The Saint Devil

Chapter 3

Why...? Why are those creatures present at this time? We lived together in this forest for years by now, and yet, we never saw any wild animals, let alone monsters.

Looking with a horrified expression, Taiyo gulped his saliva and muttered,

"The stories that the elder told us... They said that in the lands between the five great kingdoms, you can find atrocious beasts..."

I remember... In the past years, I heard about this very often from the elders. But those things right in front of us look like they came straight out of a fairy tale.

"Why? This isn't happening... I've been living here for years and yet, I've never seen anything like this," says Taiyo froze in fear.

Taiyo started looking down at me, while with my eyes wide opened and frozen in fear, I was trembling while looking at the magical beasts that were growling while slowly approaching us.

"-I can't let him... Not like this. This might be the only thing I can do, but at least, even if just for one second, he will still live." those were the thoughts that resounded within Taiyo.

...Then, with his trembling body, and with small moves, he walks in front of me, shielding me with his hands...

This idiot... Even though he isn't strong and has no chance against this threat... Why is he trying to look cool now!?

"-Akushi!"

Hearing his shout, my thoughts disappear and I instantly turn my view towards him.

He then continues his sentence while looking towards the vicious beasts,

"I, I'm sorry, but just this once... Allow me to be selfish... And be the one that protects you!"

What is this?... A tear starts dripping on my cheek, and just then, I open my eyes widely seeing a silhouette in the darkness, approaching,

A youth came towards the horrifying scene and after seeing it, he can't believe what he is witnessing. Seeing this, he starts running in our direction. The rain is falling everywhere... but on the boy that is rushing at us... The clouds let the moon shine on him.

He isn't touched by the rain, but instead, the moonlight seems to embrace him...

He is Tsuki, standing now behind the beasts that are surrounding us, looking at me and Taiyo with a saddened expression.

But after witnessing this scene, I realised something that I should've had sooner. Tsuki was just a normal youth at the age of thirteen. He didn't want to be considered special.

He was just a reliant, protective older brother, but now, I see he is more than that.

The moonlight started to gather into his tiny hands, forming a glowing, short sword that he took in his right hand and directed towards the monsters. After getting in a fighting pose, he directs his look at me and Taiyo and shouts,

"TAIYO! TAKE AKUSHI AND GO INSIDE NOW!"

Even though his voice echoed through all the forest, he wasn't angry... He was just relieved that he came back at the best time.

Hearing the words of the one he respected the most, Taiyo doesn't think twice about it and drags me inside the cottage.

With tears in my eyes, together with Taiyo, I go towards the window to watch over Tsuki's actions.

"Now I understand... I didn't want it. I didn't want to be special... I didn't need it until now and still... You might be useful for once."

[In this world governed by the laws of magic and gods, as there are magical beasts, there are people "chosen" by gods as well. Given the powers above the ones of normal people, there were more chances to win the lottery than being "chosen", or this is the thought that the humans formed about those powers in thousands of years and countless wars.

Those powers... were the powers to take lives, or to protect, and now, Tsuki was standing in front of his greatest challenge so far.]

"If this is the power meant to protect, then I'll gladly give my life, by taking you all with me. I might be young and I might also lack any training, heck I think even my little "brothers" are stronger than me physically, but, I won't turn my back to them and run!"

Tsuki grasps then his sword with all his courage and strength and lets out a war shout.

"Come! Braindead animals! I will show you who the ruler of this forest is!"

Those words marked the start of a ruthless fight scene. Nothing right for two kids to watch and yet, I and Taiyo are watching with wide teary eyes.

Wounded everywhere on his body, the light of his sword fades away like the soul of many of the beasts as well. The moonlight that was touching the field disappeared into the shadows of the rain clouds. The wind was blowing and the rain was falling and in the middle of this scenery, Tsuki lifted his sword into the air, thus it turning back into moonlight fragments soaring to the night sky.

From the darkness of the forest, carefully watching were more beasts looking at Tsuki, too scared to join in the fight... but even with all those efforts, Tsuki wasn't the winner of this fight. One of the remaining beasts took the exhausted boy and with its pack, it disappeared in the darkness of the forest.

We couldn't do anything but watch how our older brother... our protector and saviour was taken away.

Besides me, covering his mouth Taiyo bursts into tears.

"You showed me that the world can be a beautiful place... You taught me how to keep on living and you also taught me... How dark this world can be..."

I quietly look at him, and then, clenching his fist, he looks up and still sobbing says.

"I- I! I want to become a strong man! And protect others just like he did! I... I will get stronger and-"

I interrupt him

"No... WE will get stronger."

Hearing my reply, Taiyo couldn't help but burst into tears. Our older brother took care of us and taught us more about how beautiful this world is... and he also showed us that this world can be as terrifying as it is beautiful...