Arc 7, Chapter 58B "Neglected Ones"
--It was humiliating.
Biting fangs creak, organs seethe with rage, and souls crack with grief.
What was he doing when he is being played by lowlifes, driven into a corner without doing what he should be doing, and forced to cut the trump card he knew he shouldn't have cut?
"What a bummer."
The dragon's existence is a condition that should not be easily shown, and this is the abomination that he has exposed.
If there had been another dragoness, she would have killed Madelyn, who covered her face in shame because of her body, cursed it, and died of rage in anger directed at herself and others.
But that will not happen.
There are no other dragon people. Madelyn has always been alone. So--,
--The person who killed the thing he wanted as a companion has to be killed.
"Flop, I need your help. We need to carry this girl inside......"
On the edge of his fading consciousness, he heard someone's voice like that.
There was no who or what, it was a human voice. In the absence of other dragon people, everything that spoke in human language was only human and fundamentally different from him.
And his head burns at the most familiar humiliation inflicted by beings different from himself.
A red woman in a dress and a silver woman with snow in tow.
Those women, who have been working together with frightening precision, burn Madelyn's consciousness white.
As if guided, he raised himself up and stretched his arms toward the sound of the voice.
The thin back in front of him, tearing it apart, and then--,
"Call me a total idiot if you like."
Another, someone else's voice is heard, and the next moment the figure in front of him is replaced.
A thin back was pushed away, and someone thin was in front of him. That, a claw swung at the other person, and the feeling of a not-so-shallow sharpness gouging the flesh bounced back into his hand.
"----"
Blood sprays, and the slender body, struck by a blow from the dragon man's physical strength, collapses helplessly.
He did it, he didn't think. Ironically, the lack of response made him realize that the slender body he had torn apart was not an object of hatred that burned his guts.
And yet--,
"Who will be next......"
He tries to bark with his fangs, as if he wants to be torn apart by his own claws.
Kicking the body of the opponent he had just beaten to the ground with his feet, he tried to give himself over to the ferocity with which he was seeking his next prey. And so, seeing the fallen opponent's form--,
"......huh?"
A man with white skin stained with blood and long golden hair spread on the ground is lying on the ground.
It was a strange man. He can only roughly distinguish the faces of human races, but none of the faces he could distinguish was that of a man.
Therefore, it was not the man himself that caught his eye, but his belongings.
The thin chest plate of the fallen man, torn and exposed. There, smeared with blood, is an ornament made from the fangs of a beast that the man had been wearing around his neck.
--No, it is not the fangs of a beast.
It is, it is, it is it is it is it is it is.
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"----"
Flop came running up to him, pushed him off his shoulder, and Rem fell to the grass in the garden.
It's a force that is unexpected and unadded to where it's not expected. With no room to support her body, Rem's body falls flat on its side on the green.
But there was no need to question Flop who did it, about his sudden conduct.
For a far more eloquent answer was spread out before Rem in a bright red form.
"Flop!"
With her hands on the lawn, Rem's voice turns inside out at the sight.
In front of him, lying on his back where Rem had been a few seconds before, is Flop, his thin body deeply scarred from the shoulder to the waist.
Four blade-sharp scars cut raw across the front of Flop's body.
And Rem quickly understood that it was a wound that was the result of trying to protect him.
And that it was the girl whom Rem ran to help who did it.
"----"
A girl with sky-blue hair, she stands in a swinging arm position, blood dripping from the tips of her claws as she gouges the flesh of Flop.
Flop was wounded protecting Rem from a girl who was about to commit a violent act.
Immediately, Rem tried to raise herself up to see if she could see the wounds.
"Out of the way! Flop! Let me see your wounds...... Kyah!"
But as Rem tried to approach Flop, she was interrupted by a girl's thin arms. The girl took a step toward Flop in front of Rem, who was grabbed by the shoulder and pushed down.
No way, Rem's whole body was bloodied, wondering if she was going to tome Flop.
As it is, the girl's arm grabs Flop by the neck and roughly causes his body to fall.
And then--,
"Why are you lowering your dragon fangs...... carillon fangs?"
The girl asked this as if in a scream, with desperation and sadness in her profile.
For a moment, Rem's thoughts stop as she doesn't understand the question. But all the while, the girl was still asking, "Why the hell not!?" and repeated the question to Flop with her eyes closed.
There is no response from Flop to this, and his consciousness remains plunged into darkness. However, there is no doubt that the wounds on his body that are waking him up are bleeding unceasingly and the remaining fire of his life is getting weaker.
"Answer! Answer me! If you can't do that, then......"
"N-, no, please! He's unconscious! He's dying!"
"--tsk"
Rem clutched at the girl's arm as if to cling to her as she roughed in Flop. The girl's golden eyes turn around angrily in his way, but Rem also withstands the force of her eyes with his spirit.
How can you be overwhelmed when the life of Flop is on the line?
"Let me treat you right away! Otherwise, Flop will......"
"What's the point of having a medical allowance!? If you're going to die anyway, do it before you die......"
"I'll cast a healing spell! I can do healing magic!"
The girl's arms relaxed slightly at Rem's desperate plea.
There is no way to save a deeply wounded flop with mere medical attention. But healing magic is a different story. The girl's golden eyes reflected Rem properly for the first time.
"......can save you?"
"--. I'll do it. Whatever it takes......!"
"Then I'll do it quickly."
Did they trust Rem's words, or rather, did they understand that there was no other way?
The girl pressed Flop's body she had caused against Rem and told her so unilaterally. But there was no room for rebuffing that attitude.
"Awful......"
Checking the wounds on Flop that was handed over to her, Rem muttered to herself at the gruesomeness of it.
As if torn by the claws of a beast, Flop's white skin is marked with four scars. The wounds are deep and painful, as if a tree branch had gouged out the muddy mud.
The blood that continues to flow in a steady stream is held back by the cloth wrapped around Flop's head, and healing magic is applied over the wound - immediately after, Rem's entire body is overcome with a sense of fatigue.
"--tsk"
After having already performed healing magic on many people injured in the attack by the flying dragon.
Although they have limited their consumption by limiting it to those who inevitably need healing techniques, they had to use so much power against those who needed healing techniques that consumption was inevitable.
Then comes the treatment of the dying Flop. The mental burden is also heavy.
"Still, giving up is not an option......"
No, she told herself, and Rem focused her attention on Flop's wound.
As Rem concentrated, Priscilla's words suddenly came back to her. It was an advice to Rem, who was thinking about her memories, her way of being, and the role she should play.
In between the days she spent by Priscilla's side, she said, "I left Subaru and the others and stayed in town"--,
"Look not at the wound, but at life itself. For in the body of a living creature, there is not only blood, but also all sorts of invisible things. It is beyond that which the healing arts should grasp."
"What it is, I cannot reveal to a mistress who does not use the healing arts. For the sake of convenience, I call it life. You can call it whatever you like. It's just--"
"Remember, Rem. You are a poor girl who has lost her memory and her foundation. You have lost everything, but you have the power to heal people, and that is your true nature."
"No one can escape from themselves. Do not forget my words and be diligent."
"--See their lives."
It is not the painful wound itself, but the life itself that flows out of Flop and must be contained, or amplified, to hold life together.
The healing art is not merely to fill the gouged flesh, seal the wound, and relieve the pain.
More essentially, the healing arts are not magic that heals wounds, but magic that saves lives.
If you reach out to that awareness and art of interfering with life--.
--It should also be possible to save and save the life of Flop, which was almost lost.
"----"
Seeking the best of her limited remaining strength, Rem's healing techniques, sharpened to the utmost limit, are brought to their true value.
To tie up the threads of life that should be joined, to stem the flow of life that should be stayed, and to restore momentum to the fading light of life. --She will save the life of Flop.
"Flop......!"
The breathing grows thin and weak, and the color of the cheeks turns bloodless.
As both of them slowly begin to show signs of stability, Rem tries to draw a solid response. At Rem's call, Flop's long eyelashes quivered and his blue eyes opened thinly.
Flop is still in a foggy state of consciousness. But if she continues to apply the healing arts, she will be able to pick up his life.
Yes, Flop's lips quivered as Rem tried to breathe a sigh of relief.
Then, with a faint exhale, he tells them.
"......You, can't heal me."
"--Huh?"
The earworm-like words hit her eardrums, and Rem let out a snatched breath.
The surprise was so great that it disrupted her concentration and interfered with the activation of the healing technique. In front of Rem, who hurriedly adjusted his concentration on the healing technique, Flop's eyelids fell again and his consciousness sank.
This time, while focusing her healing magic on Flop, completely unconscious, and its wounds, Rem is confused about half of her mind, not knowing what he meant by his earlier words.
Why did Flop say that?
What on earth did he mean that he should not treat himself?
"Did you say something vague in your daze?"
That is a possibility. Considering the amount of blood that flowed, it is a miracle that he regained consciousness even for a moment.
It is no wonder that in his almost vague awareness, he said things that made no sense. But even after a brief association, the trust in Flop that Rem has is high.
Flop is always the one who thinks hard and gives his opinion.
What if the words of Flop now are also such a wielded by him?
It would be too dishonest to dismiss it as mere rambling.
"----"
Why did he say that he should not be cured?
--No, what did Flop say in the first place? Not not to be cured. Correctly, not not to cure.
"Can't I just let it all heal?"
The phrase "healed" is curious.
She doesn't stop to heal, but she tries to stop to heal to the end. But if she doesn't try to heal to the end, Flop's life will remain in jeopardy.
Rem's mana is limited. She doesn't see the point of doing that in the first place. Save Flop's life properly, and then--,
"--ah"
Thinking that far, Rem understands that her perception of her situation is off.
She was so desperately focused on treating Flop that she didn't see anything around her.
"----"
The girl who did this is standing behind Rem, who is healing the wounds of Flop. More to the point, a swarm of flying dragons is still flying over the rapidly cooling city, and fierce battles continue to rage in various parts of the city.
Nothing has turned things around. Even after the wounds from Flop have healed.
And that appeal of Flop reminded Rem of a possibility.
It is--,
"--Who are you, and where are you from?"
Rem asked this question to the girl behind him without turning around.
It wasn't a face-to-face word, but the girl would have known that Rem's question was about her. Soon she heard the girl snapping her fangs.
"You don't have time to talk like that. If you have time to worry about other things, get that man healed!"
"I, too, want to heal! But......"
"But, what!?"
"But! I can't concentrate because I'm wondering where you are and who you are. If I don't, the magic might not last."
Unable to think of a quick excuse, Rem made a terribly childish rebuttal. If this angered his opponent, it was no wonder that the claw that tore through Flop was pointed at Rem.
But the girl exhaled wildly in response to Rem's poor rebuttal, and,
"......Madelyn."
"......What?"
"Madelyn Eschart! The Imperial General!"
The girl, Madelyn, answered Rem's question in a tone of voice that could neither be described as angry nor impatient.
While some were surprised that the answer came back, the greater shock was Madelyn's title. She calls herself a general of the empire, and Rem knows what that means in this country.
And that understanding matched the suspicion of possibility that had sprouted in Rem.
In other words--,
"--? What are you doing? Why are you......"
"----"
"Why did you stop treating that man!?"
Taking a deep breath once, Rem retracts the hand she held over Flop wound.
Naturally, the healing technique to heal Flop's wounds was interrupted, and Madelyn bit at that fact. Madelyn grabbed Rem by the collar and forced her to turn toward her.
Intimidated by the power of her arms, Rem stoutly looked back at Madelyn.
And then--,
"Answer me! What the hell do you think you're doing!"
"--. If you want me to continue Mr. Flop's treatment, I have a condition."
"Conditions.....? You, out of the blue, what are you saying......"
"--Please let the herd of flying dragons that are attacking the city leave. Unless you agree to that condition, I cannot give him any further treatment."
Yes, she approached the girl who led the herd of flying dragons to negotiate head-on.
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--Do not heal yourself out of it.
Rem interpreted Flop's inexplicable language as a way to do this.
For reasons unknown, Madelyn is fixated on the survival of Flop. There is a reason for her obsession with Flop, and it can currently only be kept in Rem.
Negotiations to stop attacks on cities using Flop's life as a shield.
Rem was determined to carry out this outrageous act, which could have been called "bastardry" or "inhumanity to man".
She doesn't have any excuse that sounds good, that Flop wouldn't ever want this. She thought that if she used Flop's life in this way, she could save the city in this predicament.
Even if the truth of Flop's words was different, Rem had already started.
"Na......"
Madelyn can hardly believe her ears as she exclaims in disbelief at the demand that has been thrust upon her.
Of course. Rem was equally confused when she heard Flop's words. The same thing is happening to Madelyn. It is understandable.
But she have no sympathy for them. Not even Rem can afford it.
"----"
Slowly, the frustration of interrupting Flop's treatment burns in Rem's chest.
In her heart of hearts, she wants to resume the healing arts now and continue the process of saving Flop's life. This vanishing life on her fingertips is on the verge of returning.
In the meantime, Flop's possibilities are gradually closing.
"What are you going to do? Decide quickly."
Trying not to let her impatience show on her face, Rem pressed Madelyn to make a decision.
She will make her believe that she is the one who is being pushed into a corner, not her. By doing so, she wants to leave as little chance of Flop as possible.
The white light that shook the entire city earlier was still having a great impact, and Kuna and Holly, who were guarding the mansion, were nowhere to be seen. It will be some time before they return.
She cannot look outside to find a way out of this situation. It was up to Rem, this one arm.
"Madelyn, the time is--"
"--You can't underestimate a dragon."
"Guh......"
Further urging to make a decision is interrupted by the feeling of a palm pressing down on her throat.
Madelyn's small hand held Rem's neck, preventing her from saying another word. --No, Madelyn would not allow her to negotiate in the first place.
The golden eyes burning with anger curse Rem's barbarism in imposing the conditions.
The young appearance is not compared to the horrifyingly powerful demonic energy, which makes Rem's heart cower and she wants to withdraw her rash act right now.
The urge to grovel and beg forgiveness for her hubris.
But--,
"----"
She was reminded of Subaru, who stood in front of her to protect Rem against an equally powerful opponent.
Even though he was dressed in a jokey woman's outfit and in a very unwatchable disfigurement, Subaru stood there with his life on the line to protect Rem. -No, it was not just that scene.
In Rem's eyes, Subaru was not strong or special.
And yet, Subaru was frightened of the danger he was dealing with and never backed down.
Rem, watching Subaru's appearance, scolds herself for cowering in fear.
He said he couldn't look down, give up, etc.
He said he did not decide to stay because of such naive thinking and soft resolve.
"I, ......"
"What?"
"If you, kill me...... you, lose......"
Madelyn's eyes widened at Rem's pronouncement as she panted while being strangled.
If Madelyn were to kill Rem in a fit of rage, she would miss the opportunity to have a word with Flop.
In the end, the content and quality of the choices that Madelyn is forced to make are the same.
The choice is between destroying the city or saving Flop.
As a general of the empire, it would be Madelyn's mission to fulfill the role she was ordered to play. However, Rem saw in Madelyn's attitude and words and deeds a chance to win, however small.
Madelyn has a word she really wants to exchange with Flop. There is something she wants to make sure of. How important is it for Madelyn to be sure?
Rem saw the value in that, and she was willing to play the odds.
"--What, do you want me to do?"
"----"
"--Please choose. Do you kill people or do you let them live?"
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--The white-tinted consciousness gradually clears, and the world slowly turns color.
"--u"
With the awakening of consciousness, the whole body tasted a terribly heavy oppressive sensation.
It felt heavy, as if there was debris on top of her body, and it was pressing down on her entire body, making it hard to breathe. Somehow, she moves her arms to push it away.
"ngh, ......"
As she stretches her arms out from your cramped position, the pressure moves away with a loud thud.
Only then did she realize that she was really under the rubble, not imagining it, and it made sense why she was so breathless.
She was convinced and wondered why she was under the rubble--,
"--Yes. With Priscilla, fighting Madelyn."
Recalling the events just before, Emilia looked at the surrounding landscape.
What was spread out there was a cityscape of ruins that had become too bleak. Buildings were crumbling, their collapsed debris had been blown away, and the earth had been flattened.
Emilia gulped at the sight of the fallen leaves she had collected, as if they had been scattered by a strong wind.
The white snow falling here and there is the result of the icy space created by Emilia - a special technique named "Ice Age" by Subaru.
But it was another white thing falling from the sky that tinted Emilia's consciousness white.
That was--,
"--With an atmosphere similar to that of Volcanica."
The white light that fell from the clouds to the earth was a blow triggered by Madelyn's will.
Even though she did not know what was coming, Emilia, acting on a moment's notice, combined with Priscilla and put up a shield of ice to intercept the white light.
The layers of ice shields were shattered, and in the end, Priscilla's red treasure sword flashed--,
"Then I got buried and I couldn't......! Where's Priscilla!?"
Remembering what happened, Emilia begins to look for Priscilla, who is nowhere to be seen.
Since Emilia was under the rubble, it was no surprise that Priscilla, who was right next to her, suffered the same fate. If so, unlike the powerful Emilia, Priscilla could have been buried and never come out.
If she doesn't help her soon, it would be pitiful if she was shivering with inconsolability.
"Priscilla! Priscilla, where are you!? Answer me! I'll get you out right away......"
"--Peep-peep, shut up, half witch."
"Priscilla!?"
Pushing her aching body, Emilia turns over nearby debris. Then a voice answers her search, and Emilia hurriedly runs toward the sound of the voice.
Then she finds Priscilla against the wreckage of the collapsed wall, a pile of it.
Priscilla, sitting on the wreckage, gave a small sniff to Emilia, who rushed over in a great hurry.
"You're stubborn. You're alive?"
"Yeah, thanks for your concern. I know Priscilla isn't exactly well...... either. But I'm glad you're doing okay."
"Hmph."
Emilia, relieved, sighs in front of Priscilla, who looks a little more tired than usual. Her gorgeous red dress is torn here and there, and her white skin is stained with dust and bruises.
It looked so painful only to Priscilla, who is always so clean.
However, when Emilia lowered her eyebrows like that, Priscilla looked up at her in frustration and said, "Don't underestimate me."
"Don't make me laugh at your concern for my concubine. In fact, you and the concubine are enemies competing for the throne. It should be your true intention to wish for my downfall."
"You're being so mean again. I don't want Priscilla to get hurt. Besides, I don't want Priscilla to get hurt."
"What the fuck?"
"I'm a little surprised that you thought of me as an enemy."
Priscilla had thought that Emilia was out of her mind.
This assessment is surprising and gratifying to Emilia, who is aware that she has fallen behind other candidates for the royal election, such as Crusch, Anastasia, and Felt.
It feels like a recognition of her efforts to be lined up with those amazing people.
"----"
"Ah, but if Priscilla is safe, we have to move now. We don't know where Madelyn went, and we have to stop the city from being in danger......!"
She can only rejoice in Priscilla's safety once they are out of the crisis this city is experiencing.
In truth, she wanted Madelyn to stop the attack of the flying dragons, but since she could not find her even when she was looking for Priscilla, it is likely that she escaped.
If Madelyn could not be relied upon, Emilia and her team had to get rid of the flying dragon on their own.
Therefore, she thought she would rush to the aid of the flying dragon in a big hurry to the place where there are the most flying dragons.
"--Wait, half witch."
"I wish I could wait for you, but I can't take a break. We need to get a move on......"
"Not so. --The situation moves on."
Stopped from running off in a hurry, Emilia turns around and rolls her eyes, "Huh?"
Priscilla, who had held Emilia back, cupped her chin in a sitting position on the rubble. Emilia, taken by this gesture, looked up at the cloud-filled sky, which was sprinkling white snow.
Then she understood what Priscilla meant.
"......Flying dragon, gone?"
Emilia's vision, as she spilled this out, saw the flying dragons that had overrun the city skies and indiscriminately attacked people spread their wings and slowly move away from the city sky above.
For a moment, Emilia didn't know what that meant, and then she thought, "Maybe".
"I think Madelyn did us a favor......"
"Fool."
"I knew it wasn't? But I think Madelyn is the only one who can order the flying dragons to leave......"
The most pleasant possibility is denied by Priscilla, and Emilia ponders this.
Of course, even a flying dragon that follows someone's orders would not commit suicide by throwing away its own life in vain. They will retreat if they are losing, and they may even flee in a hurry if, for example, the leader of the herd is defeated.
However, would Madelyn's defeat count as a loss for the head of her flock?
Even if Madelyn thought she had lost, she could have been talking about that one shot from above the clouds that Emilia and Priscilla both failed to stop.
Rather, it was Emilia and the others who were in danger.
Madelyn could still continue to fight if she continued to fight with the flying dragons.
And yet--,
"Then I guess we have a reason to back down."
"Why should I back down? What's that?"
"Even mistresses can't see through everything. The 'cloud dragon' was exposed and Madelyn was ordered to retreat. Or......"
Emilia waited to see what Priscilla would say.
She let that Emilia's expectation last for a few seconds, while Priscilla watched the flying dragon moving away from her.
"--Have you found something that takes precedence over the orders of the Imperial City?"
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--The correctness of Priscilla's reasoning will be revealed after the herd of flying dragons has left.
The hordes of flying dragons that drove the fortress city to the brink of destruction and inflicted damage on numerous residents and defenders, and the assault by the "Flying Dragon General" Madelyn Eschart, who led the hordes.
Then came the harsh ice season, which was unbecoming of the Vollachian Empire, and a terrifying white light from above the clouds that brought destruction to the entire city. The city was shaken by an unexpected lifesaver.
Even if they want to rebuild, they must first ascertain the depth of the wounds they have received and whether they can be healed. It is a daunting and arduous task, like counting the drops of blood that have flowed.
Before the survivors of the walled cities begin to move on them, there is one fact that should be added.
Madelyn Eschart, the "Flying Dragon General", retreating with a herd of flying dragons.
Two people disappeared at the same time from the fortress city where she flew away with her flying dragon.
--That a merchant named Flop O'Connell and a girl named Rem had vanished without a trace.
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--It was humiliating.
Biting fangs creak, organs seethe with rage, and souls crack with grief.
What was he doing when he is being played by lowlifes, driven into a corner without doing what he should be doing, and forced to cut the trump card he knew he shouldn't have cut?
"What a bummer."
The dragon's existence is a condition that should not be easily shown, and this is the abomination that he has exposed.
If there had been another dragoness, she would have killed Madelyn, who covered her face in shame because of her body, cursed it, and died of rage in anger directed at herself and others.
But that will not happen.
There are no other dragon people. Madelyn has always been alone. So--,
--The person who killed the thing he wanted as a companion has to be killed.
"Flop, I need your help. We need to carry this girl inside......"
On the edge of his fading consciousness, he heard someone's voice like that.
There was no who or what, it was a human voice. In the absence of other dragon people, everything that spoke in human language was only human and fundamentally different from him.
And his head burns at the most familiar humiliation inflicted by beings different from himself.
A red woman in a dress and a silver woman with snow in tow.
Those women, who have been working together with frightening precision, burn Madelyn's consciousness white.
As if guided, he raised himself up and stretched his arms toward the sound of the voice.
The thin back in front of him, tearing it apart, and then--,
"Call me a total idiot if you like."
Another, someone else's voice is heard, and the next moment the figure in front of him is replaced.
A thin back was pushed away, and someone thin was in front of him. That, a claw swung at the other person, and the feeling of a not-so-shallow sharpness gouging the flesh bounced back into his hand.
"----"
Blood sprays, and the slender body, struck by a blow from the dragon man's physical strength, collapses helplessly.
He did it, he didn't think. Ironically, the lack of response made him realize that the slender body he had torn apart was not an object of hatred that burned his guts.
And yet--,
"Who will be next......"
He tries to bark with his fangs, as if he wants to be torn apart by his own claws.
Kicking the body of the opponent he had just beaten to the ground with his feet, he tried to give himself over to the ferocity with which he was seeking his next prey. And so, seeing the fallen opponent's form--,
"......huh?"
A man with white skin stained with blood and long golden hair spread on the ground is lying on the ground.
It was a strange man. He can only roughly distinguish the faces of human races, but none of the faces he could distinguish was that of a man.
Therefore, it was not the man himself that caught his eye, but his belongings.
The thin chest plate of the fallen man, torn and exposed. There, smeared with blood, is an ornament made from the fangs of a beast that the man had been wearing around his neck.
--No, it is not the fangs of a beast.
It is, it is, it is it is it is it is it is.
△▼△▼△▼△
"----"
Flop came running up to him, pushed him off his shoulder, and Rem fell to the grass in the garden.
It's a force that is unexpected and unadded to where it's not expected. With no room to support her body, Rem's body falls flat on its side on the green.
But there was no need to question Flop who did it, about his sudden conduct.
For a far more eloquent answer was spread out before Rem in a bright red form.
"Flop!"
With her hands on the lawn, Rem's voice turns inside out at the sight.
In front of him, lying on his back where Rem had been a few seconds before, is Flop, his thin body deeply scarred from the shoulder to the waist.
Four blade-sharp scars cut raw across the front of Flop's body.
And Rem quickly understood that it was a wound that was the result of trying to protect him.
And that it was the girl whom Rem ran to help who did it.
"----"
A girl with sky-blue hair, she stands in a swinging arm position, blood dripping from the tips of her claws as she gouges the flesh of Flop.
Flop was wounded protecting Rem from a girl who was about to commit a violent act.
Immediately, Rem tried to raise herself up to see if she could see the wounds.
"Out of the way! Flop! Let me see your wounds...... Kyah!"
But as Rem tried to approach Flop, she was interrupted by a girl's thin arms. The girl took a step toward Flop in front of Rem, who was grabbed by the shoulder and pushed down.
No way, Rem's whole body was bloodied, wondering if she was going to tome Flop.
As it is, the girl's arm grabs Flop by the neck and roughly causes his body to fall.
And then--,
"Why are you lowering your dragon fangs...... carillon fangs?"
The girl asked this as if in a scream, with desperation and sadness in her profile.
For a moment, Rem's thoughts stop as she doesn't understand the question. But all the while, the girl was still asking, "Why the hell not!?" and repeated the question to Flop with her eyes closed.
There is no response from Flop to this, and his consciousness remains plunged into darkness. However, there is no doubt that the wounds on his body that are waking him up are bleeding unceasingly and the remaining fire of his life is getting weaker.
"Answer! Answer me! If you can't do that, then......"
"N-, no, please! He's unconscious! He's dying!"
"--tsk"
Rem clutched at the girl's arm as if to cling to her as she roughed in Flop. The girl's golden eyes turn around angrily in his way, but Rem also withstands the force of her eyes with his spirit.
How can you be overwhelmed when the life of Flop is on the line?
"Let me treat you right away! Otherwise, Flop will......"
"What's the point of having a medical allowance!? If you're going to die anyway, do it before you die......"
"I'll cast a healing spell! I can do healing magic!"
The girl's arms relaxed slightly at Rem's desperate plea.
There is no way to save a deeply wounded flop with mere medical attention. But healing magic is a different story. The girl's golden eyes reflected Rem properly for the first time.
"......can save you?"
"--. I'll do it. Whatever it takes......!"
"Then I'll do it quickly."
Did they trust Rem's words, or rather, did they understand that there was no other way?
The girl pressed Flop's body she had caused against Rem and told her so unilaterally. But there was no room for rebuffing that attitude.
"Awful......"
Checking the wounds on Flop that was handed over to her, Rem muttered to herself at the gruesomeness of it.
As if torn by the claws of a beast, Flop's white skin is marked with four scars. The wounds are deep and painful, as if a tree branch had gouged out the muddy mud.
The blood that continues to flow in a steady stream is held back by the cloth wrapped around Flop's head, and healing magic is applied over the wound - immediately after, Rem's entire body is overcome with a sense of fatigue.
"--tsk"
After having already performed healing magic on many people injured in the attack by the flying dragon.
Although they have limited their consumption by limiting it to those who inevitably need healing techniques, they had to use so much power against those who needed healing techniques that consumption was inevitable.
Then comes the treatment of the dying Flop. The mental burden is also heavy.
"Still, giving up is not an option......"
No, she told herself, and Rem focused her attention on Flop's wound.
As Rem concentrated, Priscilla's words suddenly came back to her. It was an advice to Rem, who was thinking about her memories, her way of being, and the role she should play.
In between the days she spent by Priscilla's side, she said, "I left Subaru and the others and stayed in town"--,
"Look not at the wound, but at life itself. For in the body of a living creature, there is not only blood, but also all sorts of invisible things. It is beyond that which the healing arts should grasp."
"What it is, I cannot reveal to a mistress who does not use the healing arts. For the sake of convenience, I call it life. You can call it whatever you like. It's just--"
"Remember, Rem. You are a poor girl who has lost her memory and her foundation. You have lost everything, but you have the power to heal people, and that is your true nature."
"No one can escape from themselves. Do not forget my words and be diligent."
"--See their lives."
It is not the painful wound itself, but the life itself that flows out of Flop and must be contained, or amplified, to hold life together.
The healing art is not merely to fill the gouged flesh, seal the wound, and relieve the pain.
More essentially, the healing arts are not magic that heals wounds, but magic that saves lives.
If you reach out to that awareness and art of interfering with life--.
--It should also be possible to save and save the life of Flop, which was almost lost.
"----"
Seeking the best of her limited remaining strength, Rem's healing techniques, sharpened to the utmost limit, are brought to their true value.
To tie up the threads of life that should be joined, to stem the flow of life that should be stayed, and to restore momentum to the fading light of life. --She will save the life of Flop.
"Flop......!"
The breathing grows thin and weak, and the color of the cheeks turns bloodless.
As both of them slowly begin to show signs of stability, Rem tries to draw a solid response. At Rem's call, Flop's long eyelashes quivered and his blue eyes opened thinly.
Flop is still in a foggy state of consciousness. But if she continues to apply the healing arts, she will be able to pick up his life.
Yes, Flop's lips quivered as Rem tried to breathe a sigh of relief.
Then, with a faint exhale, he tells them.
"......You, can't heal me."
"--Huh?"
The earworm-like words hit her eardrums, and Rem let out a snatched breath.
The surprise was so great that it disrupted her concentration and interfered with the activation of the healing technique. In front of Rem, who hurriedly adjusted his concentration on the healing technique, Flop's eyelids fell again and his consciousness sank.
This time, while focusing her healing magic on Flop, completely unconscious, and its wounds, Rem is confused about half of her mind, not knowing what he meant by his earlier words.
Why did Flop say that?
What on earth did he mean that he should not treat himself?
"Did you say something vague in your daze?"
That is a possibility. Considering the amount of blood that flowed, it is a miracle that he regained consciousness even for a moment.
It is no wonder that in his almost vague awareness, he said things that made no sense. But even after a brief association, the trust in Flop that Rem has is high.
Flop is always the one who thinks hard and gives his opinion.
What if the words of Flop now are also such a wielded by him?
It would be too dishonest to dismiss it as mere rambling.
"----"
Why did he say that he should not be cured?
--No, what did Flop say in the first place? Not not to be cured. Correctly, not not to cure.
"Can't I just let it all heal?"
The phrase "healed" is curious.
She doesn't stop to heal, but she tries to stop to heal to the end. But if she doesn't try to heal to the end, Flop's life will remain in jeopardy.
Rem's mana is limited. She doesn't see the point of doing that in the first place. Save Flop's life properly, and then--,
"--ah"
Thinking that far, Rem understands that her perception of her situation is off.
She was so desperately focused on treating Flop that she didn't see anything around her.
"----"
The girl who did this is standing behind Rem, who is healing the wounds of Flop. More to the point, a swarm of flying dragons is still flying over the rapidly cooling city, and fierce battles continue to rage in various parts of the city.
Nothing has turned things around. Even after the wounds from Flop have healed.
And that appeal of Flop reminded Rem of a possibility.
It is--,
"--Who are you, and where are you from?"
Rem asked this question to the girl behind him without turning around.
It wasn't a face-to-face word, but the girl would have known that Rem's question was about her. Soon she heard the girl snapping her fangs.
"You don't have time to talk like that. If you have time to worry about other things, get that man healed!"
"I, too, want to heal! But......"
"But, what!?"
"But! I can't concentrate because I'm wondering where you are and who you are. If I don't, the magic might not last."
Unable to think of a quick excuse, Rem made a terribly childish rebuttal. If this angered his opponent, it was no wonder that the claw that tore through Flop was pointed at Rem.
But the girl exhaled wildly in response to Rem's poor rebuttal, and,
"......Madelyn."
"......What?"
"Madelyn Eschart! The Imperial General!"
The girl, Madelyn, answered Rem's question in a tone of voice that could neither be described as angry nor impatient.
While some were surprised that the answer came back, the greater shock was Madelyn's title. She calls herself a general of the empire, and Rem knows what that means in this country.
And that understanding matched the suspicion of possibility that had sprouted in Rem.
In other words--,
"--? What are you doing? Why are you......"
"----"
"Why did you stop treating that man!?"
Taking a deep breath once, Rem retracts the hand she held over Flop wound.
Naturally, the healing technique to heal Flop's wounds was interrupted, and Madelyn bit at that fact. Madelyn grabbed Rem by the collar and forced her to turn toward her.
Intimidated by the power of her arms, Rem stoutly looked back at Madelyn.
And then--,
"Answer me! What the hell do you think you're doing!"
"--. If you want me to continue Mr. Flop's treatment, I have a condition."
"Conditions.....? You, out of the blue, what are you saying......"
"--Please let the herd of flying dragons that are attacking the city leave. Unless you agree to that condition, I cannot give him any further treatment."
Yes, she approached the girl who led the herd of flying dragons to negotiate head-on.
△▼△▼△▼△
--Do not heal yourself out of it.
Rem interpreted Flop's inexplicable language as a way to do this.
For reasons unknown, Madelyn is fixated on the survival of Flop. There is a reason for her obsession with Flop, and it can currently only be kept in Rem.
Negotiations to stop attacks on cities using Flop's life as a shield.
Rem was determined to carry out this outrageous act, which could have been called "bastardry" or "inhumanity to man".
She doesn't have any excuse that sounds good, that Flop wouldn't ever want this. She thought that if she used Flop's life in this way, she could save the city in this predicament.
Even if the truth of Flop's words was different, Rem had already started.
"Na......"
Madelyn can hardly believe her ears as she exclaims in disbelief at the demand that has been thrust upon her.
Of course. Rem was equally confused when she heard Flop's words. The same thing is happening to Madelyn. It is understandable.
But she have no sympathy for them. Not even Rem can afford it.
"----"
Slowly, the frustration of interrupting Flop's treatment burns in Rem's chest.
In her heart of hearts, she wants to resume the healing arts now and continue the process of saving Flop's life. This vanishing life on her fingertips is on the verge of returning.
In the meantime, Flop's possibilities are gradually closing.
"What are you going to do? Decide quickly."
Trying not to let her impatience show on her face, Rem pressed Madelyn to make a decision.
She will make her believe that she is the one who is being pushed into a corner, not her. By doing so, she wants to leave as little chance of Flop as possible.
The white light that shook the entire city earlier was still having a great impact, and Kuna and Holly, who were guarding the mansion, were nowhere to be seen. It will be some time before they return.
She cannot look outside to find a way out of this situation. It was up to Rem, this one arm.
"Madelyn, the time is--"
"--You can't underestimate a dragon."
"Guh......"
Further urging to make a decision is interrupted by the feeling of a palm pressing down on her throat.
Madelyn's small hand held Rem's neck, preventing her from saying another word. --No, Madelyn would not allow her to negotiate in the first place.
The golden eyes burning with anger curse Rem's barbarism in imposing the conditions.
The young appearance is not compared to the horrifyingly powerful demonic energy, which makes Rem's heart cower and she wants to withdraw her rash act right now.
The urge to grovel and beg forgiveness for her hubris.
But--,
"----"
She was reminded of Subaru, who stood in front of her to protect Rem against an equally powerful opponent.
Even though he was dressed in a jokey woman's outfit and in a very unwatchable disfigurement, Subaru stood there with his life on the line to protect Rem. -No, it was not just that scene.
In Rem's eyes, Subaru was not strong or special.
And yet, Subaru was frightened of the danger he was dealing with and never backed down.
Rem, watching Subaru's appearance, scolds herself for cowering in fear.
He said he couldn't look down, give up, etc.
He said he did not decide to stay because of such naive thinking and soft resolve.
"I, ......"
"What?"
"If you, kill me...... you, lose......"
Madelyn's eyes widened at Rem's pronouncement as she panted while being strangled.
If Madelyn were to kill Rem in a fit of rage, she would miss the opportunity to have a word with Flop.
In the end, the content and quality of the choices that Madelyn is forced to make are the same.
The choice is between destroying the city or saving Flop.
As a general of the empire, it would be Madelyn's mission to fulfill the role she was ordered to play. However, Rem saw in Madelyn's attitude and words and deeds a chance to win, however small.
Madelyn has a word she really wants to exchange with Flop. There is something she wants to make sure of. How important is it for Madelyn to be sure?
Rem saw the value in that, and she was willing to play the odds.
"--What, do you want me to do?"
"----"
"--Please choose. Do you kill people or do you let them live?"
△▼△▼△▼△
--The white-tinted consciousness gradually clears, and the world slowly turns color.
"--u"
With the awakening of consciousness, the whole body tasted a terribly heavy oppressive sensation.
It felt heavy, as if there was debris on top of her body, and it was pressing down on her entire body, making it hard to breathe. Somehow, she moves her arms to push it away.
"ngh, ......"
As she stretches her arms out from your cramped position, the pressure moves away with a loud thud.
Only then did she realize that she was really under the rubble, not imagining it, and it made sense why she was so breathless.
She was convinced and wondered why she was under the rubble--,
"--Yes. With Priscilla, fighting Madelyn."
Recalling the events just before, Emilia looked at the surrounding landscape.
What was spread out there was a cityscape of ruins that had become too bleak. Buildings were crumbling, their collapsed debris had been blown away, and the earth had been flattened.
Emilia gulped at the sight of the fallen leaves she had collected, as if they had been scattered by a strong wind.
The white snow falling here and there is the result of the icy space created by Emilia - a special technique named "Ice Age" by Subaru.
But it was another white thing falling from the sky that tinted Emilia's consciousness white.
That was--,
"--With an atmosphere similar to that of Volcanica."
The white light that fell from the clouds to the earth was a blow triggered by Madelyn's will.
Even though she did not know what was coming, Emilia, acting on a moment's notice, combined with Priscilla and put up a shield of ice to intercept the white light.
The layers of ice shields were shattered, and in the end, Priscilla's red treasure sword flashed--,
"Then I got buried and I couldn't......! Where's Priscilla!?"
Remembering what happened, Emilia begins to look for Priscilla, who is nowhere to be seen.
Since Emilia was under the rubble, it was no surprise that Priscilla, who was right next to her, suffered the same fate. If so, unlike the powerful Emilia, Priscilla could have been buried and never come out.
If she doesn't help her soon, it would be pitiful if she was shivering with inconsolability.
"Priscilla! Priscilla, where are you!? Answer me! I'll get you out right away......"
"--Peep-peep, shut up, half witch."
"Priscilla!?"
Pushing her aching body, Emilia turns over nearby debris. Then a voice answers her search, and Emilia hurriedly runs toward the sound of the voice.
Then she finds Priscilla against the wreckage of the collapsed wall, a pile of it.
Priscilla, sitting on the wreckage, gave a small sniff to Emilia, who rushed over in a great hurry.
"You're stubborn. You're alive?"
"Yeah, thanks for your concern. I know Priscilla isn't exactly well...... either. But I'm glad you're doing okay."
"Hmph."
Emilia, relieved, sighs in front of Priscilla, who looks a little more tired than usual. Her gorgeous red dress is torn here and there, and her white skin is stained with dust and bruises.
It looked so painful only to Priscilla, who is always so clean.
However, when Emilia lowered her eyebrows like that, Priscilla looked up at her in frustration and said, "Don't underestimate me."
"Don't make me laugh at your concern for my concubine. In fact, you and the concubine are enemies competing for the throne. It should be your true intention to wish for my downfall."
"You're being so mean again. I don't want Priscilla to get hurt. Besides, I don't want Priscilla to get hurt."
"What the fuck?"
"I'm a little surprised that you thought of me as an enemy."
Priscilla had thought that Emilia was out of her mind.
This assessment is surprising and gratifying to Emilia, who is aware that she has fallen behind other candidates for the royal election, such as Crusch, Anastasia, and Felt.
It feels like a recognition of her efforts to be lined up with those amazing people.
"----"
"Ah, but if Priscilla is safe, we have to move now. We don't know where Madelyn went, and we have to stop the city from being in danger......!"
She can only rejoice in Priscilla's safety once they are out of the crisis this city is experiencing.
In truth, she wanted Madelyn to stop the attack of the flying dragons, but since she could not find her even when she was looking for Priscilla, it is likely that she escaped.
If Madelyn could not be relied upon, Emilia and her team had to get rid of the flying dragon on their own.
Therefore, she thought she would rush to the aid of the flying dragon in a big hurry to the place where there are the most flying dragons.
"--Wait, half witch."
"I wish I could wait for you, but I can't take a break. We need to get a move on......"
"Not so. --The situation moves on."
Stopped from running off in a hurry, Emilia turns around and rolls her eyes, "Huh?"
Priscilla, who had held Emilia back, cupped her chin in a sitting position on the rubble. Emilia, taken by this gesture, looked up at the cloud-filled sky, which was sprinkling white snow.
Then she understood what Priscilla meant.
"......Flying dragon, gone?"
Emilia's vision, as she spilled this out, saw the flying dragons that had overrun the city skies and indiscriminately attacked people spread their wings and slowly move away from the city sky above.
For a moment, Emilia didn't know what that meant, and then she thought, "Maybe".
"I think Madelyn did us a favor......"
"Fool."
"I knew it wasn't? But I think Madelyn is the only one who can order the flying dragons to leave......"
The most pleasant possibility is denied by Priscilla, and Emilia ponders this.
Of course, even a flying dragon that follows someone's orders would not commit suicide by throwing away its own life in vain. They will retreat if they are losing, and they may even flee in a hurry if, for example, the leader of the herd is defeated.
However, would Madelyn's defeat count as a loss for the head of her flock?
Even if Madelyn thought she had lost, she could have been talking about that one shot from above the clouds that Emilia and Priscilla both failed to stop.
Rather, it was Emilia and the others who were in danger.
Madelyn could still continue to fight if she continued to fight with the flying dragons.
And yet--,
"Then I guess we have a reason to back down."
"Why should I back down? What's that?"
"Even mistresses can't see through everything. The 'cloud dragon' was exposed and Madelyn was ordered to retreat. Or......"
Emilia waited to see what Priscilla would say.
She let that Emilia's expectation last for a few seconds, while Priscilla watched the flying dragon moving away from her.
"--Have you found something that takes precedence over the orders of the Imperial City?"
△▼△▼△▼△
--The correctness of Priscilla's reasoning will be revealed after the herd of flying dragons has left.
The hordes of flying dragons that drove the fortress city to the brink of destruction and inflicted damage on numerous residents and defenders, and the assault by the "Flying Dragon General" Madelyn Eschart, who led the hordes.
Then came the harsh ice season, which was unbecoming of the Vollachian Empire, and a terrifying white light from above the clouds that brought destruction to the entire city. The city was shaken by an unexpected lifesaver.
Even if they want to rebuild, they must first ascertain the depth of the wounds they have received and whether they can be healed. It is a daunting and arduous task, like counting the drops of blood that have flowed.
Before the survivors of the walled cities begin to move on them, there is one fact that should be added.
Madelyn Eschart, the "Flying Dragon General", retreating with a herd of flying dragons.
Two people disappeared at the same time from the fortress city where she flew away with her flying dragon.
--That a merchant named Flop O'Connell and a girl named Rem had vanished without a trace.