Arc 6 – Chapter 87, "Distant Regard"
Her head swayed from left to right rather violently.
She slowly came to notice someone was carrying her like luggage, and this someone was running as if their life depended on it.
Not that it was particularly her first time, being carried like this, no.
To say she was actually used to it would be an exaggeration. It would rather be much more apt to say that, she had experienced being lugged around like a suitcase very often, though the fault for that lay in her partner, who had little consideration to spare for her.
Meili: "Stop shaking me so much, Elsa…"
Regardless of how many times she requested, they fell on deaf ears. Yet nevertheless, she found it hard to describe her relationship with her.
Calling her an accomplice or a partner was difficult, as this relationship lacked the foundation of trust required, and the two were nearly not close enough for her to call Elsa her 'sister' or 'mother'. Calling her a friend felt strange as that was definitely not what their relationship was like, but calling her an acquaintance was just as difficult as they weren't as strangers to one another.
So Meili always sunk into deep thought over this. What kind of relationship did they truly have?
――What did Elsa see herself as to Meili?
Meili: "Come on, stop shaking me so muuuch…"
Voicing her complaints mattered little, but saying nothing at all felt like she had resigned herself so she couldn't let herself up either. Thus she kept speaking up, even if her words would not be heard―― Or so she at least tried.
As if coating her words, some hot liquid flowed out of her mouth before she could speak. Her first thought was that her breakfast was flying out of her mouth, but that was incorrect.
It was blood, deep crimson in color, gushing out from the depths of her tiny body.
Subaru: "She won't stop bleeding, damnit! Beako, what should we do!?"
Beatrice: "Just-! For now, just make sure she throws up whatever blood is in her throat completely, I suppose! Things will get much worse if the blood clots there, in fact!"
Voices rung around her, then she was abruptly tilted to her side. Blood unendingly ran up her throat and out her mouth, mixed with her cough and mucus.
Something touched her lips, and the blood clotting in her throat was quickly sucked out. It was just in the nick of time, as air finally filled her lungs and rushed to her brain.
Subaru: "――pheh! Alright, she's breathing again! Beako, hit her with some healing!"
Beatrice: "I know, I know I suppose! But we can't keep doing this over and over, in fact."
Subaru: "I get that!… I pushed Meili too far, this is on me. I'll pay my dues."
Meili realized there was some shouting going on above her, but from the moment she could breathe, her mind and body became too heavy to make anything out.
No, that couldn't have been the case. She must have been tired all along. It was only that the body perceived that its biggest danger was gone, so her consciousness could finally focus on other functions. She could finally feel exactly how bad the damage she'd taken was.
Her hands and feet were limp, and her head spun. She'd thrown up close to three cupfuls of blood. She felt as if her entire body were ablaze, but she could pinpoint that the origin of those vicious flames was her back.
There was something wrong there, something very wrong with her entire back.
That was likely the reason why she couldn't move her body and was continually throwing up blood, she thought.
The two shouting on top of her, what she was doing right before this, all of it was vague and foggy.
Yet, even in her world of fog and mist, she could make out something distinct.
Indeed, that was――,
Meili: "A… Promise…."
She could make out the distinct silhouette of a promise, a promise she'd exchanged with someone――.
△▼△▼△▼△
――From the moment forth the titanic scorpion had changed its color, the light it fired was the greatest it had till now.
The swelling bright, white light scattered in all directions, turning numerous aflame Hungry Horse Kings aiming for its crimson hide to dust, sending ripples across the sea of sand.
Of course, neither Subaru nor Beatrice could avoid being caught up in the destruction, but Meili had the worst of it all.
Having to command the Witchbeasts led her to lean too far ahead, so when the titanic scorpion,―― the Crimson Scorpion unleashed its counterattack, she was caught within its vicious aftermath.
The only silver lining was she had escaped being skewered by needles of light. Should she have been so much as scraped by one, her tiny body would have surely been vapourized.
However, even if that had not come to pass, it still remained truth that she was hit directly with a blast strong enough to part and ripple the sea of sand. That alone was enough to deal near-fatal damage.
Subaru: "Meili!!"
She was in an awful state when Subaru and Beatrice rushed to get to her collapsed body on the sand. Perhaps due to curling up at the last moment, the most major of her injuries were on her back.
With her black cloak blown off by the blast, her marred skin lay bare under burnt cloth. Faced with her charred and lacerated skin in front of his eyes, his vision wavered for a moment.
However――,
Subaru: "Am I really that stupid? What on earth am I here for!?"
Latching onto his consciousness with a balled fist, he called forth the power hidden within him.
『Cor Leonis』was already active―― The power that allowed him to shoulder the pains and burdens his companions felt, he increased its flow from Meili to him, allowing him to take on almost all of the pain Meili felt from her near-fatal injury.
Naturally, it would be unwise to take on all of her pain, that if it were to cause him to collapse, the consequences would be unforeseeably great. Thus he took on the greatest of portion he could manage without fainting but,
Subaru: "I'm still good… I can take it――Right, Natsuki Subaru?"
Were it his previous self here, he may have lost both his composure and his heart, ending in an unsightly show of disgrace.
However, Subaru understood well what it meant to go down the path of『Natsuki Subaru』. He knew what purpose his existence served, naturally, but he also knew there were some things he alone could accomplish.
Therefore――,
Subaru: "――Emilia-tan… Julius looks to be doing just fine. Echidna, Patrasche and Rem seem to be safe too."
He looked through the presence of his companions fighting their battles within the tower, confirming to himself their statuses.
While Emilia's disappearance gnawed away at him, he also felt concern about Julius' status during his battle with Reid. Even Echidna and Patrasche's locations within the tower filled him with anxiety, but in the end, he decided to put his faith in all of them.
Instead, he turned his attention to Ram, and the Meili who lay right in front of his eyes.
Subaru: "――kh."
Immediately, Subaru groaned, his viscera on fire. Meili's burden of pain had begun flooding into him.
In truth, taking on Ram's strain was exhausting as it was. Taking on Meili's burden of near-death pain was akin to suicide.
Subaru: "Shit…!"
He'd thrown out his words with vigor, but could not find enough of it to push his limits further.
Thus it came down to him requiring to reduce the flow of burden from Ram to him, to take on more of Meili's pain, who was near death.
Ram, being as sharp as she is, would likely be able to deduce his reasoning from that alone.
Subaru: "I'm definitely gonna get yelled at later…"
'Heh! Look at you in this pitiful state. You'll always be a Barusu, a man of just talk.'
As that all-too-possible image of Ram flashed through his mind, Subaru grit his teeth and drank back the blood rising in his throat.
Even though『Cor Leonis』could only take on the mental, and not physical, burdens of others, the spread of the taste of death in his mouth was a sign the feedback was indeed affecting him beyond his mental state.
The effect of the mind on the body was far greater than he had imagined.
He'd heard before that should a person believe there was a hot iron rod pressed on their skin, burns would appear.
In other words, taking on Meili's excruciating pain meant he would experience it and his body would reproduce the source of that pain.
If he didn't exercise caution, Beatrice would have two corpses on her hands.
Subaru: "Yeah, I'd really like to avoid that――!"
He spat out what blood had accumulated in his mouth, then lifted Meili up in his arms. Then he ducked below a Hungry Horse King's flaming spear and ran away as Beatrice shot a few arrows of purple to keep it at bay.
The Hungry Horse King that came attacking just now was the one Subaru and co. were riding.
In a shocking turn of events, the Witch Beast saw its chance in the chaos and betrayed its new comrades―― Not. It was simply that Meili's Divine Protection had worn off, resulting in the Witch Beast to return to its usual cold and bloodthirsty demeanor.
Without Meili, Witch Beasts were enemies of mankind, and by proxy, Subaru's enemies.
Such wicked Beasts lurked under the sea of sand in numbers uncountable.
Meili: "Hck-!"
Subaru: "Meili!"
Meili vomited more blood as Subaru carried her around like loose luggage, desperately avoiding the lunging Witch Beasts. His frustration at the situation grew only more as he watched the color drain from her face.
He had no leeway of settling down and healing Meili. And if this continued――,
Subaru: "Shit, she won't stop bleeding! Beako! What should we do!?"
Beatrice: "Just-! For now, just make sure she throws up whatever blood is in her throat completely, I suppose! Things will get much worse if the blood clots there, in fact!"
Beatrice made sure none of the Witch Beasts dared come closer as she tried to keep up with Subaru's pace with fervor alone. In that time, Subaru shook Meili, trying to get her to cough and spit out all the blood in her throat.
However, she looked just as pale, and the trickle of blood flowing out of her did not halt. With no other way out, curled his fist into a ball and pressed one end against her lips, then tried to suck the blood out of her throat through the other way.
Meili: "Hck-! Gheh-!"
Subaru: "――pheh! Alright, she's breathing again! Beako, hit her up with some healing!"
Beatrice: "I know, I know I suppose! But we can't keep doing this over and over, in fact."
Subaru: "I get that!… I pushed Meili too far, this is on me. I'll pay my dues."
Though to be precise, Subaru had already begun paying his dues for his mistake.
Even after he had taken off a part of the burden he had been taking from Ram, he was beginning to turn pale himself.
It would all depend on how much more time he could get this way――,
Subaru: "No, this is where I gotta push harder. Can't even call myself a man if I can't…"
Beatrice: "Furya-! I suppose!"
Subaru: "Ooh!?"
His teeth clenched, Subaru ran with Meili in his arm as the effects of his Authority spread throughout his body. At that moment, Beatrice suddenly jumped and latched onto his head.
Startled at this unexpected event, but regardless ends up giving Beatrice an awkward piggyback. Of course, Beatrice weighed as much as a ball of cotton――,
Subaru: "Bea――"
Beatrice: "Subaru, stop trying to shoulder everything by yourself, in fact. We are partners, Subaru and Betty. Meili is our friend too, I suppose. You're not the only one who wishes to help, Subaru."
Subaru: "――――"
She pressed her tiny hands on his head and softly voiced her appeal.
Subaru fell silent. Beatrice moved her hand to Meili and cast her gentle healing magic.――Slowly, a warm light filled her body, and in proxy, Subaru's as well.
Beatrice too was concerned for her friends. He could feel her emotions come through the warm light.
Subaru: "――――kh."
Beatrice: "――――"
Behind them, the Witch Beasts continued their battle against each other.
Fortunately, even with Meili's Divine Protection having worn off, the Beasts had no desire to make peace with the Crimson Scorpion. The Hungry Horse Kings, and the numerous other forms of Witch Beasts, all were warring amongst each other.
The Crimson Scorpion's giant pincers and long tail all smashed away any Witch Beast that stood between it and Subaru.
Then again, more than half of the countless Witch Beasts were aiming for him, so there was still no time for rest.
Subaru: "What other choice do I even――"
Truth be told, it wasn't as if he had no other choice.
While there was no way to emerge victorious immediately, he could indeed make use of Beatrice's wish to help Meili to improve his chances.
However, while he would not know unless he tried, being what their current enemy was, he hesitated to attempt his plan.
But――,
Beatrice: "Subaru! If your concern for Betty is why you're hesitating, Betty doesn't want that kind of half-assed concern, I suppose! If Betty isn't the reason, then we can go apologize to them later! Together, in fact!"
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"――――"
Beatrice: "Betty wants to share in your pain, in your joy… Don't leave Betty out! That was one of the clauses of our contract, I suppose!"
He did not know what expression she saw on his face, but she exploded with anger regardless.
Because she was riding on top of his head, he could not see her expression. However, he could tell, even if she was puffed up with anger, she looked adorable, this little girl he proudly called his partner. Precisely so, her words offered him the courage he needed, and the comfort he desired.
He had no room for hesitation.
His very reason for his hesitation, his partner herself had declared there was no need.
So――,
Subaru: "I totally love you, Beako."
Beatrice: "Betty loves you more than that, in fact."
Once they expressed each other's affections, Subaru gently laid Meili on the ground.
In his heart, he decided he would, at no cost, allow this life to be lost――,
Subaru: "――Cor Leonis, Second Shift."
He gave his ability, the『Lion's Heart』, a new name as he changed gears within himself.
By doing so, he amplified the effect of his Authority, the『Little King』,――He'd been scolded for being a king who carried the burdens of his subjects, all alone.
Having said that, this was not as shameless as the『Greed』of pushing one's burdens onto another.
What Subaru desired was to divide, to share his burdens with others who would stand with him.
In other words――,
Subaru: "Second Shift――Division of Labour."
The burdens that Subaru alone carried, he could now divide and share that burden with one willing to help him carry it.
And the only one who offered to do as much while also being in close proximity was――,
Beatrice: "――Subaru."
Subaru: "Yeah?"
Beatrice: "...This is incredibly taxing, I suppose!!"
Subaru: "Well, yeah, it's super taxing!!"
With that, the second part of Cor Leonis was activated and the burden he carried was shared with Beatrice.
He could share half of what was his to carry. He could only spare half of that half. Even so, that alone brought him relief. On the other hand, Beatrice's face turned pale as she took on the burden he shared.
She yelled to mask her pain, and Subaru returned her thought the same way.
It was taxing. It was painful. He wanted to stop right away.
To hell with this pretend king play with taking on everyone's burdens.――Therefore, this Little King could stand up, only because there were others willing to support him in his endeavors.
Subaru: "Right, by the way, there's no way in hell…"
Beatrice: "――――"
Subaru: "I'm pushing that much of my burden on you. Too bad."
Having shared his burden with Beatrice, Subaru turned his attention to the Crimson Scorpion as Beatrice continued treating Meili from his back.
He could still feel Shaula in there, a light that remained connected to him through Cor Leonis. Her faint, but certain light.
Yet unfortunate as it was, Subaru could not simply dump the burden he and Beatrice shared and carried onto the Crimson Scorpion.――Likely because it possessed neither the will to wish for, nor accept that burden.
Only those who wished to support this『Little King』could share in his burden.
Indeed, a truly easy-to-understand, inflexible power. Precisely why it allowed its user to hold no pride.
He was always reminded that he could stand straight only because there was someone there, supporting him.
"Beako! Move your hands while you think!"
"――tch,that's too tall an order, in fact!!"
Her hands would tend to Meili, healing her, while her mind would race to think about what to do next to escape their precarious situation. Because, the Crimson Scorpion's tail had lit aglow once more with white light, its malice aimed at Subaru――,
"――E?M?M!!"
His one-time absolute invincibility trump card was flushed away, and the subsequent shockwave swallowed the three whole.
△▼△▼△▼△
ーーThe happenings below the clouds shall not be conveyed to Emilia, who was above the clouds.
But, identical to her comrades fighting with their lives on the line, upon the extremity of passing through a fierce battle, Emilia had finally stepped foot in that place.
"ーーーー"
Making her way to the uppermost stratum of Pleiades Watchtower, further above the first layer, the summit in the truest sense.
In the location she had reached via the sacrifice of multiple ice warriors, what Emilia laid her eyes upon was the base of the central pillar. ーーPositioned there, was a black monolith.
The monolith itself appeared to be identical to what she had seen during the course of the third layer's『Trial』.
What was different was that the monolith was not levitating, and the presence of an eye catching feature at its surface, which was supposed to be completely levelled.
That wasーー,
Emilia: "Someone's, handprints?"
Having rounded her amethyst eyes, in Emilia's field of vision were multiple handprints imprinted onto its surfaceーー six in total, handprints of differing men and women.
It could be understood by the size of palms or the thicknesses of fingers that all of them were hands of seperate humans.
Merely unmistakable that since those personages went out of their way to leave their handprints together like this, they were on close terms with each other and were people connected to this watchtowerーー,
Emilia: "...Could it be, Shaula's Master-sama, or, Reid?"
That was all Emilia could think of, when she pondered about people connected to the watchtower.
Volcanica was also here, but all of the handprints present here belonged to humans, so it did not seem that any of his dragon traces had been left behind.
Thus, Emilia could think of simply two amongst six of the people concerning the handprints.
Emilia: "ーー? Wait, this is."
Having thought that far, Emilia felt a sense of discomfort by one of the handprints.
Amidst the six handprints, that was the gently printed firstly positioned handprintーー though next to it was a handprint of approximately the same size, the ones positioned as the first two were evidently small.
Perhaps because solely these two were handprints of females.
And, what drew Emilia's attention was one of the handprints, that beingーー,
Emilia: "This handprint, is mine...?"
Whilst furrowing her eyebrows, Emilia whispered as she looked down onto her right hand.
Though that would be odd, she did not feel it to be so. It seemed one of the handprints printed on this monolith, was her own.
"ーーーー"
Inhaling, Emilia faced the monolith. And in order to dispel her misgivings, she reached for that handprint with her own right handーー,
???: [ーーThou, who hath reached the top of the tower. Step forth through the first floor, almighty petitioner.]
Emilia: "ーー~hk! It came back!"
An instant prior to her touching the monolith, Emilia turned towards the relentless voice descending from above.
And once she did, what she saw was Volcanica who flapped his wings, descending and positioning itself on the uppermost stratum, who had gotten the white scale on his throat touched by Emilia's ice warrior and had agonized tempestuously.
Volcanica: [ーーーー]
Facing her back towards the monolith, Emilia once again confronted the『Divine Dragon』.
The battle of climbing the pillar had been immensely arduous, but if it were to be resumed here then she shall be coerced into an intense struggle. This place was spacious in itself, but the uppermost stratum's space was narrower than that of the first layer, difficult to scuffle in.
Emilia: "Also, it'll be rea~lly problematic if the monolith gets broken..."
The monolith's durability was unknown.
When she had encountered the monolith on the third layer as well, she had been stopped from striking it by Julius and Ram, so its solidity remained unclear.
However, no matter how sturdily should it be built, Emilia did not believe it could safely withstand a blow by the might of the『Divine Dragon』.
Emilia: "If you hit it, it'll surely break. Soーー!"
She could not let him do so, conceiving that thought, Emilia summoned seven soldiers of ice in her environs yet again.
The ice warriors had been thoroughly shattered for the purpose of making her reach the uppermost stratum, but identical to Emilia, their expressions were brimming with determination, reassuring.
Matching in with them as they wielded weapons of ice, Emilia held two ice swords in her hands.
And, in unity with the seven ice warriors, plunged into Volcanica.
Emilia: "Let's go, everyone! Volcanica, has a weakness in its white part of the neck."
Since he had displayed such a vehement reaction, that white scale was Volcanica's weakness.
Though she did not wish to go so far as to wound it, should someone reach merely for touching it, Emilia would be able to obtain time for examining the monolithーー,
Emilia: "ーーEh?"
The subsequent instant, Emilia spilled her voice upon the gyrating reversal of her above and below.
"ーーーー"
Far too sudden for her to judge what had occurred.
There was merely a nimble sensation of contact at her feet, having priorly stepped ahead in order to advance. That too, so faint that she had noticed its touch only after being turned upside down.
And, along with thatーー,
Emilia: "Ah."
The seven ice warriors in Emilia's environs, who had been turned upside down, shattered at once.
All of them had solely their heads shattered with skill, transforming into the form of mana unable to resist. By the point of having sensed that by her skin, Emilia took notice with a shudder.
This just now, had been Volcanica's tail.
Volcanica's tail had swiftly swept Emilia's legs, and had smashed the heads of the ice warriors with the same.
Her throat froze upon comprehending that a singular swift whip by the tail had realized that.
This was in an entirely different league from the surprise attack Emilia had instantaneously managed to guard against.
If Subaru's whip counted for one, then Volcanica's tail whip counted for a thousand or ten thousand, that was the margin of difference.
Even Emilia would have been relentlessly defeated before that enormous attack.
Thus, she held a doubt.
Emilia: "Why, did he go soft on me...?"
For Emilia he had swept her legs, for the ice warriors he had shattered their heads.
What was the identity of the difference born here. It could not have been, that he retaliated against them because they possessed faces identical to what had earlier touched his white scale, that seemed improbable.
Having thought far, Emilia remembered she had not escaped from the circumstance of having been turned upside down.
Emilia: "Oh nーー ~hk."
At this pace, she was just on the verge of being knocked to the floor by her head.
Once again Emilia's legs, who was midair having been turned upside down, were struck with a soft impact from the side,
Emilia: "Bloody...!"
Halfway reversed from being upside down, Emilia made a landing in jeopardy.
And, having raised her face, she made an expression of being endangeredーー,
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Volcanica: [What art thou doing.]
Pronouncing so was the form of the『Divine Dragon』, his face pointing toward Emilia's gaze.
Emilia: "Um...?"
That was quite literally ahead of her eyes and nose.
Vicinity that should Emilia inch her face forward even a little, she would touch that rock-hard robust skin and nose.
For the dragon's face to be at this distance itself was enough to astonish Emilia.
However, what bewildered Emilia furthermore wasーー,
Emilia: "You're saying, something different from what you had been constantly repeating earlier!"
Volcanica: [ーーーー]
Emilia: "Did you return to sanity? Then, can you talk about some stuff? Like about the『Trial』, or about changing the established rules of this watchtower, there's a lot of stuff I need to discuss..."
Emilia vocalised rapidly, having descried hope in Volcanica's condition.
If the『Divine Dragon』whom she thought had gotten Alzheimer's had been restored, she could once again converse regarding the『Trial』. Hence, it would not be necessary for her to forcefully resort to violent measures.
Emilia: "Hey, please! Properly converse..."
Volcanica: [What were to happen should thou tumble. Should that perchance happen, I would be the one to accept reprimand... Since, everyone bows before thee.]
Emilia: "Volcanica...?"
Anxious about the circumstance of everyone within the tower, Emilia desperately implored, whilst Volcanica once again pronounced words that were not a repetition.
However, the content did not seem to correspond as being a response to Emilia's words, her bewilderment augmented.
However, Volcanica's amber eyes gazing at Emilia, dwelling therein was a calm hue.
Unlike the immediately former ambiguity akin to vacuum, it had the light of emotion.
Gently, calmly, he intently gazed at Emilia as though with affectionーー,
Volcanica: [To where have Flugel and Reid gone? It would be lonesome for Shaula with not even any words of parting. Farsale too, would kick up such a racket.]
"ーーーー"
With his tender eyes maintaining his gaze at her, Volcanica resumed its words.
What the dragon recited with a regard of viewing something distant, were the names of Flugel and Reid, along with Shaula, followed by one more personーー,
Though it could not be distinctly ascertained whom that was unless the family name was also asked, Emilia had remembrance of that echo. Farsale, if that was per Emilia's remembrance.
Emilia: "Farsale, you mean, Farsale Lugnica? The king four hundred years ago?"
That was a personage whose name was brought up on countless instances in books she had studied for the Royal Election.
Farsale Lugnicaーー the thirty-fifth king of the Kingdom of Lugnica, and the great man who had ruled the country four hundred years ago during the era of the『Witch』.
And, having forged the covenant with none other than the『Divine Dragon』Volcanica, the『Last Lion King』who had etched the first step of longstanding prosperity of the Kingdom of Lugnica.
"ーーーー"
Emilia immediately turned her gaze towards the monolith behind.
The handprints of six peopleーー if Volcanica's words were not unrelated, then could three of the people of the handprints be Flugel, Reid, and Farsale. The remaining three people were unknown, but one, though unconfirmed, seemingly matched Emilia's handprint.
The remaining ones were of a man and woman each, likely.
Emilia: "Then, could the woman's handprint be Shaula's...?"
That seemed to be the likeliest as a possibility.
The identity of the final male handprint was unknown, but around this would be enough to make her calm down. As ever, the greatest issue at present was the fact that there present was a handprint of her own she was unfamiliar withーー,
Emilia: "Could it be, I... have forgotten about something, aside from mother and everyone else from the forest?!"
Upon beginning to suspect, Emilia realised she had a past wherein she had lidded her memories by herself.
Even regardless of so, she was aware that due to the existence of the Sin Archbishop of『Gluttony』,『Memories』and『Names』were in a completely cluttered state.
Could it perhaps be that though Emilia had once casually come here and imprinted her handprint, she had now simply forgotten about it.
Emilia: "...No, whatever circumstance may it be, that can't be the case. Though if Puck had been here, I could've somehow gotten to know if I had come here."
Volcanica: [ーーWhat happened? Any worries?]
Emilia: "Ah, um, I'm alright. Thank you for worrying. Thank you, but..."
Ultimately, sensing the establishment of dialogue with Volcanica to be dodgy, Emilia was stumped.
It was far better than being hammered by its tail or forelimbs without conversation, but the situation of stalemate pertaining to the『Trial』remained the same.
Emilia pondered, just what should she doーー,
Volcanica: [If something is the matter then speak up. If it is thy distress then I shalt take it away ーーSatella.]
ーーReferred to as such, she inhaled.
"ーーーー"
Satella, this was not her first time being referred to as so.
Silver hair, amethyst eyes, and being a half-elfーー those were the traits Emilia possessed, and upon looking at her, copious humans living in this world would associate her with the existence identical to her.
What remained, was simply the difference of what it ought to be called.
Some called it Satella, some called it the worst calamity, some called it the『Witch of Envy』.
Thus, someone referring to Emilia as such was no enigma.
However, what was mysterious was that Volcanica had called Satella's name with deep affection.
After all, the trio of Volcanica, Reid and Flugel, who had shoved his own achievements onto Shaula, were the original ones to have sealed Satella, referred to as the『Witch of Envy』.
Then why for her, would itーー,
Emilia: "Why, would you speak to the『Witch of Envy』, with kindness?"
A doubt of faint carelessness, to have referred to her as so.
To name it as stimulation for the present Emilia would be quite stringent, but at the very least, when she viewed the situation objectively, she realised this single phrase had become the origin.
Or perhaps, both Satella or the『Witch of Envy』could have been adequate.
Some called her Satella, some called her the worst calamity, some called her the『Witch』.
And, Emilia had referred to her as the『Witch of Envy』.
That wasーー,
Volcanica: [ーー『Witch of Envy』.]
ーーAlteration was yielded in Volcanica's distant regard.
Volcanica's amber eyes, the change born therein was dramatic.
Without moving, the dragon's head staring at Emilia was immediately ahead of her eyes and nose. Henceforth, captured by the proximity of the extent of that alteration, Emilia felt chills run through her entire body.
She hunched, that the change was an unfavorable one.
Having been raised in forests, Emilia possessed the experience points named as having grown amongst the wild. She had seen countless animals and Witch Beasts completely change in situations such as this one.
Abiding by that intuition, Emilia jumped backward as though strummed.
That had been the correct answer.
Emilia: "ーー~hk."
That instant, the air before Emilia's eyes burst open.
Not an exaggeration, quite literally, the space constricted, then subsequently swole and burst open.
The phenomenon of unknown principle was queer as though space itself had rolled over, and had she been in its location she would've gotten twisted regardless of the strength of her defence.
And, it had occurred on the location of Emilia's head.
Had Emilia been even a fraction of a moment late in lowering her head, she would have died.
The tail whip, and the twisting of space just now, after having climbed up to the top of the tower, Emilia had gotten countless near-death experiences.
She had perhaps never been in a situation wherein her life was endangered as much as this one.
Emilia: "But, since everything is being managed, that may mean I rea~lly can pull it off."
If the element of fate being her ally was letting Emilia live, then even every single breath Emilia was taking was the boon of good fortune, she positively interpreted the situation so.
Should she not do so, she would start losing heart due to the subsequent changes in the situation.
Becauseーー,
Volcanica: [ーーSatella.]
Having spread his wings once again, Volcanica was directing definite animosity towards this side.
Observing that, Emilia responded to the desire to stamp her feet. Just after she had thought Volcanica had seemingly returned to sanity, now retrogression.
In fact, unlike his earlier seemingly half-asleep state, he appeared to have greater determination than when it had Alzheimer's.
Emilia: "ーーIcicle Line."
Thus, Emilia liberated her magical strength with determined conviction, without holding back.
The atmosphere icily fissured, and slowly gave rise to white haze. Though this was still the uppermost stratum of the watchtower located above the clouds, it glaciated the world in white.
Making sound, what were slowly generated were arms of ice. ーーMaking them pull out lances as they stood on the floor, slowly turning them around, Emilia faced forward.
Once again, she had prepared to battle against Volcanica.
However, if the strike which swept Emilia's legs was a serious gambol on Volcanica's behalf, then she did not know if she would be able to deal with this previous attack.
Strength in an entirely different league compared to when he had Alzheimer'sーー no, he seemed to have Alzheimer's even now.
Staring into the opponent's amber eyes straight ahead, Emilia could not label Volcanica's attitude as simply having Alzheimer's.
After all, Volcanica's eyes were brimming with sadness, bitterness.
Volcanica: [Satella, yes, Satella. We must stop thee who hast been reduced to the『Witch of Envy』.]
Emilia: "...Were you close friends?"
Volcanica: [That day, I should not have hesitated. That day, had I not hesitated, everyone would haveーー]
No response to her question.
However, Volcanica's trembling voice itself seemed as though the answer.
The lamenting dragon took a deep inhale, and once again came the dragon breath that scorched the world white.
Prior to that, Emilia stepped ahead, and she must strike that white scale. Should she not do so, Emilia, and naturally, everyone else as well would be beyond saving.
Emilia: "ーーSubaru, Beatrice, Ram, Rem, Meili, Patrasche-chan, Echidna, Julius, Anastasia-san."
She thought of everyone who had come to this tower, and had suffered.
Everyone whom she must save, everyone who had their sights set on the same goal as her.
By doing so, an unknown strength welled up in the depths of Emilia's chest.
Volcanica: [ーー『Witch of Envy』, Satella!!]
Emilia: "ーーNo, that's wrong. I am the『Witch of Glaciation』of the great forest of Elior, Emilia."
Whilst bathing her entire body in the welling strength, Emilia responded with a loud voice the the『Divine Dragon』who seemed to be misunderstanding her with someone she seemed to be similar to.
Let the opponent be the『Divine Dragon』or whatever. ーーEmilia had everyone by her side.
Thusーー,
Emilia: "Even if just my name, properly remember it, okay!"
ーーThe final state of the game surrounding Pleiades Watchtower, a light erupted simultaneously above the clouds and in the heavens.