Side Story.11

The wicked tyrant raised his head.

“Ah, so you are…… Princess Seiya.”

His large eyes, filled with greed, swept over Maia’s whole body.

Affection, he called it.

That was something to throw to the dogs.

The emotion this man held for Princess Seiya was nothing but desire.

“I have heard much about you, Lord Uperta.”

“Are you finally responding to my feelings for you?”

His arrogant voice was full of anticipation.

It was so repulsive, it felt like bugs were crawling all over her body.

“……There are too many eyes watching here.”

But Maia hid her true feelings and drew a beautiful smile like a flower.

“Let us go into the inner chamber and speak.”

“……Yes, very good.”

As the giant followed, a deep shadow fell over her head.

Maia’s face, as she turned to walk, was set with determination.

* * *

Aeterna gripped the sword in his hand so tightly it seemed it would break, then loosened his grip, and repeated.

He was anxious.

Afraid he might die without avenging his grandfather, afraid Maia’s sacrifice would be in vain.

The troubled boy looked up at his brother, who sat beside him, holding his breath.

He had always thought his brother was weak and foolishly soft.

But now, Aeterna understood.

His brother was far stronger than himself, who trembled with childish arrogance.

“……!”

Adelstein reached out and gently grasped Aeterna’s trembling hand.

His bright, red eyes were fixed beyond the curtain, on Maia and their enemy, but his grip was firm.

As if promising never to let go first.

Yes, if they were born on the same day, they should meet death together.

Aeterna smiled sharply.

“Ugh…… My vision is blurry.”

Beyond the curtain, Uperta took the glass of liquor Maia handed him and murmured in a slow voice.

He was said to have an incomprehensible constitution that resisted any poison, but luck was on their side; the anesthetic worked.

Sharp green and brilliant red eyes met.

Now was the time for them to act.

* * *

It did not take long for the deeply drugged man’s head to fall.

Red blood spurted like a fountain.

Maia stared blankly at Adelstein, who had severed the enemy’s neck.

“Finally……. Finally!”

Aeterna burst into laughter, overcome with joy.

Grabbing Uperta’s head from his bloodied brother’s hand, he threw open the inner chamber door and cried out loudly.

“My brother and I have avenged our grandfather, slain our enemy!”

At that moment, the people of the Ilaya royal palace erupted in cheers of joy.

The shouts were deafening.

Everyone called out the names of Adelstein and Aeterna in turn.

At the center of all the commotion, Adelstein simply stared blankly at the blood-soaked pool.

“……Adelstein.”

Maia approached him and carefully took his bloodied hand.

The lost, dazed look in his eyes regained focus. Adelstein silently looked down at Maia.

His eyes grew steadily redder.

“Well done.”

Maia embraced Adelstein and whispered.

“…….”

His trembling hands pulled her close in return.

Silent sobs, unable to become words, hovered occasionally at her ear.

Even as Aeterna marched proudly, cheered by the kingdom’s people, two shining tears streamed down his face.

* * *

Uperta’s remnants did not stay quiet.

Though none were as strong as their leader, each was a formidable foe.

They placed their second-in-command as the new leader and declared they would flay the princess of Ilaya and the young Adelstein brothers to avenge dead Uperta.

“That won’t do.”

The day after their declaration, a slender boy entered the now masterless palace alone.

“What’s a weakling like you doing here, huh?”

“Wait. That’s a rare beauty… Instead of driving him out, how about keeping him as a slave?

While everyone looked down on him, the boy gazed at them with eyes shining like stars, indifferent.

Puk—

A merciless bloodstorm swept through Uperta’s palace in the next instant.

All of Uperta’s followers met the same death as their master on the same day.

“My goodness…….”

“H-how.”

With the sun barely moving in the sky, the boy walked out of the bloodied palace with a calm face.

As chilling screams echoed beyond the palace, everyone knew of their deaths.

The people, caught between awe and fear, stared blankly at the boy, whose appearance was so divinely beautiful he seemed an angel incarnate.

Thus, more than the famed young heroes Adelstein and Aeterna, an extraordinary being.

It was only a matter of time before Hyperion Luar’s name was known across the continent.

“Adelstein.”

And soon after.

Hyperion appeared before Adelstein.

“From now on, I’ll help you. Accept me.”

The boy, surrounded by a mysterious air, stood before the palace throne and reached out his hand.

“No, thank you.”

Adelstein’s response was a clear refusal.

“……Pfft.”

Aeterna, standing beside Adelstein, snorted.

Maia, standing nearby, also looked at Hyperion with a troubled expression.

“Why?”

Hyperion truly sounded as if he didn’t understand.

“Why won’t you accept my help? You must not know my power. Good, I’ll show you now.”

Deciding on his own, he grabbed Adelstein’s wrist and pulled.

“Let go of him right now!”

Aeterna shouted and pointed his sword at Hyperion.

Oh no, Maia was at a loss at Aeterna’s unexpectedly sharp reaction.

“Do you think you killed Uperta so easily because of your own strength?”

Hyperion looked down at the blade pointed at his neck and spoke in a calm voice.

“What do you mean?”

Aeterna flinched, shivering.

“No way that anesthetic alone could have put him to sleep.”

Pressing the blade lightly with his pale, slender hand, Hyperion spoke.

“He only slept because I cast a sleep spell.”

“……What?”

“So, you couldn’t avenge yourselves by your own power. What do you think about that, Adelstein?”

Aeterna whispered in disbelief, but Hyperion’s attention was solely on Adelstein.

“……We were arrogant.”

Adelstein, his expression hardened as if recalling something, looked at Hyperion’s terrifyingly calm face with complicated eyes.

“Brother, no, it’s a lie!”

“What would I gain by lying about something so trivial?”

“……You!”

Aeterna’s emotions flared.

Maia watched their confrontation anxiously and carefully grabbed Aeterna’s collar.

It was too dangerous now.

Even in the distant future, Hyperion was ruthless toward anyone who challenged his authority or greatly annoyed him.

“!”

Sharp green eyes turned to Maia. She bit her lip and gently shook her head.

“Why?”

At that moment, Adelstein’s calm voice floated in the tense air.

“You are a great and perfect being. So why do you keep lingering around someone as insignificant as me?”

With quiet, red eyes, Adelstein questioned Hyperion.

A faint ripple appeared in his once dazzling golden eyes.

“Who knows.”

Avoiding Adelstein’s gaze, Hyperion answered softly.

“……I don’t know. I really don’t.”

His clear, emotionless face twisted at that moment.

“Why do you do this? Everyone craves my help. Just a flick of my finger and humans tremble as if receiving a huge blessing.”

It was the first time in this era Maia had heard his voice so agitated.

Hyperion bit his red lips hard, glaring at Adelstein.

“But what makes you so special that you refuse me? Who are you, that you can’t achieve anything without my help…….”

His reddened eyes and voice, at last, faded away.

That figure was just like…

“Now I understand.”

As if thinking the same as Maia, Adelstein smiled and, for the first time, spoke informally to Hyperion.

“……?”

Hyperion frowned and looked at him.

Adelstein spoke more gently than when Hyperion had shown goodwill.

“You wanted to help me.”

“……W-what?”

Hyperion’s pale face turned red as he realized he was stammering, even to his own ears.

“You felt sorry for me and wanted to help. But I misunderstood you and ended up hurting you.”

With a bright smile, Adelstein spoke before Hyperion could protest, then softly patted Hyperion’s head.

“I’m sorry, really.”

“……What is this.”

Aeterna, witnessing the unbelievable scene, muttered in a broken voice.

Maia felt much the same.

She had wondered how the Founding Emperor and Hyperion, who had such a dangerous relationship, could ever forge a friendship that transcended all things……

“…No, that’s not it?!”

Receiving the unfamiliar touch, Hyperion, who had been frozen like stone, suddenly shouted and brushed Adelstein’s hand away.

“Don’t misunderstand! Listen, I was just looking for entertainment!”

“Sure, sure.”

“I just happened to meet you! Your story was interesting, so I gave you a test! But you unexpectedly refused my conditions, so I just followed you out of whim and helped you…….”

“Yes, thank you, Hyperion.”

Though his desperate excuses continued, Adelstein’s gentle voice made them all seem like meaningless outbursts.

Hyperion, his cheeks flushed, looked at Adelstein as if resentful.

The connection between two transcendents who ushered in the Age of Light began with one’s very optimistic and self-serving misunderstanding.

As time passed, Maia could only laugh helplessly at the unimaginable destiny of the ancient era.