bgm：here‘s to you（Baez）

The flesh and blood that should have rotted have long since withered, and the "something" that has risen up again continues to move forward.

Kings older than kingdoms walked barefoot through the flames, ragged.

The wrinkled and scarred skin is powerless to tell of the body's bravery, and the scars that sink deep into the bone marrow are like the suffering itself.

However..

However!

His gaze is so firm, like the steel of life, silently bearing all the painful chopping, and painting the blood into a magnificent and long epic.

Without hesitation!

Never doubt yourself right!

Such a person is already difficult to describe as a "person", which is simply a contempt for him.

By any measure, this is a great man who doesn't talk like a man.

Any words of praise would pale here.

Just as Mompass practiced, only he saw the justice.

Even if the country is lost.

Even if it is no longer a king.

Even if it's about to die.

The dusty rags were draped over the body, the flames were fierce, crackling, and the golden light was projected onto the rags, and for a moment it was like a treasure robe.

The black-and-gray smoke leaped briskly into the sky, and halfway through it turned around and blew through Montpass's sideburns.

It's like whispering:

Go, King!

Advance!

Go ahead!

Pick up your broken kingdom!

Or throw away the past!

Advance!

The old man crossed over the collapsed columns.

His gaze was so cloudy, but his steps were as swift as when he was younger.

He walked through the circle of triumphal arches, came in from one end of the door, and came out from the other.

Like a shuttle of gold.

Push open the ten-meter-high door.

Stepping over crumbling boulders and

Wherever the bare feet passed, the flames were still burning.

The flames are like the devil.

Flames burned down his palace.

The flames burned his kingdom.

Can anyone tell the fierce face of the flame to the people who raise their swords?

No, it won't.

Montpass touched every flame of fire, and the pain told him how much pain there was in this world, and how the demon of pain should torment those who were powerless to resist.

Turmoil will bring darkness and obscurantism.

God and careerists will not let go of this opportunity to harvest leeks.

The flame tears open the flesh and oxidizes the organic matter.

But Montpass could never have imagined what such suffering could become.

The mother was tied up, and her young child was no longer whole in the hands of the mob.

The man in the distance roared, but he could only watch as his woman's eyes lost their brightness.

Wives are separated, families are ruined, and people are slaughtered like pigs and sheep.

They- did those people think about it?

Only those who are truly in suffering can understand what this era is—what this damned generation is like.

War, peace, production, increased output – harvest.

After harvesting, some is left behind, so that the population can be maintained in a rapid growth range, and then a new "peace" will be ushered in.

The method of harvesting and the size of the pasture determine the relationship between the groups and the enemy.

In fact.

There are also many of them who don't need population resources, but will still rule.

In order to create a buffer zone, I simply feel that I should do this kind of thing worthy of my identity, or simply have fun.

Ridiculous...

Montpass closed his eyes in pain.

Sadly, he was in the middle of the turmoil, but he never had the opportunity to feel the pain of others—his people.

What kind of emotion is this?

I'm distressed.

I don't understand.

"O king. ”

Suddenly a scherzo sounded in Montpass's ears.

Before he knew it, he was already stepping on the marble staircase of the main hall, which led straight to the throne.

A strange man sat on the stone steps with his back to Montpass, his feet back and forth spread out, his movements casual, his face covered with one hand against the long grotesque brim of his hat.

"Yev. ”

Montpass stopped, not looking back.

In a short, seemingly long silence, there was only the sound of flames burning and gnawing at wood.

In the quiet hall, you can barely hear the faint sound of shouting and crying in the distance, which seems to be close and far away.

"You're back anyway. ”

"Why?"

"Come back?"

Montpass looked as if he had just come to his senses.

Immediately, he smiled.

"yes. . . Come back, come back!"

"Of course I'm coming back, this is my country, I'm not going anywhere. ”

- "Click"

Yev's brown leather-gloved fingers groped for the stone steps, where the fingertips rubbed, the hard stone was ground into fine stone powder and peeled through the cracks.

His voice was distorted, dull as if he had smashed an aggregate of protein nucleic acids with a sledgehammer.

"People. . . Shall I ask you a question?"

“。。。 Please speak. ”

Montpass replied as he walked to the throne without looking back.

Trample.

Trample.

One-step.

Two steps.

"Do you think there is anyone in this world who loves you?"

"Hahahaha!"

Montpass laughed, his steps getting faster.

"Yes or no, what does it have to do with me?"

As he spoke, his long gray beard shook incessantly, and his body trembled with it.

His body seemed to be stronger than when he was younger, and with great strength that the old man did not have, he trampled the steps and charged upwards.

The palace trembled as it stomped on the ground.

"Then I'll ask you one more question. ”

As if he hadn't heard it, the old man's steps grew swifter and faster, and he flew to the top of the city.

- Escape.

"What do you think... ”

- Can't listen.

"In this world. . . ”

- Can't see it.

"Is there anyone you've really loved?"

- No, ...

As if time had stood still, Montpass froze in front of his throne.

He turned his head slowly, frowning, no anger in his eyes, just confusion.

“。。 What the... What do you mean?"

His voice became dry and dull, as hoarse as that of Yev.

"So... Do you know what is the feeling of "love" that human beings have?"

Yev stood up, his hand loosening the brim of his hat, and turned to face Montpass.

"I don't know, why did you come back here?"

"I don't know, how do you fall in love with someone, a group of people? Do you know what love is? Do you understand what hatred is? What is pain? What is the loss of a beloved? Do you understand, king?"

"It's that kind of thing that people can understand. ”

Yev said, shaking his head.

"Even if you force yourself, you don't understand. ”

"It is only then that man can be the king of man. ”

"Even if you want to sit in that position. ”

"You will one day be overthrown by fools who are far less wise than you. ”

"No way, there's no way to do it, they can't understand your thoughts, they're only scared because of you. ”

"They're going to kill you. ”

"Kill you. ”

"Strangle fear, strangle restlessness. ”

"King?"

"People?"

"Montpass ... Or, what do you think I should call you?"

"Look at my face. ”

Ev raised his head, spread his arms, and his brown leather top hat was thrown far away, falling into the fire below.

"I don't think ... Like you?"