Uran lifted his head from the book and directed his question to his friends: "Shall I continue?"
They glanced at one another, and then Ren said, "There's nothing to do, so go on."
Uran bowed his head again and began reading the ancient words and letters.
Chapter Two – Part Three
Sword of the Sky left his empty home, heading out with his friends to search for his brothers. Outside, the blackness of night seemed to be fading, allowing a faint light to illuminate the expanse of the sky.
Sword of the Sky paused for a moment and said, "It seems the sun has begun to rise." What he did not know was that behind this light lurked danger.
Beyond the brown desert mountains studded with the glitter of golden sand, the sun appeared, casting its halo over the world through a mask that spread terror and despair in human hearts. The sun was pitch-black, surrounded by a golden corona. It was an eclipse—but not an ordinary one that appears for a few moments and then disappears for an unknown time. This was a curse of unknown origin. The sun would remain black throughout the day, until the hell of daylight faded and the coolness of night returned.
After a few moments, as everyone took a few more steps, Kater stopped while the others pressed on. He remained silent, staring at the sky, helpless and despairing, unable to move or speak—he had lost all sense of life.
Luke looked to his sides and saw that Kater was nowhere to be seen. He spoke up, "Hey guys, where's Kater? Did we leave him behind?" Ryo and Sword of the Sky looked both ways but did not see him. When everyone looked back, they found a dark-skinned youth with black hair, clad entirely in black, his neck craned upward to its limit, staring at the sky in utter hopelessness.
Luke said, "Hey, what are you doing? Are we supposed to leave you and move on? Come on, hurry up!" But Kater did not respond; he stood frozen, unmoving. Luke wondered aloud, "What's got you so transfixed?"
Before they could lift their eyes skyward, a deafening roar echoed in all directions. Everyone froze in place; their necks could not lift toward the sky. They remained motionless for a moment, before slowly raising their heads. Mouths and eyes flew open at the horror unfolding above. Thought became impossible; each one could only repeat inwardly, "My life… my life…"
Luke, Ryo, and Sword of the Sky ran off in different directions, passing beside Kater. "Run! Don't just stand there like a statue!" they shouted, then took cover behind ruined walls. Only Sword of the Sky stopped; he dragged Kater along, urging him to flee. But Kater tore his hand away and stood in the open again.
Sword of the Sky said, "What's gotten into you now? Don't you want to save yourself?" Kater remained silent for a moment, while screams thundered all around. Then he said: "It's better to surrender, my friends, for there is no escape now. You're only delaying your end; we will die anyway. Can't you see your position? If I am to die, I'd rather die now than postpone it. Did you not know I have no reason to live? The one dear to me—the girl I have always loved, who pulled me from the depths of isolation and loneliness—I have already seen her dead. She was the reason I lived until now, but she is gone, and I will soon follow her. So go on your way to survive; I will not stop you—that is your choice."
Then Kater fell silent forever. A red line formed around his neck before his head tilted and rolled away, while his body sprayed blood like a fountain onto Sword of the Sky's face. Sword of the Sky did not realize what had happened until the head rolled to his feet, its eyes wide open. Everything happened in an instant.
Sword of the Sky stumbled backward until his legs struck a rock, sending him crashing to the ground so that their eyes met. He placed his hands on his head and screamed in terror, retreating further, before despair began to crawl toward his friends who still could not believe what they had seen.
Sword of the Sky crawled toward Ryo, who was on his knees, collapsed in tears. But before he reached him, Sword of the Sky looked up to see Ryo's upper body lying on the ground, while his knees remained upright. Blood poured profusely, and his entrails seemed to ooze out slowly; it was a horrifying sight.
Sword of the Sky's eyes were wide, his mouth half open. Tears streamed down—he could not accept the truth. Luke shouted loudly as he ran toward his brother, who had been split in two. He carried Ryo's upper body on his knees, patting his head and closing his eyelids, which remained fixed open.
Overhead, a shrill caw resounded. The Sharp Blade Eagle had completed its task. It shook its wings and sent a storm of razor-sharp feathers toward Luke and Sword of the Sky. In that moment, Luke joined his brother in death. The bird's black-and-brown quills pierced through Luke's back and out the other side, and he collapsed, a lifeless corpse.
Sword of the Sky was struck in his left shoulder and the right side of his abdomen, but he did not die—he only pretended, crying silently into the dirt, his mucus barely stopping. His dearest friends were dead; no one remained.
The Sharp Blade Eagle descended slowly and approached Kater's body, beginning to peck at him as a fish in the sea. Who would have thought that humans had become part of the food chain for these demonic creatures?
Sword of the Sky could no longer bear it—seeing his friends' bodies being eaten before his eyes. He sprang up and ran forward without stopping, entering a narrow alley too tight to navigate easily.
But the Sharp Blade Eagle would not stand idly by. It shook its wings again, sending another volley of deadly quills toward Sword of the Sky. The feathered hail pierced walls and ground alike.
Sword of the Sky never slowed; he kept running, tears filling his eyes. In that moment, he was struck in his left foot, slowing his pace. Blood gushed from his abdomen; though the wound was superficial, it remained dangerous.
Fortunately, the Sharp Blade Eagle lost interes
t and returned to feed on its prey once more.