Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers Side Story - The Love and Despair of Teguneu, Leader of the Evil Demons
A monster who has never known love. A boy who has lost everything to it.
For three hundred and twelve years, Teguneu has watched humanity from the shadows—cold, calculating, and utterly alone. Branded a heretic even among his own kind, the leader of the Evil Demons has long since abandoned any hope of warmth. Until the day his black lizard swarm carries him to a nameless village at the foot of the Jörmungandr Mountains, where he witnesses something that shatters his icy composure: a brother and
Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers Side Story - The Love and Despair of Teguneu, Leader of the Evil Demons - Whispers by the Spring — The First Crack Running Toward False Love
The cave still smelled of blood.
At the southern foot of the Jörmungand Mountains, there was a nameless cavern that had been erased from human maps entirely. Deep within, in a darkness untouched by light, Teguneu leaned his back against the cold rock wall. On his shoulder, a single black lizard perched motionless, pressed close to its master's presence.
Roughly two weeks had passed since he'd activated the power to manipulate love.
The cave floor was still littered with flakes of jet-black scales that had peeled away. The memory of those three days and nights of bloody vomit still lingered deep in his body. The chill of the rock beneath his fingertips reminded him how low his own body temperature had become.
But that was over now.
Teguneu exhaled slowly and closed his eyes. He sent his consciousness flying to the distant southern lands.
The swarm of black lizards crawled across human territory again today. Through the grass, along the trees by the road, lurking in the shadows of rocks near campsites. Countless eyes kept watch on those two figures.
Adlet Mayer.
Fremy Speeddraw.
The two Braves at the center of Teguneu's plan.
One of the black lizards had crept close to the campsite. Firelight leaked through gaps in the bushes. The autumn night air slowly stole the warmth of the flames.
Adlet sat by the fire.
His light brown hair had grown longer over these two weeks. His bangs bounced around his eyes, and on his left wrist was a scorched strip of cloth. His sister's keepsake. Since that night, the boy had never once removed it.
Beside him was Fremy.
Her snow-white hair swayed gently in the night breeze. Her right eye pink, her left eye blue — heterochromatic. Catching the firelight, those eyes glittered.
The distance between them was close enough that their shoulders might touch.
"Here. Eat this."
Adlet held out a fish roasted over the fire to Fremy. Clearly the larger portion — bigger than his own.
"...Is that enough for you?"
Fremy stared at the offered fish. Her tone was curt, but there was a faint softness mixed into her voice.
"I'm the strongest man on earth. This much is plenty for me."
Adlet laughed. A cheerful, bright smile. Exactly the mask Teguneu had designed — one that anyone would like.
Fremy's lips loosened, just slightly.
"...It's not like I'm doing this for you."
Even as she said it, she took the fish.
Teguneu observed the scene through the lizard's eyes.
(It's working.)
The false love was indeed functioning. Fremy wore a natural smile beside Adlet. Adlet, too, showed concern for her.
After the meal, Adlet seemed to favor his left shoulder. A wound from a battle with an evil demon a few days ago. Not deep, but not fully closed yet.
Fremy placed her hand on that shoulder.
"Don't move."
Her fingertips touched Adlet's shoulder.
"The wound's opening. You need to treat it properly."
"Heh... sorry 'bout that. I keep makin' you take care of me."
Adlet scratched the back of his head, embarrassed.
"It's nothing. Not like I'm doing it for you."
Fremy repeated the same words again. But her voice was unmistakably soft.
In the darkness of the cave, Teguneu slowly twisted his lips.
(Just as planned.)
The power to manipulate love. A force that interferes with a target's emotions and artificially implants affection for a specific person. A delicate, dangerous power that only Teguneu possessed.
That power was certainly binding the two of them together.
Fremy's gaze drifted toward Adlet's profile from time to time. Her pink and blue eyes flickered, reflecting the firelight.
But.
Teguneu furrowed his brow.
When Fremy reacted to Adlet's words, there was sometimes a brief delay. After meeting his eyes, she would sometimes look away immediately.
(What is this gap?)
If the false love were functioning perfectly, such unnatural pauses shouldn't occur.
Teguneu positioned one of the black lizards in the shadows of a rock near the campsite.
He continued observing in greater detail.
The pact of the three commanders. Whoever slew the most Braves of the Six Flowers would have the other two submit to them. Both Karguik and Dozzu had already begun their Brave hunt.
Teguneu had calculated that if this scheme succeeded, he could complete Adlet as a pawn in the Brave hunt.
Bind Fremy to Adlet with the power of love.
Then, using Adlet's desire for revenge, eliminate the Braves one by one.
It should have been a perfect plan.
And yet.
Deep in Teguneu's chest, something burned with a crackling sound.
He still couldn't put a name to it.
———
The night deepened.
The campfire burned quietly.
Adlet lay beside the fire. His sleeping breaths were audible. He'd walked far and fought hard again today. He must be exhausted.
Fremy was still awake.
She gazed at Adlet's sleeping face for a while.
The firelight dyed her white hair orange. Her pink right eye and blue left eye reflected the dancing flames.
Eventually, Fremy rose quietly.
Carefully, without making a sound.
She left the campsite and walked into the forest.
One of the black lizards followed.
In the darkness of the cave, Teguneu slowly opened his eyes.
(Where is she going?)
Fremy went deeper into the forest. Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the trees, illuminating her white hair silver.
After walking a while, she reached a small spring.
A quiet spring in the forest.
The water's surface reflected the moonlight, shining silver.
Fremy sat at the water's edge.
She hugged her knees and looked up at the starry sky.
The black lizard hid in the bushes near the spring, holding its breath.
Teguneu watched Fremy through the lizard's eyes.
She murmured to no one in particular.
"...I hate it."
Her voice echoed quietly, as if dissolving into the night air.
"That person... he's too kind."
Teguneu's consciousness stopped dead.
(...What was that?)
The false love should be working.
Why would Fremy say she "hates" it?
Teguneu brought the lizard closer. From deep in the bushes, he observed Fremy's profile.
Still gazing at the stars, she continued.
"When someone's kind to me, I remember."
Her voice was trembling.
"What I took away."
Teguneu turned those words over in his mind again and again.
What I took away.
What Fremy Speeddraw took away.
The life of Adlet Mayer's sister, Shetra.
(Is that girl... about to confess?)
Fremy was trying to tell Adlet that she had killed his sister.
Bound by false love, she was being crushed by her own guilt.
A cold impatience shot through Teguneu's chest.
(At this rate, the scheme will collapse.)
If Fremy told the truth, what would become of Adlet's emotions?
False love is fragile before the truth.
Adlet's desire for revenge would turn on Fremy.
If that happened, Teguneu's plan would crumble from its foundations.
Teguneu commanded the black lizard.
Silence Fremy.
The black lizard crawled out of the bushes.
It moved slowly across the rocks by the spring.
It approached Fremy's feet.
Perhaps sensing its presence, Fremy looked down.
The black lizard stopped at her feet.
Its small eyes looked up at Fremy.
Deep within those eyes dwelt Teguneu's consciousness.
"Fremy."
Teguneu's voice leaked from the lizard's mouth.
A wave of consciousness inaudible to human ears — reaching only those of evil demon blood.
Fremy's body stiffened with a jolt.
"What are you trying to do?"
Teguneu's voice was cold and quiet.
"Do you intend to tell that boy the truth?"
Fremy didn't answer.
She bit her lip, glaring down at the black lizard.
"Your role is to earn Adlet's trust and extract information about the Brave candidates. Nothing more, nothing less."
"...I know."
Fremy's voice was hoarse.
"Then don't think unnecessary thoughts. You are a tool."
The black lizard slid smoothly against Fremy's foot.
The sensation of cold scales.
Fremy shuddered.
"A tool has no need for a heart."
Teguneu's words cut through the night air.
Fremy was silent for a while.
Then, still looking down at the black lizard, she murmured softly.
"...I know. But."
Her voice wavered faintly.
"Just a little longer."
Teguneu couldn't believe his ears.
(...What did she say?)
Fremy had shown ambiguous resistance to his command.
That had never happened before.
Teguneu's orders had always been absolute.
Fremy Speeddraw was Teguneu's tool.
A tool, defying him?
"Fremy."
Teguneu's voice dropped low.
"Are you defying me?"
Fremy didn't answer.
She only glared down at the black lizard, biting her lip.
Moonlight illuminated her white hair.
Her pink right eye and blue left eye reflected the silver water's surface.
"...Just a little longer, by that person's side."
Her voice was quiet, like a prayer.
Teguneu withdrew the black lizard.
Deep in the cave, Teguneu exhaled slowly.
Deep in his chest, impatience burned with a crackling sound.
(Fremy Speeddraw defied my command.)
Teguneu turned that fact over in his mind again and again.
(The power to manipulate love should be perfect.)
(So why?)
No answer came.
———
Around the same time.
At the campsite, Adlet had woken up.
The fire was growing weak.
Adlet sat up and looked around.
Fremy was nowhere to be seen.
"...Fremy?"
He called out, but there was no reply.
Adlet stood and fed wood to the fire.
The flames blazed up again.
The crackle and pop of burning wood.
Adlet sat back down before the fire.
He was thinking about Fremy.
(When I talk to Fremy, my chest feels warm.)
Hearing her voice puts me at ease.
Seeing her smile makes me happy.
Being beside her calms me.
(Is this what they call love?)
Adlet placed a hand on his chest.
His heart was pounding.
(But wait.)
Adlet stared into the fire.
(Is this feeling really mine?)
Suddenly, that question welled up from the depths of his heart.
(Did it rise naturally from within me?)
(Or... was it pushed in from somewhere else?)
Adlet gripped the strip of his sister's keepsake wrapped around his left wrist.
"...I'm the strongest man on earth, after all."
As if to gloss over his unease, he murmured softly.
But even those words didn't work the way they usually did.
Deep in his chest, an inexplicable sense of wrongness spread murkily.
(What is this?)
Staring into the fire, Adlet held onto a discomfort he couldn't explain even to himself.
———
Deep in the cave.
Teguneu observed Adlet through the black lizard's eyes.
The boy sat alone before the fire, lost in thought.
His expression was somehow different from the cheerful mask Teguneu had designed.
(That boy... is questioning his own emotions?)
Teguneu exhaled slowly.
(So the first crack has formed in my scheme.)
Deep in his chest, impatience burned with a crackling sound.
What that emotion was directed at, Teguneu still didn't understand.
———
Fremy returned to the campsite.
Quietly, muffling her footsteps.
"...Where'd you go?"
Adlet called out from beside the fire.
Fremy stopped, looking slightly startled.
"Nowhere. Just a walk."
She answered curtly.
But her voice was somehow stiff.
Adlet stared at Fremy's face.
The firelight dyed her white hair orange. Her pink right eye and blue left eye reflected the dancing flames.
"...What?"
Fremy averted her gaze uncomfortably.
Adlet felt something stir deep in his chest.
When he talked to Fremy, his chest felt warm.
That was certain.
But was that warmth really his own?
"Fremy."
Adlet steeled himself and spoke.
"I think I might like you."
Fremy's body stiffened with a jolt.
"But."
Still staring into the fire, Adlet continued.
"I don't know if it's real."
Fremy said nothing.
The fire crackled and popped.
"Is it something that rose naturally from inside me? Or is it something else?"
Adlet's voice was timid, like a lost child.
"I don't even know myself. This is the first time this has ever happened to me."
Fremy bit her lip.
Her fingertips trembled faintly.
"...You."
Fremy's voice was hoarse.
"You're too kind."
Still staring into the fire, she continued.
"That's why... I ha
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