Meili was wobbling and her head was shaking tremendously.
She could tell that someone was running hard, holding her waist to their side.
This wasn't the first time She'd been carried like this.
It isn't that she was used to being treated like an object, but being carried in this way by her less considerate partner was a common occurrence.
Meili: [C'mon, Elsa ......]
It's always been difficult to describe Elsa. She's someone who won't listen to Meli no matter how many times Meili warns her.
Meili doesn't trust her enough to call Elsa her partner, and they're not close enough that Meili can call her "sister" or "mother". Elsa's not a friend, nor is she close enough to be called an acquaintance.
That's why she is always at a loss. What can Meili call Elsa, what should she call her?
--Who did she think Elsa was?
Meili: [Don't shake me. ......]
It's not something that can be solved just by saying it, but it's not good that people think Meili had given up without trying to, so she complained - or tried to, even though Meili knew she couldn't reach a satisfactory answer.
Before Meili could finish her train of thought, a hot liquid poured out of her mouth, as if it were trying to stop her words from coming out. With a gulp, Meili thought she had been able to stop it from coming out any longer, but no.
It was red, red blood that poured out of the depths of her own body.
Subaru: [Shit!!! I can't stop the bleeding! Beako! What should I do!]
Beatrice: [Let's hope we can stop the blood from flowing! We don't want her to choke on her blood, I suppose!]
Meili heard a man and a woman shouting at each other in her ear, and then they leaned back to her side. Meili coughed and coughed, the blood still flowing from her throat.
Something touched Meili’s mouth, stopping the torrent of blood. Her throat was free, She gasped for air trying to fill her burning lungs.
Subaru: [--YES! She's breathing again! Can you use some healing magic on me?!]
Beatrice: [I'll do it but I can't be healing you all that much right now I suppose!]
Subaru: [I know, I know! ...... It was my fault that I let Meili go too deep, and I'll take responsibility for that.]
They were arguing loudly about something above her head, but as soon as Meili was able to fill her lungs, her body had started to feel heavier and heavier.
No, maybe Meili’s body had always been heavy. With Meili’s mind being able to think somewhat clearly again, her consciousness turns to the rest of the world, and as a result, Meili can see the severity of her situation.
Meili can’t move or feel her limbs. Meili’s head feels nauseous. The amount of blood she had vomited must be about three liters. Meili’s whole body aches, but her back feels particularly bad.
That's probably why Meili can't move her body properly and why she is vomiting blood.
She can't remember what happened just before, or what's currently happening with the man and the girl who are arguing with each other.
But there is something that sticks in the dim and vague world of everything.
It's--.
Meili: [Huh….]
Meili felt like she had exchanged that something with someone else - and that's all she could think about.
△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △
-- The explosion that followed the scorpion's change in colour had been the biggest one yet.
As the swelling white light scattered in all directions, multiple burning Hungry Horse Kings who were aiming at its crimson tinted shell shattered like pieces of wood, and from the explosion, deep cracks appeared in the sandy sea.
Of course, Subaru and Beatrice weren't spared from the damage, but Meili hadn't been as fortunate.
She had been in front in command of the demonic beast's attack, and was hit by the giant scorpion's counterattack quite intensely.
The fortunate part was that Meili had escaped a direct hit from the tail stinger, which was the light's true identity. If the stinger had managed to hit, the girl's small body would have been vaporized in an instant.
The stinger, after barely missing Meili, had crashed into the sandy sea which absorbed most of the shockwave from the attack. That alone was more than enough to cause a nearly fatal wound.
Subaru: [MEILI!]
She looked terrible when Subaru and Beatrice rushed to her side after seeing her fall to the sand. As Meili fell, she had been rolled up which meant that most of the impact had been absorbed by her back.
Her black cloak had been blown off, revealing the shredded skin underneath her torn clothing. Seeing deep lacerations and burns, Subaru's eyes darkened for a moment.
But--.
Subaru: [God I'm an idiot! What am I waiting for?]
Coming up with a solution, Subaru calls on his inner strength.
Using the power of "Cor Leonis"- which was already being activated to take on the burden of his friends, he takes on the near-fatal damage that Meili received.
Of course, if the whole thing is taken away and Subaru were to fall, it would all have been for naught. It was necessary to keep Meili alive while at the same time preventing Subaru from falling into a coma.
Subaru: [It's okay. I can do it. --You can do it, Natsuki Subaru.]
In the past, he might have been scared, distraught, and thought of himself as a useless coward.
But after walking the path followed by"Natsuki Subaru", Subaru looked at himself again. He remembers his role on the battlefield, the thing only he could do.
So--.
Subaru: [Emilia-tan and Julius will be fine. Echidna, Patrasche and Rem will be fine.]
He looks at the conditions of his companions scattered around the tower and tries to look for the best solution judging from their conditions.
Emilia's lack of response is a concern, and Julius' condition as he fights with Reid is also a concern. Both Echidna and Patrasche seemed to not need his attention for the moment.
Instead, Subaru's attention is focused on Meili who was lying in front of him, and Ram who was fighting a Sin Archbishop.
Subaru: [--gu.]
Instantly, the agony of Meili's condition was taken on by Subaru as he moaned from the pain that burned in his guts.
To be honest, taking on Ram's burden was already extremely draining. To take over Meili's near-death injuries in addition to Ram’swas truly suicidal.
Subaru: [God dammit! ......!]
Despite his willpower to do so, it was impossible to take both of their burdens to the limit.
If that were the case, he would have no choice but to prioritize Meili's life and to reduce the amount of the burden he was shouldering from Ram.
Subaru could already see Ram's response to him doing so.
Subaru: [I’m definitely going to get scolded later...]
"Ha! After all that bravado, this is what you look like? That's just like you Barusu."
He can already imagine a disgustingly realistic reaction, and Subaru endures the taste of blood with a bitter feeling.
The effect of "Cor Leonis" is supposed to simply take the pain away, but the fact that he could actually feel the taste of blood is proof that some kind of feedback is occurring in Subaru's body.
The effect that imagination has on the body is extraordinarily large.
Subaru: [I've heard of a phenomenon where actual burns have appeared on the bodies of those who thought they have been pressed with burnt iron, but I'd never thought it would happen to me.]
In other words, taking over the damage to Meili's severely injured back and internal organs would produce the same damage in Subaru's body.
If the situation wasn't handled well, it would result in the birth of two corpses with the same cause of death.
Subaru: [That's a bit of a problem, so let's not let it get that bad!]
Spitting out the blood that was pooling in his mouth, Subaru stands up, carrying Meili's body. Subaru drops back and dodges the Hungry Horse King's flaming spear. Subaru then has Beatrice fire a purple spear, with the spell Minya, in order to distance himself from the demonic beast.
The Hungry Horse King that attacked him was one of the demon beasts that had carried Subaru and the others just now.
As soon as Meili had fallen down, the demon beasts who were around them had betrayed them unexpectedly - not that it was a betrayal, it was just that Meili's blessing had stopped giving orders when she had fallen unconscious.
Without Meili's instructions, the demon beasts are enemies of humanity who regard Subaru and the others as their food.
And such demon beasts were now surrounding them in the vast sandy sea.
Meili: [BLEAGH!]
Subaru: [Meili!]
Meili vomits blood on Subaru's arm as he runs, trying to keep a distance from the demon beast. Blood comes out of Meili's mouth as she starts coughing again, and her condition continues to worsen.
He didn't have enough time to calm himself, let alone treat her which meant that…
Subaru: [Shit! I can't stop the bleeding! Beako! What should I do!]
Beatrice: [Let's hope we can stop the blood from flowing! We don’t want her to choke on her blood, I suppose!]
Beatrice uses the little mana she has to keep the surrounding demon beasts away from them. In the meantime, Subaru shakes Meili's body and tries to get her to spit out the blood in her throat.
However, that didn't help Meili's condition and the blood didn't stop. When it couldn't be helped, Subaru put an improvised straw made from his fist against the girl's mouth and sucked the blood out through it.
Subaru: [--YES! She's breathing again! Can you use some healing magic on me?!]
Beatrice: [I'll do it but I can't be healing you all that much right now I suppose!]
Subaru: [I know, I know!...... It was my fault that I let Meili go too deep, and I'll take responsibility for that.]
Technically, the bill for that mistake had already started to be paid by Subaru.
However, the interest was piling up at a tremendous rate, and Subaru was already struggling to breathe, even while reducing the loan he was getting from Ram.
Beatrice: [I wonder how much more time I can buy at this rate--]
Subaru: [No, I can't fail here! If I do then Meili is going to......]
Beatrice: [What are you doing! This is idiotic I suppose!]
Subaru: [Eh!]
As Subaru was clenching his teeth and running with Meili in his arms while suffering the effects of his authority. Beatrice suddenly jumps onto Subaru's side.
Subaru is surprised to find that he has taken the form of a carriage. Of course, Beatrice is as light as cotton candy, so that won't prevent him from moving around but...
Subaru: [Beako--]
Beatrice: [Subaru, you don't have to go through everything by yourself. Betty and Subaru are partners, and Meili is also one of them in fact. It's not just Subaru that I promised to help I suppose.]
Subaru: [....]
Gently holding Subaru's head in her arms, Beatrice speaks to him in a gentle voice.
Through Subaru, who becomes silent upon hearing her words, she begins to treat Meili's wounds with her healing magic. -- the sensation of a warm light gently healing Meili, which is transmitted to Subaru through the effects of "Cor Leonis".
This warmth flowing through both Meili and Subaru showed Beatrice's feelings of concern towards everyone.
Subaru: [....]
Behind them, the demon beasts' fight continued.
Fortunately, it seems that even if Meili's blessing was cut off, there was no immediate peace treaty between the Crimson Scorpion and the Hungry Horse King. It was the same for the other demon beasts as well.
The Crimson Scorpion's cleaving pincers and tail needles had already taken out half of the beasts that were closing in on Subaru and the others.
Naturally, the other half can't take it easy as long as they are aiming at them and not at the scorpion.
Subaru: 'The choice is--''
Taking into account the words that Beatrice had told him, and her thoughts of caring for Meili, there was definitely a way to change, if not to break through the dire situation that Subaru was in.
However, since it was impossible to know whether it was doable or not without trying it first, and since the model for this method was Subaru's worst opponent, he was hesitant to execute it.
However--.
Beatrice: [Subaru! If the reason for you hesitating is concern for Betty, then I don't want to hear it in fact! If the reason isn't Betty, then we can deal with that together later I suppose!!]
Subaru: [....]
Beatrice: [I want to suffer with you and rejoice with you. ...... I won't let you leave Betty out of it I suppose!]
Beatrice screams with anger at what she sees in the profile of Subaru, who is still holding her in his arms.
He can't see Beatrice's current face since she's currently on his back. But Subaru knows that even now that she's angry at him, she's still Subaru's cute partner
The words from his partner give him courage, and Subaru is pushed onwards by them.
There is no need to worry.
There is no need to worry, because his partner told him not to. Since they're together there isn't a need to worry..
Therefore...
Subaru: [I love you, Beako.]
Beatrice: [Betty feels the same in fact.]
They exchange words of affection for each other.
-- Cor Leonis, Second Shift
Giving a new name to the “Lion’s Heart” that he had named himself, he switched gears within himself.
In doing so, he expanded his authority as a self-imposed “little king” - a way of being a lonely king, standing on the back of everyone's thoughts..
But that doesn't mean you can't be shamelessly ‘greedy’ by imposing your burdens on someone else.
What Subaru did with his authority is share the load with his friends who want to be with him and who want to help him.
In other words.
The Second Shift: Sharing the Burden.
This is the burden that Subaru had to taste alone and with his whole body. But now the burden that Subaru had to bear alone was shared to his friends and others who were willing to share.
For now, for the time being...
Beatrice: [Subaru.]
Subaru: [Yeah.]
Beatrice: [...... I hope it's not too hard for you I suppose!]
Subaru: [Oh, it's so fucking hard!]
The second stage of"Cor Leonis"is activated and the load taken by Subaru is shared.
It's not half. It's about half of a half, but even so, Subaru's burden becomes much lighter, and Beatrice, who begins to share this burden with him, becomes pale instead.
Beatrice attempts to disguise her pain, and Subaru trying to do the same yells back loudly.
Subaru: [Painful. It's painful. I can't do it.]
Subaru was going to take on the entire burden of everyone else, to hell with being a king. There's no way anyone can stand alone, it's thanks to everyone who wants to support Subaru that he can stand.
Subaru: [So this suffering, I'll be sharing it with you…..]
Beatrice [....]
As Beatrice, who now shares Subaru's burden, treats Meili, Subaru turns his attention to the giant Crimson Scorpion.
Since he is connected to Shaula through “Cor Leonis”, Subaru is able to sense that there is still a faint light buried in the scorpion.
But unfortunately, she is apparently unable to hand over the burden that Subaru and Beatrice possess since the will to share the burden isn't present in the scorpion. .
Only a person who wants to support the"little king"can be supported by him.
The power on its lonesome is a really easy to understand and inflexible power. That's why Subaru can't afford to be arrogant.
Because Subaru can never forget that he was being supported by someone else.
Subaru: [Beako! Can you hurry up and deal with her wounds?]
Beatrice: [Honestly! You always ask for the most impossible things I suppose!]
Meili's body asks for continuous treatment while the situation with the scorpion demands a breakthrough. Subaru and Beatrice have to try and figure out a solution to both problems. As the scorpion points its tail at Subaru, they have to make a quick decision
Subaru/Beatrice: [E-M-M!]
The first trump card, Absolute Invincibility Magic, was cast and a shockwave engulfed Subaru along with the others.
△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △
The events under the clouds were unknown to Emilia, who is currently above the clouds.
However, unlike her friends who were fighting for their lives, Emilia had won her fight and arrived at her current position.
Emilia: [....]
She had reached the top floor of the Pleiades Watchtower, the top of the known world.
At that place, which was reached after the sacrifice of a large number of ice soldiers, what Emilia saw was the base of the central pillar - a black monolith.
The monolith itself appeared to be the same as the one seen during the first test.
The difference was that this monolith wasn't floating, and there was an eye-catching feature on what should have been a flat surface.
It was--.
Emilia: [Whose handprints are these?]
Emilia's purple-blue eyes looked closer and she saw multiple handprints stamped on the surface of the monolith - six in all, the handprints of different men and women.
From the size of their palms and the thickness of their fingers, one could tell that they were all separate human hands.
However, since they went to the trouble of leaving their handprints in such a fashion, there is no doubt that these people were close to each other and that they were related to the watchtower - and...
Emilia: [...... Could it be that you're Shaula’s master?]
That's about the only person that Emilia can think of when she thinks of the someone involved in the tower.
There's also Volcanica, but there's no trace of the dragon on the monolith, only human handprints.
Emilia can only think of 2 people who could have left their handprint here.
Emilia: [--? Wait, this is...]
Having thought about it, Emilia feels uncomfortable about one of the handprints.
It was stamped at the very end of the six, out of the 6 there are only 2 that look noticeably smaller than the rest.
Probably because those are the only two prints that are female.
And it was one of the prints, only one, that drew Emilia's attention to it -
Emilia: [Is this one my ......?]
Emilia frowns, looking down at her right hand and muttering to herself.
Emilia: [It seems strange, but one of the handprints stamped on that monolith, it seems like it's my own.]
Emilia: [....]
Emilia faced the monolith. Then, to clear her own doubts, she reached out her right hand to the print when..
Volcanica: [You have reached the top of the tower. Thou shalt tread on one level, petitioner of the Almighty.]
Emilia: [-Ehh!]
Just before touching the monolith, Emilia turned at the stern voice descending from above.
There, flapping his wings and descending to the top level was Volcanica, who just a moment ago had been writhing violently when Emilia's ice soldier had touched the white scale.
Emilia: [....]
With the monolith at her back, Emilia is once again facing the “Divine Dragon”.
The fight to climb up the pillars had been a very difficult one, and if this fight were to be a continuation of the earlier one, then coming out of this alive would be a feat. Although there is a reasonable amount of space on the floor Emilia is currently on, it's still smaller than the last floor, which will make it difficult to avoid getting pushed down.
Besides, if the monolith is destroyed, then she would be in a load of trouble ...
Emilia: [We don't know how hard the monoliths are. Even when we first saw it at the third level, Julius stopped Ram from hitting it so might even be suuuuper brittle.]
However, no matter how sturdy the monolith was, Emilia knew that all it would take to break it would be one hit from the “Divine Dragon”.
Emilia: [If you beat me, then I'll be letting everybody down. Sooo--!]
Emilia summons seven ice soldiers around her again.
These ice soldiers were crushed in order to reach the top level but, like Emilia, their faces are full of motivation and reassurance.
As they readied their ice weapons, Emilia wielded two ice swords in her hands.
Then, Emilia along with her knights, rushed to attack Volcanica as one.
Emilia: [Let's go, guys! Remember! Volcanica has a weak white spot on his neck!]
Emilia didn't want to hurt the dragon, but if someone was able to reach it, even if it's just a touch, Emilia should have enough time to examine that monolith--
Emilia: [What?]
Before she could react, Emilia was flung up into the air.
Emilia: [....]
It was too quick for her to judge what had happened.
The only thing she felt was the sensation of something quickly touching her foot as she took a step forward.
And at the same time...
SMASH!
Around Emilia, whose heaven and earth were turned upside down, seven ice soldiers shattered all at once.
All of them had their heads crushed with deadly precision, transforming into mana dust without any resistance. When she felt it on her skin, Emilia realized with a shiver.
Volcanica's tail had done that.
Volcanica's tail had brushed off Emilia's legs at high speeds and split the heads of the ice soldiers in the same swing.
Her body froze as she thought was of what had been accomplished.
Impossibly quick. It was magnitudes faster than the first strike Emilia had been able to prevent. Compared to Subaru's whip, Volcanica's tail strike was a thousand or ten thousand times as quick.
Face to that powerful attack, even Emilia would have been mercilessly defeated.
This gave rise to the question...
Emilia: [Why have you been so nice to me ......?]
Against Emilia, he had swept her feet, and against the ice soldier, he had efficiently decapitated all seven.
Why was such a difference created here? It's hard to believe that she was spared because of her face. Was it because she had touched the scale?
After taking some time to think, Emilia reminds herself that she still hasn't gotten out of the dire situation of which she was currently in..
As it is, she's almost knocked headfirst into the floor.
Once again, a soft thud struck Emilia's legs in the air as she flipped over and was struck from the side.
From the inverted state, Emilia was spun around and half-turned, and she landed dangerously.
And then, when she looked up after her close call…..
Volcanica: [...... What are you doing?]
The figure of the “Divine Dragon” said these words to Emilia while sticking his face in front of Emilia's eyes.
Emilia: [Eh ......?]
He was so close that if Emilia had moved her face forward even a single centimeter, her nose would be in contact with the rock-sharp, robust skin.
The presence of the dragon's face at that distance, in itself, was a surprise to Emilia. But what puzzled Emilia even more than that was--.
He stopped repeating the same words!
Volcanica: [....]
Emilia: [You've come to your senses? So, can you please tell me more about the test? I have a lot of questions about the “trial” and changing the rules of the watchtower and sooo~]
Seeing how Volcanica's condition seemed to have gotten better, Emilia speaks out to him in rapid succession.
If the “Divine Dragon” has been revived, then they can talk about the test again. There shouldn't be any reason to resort to unreasonable and violent means.
Emilia: [Please! Can we talk properly now......]
Volcanica: [You should be careful, what would you do if you fall down? I'm sure I'll be reprimanded if something goes wrong....... after all we haven't seen each other in a while.]
Emilia: [Volcanica ......?]
Hearing this Emilia starts to worry. She had been trying to make Volcanica answer her questions in order to help everyone else and was happy to see that Volcanica had snapped out of his prior trance.
However, the content of his words did not seem to be an answer to Emilia's words, and served only to deepen her confusion.
In the golden eyes of Volcanica that were looking at Emilia, there is a calm look in them. A light emotion, different from the stupor and ambiguity that had been shown just moments before. It gazes at Emilia gently, calmly and compassionately
Volcanica: [Where's Flugel and Reid? Shaula will be sad if you don't go say goodbye. Farsale too, don't forget to see him when you leave.]
Emilia: [....]
Volcanica continues to speak to Emilia with kind eyes.
It was hard to know for sure who the last person Volcanica mentioned was without asking for a family name, but Emilia remembered the sound of Farsale from the history books she had studied.
Emilia: [Farsale, Farsale Lugunica? The king from four hundred years ago?]
Farsale Luhunica--the thirty-fifth king of the Kingdom of Lugunica and a great man who ruled the country during the era of the Witches four hundred years ago.
“The Last Lion King”, who signed a pact with none other than Volcanica, the “Divine Dragon”, and marked the first step in the long-lasting prosperity of the Kingdom of Lugunica.
Emilia: [....]
Looking around, Emilia turns her gaze to the monolith behind her.
The six hand prints - if Volcanica's words were not irrelevant, then three of the handprints belonged to Flugel, Reid and Farsale. The other three are unknown, but one of them seemed to match Emilia's handprint.
The two others are probably a man and a woman.
Emilia: [Then would the woman's handprint be Shaula's ......?]
That seems like the most likely scenario with the information Emilia currently has.
She doesn't know the identity of the last male handprint, but that can wait for later. The biggest problem at the moment, is the fact that there was a print that almost exactly matched Emilia's own.
Emilia had a history of repressing her own memories. But even if she wasn't doing that currently, she's in a state where no one can be sure because of the effect of Gluttony.
Emilia was sure that if she had been up here before she would remember, but maybe she's just forgotten about it.
Emilia: [......Nope, there's no way I could've been up here. If Puck had been here, he would've been able to confirm it.]
Volcanica: [What is it? Is something bothering you?]
Emilia: [Umm, no, I'm fine. Thank you for worrying about me.....]
In the end, the fact that she was having a conversation with Volcanica feels suspicious.
It's much better than being smacked by his tail and paws without question, but the fact that the situation is still in limbo regarding the 'test' remains.
What is to be done, Emilia ponders--.
Volcanica: [Speak up, Speak up and tell me what you have to say, and I will remove your sorrow, Satella.]
Hearing that, Emilia chokes up
Emilia: [....]
Satella…… this was not the first time that she had been called by that name.
Silver hair, purple-blue eyes, and a half-elf - most people of this world associate Emilia with that person when they see her features.
The only other difference is what people call her.
Some people call her Satella, some call her the “worst calamity”, and some call her “The Witch of Envy”.
To Emilia there was no surprise to being called such.
However, it was strange for Volcanica to say Satella's name with affection.
Because Volcanica, Reid, and Flugel, who had forced Shaula to take credit for his own achievements, were the ones who had imprisoned Satella.
How could that be the case if....
Emilia: [Why would you speak so kindly about the “Witch of Envy”?]
Looking back at it now, Emia could already see how bad of a question it was.
In the moment Emilia did not know how that one name would become such a catastrophe.
Some people would have said Satella, some simply said the “witch”, But Emilia had said the “Witch of Envy”.
Volcanica: [The “Witch of Envy”?]
That is what produces a change to Volcanica's, distant looking eyes. In Volcanica's golden eyes, the change that occurred was dramatic.
The dragon's head was staring at Emilia was right in front of Emilia. That's why she was able to notice the change right as it happened. Her hair stood up on end as her head told her to move from her spot.
Emilia, who had grown up in the forest, has seen numerous occurrences of demon beasts changing into something much more dangerous.
Following her gut instinct, Emilia jumped backwards without wasting even a millisecond.
That was the right decision.
BOOM!
Instantly, the air in front of Emilia exploded.
It wasn't an exaggeration or anything, it was literally a compression of space, and immediately afterwards, it swelled and exploded.
The phenomenon was strange, as if space itself had been twisted around, and if one were to be caught up in it, any and all protections would be discarded.
And it occurred right where Emilia's head had been just a moment ago. If she had been late in moving away from that spot, Emilia would have died in an instant
Since climbing the tower, she had been put in many dangerous situations.
However, It may be the first time she had ever been in such a life-threatening situation before.
If the element of luck is what had kept Emilia alive, then the fact that she was still able to breathe must mean that she was truly blessed with good fortune, and in that way Emilia interpreted her situation in a positive light.
If not, she would have almost felt crushed by the continuing changes in the situation.
Volcanica: [Satella!]
This is because Volcanica, which has now spread his wings, is directing a look of hostility towards her.
Seeing this, Emilia tries not to get too angry. Even though it seemed like Volcanica had come back to his senses, there still seemed to be little chances of speaking with him
Compared to when Volcanica had seemed to be half asleep earlier, he now seems to be more motivated with fury.
Emilia: [--Icicle Line!]
That meant Emilia didn't need to go easy on him, and not wanting to waste a single second, she unleashed her own magical power with unyielding resolve.
The ait cracked coldly and a white haze slowly began to drift in. Even from this high up on the watchtower the sky turned into a snowfall, turning the world white.
Rising from the frozen ground was an armament of ice. Pulling out the spear from the floor, Emilia spins it around and points it at the “Divine Dragon”.
Once again, Emilia prepared for a battle with Volcanica.
However, if the attack that swept Emilia off her feet was Volcanica's serious play, then she didn't know if she would be able to react to the upcoming attack.
As he is now, he was magnitudes stronger than when he was blurry. No that wasn't quite right, even now he seemed to be blurry.
Emilia: [But ......]
Staring straight into the other's golden eyes, Emilia couldn't simply dismiss Volcanica's attitude as him being confused.
Because Volcanica's eyes were full of deep sorrow.
Volcanica: [Satella, that's right, Satella. We must stop thee from becoming the “Witch of Envy”.]
Emilia: [Were you good friends with ......?]
Volcanica: [If I hadn't faltered that day, no one would have faltered that day. If I hadn't faltered that day, no one would have…]
There was no definite answer to her question. But the trembling voice of the Volcanica seemed to be the answer itself.
The repentant dragon breathed heavily, and prepared the breath that could burn the world .
Before that could happen, Emilia would have to run up and strike that white scale. If she couldn't do that, Emilia, and of course, everyone else, wouldn't be able to be saved.
Emilia: [--Subaru, Beatrice, Ram, Rem, Meili, Patrasche-chan, Echidna, Julius, and Anastasia-san.]
She thought of everyone who is in the tower and is going through the same situation she was.
Everyone who needed to be saved, everyone who was working for the same purpose.
By doing so, deep in Emilia's chest, she can feel something unknown yet powerful appear.
Volcanica: [... “Witch of Envy”, Satella!]
Emilia: [--No! I'm Emilia, the “Witch Of Glaciation” of the Great Elinor Forest!]
It's a good idea to be able to have a look at it. --I'm not going to be the only one.
So--.
Emilia: [Try to remember my name, okay?]
The final phase of the last test of the Pleiades Watchtower had started, as a bright light exploded simultaneously from above and below the clouds.