The Scarlet Emberlands had fallen into night, but the sky was still glowing red, the faint light mixing with darkness as ash drifted slowly through the air. The village was quieter than before, but not peaceful there was tension, something building, something waiting to break.
Inside a small house at the edge of the village, Himiko sat on the floor, her back resting against the wall. Her breathing was slow and uneven, her body heavy, her hands resting weakly on her lap. She hadn't fully recovered. Every part of her felt drained, like something inside her had been taken piece by piece.
"…just a little more rest…" she murmured softly, her eyes barely open.
Outside
Footsteps.
At first, just a few.
Then more.
Then many.
Voices began to gather, low and scattered, overlapping with each other.
"…She's in there."
"…Finally decided to hide, huh?"
"…After all this time."
Himiko didn't hear them.
Or maybe she did but her body was too tired to react.
The voices grew louder.
"HEY!"
A sudden shout echoed through the night.
More voices followed.
"Come out!"
"Stop hiding!"
"We know you're inside!"
Himiko's eyes slowly opened.
Her head tilted slightly, confused, her vision still blurry.
"…what…?"
Outside, the crowd had grown larger. Dozens of people stood around her house, their silhouettes flickering under torchlight. The same people she had healed. The same voices that once called her name with hope.
Now,
They sounded different.
"You think you can just rest while we suffer?!"
"People are dying out here!"
"What kind of healer are you?!"
"Useless!"
The word hit harder than anything.
Inside, Himiko slowly tried to stand, her body trembling as she pushed herself up. Her legs felt unstable, her chest tight, her breathing uneven.
"…I just needed… time…"
Her voice was quiet, barely there.
But outside...
They didn't care.
"We don't need excuses!"
"You're supposed to help us!"
"That's your job!"
Another voice, louder than the rest:
"If you can't do it anymore then what's the point of you?!"
Silence filled her mind for a moment.
That sentence stayed.
Echoing.
Repeating.
What's the point of you?
Himiko stepped closer to the door but didn't open it. Her hand hovered near it, shaking slightly.
Her thoughts slowed.
Her chest felt heavier.
Outside, the crowd grew more aggressive.
"Come out already!"
"Stop pretending you're weak!"
"You healed us before do it again!"
"You're just being selfish now!"
Selfish.
Himiko's eyes lowered.
"…selfish…?"
Her fingers tightened slightly.
Another voice shouted:
"We gave you everything! Respect! Trust! And now you won't even help?!"
Someone laughed bitterly.
"Yeah… she was only good when she was useful."
More voices agreed.
"Exactly."
"She's nothing without her healing."
"Just a burden now."
Inside, something cracked deeper.
Not loud.
Not visible.
But final.
Himiko's breathing slowed even more.
Her expression didn't change but something inside her did.
Outside...
A torch was raised.
"Enough talking."
Another voice:
"If she won't come out… then we'll drag her out."
Flames moved closer.
Himiko stood still.
Her hand slowly dropped from the door.
"…so this is it…"
The first fire hit the wall.
Wood cracked.
Flames spread quickly, crawling along the structure, lighting the night in violent orange. Heat began to seep inside, smoke filling the air.
The crowd stepped back, watching.
Some angry.
Some silent.
Some… just waiting.
Inside, the fire reflected in Himiko's eyes.
She didn't move.
Didn't run.
Didn't panic.
Her thoughts were clearer than ever.
They didn't come to see if I was okay.
They didn't care that I collapsed.
They didn't wait.
Her fingers curled slowly.
They only came… because they needed me.
The flames grew stronger, the heat rising, the sound of burning wood echoing around her.
When I could heal them… I was a miracle.
When I couldn't… I became useless.
A piece of the ceiling cracked, falling as sparks scattered across the floor.
Himiko looked up slightly.
Her expression was empty.
But her mind
Awake.
So that's how it works…
Her breathing steadied.
Not weak anymore.
Just… calm.
The world only loves people when they're useful.
The fire surrounded her now, the house breaking apart, the heat intense enough to force anyone else to run.
But she didn't move.
Her eyes slowly closed for a moment.
Then opened again.
Different.
This world…
Her grip tightened.
…is fake.
Outside, the crowd watched as the house burned completely, flames rising into the red sky.
Some turned away.
Some stayed.
No one spoke.
And inside the fire
Himiko stood still.
Not as a healer.
Not as a savior.
But as something else.
Something that had finally understood the truth.
Betrayal.
Disrespect.
Cruelty.
Her gaze lifted slightly, staring through the flames as if looking beyond them.
"…I see…"
The fire reflected in her eyes.
But now
It wasn't just the house that was burning.
Something inside her had already turned to ash.
And what remained
Was no longer the girl who saved everyone.
Back to reality, yura stare at her calm and cold, Himiko jaw tighten before finally breaks the trap of kimimaru with all her strength and appears behind yura
"how about you? Your family killed one of your friends right?"
Yura froze, eyes wide... As she remembers her friend, Doro.