All the muscles in my body surged with energy, my fighting spirit sharpening my canines to a point.

In the aftermath of battle, the cracked and peeling streets vibrated beneath my feet, transmitting vitality that surged through my soul as I glared defiantly at the magnificent wings above me.

The sound of blood flowing quickened, the pulse loud and high, like the drums that inspire existence.

In other words—

“—Absolutely fabulous!!”

Garfiel roared, his fangs clashing as he stepped forward, shattering the street.

Facing that, the magnificent specter in the sky—reflecting in the gaze of the white “Cloud Dragon,” Garfiel could not suppress the cheer of his blood, flesh, and soul.

As a single arrow of the Rebel Army, he exchanged fists with the strongest in the Imperial Capital’s decisive battle.

The clashes with the ‘Nine Divine Generals’ were a genuine honor for a warrior like Garfiel.

Yet, even recognizing this as a valuable experience, he waited for this moment.

“The opportunity to go at it with a dragon is coming!!”

If the people of the Parent Dragon Kingdom Lugnica are one of the lives living in this world, then they should know how powerful and beyond human comprehension the existence of a ‘dragon’ truly is.

Of course, Garfiel knew this too. He understood that a ‘dragon’ could not be measured by the laws of humanity.

However, Emilia had faced off against a ‘dragon’ twice during the Pleiades Watchtower and the decisive battle in the Imperial Capital, returning successfully from both.

“’Dragons? Oh, both Volcanica and Mezoleia were super strong! They were huge, and their breath was dangerous… I was totally shocked the whole time!’”

Emilia had described her experiences about the threat of ‘dragons’ with gestures, but despite her expressive abilities, the essence of that threat still failed to get across.

The gap between what Emilia couldn’t quite convey and what I felt here was palpable.

“—!!”

The ‘Cloud Dragon’ opened its mouth towards the aggressively advancing Garfiel.

Just before it scorched the Imperial Capital, the same breath was unleashed toward Garfiel, who braced himself for the approaching omen, as Mezoleia launched its breath.

However—

“Ghaa!?”

Struck by a strange heat and shock unlike anything scorching or icy, Garfiel let out a pained groan.

Having just dodged the first breath launched by Mezoleia by diving sideways, the second breath followed suit, targeting Garfiel directly.

No need to squint and wonder what was happening; the enemy’s actions were clear.

Instead of unleashing a breath that could wipe out an entire section of the Imperial Capital in one shot, it had simply released it in short bursts. Instead of exhaling long, it was a series of shorter breaths.

—No, not just twice. If you broke up one breath, you could do it three or four times.

“Tch!”

With his left arm singed from the breath, Garfiel leapt sideways with the momentum and smashed through the wall of a nearby house, hiding himself from the ‘Cloud Dragon’s view.

But it wouldn’t withstand the breath of the ‘Cloud Dragon,’ be it made of stone or not. It was different from the pig’s house that wouldn’t fly away from Subaru’s wolf breath.

Hit continuously by the successive shocks of short breaths, the house was easily stripped of its walls, dealing damage to Garfiel as he crashed inside.

“Oooooooowwwww!!”

Moments before the house could be dismantled by the breath, Garfiel’s arms, wildly roaring, tore the house from the ground and hurled it into the sky.

Like a cannonball, the house, rotating as it scattered debris across the street—ironically, Garfiel used the same tactic Subaru had employed during his retreat from the Imperial Capital. The mass projectile hurled toward him, causing Mezoleia to take a deeper breath.

“Get outta my way!”

With an adorably fierce tone that belied its immense size, Mezoleia unleashed its breath before the houses were demolished.

However, if Mezoleia thought it could take a breath after that, it was too naive.

“C’mon, c’mon, c’mon!!”

After dodging the first house cannonball, Garfiel grabbed another one and threw it toward the ‘Cloud Dragon’ with enthusiasm, attacking the neatly arranged streets of the Imperial Capital one after another.

With Garfiel’s great strength and the combined shock from the many cannonballs, Mezoleia opened its golden eyes wide at the incessant mass bombardment.

“Meeeeeeeezaaaaaawaaaaaaariiiiii!!!”

Mezoleia greeted the incoming house projectiles while flapping its wings.

Its sharp claws tore through the air, tossing one house, then two away, and a powerful swing of its tail obliterated three structures at once.

And then—

“—Die already!”

Glaring directly at Garfiel, who had risen into the air using the debris from the destroyed houses as footholds, Mezoleia aimed its dragon claws from both sides to attack.

Garfiel, shield in arm and aware of the surprise attack, fired back, blocking one claw with each arm.

The tremendous shock pierced through all of Garfiel’s body, causing teeth to crack and blood to spurt.

Yet Garfiel, who could stand after taking the dragon’s attack directly, was a miracle beyond just living. Mezoleia was astonished at the existence of a human who couldn’t be crushed by a single blow.

Gazing at Mezoleia, Garfiel grinned despite the strain.

“How about that—”

Just before he could show his fighting spirit, a tail dropped down from above, crashing into Garfiel, sending his body flying at a speed that left sound waves behind.

He rolled repeatedly, reshaping the streets as he soared into the barriers of the Imperial Capital.

“H-Hey!? Garfiel!?”

Amidst the billowing smoke, Heinkel gasped as he witnessed the scars on the ground left by Garfiel’s impact.

The man could only stare, dumbfounded, at the violent clash between Garfiel and the ‘Cloud Dragon’ before rushing over to Garfiel, who had taken a hit that would have crushed a hundred average men.

“He’s dead… he must be dead! There’s no way he survived that…”

“…Don’t just kill him off, ya hear?”

Voices reached Heinkel, who was imagining the fleeting life laid out before the rubble. His gaze snapped to the collapsed pile, and there was Garfiel, sprawled out with both legs tossed aside.

Garfiel leaned against the wall, showing no face as he looked down, mumbling to himself as blood spilled with broken teeth.

And then—

“Ah, damn… I get it now! Dragons are seriously insane! I finally understand what Emilia-sama was going on about!”

Shaking his head, he slowly pushed himself back to his feet.

Inside his mouth, he felt his half-broken tooth trying to regrow, which he yanked out with his fingers. Instantly, he noticed a new tooth pushing out from beneath and cracked his neck loudly.

“You’re not hurt at all…?”

“Ain’t no way I’m fine, man. Took a hit from a dragon… no, two, maybe three. It’s like being a living miracle, ya know?“

“—”

“But I’m still standing. I’m glad I can still do this.”

His whole body ached, screaming in dull and sharp pain, yet Garfiel clenched his fists, exhaling with determination.

Even while taking on the dragon’s attacks head-on, he could still rise again.

I’m really glad I can do that.

“…Something’s definitely wrong with me!”

Heinkel blurted out, unable to hold back.

The man looked at Garfiel with wide blue eyes, scratching his head frantically.

“Why’d you come back? It makes no sense! It’s a dragon… a dragon! There’s no way you’d win here! Coming here is just plain dumb!”

“Well, it’s the same for you, old man,” Garfiel replied casually.

“Huh…?”

“If being here and facing a dragon is silly, what does that make you?”

Heinkel stood there, dumbstruck, stopping to scratch his head as Garfiel called him out.

He looked as if he wanted to deny their similarities, but if that’s what he wanted, it would be fatal. For in his other hand…

“You still hold a sword, don’t you?”

“—”

Garfiel believed this was proof that Heinkel still had a glimmer of hope.

It could just be that fear paralyzed his fingers. —No. Crush it.

Just holding on thoughtlessly could also lead to nothing. —No. Crush it.

He might’ve even been thinking of sheathing it and running away. —No. Crush it.

He crushed every weak thought, every wavering resolve, every reason for fear.

All of it, once he crushed it, he believed he could piece together a man capable of clenching his teeth and facing his wishes.

“The commander, Otto too. I wanna be like that too!”

“I… I am…”

Trembling and staring at his own shaking hand still gripping the sword, Heinkel felt troubled. Meanwhile, Garfiel slammed his back against the barrier, steadying himself.

And then he addressed Heinkel, who hadn’t yet recovered.

“You asked me why I came back, didn’t ya?”

“—Huh?”

Heinkel’s eyes widened at Garfiel’s calm voice.

Instead of offering more words, Garfiel pushed Heinkel away with a hand to his chest.

Heinkel stumbled back dramatically into the street.

In the next moment, the breath of the ‘Cloud Dragon’ shot down from the sky toward Garfiel, who stood with his back to the barrier. He leaped up to avoid it.

“O-o-ooh…”

Garfiel soared upward with the wall at his back, chasing the white-hot breath that chased him from below. The streets burned and turned to dust as Garfiel fled higher, higher, higher.

It grazed his feet, a breath threatening to scorch his entire being before—

“The commander said it!”

As the breath of the dragon, ready to incinerate the world, brushed against him, Garfiel felt none of anxiety. He felt trust and the urge to rise to the challenge.

Curling into a ball mid-air, Garfiel’s feet found purchase on a wall still holding its shape. —Immediately, he kicked off, shattering it radially as he flew forward.

Forward, forward, forward, he began his approach toward the flying ‘Cloud Dragon’ while exposing his newly grown sharp fangs, opening wide to catch the wind—

“—I’m gonna bring down this dragon that’s flying around like it owns the sky!!”

“—!?”

Garfiel, diving above the breath unleashed from the ‘Cloud Dragon,’ shot both arms forward simultaneously, unleashing a force so destructive that it struck Mezoleia on the nose.

With a sound like that of an exploding storage full of magic stones echoing in the sky, the ‘Cloud Dragon’ recoiled from the direct hit, and the next moment, bright red blood spurted from its broken snout.

The beast bled from its smashed nose, and Garfiel, slammed down onto the ground by his own fist, was drenched in it. Laughing while drenched in dragon blood, Garfiel couldn’t help but yell out.

“Hahaha! I made a dragon bleed!”

“Y-YOU!!”

Mezoleia roared, enraged at the undignified humiliation that couldn’t be fathomed, to which Garfiel responded with laughter.

From afar, Heinkel, who’d been shoved away and saved from the breath, sat stunned on the ground, watching this chaos unfold.

“…This isn’t sane at all.”

As Heinkel weakly murmured, a change in air like that of the battlefield created by Garfiel clashing with the dragon rippled throughout the various places in the Imperial Capital at almost the same time.

Yet there stood Garfiel and Mezoleia, oblivious to it all, the clash of beasts and men wrought a silence upon Heinkel.

Trapped, unable to flee, nor rise again, he couldn’t move.

—Yet his right hand still gripped tightly onto the sword.

—Time rewinds just slightly before the battlefield where the dragon and tiger collide is completed.

“—”

The sensation of cold water striking my cheek and forehead sharply awakened Subaru’s consciousness.

It wasn’t that I was sleepy or felt any weight in my body. Still, something inside me switched, prompting me to let out a deep breath.

Before me, in the rippling water of the basin, my distorted face reflected back. It could only be described as a chubby, childish face with a gaze that left something to be desired.

Though already so familiar with my reflection, I shouldn’t be thinking about whether this is acceptable or not. As I poked at my face, fiddling with it—

“Subaru, are you okay? Maybe you’re not feeling well or something?”

Suddenly, a voice called out to me from the side, lifting my gaze from the water. There stood Emilia, peering in with her jewel-like beautiful violet eyes.

Startled by the proximity of her beautiful face, my heart raced, and I replied, “I-I’m perfectly okay, Emilia-tan. I was just loosening up my cheeks a bit. You know, I always want to show you my best smile!”

“I don’t mind however you smile, as long as it’s not a forced one…”

“Whoa, those are some serious heart-throbbing words… wait!”

As I pressed my fingers against my lips, Emilia’s words sent me into a panic. Trying to hide my heated cheeks, I attempted to wipe my wet face with my sleeve, when suddenly I felt a hand towel being offered to me from the side. —Two hand towels came from Beatrice and Tanzer.

They were both startled, their already round eyes widened even more as they quickly recognized each other and narrowed their eyes.

“Deer girl, Subaru desires Betty’s towel. You better put that away.”

“Schwarz-sama hasn’t uttered a word. Speaking your own thoughts as if they were Schwarz-sama’s opinion is exceeding the norm, don’cha think?”

“Wh-what a frustrating girl you are!”

“Wait, wait, wait! Why are you two fighting?! Here, I’ll use both of them! I’ll wipe the right side of my face with one and the left with another!”

Amidst the unexpected spat, I jumped in, attempting to diffuse the situation with both towels. But neither of them seemed satisfied with my solution and sighed.

Observing me slumping my shoulders, Emilia placed her hands on her hips.

“Beatrice and Tanzer, why are you two being such a bother to Subaru? He’s been through a lot lately, and he needs your support right now…”

“Oh, Emilia-tan’s kindness is touching… but I’m not saying that these two aren’t looking out for me! I really owe them a lot… feeling more like an excuse every time I say it!?”

“Goodness, you’re quite dramatic.”

“Schwarz-sama just can’t help it.”

As I hung my head, Beatrice and Tanzer relented, having begun to soften their stance after observing my reaction.

I couldn’t help but tilt my head at the unfortunate role I’d been forced into, but Emilia gently patted my head, so I figured that was okay.

In any case—

“But honestly, I’m fine, Emilia-tan. I’ve had plenty of rest at the fortress before departing… I mean, if I were to fall over from exhaustion, everyone in the Pleiades Battalion would really fall apart.”

The Pleiades Battalion, bound together by a strong bond, knew their strengths and weaknesses clearly.

An assembled battalion is unstoppable, however, I am the one holding it together—it’s not boasting, it’s Subaru’s “Cor Leonius.”

The effectiveness of that relies on me and would completely dissipate if I fell asleep or lost consciousness; I could never carelessly fall asleep from here on out.

“So I’m good. Trust me, Emilia-tan.”

“Oh, that’s good to hear. But can you promise me you won’t overdo it?”

“You really don’t trust me at all, huh…”

“Maybe you should consult your heart about why I don’t trust you, huh?”

Trust is built on the accumulation of past actions. Implicitly facing that challenge from Emilia, I found myself at a loss for words.

That said, it’s true that I feel unexpectedly good both physically and mentally. I reckon it might be due to heightened tension stirring up my spirit, so after this battle is done, I might crash as that stress piles up.

But if I can manage with a borrowed sense of vigor, then I’d willingly accept the fallout that might happen later.

—Currently, the “Rescue Squad of the Volakia Empire from Annihilation,” having departed the Fortress City Garkla, is engaged in exchanging dragon carriages, preparing to arrive at the Imperial Capital Rupugana.

Stopping at one of the camps dotted along the journey from Garkla to Rupugana, Abel and the experts were confirming the battlefield status, replacing the Earth Dragons with fully prepared ones, readying themselves for the decisive battle.

“Of course, Patrasche will always be with us.”

Reaching out, I caressed the neck of my black dragon—Patrasche, tethered to the dragon carriage.

Patrasche, having rejoined me safely in the Empire, showed no signs of concern for my stature, but dealt an intense flick of its tail as retribution for worrying them.

That smash into the wall reminded me too much of the damage I received while battling Guilty Rauw on Gladiator Island, but if it ended with just one hit, that’s a blessing.

Later on, accepting my relentless apologies, he was now partnering with me enthusiastically.

“—Wow, turns out this Earth Dragon is one of yours, huh?”

Just as I was enjoying my moment with Patrasche, Haribel approached us.

The tall wolf-shinobi, flicking the pipe clasped in her big mouth, said,

“When I was facing off against that dragon zombie, I thought, man, that dragon’s doing a remarkable job!”

“Oh! Haribel, you really understand how exceptional my Patrasche is!”

“Ain’t that right? You’re a lucky one. —Everyone’s worried about young Anna and you.”

The strongest in the city-state, Haribel’s endorsement made me overly joyful, but her next words provoked a dear realization.

It goes without saying, but I know that I’m privileged.

Emilia and the others, Julius and Anastasia, they all broke through many adversities to reach the Empire, and they continue to endure my selfishness.

I can only wonder how fortunate these circumstances make me.

“That’s why I gotta do everything I can!”

“Subaru? Do you remember the promise we made earlier?”

“I remember! No overdoing it! But… if it’s truly necessary…?”

“See, you’re already twisting it again.”

Pouting, Emilia shot me a sulky look, and my face itched as I scratched my cheek.

Haribel seemed thrilled, chuckling melodically, despite us facing what could be the Empire’s—or perhaps the world’s—keystone conflict.

“If you’re saying that Haribel shouldn’t be scolding Subaru, am I correct?”

“You bet!”

“Well, of course, we’re together, so naturally, it’s gonna happen. I’d appreciate a little recognition that I’m fully on Subaru-kun’s side in this Empire.”

With a resigned sigh, Roswaal smiled at Beatrice’s attitude.

Emerging from the dragon carriages, he joined the discussion—little did he know, I was supposed to be accompanying Abel during this stage of the operation.

“I trust Roswaal is a solid ally, but that doesn’t mean Abel’s fried us out yet…”

“If that’s the case, it’d be quite troubling as I’d have nowhere to turn, both Kingdom and Empire-wise. —But you needn’t worry; on their side, Vincent has begun addressing the troops and has raised their morale. It’s actually I who may become a nuisance.”

“Oh! That’s a relief. And just so you know, Roswaal is located in the same place as us, so no need to worry. As long as he doesn’t indulge in malicious schemes, we’re fine.”

Emilia smiled widely, responding to Roswaal’s self-deprecating humor.

Of course, the irony wasn’t lost on Roswaal as he only chuckled, saying nothing about the presence of any schemes.

“However, it’s quite galling that Abel’s triumph might actually yield results.”

As I glanced over to the center of the camp where the cheers of Imperial soldiers echoed, they weren’t cries of battle preparation but rather joyous applause, thrilled about directly being addressed by their Emperor.

Unsurprisingly, while I grew tired of Abel’s frowning face, for most of the Empire’s populace, seeing it up close was not something permitted.

“If I were just a citizen, knowing only Emilia-tan’s name, I could totally relate to their feelings… Oh, no! Just thinking like that makes me want to cry!”

“What’s wrong, Subaru? You’re not my knight, so pull yourself together!”

“Right! This isn’t a dream! Gah, Abel almost caught me off guard.”

While worrying Abel might frown at my slip of thoughts showed some success, I was relieved to see Abel’s imperial thoughts delivering intended results.

Still, thinking about the feelings of Medium, who’s been reduced to a mere spectacle at the end of the war, I can’t solely praise his efforts.

“I hope Spica stays by her side, distracting her even a little… What does that dude think about marriage?”

“That’s right. I think Abel’s pretty smart, but I can’t help but think he might be lacking in this area.”

“He’s probably getting himself kicked off the throne for stuff like this.”

Both of us nodded, in agreement over Abel’s shortcomings, Haribel couldn’t help but laugh.

“Talking back to the Emperor like that? You two are one fearless bunch.”

“It wouldn’t matter who was here, I wouldn’t fear anything with Betty by my side!”

“Yorna-sama’s rejection alone makes it a well-known fact the Emperor holds no heart.”

“I really don’t want this conversation to reach the Empire’s ears…”

Talking bad about the Emperor amidst the cheers of excitement would likely spark a violent outcome. Even among Roswaal’s harsh opinions, he forced a grin.

“That said, Garfiel has been unbelievably focused lately; it makes sense that he hasn’t shown himself thus far… —Seems he’s got the spirit, likely due to your big promotion, Subaru-kun.”

“—Right.”

I nodded in response to Roswaal’s yellow-eyed gaze fixated on me.

Garfiel wasn’t present in our ongoing conversations; instead, he was quietly meditating inside the dragon carriage connected to Patrasche, focusing intently.

A clear sign he wanted to meet my expectations head-on—asking him to match up against ‘Cloud Dragon’ Mezoleia.

“Mezoleia has high mobility and insane destructive power; we need to pin her down. Currently, Garfiel is the top choice for that role.”

“Is it okay if I ask why? I was told just to follow your lead as per Anna’s orders… I’m stronger than that little tiger cub.”

As the basis of my judgment, Haribel tilted her head, puffing smoke.

Should she feel her strength would be underestimated, I ought to explain myself, yet her intonation remained neutral.

Voicing a purely tactical question like that compelled me to withdraw slightly, pulling my jaw back.

“I don’t doubt that Haribel is the strongest among the current members. But, you see, it’s about picking the right person for the right job… I have someone else I want you to handle.”

“What!? That’s a rather creepy statement. If we push back the dragon, and focus on some other—does that mean creatures that are worse than a dragon are around?”

“In a sense, yes.”

It’s pointless to beat around the bush; I conceded clearly.

At my affirmation, Haribel’s mouth sealed for a moment before she relaxed, showing her monstrous canine teeth.

“Got it, got it! Then, I should really step it up!”

Haribel visibly accepted my orders, showing her willingness to follow along.

“Garfiel and Haribel… we have places we want you to go and tasks we need you to perform as well.”

As their back-and-forth cooled down, Emilia’s serious expression locked onto my face, fingers touching the magic crystal at her chest as her violet eyes fixed on me.

It wasn’t just Emilia. Beatrice, Tanzer, and Roswaal were all looking my way.

“That’s right. Everyone here… even including Abel and the rest, it’s a full-blown war.”

“—The good news is, Subaru seems to know the general whereabouts of the enemy.”

“Yeah, that thing we did back at the Pleiades Watchtower, the powers we received.”

“Exactly. That was it.”

At their words, I punched my chest with confidence.

The merit of “Cor Leonius,” showcased at the Pleiades Watchtower—grabbing the positions of others from a distance and managing problems in the tower got them to trust me.

The enemies lying in wait at the Imperial Capital Rupugana—what the best choices were to counter those powerful adversaries is the ‘lie’ I could share.

“—I’m going to do what I can.”

Distributing the roles for Emilia, Beatrice, Spica, Tanzer, Garfiel, Roswaal, Haribel, Abel, Medium, Jamal, and Olbart.

Using all the cards I held, it was time to win in the battle for the Empire.

“And of course, I’m counting on you too, Patrasche.”

Reaching out, Patrasche neighed in response as I stroked its neck once more.

Pumped up by that call, we all felt reinvigorated when—

“—So, Subaru-kun, this is the best course of action?”

Roswaal stared at me, eyes unwavering.

At that question, I nodded vigorously and answered.

“Yeah, this should be the best. —I’ve definitely checked.”

This is nothing more than what Natsuki Subaru has done.

So I believed it wouldn’t break my promise to Emilia of “not overdoing it.”