Then, in the middle of it all, a drawn-out applause echoed.
While I continued petting Maria’s head, I turned my gaze toward the source of the somewhat mocking sound. There stood Nosfy, a smile gracing her lips.
“Heh. It’s been a while, Lord Uzunami.”
“It hasn’t been a while for *us*… Did Maria do that to you?”
First, I inquired about Nosfy’s condition. The reason I wasn’t in combat readiness was the extremely faint magical power I sensed from her. From what I could see, the cloth wrapped around her entire body appeared to be suppressing her magic.
“Yes, I fought with Maria-san before Lord Uzunami arrived… and I was utterly defeated. Thanks to her cursed cloth, I can’t move at all… Hehehe.”
Nosfy’s gaze drifted to her immobile body, and her laughter intensified. It wasn’t a lie. I observed her neck closely and saw that where magical tattoos had once been etched were now replaced by burn marks. It was clear that Maria had captured Nosfy after a fierce battle.
“However, this means we have matching burn scars now.”
Noticing me staring, Nosfy shifted her gaze to the burn scars and spoke with apparent joy.
“This was very difficult, you know? To intentionally lower the effect of healing magic and leave scars so perfectly… only I could have done it. Hehehe, won’t you praise me? Look, we match, Lord Uzunami—Hehehe, we—match.”
As always, Nosfy displayed an abnormal obsession with me, and her demeanor remained disturbingly mad. Despite being a woman, she laughed without concern for her beauty being marred. She was delighted by our renewed connection, her expression clearly conveying her malicious intent to find ways to annoy me.
Perhaps growing impatient with her malice, Rainer stepped forward, drawing the sword at his waist.
“Christ. It would be best to simply eliminate this woman and turn her into a magic stone. If it’s too troublesome for you, I’ll take her head outside the mansion.”
“Rainer, it’s been a while for you too. But to cut off someone’s head without question… aren’t you a little crazy? Do you want to see so much blood? If you can’t even talk peacefully, then you’re no longer a knight but an uncivilized brute who can’t be reasoned with. Even a child would think before acting. Haa, Rainer, you’re as disgusting as ever…”
As a greeting, Nosfy unleashed a torrent of insults in a rapid-fire speech, leaving no room for a rebuttal.
“You…! I should be the last one to hear that from you…!!”
Provoked, Rainer was about to act before hearing anyone else’s opinion. Maria, who had lifted her head from my chest, stopped him with a panicked expression.
“W-wait. I was actually planning to kill her myself, but there are circumstances I can’t just ignore…”
Reluctantly, Maria detached herself from me and stepped between Rainer and Nosfy. Then, she began to explain the reason for stopping them.
“Right now, Nosfy is shouldering many of the illnesses of the Fuziaze people through a ‘substitute’ spell. If she were to die now, all of that would return at once, causing a terrible situation. I confirmed this using Reaper’s ‘connection,’ so there’s no mistake.”
Nosfy, now being shielded by Maria, smiled provocatingly at Rainer and leisurely added to the explanation.
“Hehehe. I was inspired by the sight of Chancellor Aid in Viais, and it reminded me a little of my early days… As a result, I thought about what I could do for my homeland, Fuziaze… And this is the outcome. I’m truly sorry to have inadvertently found myself in a hostage-like situation… Yes, it was purely coincidental. I knew I’d have my final confrontation with Lord Uzunami soon, but it was just a coincidence, really. Hehehe.”
It was hardly a coincidence. I had known from the beginning that Nosfy intended to fight me. Ever since our falling out on the 39th Floor, it had been decided that we would face her ‘ordeal’ someday. To make that ‘ordeal’ even slightly more difficult, Nosfy had taken hostages. Declaring that she would fight using innocent people as shields, both I and Rainer cursed her despicable methods in our rage.
“What a troublesome thing to do…!”
“This woman…!”
We clenched our fists, desperately trying to think of a way to attack that would bypass Nosfy’s ploy. As soon as an idea struck, we both intended to attack her as she sat in the chair, inching closer.
However, before we could move, Rustiara, who had emerged from behind me and Rainer, called out, unable to empathize with our anger.
“W-wait. Isn’t Nosfy-chan doing a good thing here!? She’s helping the people in the upper town! I mean, she might have a bit of a sharp tongue, but is this really something to get so angry about!?”
Indeed, judging solely by what had just been said, Nosfy appeared to be doing nothing but good. Coupled with the events on the ground, she resembled nothing less than a saint devoted to the ‘Great Holy Capital.’
It seemed everyone else felt the same. Snow, Dia, and Ragune-chan all showed expressions that indicated they held no particular animosity towards Nosfy. The only ones openly displaying anger were myself and Rainer, who had fought Nosfy in earnest in the Labyrinth.
Still, our combat readiness didn’t waver. There was something only those who had fought her once could feel. It was the conviction that Nosfy Fuziaze’s good deeds couldn’t possibly be without ulterior motives. Trying to convey that feeling even a little, I explained to everyone.
“No, Rustiara… Considering everything Nosfy has done to me until now, I just can’t accept it. This is someone who would calmly devise a plan that sacrifices an entire country. I’m not lying.”
“…Even if that’s true, is there a need to be so murderous? Nosfy-chan can’t move right now, after all.”
Rustiara, like Maria, stepped in and glanced at the immobile Nosfy. Naturally, with two people defending her, Nosfy grew bolder.
“Yes, Rustiara-san is absolutely right. I can’t move at all right now. …Not one bit, you see? Hehehe, what do you plan to do to me, Lord Uzunami, when I can’t move at all? Ohhh, with my current state, I can’t even resist and can only be at your mercy! Yes—no matter what humiliation you inflict, I can only endure it with tears welling up… Ahah! Ahhh, just imagining Lord Uzunami hesitating at the crucial moment makes me unable to stop laughing! I’m so, so looking forward to what you’ll do to me next!! —Ah, but Rainer, please don’t come near me, you’re creepy.”
Nosfy, spouting whatever she pleased from her safe zone, only made our clenched fists tighten further. Yet, Rustiara’s opinion didn’t change. She stepped between us, attempting to soothe our murderous intentions.
“Let’s just calm down and rest for a bit!? This mansion seems like a good place to relax!”
It seemed that everyone except Rainer and I saw Nosfy as nothing more than a high-strung, talkative girl. This was likely also due to the fact that all the previous Guardians had been kind-hearted. Their sense of crisis regarding her was far too low. She was like a Guardian obstructing me, so we were hostile, but she didn’t seem like an enemy we needed to fight to the death. That was their attitude.
“Besides, we finally got to meet Maria-chan… First, I want to talk properly… Everyone…”
Seeing our continued hostility, Rustiara pleaded. She then briefly glanced at Maria nearby before turning her eyes back to me. Slowly, I began to understand the reason she was so insistent on a truce. She likely wanted to speak with Maria more than anything else, with many things to convey and apologize for. She seemed to genuinely feel that she didn’t have time to deal with a Labyrinth Guardian right now.
Indeed, savoring the reunion with Maria was more important at the moment. Above all, being toyed with by Nosfy was simply too vexing.
“Understood, Rustiara… For now, let’s put Nosfy aside.”
“Haa, that’s a relief… I was so worried you’d attack someone who couldn’t move right away…”
Agreeing to Rustiara’s proposal, I let go of my fighting spirit. Seeing me do so, Rainer reluctantly sheathed his sword. Nosfy, in the back, had a triumphant look on her face, but we decided to endure it for now.
I should prioritize meeting Maria and Reaper now.
Deciding her fate can wait until after we’ve exchanged all our accumulated stories. Thinking that, I turned towards Maria, only to have unexpected words thrown at me.
“Um… Kanami-san, Rustiara-san. Could it be that both of you…”
Maria looked back and forth between me and Rustiara.
Since her eyes were covered with the same cursed cloth as Nosfy’s, I used the fireballs floating in the room for confirmation. With those unusual eyes, she observed our appearances and spoke a single sentence.
“—Have you confessed your feelings already?”
Without any deviation, she asked a question that hit the core of the matter.
“—!”
“—!”
We were both taken aback, gasping at the accuracy of her words.
Naturally. Since entering this room, we hadn’t taken any actions that would lead to such a conclusion. Yet, Maria sensed the difference from our casual gestures and attitudes.
Surprised by her keen observation, I couldn’t come up with a quick response.
“…Huh?”
Then, Nosfy, with a delay, spoke up.
Her eyes widened, and her mouth hung open. She was undoubtedly the most surprised person in the room right now. While Maria had an expression as if the time had come, Nosfy had a look of utter confusion, as if she couldn’t comprehend what was being said.
The usually verbose and intelligent Nosfy had come to a complete standstill. Seeing her even more flustered than myself helped me calm down a little.
I immediately tried to choose words to respond. I wanted to ask how she sensed the difference between us, but answering Maria’s question was more important right now.
“…Ah. As Maria said, before coming here, Rustiara and I confessed our love for each other. We confirmed our desire to be together forever.”
Since I was asked directly, I answered just as directly, without any embellishments. Maria nodded as if satisfied with my response.
“Is that so… As I thought…”
“…You’re not all that surprised?”
I found Maria’s too-quiet reaction strange. Considering Dia and Snow’s frantic reactions a little while ago, her composure was unexpected.
“Yes, I’m not surprised. I knew from the beginning. I was also prepared.”
Maria stated this without any wavering. In fact, her calmness made me more flustered.
“From the beginning…?”
“Kanami-san, you liked Rustiara-san even before you met me. And Rustiara-san is the same.”
Before meeting Maria, meaning right from the very beginning. Not just me, but everyone present was surprised. Surrounded by questioning faces, Maria asserted,
“That’s right. That’s why I became like this.”
Although Maria had no eyes, she stared straight at me. Her overly sharp gaze reminded me of the existence of the former Skill, “Keigan” (Sharp Eyes). And now, I began to understand the meaning of Arti’s words, “We can see.”
Maria had always “understood too much” because of her overly perceptive eyes. She knew this moment, when “we, Kanami and Rustiara, would surely be together,” would come. That’s why, on that day, she burned with passion—and her heart was already fully prepared.
Realizing that Maria’s words were not mistaken, she continued.
“—As I said before, no matter how your relationship changes, I won’t. No matter what happens, I will continue to love Kanami-san. That’s why I’m calm.”
This was likely the most important thing she wanted to convey. Her voice, filled with firm resolve, reiterated her words from sometime ago, as if emphasizing them.
“Maria…”
“Even if you tell me no, I’ll force my way in, so be prepared.”
Maria smiled gently at me, who couldn’t find the words to reply. She had a gentle—and strong—expression. I knew that expression well; I knew that someone with that expression would never waver again.
That expression was very similar to the Guardians when they found their “Lingering Desire” and fulfilled their “mission.”
Even if I rejected her and tried to find Maria a new love, it would likely be impossible now. It was clear that stage had long passed. The current Maria could only be stopped by turning back time to before we met or by erasing her memories.
I keenly understood Maria’s feelings now. A short while ago, when Rustiara rejected me, I had thought the same thing as Maria. I was prepared to watch over her from the shadows, wishing her happiness, and to love her my entire life. I felt that alone would be enough happiness for me.
…I truly understand Maria so well.
Because of that, I hesitated to push her away lightly or accept her lightly. Faced with Maria’s unwavering will, I was completely overwhelmed, and for a moment, silence filled the room.
Rustiara was the first to break the thin silence. As if it was her turn, she called Maria’s name.
“Maria-chan…”
“Rustiara-san… Finally. It’s taken a long time because I kept interfering… but…”
In front of the still gentle Maria, Rustiara’s expression changed rapidly. The flush on her face from the reunion intensified, altering the shape of her mouth and eyebrows. Her expression shifted from one of troubled confusion to one of apology, and though she kept looking away, she redirected her gaze back to Maria and asked her a question.
Perhaps mirroring my own interaction with Maria, she asked her question very concisely.
“—Um, are you okay, Maria-chan?”
Maria answered immediately.
“Of course I’m not okay. I’m full of dissatisfaction… However, this isn’t the worst for me. Being told and losing, I’m much better off compared to Arti…”
She faked a slightly exaggerated anger to reassure Rustiara, but conveyed that it wasn’t the worst with a gentle expression. Rustiara’s face brightened at that reply. She felt hope that she could start over with Maria, live together again, and laugh together. She took another step forward, reaching out to touch Maria.
However, a voice intervened, as if to prevent it.
“Fu, fufu, ahahaha—!”
Nosfy burst into laughter, preventing the two from closing the distance. She cried out, as if mocking everything that had just been said.
“Yes, compared to a thousand years ago, it’s better! But the result is the same! No matter how many times, how many times, how many times you chase, ‘The One Who Steals the Logic of Fire’ will never reach them! Your passion will never reach the one you love! A destiny of eternal betrayal! Ah, it’s truly unrewarding! A truly unrewarding ‘tragic love’ life!! That is the destiny of ‘The One Who Steals the Logic of Fire’! Fufu—ah, what a cruel fate! Such a cruel story! Ahahaha, haha!”
Her words seemed to mock Arti, who was indirectly referred to as “The One Who Steals the Logic of Fire.” Maria cherished Arti as her best friend. I thought she would be furious at such impudent remarks, but that wasn’t the case.
“Nosfy, why such a sudden outburst…?”
Maria watched Nosfy, who continued to provoke her, with a puzzled expression. Meanwhile, Nosfy’s yelling continued.
“Yes. It might be rude for me, who is unrelated, to suddenly interject… But! I cannot overlook this! Maria, you are now a resident of Fuziaze! As the saintess of this country, I cannot overlook your pain! More than anything, I understand your feelings! Maria, who devoted herself desperately for a year thinking of Lord Uzunami! And yet, after a year, you finally meet, and this is the state of things! Another woman is by his side, and he’s acting so casually! It’s unacceptable, isn’t it!? Of course it is!? You must be thinking that place next to him should have been mine! It’s only natural! I found him first—u, guh, muuu!”
“—Please don’t push yourself. Nosfy, you’re prohibited from talking for a while.”
Maria manipulated the cursed cloth wrapped around Nosfy’s body, sealing her still chattering mouth.
And immediately, I denied what I just said to Rustiara.
“Rustiara-san, there’s no need to worry. It’s true, as Nosfy said, I’m a little annoyed, but it’s well within my ability to control. As I said before, I’ve always known this… It would be rather refreshing to burn the town down with Fire Magic again.”
Maria tried to continue her reconciliation with Rustiara, teasing her a little. However, Rustiara, who had overheard their conversation, seemed to realize that she couldn’t just rely on Maria’s kindness. Apologizing, she took a step forward.
“Maria-chan… Um, first of all, I’m sorry about what happened last year! I was sulking, being petulant, and acted on my own… Are you angry…?”
“No. You apologized just now, so it’s enough. I’m the older one, so I’ll forgive you this time.”
“And! Please let me apologize for this time too! I promised to support you from the beginning, Maria-chan, but I kept taking the initiative and leaving you behind…! I betrayed you, Maria-chan…! And also, there are many other things I need to apologize for—”
“It’s alright. So please don’t make that face anymore. …Here, come here.”
Seeing Rustiara desperately apologizing before her, Maria smiled with a hint of exasperation.
Then, she spread her arms wide, inviting Rustiara into her embrace.
Driven by her urgency, Rustiara continued to apologize, then looked at Maria’s face.
Seeing that forgiving smile that seemed to accept everything, Rustiara, stumbling slightly, took another step forward. She looked like a child on the verge of tears clinging to their mother.
Rustiara knelt on the ground, leaning her upper body against Maria’s chest.
Her apologies, which had come breathlessly, finally stopped, and Rustiara’s ragged breathing began to even out. Maria gently stroked her head and hugged her tightly, as if letting her hear her own heartbeat.
“…It’s alright, Rustiara-san. Please listen to my heart and my Magic Power. You should understand everything from that.”
Maria wasn’t just hugging Rustiara with her whole body. She was also embracing her with all her Magic Power, trying to convey her true feelings from her soul. She was trying to put Rustiara at ease by discarding all mental barriers.
“…Maria-chan.”
Feeling everything about Maria through her skin, Rustiara must have realized that it was all true. She found solace in Maria’s embrace and called her name again in a faint voice.
“Maria-chan, thank you… I really love you…”
“Yes. I love you too, Rustiara-san… Ever since the night we first met… I’ve always felt this way… You were the only one who truly faced someone like me…”
The mention of the first night they met brought back memories of their encounter.
At that time, Rustiara had forcibly invited Maria, who was reluctant to open up, and they had talked all night in the same bed. For Maria, who had been brought to this land as a slave from her homeland, that forceful kindness must have seeped into her very core.
However, it felt like a subtle reproach, implying that I hadn’t engaged with Maria earnestly. I felt a little uncomfortable.
Leaving me behind, their world of two people moved forward.
“So much has happened since that day… Truly, so much… That’s why I believe we’ve reached a point where even if we bicker a little, we can quickly return to our previous relationship. Don’t you think so, Rustiara-san?”
“I do… I absolutely do…!”
Just as Maria was special to Rustiara, Rustiara was also special to Maria.
Unlike the Seven Knights of Heaven, who were destined from birth, Rustiara was likely her first true same-sex friend, someone she found as just Rustiara.
Rustiara was moved by being able to connect with Maria from the heart.
“However, as you know, I will not give up on Kanami-san until the very end. Even if you are here, Rustiara-san, I wish to die alongside Kanami-san. Even so—”
“Yeah, I understand. I like you, Maria-chan, precisely because of that. So it’s fine.”
“…It’s a little embarrassing when you say it so many times, this.”
Lifting her face from Maria’s chest, Rustiara whispered “I like you” repeatedly. Maria, blushing, turned her face away.
Both of them were showing expressions I had never seen before. It almost felt as if they were more passionate than when they spoke with me.
The scene made it seem like a lie that Rustiara and I were dating and in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship.
Ignoring my worries, Rustiara stood up. Instead of being hugged by Maria, she hugged Maria from above, pressing her cheek against Maria’s.
“Maria-chan, I love you! Thank you!”
“W-Wait, Rustiara-san! Stop it already…!”
Though she protested verbally, her rejection was weak.
Her expression remained gentle, and she simply let Rustiara do as she pleased. In fact, she seemed to relish the contact on their cheeks and wanted more.
It could be interpreted that their reconciliation was now complete.
There was no longer any killing intent or hostility between them.
Seeing that things had resolved so cleanly, Nosfy, who was covering her mouth with a cloth beside me, let out a growl. Though she couldn’t speak, I understood what she wanted to say. She was likely asserting that this outcome was “impossible,” a “farce,” or “wrong.”
However, no one was listening.
Rainer and Ragune, the knights who guarded Rustiara, were relieved by the lighter atmosphere in the room. Snow and Dia approached Rustiara and Maria, who were engrossed in their reunion, and exchanged greetings in an exceptionally peaceful manner.
Standing back, I watched as my former companions rejoined.
I had thought that Nosfy’s intervention would cause significant discord, but Maria’s overwhelming compassion had surmounted everything, and they had overcome it safely.
I breathed a sigh of relief that no one was injured.
“Haa… Finally.”
Reaper, who was in my blind spot, also spoke casually.
“Mhm, mhm, it’s finally over, isn’t it? That’s great, I’m so happy to see Maria-onee-chan’s happy face again.”
Standing in a position that gave her a better overall view than me, Reaper had been watching everyone. As always, she was considerate and rejoiced in Maria’s happiness as if it were her own.
I immediately turned and spoke to Reaper.
“You haven’t changed a bit. I was worried about you too, you know…”
“Huh? …Well, you don’t need to worry about me, okay? As long as I’m with Maria-onee-chan, my Magic Power and safety are secure. Besides, unlike someone, Maria-onee-chan is incredibly strong and reliable.”
Reaper grinned as she looked at my face. Feeling an involuntary sense of displeasure at what lay beneath her words, I asked:
“…Reaper, I’m strong and reliable too, right? Just as much as Maria.”
“Not at all!”
She answered with a beautiful smile.
She was the second person, following Rustiara. I was afraid to ask the other companions for a survey.
“At least think about it for a second… I’m quite shocked.”
“Because there’s no need to think about it!”
“I-I see…”
“Heehee. Big brother, you haven’t changed either, so I’m relieved too.”
Though saddened by my unexpectedly low evaluation, I secretly rejoiced that we could return to a time where we could exchange jokes like this.
The reunion with all the companions I had left behind a year ago was over, and I had confirmed their well-being. I could feel the regret that had taken root in the corner of my heart fading away.
Now, all that remained was for Hidaki to wake up.
—Then, it would all be over.
Next, it would be Apostle Diplakla, who was at the World Tree on the ground.
If I met him, I should be able to learn many things. Perhaps, I might even find a way to wake Hidaki up soon. He was someone I could place such expectations on.
While everyone in the room, except Nosfy, was engaged in cheerful reunion conversations, I was gathering information about the World Tree Contamination Problem in my mind.
The full character reunion before wrapping up the story is unexpectedly long… I need to hurry…
