Chương 621: B8 - Epilogue: Vanguard

The line of people was endless. For the better part of a day, it continued without pause. Shoulder to shoulder, the scattered, almost lifeless souls marched ever deeper into the mouth of the infinite tunnel. Their eyes were vacant, their steps dull and dragging, their hands clutching whatever few possessions they had been permitted to keep. These were the previously sovereign natives of the very land they stood on. Now, they were slaves in all but name.

Melissa didn't know what fate awaited them once they reached the Empire, and neither did she want to. It was better that way. She had long since stopped caring about such matters. It was the only way to remain both sane and alive in such an insane world. Others had been more stubborn than her. More curious. They had not lasted. Two centuries had passed since she had started protecting the Empire from behind the scenes, upholding the honor of her family. But today, even that pride wasn't enough to steady her.

The events of the past few days were haunting her like a specter, never allowing her even a single moment of respite. The death of her subordinates, her disgraceful retreat, the defeat of the Legion's main force, and the current state of her great-niece, Viola. It was like a nightmare that simply wouldn't end. But she could deny it no longer. The streams of people passing by were proof enough that it was all real. They were actually leaving.

And it wasn't an ordered retreat either, but the full, immediate liquidation of all their assets. They were abandoning everything they had worked on practically overnight. She could hardly fathom what had prompted the higher-ups to make such a choice, but, once again, she didn't pry. Knowing too much would only burden her. She had her orders. That was enough. That was why she now found herself in this place.

Once more, staring down into the darkness of the endless abyss, awaiting permission to depart on the journey home. It would take them weeks, confined to the narrow tunnels, unable to see the sky or feel the breeze on her skin. For a Windmage like her, it was practically torture. She craved the open sky more than others craved food. The wind wasn't just a companion; it was a part of her very existence. Already, her restless mind was trying to come up with ways to prevent such a fate.

If she hurried, using all her power, she could likely make the journey in days. It was a tempting thought, but she crushed it as quickly as it had risen. After all, she wasn't alone, and Viola's current state didn't allow her to travel on her own. Though the girl would certainly be able to arrive safely on board those mechanical trains they had so painstakingly created tracks for, the thought of leaving her alone there was more than Melissa could bear.

Despite her loyalty to the Empire and her trust in its leadership, the mere thought of leaving the unconscious girl behind sent a shiver down her spine. Mind Mages had that effect on people. The very nature of their power made them generally disliked. In a sense, they were like lepers. Their very presence soured people's moods, and even sleeping near them felt like lying on a bed of nails. After all, one would never be more susceptible to mental influence than when asleep.

How much worse, then, would it be to leave Viola in the hands of these people for weeks on end? If they set their minds to it, the person who finally awoke might not even be the same one who had fallen asleep. She had seen it happen more often than she could count. Flesh puppets, stripped of everything that had once made them unique. Of what had once made them human.

Mental tampering of this sort was, by imperial decree, strictly reserved for the worst of enemies, but Melissa wasn't foolish enough to believe such propaganda. She knew all too well how those who wielded such power operated. She would never allow Viola to fall into their hands. Her gaze traveled once again to the wagon beside her, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes. She could hear Viola's rhythmic breathing from inside, accompanied by the faint movements of the masked figure who had arrived from Command.

It had barely been an hour since the stranger had entered, but Melissa was already feeling restless. Her fingers twitched, and for a moment, her Mana stirred. But this time, she couldn't intervene. Her superiors had named a reason for the inspection that even she couldn't argue against. Viola's contact with Ezekiel. It was not the talent he was most famous for, but Ezekiel was also a Mind Mage of some skill.

Given the fact that Viola had still not awoken after their fight, it was suspected that he might have used some subtle means to influence her. It wasn't impossible. He certainly didn't have the skill to turn Viola into a puppet like the Empire's Mages could, but even a dormant suggestion, if strong enough, could be enough to harm both Viola and everyone around her. Therefore, this inspection was something she had to allow, but it would be the last such contact she would tolerate.

Finally, after another twenty minutes and several hundred prisoners had passed, the masked figure emerged from the wagon. Melissa's eyes locked onto them immediately.

"So?" Instead of a verbal response, the figure sent their voice directly into her mind.

"There were no traces of Mind Magic on her." Melissa frowned. One part of her had hoped this would be the case, but the other found it even more unsettling that they still didn't know what had caused Viola's current state. Her injuries had long since been mended, restoring her body to its optimal condition. Logically, there should be no reason for the girl to be unable to wake up. This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Could it be that something had truly happened to her…? She clamped down on these thoughts immediately. Nothing good came from voicing, or even thinking, such things around the Emperor's dogs.

"Thank you for your time," Melissa said instead. The figure nodded. Though even now, their clear blue eyes remained locked on the wagon. On the place where Viola lay inside. Melissa took a step forward, putting herself between them. Finding their view suddenly blocked, the figure finally snapped out of it, focusing on Melissa. It was the first time they had stood face to face, the first time their eyes met. Though the masks these people wore prevented identification, their eyes were still clearly visible.

This one had the clear blue eyes typical of the Geistreich. But that alone wasn't surprising. The Emperor's blood had become rather common over the centuries of his rule, with hundreds of descendants running around. But there was more to be gleaned from a person's eyes than merely their color. For those who had lived as long as she had, a mere glance was often enough to determine a great many things. And now, as she met the eyes of this masked figure, one thing stood out above all else. Young.

This person was definitely young. Maybe not much older than Viola herself. That alone was noteworthy. To be part of high command, and even receive the assignment to travel to Rukia, this figure certainly wasn't simple. All the more reason to keep her away.

"Is there anything else?" Melissa asked, her voice cold and dismissive. The figure paused for a long moment, as if wanting to say something but not daring to. But that inner struggle soon disappeared from her gaze.

"Commander Melissa Windtänzer, I hereby relay your new orders." The voice, once again, reached her mind without a single word being spoken aloud. Melissa snapped to attention. It was a habit so ingrained that she could barely fight it.

"You are hereby designated as vanguard, to guard this position until everyone has safely evacuated." Melissa's brows furrowed. Vanguard? That sounded less like a position and more like a polite way of saying she was to be left behind.

"Am I to hold the passage on my own?" If so, this would be a death sentence, even for her.

"That is not the case," the masked figure replied immediately.

"In fact, you are not to engage the enemy at all."

"Then what is the purpose of staying behind?" Instead of answering directly, the masked figure reached into her robes and retrieved a strange crystal from inside. It was largely transparent, but an illusory purple mist seemed to swirl in its depths. She held it out, and after a moment's hesitation, Melissa accepted it. The crystal felt strangely warm against her hand. It was a pleasant warmth, like a cup of tea that had almost gone cold but still retained its last bit of heat.

"Crush it the moment the enemy forces reach this point."

"What does it do?" Melissa asked curiously, her eyes captured by the strange energy contained within. It was Mana of some kind, though it seemed to have taken on a strange, almost material state.

"You don't need to know," the figure responded mentally.

"Though I suggest you leave immediately after executing your order. Do not hesitate. Do not look back. Fly at your fastest speed."

"What does that…?" Melissa looked up, finding that the figure had already turned around. Typical. But before she disappeared from view, one last message reached Melissa's mind.

"I have arranged for Viola's former roommate to watch over her until your return. That should be enough to put your mind at ease." Melissa stiffened. Not because she feared she might get in trouble for her earlier thoughts. In the entire Empire, there were no more than a handful of people who could actually make her nervous. No, it was for the simple reason that her thoughts had been seen through.

It meant that this figure, despite their youth, had been skilled enough to glean her surface thoughts, despite the fact that she had been on guard the entire time. And Melissa had not felt a thing. Her tense muscles did not relax until the masked figure had disappeared from view, and even then, it still took her a couple of minutes to shake off that eerie feeling.

"Damn Mind Mages," she cursed, though she herself knew best that it was not out of genuine anger but to fight off the unease that always gripped her when she interacted personally with these figures. Still, she had no intention of refusing her orders. Though it was not an especially glamorous assignment, and one that could be interpreted as far beneath her, Melissa actually saw this as a good sign. After all, she had broken rank during their last battle.

It had been that decision which had led to the slaughter of her entire troop and the subsequent loss of all their airships. If she could make up for that blunder by undertaking a few punishment missions, then she would willingly make that trade. At the very least, it meant the Emperor still saw use in her. So, Melissa waited. The first to leave were the trains, which departed shortly after. Behind them followed the endless procession of natives, interspersed with the occasional guard.

Likely, they would be picked up along the way once the trains returned. Otherwise, it might take them months to reach the Empire. Eventually, she was left all alone, the only living presence in that abandoned stretch of darkness. Melissa stood there, as if rooted to the spot. Hours passed, and still, she did not move. She did not feel bored. In her mind, she replayed the events of that accursed day. The flying fortress that had blocked her. Ezekiel's battle with Viola.

Those bizarre specters that had suddenly grown wings. She reviewed everything, over and over again. Her choices, others' choices, the crucial moments, the outcomes, the possibilities. It was one of her habits. After every great battle, she would replay it until she was satisfied. It usually helped her determine the ideal path and inform her future decisions. But this time, this tried and tested method failed her.

She replayed the crucial moment once more, when Ezekiel had forced her to retreat, holding Viola's life as a bargaining chip. It all came down to this one moment. Had he meant it? Would he have actually killed her? Every instinct she had honed over two centuries told her that he would have. Everything about him, from his posture to his voice, had firmly screamed of bloodlust. However, a tiny voice in the back of her mind told her that it had been a bluff. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a sound.

It was still far away, but in this perfect stillness, it echoed like thunder. It was the rhythmic sound of boots hitting stone. It was the sound of marching troops. Melissa tightened her grip around the crystal. The sound the wind had carried to her ears was still too distant. It would take them at least another few minutes to actually reach this position. As she waited, she recalled the warning the masked figure had given her. Don't hesitate. Don't look back. What ominous words.

Finally, the first of the pursuers came into view. Melissa didn't recognize the insignia. But neither did she care. The moment her eyes fell on them, she shattered the crystal in her hand. Without any delay, the ceiling came down. It was as if it had been held up by an invisible column all this time, and suddenly, that support had been ripped out from under it. The rock and stone didn't even seem to move like normal material, but like a vengeful avalanche. And the phenomenon wasn't isolated to the area behind her.

It was everywhere. The entire tunnel gave way at once, as if the earth couldn't wait to reclaim what it had lost. Melissa hadn't hesitated. Before the shards of the shattered crystal had even reached the ground, she was already gone. [Windtänzer] allowed her to reach speeds exceeding what the naked eye could follow. But even so, as she shot down the remaining passage toward the Empire, she couldn't find an end to the falling stone.

"Motherfuuuuucker!" The curse slipped out without her noticing, but it only spurred her on even more. Faster. Faster. Faster. Her figure seemed to distort under the pressure of her flight. Never before had she reached such speeds. And yet, the falling stone pressed ever closer, no more than a few steps removed from the crown of her head. Melissa became one with the wind, rushing through the tunnel as if possessed. She didn't stop. She couldn't stop. The world behind her had become nothing but noise and death.

Stone screamed against stone. The ground bucked beneath her feet. The air itself turned heavy, choked with dust and powdered rock. And still, the falling ceiling drew closer. Melissa clenched her teeth until they nearly cracked. Faster. She had to go faster. Her body had long since surpassed its limits. Every muscle fiber burned. Every vein felt as though it might burst. Even her Mana, usually so free and obedient, began to tear through her channels like broken glass. But she did not slow.

She could see the edge of the collapse now. Just ahead. A stretch of stable tunnel. A pocket of darkness untouched by the ruin devouring everything behind her. Almost. The thought had barely formed before something struck her shoulder. A falling shard of stone, no larger than a fist, yet carrying the weight of a mountain. It shattered bone, threw off her balance, and tore her from the wind. But even that impact carried her forward.

She hit the ground hard, rolled across the dirt, and only came to a halt when her momentum had finally bled out. For a moment, she could do nothing but lie there. Then the tunnel roared one final time. And fell silent. She was breathing hard. Her gaze remained locked on the direction from which she had come, still holding lingering fear. Thousands of steps' worth of tunnel had been buried in a single moment. The path to Rukia had been unilaterally severed.

And had she been even a single moment slower, she would have shared its fate.