Chaos broke out as the people saw how Homura was thrown away by the attack and the monster rose once more. Even after its disappearance they didn’t quiet down, panicking while the looked at the surrounding storm. Opposed to running away however, they huddled together, as running into that storm alone would only mean a swift death.

Opposed to the masses I waded myself through the huddling crowd, into the direction I saw her body being towards. All the way I began to question myself. Why did I agree to help the ones fighting at the surroundings? Even with only a glance that beast seemed far stronger than the other ones. Why couldn’t I have been faster. But when one questions came into my mind my feet stopped as if they were rooted into place.

Why didn’t I intervene in her fight? I certainly had the time to do so. A barrier could have easily blocked those shards coming for her. An attack from me could have made her a window of opportunity in which she could’ve struck at it without hindrance. Instead I just looked on as she fought by herself.

I clenched my fists as dark thoughts clouded my mind. There’s no time for that now! Shaking my head, I tried to disperse these thoughts, continuing onwards to reach her in no time. Only to see her lying down inside the snow, staining it red as a few others knelt beside her, looking at her, unsure what to do.

“How is she?” I asked as I came next to them.

“I… don’t know. Such severe wounds. I’ve never dealt with such before.” A woman answered nervously, trembling with her whole body. The other two just looked at me expectantly, as they were also unable to help.

Quickly I scanned over her body. The shards bit deep into the flesh where they struck her body directly, or left cuts where they passed her body close enough to strike her. But opposed to the view one would expect from all the blood around her the wounds were far too small. They even began to heal already. Before I could continue however a weak voice ripped me out of it.

“Ouch.”

“Homura, you’re awake!” The woman beside her shouted nervously.

“How are the others?”

“They are fine. Some had little wounds but nothing threatening.”

Relief flashed over her face, before a jolt of pain twisted it once more when she tried to move. “Could you help me up?”

“You shouldn’t try to get up, we still didn’t finish examining your wounds.”

“I’m okay. I can already feel them healing. And we shouldn’t stay here for long, they could come back.”

I wanted to tell her she needed to rest, but even without saying it her stare already told me, that she wouldn’t listen to me. As such I carefully helped her upwards, only to feel her claw digging into my shoulder as she sought help to keep herself standing.

She said nothing more, but her eyes kept wandering until they settled on someone else, lying on the snow. Opposed to her however she wouldn’t wake up, and those around her couldn’t help her anymore, only crying in grief.

But as she tried to move her body dropped sideways, any step being too much after the fight. I caught her, stopping her from falling. When she stood steady once more, I slipped my arm around her to help her keep her balance. “Take it slow.” She nodded, though her gaze was still focused on the body. Together we walked forward, step by step until we reached her.

“Let me down please.”

She released her grip onto my shoulder, nearly falling down by herself if I hadn’t held onto her. Slowly I let her down, crouching next to her.

“I’m sorry. Even though I said I would protect everyone…” Her words were but a mere whisper before they stopped completely as if stuck in her throat.

“Don’t push this onto yourself,” a man next to her said, not looking away as he held onto her hand, “she wouldn’t want you to either. When this sickening mark appeared on our body we already prepared for the worst. You shouldn’t blame yourself for trying to give us hope.”

“But I…”

He shook his head. “There is nothing you’ve done wrong.”

Hearing his resolve, she couldn’t say anything. Still frustration held onto her as she bit her lips. The man however continued, though his words were not directed at her.

“You were called devil, right? Could I ask you to burn her body? I don’t want these beasts to…” He brought himself to a stop, not even daring to bring forth what his mind thought about.

“Yes.”

“Thank you.” His voice was filled with woe. Quietly he placed a last kiss on her forehead. “Farewell, my love, until we meet again, in a new life, in a happier place.” Then he let go of her hand.

I reached out, the white flames flowing from my hand to surround her entirely, leaving nothing, not even ashes behind. When I was done, we remained in silence until the man moved once more, gazing towards us for the first time, grief filling his face, but at the same time also gratitude.

He forced a small smile on his face, as he spoke once more. “How can someone like you, who shows so much sorrow for the death of someone you didn’t even know, be even called the devil?”

But I held no answer, as my everything was focused on this deep sadness, that appeared from within me as if it resonated with his words even when I could no longer remember. Tears for what was lost sprang forth, accompanying the pain that tried to break my heart.

And while my mind wandered back and forth, between trying to remember my past, when I was lost in this world, without a place to go to, to find a sense in my life, and those feelings that kept me away, the deeds of my past, the anger that seeks to destroy everything near me, it was thrown into conflict once more.

This sadness, this pain I felt wasn’t something that I was allowed to forget. But at the same time, I could not help but feel that it was better not to remember. If it already hurt so much, even when I didn’t know why, would it not be better to leave the past behind?

I grit my teeth as I tried to suppress these tears, stemming from another life.

Forget about the one called Agni?

And live on as the devil?