“You aren’t going anywhere.”

The one to kill Shiro was the guide, Stella. I took a glance at the others but they did nothing but stare dumbfounded. Stella didn’t waste any time and shot a breath of fire like a dragon at Reina.

“AHHHHHHHHHHH!”

 It was burning her alive as her clothes got caught on fire as well as her hair. Zero who was next to her fell back onto his butt hitting the ground. He turned to Stella and got onto all fours to beg for his life.

“Plz! I’ll do anything, let me li—.”

His head was cut cleanly off with wind magic. The only ones left were me and Alex. 

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING!”

Took him long enough to show some response. But it was too late anyways. He ran towards her and swung his right arm but she flew up into the sky using her wind magic. 

“You're not getting away!”

As he shouted, he brought up his right arm and somehow created a lance from ice heading towards her. While I’ll give him credit for doing that, it was a futile struggle as it got melted by Stella’s fire magic. She then shot a fireball from her mouth hitting him and the surroundings.

I could smell his burning flesh mixed in with the ashes from the plants. A pity that this beautiful garden began to become dirtied with the remains of their bodies. I could feel the heat from the burning plants as they began to surround me. I would be burned alive here if I didn’t move from my spot but there is no more need to. Stella blew the fire away with her wind magic. 

The last one remaining was me. As Stella killed the others she showed no change in expression as if she was doing nothing. But when she faced me she showed emotion, she smiled at me. Why?

“You’re so cold, you didn’t even bat an eye as I killed them in front of you. Do you not feel bad for them?” 

“Feel bad for them? Why would I feel bad for them?”

She grins at my comment.

“You don’t feel angry at all or want to get revenge for them do you. At the very least you should be showing some fear. Yet your expression hasn’t changed since I started killing them.”

I look back at the mess Stella made with the others. As I looked at the remains of their dead bodies, with some having burned skin and the others having their heads separated from their bodies. Having known them for a short while it didn’t do anything for me. Why should I care for these people? Still having the same opinion I turned back to face Stella who was waiting patiently for my response.

“Why would I get angry over their death when you saw that I just met  them a few minutes ago. Did you expect me to react like Alex lying over there? Sorry, but I don’t have a death wish like him. I wouldn't even stand a chance against you. Even if I did, I probably wouldn’t have done anything since it’s not my problem. After all, they made the decision to join this war.”

“Making the decision to join was basically agreeing to the chance of being killed wasn’t it? After all this is a war, so joining and not thinking of that possibility is just foolish in my opinion. Why join a war without coming to the terms you might die at any time? They made their decision and this is how it played out. If they didn’t want to risk this outcome then they should have chosen what was safer, to go back home.”

“On the topic of back home, do you think they were horrible people to begin with?”

“I don’t get what you're trying to say, tell me.”

She’s intrigued by my question, her eyes are looking at me with excitement.

"Let’s use Zero as an example. He joined the war in order to save his mom from cancer. Anyone would see that as a good deed,I do as well. But at what cost is he doing this? What he is doing I can only see as beyond selfish.”

“How do you think his mom sees this back in our world? She’s probably heartbroken that her child has died suddenly. All while having to fight through her cancer don’t you feel bad for her? Do you think she wanted to see her child die before her, when she had an even shorter life than normal. Who is the one behind her suffering? Zero.”

“Just think about how everyone that joined this war left behind their old world just so they could have a chance of getting a wish granted. Meaning they chose to leave behind all the people that cared for them just like that. That’s just pure evil.”

“But it’s not like they knew they were going to be treated as dead, maybe they thought it would be like the time was frozen so they wouldn’t notice.”

I could see she wanted me to go on as she gave a poor rebuttal response enticing me to continue speaking. She was enjoying herself.

“Even if that’s true it doesn’t change the fact that the decision they made was selfish. They could have easily just asked the magician if they were really worried about it. If they made the decision knowing that still, then at least they were aware of what they were doing.  But it doesn’t make the damage they've done to their family and friends any less worse. I wouldn’t take connections so lightly.”

“The reason why is because even if they didn’t mean much to you and you thought they didn’t think of you as much either, you could always be wrong about that. Once those people find out they are dead the damage they did to them could break a person beyond repair. That is what I find extremely selfish about anyone that decided to join this war. Every single person that joined I view as the worst type of a person imaginable including you.”

“My my my I didn’t think you would feel that strongly about something as small as that. So are you trying to say we shouldn’t have the offer then?”

She was playing with me, but that’s fine.

“Is that how you interpreted it? If so that’s fine you’re free to think what you want. But if you’re asking me what my intentions were it was me simply stating my views and nothing more. You are free to interpret it how you like. I simply view the act they did to be the worst thing possible but if you don’t think the same it’s fine as long as it’s your own belief.”

“But moving aside from this, let's get back to the main topic.”

“And that would be?”

“Why did you kill them but I think I got a general idea on how and why.”

“Oh do you now, what do you think then?”

“You killed the real guide and took her place to the new people that chose God’s side since you’re on the Devil’s side or am I wrong?”

“You’re half correct. Your mistake is that I didn’t kill them because I’m part of the Devil’s side but because they didn’t interest me. But I’m surprised you got the part of me killing the guide part.

“It isn’t that hard if you think about it.”

 “Well a normal person wouldn’t think so calmly after what you just saw don’t you think.”

“I suppose. Anyways it seems I can’t take everything you said and explained with full certainty anymore. Why did you even bother doing all that if you were going to kill them anyways you might as well have killed them from the start.” 

While my words make me sound irritated I don’t really care. I just want to know her reasoning as to why.

“That’s simple, it was to test you. I wanted to see how you would react when I killed them after you got to somewhat know them. I also wanted to annoy you since you said you hated wasting time.”

“Why did you even want to test me then? It’s not like I showed I was cold hearted.”

“That’s simple, I can notice my own kind, so I was testing if my instincts were correct. You must have noticed a similarity between you and me when we met as well. Yet, you stayed quiet letting them die, how heartless.

“It’s not like I was one hundred percent sure  either and it’s not like I need to tell them. Like I said I just met them so it’s not a problem to me if they die.”

“You’re better than I imagined, say why don’t you switch sites and sign a contract with my master. You’re more fit for the Devil’s side anyways.”

“No.”

“Why not.”

“I know someone like me would normally join the Devil’s side but I refuse. Working with people similar to me is more complicated than I would like.”

“That’s a shame you would have been a great new addition m. I guess I should kill you but …”

“But what?”

“You’re interesting so I’ll let you live for now. Plus having you against me might be better than you joining. That way I can fight you in the future.”

“Is that so, why thank you.”

“Just don’t die until I get the chance to kill you myself and if you do end up changing your mind. Come find me to make a contract with my master. I'm sure she’ll find you interesting. After all, it’s the person I chose to work for. But for now this is farewell. Let us meet again soon.”

She turns around and begins to fly away towards the mountains but I had wanted to ask her one more question before she left.

“One more question before you go. Why did you join the war?

She giggled as she turned around to face me as if she was waiting for me to ask her that question.

“Same as you, I thought this world has less restraints than our old one. Here I’m more than I ever was before, now I can do stuff I wasn’t able to before. For example, killing other people.