I, the Masked Swordsman, started my journey through a Lostbelt.

(P.S.: If you're unfamiliar with the character details of God's Wrath, you can check the related sections of the series; I've written character analyses there. Currently, I've covered Quicksilver, Reinhardt, Marie, Anna... and will add more later.)

"Why...why..."

Anna couldn't understand why this persecution had come upon her.

The villagers criticized Anna, believing that a mere woman should not be allowed to hunt wild animals in the forest.

It is impossible for someone to give you meat as a gift.

If she weren't a witch, how could she have such beauty? If she weren't a witch, how could she be so lucky? If she weren't a witch, how could she attract so many people's attention? It's all because of this damned witch.

The men who wanted to pursue her were desperate.

But they also resent her for not choosing anyone, believing that she is toying with their feelings.

In reality, Anna simply doesn't fall for anyone.

She has never expressed love to anyone, let alone had any further contact with other men; it hasn't reached that level.

The result was the witch trial launched by the villagers.

People rushed forward and bound her hands and feet with ropes.

The surrounding area was filled with villagers who roared and howled like demons.

It's called a witch trial, but it's nothing more than a hypocritical venting of negative emotions and a sham judgment.

People don't care whether Anna is a witch or not.

Anna was more dazzling and beautiful than them, and that alone was enough to ignite the villagers' jealousy and destroy her.

The intense firelight shone on her tear-streaked face.

All they could see was ugliness.

Is it wrong to be special?

Is it wrong to like being clean and beautiful?

I can't forget the faces of the ecstatic women, and the smiles of the men twisted by their despicable pleasure that tore at my heart.

The faces of their parents, who should be cherished and loved like a warm harbor in their memories, now seem like those of people who have abandoned them with heavy burdens.

A relieved and relaxed expression appeared on his face.

It was as if the one being held there wasn't her own daughter, but rather the vile witch described by the public.

They believed that burning heretics would bring God's blessings.

That's utterly hopelessly stupid.

Anna only realized everything at this moment.

So everyone is like this now, and where is the reason for me to be glamorous?

Yes, it's impossible.

The men wanted to strip her clothes under the guise of searching for the witch's mark, but the real, ugly reason behind it goes without saying.

This is probably what a decadent state of mind feels like.

There are dazzling stars both in the sky and on the ground.

But he himself was stuck in a putrid quagmire, unable to reach any of the stars.

Du Wei's image flashed through my mind.

Indeed, it was a light that I could not reach; I, born in filth, had no right to touch it.

"It's so ugly."

An unusually cold tone emanated from the voice.

The sound wasn't particularly loud, but it reached everyone's ears, and an unusual aura was approaching from another direction.

It invaded this space like a poisonous tentacle.

The man who appeared on the village road was surrounded by an eerie atmosphere, giving one the feeling that one should not stare at him for too long.

"Nothing has changed at all. You're wearing a mask of hypocrisy, trying to destroy the real gem. Don't you find it despicable and laughable?"

Du Wei took a step forward, a mocking smile on his face.

Every villager whose gaze swept over him was drenched in cold sweat, as if ice had been poured into their spines.

They only came to their senses after a brief moment of fear.

Upon seeing Du Wei, who appeared to be just a young man, the first thing that surged in his heart was anger.

Many villagers were thoroughly enraged by this mockery.

"Are you trying to protect the witch?! You're a heretic who's been bewitched and brainwashed by the witch! You'll be judged too!"

"Yes! This person must be trying to protect the witch!"

"This man has been bewitched by the witch. The crops failed, and we are living such a miserable life. It must be their fault!"

It seemed to ignite public outrage as if a single call had been met with overwhelming response.

Many villagers have already picked up ropes and pitchforks, intending to execute Du Wei on the spot.

They had no intention of giving the other party any chance to respond.

I don't want to hear their explanations.

"No...no...you shouldn't be here..."

Anna seemed to have seen something that stirred her spirit.

I thought I would never see Du Wei again, and that I would sink into the mud and never see the light again.

In fact, Dewey's inspiration has always covered the surroundings.

They came here when they noticed something was wrong.

Anna's condition made him sigh, seeing the gem lying dormant in the mud, about to be swallowed up.

Du Wei picked her up without missing a single one.

This situation is too similar to the original Bavanshi, and also like Melusin drowning in a swamp.

And so, Du Wei made his appearance.

"Run! Don't stay here!"

Anna felt a brief moment of joy.

Then he was eager to get Du Wei to escape, so that he could see the dazzling person before he died without any regrets.

However, Du Wei did not move.

It was as if he was standing there quietly, with some unseen, invisible poison seeping out.

In an instant, a sudden change occurred.

All the villagers who were standing fell to the ground, and their bodies began to crumble and disintegrate as if weathering away.

"Eh?"

Anna couldn't understand the situation.

Because all of this defies the logic of normal people, a situation that appears as if it were a miracle.

The mob vanished like ashes.

Dust particles of 160mm were scattered in the air and carried away by the wind, and my thoughts seemed to get stuck and stagnant.

"Heh, it seems Anna hasn't lost her purpose, which means she's adapted to my 'logic.' So... do you still have the mind to greet me now?"

Du Wei approached Anna with a smile.

It was as if the mob that had been erased had never existed, and people turning to ashes seemed to be nothing unusual to him.

"...Did you kill them?"

Anna asked in a trembling voice.

The emotions contained within were quite complex, yet she didn't feel any fear towards him.

"That's probably how it is subjectively. But you'll forget about them soon enough, since those hypocrites aren't really that important, are they?"

"Well...."

Anna felt her memories fading.

This wasn't a matter of having her memories erased, but rather that the memories of the villagers she knew well were gradually fading away.

Too many memories have become blurred.

She will only remember being persecuted by the villagers, and will not remember any information about them.

In her final moments of dizziness, she thanked the man in front of her.

Crystalline tears slid down her face.

"Thanks....."

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