"Matilda!"
Haise called out as he spotted her waiting near the gate of Blackreach. The wind blew gently through the town's battered walls, carrying with it the scent of ash, stone, and new beginnings.
She turned to him, eyes lighting up the moment she saw him.
"Well, look at you… dressed in robes,"
Matilda said with a playful smirk, taking in the black and gold yukata Haise now wore.
"Thank you,"
Haise said softly, bowing his head in gratitude before lifting it again.
There was a brief pause, and then—
"So… I guess it'll be a while before we meet each other again."
His voice carried a quiet sadness, one he wasn't even sure how to hide.
Truth be told, he had grown used to her presence—the arguments, the laughter, the shared silences.
He wasn't quite ready to lose that.
"Yeah… it'll be some time,"
Matilda replied, her smile wavering just slightly. She tried to keep her voice steady, but the hint of disappointment slipped through.
The silence between them lingered. Not uncomfortable—just heavy.
Then, suddenly, she perked up and stepped forward.
"But!"
She held something out to him—a sword, its silver glint catching the morning light.
"You won't be leaving without a reminder of me."
Haise's eyes widened slightly as he reached for it.
The blade was familiar. Cleaned, polished, but unmistakably the same.
"That's the same sword you used to slay the dragon."
Matilda gave him a soft smile.
"It's served me well… now I want it to protect you."
Haise ran his fingers along the hilt and noticed the Leonhart crest etched into the steel.
A quiet warmth bloomed in his chest.
"Matilda… thank you."
He met her gaze, the corners of his mouth curling into a genuine smile.
"You can thank me later,"
She said, her tone suddenly quieter.
"Just promise me you'll be safe."
There was a solemnity in her eyes, one that made Haise straighten his posture just a little more.
"I promise."
He nodded, looking straight into her eyes.
They stood there for a heartbeat longer, as if neither of them really wanted to say goodbye just yet.
"And good luck on rebuilding Blackreach,"
Haise added, his voice softer now, sincere.
"I know you can do it."
Matilda looked at him, and for a moment, the weight of everything—the fight, the victory, the coming storm—faded, replaced by something quieter, more human.
"Take care, Haise."
And just like that, the road awaited him.
…..
…..
…..
…..
Haise pulled on his robes. The wind was colder outside the walls of Blackreach.
The morning sun filtered through scattered clouds, casting long shadows across the dirt-infested road.
The sword Matilda gave him rested on his back. It brought a strange sense of comfort. It almost felt like he wasn't alone.
The land east of Blackreach was rugged—hills rolled like waves frozen in time, twisted trees leaning with age. The road was cracked in places. His mind drifted to the King of Aeloria.
'Tch, when I get the chance…'
Haise thought to himself as the memory of the Arl telling him about Kiyozumi's destruction came back to him.
He clenched his fists.
He was going to find out why Valerious did it.
"Oi! Surrender or I'll kill you!"
A stern voice rang in the distance.
Haise ducked low, moving quickly as he tried to see what was happening.
As he got closer, he saw three armored men surrounding a cat-like creature.
"Please! I didn't do anything!"
The beastkin cried out, his voice full of fear.
One of the soldiers stepped forward, unsheathing his sword and pointing it at the creature.
"Even if you didn't do it, just admit it. Your head won't be sliced off."
The man sneered.
Haise stepped forward from his hiding place.
"Hey!"
He yelled, running up to them.
"I've heard enough! Leave him alone."
His voice was cold.
"Move along, Ishikari scum! This is imperial business!"
The soldier snapped back.
Haise's teeth clenched.
'I know I'm unmatched right now… but I can't walk away from this.'
He took a deep breath.
"Very well…"
Without hesitation, Haise unsheathed his sword, slashing the imperial soldier horizontally across the chest.
"ARGH!"
The man screamed, collapsing to the ground.
Haise reached for the cat-like creature's hand.
"Run!"
The beastkin nodded, and the two of them took off, running as fast as they could, not looking back.
The two found an abandoned tower, and hid there, catching their breath.
"Th-thank you"
The beastkin said through tired breaths.
Haise put his hand on his face, wiping off some of his sweat.
"No problem…. what was their business anyway?"
The beastkin had a sad look on his face before continuing.
"I worked for a family, and they were rebels… I bought some supplies in fangshade and when I came back… the family was massacred. Those imperials suddenly appeared and accused me of it."
Haise's eyes narrowed, as anger flared up inside of him.
"Those imperial bastards…"
Haise muttered under his breath.
"Where did they go?!"
The two of them heard, as the imperial soldiers were now outside.
These fools will pay.
"Stay here."
Haise commanded.
The beastkin could only nod as he watched Haise step out of the tower.
Even if I'm unmatched, I'll make sure they won't do it again.
Haise thought as he was now standing behind the imperial guards.
"Hey!"
Haise called out to them coldly, sword in hand.
The imperial soldiers turned around and saw Haise.
"There you are!"
One of them exclaimed as all of them rushed in on Haise.
Haise's eyes narrowed as he dropped into a defensive stance.
CLING!
CLANG!
CLING!
CLANG!
With every swing of the imperial soldiers' blades, Haise met them with his own.
Dammit, I know I won't last long.
Haise thought to himself, feeling the weight of each blow grow heavier. His arms ached, and his breathing grew more uneven. The clash of steel echoed through the ruins, dust rising from the ground with each heavy step.
Haise felt a sharp pain on his body as he realized that he wasn't able to block one of the imperial soldier's attacks.
"Argh!"
Haise screamed out in pain, stumbling backward.
The imperial soldier laughed.
"Give up, you fool."
Haise tightened his grip on his sword, his eyes narrowing with defiance.
"I won't be backing down from the likes of you."
With a roar, Haise charged forward, swinging his sword with everything he had. He managed to strike one of the soldiers, but at the cost of being hit in the process.
SLASH!
Haise groaned in pain, his vision briefly blurry from the force of the blow.
But before he could recover, he swung again—more desperate this time.
The imperial soldiers blocked his attack with precision, their training far superior to his own.
SLASH!
"Argh!"
Haise fell to his knees, feeling the blood now soaking through his robes. His chest heaved as he struggled to breathe.
Dammit, hopeless as always!
Haise thought to himself, barely able to keep his head up as the imperial guards closed in around him. He could feel the weight of his sword growing heavier, his limbs weakening.
One of the imperial soldiers pressed his blade to Haise's chin.
"Any last words?"
Suddenly, the mark on Haise's wrist began to glow—a deep, burning red. His body began to feel like it was burning, he could hear the dragon's roar in his mind. His pupils shifted, turning into a fiery gold color that seemed to burn with a fierce, ancient power.
ROAR!
A shockwave, like the roar of a dragon, erupted from Haise's mouth, the air cracking with the force of it. The imperial guards were sent flying backward, unable to withstand the violent energy. They tumbled to the ground, dazed and disoriented, their weapons clattering beside them.
Haise stood slowly, his body trembling with the residual energy of the attack. He looked at the soldiers, still recovering from the shockwave.
This… this power...
Without hesitation, Haise stepped forward.
SLASH!
His blade cut through the first guard's chest with ease.
SLASH!
Another soldier went down, blood spilling from the wound.
SLASH!
The last soldier tried to raise his sword to block, but Haise was faster, his movements sharp and precise. The soldier fell to the ground with a soft, wet thud.
The fight was over.
Haise stood in the midst of the fallen soldiers, breathing heavily, his sword dripping with blood. He let out a quiet sigh of relief, his body aching from the battle. For a brief moment, there was nothing but the silence of the ruined landscape around him. The only sound was his own ragged breathing.
But as he collapsed to the ground, his back hitting the cold earth, Haise stared up at the sky. The once-clear blue was now turning grey, heavy clouds rolling in as if responding to the turmoil inside of him.
What is happening to me…