The silver gauntlet roared as it smashed the head and torso of the zombie standing in front of me.

　Inside the zombie’s body was a core bug, and unless I crushed that, blowing off its head or heart wouldn’t be a fatal blow. —In that case, I just needed to punch with enough impact that the shock traveled throughout its body.

「Take this!」

　Up until now, my priority was just to hit with brute force, without thinking about the results afterward. But I changed my mindset.

　I envisioned the shockwaves produced by my punches traveling throughout the opponent’s entire body. By doing so, both the way I threw my punch and its resulting impact changed.

「—ッ」

　I felt a shuddering response in my back as the zombie’s body responded late, shattering into dust all at once. That shockwave traveled through the entirety of its body, a sign that the core bug was dead.

　Determined not to let go of this feeling, I faced the countless zombies swarming towards me with my fists.

　One, two, three — the number of zombies that shattered increased exponentially.

「Hey, kid! Stop it already! You’ll never finish at this rate!」

　I hesitated, and a rough voice called out from behind me as I swung my fists at the zombies.

　Heinkel, brandishing his splendidly crafted sword, was desperately dealing with the zombies I had overlooked, his hair and face in complete disarray.

　Garfiel smirked at Heinkel’s whiny, panicked tone.

　If he wanted to run, he could, yet he insisted on staying here.

　He claimed it was safer with Garfiel around than running away alone, but I found it hard to believe that argument still held under such dire circumstances.

　After all, this was the imperial capital’s main gate, the crucial stronghold to hold back the massive army of zombies flooding in, key to the siege of the imperial capital.

「I won’t budge. We have to hold this line, or it’ll interfere with the commanders’ plans.」

　Thus, it was Garfiel’s duty to defend this place at all costs.

　With his fists raised before his chest, he was resolved, but Heinkel clicked his tongue in annoyance. His expression twisted bitterly as he shouted, 「But…!」

「If all you’re doing is fulfilling your duty, you’d be better off further back! There’s no reason to stay here! Just leave that dragon alone!」

　Cutting down the zombies, Heinkel pointed to Mezoleia, the ‘Cloud Dragon,’ lying on the ground after battling Garfiel.

　Although Mezoleia was technically on the zombie’s side, the zombies around him showed no mercy, directing their hostility towards the fallen dragon whose scales would soon stain in blood if left unattended.

「I can’t do that!」

「Why not?! It’s an enemy! Just let them be!」

「I don’t want to disappoint the commanders!」

　Garfiel’s childlike reply left Heinkel speechless, his face stiffening in shock.

　Yet, it was a genuine feeling. Subaru hoped that in this battle, the casualties would be kept to a minimum, as close to zero as possible. Garfiel wanted to help with that.

　Moreover, I still hadn’t exchanged any real words with Mezoleia.

　So—

「I’m not going anywhere! Come at me, zombies!」

　Garfiel shouted loudly, clashing his gauntlets together to create a loud sound.

　Hearing this, the zombies gathered here, targeting the living with their overflowing life force.

「That’s it, that’s the way! —All you strong ones, come to me!」

　The more he held his ground, the more it should ease the burdens on Garfiel’s precious people.

「…He’s gone mad.」

　Heinkel listened to Garfiel’s roar, his expression twisted in disbelief. —While behind Heinkel, the fallen ‘Cloud Dragon’ stirred slightly, unnoticed.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　△▼△▼△▼△

　When gently lifted from the bed, Madelin was certain this was the end. —There was a painfully large hole opened in Balroi’s chest.

　A zombie’s body. Madelin knew that a fatal blow wasn’t simply fatal. However, feeling the absence of a wound that should have quickly healed, she sensed Balroi’s will.

　Her beloved — the one she longed for — was going away again, to a place beyond her reach, far beyond the clouds he ruled over.

「…I’m sorry, Madelin.」

　Balroi lowered his eyes, uttering those words, causing Madelin to widen her gaze slightly.

　Balroi’s expression mirrored the one he had before their reunion as a zombie. Of course, his eyes gleamed with a mix of black and gold, and his complexion retained the pale hue of a zombie.

　Even so, the flicker of life in that moment, present in Balroi’s gaze and voice, resonated.

　It was just like when he came to visit Madelin many times at the peak of Paruzhoa Mountain.

　—It deeply saddened her that she hadn’t been the one to bring that warmth back to him.

「…!」

　Choking on her powerlessness and frustration, Madelin’s golden eyes glistened with tears.

　Reflecting her sorrowful eyes, Balroi, despite being dead, looked back at her with surprisingly strong eyes.

「Even to the very end, I was selfish. Because of my selfishness, I’ve caused you no small amount of trouble, Madelin.」

　Having set the terms of their farewell, Balroi stood beside Madelin.

　This was just the initial prompt. Following this acknowledgment would be words of apology and gratitude from Balroi, something Madelin had already sensed.

　In fact, she sensed it all too well.

「Stop it…!」

「Madelin?」

「Stop with the apologies and gratitude! Just stop it!」

　Shaking her teeth, forcing the tears welling in her eyes to evaporate, Madelin exclaimed.

　Half-sensed and still connected to the dragon shell, she lacked the strength in her limbs. However, overriding that reason with sheer will, Madelin grasped Balroi’s arms tightly.

　It was strong enough to the point of breaking the zombie’s arm, crushing it.

　But what she wished to convey was not anger or hatred, but rather just this—her intent to deliver what she felt.

「If you say you were selfish, the one who was most selfish is you, for disappearing without a word. You came into the dragon’s nest, became something important to the dragon, vanished without a trace, died, and once again planned to leave without saying a word…!」

「…」

「You’ve been selfish enough already. So—so! I won’t allow your selfishness anymore! I want to hear your story, not farewells or gratitude…!」

　While her grip tightened, Balroi remained silent, gazing at Madelin.

　Matching Balroi’s golden gaze with her own, a similar shine within her equally vibrant eyes, Madelin spoke.

　That was—

「—Balroi brought the dragon outside!」

「…!」

　Balroi’s eyes widened at Madelin’s words.

　Clearly caught off-guard by her unexpected revelation, Madelin found herself delighted to witness Balroi’s new expression, even if it was that of a zombie.

　All of that, she etched into her heart, carrying it within her strong dragon’s body.

「The dragon came out. You, Balroi, made that happen. Balroi took the dragon beneath the sky!」

「…」

「The dragon wasn’t just tossed around. The reason I was able to descend from the mountain this way and converse with you again… It’s all because of you, Balroi.」

　If only I had made my choice sooner. There were countless regrets.

　If only we had talked and connected more. There were countless sorrows.

　Even so, having chosen, having talked, and having connected… she did not wish to let go of a single fragment.

「Everything Balroi gave me… Balroi brought the dragon outside.」

　Madelin would not let this time slip away, time that was meant for Balroi to confess his gratitude and farewells.

　She refused to waste the little time left, even if it was merely to deny trivialities. If she had only ten seconds left, she would—

「I love you! To me, Balroi is everything! There’s nothing I love more than Balroi! You are the dragon, my everything…!」

「Madelin…」

「Balroi, Balroi, Balroi…!」

　—She spent every precious second left to tell her beloved how much she loved him.

　She wanted him to respond, to ask for her feelings, wishing for him to carry the same depth of emotion.

　Abandoning all the bothersome aspects of love, Madelin became a resolute mass of intention.

　Regardless of whether someone tried to belittle Balroi or if Balroi himself wished for it, she would never allow it.

　With all her being as a dragon person, she thought of Balroi Temegurif.

「A dragon person’s life is infinitely longer compared to a human being!」

　During that long, endless time, Madelin would live, thinking of Balroi, etched into her soul as something eternal.

　She intended to convey this to Balroi Temegurif.

「—What could be good about someone like me, a hopeless man?」

　Balroi mumbled self-deprecatingly, and Madelin had no answer for him.

　Madelin pressed her forehead against his chest, busy expressing her feelings. She wanted Balroi to find his own answers without her help, even if he could not recognize his own charm.

　It seemed Madelin’s will reached Balroi. He exhaled deeply.

　And then—

「It’s not something you can forget just because I told you to. Yes, I understand that very well. So, you don’t have to forget. Just—」

「…」

「Be happy, Madelin. My beloved, adorable dragon princess.」

　For the first time in her life, Madelin was clearly rejected by her beloved.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　△▼△▼△▼△

「—How about it, Your Excellency? My little sister is quite something, isn’t she?」

　With a tone full of satisfaction, Balroi’s voice captivated everyone present at the artillery platform. —No, not everyone. Just one person, Medium, was excluded.

　Medium, holding the ‘Sun Blade,’ had nerves of steel.

　If someone unqualified tried to grip the ‘Sun Blade,’ they would catch fire. That was a request bordering death. Still, it wouldn’t be understood unless you were Balroi.

　Understanding your own life is the most important thing, but not the emperor, who understood even less than that.

「Right!」

　Medium, who didn’t fall into line with everyone else, drew the dagger from her waist and skillfully struck the green glimmer of the pedestal — Moguro’s magic core — sending it flying into the air.

　It spiraled gracefully, landing in Balroi’s outstretched hand. Testing its warmth and weight, Balroi looked at Vincent.

　Vincent lowered the tip of the ‘Sun Blade’, staring back at Balroi.

「…」

　In that instant, Balroi witnessed Vincent’s black eyes swirling into a complex array of colors, and he thought to himself that this emperor needed Medium.

　Someone who would support him in narrowing options, and maximize what he had chosen, someone who would laugh by his side and look towards the future. —Balroi, who had stolen Chisha, had no right to speak on that matter.

　Conversely, if it were Cheshire Gold, it wouldn’t be surprising if he calculated the guilt Balroi carried as a now-zombie.

　Shaking his head, Balroi chuckled and said,

「Medium.」

　Understanding the intent behind Balroi’s call, Medium rushed over. Balroi entrusted Madelin, who had been resting in one of his arms, to her.

　The important dragon woman, who had endlessly conveyed her love to Balroi mid-slumber.

　A girl who had seemingly slept again, exhausted from weeping, forever marked by her eternal wounds.

「Bal Brother!」

「What is it?」

　Caringly accepting Madelin’s body, Medium looked closely at Balroi. Then she flashed a sunlike smile using the familiar face she knew so well.

「Good luck!」

「—Sure, I’ll do my best.」

　Who would believe in the vigor coursing through the zombie’s body?

　No one would believe it, yet it fueled Balroi as he turned away with renewed vigor. Then, mounting his beloved dragon, Karyon, he beat his wings.

　In an instant, the winds surged, lifting Karyon high into the sky, gaining immense altitude.

　Soaring upwards, Balroi and Karyon hastily approached the clouds.

　The sound of the wind faded, supplanting it with a sensation of flight encased in absolute concentration.

「Just the two of us, Balroi; I am here.」

「Ah, that’s right. My apologies for that.」

　Receiving such protests from the gripped magic core—Moguro—with his laughter, Balroi found it amusing.

　As a ‘Steel Man,’ he was part of the ‘Nine Divine Generals,’ and despite his inorganic appearance and demeanor, Moguro was diligent, understanding, and very likely kind.

「I am the Empire’s ‘Meteor.’ That’s my crafting purpose.」

「—Crafting purpose.」

　Ironically, Moguro’s choice of words mirrored what Sphinx had often uttered.

　To fulfill the crafting purpose, Sphinx aimed to destroy the Empire, while Moguro sought to protect it. Meanwhile, Balroi found himself wavering between the two sides.

「Why did you betray me, Balroi?」

「Kuh.」

　With a blunt question, Balroi could only chuckle, seeing it was purely Moguro.

　Which betrayal was the question referring to, the one from life or postmortem? Perhaps in Moguro’s mind, there was no distinction. Indeed, Balroi would prefer it that way.

　The reason he chose to oppose the Empire was the same, both in life and death.

「—To protect something dear.」

　Perhaps facing the end loomed nearby or regarded this inorganic ‘Meteor’ as an easily relatable friend, Balroi uttered these words.

　It might have been the first time he genuinely spoke with feeling, intending to share that with no one.

「—ッッ」

　Whether Moguro sensed Balroi’s feelings of shame or not, Karyon, soaring into the sky, met his gaze. Only Karyon could sense such traits due to the nature of the ‘Dragon Rider.’ —Well, it seemed Medium had discerned it as well, but it was something he had hidden for a while.

　Having exposed that, Balroi felt awkwardly vulnerable, unsure how Moguro would react.

「I see. Understood. We’re the same — protecting something dear.」

「—」

「Balroi, I forgive you.」

　With an inorganic voice, yet one that sought to draw closer, Moguro’s forgiveness stiffened Balroi’s cheek.

　Colors not belonging to the zombie dawned on Balroi’s cheek, restoring the original flickering of his eyes. —That marked Balroi Temegurif’s final glow.

「Thank you, Moguro.」

　Balroi, regarded no different than a living person, declared as he gazed upward.

　Gaining momentum, Balroi and Karyon pierced through the clouds. The clouds around them began to swirl, almost alive, wrapping around their swift ascent.

　That same sight, which Balroi had once witnessed atop Paruzhoa Mountain, wasn’t motivated to crush but rather a nest of dragons meant to keep what’s inside from escaping.

「—」

　Countless faces floated in the back of Balroi’s mind.

　Vincent, the ‘Nine Divine Generals’, Madelin, Selena, Medium, Flopp, Miles.

　They were Balroi’s evidence of life; Balroi’s meaning of existence.

　Holding them along with his beloved dragon, Karyon—

「—It has been a tumultuous life, yet it wasn’t bad.」

「—ッッ」

　He couldn’t even finish his dying words in an orderly fashion, receiving reproach from his beloved dragon, leaving him feeling a bit underwhelmed.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　△▼△▼△▼△

　In an instant, dragon claws stabbed into the ground, and the fallen body rose forcefully. A nearby red-haired man yelped in surprise, tumbling backward, but he was of no concern.

　At this moment, what’s more important was—

「Balroi—!」

　The impact of the blow was too great for him to stand. But he didn’t have to stand. What he needed was not the strength to rise but the power of a divine being.

　With his long beard quivering, he concentrated his gaze with sharp eyes toward the sky above the Crystal Palace. A radiant light shot straight up, tracing a green line across the sky. At the end of that line was the precious person he sought.

　His intent, his resolve, his determination, and his willingness to forgive.

「—ッッ」

　The power surging from his massive body intervened with the heavens, causing clouds to swirl in the air above the Crystal Palace. As the green light was enveloped within the vortex, its thickness rapidly increased, and the whirl accelerated.

　Thus, ‘Cloud Dragon’ Mezoleia—Madelin mustered all her strength.

「—Ah!」

　In an instant, the world flickered brightly, and the swirling clouds ripped apart from inside.

　What this meant, what had been lost from the world, what had drifted away from him, all became painfully clear.

「A-aah, aahhh, aaaaa—!!」

　Gazing at the scattered clouds, the remnants of her beloved vanished, Madelin, using the enormous maw and thick neck of her ‘Cloud Dragon’, began to cry unabashedly.

　—The dragon maiden, heartbroken in love, continued to weep beneath the frustratingly clear sky.