Chapter of Crow: Episode 2-7
Mar 14, 2023
-𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞-
You try to follow Lynn up and up the castle’s winding staircases, making sure your footsteps are not heard. As you follow her, you realize this isn’t the way to Lynn’s room. In fact, it’s a path you’ve never even taken; repetitive, circular, and leading into the unknown.
Determination and anxiety battle in your mind as you walk by endless windows – each one reflecting the fires of war striking down below on the battlefield.
Where did Lynn go?
Finally, you reach a hallway ending at three doors. Two are closed shut, but one sits half-opened as if inviting you in.
You gently push open the half-open door and call out to Lynn.
YOU
「Lynn, are you there?」
Inside, you find an ordinary bedroom; a bed with a soft velvet quilt; a pitcher of water dripping with condensation on a table; a scrumptious piece of strawberry cake, untouched on a silver plate; flickers of flame reflecting off a window overlooking the castle and the battle below; and a small object shining in the sunlight.
You subconsciously walk in and try to see the glowing object clearly.
BANG!
The door behind you slams shut.
You shiver in fright and hurry back to open the door, but it doesn’t budge.
YOU
「What…?!」
You bang on the door, and a familiar voice answers.
LYNN
「Sorry, Crow.」
YOU
「Lynn?」
LYNN
「It’s been too many times. I never want to see you in pain again. Never again do I want to see you in tears, killing a part of yourself with your own hands. This time, I’ll be the one to protect you.」
YOU
「Lynn, please!」
LYNN
「Be good and stay here, my little bird. I’ll pick you up when the storm passes. I left your favorite cake on the table…be good.」
Not knowing what to say, you freeze. All you have for company are the void of this room and the echoes from the battlefield below.
-Outside the Castle/The Battlefield-
Dust and dirt fill the air of the battlefield. Right outside the Castle, the Queen floats in midair above Kenji. Blue flames surround him on the ground. The Queen smiles scornfully above Kenji.
QUEEN
「Have you been well, Blue Flame?」
His blue flame blade sparking blue ashes in the air.
KENJI
「I’m not here to make small talk.」
The Queen smirks.
QUEEN
「Then tell me: why are you here? Why be ripped apart by the Law of Promise to visit this city you hate so much? I see no hurt animals, no torn trees.」
Kenji's face remains stone cold.
KENJI
「We all know the answer to your stupid question.」
The Queen laughs and stretches her arms out wide.
QUEEN
「Then let’s fly, old man.」
The Queen opens her wings, countless feathers of fire appearing and shooting like daggers straight at Kenji’s face. Kenji stands still to meet them, the feathers flying closer, closer, closer, almost to his face when he raises his palm to block them and transform their plumage into bright blue powder. Kenji grins as the powder falls to the ground.
KENJI
「Are you not using GUREN? The seal was finally lifted.」
QUEEN
「Ha! Be glad. If it wasn’t for this city I cherish, you’d be ash already.」
KENJI
「What a good talker. Let’s play this “saint” game!」
Kenji disappears on the ground in a flash, his blue flame blade cutting a crescent moon in the air in a blink. The Queen summons an army of blood spikes to shoot at Kenji in all directions, and as they fire in the air, he briefly appears and nimbly dodges each spike. In the chaos, the Queen misses the crescent moon hurling toward her. Too late to dodge, she summons a blood barrier, but it’s no use; the moon forges into a blade, pierces the barrier, and slices her open along her white dress and into the side of her body.
The blade whips back to Kenji’s hand as he returns. He scoffs up at the Queen in the air, who presses her hands against the wound staining her white dress with red, royal blood.
KENJI
「You never changed. Weak and stupid, as always! Did you forget that without GUREN going out of control 11 years ago, there would have been no Great Fire of Nova nor compromise from me?」
He flickers blue flame in the air.
KENJI
「Maybe it’s time to come back down and fight like a true Queen.」
The Queen’s eyes wince, her dragon-like pupils shining a scarlet light.
QUEEN
「SHUT THE HELL UP!」
Her hands leave her side, revealing a quickly healed wound. A splash of flame – wild and fierce enough to burn everyone and everything into ashes – fires out of her palm. Unable to dodge, Kenji thrusts his blade deep into the ground, and a blue sphere of light appears around him and shields him from the Queen’s flames. The Queen’s dragon pupils fill with anger and sadness as she sprays the flames down upon him.
She roars:
QUEEN
「I HAVE CHANGED!」
As if shattering the elements with the Queen’s voice itself, the blue sphere breaks. Kenji leaps backward and fires his own blue flames towards the Queen’s inferno, but her flames overwhelm him and knock him to the ground. The Queen’s wings flutter ferociously as her flames descend upon Kenji, so close to swallowing him whole –
But she stops. Kenji tries to sit up, but the Law of Promise’s spell grips his windpipe and heart. He coughs violently, collapsing weakly to the ground.
The Queen floats closer to him and looms directly above him, her shadow falling upon his body.
QUEEN
「A woman is invincible when she protects what she loves.」
KENJI
「…so now you’re playing protector? What about those innocent people you burned to ashes?」
QUEEN
「I won’t let anyone get hurt anymore. Everyone in my Queendom deserves to live.」
The Queen’s attention shifts to cries of a dying soldier on the battlefield. She leaves Kenji and flies to the soldier, noticing him nursing wounds charred by blue flame. She lowers back to the ground and kneels beside him to cast Blood Healing.
From the distance, Kenji scoffs at her.
KENJI
「Hehe, how righteous and great. But the fittest will survive. The weak are the prey of the strong.」
Suddenly, everything turns blue, and the Queen’s pupils dilate.
KENJI
「The color of this Northern Land is blue. Have you forgotten that? Usurper!」
Before the Queen can spread her wings, giant blue vines erupt from the ground, binding the Queen. A vine erupts and slams down on the wounded soldier, burying him into the oblivion of the battlefield.
The vines lock and pin the Queen onto the ground, and she wails for herself, her soldiers, and her Queendom.
Kenji stands back up and whips his blue flame blade back and forth.
KENJI
「A Utopia where everyone can live happily? What a joke. Nature has its laws, and those who try to interfere with the Wheel of Life will eventually fail.」
Countless blue branches, air currents, bolts of lightning, flames, and water streams rise from the ground and flow into Kenji’s body. His body glows blue as he steps closer and closer to the Queen.
KENJI
「Did you really think your meddlesome goddess can defeat the Noble Blue Bloods that have raised this Northern Land for thousands of years, on this land of blue?」
Kenji reaches the Queen, whose barely breathing and hanging onto life. He points his blue flame blade at her neck.
KENJI
「It’s time to stop playing utopia. Now, give my Crow back.」
The Queen morosely whispers:
QUEEN
「She doesn’t belong to you. She belongs to her own will. A crow can fly anywhere she wants to go.」
KENJI
「SHE BELONGS TO – 」
In a flash of lightning, a flowery spear flies straight at Kenji’s heart, wielded by a warrior wearing a butterfly girl’s dress swirling in the air like a storm of petals.
Lynn!
Alas, Kenji dodges with unbelievable speed, and the spear only cuts Kenji’s thigh. Realizing she missed, Lynn immediately adjusts her stance and prepares for the next attack. But before she can make her next move, a strong kick hits her on the side and knocks her into the air.
Lynn whips her spear onto the ground to balance and bring her back to her feet. She looks up and tries to confirm Kenji’s position, but gets stepped on the back by a massive force instantly. The force is so superior that her whole body is crashed into the ground of the battlefield. In the severe pain of broken organs and bones, Lynn spurts out a fountain of blood from her mouth; butterflies flutter around the blood.
LYNN
「Never…her…」
Kenji slowly removed his foot from stepping on Lynn’s back, bent over to grab Lynn’s neck, and lifted her up from the dirt and into the air. The Queen’s gasping cries echo off the deathly ambiance of the battlefield.
KENJI
「… what did you say?」
Blood and tears flow down Lynn’s chin and neck, down along her black dress, staining the blue butterfly wings red.
LYNN
「Never…let you hurt her again..」
Instantly, Kenji’s eyes widen with blue rage flaring up in his pupils. Blue flame drips from his eyes, like tears, down his neck, armor, and arms to gather around his wrists.
-𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞-
You witness all of this from the room’s window, tears of despair streaming down your cheeks.
You close your eyes.
Why did you lock me in here…Lynn…?
Why have you fought for me…Queen…?
Why are you still afraid to face that man…Kenji…?
Why are you so powerless…Crow…?
Why…?
Didn’t you swear to protect her forever?
Why do you still have time to blame? Time to be afraid?
Now think of what you can do! Crow!
Overcome your hesitation, Crow!
Get moving, Crow!
Overcome your cowardice and self-doubt, Crow!
Fly!
Crow!
…
…
You open your eyes.
The window’s glass rains to the castle grounds. The open air blows your hair wild and free.
You find yourself flying in the air, holding a giant crow-colored scythe in your hand. You fly towards Kenji, you fly towards Lynn, you fly towards the Queen.
Without fear, without hesitation.
All you can feel at this moment is love and hope. Her smiling face, her gentle voice, her tiny hands, the sweet taste of cake cream she put in your mouth. You smile.
You fall to the battlefield behind Kenji. With all your might, YOU STRIKE: [ at Kenji’s heart. ]
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