“My name is Arus. I wanted to make the sky blue again, but I lost against the demon king.”
“I have thrown away my name. There is no place where I belong. I am the first and last sage. I live according to my mission.”
Those words stirred a memory within Arus. He had to meet the five sages. He shouldn’t have fought the demon king without meeting all five sages first. Upon remembering this, Arus felt a mysterious sense of courage bubbling up inside. Things weren’t hopeless. He’d just made a mistake.
“I am Arus. First and last sage, will you lend me your aid so that I can defeat the demon king?”
“I am sorry, but I am very busy. Very, very, busy.”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m accumulating power for a child far in the future. There is an enemy that they must defeat,” the sage said, then looked at Arus and posed him a question. “Let me ask you something, child of man. Why do you wish to defeat the demon king?”
“So I can show the girl I love a blue sky.”
“Oh, so you have a mission of your own? But tell me, are you really doing this for the girl you love?”
“Of course. She wants to see the blue sky.”
“I see. In that case, I shall lend you a little of my power. Go and defeat the demon king.”
Thus, Arus received power from the first and last sage. From the sage’s perspective, it was but a small portion of his power, but it was nonetheless overwhelming. With that power, Arus learned the true way to use his sword and shield. He learned how to enhance the shine of his bangle. He learned how to fly his ship in the sky.
Arus boarded his ship and flew off for the demon king’s castle. He picked up his bangle, which he had dropped in front of the castle, and it exploded in a dazzling light. As if summoned by the light, his sword and shield returned to him.
“Bwahaha! So you have returned, child?! This time I will eat you whole! I love delicious food, you see!”
His second battle with the demon king commenced, but this time, Arus had acquired power. When he swung his sword, he cut through the demon king. When he raised his shield, he sent the demon king flying. With such overwhelming power at Arus’s beck and call, the demon king stood no chance.
“Gah!”
The demon king was pierced by Arus’s sword, and she raised her voice in agony before dying. Seven colors of light erupted from her corpse, and as if answering the light’s call, the sky’s color returned to normal.
Arus was relieved to look up and see a blue sky. This was what he and the girl he loved had yearned for all this time.
Arus realized that he needed to return to her as soon as possible—but he couldn’t just yet. He had to return that which he’d borrowed.
First, he visited the first and last sage. Arus returned his power. Then, he visited the fifth sage. Arus returned his bangle. Then, he visited the fourth sage. Arus returned his sword. Then, he visited the third sage. Arus returned his ship. Then, he visited the second sage. Arus returned his shield.
After giving back all that he borrowed, he returned to the large city, the city of man. It was there that a huge party was being held. Through the return of the blue sky, the people had learned that the demon king was no more. When Arus went back to the castle, the king raised both arms in celebration.
“Oh, Arus the hero, well done! You have defeated the demon king! This country is yours. You may have my daughter as well! Would you please become the next king?”
Arus turned down the king’s offer. He told him that the girl he loved was waiting for him. Arus thanked the fortune teller, then prepared to return to his village.
At long last, Arus returned home. Much time had passed since he departed on his quest, but he had taken back the blue sky. Now he was going to show it to the girl he loved. He was going to see her smile.
But when he returned to the village, his older brother’s head was hanging low, a sad expression on his face.
“Brother, please raise your head. The sky is blue. I have defeated the demon king.”
His brother’s expression did not change.
“I’m going to show it to the girl I love. When she sees how blue the sky is, I know she will be overjoyed.”
His words only seemed to make his brother sadder. It was then that Arus asked: “My brother, why do you look so sad?”
“Oh, Arus… It’s… Ah… Stay calm and listen to me. She has died.”
“Who has died?”
“The girl you love. She passed away this morning.”
Upon hearing this, Arus smiled. He was sad, he knew he would be lonely, but he smiled nonetheless.
“If she passed away this morning, that’s fine. That means she must have seen the blue sky. She smiled when she departed this world, right? She smiled as she spoke of how beautiful the sky was, didn’t she?”
“No. She cried. She cried over how she couldn’t see you. She said that even though the sky was a beautiful blue, she cared more about seeing you again. She cried the entire time.”
Arus was left aghast. Hadn’t he made her dream come true?
No, he hadn’t. What she’d really wanted was to be with him. She’d wanted to treasure the brief time she had left with him. That was what she’d truly desired.
“Aaah…”
Arus fell to his knees before his brother. All the color faded from his eyes as a single tear ran down his cheek.
From then on, Arus continued to cry and cry. It was hopeless. He had messed up the most important thing in his life.
And he cried and cried until the day he died—