The country was a ruin.

The stone wall has completely crumbled all over the place, unable to perform its purpose. The doors for closing the gates lay collapsed on the ground.

Not a single building remained intact. Either the windows were broken, the ceilings collapsed or the walls fragmented. Some houses were burned, others crushed by a tower which toppled on its side. The roads were buried in piles of brick rubble from ruined buildings.

Under the clear sky, the ruins stood on silently.

Hermes was parked on his center stand near the west gate where there was less debris.

Not a single living person could be seen all around.

Before long, Hermes muttered to himself,

“So boring.”


—

The sound of footsteps among the ruins was heard. It was Kino returning to Hermes.

Kino was wearing a brown coat and covered from head to toe in dust. She returned ‘Canon’, which she held in her right hand, to its holster.

“How was it, Kino?” Hermes asked.

“Not a single person in sight, just bones here and there. Most of them must have been buried underneath the rubble,” Kino answered coldly as she brushed away the dust off her clothes.

“What was the cause? Earthquake? Tornado? What do you think?”

“No idea,” Kino replied simply and climbed on Hermes.

“No use stopping here, we won’t be coming back a second time, either.”

“Sure.”

Kino started the engine. Its loud rumble echoed throughout the ruins.

Kino gave the ruins one last look as she put on her hat and goggles.

“……”

Then she launched Hermes, rode through the deserted road, and went past the gates.

“I say Kino,” Hermes began.

“Hmm?”

“What are we gonna do next?

“Well…” Kino thought for a while.

They were riding up a large hill at that time, and when they reached its top,

“How about a song?” Kino replied.

A crimson world spread before their eyes. Deep red flowers carpeted the ground from beyond the hill up to the edge of the horizon.

Kino charged Hermes into the bed of flowers; red petals were thrown into the air. Without any warning, Kino turned off the engine.

“Wh...what?!”

Kino ignored the surprised shout from Hermes and let him fall sideways to the ground; she landed onto the bed of flowers, face up.

A countless number of deep red petals scattered about.

Hermes spoke in jest. “How mean. Who could have done such a rude thing?”

“Ahaha!”

Kino laughed gleefully, and took a deep breath while looking at the sky.

And then she started to sing.

—

A singing voice could be heard.

It was a crimson world.

Deep red flowers covered the surface of the ground as far as the eye could see.

There was nothing, except for the expanse of blue sky.


—


No one could be seen on the prairie.

Even so, the singing voice flowed through the space of crimson and blue.

It was a song which was slow yet lively.

The song continued in joy and melancholy.


—


Finally, the song ended with a beautiful, extended, high-pitched note.

Soon after the song had ended, a voice could be heard calling out,

“Encore!”

“I’d love to hear one or two more songs, or…”

“Or what?” asked the voice which had been singing.

“Or you could pick me up,” the first voice replied.

“Ahaha. I understand, then just one more――”


—


The singing voice was heard once more throughout the crimson prairie.


—


When the song ended, the first voice asked,

“So, what are we gonna do now?”

“Just like always, let’s go somewhere,” the other voice replied immediately.

“Yeah, let’s do that,” the first voice gladly agreed.

And continued.

“About time you picked me up, Kino.”