Arc 7, Chapter 96 "Painted with Deep Love"
-- The "Steel Man" Mogro Hagane, one of the "Nine Divine Generals".
Only a few in the Vollachia Empire know that he is not really a steel man.
The original Steel People were born with their bodies composed of inorganic materials such as minerals and metals, and were born as a kind of being in between human and material. The Bladesmen, who have metal parts in their bodies, are thought to be a race derived from the Steel People, and there are many unknowns about their different ecology.
Although they are not as rare as dragons, the Steel Tribe, which is distinct from humans not only in appearance but also in mentality, overwhelms even dragons in terms of the difficulty of communicating.
In a sense, the Steel Man is a more difficult being to contact than a spirit with whom one can converse as long as one has the right background.
Therefore, Mogro, who has risen to the position of the first Imperial General and is even easier to deal with than the other "Nine Divine Generals" who have many problems, is recognized as a heretic among the steel men.
In reality, however, this is not the case. Mogro is simply a self-proclaimed steelman who takes advantage of his own appearance and the race traits of steelmen who do not relate to others.
And because of his Mogro Hagane identity, Abel was certain.
--Mogro is one of the biggest obstacles in this decisive battle for the capture of the Imperial City.
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"----"
He was launched into a shock that seized his entire body and his eyes met those of a being so mighty.
He was convinced that his fate had finally come to an end, that he would be struck by a series of blows and his life would be shattered. --That's what he expected.
"Kafu--"
Lungs that had deflated to the extreme swell up, and the pain awakens Heinkel's consciousness.
When his interrupted consciousness returned, the first thing he felt was a hard, big feeling supporting his back - the ground. The body that had been launched into the sky and was to be scattered in the air was on the ground.
Recognizing this fact, confusion occupied his mind. Why, why, what was going on?
But as soon as his brain understood that he was alive--,
"The Sword is......"
His body was in pain, and his free hand could not feel the hilt of his sword. He quickly reached out with his other hand to his waist, but the scabbard he had lowered there was also weightless.
Necks craning, vision of the too-loud ringing in his ears gunning for his brain, Heinkel's breath escapes him as he spots a sword sticking out of him and into the ground at an angle.
Gone or lost, with the sensation of his whole body bouncing noisily as if his heart had turned into an ungodly impatience--,
"--Shit."
After going through all those things, he hated himself for worrying about losing his sword.
It seemed as if that momentary movement of his heart symbolized his half-heartedness as it was.
"What is......"
Heinkel shakes off the bitter sentiments, adding more factors to his self-hatred.
Not dead. Living. But that in itself was strange.
At that moment, Heinkel's eyes met those of the being who called himself one of the "Nine Divine Generals," and he was confronted with a definite intent to kill. --He was told in no uncertain terms that he was going to kill him.
In fact, Heinkel, who had been launched into the air, would have been helplessly scattered and killed by a single blow.
Why didn't it happen? Seeking the answer, he looked around--,
"--Ah?"
A voice of dismay leaks out.
But that was to be expected. That's how ridiculous what Heinkel saw was. It was too, too far from reality.
--The world is split in two with Heinkel at the center, depicting a different hell.
In the sky to the right, thick clouds made of red-hot flames envelop the scorching world.
In the sky to the left, a huge majestic figure clad in white clouds spreads its wings and glares at the frozen earth.
"Burning Skies and White Dragons......"
Heinkel was stunned by the sight, which should not have happened, and muttered to himself.
Or perhaps he was wrong to feel that way about not being dead. Heinkel was already dead, hence such an out-of-this-world sight.
"--"
A world beyond the limits of acceptance stirs the thoughts of those who wished to escape reality.
What made Heinkel do so was that his entire body, lying on the ground with his upper body up, was unexpectedly covered by a black shadow.
He didn't want to think that a second dragon had crossed right over hi, but--,
"Oooooooh--?!"
Heinkel's throat screams as he looks up at the sky and sees what the shadow is.
Flying past overhead at a tremendous speed, spinning through the sky, was a huge boulder that looked like a house - and not just one or two.
One after another, the wrong scale of projectiles passed overhead, flying from Heinkel's head side toward his toes in a terrifyingly torrential wind.
And that's where it was headed--,
"----"
With a thud, the impact of the collision roared through the world, and Heinkel was lifted off his buttocks by a tremor that made him think the ground had coughed him up.
It echoed out in a series of stand-up calls, and he got up on the spot in a hurry.
Huge projectiles were thrown one after another, and the one that hit the target in succession was a tremendously large figure that also had the wrong sense of scale - it was the castle wall itself, which had risen up.
"......Mogro Hagane."
Heinkel had to taste with his whole being, through visual information, that this was one of the nine most feared people in the empire.
He wanted to think that what he had witnessed on the verge of his consciousness was either an optical illusion or a hallucination of his fearful, cowering nature, but it was neither.
--Mogro, now several tens of meters or even more massive, literally stand as the third apex that Heinkel and his team should have originally attacked.
Literally, yes literally.
Is there any situation in the world in which the word "literally" is more appropriate than this?
Rising to its knees in place, the humanoid rampart performs an incredible defensive maneuver, using the ripped-out farmland and paved streets as its own arms and torso.
Under the feet of the giant body, the stone dolls that Heinkel had so eagerly slashed down were swarming, and the giant fist that struck down over their heads was like a city falling.
"----"
A large rock crashes repeatedly against the huge body.
The reason for this is the quarries on the way to the imperial capital, the site of the decisive battle, and the rock formations prepared for the siege by collapsing the cliffs between the steep mountains.
And the one who keeps throwing it at the giant mogul, who should have been in the main camp looking for an opportunity to launch a sortie--,
"--Yorna Mishigure's man."
The correct term is the inhabitants of the Demon City Chaos Flame, which was ruled by Yorna.
The only thing they have in common that is clear is that they are united by a clear common denominator: a mixed unit with no uniformity with the horned race, the skalenges, the beastmen, and the polypods, and they are all in formation.
--All of them have one thing in common - they all have a red flame in one eye and high morale.
Here, too, a group of people, literally with their eyes burning with the will to fight, carried an incredibly large rock, even though it took multiple people to carry it, and threw the projectile a ridiculous distance.
However, Heinkel's view is that it is doubtful that Mogro, which are directly hit by the large rocks, have suffered any damage.
Of course, the walls and farmlands that make up the Mogro crumble and are broken by the direct impact of the large rocks. However, as if to repair the broken parts, the large rocks themselves that were struck are used as materials to form the next giant body of Mogro, and the attack is rightly offset.
Even from a distance, the senselessness of the attack is palpable.
Nevertheless, the reason why they still do not stop their projectiles is simple and obvious. --While their attacks are holding back Mogro's huge body, the other rebels are furiously attacking.
"......That's ridiculous."
Heinkel also overheard. This third vertex was the most fragile in terms of defenses compared to the other vertices.
But that should have been before Mogro Hagane rose up and began to block the way with all of its massive body. Nonetheless, the operation was not renewed, or perhaps the rebels who had chosen to retreat on other battlefields joined them, and the force still continued to swell.
Among them seem to be the "People of Shudrak" who were fighting alongside Heinkel.
"It's ridiculous."
Heinkel's emotion leaked out in a clearer sound than before.
It's ridiculous. It's ridiculous, that's all he can say. What else can he say? In this place where there is nothing but hell whether you look right or left, up or down, forward or backward.
What else can Heinkel say?
"Please, please, please, you're out of your fucking minds...... you guys! All of you! You're all out of your minds!"
Heinkel found himself clinging to his sword, which was standing on the ground.
Leaning his weight on the hilt of his sword, which is thrust into the ground, he scolds his shaking knees and grits his teeth. They are all out of their minds. Their mentality is incomprehensible.
He knew it was impossible. It was just impossible, impossible, impossible.
"What's wrong with you, man......"
Heinkel's throat quivers weakly as he leans on his sword without effort.
Around Heinkel, whose head is limp and bowed, flames, dragons, and giant soldiers shake the world. Is it really such a sin not to stand up to this?
If that's the case--,
"I'm......"
Yes, it was right after Heinkel let it slip.
The sound of light hoofbeats echoed as a chestnut gale horse kicked past Heinkel. Heinkel looked up, his red hair blowing in the wind that the gale had created.
And then--,
"----"
For a moment, Heinkel's gaze crosses with a man with a round haircut astride a gale horse.
This is Zikr Osman. He is a rebel who worked in the main camp as Abel's right hand man who commanded the rebels and was himself a "general" of the Vollachia Empire, but rebelled against his country.
A man who had himself a sword, who had stated that he was inferior in his ability to fight, and who in fact, in Heinkel's eyes, should have been a force to be reckoned with as an individual fighter, passed Heinkel by.
--Leaving a disdainful look at Heinkel, who bends the knee here the moment he passes by.
"For me it's......"
A gale horse gallops across the battlefield past Heinkel, who bends to his knees.
As if following the heroic figure of Zikr, the rebels gathering from various battlegrounds move forward. They plunge into the walls of Mogro Hagane.
Heinkel, looking at them, is still leaning on his sword, unable to move.
Unable to move--,
"......I knew I couldn't do it, Louanna."
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As he passed the red-haired swordsman, who was kneeling on the battlefield and drooping to the ground as if his will to fight had been broken, Zikr Osman's heart was filled with compassion for the man who was following the natural course of life.
The Red Lady, who calls herself Priscilla Bariel, gives her name proudly to this rebellion. The swordsman who joins her as one of her followers is probably not even from Vollachia.
It is too much to ask such a man to be forced to live in an empire in which the people of the empire are supposed to be strong and powerful.
"I can't say that I myself follow that way of being."
With sword in hand and rocking on the back of his beloved horse, Leidy, Zikr mocks himself.
Although he is thus putting on a brave face, Zikr's position as a "general" is largely due to the fact that he has taken advantage of the prestige that his Ottoman predecessors have accumulated.
If Zikr had not come from a military family, and had been a soldier who had been beaten up from the ranks like the rest of the soldiers, he would not have been able to make a career for himself without his sword talent.
He doesn't bemoan that. Of course, Zikr is a man of the empire.
He has a yearning to be like the "Nine Divine Generals" who wield swords on the front lines and change the war situation with a single swing of their sword.
But just as no one can replace Zikr's position, neither can Zikr let its longings masquerade as its own reality.
So--,
"--I am Zikr Osman, second general of the empire, the 'coward'!!"
So, raising his voice in high spirits, he rides with his beloved horse on the battlefield that is undergoing a tremendous transformation.
Leidy, who most of the time only accompanies the expeditions and walks on gentle sprints, but on this occasion, he did what Zikr wanted and gave the best run of his life.
Zikr simply falls in love all over again with his beloved horse, who runs valiantly, free of any fear or anxiety.
The sheer brilliance of Leidy's run ignited the hearts of many of the rebels to follow this sprint, ignoring Zikr's unaccustomed war talk.
"The right wing is the light man! The left wing is the blade man! Each of you, move as instructed! The rest of you, follow me! We will defeat Mogro Hagane, the Steel Man!"
"Oh--!!"
Hearing Zikr's command, the gathered forces charge toward Mogro with a roar. The huge projectiles that fly over their heads are cover throws by the volunteer soldiers who adore Yorna.
If it distracts the Mogro and causes even the slightest disruption in the leadership of the stone-block puppets, and above all, if this assault by Zikr and the others reaches their feet, the aim will be accomplished.
"SHOOT--!!"
A brave call is heard from afar, and a hail of arrows pierces the stone dolls standing in front of them, sewing them to the earth.
The trick was set up by the "People of Shudrak", who opened the distance at the direction of Zikr and showed their overwhelming power of attack with their archery, and the rebels who are good with bows.
The beautiful and noble girls were supporting him as he pushed forward. The girls were so well formed, including their effortlessly lowered formation, that it seemed too good to be true, and Zikr bit his teeth.
"If anyone can talk about overkill, it's that blessing."
Zikr looked at the sword in his grip, its white blade, and the corners of his mouth relaxed slightly.
Just before leaving for battle, at the camp curtain he visited, Zikr was blessed by a pretty, yet somewhat awe-inspiring girl with a look in her eyes -- a look as if she had spent years that Zikr could not even imagine, and he was in awe of her, begging her to come.
He won't say that he was blown away by the winds of cowardice.
But thinking of the role he had to play, Zikr wanted a blessing. He wanted to rely even on superstition to increase his chances, even if only slightly.
"General Zikr! Please stand down! We have had enough of this place!"
"Don't be stupid! There is no retreat! There is no room to retreat! I'm coming with you!"
"--tsk"
Straddling his galloping horse, shaking his head at the appeal of the soldiers who rode alongside him, Zikr would not let go of his role.
For a moment, his subordinate was about to say something, but he didn't interrupt Zikr's resolve any further. Grateful for his thoughtfulness, he gripped the reins tighter and tighter.
"Ha! I didn't know that the womanizing General Zikr Osman would be at the front lines!"
At the same time, a figure running at the same speed as the galloping horse catches up with his men on the opposite side of the road. It is Jamal Aurelie, a soldier with twin swords and an eye patch over one eye.
A beaten swordsman who was taken prisoner during the fall of the fortified city and later brought under Zikr's banner because of his strong loyalty to His Excellency Emperor Vincent Vollachia.
"Private Jamal, what's the response?"
"Great! Look right, look left, look front, enemies everywhere! It's getting fun!"
"Oh, it's really wonderful, an honor for an Imperial soldier. I am now going to ask General Mogro to step aside from the 'handling' position, will you follow me?"
"If that's what you want! If you want, I'll make a way for you!"
Jamal, smiling wildly and saying so, accelerates, easily overtaking Leidy's speed and plunging into the group of stone dolls in front of him.
As he followed his back, Zikr was encouraged by his bravery, but at the same time, he was sorry to have to accompany him. --But his hesitation was immediately cut short.
Play the necessary role in the necessary situations.
It was required, and Zikr himself wished to respond to it.
And then--,
"--Mr. President, please do as you please."
Yes, it was almost at the same time that Zikr prayed.
--The crystal palace in the Imperial City of Lupgana, the magic crystal at the top of which blinked.
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--In this imperial battle, there are several things that have changed the picture painted by Abel.
One is the first apex to which Yorna Mishigure headed, and the presence of Priscilla, who participated in it.
One is Otto, who used his blessing to demonstrate his ability to pick up detailed information about the war situation.
One is Garfiel, who achieved a defeat, not a stalemate, with Kafma Irulux.
One is Emilia, who angered Madelyn Eschart more than assumed and made her call the "Cloud Dragon".
However, these events did not significantly change the finished form itself, even though they added some color to Abel's paintings.
The star-shaped walls that protect the Imperial City, if you can get past one of the five apexes, you have the means to take victory, even if the other apexes are in a stalemate.
While he painted such a picture, the factor that could not be shaken no matter what happened was Mogro Hagane - or rather, the Crystal Palace, the center of the Vollachia Empire, and the "Metia" that governed it.
The Crystal Palace is one of the most beautiful in the world, and the crystal part that builds the palace is made of magical crystal, the purest of all magical stones, making the palace itself a weapon to defeat foreign enemies.
Mana stored in the palace is amplified through the magic crystals located throughout the building and released from the "magic crystal cannon" installed at the top level of the crystal palace.
It is said to be so powerful that it can wipe out an entire metropolis, and it is said that the last time it was used was against a "Great Calamity" several hundred years ago.
Since then, the magic crystal cannon in the Crystal Palace has been regarded as a substitute for which only lore remains, but once it became known that the cannon actually existed, it was put into operation and its threat was restored.
Ironically, the magic crystal cannon became a fang aimed at Abel himself, but as long as this magic crystal cannon exists, it is highly likely that the battle situation in the Imperial Capital will be easily overturned.
Therefore, it was absolutely necessary to make this magic crystal cannon shoot.
It is not a decisive factor to change the war situation, but part of the damage that has been factored in.
To that end--,
"--What's the breakaway, Zikr Osman?"
Abel spills this to Zikr, who is astride a galloping horse and headed for the third apex of the battlefield.
Zikr had a choice. He could leave the battle for the other apexes and unite the rebels who had chosen to join the third apex, burnish their morale, and face the giant Mogro that stood in their way, or he could leave the line of fire himself.
But Abel also had a hunch that he would not choose to do so.
Is this because of Zikr's "cowardly" prudence, fearing even the slightest possibility that his goal might not be achieved, or because he is one of the Imperial soldiers who are brave enough to be brave?
Which is which, Abel, who is not Zikr, cannot gauge.
But whatever the reason for his decision, Abel will not be frustrated.
Zikr's life and death are also positions that have no final impact on the picture painted by Abel.
In the larger scheme of things, the painting has the ultimate in Abel's life and death--.
"--Transmission from the watchman! There are signs in the crystal palace's magic cannon!"
"----"
"Aim at the third apex!!"
The voices echoing like angry shouts in the main camp proved that Abel's aim had been achieved.
A magic cannon is released. It will reap the battlefield of Mogro, which has turned into the third apex--that is, the city walls themselves--and obliterate the rebels in one fell swoop.
Even if they do so, they will not be able to defeat "Steel Man" Mogro Hagane or break through the third apex as long as the main body of Mogro, the Crystal Palace, is still in good health.
However, the Imperial City will lose its firepower, the magic crystal cannon that can overturn any war situation.
Everything is for that reason, because it is a painted picture.
So--,
"--Magic crystal cannon, there is an anomaly in the line of fire!!"
"......What?"
--The report of the moment the plan came to fruition was completely outside of Abel's expectations.
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--In this imperial battle, there are several things that have changed the picture painted by Abel.
One is the first apex to which Yorna Mishigure headed, and the presence of Priscilla, who participated in it.
One is Otto, who used his blessing to demonstrate his ability to pick up detailed information about the war situation.
One is Garfiel, who achieved a defeat, not a stalemate, with Kafma Irulux.
One is Emilia, who angered Madelyn Eschart more than assumed and made her call the "Cloud Dragon".
And then--,
"--Stupid."
In the distance, beyond the huge body of Mogro Hagane, which has turned into a writhing fortress wall, is the Crystal Palace, the symbol of the authority of the Vollachia Empire, located at the far end of the nostalgic imperial capital.
At the top of that beautiful palace, only a few even knew that it was a weapon, and in fact, even the "general" did not know of its existence until he heard about it from Abel's mouth.
Zikr Osman risked his life to strike out with one precious shot from a decisive weapon that, if fired, would reap the horizon and completely destroy the war.
Riding his beloved horse along the front line, he appealed loudly that they had the chance to win, and while rousing the insurgents to frenzy, he appealed for their presence and had them set the sights of their magic cannon on themselves.
All in order to mislead them into believing that this is the best opportunity to make a decisive change in the war situation.
Therefore, the moment the top of the Crystal Palace shone, Zikr was convinced that he had accomplished it.
In his mind's eye, he saw his mother, his older sister, and his younger sister, women who were indispensable in shaping who he was, and he even smiled at how much they were like him.
A prayer too beautiful to die holding, a demise that should have come peacefully, but was replaced by astonishment before the eyes of Zikr, who opened his eyes.
Because--,
"--Miss Beatrice?"
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I figured it would be something like this, in fact."
Beatrice murmurs as she lets herself fall freely, her dress and long curly hair fluttering in the air.
When confronted with Zikr, who had come to Beatrice and her team's camp curtain to ask for her blessing as a warrior, Beatrice intuited that he was going to die.
Four hundred years ago, in those war-torn times, there were many with the same eyes.
Back then, Beatrice was not always able to reach out to them. Some did not want to be reached out to, and some did not know how to reach out.
Perhaps, if we were to repeat that period again, it is hard to imagine that Beatrice could have approached them any better.
She is sure she will experience the same helplessness again and watch them go to their deaths.
But that's not--,
"--Is that not a reason to do the same thing here today, I suppose?"
"Aah, uh!"
Beatrice's eyes, with their characteristic pattern, are turned toward the front. The arms of a girl are holding Beatrice's thin shoulders from behind as if she is holding them tightly.
Beatrice did not forgive the girl with the golden hair and blue eyes.
It is true that her unacknowledged actions have made many things unhappy.
But still, for this one moment, she thought.
Only in this moment, she believes in Natsuki Subaru's feelings other than 'sweetness'.
"----"
Beatrice and the girl - Louis - are high in the sky, even higher than the castle walls.
Repeating the "transition" over a short distance in any way, Louis brought Beatrice to this place as if to prove her position.
Earlier, Louis proved her position.
Then Beatrice should have been the next to respond to the deed.
"I can just see everyone's angry faces, in fact."
Is she still angry, or worried, or angry.
Beatrice's lips pursed as she saw the loving faces of her friends.
But there is no choice not to do it. Because Beatrice is--,
"Betty is Subaru's partner, I suppose."
At the moment she muttered this, the entirety of the beautiful palace, visible from a distance, glowed with a dazzling light, so bright that it was allowed to change the shape of the world, heading in a straight line toward the rebels who were pushing forward on the ground.
The shot that swallowed up Zikr and the others who were running at the front of the pack, and caused more than enough destruction - Louis and Beatrice intervened in the line of fire and clasped their hands together in front of their chests.
And then--,
"--Al Shamak."
--The hole to another world, which swallows even the light that changes the world, is opened and closed.
△▼△▼△▼△
How many of them were able to correctly grasp the events of that moment.
In fact, if it had actually come true as Abel had envisioned, the damage would have been enormous even if it had been within the predicted range, and the impact on those fighting at the other top would have been immeasurable.
However, the magic cannon did not bring the damage it was supposed to bring, and Zikr Osman, prepared to die, begins to fight the horde of stone dolls with all the vigor he can muster.
Emilia's battle with the descent of "Cloud Dragon" Mezoreia and Madelyn who brought her with her continues, and the old mastery of "Bad Old Man" Olbart hunts down Garfiel.
Mother and son Yorna and Priscilla are forced into a fierce battle with Arakiya, the "Spirit Eater", who has decided to give up everything for her own ends. Otto and Petra, who plan to dominate the battlefield and in fact halfway there, confront the deadly spirit with Medium.
There is no significant impact on those warfare conditions.
However, the possibility of a significant inferiority tilt in those battles was lost.
In exchange for their tremendous accomplishments--,
"Uah! Augh! Auugh!!"
Squeezing, the girl's presence fades in Louis's arms as she soars through the air and is embraced.
It is literally a scene in which the girl's form is slowly becoming diluted. As if to repel this, Louis embraces the girl, Beatrice, but it makes no sense.
As if spilling over, Beatrice's body was about to turn into light.
"Aah! Ah, aah-aah!"
Screaming and screaming, Louis tries hard to deny the situation at hand.
But no amount of lamenting and ranting will stop the collapse of Beatrice's existence.
She extinguished the light of destruction that had been unleashed to save many lives.
Beatrice's presence scatters at the cost of its too great power. Even if she reaches out her finger to the light that is missing as if it is peeling off, it does not stay as if it is slipping through.
"Ahh......!!"
Ravaged, tears welling up in her wide-open blue eyes, Louis exclaimed.
She screamed and screamed desperately, even though it didn't help.
She couldn't find anything else she could do, or more than that, so she screamed.
And so she screamed and ranted and raved desperately--.
"--ah"
When a polo and a large tear scattered in the air, Louis turned his face toward him.
She held Beatrice in her arms and turned her eyes not to the girl who was about to disappear, not to the sky that had turned white, not to the sky that had turned red, not to the ground where many people were shouting in anger, but for this moment, forgetting everything that formed the battlefield, she turned her eyes to the distance.
And then she leaped toward it, toward the beyond.
"Uuh--"
It was hollow, the distance one could jump at a time was around ten meters, and using it over and over again in a row was taxing, like squeezing one's internal organs, but it didn't matter.
Louis jumped, taking on all of the burden that would be placed on Beatrice.
She jumps, jumps, jumps jumps jumps, jumps jumps, and then--,
"----"
She reaches the ground and falls forward as if on a stoop. Ignoring the weakness in her body, Louis raises the incredibly light girl in her arms in front of her.
That Beatrice, whose presence will be rare, to the front.
And then--,
"Uagh......"
"--I know. You're both being too reckless."
She hears such a bitter, smirk-like exhale, and the girl is taken from her outstretched arms. --No, she was not taken from her. She was gently picked up.
Then, Beatrice's body is embraced in front of Louis's eyes as she kneels.
She was at the destination, in the arms of a dark-haired boy, gently, carefully, squeezing her.
The girl who has accomplished such an important role, her eyelids, framed by long eyelashes, tremble and her eyes slowly open as she is embraced in such a loving embrace.
Then, the eyes with their characteristic crests blinked--,
"--I've been worrying about you so much, in fact."
"Yeah, I love you too."
Hands that should be joined are joined in response to whispered filial love with proud deep love.
The boy laughs in front of Louis, who watches it from the front row and lets out a small exhale.
He laughed and said.
"Well, let's get started. --Bring it on, Fate."
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-- The "Steel Man" Mogro Hagane, one of the "Nine Divine Generals".
Only a few in the Vollachia Empire know that he is not really a steel man.
The original Steel People were born with their bodies composed of inorganic materials such as minerals and metals, and were born as a kind of being in between human and material. The Bladesmen, who have metal parts in their bodies, are thought to be a race derived from the Steel People, and there are many unknowns about their different ecology.
Although they are not as rare as dragons, the Steel Tribe, which is distinct from humans not only in appearance but also in mentality, overwhelms even dragons in terms of the difficulty of communicating.
In a sense, the Steel Man is a more difficult being to contact than a spirit with whom one can converse as long as one has the right background.
Therefore, Mogro, who has risen to the position of the first Imperial General and is even easier to deal with than the other "Nine Divine Generals" who have many problems, is recognized as a heretic among the steel men.
In reality, however, this is not the case. Mogro is simply a self-proclaimed steelman who takes advantage of his own appearance and the race traits of steelmen who do not relate to others.
And because of his Mogro Hagane identity, Abel was certain.
--Mogro is one of the biggest obstacles in this decisive battle for the capture of the Imperial City.
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"----"
He was launched into a shock that seized his entire body and his eyes met those of a being so mighty.
He was convinced that his fate had finally come to an end, that he would be struck by a series of blows and his life would be shattered. --That's what he expected.
"Kafu--"
Lungs that had deflated to the extreme swell up, and the pain awakens Heinkel's consciousness.
When his interrupted consciousness returned, the first thing he felt was a hard, big feeling supporting his back - the ground. The body that had been launched into the sky and was to be scattered in the air was on the ground.
Recognizing this fact, confusion occupied his mind. Why, why, what was going on?
But as soon as his brain understood that he was alive--,
"The Sword is......"
His body was in pain, and his free hand could not feel the hilt of his sword. He quickly reached out with his other hand to his waist, but the scabbard he had lowered there was also weightless.
Necks craning, vision of the too-loud ringing in his ears gunning for his brain, Heinkel's breath escapes him as he spots a sword sticking out of him and into the ground at an angle.
Gone or lost, with the sensation of his whole body bouncing noisily as if his heart had turned into an ungodly impatience--,
"--Shit."
After going through all those things, he hated himself for worrying about losing his sword.
It seemed as if that momentary movement of his heart symbolized his half-heartedness as it was.
"What is......"
Heinkel shakes off the bitter sentiments, adding more factors to his self-hatred.
Not dead. Living. But that in itself was strange.
At that moment, Heinkel's eyes met those of the being who called himself one of the "Nine Divine Generals," and he was confronted with a definite intent to kill. --He was told in no uncertain terms that he was going to kill him.
In fact, Heinkel, who had been launched into the air, would have been helplessly scattered and killed by a single blow.
Why didn't it happen? Seeking the answer, he looked around--,
"--Ah?"
A voice of dismay leaks out.
But that was to be expected. That's how ridiculous what Heinkel saw was. It was too, too far from reality.
--The world is split in two with Heinkel at the center, depicting a different hell.
In the sky to the right, thick clouds made of red-hot flames envelop the scorching world.
In the sky to the left, a huge majestic figure clad in white clouds spreads its wings and glares at the frozen earth.
"Burning Skies and White Dragons......"
Heinkel was stunned by the sight, which should not have happened, and muttered to himself.
Or perhaps he was wrong to feel that way about not being dead. Heinkel was already dead, hence such an out-of-this-world sight.
"--"
A world beyond the limits of acceptance stirs the thoughts of those who wished to escape reality.
What made Heinkel do so was that his entire body, lying on the ground with his upper body up, was unexpectedly covered by a black shadow.
He didn't want to think that a second dragon had crossed right over hi, but--,
"Oooooooh--?!"
Heinkel's throat screams as he looks up at the sky and sees what the shadow is.
Flying past overhead at a tremendous speed, spinning through the sky, was a huge boulder that looked like a house - and not just one or two.
One after another, the wrong scale of projectiles passed overhead, flying from Heinkel's head side toward his toes in a terrifyingly torrential wind.
And that's where it was headed--,
"----"
With a thud, the impact of the collision roared through the world, and Heinkel was lifted off his buttocks by a tremor that made him think the ground had coughed him up.
It echoed out in a series of stand-up calls, and he got up on the spot in a hurry.
Huge projectiles were thrown one after another, and the one that hit the target in succession was a tremendously large figure that also had the wrong sense of scale - it was the castle wall itself, which had risen up.
"......Mogro Hagane."
Heinkel had to taste with his whole being, through visual information, that this was one of the nine most feared people in the empire.
He wanted to think that what he had witnessed on the verge of his consciousness was either an optical illusion or a hallucination of his fearful, cowering nature, but it was neither.
--Mogro, now several tens of meters or even more massive, literally stand as the third apex that Heinkel and his team should have originally attacked.
Literally, yes literally.
Is there any situation in the world in which the word "literally" is more appropriate than this?
Rising to its knees in place, the humanoid rampart performs an incredible defensive maneuver, using the ripped-out farmland and paved streets as its own arms and torso.
Under the feet of the giant body, the stone dolls that Heinkel had so eagerly slashed down were swarming, and the giant fist that struck down over their heads was like a city falling.
"----"
A large rock crashes repeatedly against the huge body.
The reason for this is the quarries on the way to the imperial capital, the site of the decisive battle, and the rock formations prepared for the siege by collapsing the cliffs between the steep mountains.
And the one who keeps throwing it at the giant mogul, who should have been in the main camp looking for an opportunity to launch a sortie--,
"--Yorna Mishigure's man."
The correct term is the inhabitants of the Demon City Chaos Flame, which was ruled by Yorna.
The only thing they have in common that is clear is that they are united by a clear common denominator: a mixed unit with no uniformity with the horned race, the skalenges, the beastmen, and the polypods, and they are all in formation.
--All of them have one thing in common - they all have a red flame in one eye and high morale.
Here, too, a group of people, literally with their eyes burning with the will to fight, carried an incredibly large rock, even though it took multiple people to carry it, and threw the projectile a ridiculous distance.
However, Heinkel's view is that it is doubtful that Mogro, which are directly hit by the large rocks, have suffered any damage.
Of course, the walls and farmlands that make up the Mogro crumble and are broken by the direct impact of the large rocks. However, as if to repair the broken parts, the large rocks themselves that were struck are used as materials to form the next giant body of Mogro, and the attack is rightly offset.
Even from a distance, the senselessness of the attack is palpable.
Nevertheless, the reason why they still do not stop their projectiles is simple and obvious. --While their attacks are holding back Mogro's huge body, the other rebels are furiously attacking.
"......That's ridiculous."
Heinkel also overheard. This third vertex was the most fragile in terms of defenses compared to the other vertices.
But that should have been before Mogro Hagane rose up and began to block the way with all of its massive body. Nonetheless, the operation was not renewed, or perhaps the rebels who had chosen to retreat on other battlefields joined them, and the force still continued to swell.
Among them seem to be the "People of Shudrak" who were fighting alongside Heinkel.
"It's ridiculous."
Heinkel's emotion leaked out in a clearer sound than before.
It's ridiculous. It's ridiculous, that's all he can say. What else can he say? In this place where there is nothing but hell whether you look right or left, up or down, forward or backward.
What else can Heinkel say?
"Please, please, please, you're out of your fucking minds...... you guys! All of you! You're all out of your minds!"
Heinkel found himself clinging to his sword, which was standing on the ground.
Leaning his weight on the hilt of his sword, which is thrust into the ground, he scolds his shaking knees and grits his teeth. They are all out of their minds. Their mentality is incomprehensible.
He knew it was impossible. It was just impossible, impossible, impossible.
"What's wrong with you, man......"
Heinkel's throat quivers weakly as he leans on his sword without effort.
Around Heinkel, whose head is limp and bowed, flames, dragons, and giant soldiers shake the world. Is it really such a sin not to stand up to this?
If that's the case--,
"I'm......"
Yes, it was right after Heinkel let it slip.
The sound of light hoofbeats echoed as a chestnut gale horse kicked past Heinkel. Heinkel looked up, his red hair blowing in the wind that the gale had created.
And then--,
"----"
For a moment, Heinkel's gaze crosses with a man with a round haircut astride a gale horse.
This is Zikr Osman. He is a rebel who worked in the main camp as Abel's right hand man who commanded the rebels and was himself a "general" of the Vollachia Empire, but rebelled against his country.
A man who had himself a sword, who had stated that he was inferior in his ability to fight, and who in fact, in Heinkel's eyes, should have been a force to be reckoned with as an individual fighter, passed Heinkel by.
--Leaving a disdainful look at Heinkel, who bends the knee here the moment he passes by.
"For me it's......"
A gale horse gallops across the battlefield past Heinkel, who bends to his knees.
As if following the heroic figure of Zikr, the rebels gathering from various battlegrounds move forward. They plunge into the walls of Mogro Hagane.
Heinkel, looking at them, is still leaning on his sword, unable to move.
Unable to move--,
"......I knew I couldn't do it, Louanna."
△▼△▼△▼△
As he passed the red-haired swordsman, who was kneeling on the battlefield and drooping to the ground as if his will to fight had been broken, Zikr Osman's heart was filled with compassion for the man who was following the natural course of life.
The Red Lady, who calls herself Priscilla Bariel, gives her name proudly to this rebellion. The swordsman who joins her as one of her followers is probably not even from Vollachia.
It is too much to ask such a man to be forced to live in an empire in which the people of the empire are supposed to be strong and powerful.
"I can't say that I myself follow that way of being."
With sword in hand and rocking on the back of his beloved horse, Leidy, Zikr mocks himself.
Although he is thus putting on a brave face, Zikr's position as a "general" is largely due to the fact that he has taken advantage of the prestige that his Ottoman predecessors have accumulated.
If Zikr had not come from a military family, and had been a soldier who had been beaten up from the ranks like the rest of the soldiers, he would not have been able to make a career for himself without his sword talent.
He doesn't bemoan that. Of course, Zikr is a man of the empire.
He has a yearning to be like the "Nine Divine Generals" who wield swords on the front lines and change the war situation with a single swing of their sword.
But just as no one can replace Zikr's position, neither can Zikr let its longings masquerade as its own reality.
So--,
"--I am Zikr Osman, second general of the empire, the 'coward'!!"
So, raising his voice in high spirits, he rides with his beloved horse on the battlefield that is undergoing a tremendous transformation.
Leidy, who most of the time only accompanies the expeditions and walks on gentle sprints, but on this occasion, he did what Zikr wanted and gave the best run of his life.
Zikr simply falls in love all over again with his beloved horse, who runs valiantly, free of any fear or anxiety.
The sheer brilliance of Leidy's run ignited the hearts of many of the rebels to follow this sprint, ignoring Zikr's unaccustomed war talk.
"The right wing is the light man! The left wing is the blade man! Each of you, move as instructed! The rest of you, follow me! We will defeat Mogro Hagane, the Steel Man!"
"Oh--!!"
Hearing Zikr's command, the gathered forces charge toward Mogro with a roar. The huge projectiles that fly over their heads are cover throws by the volunteer soldiers who adore Yorna.
If it distracts the Mogro and causes even the slightest disruption in the leadership of the stone-block puppets, and above all, if this assault by Zikr and the others reaches their feet, the aim will be accomplished.
"SHOOT--!!"
A brave call is heard from afar, and a hail of arrows pierces the stone dolls standing in front of them, sewing them to the earth.
The trick was set up by the "People of Shudrak", who opened the distance at the direction of Zikr and showed their overwhelming power of attack with their archery, and the rebels who are good with bows.
The beautiful and noble girls were supporting him as he pushed forward. The girls were so well formed, including their effortlessly lowered formation, that it seemed too good to be true, and Zikr bit his teeth.
"If anyone can talk about overkill, it's that blessing."
Zikr looked at the sword in his grip, its white blade, and the corners of his mouth relaxed slightly.
Just before leaving for battle, at the camp curtain he visited, Zikr was blessed by a pretty, yet somewhat awe-inspiring girl with a look in her eyes -- a look as if she had spent years that Zikr could not even imagine, and he was in awe of her, begging her to come.
He won't say that he was blown away by the winds of cowardice.
But thinking of the role he had to play, Zikr wanted a blessing. He wanted to rely even on superstition to increase his chances, even if only slightly.
"General Zikr! Please stand down! We have had enough of this place!"
"Don't be stupid! There is no retreat! There is no room to retreat! I'm coming with you!"
"--tsk"
Straddling his galloping horse, shaking his head at the appeal of the soldiers who rode alongside him, Zikr would not let go of his role.
For a moment, his subordinate was about to say something, but he didn't interrupt Zikr's resolve any further. Grateful for his thoughtfulness, he gripped the reins tighter and tighter.
"Ha! I didn't know that the womanizing General Zikr Osman would be at the front lines!"
At the same time, a figure running at the same speed as the galloping horse catches up with his men on the opposite side of the road. It is Jamal Aurelie, a soldier with twin swords and an eye patch over one eye.
A beaten swordsman who was taken prisoner during the fall of the fortified city and later brought under Zikr's banner because of his strong loyalty to His Excellency Emperor Vincent Vollachia.
"Private Jamal, what's the response?"
"Great! Look right, look left, look front, enemies everywhere! It's getting fun!"
"Oh, it's really wonderful, an honor for an Imperial soldier. I am now going to ask General Mogro to step aside from the 'handling' position, will you follow me?"
"If that's what you want! If you want, I'll make a way for you!"
Jamal, smiling wildly and saying so, accelerates, easily overtaking Leidy's speed and plunging into the group of stone dolls in front of him.
As he followed his back, Zikr was encouraged by his bravery, but at the same time, he was sorry to have to accompany him. --But his hesitation was immediately cut short.
Play the necessary role in the necessary situations.
It was required, and Zikr himself wished to respond to it.
And then--,
"--Mr. President, please do as you please."
Yes, it was almost at the same time that Zikr prayed.
--The crystal palace in the Imperial City of Lupgana, the magic crystal at the top of which blinked.
△▼△▼△▼△
--In this imperial battle, there are several things that have changed the picture painted by Abel.
One is the first apex to which Yorna Mishigure headed, and the presence of Priscilla, who participated in it.
One is Otto, who used his blessing to demonstrate his ability to pick up detailed information about the war situation.
One is Garfiel, who achieved a defeat, not a stalemate, with Kafma Irulux.
One is Emilia, who angered Madelyn Eschart more than assumed and made her call the "Cloud Dragon".
However, these events did not significantly change the finished form itself, even though they added some color to Abel's paintings.
The star-shaped walls that protect the Imperial City, if you can get past one of the five apexes, you have the means to take victory, even if the other apexes are in a stalemate.
While he painted such a picture, the factor that could not be shaken no matter what happened was Mogro Hagane - or rather, the Crystal Palace, the center of the Vollachia Empire, and the "Metia" that governed it.
The Crystal Palace is one of the most beautiful in the world, and the crystal part that builds the palace is made of magical crystal, the purest of all magical stones, making the palace itself a weapon to defeat foreign enemies.
Mana stored in the palace is amplified through the magic crystals located throughout the building and released from the "magic crystal cannon" installed at the top level of the crystal palace.
It is said to be so powerful that it can wipe out an entire metropolis, and it is said that the last time it was used was against a "Great Calamity" several hundred years ago.
Since then, the magic crystal cannon in the Crystal Palace has been regarded as a substitute for which only lore remains, but once it became known that the cannon actually existed, it was put into operation and its threat was restored.
Ironically, the magic crystal cannon became a fang aimed at Abel himself, but as long as this magic crystal cannon exists, it is highly likely that the battle situation in the Imperial Capital will be easily overturned.
Therefore, it was absolutely necessary to make this magic crystal cannon shoot.
It is not a decisive factor to change the war situation, but part of the damage that has been factored in.
To that end--,
"--What's the breakaway, Zikr Osman?"
Abel spills this to Zikr, who is astride a galloping horse and headed for the third apex of the battlefield.
Zikr had a choice. He could leave the battle for the other apexes and unite the rebels who had chosen to join the third apex, burnish their morale, and face the giant Mogro that stood in their way, or he could leave the line of fire himself.
But Abel also had a hunch that he would not choose to do so.
Is this because of Zikr's "cowardly" prudence, fearing even the slightest possibility that his goal might not be achieved, or because he is one of the Imperial soldiers who are brave enough to be brave?
Which is which, Abel, who is not Zikr, cannot gauge.
But whatever the reason for his decision, Abel will not be frustrated.
Zikr's life and death are also positions that have no final impact on the picture painted by Abel.
In the larger scheme of things, the painting has the ultimate in Abel's life and death--.
"--Transmission from the watchman! There are signs in the crystal palace's magic cannon!"
"----"
"Aim at the third apex!!"
The voices echoing like angry shouts in the main camp proved that Abel's aim had been achieved.
A magic cannon is released. It will reap the battlefield of Mogro, which has turned into the third apex--that is, the city walls themselves--and obliterate the rebels in one fell swoop.
Even if they do so, they will not be able to defeat "Steel Man" Mogro Hagane or break through the third apex as long as the main body of Mogro, the Crystal Palace, is still in good health.
However, the Imperial City will lose its firepower, the magic crystal cannon that can overturn any war situation.
Everything is for that reason, because it is a painted picture.
So--,
"--Magic crystal cannon, there is an anomaly in the line of fire!!"
"......What?"
--The report of the moment the plan came to fruition was completely outside of Abel's expectations.
△▼△▼△▼△
--In this imperial battle, there are several things that have changed the picture painted by Abel.
One is the first apex to which Yorna Mishigure headed, and the presence of Priscilla, who participated in it.
One is Otto, who used his blessing to demonstrate his ability to pick up detailed information about the war situation.
One is Garfiel, who achieved a defeat, not a stalemate, with Kafma Irulux.
One is Emilia, who angered Madelyn Eschart more than assumed and made her call the "Cloud Dragon".
And then--,
"--Stupid."
In the distance, beyond the huge body of Mogro Hagane, which has turned into a writhing fortress wall, is the Crystal Palace, the symbol of the authority of the Vollachia Empire, located at the far end of the nostalgic imperial capital.
At the top of that beautiful palace, only a few even knew that it was a weapon, and in fact, even the "general" did not know of its existence until he heard about it from Abel's mouth.
Zikr Osman risked his life to strike out with one precious shot from a decisive weapon that, if fired, would reap the horizon and completely destroy the war.
Riding his beloved horse along the front line, he appealed loudly that they had the chance to win, and while rousing the insurgents to frenzy, he appealed for their presence and had them set the sights of their magic cannon on themselves.
All in order to mislead them into believing that this is the best opportunity to make a decisive change in the war situation.
Therefore, the moment the top of the Crystal Palace shone, Zikr was convinced that he had accomplished it.
In his mind's eye, he saw his mother, his older sister, and his younger sister, women who were indispensable in shaping who he was, and he even smiled at how much they were like him.
A prayer too beautiful to die holding, a demise that should have come peacefully, but was replaced by astonishment before the eyes of Zikr, who opened his eyes.
Because--,
"--Miss Beatrice?"
△▼△▼△▼△
I figured it would be something like this, in fact."
Beatrice murmurs as she lets herself fall freely, her dress and long curly hair fluttering in the air.
When confronted with Zikr, who had come to Beatrice and her team's camp curtain to ask for her blessing as a warrior, Beatrice intuited that he was going to die.
Four hundred years ago, in those war-torn times, there were many with the same eyes.
Back then, Beatrice was not always able to reach out to them. Some did not want to be reached out to, and some did not know how to reach out.
Perhaps, if we were to repeat that period again, it is hard to imagine that Beatrice could have approached them any better.
She is sure she will experience the same helplessness again and watch them go to their deaths.
But that's not--,
"--Is that not a reason to do the same thing here today, I suppose?"
"Aah, uh!"
Beatrice's eyes, with their characteristic pattern, are turned toward the front. The arms of a girl are holding Beatrice's thin shoulders from behind as if she is holding them tightly.
Beatrice did not forgive the girl with the golden hair and blue eyes.
It is true that her unacknowledged actions have made many things unhappy.
But still, for this one moment, she thought.
Only in this moment, she believes in Natsuki Subaru's feelings other than 'sweetness'.
"----"
Beatrice and the girl - Louis - are high in the sky, even higher than the castle walls.
Repeating the "transition" over a short distance in any way, Louis brought Beatrice to this place as if to prove her position.
Earlier, Louis proved her position.
Then Beatrice should have been the next to respond to the deed.
"I can just see everyone's angry faces, in fact."
Is she still angry, or worried, or angry.
Beatrice's lips pursed as she saw the loving faces of her friends.
But there is no choice not to do it. Because Beatrice is--,
"Betty is Subaru's partner, I suppose."
At the moment she muttered this, the entirety of the beautiful palace, visible from a distance, glowed with a dazzling light, so bright that it was allowed to change the shape of the world, heading in a straight line toward the rebels who were pushing forward on the ground.
The shot that swallowed up Zikr and the others who were running at the front of the pack, and caused more than enough destruction - Louis and Beatrice intervened in the line of fire and clasped their hands together in front of their chests.
And then--,
"--Al Shamak."
--The hole to another world, which swallows even the light that changes the world, is opened and closed.
△▼△▼△▼△
How many of them were able to correctly grasp the events of that moment.
In fact, if it had actually come true as Abel had envisioned, the damage would have been enormous even if it had been within the predicted range, and the impact on those fighting at the other top would have been immeasurable.
However, the magic cannon did not bring the damage it was supposed to bring, and Zikr Osman, prepared to die, begins to fight the horde of stone dolls with all the vigor he can muster.
Emilia's battle with the descent of "Cloud Dragon" Mezoreia and Madelyn who brought her with her continues, and the old mastery of "Bad Old Man" Olbart hunts down Garfiel.
Mother and son Yorna and Priscilla are forced into a fierce battle with Arakiya, the "Spirit Eater", who has decided to give up everything for her own ends. Otto and Petra, who plan to dominate the battlefield and in fact halfway there, confront the deadly spirit with Medium.
There is no significant impact on those warfare conditions.
However, the possibility of a significant inferiority tilt in those battles was lost.
In exchange for their tremendous accomplishments--,
"Uah! Augh! Auugh!!"
Squeezing, the girl's presence fades in Louis's arms as she soars through the air and is embraced.
It is literally a scene in which the girl's form is slowly becoming diluted. As if to repel this, Louis embraces the girl, Beatrice, but it makes no sense.
As if spilling over, Beatrice's body was about to turn into light.
"Aah! Ah, aah-aah!"
Screaming and screaming, Louis tries hard to deny the situation at hand.
But no amount of lamenting and ranting will stop the collapse of Beatrice's existence.
She extinguished the light of destruction that had been unleashed to save many lives.
Beatrice's presence scatters at the cost of its too great power. Even if she reaches out her finger to the light that is missing as if it is peeling off, it does not stay as if it is slipping through.
"Ahh......!!"
Ravaged, tears welling up in her wide-open blue eyes, Louis exclaimed.
She screamed and screamed desperately, even though it didn't help.
She couldn't find anything else she could do, or more than that, so she screamed.
And so she screamed and ranted and raved desperately--.
"--ah"
When a polo and a large tear scattered in the air, Louis turned his face toward him.
She held Beatrice in her arms and turned her eyes not to the girl who was about to disappear, not to the sky that had turned white, not to the sky that had turned red, not to the ground where many people were shouting in anger, but for this moment, forgetting everything that formed the battlefield, she turned her eyes to the distance.
And then she leaped toward it, toward the beyond.
"Uuh--"
It was hollow, the distance one could jump at a time was around ten meters, and using it over and over again in a row was taxing, like squeezing one's internal organs, but it didn't matter.
Louis jumped, taking on all of the burden that would be placed on Beatrice.
She jumps, jumps, jumps jumps jumps, jumps jumps, and then--,
"----"
She reaches the ground and falls forward as if on a stoop. Ignoring the weakness in her body, Louis raises the incredibly light girl in her arms in front of her.
That Beatrice, whose presence will be rare, to the front.
And then--,
"Uagh......"
"--I know. You're both being too reckless."
She hears such a bitter, smirk-like exhale, and the girl is taken from her outstretched arms. --No, she was not taken from her. She was gently picked up.
Then, Beatrice's body is embraced in front of Louis's eyes as she kneels.
She was at the destination, in the arms of a dark-haired boy, gently, carefully, squeezing her.
The girl who has accomplished such an important role, her eyelids, framed by long eyelashes, tremble and her eyes slowly open as she is embraced in such a loving embrace.
Then, the eyes with their characteristic crests blinked--,
"--I've been worrying about you so much, in fact."
"Yeah, I love you too."
Hands that should be joined are joined in response to whispered filial love with proud deep love.
The boy laughs in front of Louis, who watches it from the front row and lets out a small exhale.
He laughed and said.
"Well, let's get started. --Bring it on, Fate."
