“…Rubia?”
At my call, Rubia—no, Lilith—briefly widened her eyes, then shook her head with a chuckle.
“That child does resemble me a lot. After all, it’s modeled after… um…”
Pausing to choose her words carefully, Lilith sighed softly and beckoned me over.
Is she inviting me?
“Yes. You’re hurt. I’ll heal you.”
…Did she read my mind? Or did she just predict it like Rubia would?
For now… I didn’t approach Lilith. I squinted and quietly observed her.
“It’s okay. I won’t harm Noah.”
Even so, I still didn’t move closer. The existence that had taken the form of Rubia reminded me of the Nameless One’s cruel actions, making it hard for me to open my heart easily.
As those thoughts swirled in my mind, tears filled Lilith’s eyes.
“I can’t help that Noah thinks that… I’m sorry. Truly…”
Eventually, she lowered the arm she had stretched toward me and bowed her head, her shoulders starting to tremble.
“Uh, ugh… Uh, are you crying?”
Seeing her like that—looking just like Rubia, so sorrowful—made my doubts in my mind tether off, just a little.
During that time, drip drip. Tears began to fall from behind her hair, hidden from view.
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I was wrong…”
Her shoulders quivered painfully, her arms wrapped around herself as if feeling cold.
I… finally took a step toward Lilith.
I had roughly grasped my surroundings. This space was somewhat similar to the Divine Realm, but different from the Divine Realm that the Nameless One and I had once explored.
No matter how suspicious this place seemed, the powers and feelings surrounding it didn’t oppose me. In fact, they were welcoming me warmly.
Just like… how Rubia would greet me when she woke up in the morning.
And… even if something bad were to happen, a million-to-one chance, I had the confidence to break out of this place.
Though doing so would completely mess up my plans, I still focused on the fact that I could get out.
So, I moved closer to Lilith.
I didn’t think it would be dangerous.
It wasn’t because I felt sympathy for her, or wanted to comfort her.
Really.
Pat pat—as I seemed close enough yet walked quite a distance, I released the Great Sword.
The Great Sword suspended in the air transformed into a crimson divine entity and seeped into my body, obeying my will.
Pat pat—
Then, my cautious footsteps reached in front of Lilith.
Lilith let out a strange sound.
“Got you!”
“Wha—?!”
She hugged me tightly.
“W-What’s happening all of a sudden…?!”
“But… if I don’t do this, Noah will remain guarded, right?”
“Ugh! E-Even so…! P-Please let go! Ugh!”
“I won’t.”
A firm reply, yet her embrace was warm and gentle. The hand that had been stroking my head suddenly tugged, and my face buried itself in her chest.
“Ugh?! Mmph!”
Soft and slightly damp skin… her chest enveloped my face. It literally enveloped me.
Perhaps even larger than my head… her chest.
Lilith wasn’t wearing nothing.
She wore a dress that revealed half of her chest—the dress was a bit more extravagant than just a simple one… uh…
“Ugh!”
“Uhm… Noah, don’t move so intensely…”
“Mmm?”
I thrashed to escape from Lilith’s embrace. I moved slowly, cautious not to get hurt, but Lilith’s arms didn’t budge.
So, I tried a bit harder.
A little harder.
Even harder.
Really hard.
Incredibly hard.
Yet, Lilith’s arms remained staunch.
…Does this even make sense?
Aren’t I somewhat strong…?
Maybe even the strongest in this world…?
“Noah might be the strongest in your world, but this is my world, so I’m the strongest here.”
Lilith lowered my face, meeting my eyes with a mischievous smile and sticking out her tongue.
My cheeks flushed. Her teasing tongue made my lips feel wet, and my hair, disrupted by my struggles, stuck out in every direction.
It looked incredibly… incredibly lewd.
Will Rubia give off this kind of vibe in a bit more time?
That would be… a bit dangerous.
“That child will become like this too if some more time passes. Well… more than time, if she can’t hold back anymore, I think she’ll become like this.”
“Gah…”
Lilith chuckled lightly, finally releasing me.
I cautiously asked her, “…You’re reading my mind, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
Without hesitation, Lilith confidently replied as if it was obvious.
“Then… you know what I’m thinking right now…?”
“I do?”
“Please… I’ll be back again soon…”
I needed to get outside quickly.
“Take care” is literally a farewell message.
I need to explain to Rubia that things aren’t like that. If not… I think it will hurt her too much.
“…That’s impossible.”
Lilith, lost in thought for a moment, shook her head as she spoke.
“I don’t have much time, either. Neither do you.”
And then she smiled.
It was a bright, innocent smile, but the tears and the sad face from before made me think that it wasn’t a lie.
*
“I-I’m all better now.”
“Um, I think we should watch a bit longer. Can you take off some more clothes?”
“Eek… N-No, I want to get treated by Rubia for the rest.”
I dodged Lilith’s fingers gliding up my spine, moving aside.
And then, I was grabbed again.
As if that wasn’t enough, I was pulled back into Lilith’s embrace.
“Really?”
Huff—Her breath and voice tickled my ears, sending shivers down my spine.
“Yes, yes…! Eek, p-please stop…! If this goes on, Rubia will get mad…”
“Isn’t it just Rubia who’ll dislike it? Noah likes it, right?”
“I-I don’t…! I also… I… Urgh! Regardless, we shouldn’t do this! I’m… I’m dating Rubia!”
For a brief moment, the breath invading my ears stopped.
Swish—The arms holding me released.
I quickly crawled away from Lilith just a smidgen.
“Hah… Hah…”
I breathed heavily while looking at Lilith, who was still smiling.
…There were so many things I wanted to say, but I forgot them all as she kept teasing me.
“It’s fine. I know everything.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
I scratched my ear, still tingling, and adjusted my position.
In response, Lilith dropped the playful mood and straightened herself up.
Thus, a moment of silence fell over us.
It was broken by Lilith’s voice.
“Before we get to the main topic—”
With an uncharacteristically serious expression, Lilith closed her eyes and knelt before me.
“I’m sorry. I… brought you here without permission. After bringing Noah, I couldn’t do anything for you… I only made things difficult for you. I’m really sorry. It’s all… my fault.”
Even so.
“Thank you for saving this world, the world that was broken by my mistakes. For not breaking down, and for fighting until the end, and for living on like this… I’m really, really grateful.”
I didn’t reply to those words.
“It was impressive. The best in the world. Marvelous than any hero.”
Before I could respond, Lilith lifted her head.
The smile resting upon her face was unbearably sweet and deeply painful.
While I stared blankly at Lilith’s face, clap! the sound of her hands clapping snapped me back to reality.
“Shall we get to the main topic now?”
The change in atmosphere happened in an instant.
I pondered what the real Lilith could be, but it was a fruitless thought.
I already knew.
So, I nodded quietly.
“What should I start with…”
Lilith tapped on her hands politely resting on her lap, seeming to gather her thoughts, and finally nodded.
“Noah might already know this, but I didn’t perish.”
“…Yes.”
I wasn’t entirely certain, but I had a hunch.
The image of Lilith I saw within Sirin’s memories didn’t seem like a mere memory of someone; it felt like the real Lilith.
Other circumstantial evidence validated this idea as well…
But I wouldn’t dwell on it.
Lilith might read my thoughts again.
I lifted my gaze.
There she was, with a knowing smile as if she had read my mind.
…I have to be cautious.
“Just think of me as the real Lilith, and listen to my story. Know that I have no intention of harming Noah.”
And then…
Lilith fidgeted the fingers she had laid on her knees and sighed, shaking her head.
“Anyway. Now I really will get to the main topic.”
What did she want to say?
I couldn’t read Lilith’s thoughts, yet she read all of mine, and a sense of unfairness crept in for a moment.
“Noah.”
An unbelievable statement flowed from Lilith’s lips.
“Noah can’t be saved.”
What can’t be saved?
It didn’t even matter to think about it.
That ‘Noah’ must be referring to not me, but ‘me’.
