A Perfect Death
The first thud! Midyr's headless body crashed to the ground. The creature stood over three meters tall. To land a blow on its head, I'd leaped high into the air. Leira, with her abdomen pierced through, tumbled across the floor from the impact. Naturally, her body couldn't emerge unscathed. The claw embedded deep in her gut tore sideways with a sickening rip. Flesh sloughed off her side, exposing stark white bone. Blood poured endlessly from the fallen Leira. The metallic tang vibrated through the acrid stench. She lay motionless in the pool of her own blood.
"Leira!"
Yujin rushed to her side in a panic, checking her condition. Perhaps it was because she was a Valkyrie, far tougher than any ordinary human. Despite the unmistakably grave wound, she still clung to life. But left like this, even that tenacity would mean nothing. To save Leira, some measure was needed. Yet he, without any special abilities, could do nothing. At least he tried to stem the blood gushing from her side. No matter how he pressed, it kept flowing without end.
If only Promina were here, she could manage some emergency treatment…
Yujin assessed the situation rationally. Promina, with her healing abilities, might have a way. But far off, the fallen Promina showed no sign of stirring. Did that mean he truly had to watch her die right before his eyes? Yujin racked his brain relentlessly for an answer. She'd saved his life three times. So at least once, he had to repay that debt. He had to think of something. He had to save her somehow… But no matter how he thought, there was no way Leira could survive. It felt like plummeting into an inescapable pit.
His ragged breathing caught Leira's faint voice in his ear.
"Commander… ugh."
He pulled her tightly into his arms without thinking. In that moment, he couldn't put a single name to the emotion surging through him. Guilt, regret, sorrow—all tangled in a thick morass.
Biting his lip hard, Yujin pleaded with her. "Why… You could have won without doing this…!"
It was an undeniable fact. Yujin had watched Leira fight Midyr in the cave. He believed she had a solid chance even without mutual destruction. Especially since she was the wisest, most reliable in battle. Risking her life like this… was far too reckless.
Perhaps grasping the meaning of his words, Leira blinked slowly and smiled faintly in response. "Heh… You're right. There… probably was a surer way to win…."
"…."
"But I couldn't help it… You looked in danger, so my body moved on its own… Heh heh… I'm such a fool."
"Ugh…."
His heart plummeted at her words. Leira was so kind. She surely meant no blame. But to him, it felt like she was faulting herself because of him.
"I'm sorry… If it weren't for me…!"
Leira wasn't someone meant to die so pointlessly here. She was hope itself—saving people, beloved by the Valkyries, destined to brighten the future. Yet he'd let his benefactor and friend die. The realization choked Yujin; he could barely breathe.
But disagreeing, perhaps, Leira soothed him gently. "No way… That's not true. You did nothing wrong… It was just my own lack of skill…."
"No. If I hadn't gotten in your way, surely you…!"
"Hoo…."
Leira let out a small sigh, her brow furrowing delicately. Good thing her face was hidden. She slipped back into character, whispering softly in his ear. "What's done is done. Can't be helped."
"Ugh…."
"Commander… I want to see your face…."
Embraced like that, their faces were naturally out of view. Leira weakly pushed at his shoulder. Yujin slowly loosened his grip.
Not far off, the wildfire still blazed fiercely. Its crimson glow illuminated them plenty. Adjusting her position, Leira unconsciously swallowed hard.
Gulp….
Her eyes sparkled brighter than ever—like a boy tearing open long-awaited game console packaging. She rubbed her thighs together unconsciously. And at last, as their gazes met.
Leira's fidgeting thighs froze. Her eyebrows twitched ever so slightly, imperceptibly.
"Uh… Commander…?"
"Is my face… strange?"
"N-No… Not that…."
Yujin's face was one desperately suppressing emotion. He didn't want to worry her as she lay dying. He'd shoved every feeling deep down by force. Even a trickle might overwhelm him.
Leira dug her toes into the ground without realizing. She stared at the floor, pondering deeply, then her voice trembled as she dredged up her painful past. "I… really hate seeing people die in front of me."
"…."
"When I was little, I lost my whole family and friends… So losing someone terrifies me. It's scary, so scary… That's why I ended up like this…."
"That's…."
"So… I never resented you. I'm just relieved you're alive…."
Blood-soaked as she was, Leira still smiled. Her mouth trembled—pain too much to bear, perhaps. But Yujin felt her nobility in that alone.
He glanced up, meeting Leira's eyes as she studied him. Her expression was complex, hard to read. What was she thinking? His face darkened. How much time did they have left to talk?
Gazing at the sky, Leira whispered softly. "Still… I do have regrets. So many things I wanted to do."
"Like what…?"
"Go to an amusement park. Visit an aquarium… See a concert. Oh, and raise a cat…."
"You and a cat… would suit each other well."
Strictly speaking, Leira was more dog-like. Raising the opposite—a cat—would fit her perfectly. For a deathbed chat, it was remarkably serene. Leira rested her small head on Yujin's shoulder, hiding her face, and murmured in a tiny, shy voice. "And… I wanted to fall in love…."
"That's…."
"Hold hands, go on dates, sleep in the same bed… All those lover things, just once…."
"Someday, you will."
"Hee hee hee, really?"
Cough, cough… Leira hunched over in agony. When it finally subsided, blood trickled from her mouth. No time left at all, truly. Confirming her state, she hesitated briefly. Did she really have to go this far? Genuine conflict flickered, but she steeled herself.
"Commander. Have you… ever kissed?"
"Never. Never even had a lover…."
"Really? You're so handsome…."
"No time for that. Turned them all down."
Yujin spoke truth. Blunt but handsome, he'd drawn plenty of attention at the academy. But romance was a luxury he couldn't afford. He wanted to succeed his lost brother. Yujin brushed off every advance. Thus, Leira was his first female friend. He dared not imagine crossing that line. Yet she boldly did.
"Then… want to practice with me?"
"Practice… you mean a k-kiss?"
"Not okay…?"
Leira tugged his uniform, looking up. He flustered at the sudden request. "Th-That should be for your future lover…."
In that instant, Yujin confronted the reality he'd denied. In this situation, Leira had no path to survival. No future awaited her.
Ah, I see. I just didn't want to believe she was dying.
Yujin realized the emotions he'd kept ignoring. Finally, the unbearable anguish crushed him….
Smack.
Something touched his lips. Cold, soft, achingly tender. His vision filled with Leira.
"Ehehe… Did it."
The kiss was brief. Perhaps expending all her strength just to lift her body. Leira slumped, her condition plummeting in an instant. Maybe her calm words till now had been her hiding it with sheer will. Like sand slipping through fingers.
Leaning into Yujin's arm, she pleaded. "Don't forget… our first kiss…."
With those final words, Leira's eyes fluttered shut. The flame of life flickered faintly and died. Death claimed her hand.
Leira's final moment. Yujin clenched his teeth, forcing out words. "How… could I ever forget…."
He couldn't. As long as he lived, this moment never.
Fist clenched till it bled, he slammed the ground. "Urgh… Uuugh…! Uwaaaah!"
Plip. Plip. Droplets fell, trailing down Leira's cheek. He couldn't hold back the flood of emotions. Eyes squeezed shut, Yujin stifled sobs in torment.
So he didn't notice. Leira had opened her eyes again, gazing at him with ecstatic bliss.
Haaa… Yes, this is it… This is what I wanted to see! This face, tormented beyond endurance! Just watching makes me… almost cum…
Her eyes glazed with lewd haze. A shiver raced up her scalp. Pure ecstasy, like her brain aflame. Nothing like videos or comics. This despair—she'd crafted it meticulously from start to finish. And he writhed in it, grieved, agonized!
Leira felt wetness below. Blood or something else? Indistinguishable.
If only this moment lasted forever…
But cruelly, her wish went ungranted. Something she'd forgotten peeked out: pain. The sensation dulled by Runner's High.
Oh crap…
Leira realized. What followed would be pure hell. The price for forcing a body that shouldn't move. She'd scream like a beast, bleed from every orifice, die ugly and grotesque.
Ah, that won't do.
Mood soured, she mustered her last strength. She didn't want to ruin this scene. So she shot her heart with electricity. The faintly beating organ stopped dead. Consciousness fled her already perilous body.
Satisfied… Yeah. Even original Leira would approve.
Of course, regrets lingered. Plenty ways to draw pained faces without dying. Wanted Alicia's anguish, other Valkyries' too. But hey, a solid 90. Good enough death for a second chance at life.
The blissful sight faded. Consciousness shattered into the depths. Yujin's anguished voice her lullaby. Once more, death embraced Leira.
Like bursting from a tunnel, the dark world brightened in an instant. A dazed haze, like waking from light sleep. Looking around, I was aboard a familiar train. When did I board this? Heading to Ruina, right? Glancing down slowly, I saw Leira's pristine uniform. No mangled side wound—perfectly clean. Huh, why'd I just think I had a wound? I jolted awake then.
"Huh."
Not sure why, but I seemed alive.