My head was shaking violently, as if I were in a dizzying spin.

I realized that someone was carrying me, cradling my waist as they ran desperately.

This wasn’t the first time I had been carried this way.

It wasn’t that I was accustomed to being treated like an object, but it was common for me to be transported in this manner by my partner, who often lacked consideration.

“Enough already, Elsa…”

No matter how many times I warned her, she never listened. Describing her is always a challenge.

I didn’t trust her enough to call her my partner, nor were we close enough for me to consider her a sister or a mother. We weren’t even friends; more like acquaintances that were neither too distant nor too close.

That’s why I always found myself at a loss for what to call her.

So I pondered—what did Elsa think of herself?

“Don’t shake me, seriously…”

Even though I knew saying it wouldn’t fix anything, I couldn’t help but complain—no, I wanted to complain.

But before I could do that, something hot burst from the depths of my being, spilling out from my mouth. For a moment, I thought I had just regurgitated the food I had eaten, but it was different.

It was bright red blood that gushed out from deep within my body.

“Crap! I can’t stop the bleeding! Beatrice! What should I do?!”

“Just make sure to let all the blood you’ve vomited out! It’d be bad if you suffocate!”

I heard the shouts of a man and a woman nearby, and then my body was leaned to the side. I coughed, and blood continued to flow from my throat and lips without stopping.

Something was placed against my mouth, and the blood that wouldn’t stop was being drawn out. Just managing to clear my throat, air flowed into my suffocating lungs and brain.

“—Phew! Alright, breathing is back! Healing magic, please!”

“I got it! But I can’t just focus on that!”

“I get that too! …It was my mistake for letting Meily get too deep into the fray. I’ll pay the price for that mistake.”

Even though they were arguing above me, now that I could breathe, my body was starting to feel heavy.

No, my body had likely been heavy all along. What had changed in the serious areas made my consciousness shift to the other parts, and as a result, I could see the overall damage.

My arms and legs wouldn’t move. My head felt like it was spinning. Had I coughed up about three cups of blood? My whole body felt intensely hot, but my back was especially burning.

My back was overwhelmed with some significant discomfort.

That sensation must be why I couldn’t move my body correctly and why I was throwing up blood.

I couldn’t recall the events just before, nor could I remember the arguing pair. Everything that had happened felt hazy and unclear.

Yet, there was a fuzzy sensation there—

“Promise…”

It felt like I had exchanged that with someone, and I couldn’t shake that feeling—.

△▼△▼△▼△

The moment the Giant Scorpion’s body color changed, the explosion of light was the biggest we had seen.

The swelling white light scattered in all directions, and several flaming Hungry Kings targeting its crimson-stained carapace shattered into tiny pieces, with the shockwave expanding and splitting the sand sea.

Of course, that damage didn’t spare Subaru and Beatrice, but the one that got the worst end of the stick was Meily.

Being forward for commanding the Beasts, she took a fierce blow from the Giant Scorpion—”Crimson Scorpion.”

The silver lining was that she avoided the direct hit from the tail needle, because if she had been even grazed by it, the girl’s small body would have evaporated in an instant.

She narrowly escaped that fate. However, the missed tail needle shattered the sand sea, and the resulting shockwave hit her head-on. Just that was more than enough to leave her gravely injured.

“Meily!!”

Subaru and Beatrice rushed to her side as she collapsed into the sand, cradling her in their arms. It was a grim sight. She had curled up instinctively, so most of the shockwave’s impact hit her back.

The black cloak was blown away, and beneath her torn clothing, her flesh was exposed and shredded. It looked like severe lacerations and burns, and Subaru felt his vision go dark for a moment.

But—

“What am I thinking!? What am I here for?”

With a clenched fist, he shook himself awake from the fading consciousness and called upon his inner strength.

Using the “Col Leonis” that was always active—his ability to take on the burdens of his companions—he absorbed the near-fatal damage that Meily had received.

Of course, if he took it all and collapsed, it would render everything pointless. Balancing the distribution of the burdens without losing consciousness himself was paramount, yet—

“It’s okay. I can do this. —I can do it, Natsuki Subaru.”

If it had been before, he might have panicked, lost his composure, and exposed himself in a disgraceful manner.

However, by following the path he had walked as “Natsuki Subaru,” he reevaluated himself. His role, of course, and the things that only he could do.

Therefore—

“—Emilia-tan, and Julius will be okay. Echidna and Patrasche, Rem too— save them.”

He searched for the reactions of his companions in the tower and determined the best course of action based on their conditions.

He was worried about the silent Emilia and concerned about Julius fighting with Raid. He also noted the positions of Echidna and Patrasche, but trust held him back from panic.

Instead, Subaru focused his consciousness on Rem and the Meily before him.

“—Ugh!”

Suddenly, Meily’s suffering surged into him, and Subaru groaned from the burning pain in his organs.

To be honest, even just taking on Ram’s burden had already worn him down significantly. To take on Meily’s near-fatal injuries felt downright suicidal.

“That’s bad…!”

Despite saying something so energetic, it was impossible to take on both to the limit.

In that case, he had no choice but to prioritize Meily, whose life was at stake, and the only way to manage the burden from Ram flowing into him was to reduce it.

Most likely, even that would convey to Ram what had happened.

“I’m definitely going to get chewed out later…”

“Hah! With such bravado earlier, look at this mess. Just a typical Balus.”

Imagining that realistic reaction, Subaru tasted the bitterness of blood in his mouth.

The effect of “Col Leonis” was supposed to be merely bearing burdens, but the fact that he felt the taste of blood was a sign of a kind of feedback occurring in Subaru’s body.

The influence of suggestion on the body was extraordinarily powerful.

I’ve heard that if someone believes they have a hot iron pressed against them, they can actually incur burns.

In other words, by taking on the damage that Meily received—severe wounds on her back and internal organs—similar responses arose in Subaru’s body.

If he wasn’t careful, it could lead to two corpses with the same cause of death.

“That’s a bit troubling, so—!”

He spat out the blood pooling in his mouth and stood up with Meily’s body in his arms. Dodging the flame spear swung by the Hungry King, he used Beatrice’s purple arrow for a counterattack, creating distance.

The Hungry King that attacked them had just been the one who was carrying Subaru and the others until moments ago.

As soon as the situation turned bad, the cunning Beast didn’t unexpectedly betray them—no, it was simply that Meily’s blessing had worn off, and it had returned to its usual cold response.

Without Meily’s orders, the Beast considered them enemies, a threat to humanity.

And in this sand sea, countless Beasts were now present.

“Gah!”

“Meily!”

While Subaru created distance from the Beasts, Meily coughed up blood in his arms. Her coughing and blood spewing raised his anxiety levels.

He couldn’t afford to take his time to heal her. At this rate—

“Damn! I can’t stop the bleeding! Beatrice! What should I do?!”

“Just make sure to let all the blood you’ve vomited out! It’d be bad if you suffocate!”

Filling the gap caused by their difference in stride, Beatrice used her limited mana to prevent the approaching Beasts from getting close. Meanwhile, Subaru shook Meily’s body trying to make her spit out the blood in her throat.

But even so, Meily’s complexion didn’t change, and the bleeding wouldn’t stop. Frustrated, Subaru forced an improvised straw made with his fist against the girl’s mouth and tried to suck out the blood.

“Uff! Gah!”

“—Phew! Alright, breathing is back! Healing magic, please!”

“I got it! But I can’t just focus on that!”

“I get that too! …It was my mistake for letting Meily get too deep into the fray. I’ll pay the price for that mistake.”

Technically, the price for the mistake had already begun weighing down on Subaru.

However, the interest piled up at a terrifying rate, and while reducing his loans to Ram, Subaru was already gasping for breath.

How much longer could he buy time like this—

“No, this is my breaking point. If I don’t hold firm now, I’d be no man…”

“Frya! It seems!”

“Whoa!?”

Gritting his teeth, Subaru ran while savoring the effects of the power, carrying Meily. Suddenly, Beatrice jumped onto his head unexpectedly.

In a moment, it turned into a piggyback ride, and Subaru was surprised. Of course, Beatrice was as light as cotton candy, so it didn’t hinder his escape—

“Bea—”

“Subaru, you shouldn’t try to bear everything alone. Beatrice and Subaru are partners, and Meily is one of our friends too. It’s not just you who promised to help!”

“—”

Tightly hugging Subaru’s head, Beatrice implored him in a soft voice.

Suddenly silenced, Subaru felt the warmth of her healing magic as she started to tend to Meily’s wounds. A gentle glow enveloped Meily, its warmth also radiating through Subaru.

For every bit of that warmth, Beatrice cared for everyone.

“———”

Behind them, the infighting among the Beasts continued.

Fortunately, even if Meily’s blessing had worn off, there was no immediate peace agreement made between the Crimson Scorpion and the Hungry King. It seemed the same for the other Beasts as well.

The pair of giant pincers and tail stinger slashed by the Crimson Scorpion took care of half of the Beasts aimed at Subaru’s party.

Of course, with the other half now targeting them, there wasn’t a moment to spare.

“The options are—”

Actually, there were not no options.

Considering the words Beatrice had just given, trying to value Meily, although not a solution, there were indeed methods to change this situation.

However, whether it was feasible depended on trying it out, and the model of that method was none other than Subaru’s worst enemy, which made him hesitate.

But—

“Subaru! If the reason for your hesitation is for Beatrice, then it’s unnecessary! If it is for reasons other than Beatrice, I will apologize along with you afterward!”

“—”

With an angry shout, Beatrice screamed at Subaru, seeing something in his profile that he hadn’t realized.

He couldn’t see her face since she was right behind him. But even with her furious expression, her cuteness remained a point of pride for Subaru.

Thus, receiving courage from those words of his partner, he decided to lean on her.

There was no time to hesitate.

There was no need to fester in doubt, as his partner told him so.

Therefore—

“I love you, Beatrice.”

“Bea is better than you, you know!”

As they exchanged their affections, Subaru looked down at near-fatal Meily in his arms.

He then resolutely decided not to let her life slip away—

“—Col Leonis, Second Shift.”

He bestowed a new name to what he had called “Heart of the Lion,” clearly shifting gears within himself.

By doing that, he expanded the power he had imposed on himself as a “Little King” — standing as a lonely king bearing everyone’s feelings.

–But he couldn’t be a shameless “Greed” who thrust his burdens onto someone else.

Thus, what Subaru hoped for at the end of that power was— to share burdens with those who wished to be with him.

In other words—

“Second Shift — Distribution of Burdens.”

The burdens he had to bear alone, shared with someone willing to shoulder them with him.

At this moment—

“—Subaru.”

“Yeah.”

“…This feels super hard!!”

“Yeah, it’s extremely hard!!”

The second stage of “Col Leonis” activated, distributing Subaru’s load.

Not to half. It wasn’t even close to a quarter, but it surely made Subaru’s burdens feel significantly lighter, while Beatrice’s pallor clearly worsened.

In an effort to mask that suffering, Beatrice shouted loudly, and Subaru retaliated with an equally loud shout.

It hurt. It was painful. It couldn’t be tolerated.

Taking on all the burdens of everyone, to hell with being a king. —That’s why, as a “Little King” who couldn’t stand alone, he was able to remain standing thanks to everyone who wanted to support him.

“By the way, this burden, I can’t pass on to you, right…?”

“—”

“Of course not, disappointing.”

While sharing burdens, having Beatrice treat Meily, Subaru directed his consciousness toward the Crimson Scorpion.

Its true form was Shaula, and he could feel through “Col Leonis” that their existence was still connected. There was a faint yet strong light over there.

However, it seemed he couldn’t pass on the burdens that Subaru and Beatrice were experiencing over to that Crimson Scorpion. —Because she had no willingness to accept them in her current state.

Only those who wanted to support the “Little King” can do so.

It was a very straightforward, rigid power. That’s why it kept him from becoming arrogant.

He could easily remember that he was being supported by someone.

“Beatrice! Do two different things with your head and body!”

“—You ask for difficult orders!!”

Requesting her to continue treating Meily while he needed her to deliberate on the next breakthrough for the current situation. As the shining stinger of the Crimson Scorpion pointed toward Subaru—

“—E.M.M!!”

The first trump card, an absolute invincible spell was unleashed, and a shockwave engulfed the three of them.

△▼△▼△▼△

—What transpired beneath the clouds did not reach Emilia above them.

Just like her comrades battling for their lives, Emilia had finally managed to reach her destination, having overcome fierce battles of her own.

“—”

At the very top of the Pleiades Watchtower, on the highest tier, she finally reached the true summit.

Thanks to the countless sacrifices of the ice soldiers, what she beheld at the base of the central pillar was a black monolith placed there.

The monolith itself looked the same as the one she had seen during the trial in the third tier.

The difference was that this monolith wasn’t floating, and its surface, which should have been completely flat, had eye-catching features.

That was—

“—Someone’s handprint?”

With her purple-indigo eyes round with surprise, what Emilia saw were multiple handprints impressed on the surface of the monolith—six distinct handprints from different men and women.

From the size of the palms and the thickness of the fingers, it was clear that all of them belonged to different humans.

However, having left such prints lined up like this meant that those individuals must have had a close relationship, and without a doubt, they were affiliates of this watchtower—

“Could it be, Shaula’s master or perhaps Raid?”

When she thought of those affiliated with the tower, those were the only names that came to her mind.

Of course, Volcanica was also around, but they were all human handprints, so it didn’t seem like any traces of his dragon form were left behind.

Thus, Emilia could only think of two out of the six handprints relevant to her.

“—? Wait, this is—”

Just as she contemplated further, Emilia felt a sense of discomfort with one of the handprints.

It was the print located at the very edge of the six—that one had a matching handprint next to it, but the two at the ends were clearly smaller.

Most likely, those two were the handprints of women.

And the one that caught Emilia’s attention was one of those—

“Is this handprint… mine?”

Emilia furrowed her brows, glancing down at her right hand.

It felt strange, considering it couldn’t possibly be true, yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that one of those handprints pressed onto the monolith belonged to her.

“—”

Holding her breath, Emilia faced the monolith. To dispel her doubts, she reached out her right hand toward that handprint—

“—You who have ascended to the tower’s summit. A total supplicant upon the first tier.”

“—Hah! I’ve come back!”

Just before touching the monolith, Emilia turned at the sound of an imposing voice descending from above.

Then she saw Volcanica spreading his wings as he landed on the highest tier. Just moments ago, he had been writhing in torment as his ice soldiers touched the white scales on his throat.

“—”

With the monolith at her back, Emilia once again faced the “Divine Dragon.”

The battle scaling the column had been tremendously difficult, but if this were a continuation, she would be forced into a fiercely tough fight. The area was significantly wider, but the uppermost space was even narrower than the first tier, complicating movement.

“Plus, if the monolith gets destroyed, that’d be a huge problem…”

The sturdiness of the monolith was unknown.

During their first encounter at the third tier, she had been stopped from striking it by Julius and Ram, and thus its strength remained a mystery.

But no matter how sturdy it may be, Emilia felt like the Divine Dragon’s full strength would surely shatter it.

“If you strike it, it’ll definitely break. Therefore—!”

She could not allow that to happen, so Emilia summoned seven ice soldiers around herself.

Though they had been shattered to pieces just to get to the upper tier, like her, their expressions were filled with determination and reassurance.

As they equipped their ice weapons, Emilia took up two ice swords in both hands.

Then, together with the seven ice soldiers, they charged toward Volcanica.

“Let’s go, everyone! The white scales on its neck are weak points!”

Having reacted so vigorously, those white scales must be Volcanica’s weak points.

She didn’t want to harm it, but as long as someone could touch it, Emilia should have enough time to investigate that monolith—

“—Huh?”

In the next moment, Emilia let a voice slip as her view did a complete rollback.

“—”

What had just happened took her by surprise, leaving her unable to react.

She just felt something brush against her foot, which had stepped forward, at a speed that was imperceptible until it was too late.

And at the same time—

“Ah!”

The moment the earth turned over, all seven ice soldiers shattered at once.

Each was neatly destroyed at the head, leaving them with no ability to respond and turning into particles of mana. The realization resonated within her, sending shivers down her spine.

That had just now been Volcanica’s tail.

His tail swiftly swept against Emilia’s leg, cracking the heads of the ice soldiers.

The fact that this was accomplished with a single swing of the swiftly moving tail sent her into a frozen panic.

It was far faster than the first sneak attack she had been able to dodge.

If Subaru’s whip was a one, Volcanica’s tail strike would be a thousand or ten thousand; there was that much of a difference.

First, the devastating scale of that attack would have mercilessly defeated even Emilia herself.

And thus, she wondered.

“Why were you gentle with me…?”

Emilia was swept off her feet as it kicked her, yet it had crushed the heads of the ice soldiers.

What was the disparity born of this moment? She found it hard to believe that it had come to this just because her face resembled that of someone who had just touched the white scales earlier.

But just as she thought about that, Emilia remembered she still hadn’t escaped the turned reality.

“I must—”

Just then, she was about to be thrown headfirst onto the floor.

Once again, from beside her, a soft impact struck Emilia’s leg before she could reorient herself, and—

“Wah, whoa—!”

In a somewhat precarious manner, she spun and managed to land safely.

Having glanced up, she was greeted by—

“…What are you doing?”

At that moment, the Beast stared straight into Emilia’s face.

“Um…?”

The Divine Dragon’s majestic head and face were right in front of her.

Just a little move forward and she’d have been touching its rock-solid, sharp skin and snout.

The mere presence of the dragon’s face being so close was shocking enough.

However, what confused Emilia even more was—

“You’re talking about something completely different from what you were repeating until just now!”

“—”

“Are you back to your senses? If so, can we talk about various things? Like the ‘Trial’ and changing the rules of this watchtower, I have so much to consult about…”

Seeing Volcanica in a more rational light, Emilia fired off her statements in quick succession.

If the “Divine Dragon” who seemed to have forgotten was indeed back to his senses, they’d have room for a conversation about the “Trial.” There would be no need for rough measures.

“Please, I beg you! Let’s talk properly…”

“Don’t spring around so carelessly. If you fall, I’m the one who would be reprimanded. If anything happens, it will mean I owe you.”

“Volcanica…?”

It seemed like Volcanica, responding to Emilia’s heartfelt pleas, came up with something that didn’t sound like mere repetitions.

However, the content didn’t seem to answer Emilia’s words, deepening her confusion.

Nevertheless, in Volcanica’s golden eyes as he looked at Emilia, there was a kind warmth.

Different from the vague and cloudy emotions she’d encountered up until now, it held an emotional light.

It gazed at Emilia in a gentle and tender manner—

“Where have Flügel and Raid gone? If we part ways without a word, Shaula will feel lonely. Farceil too, can create quite a ruckus.”

“———”

As Volcanica continued with those words while still gazing softly at Emilia, a hint of distance lurked behind his golden eyes. It was enough to make her think about Shaula, Flügel, and another person—.

Without needing to ask for their family names, she felt familiar with the name.

“If Farceil, is it Farceil Lugnica? The king from four hundred years ago?”

It was a name that frequently appeared in literature during her studies about the Royal Selection.

Farceil Lugnica— the thirty-fifth king of the Lugnica Kingdom and the great leader who governed during the era of “Witches” four hundred years ago.

Moreover, the very same “Divine Dragon” Volcanica had formed a covenant with, marking the first steps toward the long-standing prosperity of the Lugnica Kingdom, being known as the “Last Lion King.”

“—”

Glancing behind her at the monolith, Emily contemplated the six handprints once more—if Volcanica’s words were not unfounded, then those three of the six handprints, must be Flügel, Raid, and Farceil. The rest as yet unknown, but perhaps one might also match the print of Emilia.

Most likely, there was either one man and one woman remaining.

“Then, the woman’s handprint is likely Shaula’s…?”

That seemed to be the most plausible possibility.

The identity of the last man’s hand was uncertain, but for now, this seemed to be stable enough. Still, the biggest concern remained the fact that there was an unfamiliar handprint belonging to her—

“Could it be that I… have forgotten something aside from the Forest Mother?!”

Once Emilia started doubting, she recalled her past of having sealed her own memories.

Even so, she understood that the existence of the Archbishop of Gluttony made memories and names become twisted and tumultuous.

Perhaps Emilia had casually come here before, wanting to press her hand against the monolith, yet unintentionally forgotten about the event.

“…No, there’s no way that could happen. If only Pack had been here, he could have confirmed whether I had been here before.”

“—What’s wrong? Are you troubled?”

“Oh, um, I’m fine. Thanks for worrying about me. Though I appreciate it…”

Ultimately, Emilia felt uncertain about the dialogue with Volcanica.

It was undoubtedly better than being struck by his tail or feet without a second thought, but the bottleneck regarding the “Trial” still remained unchanged.

What to do… as Emilia pondered—

“If anything is wrong, tell me. I shall remove your worries, —Satella.”

—Being called like that took her breath away.

“———”

It was not the first time she was called “Satella.”

With silver hair, purple-indigo eyes, and being a half-elf— when one saw someone like Emilia, many in this world instinctively thought of the same existence.

Aside from how they referred to that entity.

Some called her Satella, others referred to her as the worst of catastrophes, and still others named her “Witch of Envy.”

Hence, it would not be surprising if someone would call Emilia by that name.

Nevertheless, it was peculiar for Volcanica to address her in such a loving manner.

After all, Volcanica, Raid, and Flügel were those who had sealed away the “Witch of Envy.”

So why was it that he was—

“Why are you so kindly talking to the ‘Witch of Envy’?”

That pure inquiry was somewhat reckless.

It was an unfair request for Emilia to recognize at this precise moment, but at the very least, it is the phrase that became the focal point of this entire situation.

Perhaps it wouldn’t have mattered if it had just been ‘Satella’ or ‘Witch.’

Some call her Satella, others the worst of disasters, and still others the “Witch.”

And Emilia had called her the “Witch of Envy.”

That became—

“—’Witch of Envy'”

—A change that would alter the depth of Volcanica’s distant gaze.

In the golden gaze of Volcanica, that change was dramatically profound.

The head of the dragon, which was still trained on Emilia, was so close that she could feel the shift in its emotions and presence, causing her hair to stand on end.

Emilia’s instinct warned her: this was not a good transformation.

Having grown up in the forest, she had experienced enough to instinctively recognize the behaviors of wild animals. Many times had she witnessed how animals, Beasts, can wildly rev up.

Trusting that feeling, Emilia instinctively leaped backward.

In retrospect, it was the right decision.

“—”

In an instant, the air right in front of Emilia exploded.

It wasn’t an exaggeration; with meticulous accuracy, the very fabric of space compressed, then expanded, exploding outward.

The incomprehensible phenomenon twisted the space itself in a bizarre way, and standing there would mean being contorted regardless of protective measures.

And that most certainly occurred within the vicinity where Emilia’s head was just located.

If she had delayed bowing her head by even a heartbeat, she would have been dead.

With the tail’s strike and the current distortion of space, since arriving at the tower, Emilia had faced countless near-death experiences.

This might have been the most perilous situation yet.

“But if everything turns out fine, it might just mean I’m really lucky.”

If luck had indeed supported her survival, then it was also thanks to that luck that Emilia could breathe properly now, interpreting her situation positively.

She felt it was necessary to think this way or she might get overwhelmed by the continuing changes around her.

Because—

“—Satella.”

Once again spreading his wings, Volcanica was directed toward her, emitting palpable hostility.

Seeing this, Emilia desperately suppressed the urge to stomp her feet in frustration. Just when it seemed that Volcanica had returned to normal; he had reverted once more.

Worse yet, unlike the earlier half-conscious state, he seemed to regain his zeal for rage.

“—Icecicle Line.”

Thus, Emilia opened her magic with unyielding resolve.

The air became cold and cracked, and a white mist began to envelop her. It was still the uppermost tier of the watchtower, above the clouds, freezing the world into whiteness.

With audible sound, ice weaponry slowly formed—extracting the spears that had embedded themselves upon the floor; Emilia swirled them around and readied herself.

She was set for another duel against Volcanica.

However, if that one kick to the leg had been a gentle tease, then whether she could respond to the upcoming onslaught, that was where uncertainty loomed.

While it did appear he was still daft, the power was incomparably stronger than before.

“Nevertheless…”

Staring straight into those golden eyes, Emilia steadfastly refused to simply label Volcanica a mere fool.

After all, those eyes carried deep sorrow, laden with painful memories.

“Satella, yes, Satella. We must stop you who have become the ‘Witch of Envy.'”

“…Were you friendly with her?”

“If only I hadn’t hesitated that day. If only I hadn’t hesitated that day, no one—”

There was no answer to the question.

Nevertheless, Volcanica’s trembling voice held the weight of an answer itself.

Regretting, the dragon took a mighty breath, preparing to incinerate the world in white once more.

Before that breath escaped, Emilia had to charge in and strike those white scales. If she failed to do so, she and everyone else would inevitably perish.

“—Subaru, Beatrice, Ram, Rem, Meily, dear Patrasche, Echidna, Julius, and Lady Anastasia.”

Contemplating everyone who was with her, all of whom were in dire straits.

Those she needed to assist, and those who were raising their faces for the same goal.

In doing so, Emilia felt an unknown strength surging from deep within her chest.

“—’Witch of Envy,’ Satella!!”

“No, that’s not who I am. I am Emilia, the ‘Ice Witch’ from the Erior Forest.”

As she channeled that rising power throughout her body, she called out loudly.

What is the “Divine Dragon” capable of?— Emilia was backed by all of her friends.

Therefore—

“—Remember my name, at the very least!”

In that moment, during the final phase encircling the Pleiades Watchtower, light exploded both above and below the clouds simultaneously.