I stared at Kalt’s fallen sword.
Slowly, I turned my gaze.
I looked down at Noah.
I saw Noah smiling.
The heartbeat gradually faded.
Gasp breath ceased.
The body revealed by the dropping scab… was horrific.
“No, ah…?”
Noah’s body no longer bled.
It was eerily calm, as if there was no blood left to shed.
I couldn’t touch it.
Fearing it might shatter if I did, I could only watch in silence.
The fading heartbeat stops.
The breath that was slowing down ceases.
At that moment.
Again, that voice echoed in my head.
[Look at our Noah, amazing, right?]
[Beautiful, commendable, and admirable.]
The eight pairs of wings spread behind me scattered and seeped into Noah’s body.
[‘Memories’ flowed in.]
[I don’t know how the future will turn out.]
[But if it’s Noah we believe in.]
[I’m sure she’s going to rise again.]
[So… from now on, it’s your turn.]
[Please take care of the changed future.]
The twisted limbs return.
The hastily patched-up leather finds its place.
The shape of the bones stands out.
The color of blood begins to return.
[Oh, by the way… hair is important too.]
Even the shortened hair gradually grew longer.
[Um… search through Yuria’s pockets for the rest.]
[So, see you next time?]
The familiar yet unheard voice disappeared with an unsettling laugh.
“Hey, Rubia… how did you do this?”
Charlotte’s horrified voice was heard.
“Uh, sis? Can Noah… be saved? Huh? Ev… everything’s… back to normal…”
Hephaestus’s hopeful voice came through.
“…Shaman.”
Yuria’s resolute voice was heard.
Search Yuria’s pockets…?
I turned my head to look at Yuria.
In her hands were bottles filled with purple liquid.
“Uh, what? Yuria, you had elixirs too?!”
“Uh-uh-uh! This is what I had before!! It’s from the master, right?!”
“El…ixirs?”
The liquid resembled the elixir that Ruchi had given me.
But.
Yuria shook her head.
“It’s elixir, but… it’s not ‘perfect’ elixir.”
Moistening her dry lips, Yuria spoke rapidly.
“Because of the situation, I’ll get straight to the point. This is a modified elixir made from a plant called Eliximona. I made it… It’s almost similar in efficacy to the existing elixir, but it has side effects.”
“Side effects…?”
“Yes. For example… after taking it, you may become weaker, lose intelligence, social skills may decrease… or your size may shrink, height may decrease… It won’t kill you, but there are various side effects—”
A weakened Noah… I could take responsibility for that.
If her intelligence drops… could she get any worse than now?
I could take responsibility for that too.
As for social skills… she was already at rock bottom, so that’s fine.
Even if her size shrinks… well, I don’t think that would make much difference…
“Well… even so, taking it in her current state is definitely the right choice.”
While I was lost in thought, Yuria finished her words and suddenly stood up, walking over to Noah.
Then, she slowly tilted Noah’s head back.
She began pouring the modified elixir into her mouth.
After emptying both bottles, I sent divine power into Noah’s body to check her condition.
There were no internal injuries…
I didn’t sense any other issues.
“It seems… okay.”
As I barely nodded, a sigh of relief escaped those around me.
Hephaestus lay beside Noah, crying out loud.
Charlotte slumped down, chewing on a crumpled mana leaf.
“Side effects will likely show up within a month. It goes without saying, but it’s best to maintain maximum stability until then. Well… since this has happened, I’m sure Ursphere will treat her with utmost care… so we shouldn’t worry.”
Yuria continued explaining while releasing the smoke of the mana leaf.
“Right. That bastard Kalt, just a bounty alone is huge. If they try to ignore it, I’ll wipe them all out. I will use the authority of the royal family, no matter what, and make it happen.”
“What? There’s a bounty too?”
“Of course. He killed all the royal knights and ran away. Oh, and I’m a princess. Rubia is a shaman. They tried to kill us, so damn it. They owe us not just a bounty but compensation as well, right? I’m going to tell Dad about this.”
Charlotte irritably threw away the mana leaf and pulled out a new one while continuing to speak.
“By the way… Rubia, what the hell is Noah doing?”
“Huh…?”
As I carefully cradled Noah, Charlotte poked her cheeks repeatedly.
“Seriously, it’s strange. Yuria and I are barely platinum level, but we couldn’t land a single hit. Moreover, earlier… that… shit, thinking about it gives me goosebumps… the last Kalt we saw… our attacks didn’t hit him at all, but Noah’s sword did.”
“That’s true.”
As I brushed Noah’s messy bangs aside, I remembered the scene from earlier.
Overcoming death that enveloped the sky.
Noah, slashing at Kalt’s body, cloaked in black fog.
I thought it was just the effect of the fragments, but that last attack didn’t even borrow the power of the fragments.
She hadn’t swung the great sword.
She had simply… cut Kalt with an old sword.
That old sword was one that had cut down Carpen and sliced the world, yet it was Ruchi’s power, not the sword’s ability.
It had been cut down purely by Noah’s ability.
“I don’t know… either.”
I really didn’t know.
So much had happened in an instant.
I felt the overwhelming power of the Master.
Despair engulfed me, I crumbled.
And then, I watched Noah overcome it.
A strange voice echoed in my head, suddenly wings unfurling behind me.
The divine power surged wildly, growing stronger.
It moved with a will of its own.
And then, it brought Noah back to life.
If that voice was Lilith.
If it was Lilith who wielded my divine power.
Why did it only now share its voice?
Why… didn’t it give power without taking a cost?
And.
Why.
Noah.
My Noah.
Why did it address her so familiarly.
Compliment her.
And treat her so warmly.
Why… call her ‘our Noah’?
I had no idea.
“But… that’s not the important thing right now. Let’s think only about what’s certain. Hephaestus found Yuria. Noah defeated Kalt, the Master. And we, including Noah… survived.”
Thanks to a single girl.
“So… let’s just think about how we’ll repay Noah when she wakes up.”
“…Yeah. Ugh… I feel good, but… it’s frustrating.”
“Yeah… I’ll go downstairs and make various nutrients and supplements. Hephaestus, stop crying and get up. Let’s go.”
“Sob Ugh… No, ah, sister… sob”
“Right. If you’re that worried, just make Noah’s equipment sturdier. So stop crying and get up quickly.”
“Sob”
“Everyone… thanks for your hard work. Now, let’s head down. Let’s share our feelings down there.”
I lightly smiled and stood up.
Though I smiled, inside I was rotting away.
Before my eyes lay a path made of blood, stark and prominent.
We were alive because of Noah’s sacrifice.
We stood here by trading Noah’s life.
How could I be okay?
I looked at Noah, who was sleeping in my arms.
How much pain did she endure?
How lonely and difficult was her fight?
I can’t imagine.
I can’t even dare to empathize.
I thought I felt reassured because Charlotte was here.
I thought we’d be fine with Yuria, our new strength, joining us.
I thought my own power had also grown, that I could protect Noah.
There has never been a bigger delusion.
Protecting what? Winning at what?
I couldn’t do anything at all.
I hadn’t even noticed the first strike, leaning on Noah.
I had done nothing until the very last moment without Noah…
My insides churn with discomfort.
My mouth feels dry.
My steps are heavy.
From the outset, my determination was different.
The resolve was different.
Noah.
Embraced death.
She sacrificed for us.
Because I was weak.
Incompetent.
Weak and feeble.
She might have had no choice.
I looked up at the sky.
I recalled the black sun.
I remembered the appearance of the end that I saw in the revelation.
I thought that if I sacrificed myself, everything would be resolved.
Living passively, letting things flow, and thinking that if I met the end together it would all be settled…
It was not so.
That was an arrogant thought.
I didn’t realize that if all my precious people died before the end descended.
If the people I loved died, it would all be pointless.
I lowered my head and slowly began to walk again.
I must grow stronger.
Physically and mentally, I must be strong.
To stand proudly by Noah’s side.
For that, I need to hurry to Cartia… but Noah needs to rest now.
First… let’s go to Ursphere.
Let’s buy some jelly.
A whole bunch.
Buy all the jelly in the city.
And tie it up.
Tying it up in the room, and taking the great sword to be repaired… no, I meant to leave it for repairs.
I need to take full responsibility for her from start to finish.
If I don’t, another incident might ensue.
Let’s confine her, tie her up.
Take care of her.
I looked at Noah, quietly sleeping in my arms.
Her body was clean.
All her scars had vanished.
Potions leave scars.
Healing from a priest doesn’t leave scars.
My healing doesn’t either.
But the fact that there are no scars on her body right now…
I forced back the tears that were about to spill and made a serious decision.
“Hephaestus, how long will it take to repair Noah’s equipment?”
“Uh… light armor has to be completely remade… so… two days?”
“Be generous with it.”
“Um, a week—”
“Hephaestus?”
“Ugh… a month.”
“How about the great sword?”
“…Fifteen days…”
“Got it.”
Until her body is fully healed, we must absolutely not let her go.
“Hey, Yuria. That crazy girl… has finally lost it.”
“What kind of disrespectful language is that to the Shaman, you insolent girl?”
“Oh my? What kind of disrespectful language is that to the heavenly princess? You insolent girl.”
As I advanced, the bickering voices of Charlotte and Yuria echoed in the background.
A chilling energy washed over me.
Slowly, I turned to look at the source.
The others seemed to feel it too, all turning to stare at one place.
The spot where Kalt’s sword had fallen.
The place where the sword had disappeared.
In that weakened area, where only a faint divine power remained.
