The Rising of the Scythe Hero

While the unconscious Night rested in my arms, Fitoria led us toward her carriage. Quite a luxurious one, at that. White, made from high-quality wood, adorned with patterns shaped like pink wings, and topped with a domed roof in shades of blue and gold. Inside, it was lined with soft seats, fine fabric curtains, and accented with rare decorative jewels.

Only… I couldn't help the crooked smile tugging at my lips when I saw Fitoria herself — neat and prim in her pretty little dress — simply step forward and hitch herself up as the bird pulling the carriage.

"Something wrong?" she asked, tilting her head in puzzlement when she caught my look.

"You… plan to pull it in your human form?"

"…No. I… got a little distracted. My apologies."

There was a soft poof, and the white-haired little girl was replaced by a plump, fluffy bird.

But it was the carriage itself that really caught my attention. Not in terms of looks or craftsmanship, but… in terms of feeling. I couldn't quite place it, but there was something oddly familiar about the sensation it gave off…

The realization hit me once we were inside. We'd barely started moving when every one of my magical senses tingled with the feeling of space being displaced — the same sensation I'd felt when using the Portal Scythe myself…

The carriage slowed almost immediately before coming to a complete stop. When I stepped outside, I found myself in an entirely different location — the ruins of what might once have been a small village or settlement, perched on a gentle rise overlooking the sea.

"You're one of the Star Heroes, aren't you?" I asked Fitoria as soon as we left the carriage.

"Correct. But… how did you guess?"

What an idiot I was. What was I even thinking? Beating her? Ha, hilarious. As one of the Heroes, she wasn't bound by the level cap of one hundred, same as me. And if I tried to imagine what level she could have reached over all those years of existence — raised first by one of the Legendary Heroes, and later becoming a Star Hero herself… her stats had to be astronomical, even by my standards.

Though… if I trusted my Qi sense, then if I was weaker than Fitoria, the gap wasn't all that massive. At least, I wouldn't personally call it overwhelming. But that was based on my current skill level — and it was entirely possible I simply wasn't capable of grasping her full strength.

"Felt it," I shrugged.

"…"

The Queen of the Filolials just looked me in the eyes, saying nothing. Out in the area, I could sense other filolials, their life-lights flickering in my perception. But none of them dared approach.

In the meantime, Fitoria led me to one of the few buildings still standing. But instead of going inside, she sat down on a bench outside.

I shrugged and sat beside her, laying Night next to me and resting her head carefully on my lap, my fingers idly running through her silky hair. Pleasant…

"So, I think you wanted to tell me something…" Fitoria had been staring at the sight of me stroking Night with a strange expression, so I gave her a little nudge.

I knew the reason for that look. More than that — I'd deliberately steered her toward certain memories and emotions. The fact was, Fitoria was one of the strongest beings in this world. Yes, with a bird's memory in the most literal sense, but her strength was undeniable. To this day, she had been singlehandedly holding back all the Waves that occurred outside Melromarc. Their quality — or rather, their strength — was offset by sheer numbers, which had to be exhausting for the white-haired bird… but still, she managed.

But, as I saw it, that was nothing compared to the way she must have lived before the Waves began. Fitoria… was a long-liver. I didn't know if she was immortal, but she didn't age. She was certainly over a hundred years old, yet still looked like a little girl, only slightly older than Filo or Night. The appearance of queens varied slightly from individual to individual, but it always stayed within a certain "age" range.

And through all those years of her life, she had been completely alone. The Hero who had raised her had either died or returned to their own world. And she was left behind. Left completely alone, carrying the burden of responsibility her master had placed on her with nothing more than an offhand comment.

Most likely, the Waves were actually a good thing for this girl — though she might not realize it herself. Before they came, she… simply lived, day after day. A completely gray, empty, meaningless life. The Waves gave her a new purpose. Something to cling to so fiercely that she was even willing to kill all the Heroes if that was what it took to achieve it.

"Yes…" As if snapping out of a trance, the girl lifted her violet eyes to me. "But I'm not sure where I should start…"

"The Filolial Progenitors. Who are they, and how are they different from, say, an ordinary filolial? Or you and Night?"

"Mmm…" Bowing her head in thought, Fitoria seemed to be gathering her ideas. "They are the very first filolials, who lived in ancient times. Originally, our kind had great wings that allowed us to fly. But then… I think there was a war. With… griffons. Our kind began to die out and degenerate, eventually losing access to the skies. That's what the elder filolials — the ones I knew in their lifetime — told me."

"And in Night, the blood of those ancient filolials is somehow especially strong?" I recalled the Queen of the Filolials' earlier words.

"Yes." Fitoria nodded. "I have never before seen a filolial in whom that blood ran so strongly."

"Could it be because of me? Legendary Weapons give different bonuses to the monsters they raise."

"That's… possible. Any filolial raised by a Hero can become the ruler of all others. But you are different…" Her gaze returned to my face. "Your Weapon follows different laws and operates on different principles. I can't say whether your assumption is wrong or not, but the Heroes of this world do not have the ability to strengthen bloodlines."

So… it could simply be that I got lucky with Night's egg — that, guided by my sense for life, I chose the strongest one in the basket. Combined with the fact that I'm also a Hero, that allowed the filolial inside to realize her full potential.

Or maybe I have some ability I still don't even know about.

"The blood of the Ancient Filolials and her own efforts have merged, creating a vast potential that will one day surpass even me. I don't know how soon that will happen, but it's inevitable."

My gaze drifted back to Night's peaceful little face. Fitoria seemed to do the same.

It was hard to imagine that the bird peacefully sleeping on my lap would one day become that strong. Then again… she was already stronger than Raphtalia and Filo combined. I didn't know if she could break through Naofumi's defense, but with her Qi, she could probably find a way if she had to. Now that I'd seen her sudden talent with my own eyes, I had little doubt about it.

"Does that upset you?"

"Hm?" Fitoria tilted her head, puzzled. "Why would it upset me?"

"You've spent so many years protecting this world. Its defense has been the meaning of your existence, hasn't it?" Her eyes widened at my words. "And now, suddenly, your supposed replacement shows up…"

"I… don't know… The primary duty of the Heroes and their companions is to fight the Waves. I… have spent all these years protecting the world itself, just as the Hero who raised me wished."

"Ah. I think I understand now." My lips curved into a small smile of realization.

"It doesn't matter what happens to the people or the other beings that inhabit this world. As long as the world my master cared for continues to exist, everything will be fine."

I noticed that, in certain fleeting moments, Fitoria's face would twist ever so slightly, as though in a futile attempt to remember something — only for it to slip away each time.

"You… don't remember his name anymore, do you?"

"…"

Every time she mentioned the Hero of the past, her expression changed. She called him "my master," "the Hero who raised me," "the Hero of the past," but never once had she spoken his name or surname.

"I only remember his last words," Fitoria said at last, breaking the long silence. "I don't remember his name, his face, or even his voice. But his words have stayed with me from that moment to this day: 'Protect this world.' And I will protect it at any cost."

Her final words left the air heavy with quiet, a silence that lasted for what must have been ten minutes. It was broken only by the sleepy stirring on my lap.

"You can stay here until tomorrow," Fitoria said, casting another unreadable glance at the waking Night before standing and heading into the house in whose yard we sat. "The house across the way is empty."

Without another word, she slipped inside, closing the door behind her — a little more quickly than I would have expected.

"Hm? Master?" Night pushed herself up, rubbing her barely open eyes with the sweetest expression. "Did I… do well?"

"Yeah. You were absolutely magnificent." Smiling, I patted this little wonder on the head. "But you shouldn't have been training all this time by yourself. I might not be the best teacher, but from now on I promise to pay more attention to your development."

"Master has no reason to worry. I… can handle it myself." Finished with her eye-rubbing, Night looked at me with something that might even have been defiance.

Well now… was that a touch of teenage rebellion starting to peek through?

"Maybe you can, but I don't want to leave it all on your shoulders anymore. Besides, maybe together we can come up with something interesting."

"Mmm… If Master wants…"

"That's better."

At first, I'd thought about teleporting us straight back to Melromarc's palace, but after a moment's thought, I decided we both deserved a break. Night had just been through a hard fight and pushed past her own limits — and we still hadn't gotten from Fitoria what I'd originally wanted in the first place. Maybe she'd just forgotten?

So we stayed the night after all. Night fell asleep again soon enough, confirming what I already suspected about her exhaustion — but I couldn't do the same. Sure, that last attack I'd used on the Tyranno Dragon had been new and draining, but not enough to actually wear me out. And I recovered quickly…

So I spent most of the night hypnotizing the ceiling while turning over the avalanche of information in my head — and somewhere in there, I think I dug up the beginnings of an idea on how to break past the level 100 cap. Faint, fragmented thoughts, but still… enough to work with.

"Hm? Looks like I'm not the only one who can't sleep." Smirking, I hopped off the couch and made my way outside at a leisurely pace.

In the middle of the night, I'd felt the life signature of a fairly strong being leaving the house across from ours. Hard to miss something like that. Apparently, Fitoria had decided to take a midnight stroll.

Well, if fate was going to hand me an opening, why not take it?

"Can't sleep?" Sitting on a not-very-high cliff overlooking the sea, Fitoria didn't even notice my approach right away, flinching slightly at the sound of my voice.

"It's already quite late. The Scythe Hero can't sleep either?"

"Something like that. Too many thoughts."

"I see…"

I sat down beside her, staring quietly ahead. The atmosphere was perfect for a little armchair psychology — I just had to choose the right words…

"What will you do when all this is over?"

"Hm? What do you mean?" She turned her head toward me, breaking her gaze from the empty space in front of her.

"Of course, things could change, but I'm almost certain Night has no interest in protecting the world. She'll probably stay with me. She has no reason to take your place." Now I turned to face her as well, abandoning the view.

"So… you'll stay in this world? You won't go back to your own?"

"Yeah. I'm not about to leave my little fledgling alone in this cruel world." I gave a short grin.

"I… see…"

Fitoria seemed to deflate a little, retreating somewhere deep inside herself — something I couldn't let go on for too long.

"So? What about you?" She flinched before looking back at me. "Right now, you spend all your time repelling the Waves, but what will you do afterward? When they're gone?"

"That… First, we have to deal with the Waves. And…"

"I'll handle it." Cutting her off, I nodded firmly. "Now I'm even more certain of my conclusions — and almost sure I've found a way to solve the problem of the Waves. So, Fitoria, tell me… what are you going to do after the Waves end?"

"I…" The Queen of the Filolials opened her mouth, then closed it again without finding the words. "I… don't know." A faint, sad smile tugged at her lips. "My duty is to protect the world. And I will protect it, whether there's a threat from the Waves or not. That doesn't matter."

"Ha. Sounds kind of depressing."

"What?"

"You don't have to be alone."

"I decided long ago not to get involved in the affairs of humans. I… feel much calmer on my own." Fitoria shook her head.

"Then what about one modest Scythe Hero?"

"What do you… mean?"

"You see, I think I have a problem similar to yours." The puzzlement still lingered on her face. "I'm not completely sure yet, but I suspect I can't age."

Understanding began to flicker in her expression, though it didn't fully settle. Her brows remained faintly knit.

"Ah, now I get Sadeena…" Sighing, I began to rise from where I sat. "Most likely, unless someone very determined decides to kill me, I won't be able to die. At least not of old age." Acting on an instinctive impulse, I reached out and smoothed a hand over the silky white hair of the girl sitting before me. "So if you're ever feeling down, you can come to us. And if you're not feeling down — you can still come. Like I said, you don't have to be alone. I'd be more than happy to see you anytime."

Fitoria froze. Her violet eyes widened in surprise, her brows lifted, and her small mouth parted slightly. The sight was so adorable I didn't even try to stop myself, stroking her head again without removing my hand. Whether she'd just realized something or it was something else entirely, her cheeks flushed a faint pink after the second time.

"What are you—"

"Let me warn you first!" Reluctantly pulling my hand away, I immediately held it up in front of me, raising an index finger in a cautionary gesture. "If you do decide to trust me, then you'll have to put up with my existence being right beside you. Because once that happens, I'm not letting you go."

Still staring into my eyes with the same surprised expression, Fitoria absently lifted a hand to touch the top of her head where my hand had just been.

Then, as if snapping back to herself, she turned away, her gaze drifting back to the sea.

"…e… more…"

"Sorry? I didn't catch that." Even with my Qi-heightened senses, I honestly couldn't hear what she'd said.

"Once… more."

"Hm?"

"Do it… once more." She still didn't turn her face toward me as she said it.

At first, I wasn't entirely sure what she meant by "it," but the realization hit me about a second later.

Smirking, I stepped closer and placed my palm gently back on her head, starting slow, steady strokes. Little by little, the bird relaxed, leaning into the sensation and shutting her eyes in quiet contentment. Lowering my gaze slightly, I saw a faint, nostalgic smile appear on her face.

Maybe I really was overdue for some sleep… because out of the corner of my eye, beside one of the ruined columns, I saw the silhouette of a man in armor. His face was hidden in shadow, but something about him stirred memories of days long gone. The only visible detail was his gentle smile, turned downward toward my hand…

And just as suddenly as he appeared, he was gone again — dissolving completely into the distance behind me.

Guess my mind's playing tricks on me…