episode_0072

If. If I had been stronger. Wouldn’t I have been able to stop all the tragedies of the past?

I can no longer remain by my master’s side… nor should I. So, farewell.

My master’s back, silently departing. It was a scene filled with regret.

If I hadn’t sent you away alone then. If I had possessed enough power to protect you.

Please, live.

Everything felt like my fault. So I pushed myself. I wielded my sword, sweated, and hardened my ragged heart with cold resolve. With a vow never to be broken again.

‘But.’ I don’t know if that was enough. Because simply doing my best didn’t always lead to good results. The girl was still powerless. She merely pressed forward. Even amidst deep helplessness. To find her own star, as her master had told her.

Find your own star.

The fox often wandered through the pitch-black dawn.

***

The sky was dyed with dark light. Dark clouds, gathering in an instant, swallowed the sun, then began to drop raindrops one by one. Was a storm brewing? The wind’s presence was unusual.

Whoosh-.

Following the violently whipping sea breeze, the thin raindrops also grew heavier. It was truly the worst weather for sailing. Rain poured down with fierce momentum. Despite such foul weather. A standoff continued on the ship’s deck.

Powerful blows echoed. Thud! Wham! The hunting dog’s fist struck her abdomen. As she groaned from the dizzying pain, a kick followed, landing on her shin. The fox staggered for a moment.

“Ugh…!”

Pain-filled breaths escaped her. She tried hard to steady herself, but her ragged appearance seemed on the verge of collapse. Irene barely maintained consciousness. In front of her stood a grey robe.

“See? Why didn’t you just stay put?” The hunting dog sneered. A fishy smile hung on his lips. Judging by his humming, he seemed quite pleased with the current situation. The hunting dog lightly rotated his wrist.

“Do you like getting hit, perhaps? Why do you keep giving me a reason to strike you?” “………” “Oh? No answer?”

Thwack-!

Though it was called a standoff, it was actually closer to a one-sided beating. The fox was in a state where she barely maintained consciousness. Due to her exhausted stamina, she couldn’t even properly wield her sword. It was natural. After being drugged with a sleeping agent, she didn’t lose consciousness but sprinted at full speed, cut down dozens of guards, and finally reached the deck. There was no strength left to resist.

“Stubborn girl… How is it that you won’t fall?” A body condition where an ordinary person would have already fainted. Irene was enduring solely on willpower.

“Thanks to you, it’s fun! Even after a long time, your resilience is still the same, isn’t it?”

Slam-.

The hunting dog grabbed the girl’s hair. He held her firmly by gripping it, then slapped her with his palm.

Slap-!

Explosive pain. A red handprint remained on her pale cheek. Blood dripped between her lips, as if the inside of her mouth had burst. The hunting dog laughed overtly.

“You know, don’t you? You can never defeat me.” “………” “You haven’t forgotten who captured you and your siblings, have you? You’ve been caught by my hands twice now.”

The fox couldn’t refute the mockery. Because it was all true. Irene had already been defeated by the hunting dog before. When she was secretly escaping the village with her siblings, it was this very man who persistently pursued them. He eventually beat her down and threw her into a cage.

“Accept it. What can you do when this is your fate?” It was the same now. He was an opponent beyond her reach with her exhausted body.

“Now… shall we continue?” The hunting dog raised his hand once more. Just as he was about to unleash his fist, a voice suddenly stopped him.

“That’s enough.” A young man in a neat suit. He was the one called ‘Guest,’ who had been observing the situation from behind until just now. He politely restrained the hunting dog.

“If you touch her any more, her value as merchandise might be damaged.” “What? Didn’t I tell you not to interfere?” “I’m merely stating a perfectly rational judgment. If she gets scarred, our employer might get angry.” “………Tsk. I know.”

Had the mention of the employer been effective? The hunting dog eventually clicked his tongue and stepped back. As he released the hair he was holding, Irene’s posture, barely standing, collapsed. The girl immediately knelt on one knee and slumped down.

“………” “Hmm? Is the drug finally taking effect?” “Didn’t she last a long time? It’s a drug that can put even bear beast-folk to sleep in one go. It’s frankly surprising that she maintained consciousness until now.” “Anyway, it’s pretty much over.”

The hunting dog brushed off the dust from his hands. He turned his back without hesitation and commanded the remaining soldiers.

“Roughly move that brat~ You’ll die if she gets scratched, so know that.” “Understood!” “Sigh… Can’t trust these idiots. I’ll follow, so hurry and drag her over.” “Yes!”

Several people clung to the fox. Her appearance was utterly battered. She lay sprawled, seemingly lost in thought.

“………” Irene didn’t resist. She was resigning herself. This much was enough. At least she had done her best, so it felt like she could finally give up. It was a despair too absurd to harbor hope.

*Isn’t it okay to expect a miracle, just a little?* *You never know! Someone might appear like a prince on a white horse and save us.*

Words she had once heard from Anne. Words she had been told to give her hope when she was trapped in the black mages’ laboratory. The fox gently bit her lip. Right. The role of a princess in distress. Just sitting and waiting for a prince on a white horse was certainly not a bad experience. Because it felt like her weak self was being saved.

‘But…’ Again? How many times would this be? If she waited for help every time a crisis struck, how many princes on white horses would her life need? The girl was skeptical.

‘Perhaps.’ This might be the right way. Even with her lifelong enemy before her eyes, she couldn’t even leave a single scratch on his body, let alone exact revenge. She was utterly toyed with, as helpless as a plaything. What meaning could such a pathetic struggle have? If she couldn’t live without others’ help, wouldn’t that not be a proper life? The right to wish for a prince on a white horse. She didn’t have it. She would simply surrender her neck to the approaching crisis.

“………” The fox sank into deep helplessness. Perhaps because her body was exhausted, her thoughts were particularly grim. Just as her arms were seized by the soldiers.

A nostalgic voice reached her ears. It was her master’s voice. Her consciousness hadn’t been clear for a while; was she now hearing hallucinations? Irene blinked with unfocused eyes.

Her hazy consciousness made it hard to distinguish. The girl could only reply weakly.

I’m tired. My body won’t move anymore.

Two years is enough time to change. So much has happened. Since you passed away, I don’t know how much of a hellish path I’ve walked. So much so that I don’t even remember how I endured that period.

It’s been a long time. Just listen to your disciple’s complaints.

It’s a hallucination anyway.

That’s true. It’s not particularly important now anyway.

He’s one of the people who killed my master. I tried my best to fight back, but with my exhausted body, he was no match at all.

Then what am I supposed to do? I also want to stay by those children’s side, but problems aren’t solved just by wanting to, are they?

There have been many crises until now, but I don’t think I can overcome this one.

I remember. You said you didn’t want me to surrender. To become someone who doesn’t bow down.

I tried to live that way. Because I wanted to be like you. Even if it wasn’t the absolute best, I believe it was a life in the right direction. To the point where I wondered if I was being a bit foolish.

Is that enough?

True self…?

“………” Irene stood in place. Whispers dyed her ears. As she mulled over the calm voice, her hazy consciousness felt like it was becoming clearer. It was as if an enlightenment she had missed until now was suddenly flashing.

-Find your own star.

For the first time, the girl understood the meaning of those words. Until now, she had thought of the word ‘star’ as ‘precious people’ or ‘beliefs to uphold,’ but in reality, it was a term encompassing a much broader concept. A star means life itself.

The lifelong direction one strives for. Only after establishing that does life truly dwell within the sword. It is to embrace true light. Irene Foxis. The direction that name held. The life that follows. The star it signifies. The sword finally forged.

After the pitch-black dawn passed, the dawn that finally arrived bore a name. None other than the name of the life dwelling within the girl’s sword. Crimson Flame.

Whoosh-!

Suddenly, flames erupted. The hot aura gradually intensified, even beginning to erase the chill of the raging typhoon. The falling raindrops evaporated before they could even wet her body. Amidst a feeling of omnipotence, dyed by high heat.

“………Burn.”

The girl opened her eyes.

Meanwhile. There was a pair of squinting eyes watching all these scenes.

“Finally, Crimson Flame makes her appearance.” The snake murmured. The voice that had been mimicking the fox’s master soon regained its original youth. An ominous smile hung on his lips.

“It is the time of awakening.” The wicked echo flicked its tongue.