Artemia: Journey To The Thirtieth Floor

49. A Sunset

We returned to the coast in order to collect the corpses of our mighty warriors, which...felt so f*****g stressful. It seemed like the dragons had brought everyone back to the camp already. I felt horrible for doing that to them, but...I don't regret it. Of course, I am guilty as charged after I issued the order only because I didn't want them to be aware of what had just transpired between the nymphs and us. Sure, it seems to be selfish, but I have a duty to protect Yuki.

Ah, right. Speaking of Yuki. As soon as we returned to the coast, she collapsed. I think today has been too much for her to endure any longer, and she passed out. Now, she has to bear the burden of all of these traumatic memories for the rest of her life. I expressed my utmost sympathy for her by letting her rest, especially since she is still a child.

Yuki was resting near a bush as Kasai was tending to her injuries quietly, even though his anger was evident. Meanwhile, Enkai was doing all he could to help her recover as quickly as he possibly could. I was glad to see that she still had these two, so a small smile escaped from my lips. I decided to walk around while they were like that, but I just kept finding dead bodies after another. Luckily, there weren't that many compared to the last battle because the warriors they found were already taken back to the camp.

I placed the bodies I found on the huge leaves that I found nearby. Knowing that the people from the base would be here soon to pick us up and bring us back, I just stood in front of them with an impassive expression. Although I am not familiar with these individuals, I'm pretty sure that they also have their loved ones.

"Please accept my apologies..." I whispered as I knelt in front of them with my head down. "I promise to you that I will exact vengeance on you and the other warriors' behalf. Your sacrifices will not be for naught."

It took a bit more than an hour for the people from our camp to come and pick us up. They carried the corpses and placed them on a cart that they had brought along with them for transportation. I just watched them because I have no plans on going back just yet. Yuki was still asleep, so she also came with them. I haven't had any decent sleep since yesterday, but who cares?

After a few moments, Enkai looked at me as if he expected me to hop on the cart. Despite my shaky voice and false smile, I tried to muster up the courage to tell him that I was not planning to come with them. I accepted their genuine concern for my well-being, but they couldn't do anything about it because I was firm about staying here.

"Please take care of yourself," Kasai told me as he held my cheek, looking me in the eye with a worried look on his face.

Enkai held my hand as he planted a soft kiss on my forehead. "If you're not in the camp before midnight, I'll come to pick you up," he whispered as he gave me a reassuring smile.

I nodded and stood there, watching them leave the coast in silence. As soon as the cart was no longer in sight, I began a leisurely journey towards the coast, passing through the pools of blood and corpses that dirtied the sand. I was curious to see what my reflection looked like right now. That thought would not leave my head, no matter how hard I tried to put it aside.

Water has become red in certain parts due to the blood of Scylla, the warriors, and the naval army. It was no longer as clear as it was before, so seeing my reflection in the water became more difficult to discern. Because I couldn't see it, I had no choice but to create my own water to survive. Oh, it changed back to normal already.

But why did I look like that in the first place...?

I sighed at the thought that the water had been contaminated with blood while looking out into the horizon. The water was extremely beautiful even though it was home to a great number of sea monsters, which was because Scylla and Charybdis had been taking such good care of them. To be fair, the bare minimum I can do is restore the water's beauty for them.

If I do that, it's going to be an extremely long night again. Even if my power dries up, I have to restore it to its original beauty. I took a deep breath as I dipped my hand into the water, prepared to purify it. Fuyumi has reached a level where she is capable of such feat, albeit it is conceivable that my life force will be at risk.

But just as I was about to do so, I noticed that the ground was vibrating under my feet. Yes, you are correct. I took a deep breath as I flew to a height from which the waves would be unable to reach me. Charybdis is going to emerge any minute now, so huge waves are bound to come.

I let out a small gasp as the pain in my head began to worsen. Suddenly, there were recollections of a little girl sleeping comfortably within a shell, a lovely smile on her face as she slept soundly. Because she looked exactly like Charybdis in that image, I assumed it was Fuyumi's childhood memory of Charybdis.

The crippling sensation of shame that had been eating away at me had returned, but it was stronger now. All I could do was try to push those ideas aside. They were making me feel as if I was the one who took Scylla and Charybdis's lives. Or maybe I actually did? If I had set up a protective barrier around them, I might have been able to save them. But I didn't. Even though I was well aware of what was going to happen, I did nothing to stop it.

When Charybdis finally plunged back into the water, I slowly fell on the water. Most of the blood was gone, probably because of Charybdis, so I don't have to worry about it anymore. Because I can breathe underwater, this is not an issue for me. As I dived into the water, voices began to intrude into my mind. Boy, it was a hella frightening experience.

"Orca's daughter..."

"The child of our master's killer."

"Shall we take her life, as well?"

"Hmm, vengeance shall be ours."

"Our masters will not be pleased with such rash actions."

After hearing the cries and grumbles of the sea creatures, I had a shiver up my spine. Because it was my first time hearing them speak, it wasn't a really nice experience on my part. For as long as I was underneath the water, all I could feel was fear and panic. Even though they were on the ocean floor, I could still detect a desire to kill in them. They have every right to be mad at me, though. That's why I didn't say anything.

I gritted my teeth as I decided to go back to the surface, refusing to anger them more than I already had. They must feel that I am a traitor for failing to rescue their master, even though I had the ability to do so. Of course, I can't say that it didn't hurt one bit. Scylla and Charybdis became my friends within a short period of time. But alright, I'll admit that I betrayed them...

But they did insinuate that I was Orca's daughter, which I found rather strange. If that is indeed true, then...why is Fuyumi a feline? Everything about this investigation process is exhausting me to the point that I already want to give up. Every day, I acquire new information that's likely relevant to what will happen in the future. And I could swear that barely any of those did not do me any good.

I grumbled to myself as I sat on a rocky protrusion near the beach. Given that the sea monsters were on the search for me, I took my katana out of its sheath in case they decided to come after me. This is when I saw a name etched on the sheath, which was a bit difficult for me to read. Luckily, I learned how to read ancient texts.

Hinami, huh? It was oddly familiar...

This may be Fuyumi's mother! Oh, I'm not really sure about that. I'm just jumping to conclusions like how I always do. Could she be somehow relevant to my investigation? If Fuyumi is Orca's daughter from his marriage to Hinami...then I may be able to uncover some valuable information from their family tree. But I don't want to be nosy in their family affairs, so I might just ignore that.

"Why is this all I ever think about...?" I asked myself as I laughed a little.

I cast a gaze back towards the ocean for a moment as my thoughts began to make me feel dizzy. It's likely that I grew preoccupied with my mission and neglected to look into what actually happened to Artemia. Or did I fool myself into thinking that I was, in fact, the savior of humanity? Ah, my mind really works wonders...

As I laughed at my foolishness, I felt something warm running down my cheeks. It felt like I had finally gone crazy as I looked at my hands. I haven't shed tears in a while, have I? Mixed emotions began to pour within me, and I felt the humanity being revived within me at long last. It was as if I had lost myself...

"What...has been happening to me lately? Have I gone crazy?" I murmured as I reminisced the way I acted whenever we were on the battlefield.

I can still remember how I looked at the opponent I had just murdered as if he were the most insignificant object on the face of the planet. The vicious scowl I had on my face as I slashed through the throngs of people who got in my way only served to make me seem even more...evil. Was that who I really am? Or was it Fuyumi? But she's dead, so I don't think it's her. No, I should stop making excuses. That was indeed...me.

"But it can't be..." I muttered as I shook my head, afraid of the possible answer to my questions.

Because I've been here for an extended period of time, I've made a choice to return to the base. There's no use in staying here, doing absolutely nothing! It makes me sick to my stomach that I had the courage to remain in this place even though I knew I had committed a horrific crime against my friends. However, there are a few things I'd want to say before I leave. I know that I don't deserve forgiveness, but I want to share my thoughts at the very least before saying goodbye.

"Scylla..." Even though I knew she wouldn't react, I called her name since I needed to leave quickly. "You were a fantastic friend to me, and I'm really grateful that you kept me company all throughout the time I was here. And I bet you've always been that kind to Yuki and Fuyumi. I learned a great deal of knowledge from you that day, and it is because of you that I have gotten this far. Therefore, I'd want you to know that I had no intention of doing anything like that to you..."

Wait, I can't keep talking like this. I need to admit my mistakes...

When I looked down at my hands, I pursed my lips together out of frustration. There were still remnants of red stains left on them. A mixture of my own blood, as well as the blood of those I had slain, remained there. Several drops of Scylla's blood were also there since I had sliced several of the heads off that grew from her body earlier. I clenched my fists and clenched my teeth, feeling sorry for what I had done.

"That wasn't me...making excuses. Yuki and I didn't want Artemia to be completely destroyed in the future...but this was insufficient justification for making your life and the lives of Charybdis' associates unbearably difficult. Currently, all I can think of is my own sense of guilt. And I'm sorry that I have no regrets about what I've done..." I trailed off as I wiped the tears that streamed down my face. "I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I just want to say that...I want to take responsibility for what happened."

It was a genuine feeling! Scylla and Charybdis must live until we come on this dimension, or else things wouldn't turn out the way they did. That was what Yuki was holding onto. If they don't survive until that moment, I will die when the giant spear comes crashing from above. That moment...revealed how powerless I am without their help.

As I looked at the water, a small smile appeared on my lips. "The promise that I made with you when we first met remains vivid inside my head. I told you that I would bring the kings to their knees, no matter how difficult it could get. And this was a way to keep it. Don't worry, I'll be sure to fulfill it. That is the least I can do for the both of you, so I would appreciate it if you stay put until then."

The sea monsters were listening to me, so I couldn't afford to stay there any longer. A few more minutes, and they would probably try to kill me already. I sighed as I stood up and got ready to go. It was with a heavy heart that I looked at the horizon and watched the sun setting. Scylla loved watching this, saying it was the sign of something ending.

"Is it a bit too depressing for you? I, on the other hand, find it intriguing. In my opinion, sunsets are breathtakingly gorgeous and mark the beginning of a wonderful new day. Because of this, I am certain that a spectacular sunset will soon grace Artemia! And you know what? I think that sunset will come because of you..."

I smiled as I created a solidified flower that was made out of the water as I tossed into the water. That was...my attempt to plead for forgiveness, even though I know that I don't deserve it. Although I'm aware that that's not enough to make up for what I have done...I just wanted to leave a little something. Scylla loved it whenever I made flowers for her, as well as Charybdis, so I wanted to give them one before leaving.

"Goodbye..."

I bowed my head before running back to the camp, hoping that everything was alright. My heart was racing when I returned because of fear, and I could feel it hammering in my chest. Even though there was absolutely no reason for me to be feeling this way, it did not leave me alone. My senses are tingling, and something's telling me that I shouldn't go. It scared the s**t out of me, but I must return.

And I should have listened to my gut feeling.