Rubia’s fingers intertwined with mine, trembling violently—her hands, arms, and body were shaking.
Could she remember everything that had happened so far? I didn’t know. I didn’t want to think about it now.
I hoped that both Rubia and I would only think of each other.
Gulp!
I swallowed my trembling breath, released my clasped hands, and embraced Rubia’s waist.
It wasn’t the scent of a flower that resembled Rubia; no, it was the real fragrance of Rubia that tickled my nostrils.
Still, it wasn’t enough.
“…More.”
I buried my face deep into Rubia’s chest.
“Harder… Please hug me. Hug me so tightly it feels like I could break… Ugh…”
Before my words could even finish, the arms that wrapped around me tightened. My heels lifted off the ground. I was losing my breath. The intense scent, her warmth, and the fierce rhythm of her heartbeat filled me completely.
Time passed like that.
Droplets began to fall onto the top of my head. Forcing my head up that was pinned against Rubia’s chest, I saw she was crying.
Tears mixed with various emotions.
But the one that felt the most overwhelming was guilt.
I released the arms that encircled her waist.
Gently, I released Rubia’s arms that pulled me as if wanting to swallow me whole and wiped away the tears that flowed down her cheeks.
“D-Don’t cry…”
“Noah is also crying… while wiping someone else’s tears… Huhuh, huhu…”
The coldness of Rubia’s fingers brushed against my cheek.
Then again, Rubia, who wrapped her arms around my head, hugged me tightly with trembling arms.
Her soft and squishy chest pushed my face down hard.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I’m sorry, Noah… I… I…”
Ugh… Brr…
My head was so tightly squeezed that I couldn’t speak or move. My nose was getting all squished, and it hurt, but I held on.
Yet, Rubia kept sobbing, continuously apologizing. I wanted to stay embraced a while longer, but I had no choice but to push Rubia’s body away a little bit.
“It’s not Rubia’s fault… So please, don’t cry. Don’t say you’re sorry.”
Then I wiped her tears once more and pressed my finger against her nose.
“I’ll figure things out somehow, so Rubia just needs to… smile. You trust me, right?”
At that, Rubia’s expression contorted further.
Not a smile, nor a tear, but her face, blurred with tears and reddened at the tip of her nose, was crumpled, yet…
“…Yes.”
She was beautiful. Extremely.
More than the imaginary Rubia I had envisioned.
More than the Rubia I had felt with my fingertips.
More than the Rubia I had seen through trials.
More than the Rubia I had seen in Sirin’s memories.
The real Rubia before my eyes was a hundred times more beautiful.
Rubia, whose nose scrunched up crying, was beautiful.
Rubia, who bit her lips trying to hold back tears, was beautiful.
There were so many things I wanted to say to Rubia, so many things I wanted to express, but I forgot them all.
So I simply blurted out the words that came to my mind.
“…Kiss me, please.”
“Excuse me…?”
With a shocked look as if she didn’t expect such words, Rubia’s eyes widened, staring blankly at me.
Oh man, why is she just staring?
I slowly lifted my arms and wrapped them around Rubia’s neck.
It was a bit high, my arms were sore, and I was embarrassed.
I hurriedly pulled her neck closer and said.
“…Quickly.”
As soon as I finished speaking, the elegantly curved eyes came closer. Her tongue slipped between the slightly parted lips. It brushed against the insides of my lips, danced around the bottom of my tongue, and gently swept upward. It lightly pressed against my palate and wrapped around my tongue.
Even in that moment, her beautiful blue eyes peered directly at me behind those soft curves.
The smile in her eyes was so pretty, and her blue irises were so gorgeous that I couldn’t close my own eyes.
Hik…
Only after Rubia’s teasing tongue finally withdrew from my mouth could I breathe.
Even my sigh was deeply inhaled by Rubia as she released her embrace.
“Ha… Are you satisfied?”
A voice mixed with a slightly heated sigh and a dizzying scent approached me. I buried my face in Rubia’s arms to hide my flushed ears and face.
Thump-thump. Was that the sound of my heart or Rubia’s? The intertwined beats were so mixed I couldn’t tell, but they thudded against my forehead.
Thump-thump. Should I ask for more?
Thump-thump. Is that okay?
Thump-thump. It felt like it ended a little too soon…
Thud-thud-thud-thud! It should be… okay?!
Finishing my self-rationalization and just as I was about to ask for it again,
“…I was trying not to interrupt, but since I can’t see, the sounds are quite stimulating. So if you are going to kiss, please keep the noise down.”
Ser, who had his eyes closed and turned away, sighed and spoke.
“I’ll try my best.”
Rubia’s hands wrapped around my waist. Her head encompassed mine.
“So, Noah… try hard too.”
With those words, Rubia’s breath, now more heated than before, brushed against my lips.
Her breath was hot. Her lips were hot.
The emotions conveyed throughout my body were hot.
Wildly, it was hot and warm.
Tears streamed down.
Like ice that had been hardening, melted away, the strongly resolved feelings spilled out.
Over and over, endlessly.
*
“Is it all done?”
Thud! In the awkward silence, Ser turned towards us.
With his eyes still closed, Ser wore a quiet smile.
“…Yes.”
I wiped my lips and tightly held Rubia’s hand. Her fingers intertwined with mine, firmly locking together.
“To be honest, I was a little surprised.”
“…Uh…”
“I expected an emotional reunion, but I never dreamed it would be such a fiery one with me right next to you. It seems you’ve really missed each other?”
“Um… Ahaha… I’m sorry.”
Rubia forced a bitter smile, squeezing my hand tighter.
“No, there’s nothing to apologize for. In fact, I’m feeling quite good. It seems you both liked the special gift I prepared.”
With a soft chuckle, Ser took a step closer to us.
“I’d love to have a tea time, but there’s not much time left, and I couldn’t prepare a tea set since the connection with the spirit realm was cut off. So, let’s get straight to the point. Do you have any questions?”
For a moment, Rubia’s lips parted and then quickly sealed shut. She tilted her head, looking at me.
I quietly nodded and chose my words slowly.
“…Ser.”
“Yes.”
“The scales floating behind you… That’s your unique ability, right?”
“Yes, it is my unique ability.”
Ser waved his hand, and following that motion, the hazy shape of the scales became clear.
The scales were a dreamlike color resembling Ser’s milky-white hair and purple eyes.
The pressure emanating from those scales was on a whole different level compared to what I had sensed before.
On both plates perfectly balanced, there were magic circles drawn. But they were not ordinary. Even if instructed to draw, I could never replicate the complex and intricate magic circles that overlapped dozens and hundreds of times.
The base that supported everything was engraved not with magic circles, but with characters.
Those characters were as complicated and enigmatic as the magic circles, such that one could never hope to draw them if shown.
“To explain further, I couldn’t use it when I lost all my magical power, but once I regained it, I was able to use it again. The ability is simple. It’s the power to create a corresponding ‘result’ based on what I offer.”
“…Equivalent exchange.”
“Oh, you remembered? Correct. The basic principle of magic is equivalent exchange. What do you think? My unique ability seems to be the closest to the essence of magic, doesn’t it?”
Ser smiled proudly.
I couldn’t bring myself to smile back.
“…Ser. You said that you were able to use magic due to sacrificing the spirit realm.”
The order was strange.
Ser lost the ability to use magic.
But now, he could use magic.
The reason was that the spirit realm was sacrificed.
Then it meant that he offered that scale as a price.
The scales… Were mentioned to have been used only after regaining the ability to use magic.
If that’s the case…
“Where, and how did you offer that price?”
“Noah, it seems you’ve become quite clever.”
“…Please answer me.”
Ser chuckled softly.
Then, after a brief moment of silence, he opened his mouth.
“There’s no need to think seriously. The price was paid to the scales.”
“Huh? B-but… The scales—”
“It may be a bit gruesome, but I’ll show you how I summoned the scales.”
Raising his hand to his chest, Ser began to unbutton his clothes.
“Eh…?”
Even I couldn’t react fast enough as Rubia’s hand swiftly covered my eyes.
So, for a moment.
Click-click. The sound of buttons being undone echoed.
When that sound stopped, Ser’s voice filled the air.
“Look.”
“…Ser, what the heck is that?”
Swish! Rubia’s hand dropped.
I cautiously opened my squeezed eyes.
“…Huh?”
Ser’s pale body came into view.
And the scar engraved there caught my attention.
It looked as if it had been carved with an edged tool.
The scars that covered his upper body starting from his solar plexus were a mass of overlapping magic circles.
“This is a new spell based on how dragon hearts function. By injecting magical power directly into my body, I summoned the scales. After summoning them, I could have erased it, but the efficiency was surprisingly good, so I left it as it is.”
Once Ser finished his explanation, he casually began to fasten his buttons again.
“In any case, that’s how I summoned the scales and paid the price. In return, I regained the ability to use magic.”
“The price… was the spirit realm, right?”
“Yes, the spirit realm. Since it took my magic away, it’s only natural that if I offer the spirit realm as the price, my magic would return.”
After a long pause, Rubia murmured.
“…Ser. Both you and I are created beings, right?”
“Yes.”
“The divine power is what maintains and supports my body and soul. Without divine power, I would vanish. After all, I was created from divine power.”
Rubia’s trembling gaze turned towards Ser.
“Isn’t the spirit realm maintaining and supporting your body and soul? If you sacrificed that… then you…”
Ser smiled.
“You worry about trivial things. Rubia, Noah. As I’ve told you many times, I’m a genius.”
His smile was identical to how it always was.
“So, don’t worry.”
