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“…Was it really fine to let me have his last words?”
“What of it? It was the wish of a friend. Besides, he entrusted me with plenty.”

On the king’s cheek, as he watched the sparks ascend into the sky, not a single tear fell.

Instead, a smile played across his face. He had called the dragon a friend, yet was he truly that glad to see the troublesome creature vanish from his garden? Or had he forged a bond so deep with the dragon that he could see him off with a smile at his death?

“…I wonder what sort of face I had when I saw him off back then.”
“B-buuuhhhwaaahhh!! M-Master, did you just say something!?”
“No, but you’re crying far too much.”
“I-I can’t help it! To have to part ways like this, I wasn’t ready, bueeeeeeghhh!!”
“Pay it no mind, pink-haired one. Valka was an old being to begin with. And he resisted as a dragon should, ascending nobly into the heavens.”
“What he said… And now, please, let me rest… I’m about to hit my own limit…”
“Ah! Of course! Your Majesty, Master—no, before that, what about Stell and the others!? They’ll be buried alive at this rate!!”
“Fear not, pink-haired one. Measures were already taken for that.”
*“Y-Your Majesty! We have completed the rescue of everyone!”*

With a racket of grinding metal, clambering out from the gaping hole in the ground came Kyodaigorou.

That hole must have been the shaft Theo first blasted open in the ceiling of the underground chamber. Judging from the voice, the one piloting Kyodaigorou was none other than that degenerate.

In the golem’s two arms, limp but safe, were Stell and the others.

*“S-sorry! It took longer than expected to dig everyone out with Kyodaigorou!”*
“Ms. Hoshikawa! Is everyone all right!?”
*“They’re fine—just a little short on air, but they’re breathing! Your Majesty, please heal them just in case… wait, Laika, you’re in terrible shape too!!!”*
“…Shut up.”
“Ha ha ha! Lively voices are a blessing! Do not worry, we have transport ready for everyone!”
“Your Majesty, preparations are complete!”

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice descended from the sky. The breeze that stirred my hair was not natural, but magecraft.

Through my sweat-blurred eyes, I followed the source of the wind—before Momo and the rest descended several sorcerers, riding upon a great carpet.

“This is one of my treasured relics—the flying carpet! Since there were so many injured, I dragged it out from the royal palace!”
*““Woooah!? A magic carpet!!!””*
“It’s not magic, it’s a magical tool…”

The two Outlanders were getting all worked up over it. It was rare, sure, but what part of it struck such a chord with them?

“I’ll be taking the golem back myself. Now then, how is this thing piloted? Does it transform? Can it fire beams—beams!?”
*“Y-Your Majesty, please, that’s not allowed! If you make such an innocent face while asking things like that, my poor heart will give out!!”*
“Momo, ignore that fool and just get me on the carpet… my consciousness is fading…”
“P-please hang in there, Master! I’m sorry—please take care of her!”

The carpet Momo helped me onto was exquisitely soft to the touch.

Even just carrying passengers through the air, it must have been a magical tool worth a fortune—yet it had been crafted with painstaking attention to even the most needless details.

“Leave it to me! She’s feverish too—give me a potion from the stock!”
“That one’s afflicted with an illness meant to counteract dragon venom. Don’t neglect purification if you’ve been in contact with her!”
“Yes, sir! And Your Majesty, please ease up on tinkering with the golem!”
“Mm. Once I’m satisfied, I’ll stop!!”
“I said—ease.up.!!”
“Mm…”

That shabby king’s back was, of all things, the last sight I saw before fainting.

When I woke again, I only hoped the pain—or at least the sickness—might have dulled somewhat.

“…I’m sorry, Master. If only I had been stronger…”

――――――――…………
――――……
――…

“Hey—hey! Let me go! I can walk on my own!!”
“Hah? Then say so first, I carried you for nothing!”
“I’ve been saying it this whole time, you just wouldn’t listen, you idiot little sister!!”

I slapped away the battle maniac Ragna’s arm from around my waist and set my own feet upon the desert sand.

I had no injuries, hardly even pain. Infuriating—if these fools hadn’t gotten in my way, I could still be fighting.

I could have killed that human wearing Babel’s skin with my own hands, even reduced those ruins to nothing.

“What the hell were you thinking…!? I could’ve done it, I could’ve killed them! Is meddling like that what Thuru is supposed to do!?”
“Come on, come on, big sis, you too, calm down…”
“You lost. Didn’t you notice that stupid pink-haired brat was holding back?”
“…What did you just say?”

Holding back? In that situation?

That pink-haired idiot never had that kind of leeway—the fight had been in my control from the start…

“―――――……”
“Most likely it was you just attacking nonstop. And tell me—did even one of your strikes land on her?”
“…No… but it was by a hair. If it had gone on, I would’ve won.”
“She was focused entirely on defense and dodging. You wouldn’t have hit her. That idiot’s strong, but she’s got no killing intent. That’s why I can’t stand her.”
“So you knew that—and you still abandoned Orgueil and Bakvilyde…?”
“Yeah. Thanks to that, we got the dragon gems. Dragons were just tools from the start. Learn to cut your losses.”
“…You…!!”
“B-Big sis!? You can’t drop a meteorite here!!”
“I know, damn it, shut up… What about you? What are you going to do now?”
“I’m going to look for *Babel*. Annoying as hell, but without that tower, we can’t do a thing.”

In the sky above, Ragna gazed at the tower that loomed as always.

The same sky as ever. Clear, with no sign of disturbance. It was fine—there would be no more blunders, no more static scarring the heavens.

“This cycle of humanity came faster. The intervals are getting shorter… We move. Before they learn of the sky.”