A melody among chaos

"GRRRR... !!!RAWRRR!!! ... HSSS!"

Amidst the rubble of what was once the ancient capital of the Valerius Empire, a gigantic eight-headed serpent, comparable in size to a mountain, stood roaring with blind fury, destroying everything in its path.

"Ghaa...! Haaaa... Haaaa... Ugh...!"

...And there I was, tasting the metallic tang of blood filling my mouth while my throat burned, hoarse from useless screams that the surrounding chaos mercilessly devoured.

I had not only succumbed to the weight of the rubble burying me, but also to the weight of what I had witnessed, of what I had failed to stop. My men... scattered, broken, shattered before those... those things... I used to be proud to say I held the rank of Commander, telling everyone that I, Commander Vulcan, would give my life for the Empire... but... now.

I am only what remains of that man after feeling my mind, once a fortress, being destroyed like the city by those monsters.

As the thunderous roars and screams of what could now be considered hell resonated, my eyes, irritated by the smoke from the fire, could discern the forms emerging from the crimson mist that rose above what was once the royal palace. They were those creatures that appeared to be blood-made bats, fluttering through the skies, emitting that shrill shriek that hasn't stopped echoing since the capital fell a week ago.

Those cursed things randomly attacked anyone who entered their range, regardless of whether they were warriors, passersby, human or not; nothing was saved. Once caught, they would suck all the blood out of them, leaving them dry in an instant, while on the ground, the straw demons ran rampant, senselessly devastating everything in their path.

... Their appearance was monstrous, making it unimaginable the time when they were called "adorable" by those who saw them. Now they were nothing more than beasts that simply destroyed everything in their path for no reason.

Now it was just me, cornered with my back against the wall, which I barely held onto with my trembling hands, not knowing how many had survived all this and without hope of doing so, as I contemplated my own death before the bloodthirsty black armor in front of me, approaching silently step by step, covered in blood.

I no longer had any hope, nor was there any way to win the battle, knowing how every enemy was tireless and unstoppable, guided only by an insatiable desire for destruction...

(Clink!)

Facing my imminent end, the sword I held in my hands slipped, falling to the ground with a dull, metallic sound, as if that sound represented the fear and emptiness of my own soul.

"J-just... end... this..."

At that moment, as I kept my gaze fixed on the armor's sword, which was rising slower and slower, as if time itself was compressing to display my last warrior's pride, something unexpected happened.

"♪♫♬ ♩♪♫ ??? ♪♬ ♩♫ ♪..."

... A melody began to play, conveying an air of curiosity and amusement, rising and falling like a whimsical idea, while the unusual note ??? introduced a touch of surprise or something unexpected, as if discovering something amusing or perhaps cruel.

"...♫ ♪ ♪...♩...♬...♪..."

From there, the melody slowed with the notes spacing out, almost as if sighing, as if a weight was settling, while now only a melancholy of silent pain was conveyed.

"...♩♫♬ ♩♫ ♪♫ ??? ♬♫♪"

Changing suddenly to return to energy, now conveying a spark of life, but this time with a different resonance that conveyed comedy, yet as if "something" else was mixed in, adding a feeling of pain.

"...♪...♩...♪♬..."

Finally, it sounded like a combination of slow and thoughtful notes, followed by a small flourish, as tragedy and comedy united in a bittersweet resolution, leaving an echo of peace...

("... Ma... mom")

At that moment, I noticed how all the sounds of chaos and destruction had ceased, while changes appeared in the black armor in front of me, its size shrinking more and more and its coloration changing from black to silver.

("Mom!!")

... In the end, it simply ran off in the direction where the melody seemed to have sounded; however, the armor was not the only one that seemed to react to that song.

The blood bats in the sky began to disperse, the straw demons reverted to their small and adorable forms, once again resembling simple dolls, and the gigantic monstrosity that had remained motionless in the castle, destroying everything while spreading a poisonous mist everywhere, began to shrink until it disappeared.

".... I-I... survived...?"

Incredulous at this fact, I simply collapsed, out of strength, catching my breath, contemplating how everything seemed to end and the clear sky became visible again...

"Hahaha... Ahahahahahaha.... I survived!!"

Unable to contain myself, I burst into demented laughter as my body was momentarily freed from the pressure of death... I still don't understand what caused all these events, however... for now I will just celebrate the fact that I'm alive....