[Vol. 8] Chapter 15: The World Has Faded, and Fate Must Be Settled
A white mask, smooth and clean like jade, quietly fell into the girl’s hands as she spoke. She gently pressed it onto her face.
A soft breeze swept across the land. Her plain white robe turned into a red-and-white shrine maiden dress, and two sharp, triangle-shaped fox ears appeared on top of her head. In that moment, it was as if the sound of silver bells echoed softly through the dark forest, as if the world itself was playing music to welcome this mysterious presence.
The shrine maiden who guides the souls of the dead sat cross-legged on the ground. A zither, called [Mortal World], appeared on her lap without anyone noticing. Her slender fingers slowly moved across the strings, playing a sound as clear and smooth as flowing water.
Now, even without wearing the “Fox Mask”, Violet could fully use the divinity of [Reincarnation], and all the abilities of Dawn, the Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden. But to return to this form from the distant past, a form that no longer truly existed, she still needed the help of that item.
Turning into this appearance didn’t really help with what she was about to do next. But whether it was due to old habits or some personal feeling, since it was a task for the Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden, she felt it should be done by her.
“Come to think of it… Xiao Guang, this is the first time you’ve heard me play music, right? This is one of the skills I learned from the other side, and I’m quite proud of it~”
She smiled lightly, and as the dragon girl tilted her head curiously, the girl began to pluck the strings.
“Ding… ding… dong… ding…”
The soft, flowing sound of the zither rose into the air like a river in the underworld. Strange blood-red flowers bloomed one by one around the shrine maiden, growing from the land long soaked in hate and sorrow. The dark and ghostly Forest of Death turned into a beautiful sea of red spider lily flowers.
The gloomy energy that once fed terrifying undead and scared away the living now seemed to become the perfect nourishment for the flowers. As the peaceful music spread through the forest, all the deathly silence and darkness melted away like snow. Countless Trees of the Dead stretched out their branches like they were alive, gently swaying to the music with a soft rustling sound.
Blue spirit flames, like tiny stars, slowly floated out from the trees. They flew quickly toward the white-haired girl with fox ears, dancing around her in circles. Their cries were both sorrowful and grateful, as if they were saying goodbye and thank you all at once.
All the sounds of the forest blended into the zither’s melody, turning what was once a quiet and low tune into something complete and magical, a true heavenly song.
“It’s so beautiful…”
Finally, the only person watching this ritual, Xiao Guang, opened her eyes wide and whispered from the heart. But even her softest words seemed to join the beautiful song under the power guiding the souls, adding one more brushstroke to the peaceful scene.
But the shrine maiden, who was now the center of the forest, had already closed her eyes. Guided by memory and instinct, her fingers danced over the strings. The wind lifted her white hair and flowing sleeves as she poured her heart into the feelings of countless lost souls, trying to find the truth through their emotions.
The glowing blue lights spun and danced like stars around her. Scenes from the past flashed through her heart. Memories full of anger, sorrow, longing, and regret.
These were the lingering thoughts of the dead.
She saw a mighty dragon flying in the sky, surrounded by powerful enemies. Though badly hurt, it refused to back down. In the end, it fell to the ground with a sorrowful cry… and vanished.
She saw a young girl, wearing armor and covered in blood, fighting bravely in the middle of a chaotic battlefield. Her country was about to fall, and her home was on the verge of destruction. In the end, the girl died from exhaustion, unwilling to give up.
She saw a traitor, who had sold out his country for his own gain, laughing cruelly. Only to be killed by one of his own furious followers. The desolate valley turned into a brutal battlefield filled with grief and anger. Trees of the Dead grew by feeding on the hatred that filled the air. Even a hundred years later, the bones of the fallen rose from the ground, vowing to take revenge on the living.
These chaotic memories and intense emotions crashed into Violet’s heart and soul like wave after wave. But even though such feelings would normally drive anyone mad, they did not disturb her at all. Her heart remained calm like still water. The divinity of “Reincarnation”, like a river that carries all souls, gently washed away a hundred years of anger and pain, allowing the spirits to return to the cycle of life.
The music of the zither echoed far and wide, sad and long-lasting.
The glowing blue soul-lights rose into the sky like a sea of stars. When the girl opened her eyes again, the vision of the blooming red spider lilies disappeared along with the fading resentment.
The forest was once again filled with peaceful sounds, the light rustling of trees and the hum of life. These sounds added the final notes to the farewell melody.
The shrine maiden who guided the dead lifted her head. Though her face was hidden by a mask, a calm and peaceful smile appeared at the corners of her lips.
"Dust to dust, earth to earth… Lost souls, go to your next life."
…………………………………………
Soon, the two girls who had gone into the forest returned to the group. The attack by the undead ended with the bone dragon fleeing, ending the incident. The Holy Empire’s envoy team regrouped and continued their journey home.
Although some people were hurt during the battle, none of them died. Thanks to the high skill of the team and the help of powerful warriors. Supplies like food and other needed items were also safely protected.
As a team from the Holy Empire, their minor injuries were easily healed by powerful holy magic. After they finished resting and organizing, the group continued their planned route through the gloomy and dark Hellwood Forest, heading west toward the edge of Valandia Province, the real border of the Austre Empire.
For many days after that, no strange or dangerous enemies appeared. Even the bird-like [Graeme] that once circled above were now mostly gone, leaving only a few behind to do basic watching from a distance.
It seemed that after the earlier battle, the Empire had finally realized how strong this team was and gave up trying to mess with them. If they could return safely to the Holy Empire without further problems, that would of course be a good thing.
Not long ago, news had spread like wildfire. The Holy Capital was inviting heroes from all over the world, and the Goddess herself was about to descend to earth. She would choose and bless a hero of salvation. This news had reached even the farthest corners of the world.
Thanks to the many temples of the Goddess Church in every nation, people on the road, even the travelers like Violet and her group, kept hearing this story from locals. It was said to be the most important event since the founding of the Holy Empire. And of course the three Saintesses had to arrive in the capital before that day, to personally lead the ceremony and welcome the goddess.
Even though their schedule was not too tight, no one could say for sure what other unexpected problems might appear along the way. Almost everyone in the envoy group, especially Frederica, was a deeply loyal believer of the Goddess. If they missed this once-in-a-thousand-years moment when the Goddess descended, they would surely regret it for the rest of their lives.
But none of them knew…
However, they didn't know yet that the real turmoil and sudden changes were just about to sweep towards the Valandia Province and the entire world.