had suddenly shown up and started talking about the secrets that had bothered her over the past few months. Before their discussion, she’d never imagined that Kirlilith’s name would leave someone else’s lips. Athly tightened her fist over her right breast pocket…where she’d stored the silver shell with Kirlilith’s name. That was the only proof she’d had that the crimson girl once existed, which became the foundation of all of her anxieties. Athly’s hand crept into her pocket to confirm the sensation of the shell inside it. But then… “Oh.” “Ah…!” …Kaisei fired a bullet. It was a warning shot aimed near her feet, but it made Athly flinch and drop the bullet casing in her hands. The man quickly caught and examined the silver case with Kirlilith’s name on it. “Ha-ha-ha!” He broke out into raucous laughter. “Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Oh, I see, I see! That’s what happened, is it?!” Kaisei nodded, seemingly convinced of something. “I wondered what whim of fate drew you to me…but now I know your role in all this. Ha-ha-ha… The mortal world truly is fickle. I must say, the probability of this happening is effectively zero. It almost makes me believe God exists. Though, if it does, it’s surely a god of war.” Everything seemed to click into place in his mind, but the same could not be said for Athly. From her perspective, the slender man simply broke into manic laughter for no real reason. She had no idea what he’d learned by meeting her, what he’d realized, what answers he’d found. “What are you blabbering about—?” She tried to question him, but he cut her off. “Air Arland Noah.” “Ah…!” “Do you know her? She’s a short girl who goes to Alestra Academy with you.” Athly held her tongue, but that merely gave him the answer he wanted. “She’s a Ghost, too.” The forest was far too silent for Athly to trick herself into thinking she might’ve misheard him. “The divinity she possesses is Oblivion. Her weapon is called the Devil’s Bullet—a Bullet Magic with the power to erase the existence of anyone it kills and rewrite history. The silver bullet casing is from one of those.” It took Athly a long moment to understand. “The Devil’s Bullet is obviously powerful, since it completely erases anyone it shoots and alters reality. The only ones who remember its victims are people who’ve used it, which means it leaves no evidence behind. You can erase anyone that troubles you, and the world will shift and become one where they never even existed. It’s an unparalleled weapon…in the right hands, of course.” “Wait, stop!” Athly shouted. Her head spun as he unleashed a torrent of unfiltered information. “What are you saying? Air is a Ghost? What does that mean?” “Exactly what I said. She died a hundred years ago.” “What do you mean, she died?” That made no sense. She’d spent some time in the bath with Air a short while ago. She’d touched her…and her body felt undeniably real. It might have been riddled with scars she wished to hide, but it had a tangible, physical presence. “Listen, a physical body means little. In fact, her soul is currently occupying someone else’s body. All that really matters is that she had a sound soul when she died. Thanks to that, she became a Ghost who can fight no matter how wounded or broken she gets.” Kaisei smiled faintly, apparently delighted to have discovered the purpose of this fateful encounter. “A Ghost’s raison d’être is to fight.” Kaisei paid no attention to Athly’s confusion and casually explained, but Athly could tell each word was part of an important secret. And so, she listened intently in hopes of not missing a single word. She could tell he wouldn’t repeat himself, and he was providing invaluable information. “That’s why I want them to keep fighting and stimulating the war. Unfortunately, Air’s bullet is a real nuisance. Whenever she uses it on a Ghost, she rejects the very reason for her existence. She’s never done anything like this before, but this time around, other Ghosts seem to be her main target.” “How do you…?” How do you know all this? That question nearly left her lips, but she fell silent. She’d long since realized that nothing the man said had a shred of credibility to it. And yet, for whatever reason, everything rang true. In fact, she believed every word of it. And not because of something so nebulous as intuition or the flow of the conversation, either. His explanation simply made everything click into place, and that led her to trust him. Air Arland Noah had suddenly appeared at Alestra Academy and struck up a mysterious relationship with Rain. At first, Athly had assumed they’d met in the past, but was that really the case? Even if what Kaisei said was true, it felt too unnatural to make sense. If a dead person was resurrected, they would need support to be recognized by the authorities. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to pass herself off as a cadet and join the war effort. But somehow, she fought on, using her Devil’s Bullet ability to wipe people out of existence, hiding her identity as a Ghost all the while. And yet, despite the great care she’d taken to hide her secrets, Athly Magmet had accidentally acquired a Devil’s Bullet, which allowed her to notice the shifting of the world. That was something Air could never accept. It was a secret she had to protect at all costs, which was why she’d reacted so acutely. Athly recalled their exchange in the bath. All she’d done was ask the vague question “What are you and Rain doing?” and Air had motioned to pull her gun in a show of clear intent to kill her… She’d moved to protect the secret of the Devil’s Bullet. If everything this man said was true…if the Devil’s Bullet existed, and if Air really was a Ghost, then… “Let me tell you something,” Kaisei said, pulling Athly away from her thoughts. “Ah…!” “Ghosts give rise to wars. A clash between Ghosts almost always results in the death of countless bystanders. That stands for the girl you erased, Kirlilith, as well. Her chance encounter with Air resulted in the destruction of Leminus.” “No way!” Leminus was Athly’s hometown, as well as the place Kirlilith destroyed when she killed her parents. Whenever she heard that name, her vision turned red. Leminus was simply that deeply rooted in her heart, since it gave her a reason to fight. Resentment bubbled up in her. And while she tried to repress the emotion, her poker face cracked, revealing her internal conflict. Kaisei keenly noticed it and asked, “Oh? What’s the matter?” “Leminus was…my hometown.” “Oh, I see. You have that in common, too? I suppose that’s your reason, then.” “Reason for what?” “Hating the Ghosts.” “I don’t…” I don’t hate them… “I’d be surprised if you didn’t,” Kaisei replied, cocking his head. “The people of that town died because of a battle between Ghosts. Sure, Ghosts are created by this unending war, so they’re unfortunate bystanders in a way, but that doesn’t excuse their malicious acts.” “……” Hatred. That single, simple word summed up the undying anger in Athly’s heart perfectly. And a new flame ignited in her chest now that she knew a clash between Ghosts had caused the carnage in her hometown. A clash between Ghosts… That meant there were two present in Leminus. One of them was Kirlilith, the instigator, while the other one was… “The Ghost, Air, is equally responsible, wouldn’t you agree?” Kaisei said. …that mysterious girl. If it weren’t for her, both Leminus and her parents would still exist. Or that was what Kaisei seemed to believe, at least. Ah…! An intense black fire burned in Athly. It felt far smaller than her hatred of Kirlilith, but the new embers threatened a girl she’d known for quite a while—Air. If only she hadn’t been there… If only she didn’t exist… If only she didn’t have the power of the Devil’s Bullet… My parents are dead…and it’s all her fault! “I wish you could see the expression on your face,” Kaisei said, laughing. But he wasn’t hinting at anything she didn’t already know. Athly could feel the contortion of her face; she would have refused to look in the mirror. “But, well…,” Kaisei mumbled and rose to his feet, signaling that their little chat had come to an end. “Only what comes next truly matters. It might be a little late to ask this, but what’s your name?” “…Athly,” she replied, finding no reason to lie. “Athly, huh?” Kaisei muttered as he nodded. “Care to join me?” “Huh?” “Don’t get the wrong idea, I’m not proposing to you or anything,” Kaisei said, cracking a smile. “I’m scouting you, as a soldier. You’ve got plenty of reasons to fight, and people who have an advantage against Ghosts are hard to come by, so I don’t want to miss this chance. Most people who learn about them get killed, after all.”
Chapter 43
24 min read