Black Sun

“Noah!”

As soon as Rubia saw me sprawled on the bare ground, she rushed over, calling my name urgently.

It was a distance I could have covered in a flash, but for Rubia, limping as she ran, it was quite a way.

It’s not like she had to be so surprised. I just… tripped while running and fell.

So, just as I was about to get up quickly and tell her I was okay.

Thud.

“Ugh…”

For some reason, the arm supporting my body lost its strength. As a result, my body sprawled on the ground again.

“Noah, Noah…!”

Rubia’s voice, seeing me like that, changed from a sob to a wail.

Oh, oh no… this isn’t, this isn’t how it’s supposed to be.

I have to, I have to get up…?

Slowly, slowly. I tried hard to move my body and get up. But I couldn’t.

…Did I lose too much blood?

Is it because I relaxed?

“Noah… please… pl, ease…”

Soon, Rubia’s voice was right next to me. I turned my head, which was still okay, to look at Rubia’s face.

I saw her face, with her eyes, nose, and lips all distorted, crying her eyes out.

Sweaty and covered in dirt, but still, I saw her dazzlingly flowing hair.

Her blue eyes, made even more moist with tears, the eyes that were only looking at me, I saw them.

Her lips, not too red, not too white, just the right shade of pink, I saw them.

Pretty Rubia.

I saw Rubia, who was prettier than anyone else.

“I’m, I’m okay…”

I smiled brightly at Rubia and reached out my hand. Then Rubia’s face became even more horribly distorted.

I wondered why…

The hand I held out was my right hand.

My right hand, the most horribly mangled part of my body.

“…Hehe.”

I quickly hid my hand and laughed awkwardly.

“Ah, aah…”

Rubia’s lips, unable to continue speaking, let out a painful groan.

The tears that had been trickling down started pouring out.

Then, a soft touch wrapped around my arm. Carefully, on the areas without wounds.

And, light arose in my dark Divine Realm.

Divine Power. Rubia’s Divine Power.

But.

“Uh, this… why, why is this…”

The light didn’t last long.

Again, Rubia’s hand touched my body, and light arose, but just like before, the Divine Power didn’t heal my body.

No, Rubia couldn’t use Divine Power.

She couldn’t anymore.

Ripping her clothes and tightly tying them above the bleeding area, Rubia wiped the cold sweat from her cheek and smiled bitterly.

“I’m sorry… I can’t do anything else right now…”

“Wh, what do you have to be sorry about…!”

I hugged Rubia tightly…

Well, contrary to my intention, it looked like I was the one being hugged, but still, I put my arms around her back and shook my head.

Rubia doesn’t have to be sorry for not being able to use Divine Power. It’s just that the source that allowed Rubia to use Divine Power disappeared.

Rather, it was a situation that could be said to be much better than before.

“…Still, now I can help Noah―”

“Rubia.”

I cut off Rubia’s words and lifted my head sharply. There, still, were blue eyes filled with tears.

Rubia’s words weren’t finished, but I knew what she was going to say.

So, I spoke clearly to those eyes.

“There won’t be any more of that.”

There won’t be any more of that.

It’s not that Rubia won’t be able to help me. It’s that Rubia’s Divine Power won’t be healing my injuries.

It might not be true, but that’s the situation right now. I said confidently.

“So, don’t worry anymore.”

Now, don’t worry.

Now, from now on.

Tomorrow.

From tomorrow on.

You don’t have to worry.

“It’s over.”

Everything.

Rubia, hearing my words, blankly opened her mouth and looked at me for a while.

And, she nodded slightly.

“…I guess so.”

Rubia, who hugged me carefully so as not to hurt me or open my wounds, had tears falling down her cheeks.

I raised my hand and wiped away the tears, and carefully removed the silver hair stuck to her lips.

After a while of doing that.

Rubia shuddered.

“Noah.”

“Yes…?”

“Maybe…”

Rubia, speaking but then looking around.

She was probably choosing her words.

Thinking that, I raised the corners of my lips and nodded.

“Gasp.”

Rubia, widening her eyes, covered her mouth with both hands.

“From now on, too?”

“From now on, too…”

“Oh my…”

In that state, Rubia, once again wetting her blue eyes, hurriedly arranged her hair, wiped away her tears, and forcibly lifted her trembling lips.

She’s pretty enough without doing that.

Of course, I didn’t say it.

Saying that would be ignoring Rubia’s sincerity. I just kept my mouth shut and looked at Rubia.

Rubia, glancing at me, said.

“Don’t… stare so intently…”

Without a mirror, in a place where the only thing that could reflect her face was a pool of blood, it wasn’t easy to fix her face.

“Agh…”

Hiding her face behind her hands, she sighed deeply.

After sighing like that several times, Rubia finally.

Shook her head and lowered the hands that had been covering her face. Behind them was a bright smile.

A smile that seemed to stop my breath.

Behind that smile, instead of the question of why my eyes had become visible.

“Still, I’m pretty, right?”

A question about Rubia’s face came out.

A voice mixed with coyness and flirtation.

That voice, more deadly than ‘I’s attack, more deadly than the Nameless One’s ambush, left me unable to come to my senses.

Because of that, my answer was delayed. For a long time.

At that sight, Rubia’s eyes narrowed.

“I’m not pretty?”

“N, no… you’re pretty… very.”

“Right?”

Rubia, giggling, hugged me again.

“You’ve worked hard, Noah.”

And, she started crying again.

“And, thank you. Really… really, thank… you…”

She probably hadn’t had any water for a while, but if she kept crying like this, wouldn’t she get dehydrated? Rubia cried so much that I thought that.

I didn’t cry.

Looking at Rubia, who was pouring out tears, I said triumphantly.

“Rubia. I, said, right?”

“Hic… Hmph… What?”

I wiped away Rubia’s tears.

I tucked the sweaty hair behind her ears.

I slightly brushed away the bangs that were covering her eyes.

Looking into her blue eyes, I said.

“I, said I’d win everything.”

“Pfft…!”

Rubia, hearing my words, laughed.

Brightly, as if she had never cried, she laughed brightly.

“If you laugh after crying… you’ll grow hair on your butt.”

I smiled back at Rubia and touched my cheek to hers. At the same time, Rubia’s head turned.

Warm lips touched my cheek, which might have had scabs on it. I heard a moist sound.

“Then, would you hate it?”

“…Not at all.”

I also turned my head.

But, contrary to my expectations…

“Oh my… our noses touched first?”

Our noses touched first.

…Hadn’t this happened before?

Keeheehee- a mischievous laugh.

When that laughter stopped, in a tearful voice, in a moist and seductive voice, Rubia said.

“That’s why, when you kiss, you tilt your head.”

Swish- Rubia’s bangs tickled my face. Rubia’s face, clearly captured in my eyes, tilted.

Her beautifully curved eyes.

Her slightly parted lips.

Taking all of that into my eyes, I also slightly parted my lips and closed my eyes.

However, the sensation I was waiting for wasn’t felt.

…Why?

Slightly, just slightly.

Just in case the timing was off and it would be embarrassing, I slightly squinted.

There was Rubia, smiling playfully.

“…Why, why won’t you do it…?”

I asked that reflexively.

Even after asking, I was embarrassed and tried to turn my head.

But Rubia’s hand, which quickly came up, stopped my head from turning.

“Ru, Rubia…?”

I whispered Rubia’s name very softly.

There was no need to speak loudly.

Because we were at a distance where each other’s breaths, body temperatures, and heartbeats were clearly conveyed.

Because we were at a distance where our tongues could easily touch if we stuck them out.

In that state, Rubia didn’t say anything and just kept smiling.

…This is. Yes… this must mean I should do it.

I pouted. Then, Rubia, realizing that her intention had been properly conveyed, smiled brightly.

“…You’re, too much.”

I slightly parted my pouting lips.

Holding my breath, I moved.

Even though I only moved slightly, really slightly, our lips touched.

Peck.

Softly touching lips. The tip of our tongues slightly touching.

At the same time.

“Ugh―?!”

Rubia’s tongue intertwined with mine with a force that seemed to devour me. Surprised, my body, unable to support her, fell backward.

There was no impact. Rubia’s arms gently wrapped around my body, holding me so I wouldn’t fall.

Even though she wrapped me in such a gentle touch, she didn’t give me time to exhale.

But it was good.

Because the feeling of loving me was fully revealed.

Because I could feel the gesture that she couldn’t control her loving feelings.

So, I also hugged her.

I put my arms around her neck. I wrapped my legs around her waist.

I clung even more.

So close that each other’s heartbeats, the heartbeats beyond Rubia’s large breasts, were conveyed to me.

Like that, listening to her heartbeats.

Feeling her breath. Accepting her saliva.

I thought.

Before, and now, wasn’t Rubia doing it on purpose when our noses touched?

“So, so… boom, crash! happened… and I ka-pow! bounced it off, and then swoosh-! and… I gave it a good hit…!”

“Boom, crash happened, and you ka-pow-ed, and swoosh, and then Noah gave it a good hit, is that what you mean…?”

“Umm… it’s a little different, but yes…! I was, cool!”

We didn’t shed any more tears.

We smiled so brightly that our cheekbones hurt, and we talked about what had happened while we were apart.

Of course, Rubia had been unconscious, so it was mostly my story.

Among them, the one I talked about the most enthusiastically was.

The battle with ‘I’.

Of course, I was really upset that the Sword of Kartia broke… but still, thanks to that, there was something that changed, so the sad atmosphere didn’t continue.

“…So the greatsword is pulled out from inside Noah’s body?”

“Sh, should I show you…?”

“If it’s not too much for Noah… yes. I want to see.”

Rubia answered carefully.

To that, I nodded willingly.

Even if it was too much for my body, I would do anything if Rubia asked me to.

“Hehe… watch closely.”

I jumped up from my seat. I staggered once in the middle, and a shrill scream burst from Rubia’s mouth, but it soon subsided.

Because the space we were in.

My Divine Realm, violently shook according to my will.

“No, Noah…?”

“It’s okay.”

I gave Rubia a reassuring smile and placed my hand on my chest. I gripped it.

I pulled it out.

Boom―!

An earth-shattering roar echoed.

The space distorted. The horizon blurred.

“…I, is it really okay?”

Rubia’s face, which had been relieved for a moment, was stained with worry.

“…Huh.”

Likewise, my face was also stained with worry.

No, it went beyond that and became distorted.

Because the Divine Realm was starting to collapse.

…Why is it doing this?