Chapter 78: Pain of Loss

Divinatus was, for better or for worse, now sailing slowly across the ocean, travelling away north from their home continent. The city rocked among the waves of the ocean, it brings along with it the entire population of the Northern Demon Kingdom. What's left of it anyways. The people inside will soon face their first night in the ocean.

Was it worth the sacrifice? The Ak'hims thought to themselves as they stood upon the walls of Divinatus, looking out towards the sunset. They've technically won, but there were no smiles on their faces.

There was also no guarantee that they would survive the voyage, nor do they know where their destination was, but at the very least they have a chance for survival now. Better they fight against nature than whatever savages were on that continent.

“What do we do now?” Samiyadare asked amidst the silence.

“We survive. Find a place somewhere. Rebuild the Kingdom. That’s all we can do now,” Sennari replied as he viewed the sunset in the endless ocean.

“After all this, we just forget everything that’s happened and start over?” Aberanis asked the Analyst.

“Then would you want all the people who sacrificed their lives for this to work go to waste?” Sennari replied as he stared at a sleeping Harbin. “She did everything for her, for all of us. We owe her that much.”

"Urghh…" Harbin groaned as she slowly got up.

"Harbin…" Cera who stood next to her the entire time gave a frown filled with melancholy towards Harbin.

"What happened?" Harbin said as she looked around the area. She saw everyone's gloomy faces. "What's wrong? Why do you all look like that?"

Nobody responded to her questions. All of them looked at Harbin with eyes of pure pity and regret.

It was then that the banner of the Seventh Army, now a shoulder cape, that was on Harbin's shoulders fluttered with the wind, entering her sight.

A blast of memories hit her brain as she remembered what had happened prior. It brings along with it a surge of emotions within her. Surprise, shock, fear and many more. 

"Lord Klauna!" She yelled out and looked around her even harder. She then turned to look behind, to see the battlefield behind the wall.

What entered her sight, wasn't the familiar look of the land and the moat. Instead, what greeted her was the vast ocean, not a single landmass to be seen.

"...how long have I been out?" She asked the people around her, never looking away from the ocean. Her voice quaked with anger and fear. She could barely control the surging emotions within herself.

Though nobody replied to her question, everyone just stared at her.

"Stop looking at me like that! Where is Lord Klauna!?" She turned around and screamed at everybody.

Again, everyone refused to give her an answer.

"Turn Divinatus around…" Harbin gave out an order to the others, still trying to control her emotions.

"Harbin…"

"I said turn around dammit!" Harbin finally snapped and let out a burst of aura.

Though that burst didn't intimidate anyone. It only made them look at her with even more pity.

Gritting her teeth, she ran towards the edge of the wall in an attempt to go over it. If the others would not help her, then she will have to do it herself.  She was quickly stopped by Cera who grabbed her from behind.

"Just stop it, Harbin. She's beyond your reach now," Cera said in a sombre tone.

"Let me go! We can still save her!" Harbin yelled as she struggled against the warrior.

Finding herself unable to shake Cera off, she burst even harder and started to drag Cera as she made her way. She was stopped when even Medica held on to her.

"There is no point to it anymore, Harbin. She's… she's gone now…" Medica yelled out, tears falling off her cheeks. 

"Let me go!" She yelled again.

"Please stop Harbin… I don't want to see you hurt yourself," Medica begged Harbin.

"I SAID LET ME GO!" Harbin yelled and let out another powerful burst, much stronger than the previous one she did.

The burst was so powerful that it blew Cera and Medica away from her. The winds formed small hurricanes around her. The air and atmosphere around her were heavy and the ground shook in tandem with any slight movement that she made. Everyone widened their eyes as they saw this.

Harbin was shedding tears of blood.

"She's dead, Harbin!" Yuupiecca shouted as he stood in the way of Harbin and the edge of the wall.

"Don't you dare say that!" Harbin screamed before blowing Yuupiecca out of her way, almost knocking the person off the wall. 

"Don't you dare say that! All of you!" Harbin let out a howl, unable to control herself any longer. She couldn’t think properly. Within herself was just hatred, anger, sadness, and remorse.

Preparing to launch herself over the edge, the banner of the Seventh Army that was on her shoulders blew away into the air. She didn't know why, but she panicked at the sight and tried to catch it before it fell into the ocean. She grabbed the banner before trying to tuck it away. The Grimoire of the Analyst fell as she did this.

Frustrated at having herself delayed once more she bent down to pick up the book, but not before seeing the hidden message in the book. Somehow, someway the book opened to the exact page where Klauna left her message.

It was a full-blown letter that was addressed to her. Although there was one part where the words glowed. The part that caught Harbin's eyes.

"...I'm proud to have met you, Harbin. I'm glad to have been able to be a part of your life."

"Lord Klauna…" Harbin muttered as she saw the message. 

She slowly walked over to the grimoire before clutching it to her chest. She squeezed the grimoire alongside the banner that was given to her before letting out whaling cry.

The other Ak'hims only stayed near her as the neverending sorrow fell down her cheeks.