(Regaleon's POV)

"What is wrong human? Is your magic getting low?" The fish witch said confidently.

Her attacks were getting fiercer and fiercer seeing that my fire armor was in its last breath.

"You will die first and then I will let your young wife follow you to the underworld." The fish witch said with a triumphant smile.

My fire armor was nullified, and both of our movements ceased. The fish witch had her triumphant smile on her face, but blood trickled in between her lips.

"Who do you say will go to the underworld." I said with fury.

The fish witch looked down her body in disbelief. My sword was now piercing her body once more.

"B-But how…" The fish witch did not believe that she was defeated.

It is true that her defense was strong. I had a hard time giving her deathly blows, with that hair covered all over her body like protective armor. That was when I realized I have to concentrate all my magic in once place. I opted to put all of the intensity of my fire magic into the sword I was holding. The fire magic was so compacted that the colored turned into a light bluish color.

Like I have predicted, the sword where I put my concentrated fire magic, pierced the fish witch defense. My sword has now impaled her body in the torso.

"When in a fight, a human can grow more stronger." I said. "You have been very careless when you thought you had the upper hand just now. That became your downfall."

"I… see." The fish witch's hair armor came undone and her naked body was left in the open.

I pulled out my sword from the fish witch's body and green blood oozed from her wound. Her body flopped towards the ground with a thud.

"I always keep my word, fish witch." I looked down at her with a cold gaze. "I told you I will kill you tonight, for hurting my wife and intending to harm me and my men."

It was now already dusk, this night had become long. My men were able to stand their ground against the sirens that they faced. The other sirens were overwhelmed with opponents that used magic, and so others escaped and flee towards the lake.

"I guess, this is where my life will end." The fish witch said. "Please, let my sister go. Without me to lead them, they will not be a danger to other humans."

I did not believe in her words, but I also do not have the manpower to hunt the other sirens down.

"How can I believe what you say?" I asked the fish witch.

"In the past we were able to work with the humans." The fish witch said. "That was because of him." She had a sad longing look on her face.

I knew that 'him' she mentioned was pertaining to the Almighty One. I was half conscious by the time Alicia and this witch talked about her past love affair with him.

"He was someone so amorous when he said we creatures can live with humans, side by side. That there are other food options other than humans." The fish witch continued. "I believed in him and witness his words to be true. It was just that other ancient creatures were prideful and stubborn. They did not want to change their lifestyle and to be ordered by some foreigner from another land."

"Then why did you turn your back against the Almighty One?" I asked in curiosity.

Hearing this woman's words about the Almighty One, she really adored and idolized him. To think that the Almighty One was able to let this creature believe in him, he who was not from this continent.

"I was also a prideful creature. I thought that my love would bare fruit if I always stayed by his side and followed him." The fish witch's face turned gentle. "I did not want to accept that I was not the one he chose, not the one he loved. I did not accept the fact I was not the one for him."

"So even after the Almighty One's death, you carried such resentment all over the centuries." I concluded. "Ridiculous." I scoffed.

"Heh, call it ridiculous but that is what I am, a prideful leader of my race." The fish witch said.

I looked at her now with a hint of pity. Carrying such resentment for the person you loved is like a living torture. I tried to sympathize with her situation, but even though I think of Alicia loving someone else and not me, I cannot accept it in my heart to hurt her or the one she loves. It will devastate me even more to see her in pain.

"If you truly loved him, then you should have just given him your blessing and let him be happy with the one he loved." I stated my opinion. "You could have spared yourself from all this hate."

The fish witch laughed and coughed up some blood. She was clearly in her last ounce of life.

"If I could have been like your friend over there, such a martyr." The fish witch pointed her finger towards William from afar. "I saw his dream when he was under my spell. To think that his dream was also what he was doing in his waking hours, seeing the love of his life happy with someone else. He is someone really admirable. But unfortunately, I was a greedy woman. I want my man all for myself. I only realized just now looking at your friend, that I can also be happy seeing him happy with his loved one. I have walked on the wrong path all along."

I remembered that when I was also under the siren's spell, I was in a dream like world. It was a world were all of what I have wished and yearned for came true.

Looking at William, I knew how he felt towards my wife Alicia.

'And I thought he would have a dream where Alicia is his wife.' I thought.

But hearing what this fish witch said, that William's dream is also his reality now, that just means he wishes for Alicia's happiness from the bottom of his heart.

'He really is someone admirable.' I thought. 'If I were not by Alicia's side as her personal knight back then, I think I would have lost her to William.'

Fortunately, I won Alicia's heart by a thread. I am still thankful that I was the one beside Alicia then and even now.

"I guess this is my retribution." The fish witch coughed up blood once more. "I just wish that you do not forsake my kind because of my bad decisions. They can live alongside humans like before, it was just my personal grudge that prevented them to."

"If what you say is true, then I can give them a benefit of a doubt." I said. "I am not a heartless king as to convict all of your race as criminals. I will give them a chance, that is if they are willing to live alongside us."

"So, you are a king. That is good to hear, I will trust your words." The fish witch said with a content smile. "As thanks, I will tell you something. Other ancient creatures were able to escape their annihilation centuries ago. They have come into hiding and building up power in the shadows. I warn you, when they have accumulated enough power, they will wage war against the humans once more and try to reclaim what is rightfully theirs."

Hearing the fish witch's words sent shivers down my spine. Thinking that ancient creatures such as herself still exists and they pose a threat to us humans living in this continent, a new danger has emerged once more.

"Then I will thank you for the information you have given." I bowed as thanks.

"I just wish that… he had also forgiven me." The fish witch said.

The fish witch's body started to disintegrate from foot up. Her body was turning into ashes and is flown by the wind.

'I have never hated you in the first place. It was my fault in being so dense and not see your feelings.' I faint whisper had said. 'If it seemed I have led you on, please forgive me.'

I saw a silhouette of a man with silver hair and eyes standing by the fish witch's side. He had a warm smile on his face.

'I have come to pick you up, Ten-Ten.' The man said with tenderness.

"I have made a huge sin against you and your wife. Please forgive me as well." The fish witch said tearfully. "If you still consider me as a friend, then I am willing to come with you."

'Me and my wife never bore hatred against you.' The man said. 'You will always be an irreplaceable comrade and a good friend to us.'

"Thank you, thank you very much." The fish witch said with tears.

And before my eyes, what looked like the fish witch's soul separated from her disintegrating body and took the man's hand. The were now getting more transparent and disappearing when the man looked my way.

'We will see each other again in the future.' The man gave me a lighthearted smile. 'But unfortunately, you won't even recognize me once we meet, I guess.'

After those words, they both vanished into thin air. The sun was now just starting to rise from the horizon. The aftermath of the battle last night can bee clearly seen in the clearing.

edited by: nalyn

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