—It was humiliating.

My clenched fangs creaked, my intestines simmered with rage, and my soul cracked from indignation.

Being toyed with by base humans, being pushed to a point where I could do nothing, even having to reveal my trump card that I knew I shouldn’t, what am I even doing?

“What a pathetic sight.”

The state that a dragon person should never easily show, that disgrace laid bare.

If there were other dragon people, they would likely cover their faces in shame at my utter failure, cursing the shame of dragonfolk, and nearly dying from the anger directed at themselves and me, begging to kill Madelin.

But that won’t happen.

There are no other dragonfolk. Madelin has been alone all along. Therefore—

—I must kill the one who killed what I wished for in a partner.

“Flopp-san, help me! We need to carry this child inside…”

At the edge of my hazy consciousness, I heard such a voice.

It was a human voice; nothing more, nothing less. Since there were no other dragonfolk, all that spoke in human language were humans, fundamentally different beings from myself.

And the most immediate humiliation dealt by a being different from me heated my head.

In front of me stood a red woman clad in a dress, and a silver-haired woman accompanied by snow.

Those women, who had unleashed a terrifyingly precise coordination, burned my consciousness white.

As if guided, I raised my body and reached my arm toward the source of the voice.

The thin back before me—tearing through it, and then—

“I don’t care if you call me a big fool.”

A different voice was heard, and in the next moment, the shadow I was facing switched places.

The thin back was shoved away, revealing a slender figure before me. Claws were swung towards that target, and the sensation of piercing flesh rebounded in my hand.

“————”

Blood scattered, and the slender one fell, powerless against the dragon person’s strength.

I didn’t think, “I did it.” Ironically, the lack of resistance made clear that the thin one I tore apart wasn’t the object of my hatred burning in my intestines.

Even so—

“Next, who is—”

Did it want to be torn by my claws, growling with bared fangs?

I tried to give in to the ferocity seeking the next prey, stepping on the body of the one I had just brought down. Then, looking at the fallen figure—

“… uh?”

A man lay there, white skin stained with blood, long golden hair spread on the ground.

An unknown man; I couldn’t distinguish human faces broadly, and none within the recognizable faces belonged to men.

Therefore, what caught my eye was not the man himself, but his belongings.

The thin chest that had been torn open and exposed. Stained with blood was a decorative piece made from a beast’s fang that the man had hung around his neck.

—No, that’s not a beast’s fang.

It is, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is.

△▼△▼△▼△

“————”

Pushed away by Flopp who rushed over, Rem collapsed onto the garden’s lawn.

The force was unexpected and unreserved. Without the luxury of supporting my body, Rem fell sideways onto the green.

However, there was no need to question Flopp about his sudden action.

A far more eloquent answer lay spread before Rem in a vivid red.

“Flopp-san!”

Supporting herself on the grass, Rem’s voice cracked at the sight.

Before her, in the place where Rem had stood just seconds ago, lay Flopp, leaning back with deep wounds carved from his shoulder to his waist.

Four sharp claw marks, like blades, vividly tore through Flopp’s front.

And it soon became clear to Rem that these were the wounds resulting from Flopp trying to protect her.

It also became clear that the one who did this was the girl Rem rushed to help—.

“————”

A girl with sky-blue hair stood there, keeping her arm poised, dripping with blood from Flopp’s flesh that she had gouged.

The girl, who had committed such a vile act, had harmed Flopp to protect Rem.

Immediately, Rem thought she had to see his wounds and tried to sit up,

“Get away! Flopp-san! Let me see the wounds… Kya!”

However, as Rem tried to approach Flopp, her way was obstructed by the girl’s thin arm. Grabbing her shoulder and pushing Rem back, the girl took a step closer to Flopp.

Surely, she intended to deal the finishing blow, and all the blood drained from Rem’s face.

In that moment, the girl’s arm gripped Flopp’s neck, brutally yanking his body upright.

And then—

“Why do you have the dragon’s fang… Karyon’s fang?!”

With a desperate and sorrowful expression on her profile, the girl cried out like a scream to Flopp.

For a moment, my mind went blank trying to comprehend the meaning of the question. However, in that time, the girl asked, “Why?!” repeatedly, as she looked at the unconscious Flopp.

There was no response from Flopp, his consciousness had plunged into darkness. Blood flowed ceaselessly from the wounds on his body, leaving no doubt that the flicker of life was weakening.

“Answer me! You need to answer! If you can’t do that—”

“P-please stop! He is unconscious! He will die!”

“——!”

Rem clung desperately to the girl’s arm, trying to pry it away from Flopp. The girl turned to Rem with golden eyes full of anger, but Rem stood her ground, resolute.

Flopp’s life was at stake; she couldn’t afford to be overpowered.

“Let me heal him immediately! If not, Flopp-san will—”

“What’s the point of healing him?! If he’s going to die anyway, then before he dies—”

“I can use healing magic! I can use healing magic!”

At Rem’s desperate plea, the girl’s grip loosened slightly.

Just a regular bandage would be useless for Flopp’s severe injuries. But if it was healing magic, that would change everything. For the first time, the girl’s golden eyes properly reflected Rem.

“… can you save him?”

“—I will. No matter what…!”

“Then hurry up!”

The girl seemed to trust Rem’s words, or perhaps acknowledged that there were no other options.

She pressed Flopp’s body into Rem’s care and unilaterally commanded her. However, there was no room to resist that attitude.

“So cruel…”

Checking Flopp’s wounds, Rem muttered at their severity.

It looked like he had been torn apart by beastly claws, with four wounds etched deeply into his white skin, like a muddy branch gouging the flesh.

Pressing the flowing blood with a cloth wrapped around Flopp’s head, Rem activated healing magic over the wounds — and at that moment, a wave of fatigue struck Rem’s entire body.

“——!”

Having already cast healing magic on numerous people injured by the flying dragon attacks, she had managed to minimize exhaustion by limiting it to those in dire need. However, she had to expend significant energy on each one that needed healing, and exhaustion was unavoidable.

Now, she faced the task of healing Flopp, who was on the brink of death. The mental burden was immense.

“Still, I cannot choose to give up…”

She told herself that there was no option to give up and focused her senses on Flopp’s wound.

As she focused, the words of Priscilla suddenly echoed in her mind. They were advice directed to Rem, reflecting on memory, identity, and the role she must fulfill.

Words from the days spent alongside Priscilla after separating from Subaru, during moments in between—

“Look beyond injuries and see life itself. Often, what circulates in a living being’s body is not only blood, but unseen elements. Healing magic should grasp what lies beyond this.”

“What that is, I cannot elucidate to one who lacks healing magic. For convenience, I referred to it as life. You may interpret it and name it as you like. Just—”

“Remember this, Rem. The wretched girl who has lost her memory and her refuge. Despite having seemingly lost everything, the power to heal others is your essence.”

“——No one can escape from themselves. Do not forget my words and strive.”

“——I shall see life.”

Rather than the painful wounds themselves, Rem would stop the flowing life that needed preserving, amplify it, and hold onto the life that must be saved.

Simply filling the gouged flesh, closing wounds, and alleviating pain isn’t what healing magic is.

It’s something deeper; healing magic is not a magic for mending wounds, but a magic for saving lives.

If I realize that I am interfering with life, and reach for that art—.

—I should be capable of tying together, preserving Flopp’s fading life and saving him.

“————”

Seeking the utmost from her dwindling reserves, Rem’s healing magic revealed its true value.

Connecting the threads of life that needed connecting, halting the flow of life that must be preserved, restoring dynamism to the flickering light of life—saving Flopp’s life.

“Flopp-san…!”

With his breaths growing weaker and color waning from his cheeks.

As both began to stabilize gradually, Rem sought that sure response. At her call, Flopp’s long eyelashes trembled, and his blue eyes opened slightly.

The still hazy state of Flopp’s consciousness. However, if she continued with the healing magic, she could manage to save his life.

Just as Rem was about to let out a sigh of relief,

Flopp’s lips trembled.

Then, with a faint breath, he whispered.

“… Don’t fix me completely.”

“——Eh?”

The almost unbelievable words struck Rem’s eardrums, leaving her breathless.

In such surprise, her focus drifted, and her spellcasting was disrupted. As Rem hurried to regain her concentration on healing magic, Flopp’s eyelids closed again, leading him back into darkness.

This time, Flopp had completely lost his consciousness. While concentrating on healing magic on his wounds, Rem found herself confused, struggling to grasp the meaning behind what he had just said.

Why did Flopp say such a thing?

What could he possibly mean by not letting her heal him completely?

“Was he just mumbling due to his haze of consciousness?”

That was a possibility too. Considering the amount of blood that had flowed, it was a miracle he had regained consciousness even for a moment.

It wasn’t unusual for him to say something incomprehensible in such a vague mindset. However, even in their short acquaintance, Rem had built a solid trust in Flopp.

Flopp was always someone who put great effort into his thoughts and opinions.

What if, just if, his current words were something he had squeezed out with all his might?

To dismiss that as mere nonsense would be far too disingenuous.

“————”

Why did he say not to heal him?

—No, fundamentally, what did Flopp say? It wasn’t don’t heal him. It was more accurate to say, don’t heal him completely.

The phrasing of “don’t heal completely” was strange.

Healing wouldn’t stop, yet he was urging that the final stages of healing must not be fulfilled. However, if the final stages of healing weren’t completed, Flopp’s life would surely remain at risk.

Rem’s mana had its limits. Above all, she didn’t understand the meaning of such an action. She needed to save Flopp’s life properly, and then—

“——Ah.”

In that moment, Rem realized that her understanding of her situation had skewed.

She had become so focused on healing Flopp that she hadn’t seen the surroundings at all.

“————”

Behind Rem, the girl who had done this stood still. More accurately, a horde of flying dragons continued to wreak havoc above the abruptly cooling city, with fierce battles raging in various parts of the city.

Nothing had improved. Even if Flopp’s wounds were healed.

Moreover, Flopp’s earlier appeal reminded Rem of a possibility.

It was—

“—Who exactly are you?”

Without turning around, Rem asked the girl behind her.

Although she hadn’t seen her face, the girl must have understood that Rem’s question was aimed at her. Suddenly, the sound of her fangs clashing echoed.

“You’re not in a position to ask that! If you have time to worry about that, then hurry and heal that man!”

“I want to heal him too! But…”

“But what?!”

“But! I can’t concentrate because I’m curious about who you are. If this continues, I might not be able to keep casting the spell.”

With no appropriate excuse coming to mind, Rem uttered an exceedingly childish retort. If this provoked the girl’s anger, it wouldn’t be surprising if the claws that had torn Flopp turned towards her.

However, in response to Rem’s clumsy retort, the girl exhaled furiously.

“…Madelin.”

“…What?”

“Madelin Eshault! One of the commanders of the Empire!”

With a voice carrying traces of anger and urgency, the girl—Madelin answered Rem’s question.

To be surprised by the answering return was one thing, but the greater shock lay in Madelin’s title. She called herself a commander of the Empire, and Rem knew exactly what kind of position that held in this country.

That understanding aligned with a doubt that had sprouted within Rem.

Thus—

“—What are you doing?! Why—”

“————”

“Why did you stop healing that man?!”

Taking a deep breath, Rem withdrew her hand from the wound of Flopp.

Naturally, the healing magic that had been healing Flopp’s wounds was interrupted, and Madelin snapped at that fact. She grabbed Rem by the collar, forcefully turning her to face her.

Overwhelmed by Madelin’s strength, Rem met her gaze defiantly.

And then—

“Answer me! What do you intend to do?!”

“——If you want to continue healing Flopp, there are conditions.”

“Conditions…? What in the world are you suddenly saying…”

“—Get the horde of flying dragons attacking the city to withdraw. I can’t continue healing unless you meet this condition.”

Thus, Rem boldly negotiated with the girl leading the horde of flying dragons.

△▼△▼△▼△

—You must not heal completely.

Rem interpreted Flopp’s incomprehensible words as a suggestion for this.

For some reason, Madelin was fixated on Flopp’s survival. There was a reason for her obsession with him, and that could only be pinned down by Rem for the moment.

Using Flopp’s life as leverage to broker a ceasefire against the city’s assault.

Whether this might be seen as inhumane, Rem resolutely committed to the act.

Flopp was likely wishing for this too, and she wouldn’t make any pleasing excuses. She thought if she could wield Flopp’s life this way, she might just manage to save the besieged castle city.

Even if the true meaning of Flopp’s words differed, Rem had already started down that path.

“What…?!”

Incredulous, Madelin stood speechless at the ultimatum.

Naturally so; when Rem heard Flopp’s words, she was affected in much the same way. The same confusion now fell upon Madelin. This was something Rem could understand.

However, she offered none of her sympathy. There was no room for that, even for Rem.

“————”

Gradually, the frustration at having interrupted healing Flopp burned in Rem’s chest.

Deep down, she wanted nothing more than to resume the healing magic at once and continue rescuing Flopp’s life. The flickering light dangling at the tips of her fingers teetered on the brink of returning or fading away.

In the meantime, Flopp’s chances were narrowing little by little.

“What will you do? Please decide quickly.”

While trying not to let her anxiety show on her face, Rem pressured Madelin for a decision.

She tried to convince herself that it wasn’t her life on the line, but Madelin’s. By doing so, she wanted to preserve as much of Flopp’s hope as possible.

The impact of the blinding white light that had rocked the entire city remained profound, with Kuna and Holly, who had been tasked with guarding the mansion, nowhere to be seen. It would take time for them to come back.

They couldn’t hope for rescues from outside. It all depended on Rem’s strength alone.

“Madelin-san, time is—”

“—Don’t underestimate dragons any longer.”

“Guh…”

The further urging for a decision was cut short by the sensation of a hand pressing down on her throat.

Madelin’s small hand gripped Rem’s neck, silencing her further words — no, it seemed that

Madeline wouldn’t even allow an attempt at negotiation.

Her golden eyes, ablaze with anger, cursed Rem’s audacity.

Being subjected to a terrifying power far beyond her youthful appearance, Rem felt her heart clench with fear, wanting desperately to retract her reckless action.

An impulse to beg for forgiveness would press her into submission.

But—

“————”

The image of Subaru, who had stepped forward to protect her against a similarly formidable foe, came back to mind.

Clad in ridiculous clothing that one could hardly bear to see, Subaru stood there, risking his life to shield Rem. No, that scene wasn’t the only one.

To Rem’s eyes, Subaru was neither strong nor special.

Yet still, he had faced danger without flinching and had never backed down.

Watching Subaru’s bravery, Rem scolded her trembling self.

She couldn’t look down, nor could she give in.

Her resolve hadn’t been founded on a weak will or a naive determination to remain.

“I will…”

“What now?”

“Even if you kill me… it’s still your loss…”

The declaration from Rem, forced out despite being choked, made Madelin widen her eyes in surprise.

If Madelin were to let her anger consume her and kill Rem, she would lose her chance to converse with Flopp.

Ultimately, the essence of Madelin’s choice remained unchanged.

Destroy the city or save Flopp—two options.

As a commander of the Empire, fulfilling the role assigned to her was likely Madelin’s mission. Yet somehow, Rem glimpsed a small opening in Madelin’s attitude and actions.

Madelin wanted to exchange crucial words with Flopp. She had something she needed to confirm. Just how important it was for Madelin to ascertain that?

Therein lay Rem’s chance to make a gamble—.

“—So, what will you do?”

“————”

“Choose. Will you kill a person, or will you spare their life?”

△▼△▼△▼△

—As the white haze began to lift from her consciousness, the world slowly began to color once more.

“—Ugh.”

Accompanying the awakening of her consciousness was an overwhelming sense of weight pressing down across her entire body.

It felt as though rubble was piled upon her body, creating a suffocating weight. Desperately, she moved her arms to push the feeling away.

“Nn… shoo—”

Stretching her arms from the cramped position, the weight pulled away with a resounding noise.

It was at that moment that she truly realized she hadn’t been making it up—she had, in fact, been trapped under rubble, and understanding why she had been so breathless made sense.

Grasping that understanding, she began to recall why she’d been buried—

“—That’s right. I was fighting alongside Priscilla against Madelin.”

Recalling recent events, Emilia glanced around at her surroundings.

What lay before her was the starkly desolate ruin of the city. Buildings had collapsed, and the debris was scattered, with the ground reduced to a barren plain.

The sight before her resembled a pile of leaves scattered by a strong wind.

The snow lightly falling was the effect of the ice-bound realm Emilia had created—Subaru named it “Ice Age,” a signature move of hers.

However, the whiteness that had drowned Emilia’s consciousness was something else falling from the sky.

That was—

“—Similar to Volcanica.”

The white light showering down from above was a strike triggered by Madelin’s will.

While uncertain of what would come next, Emilia instinctively took action, aligning with Priscilla to raise her ice shield against the incoming white light.

That layered ice shield was shattered, and in the end, Priscilla’s Red Sword flickered—.

“After that, I got buried…! I can’t just leave Priscilla!”

Remembering what had just transpired, Emilia began to search for Priscilla, whose presence she couldn’t see.

Since Emilia had been trapped under the rubble, it wouldn’t be surprising if Priscilla, who was nearby, had faced a similar fate. If that were true, the more fragile Priscilla might be unable to escape.

She felt a pang of guilt worrying for her, and thought she had to help her quickly.

“Priscilla! Priscilla, where are you?! Respond! I’ll get you out right away!”

“—Quit your whining, half-demon.”

“Priscilla?!”

Pushing aside the aching weight on her body, Emilia began flipping over nearby debris. As she searched around, a response echoed back to her, causing her to rush towards the source of the voice.

There, amid the remnants of a collapsed wall, she found Priscilla on the opposite side of a mound of rubble.

As Emilia hurried over, Priscilla let out a small huff while seated amidst the debris.

“You’re quite tenacious. So, you’ve survived.”

“Yes, thank you for worrying. You’re not well… but I’m relieved you seem alright.”

“Hmph.”

In front of Emilia, who sighed in relief, Priscilla seemed a bit more worn out than usual as she breathed out. Her once-vibrant red dress had several tears, and dirt and bruises marred her usually pristine white skin.

It was painful to see Priscilla, who usually kept herself so well.

Should Emilia pout and frown, Priscilla would glare up with a dissatisfied look, saying,

“Do not act as if you care about me. After all, you and I are rivals vying for the throne. You should wish for my downfall.”

“Well, that’s mean of you. I never once thought about wanting to hurt you, Priscilla. Besides—”

“What is it?”

“I’m a bit surprised to see you consider me your genuine rival.”

I thought you didn’t care about me.

Since Emilia, aware of her lagging behind in comparison to other Royal Selection candidates like Crusch, Anastasia, and Felt, found that assessment surprisingly uplifting.

Being regarded in the same breath as such remarkable individuals felt as though her efforts had been acknowledged.

“————”

“But if you’re okay, we need to move right away. I have no idea where Madelin went, and we must stop the city from being in danger…!”

She would celebrate Priscilla’s safety after they escaped the crisis threatening the city.

Ideally, she would want to convince Madelin to call off the flying dragons’ assault, but as she searched for Priscilla, she had lost track of Madelin and it was likely she had fled.

If Madelin was unreliable, Emilia knew they had to chase away the flying dragons by their own strength.

So she thought to rush and assist in the area where the flying dragons were most concentrated.

“—Wait, half-demon.”

“I’d like to wait, but we can’t afford to be idle. We need to hurry or—”

“That’s not it. —The situation is changing.”

Stopped in her hasty departure, Emilia turned around, her eyes widening in surprise.

Priscilla, still sitting amid the rubble, tilted her chin upwards. At that gesture, Emilia followed her gaze up to the snow-filled sky.

In that moment, Emilia grasped the meaning behind Priscilla’s words.

“…The flying dragons are retreating?”

Emilia murmured as she watched the brutal flying dragons attacking the city withdraw, flapping their wings and slowly drifting away from above the town.

It took her a moment to comprehend the implication of this, and then Emilia thought, “Could it be—”

“Madelin heard our pleas and withdrew—”

“Fool.”

“Was that off? But only Madelin has the authority to command those dragons to turn away…”

The most favorable possibility was swiftly denied by Priscilla, causing Emilia to ponder anew.

Of course, even the flying dragons, capable of following orders, would not recklessly throw their lives away; that would be akin to suicide. They would retreat if the tide of battle turned against them, and for example, if their leader were defeated, they would likely scatter to escape.

But could Madelin’s defeat truly equate to the fall of their leader?

Should they consider that Madelin had lost while Emilia and Priscilla, in tandem, had been unable to withstand the devastating blow from above?

In fact, they had been the ones in danger.

Should Madelin continue battling alongside the flying dragons, she could still persist in warfare.

And yet—

“Therefore, there’s a newly formed reason for retreat.”

“A reason to withdraw? What is that?”

“I cannot see through everything. Perhaps it’s because the presence of ‘Cloud Dragon’ was revealed that a retreat order was given to Madelin. Or—”

Priscilla raised a hand to her mouth, pondering her words as Emilia hung onto her every thought.

After holding Emilia in suspense for a brief moment, Priscilla observed the departing flying dragons and continued,

“—Or perhaps she found something more important than the orders from the Imperial Capital.”

△▼△▼△▼△

—Priscilla’s hypothesis would reveal its accuracy or inaccuracy only after the horde of flying dragons had left.

The horde of flying dragons had cornered the castle city to the brink of destruction, inflicting harm upon many residents and defense soldiers, led by the ‘Dragon General’ Madelin Eshault.

The arrival of an uncharacteristically brutal ice season in the Volakia Empire, followed by the terrifying white light falling from the clouds that brought destruction to the entire city—everyone believed the city was doomed, but suddenly, those threats dissipated, and the city found itself unexpectedly spared.

Even if they sought to recover, they must first assess the depth of their wounds and whether those wounds could be healed. It was a grueling task akin to counting the droplets of spilled blood.

Before the survivors of the castle city began to move, there was one fact that must be added.

The ‘Dragon General’ Madelin Eshault, who retreated with the horde of flying dragons.

Alongside her, two figures suddenly vanished from the castle city.

—The merchant Flopp O’Connell and the girl Rem had disappeared without a trace.