A crown?!
Wait, Phoenixes have wings?"
"Of course they do.
But unlike the Elves, Phoenix wings aren't that unique in appearance.
What makes them special is their beauty—and they're the only wings that can actually fly in this world.
Unlike Elves, Phoenixes can survive without their wings, but without the crown that sets them apart from other creatures, they're just long-lived humans."
Wendy was eager to know more about what kind of person Stella really was.
"I don't get it. Is that mark really that important? Is it something special?"
After hearing those words, Wendy looked at Hiro with disappointment and said sarcastically,
"You said earlier that you've never met someone as clueless as that girl.
Maybe that's just because you've never looked in the mirror."
"Sorry I'm this stupid.
Would you mind enlightening this poor fool, Lady Wendy?"
He said it sarcastically, visibly annoyed, while Wendy laughed at his reaction.
"What, were you living in a cave or something?
Anyway, think of it like the value wings have for Elves.
Can you tell me why wings are important to your kind?"
Hiro didn't really understand the question, but he answered anyway.
"Because wings have always been a source of great power for us.
We Elves can't fly with them, but they're not just for show—each wing grants a unique gift.
The first wing grants eternal youth. Some Elves live for 500 years without showing any signs of aging.
The second helps understand emotions, communicate, process and store information, and expands one's awareness and intellect—it represents wisdom.
The third connects to the spirit world. It's dangerous because you might encounter monster spirits, but it gives immense power by forming a contract with one. It's called the Curse.
The fourth… uh… what did it do again?"
While Hiro was thinking, Wendy finished for him,
"The fourth allows the spirit of the monster to manifest in this world. It's called Incarnation.
And the fifth, I think, represents immortality—turning an Elf into a new kind of beast.
Something like that. I'm no expert on Elves anyway."
Hiro was surprised by how much Wendy knew.
"You really know a lot about this stuff."
"You could say it's common knowledge.
Although, we don't even know if an Elf with five wings actually exists.
Even the four-winged ones are extremely rare."
Just then, Hiro interrupted her,
"He exists."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean the five-winged one. And contrary to what you think, he's quite famous among the Elves."
Wendy was surprised—she couldn't recall hearing any rumors about this.
"Who do you mean? I don't think I've ever heard of that."
"I'm talking about Uranos, the King of the Elves.
He's the only one who currently has five wings."
"Uranos, huh... that makes sense.
Anyway, the crown for Phoenixes is like the wings for Elves.
It might not grant as much, but it's without a doubt the reason why they're the strongest beings in this world."
Upon hearing that, Hiro felt a strange sense of comfort. He'd found someone like him—stripped of the one thing that defined their identity.
He looked at Stella, still drenched in mud and water, covered in wounds from the stones thrown at her, unable to protect herself.
Yet, behind all that blood and bruises, he saw eyes that still carried hope—eyes still willing to fight for someone else.
It stirred a warmth in his clouded heart, and he smiled warmly, wishing, if nothing else, that she could be his first friend before he died.
"Maybe it's not so bad if we die together here.
It doesn't seem all that terrible."
Wendy's face showed sorrow, though she tried to hide it. Hiro couldn't tell if she was sad because she was powerless… or if there was something else.
Then, a loud laughter echoed from the center of the square.
It was the Elven soldiers, laughing and singing.
Both Wendy and Hiro turned to see Stella lying on the ground, blood pouring from her head. A large bloodied rock sat beside her.
They immediately understood what had happened—but neither could speak. They just watched, rage building in their eyes.
The commander arrived and stood over Stella's head.
"Looks like she finally fell. She was quite stubborn."
Then he placed his foot on her head.
"The sun has set, and you've failed. It's time for your execution."
He raised his foot to crush her skull—but all Hiro could do was scream out words he didn't even understand himself.
No one heard him.
Just before the commander's foot came down, a powerful red light burst from the gem atop Stella's staff.
Everyone turned toward it in shock. Stella's body rose into the air, as if she were flying, and a glowing white sword mark appeared on her forehead.
Slowly, she opened her empty white eyes—eyes that struck terror into the hearts of all who saw them.
The Elves trembled in fear at the sight. Wendy, the only one who understood what was happening, was even more terrified than the rest.
She said, trembling,
"That mark... It's one of the Swords of Light. The Sword of Judgment…
But a girl this young—that's impossible!"
Then Stella spoke in a cold, echoing voice that reached everyone:
"You who seek pleasure and corruption,
You who are the scum of society and the races,
You who made life a game and stripped yourselves of morals and humanity—
If crime is your life, then I am the death that is your punishment!"
Wendy, hearing those words, immediately prepared to flee.
"This is really bad...
I feel terrible for leaving you here, but there's nothing I can do.
I hope that cage is strong enough to protect you.
Sorry… goodbye."
"Wait! At least tell me what's going on!
Are you really abandoning your big brother this easily?!"
She shouted back as she ran at full speed, still playing along with his sarcasm:
"Sorry, but I have to protect the family line!
Don't worry—I'll send your regards to our parents and tell them you died bravely saving me!"
Then, Hiro heard only one last word before losing consciousness:
"Sword of Torment."
A giant sword of light descended with immense force, obliterating the village.
Houses were flung into the sky, and flames burst from the ground, turning the earth into a burning hell.
The cage Hiro was in flew high into the air—he lost consciousness from the sheer impact.