episode_0040

I took one last look around.

“… ”

The airship, already started, was ready to fly from the dock with a calm wind. As the airship came from to , the sounds of students busily moving the materials they had brought were loud.

Hilde could not be found anywhere among them.

Before leaving the ward, I asked one last question to the Ministry of Health students of the .

However, they also said that they only saw the student union president moving hastily to somewhere. Other students also seemed to have no idea where Hilde was headed.

It seemed to have evaporated from the city since yesterday.

‘yet… I had a feeling it would be there.’

For some reason, I had a hunch that Hilde hadn’t left the North yet. It really can’t be explained in words… It’s a really ridiculous intuition. I had a feeling that I would see Hilde one last time before leaving this city.

But there was no silver-white hair anywhere on the dock.

All I could see was a large number of students moving their luggage while making a fuss.

“… ”

Was that an illusion?

After leaving irresponsibly.

I hope you still consider me a friend…

Was it a self-justification created by such adult selfishness?

“… ”

I shook my head and walked towards my juniors who were putting their luggage in the cargo hold. I thought it would be better not to make any more strange predictions.

‘From now on, let’s not act suddenly and take things as we please, but let’s meet and talk in person.’

We can definitely meet Hilde again.

Let’s talk when we meet again someday.

With that in mind, I walked towards the entrance of the airship.

Eir was standing there side by side with numerous students.

She had the hem of her black coat blowing in the gentle wind blowing from the airship, and she was wearing an unusually shaped sword on one side of her waist. And the students of around them were also holding their own weapons and wearing black coats with simple designs.

‘Hundreds of people in groups wearing black coats, black masks, and red uniforms… They look more delinquent than the real delinquent students.’

If delinquent students are gangsters, these kids were just like the mafia. Even his average combat power was far superior to that of those idiots.

I saw a few second graders that stood out among them.

Some children still look at me with passionate eyes. Those guys later became our allies… In short, it was named enough to be playable.

‘Were these people going out far away at the time? I didn’t see you that night… Actually, in order to stop all the chaos insects, all the students would have been scattered all over the place.’

I wanted to take a last look at the kids, but Eir was waiting right in front of me, so I just skipped over it.

As I approached, Eir welcomed me with a smile.

“Did you come? [Spiral].”

“Yes♪ I’m here, [track].”

wow.

wow…

oh my god…

It came out naturally and I accepted it right away.

I never thought we would greet each other by our second names.

It was something I couldn’t have imagined even when I was a freshman in the storm.

It’s like a martial artist exchanging nicknames, and he accepts it so naturally. To be honest, even after doing it, I felt more like an office worker exchanging business cards than feeling embarrassed.

It felt like I just said hello naturally…

‘I’m really a game character… ‘

The students at loved it, screaming ‘Hiyaaa!’ when they saw it. Some children seemed unable to control their excitement, banging their weapons on the floor or stamping their feet.

‘These people are passionate, sworn, determined, famous… I really like that kind of thing… ‘

I smiled bitterly while looking at that.

Eir showed his crooked teeth like a shark and made a grinning sound. Perhaps because she was also a student of to her core, she seemed to like this meaningful greeting.

“… Hehehe, I think it’s the first time you’ve called me that.”

“Now we fought over the same enemy―☆ Because we are comrades~♪”

“Ah… yes… We were comrades in arms.”

“Yes☆”

“… ”

“… ”

Eir’s bright red eyes, which were always bright, trembled a little.

Unlike the harsh atmosphere that night when we first met for the first time in a long time, Eir’s face now shows the relaxed expression it once had. There seemed to be a bit of a mixture of longing and sadness there.

Eir slowly straightened his slightly stiff face and muttered quietly.

“Go a little early… I should have talked to you.”

“It’s still not too late―☆ We met again like this♪”

“I see… Yes, that’s right… We still… We can meet like this.”

Eir closed his eyes and smiled, as if he had shaken off something. In the end, she was also a girl who pursued things that did not change even in changing times.

I somehow feel sorry for that face… It was nice to meet a classmate again in a place I never expected.

‘If I had known you would be this happy, I would have just been honest with you.’

When I first met him, I was disappointed in how much I had changed, but I felt fortunate that he seemed to have relaxed after seeing me fight against the [Priest of Erosion].

‘Well, since we fought so openly, [Faded Spiral] also found out that it was a cosplay.’

Eir snorted as if he had decided on something, and walked towards me.

and…

Whoosh!

He hugged me strongly.

A hug so strong that you can even feel each other’s heartbeats.

There, rather than the shy girl’s heart, I felt the hot blood.

I said as I looked at Eir’s grim face as he approached me.

“Eir, what’s going on―☆ Are you suddenly upset?”

“… ”

Eir answered in a rough, but sincere voice.

“… Clara. thanks. For saving me, for protecting our school.”

“Hehe☆ Special words―♪”

“You are for me, for my juniors, for everyone… I risked my life… ”

Eir made eye contact with me and swore.

“I will also risk my life for you, for your juniors, and for everyone. Thank you, my friend… I’m sorry for misunderstanding you.”

“Yes―☆ Kind words―♪ Thank you.”

“And… ”

“… ?”

Eir quietly whispered in my ear. But there was confidence in that voice.

“The next level of [Unique Ether]… Is it there?”

“… !”

“That night, after seeing your fight and the fight with the guy called ‘Priest’. Somehow I felt something different. That there is a level beyond the [unique ether] that I thought was just a wall until now.”

“Air… !”

“Until now, [Inherent Ether] was considered complete. I felt like I was at a point where conventional common sense was unnecessary.”

I looked at Eir’s face in surprise.

His expression is still burning with confidence.

For some reason, she seemed to have recognized the existence of ‘No Geuk’.

So Eir declared his second oath with a fiery spirit.

“I must… !! Make sure to get there… I’ll reach you… !!”

“… !”

“So watch my growth… !! [spiral]!! You are the one I recognized… Since we are truly the strongest in Academy City, we have an obligation to do so-!!”

I was thrilled.

She called me ‘the strongest’.

Knowing the weight of the title of the strongest for a girl who only knew about fighting, she could only widen her eyes and tremble.

While I was surprised.

Eir took a few steps back and shouted loudly.

“Demons of flame!! Our friends!! Does our benefactor deserve to see us off――!”

[That’s right――!]

[He deserves to see us off――!]

Soon the footsteps of hundreds of people followed.

The cries of countless warriors echoing through the sky.

The farewell ceremony of that was not shown in the game.

The flame demons shouted.

The flame demons stamped their feet.

The flame demons pounded their weapons.

[See you off-!!]

thud!!

[Warrior-!!]

thud!!

[Hero-!!]

thud!!

The earth shook with each step of their feet, and it felt like the sky was falling. Then, they each took out their weapons and lit up red flames. Weapons wrapped in flames shine and shoot flames into the sky in the distance.

Paaa!!

[Smoke it!!]

thud!!

[Flame-!!]

thud!!

Hundreds of students shouted in unison. Everyone in the northern city looked at this place, filled with passion and spirit in that voice.

[You are our sister and heart-!!]

[We are willing to sacrifice our lives for you!!]

[If there is an enemy, turn your head and call for a red flame!!]

Eir spoke for the last time.

“Anytime!! Call me!! If you need the spark of war!! We are willing to step forward!!”

And the shout that follows.

-Wow!!!

-Wow!!!

They shouted farewell at the top of their lungs before we boarded the airship. A roar that could be heard by everyone in the North. It shook the earth, shook the sky, and entered our hearts.

[The airship to is leaving soon. Passengers must sit in their seats… ]

Even after we boarded the airship and took our seats.

I stared at the window for a while, unable to say anything, just shivering and feeling the sound.

I was shocked at first, but then I laughed as I looked at my juniors who were impressed.

“Hehe☆ The kids at seem to be really nice♪”

“Yes?”

“We fought together only once, and you said that we were sisters who could share our lives―☆ Yes♪ That means we were passionate girls full of passion―☆”

“… ”

Albit responded in a voice that seemed a little dissatisfied with my words.

“… What if, in that one fight, I lost all my ether and couldn’t fight anymore? that… For a hero, I think that’s a reasonable amount.”

“Yes… ?”

“… This is just my opinion.”

Arbit turned his head away from me.

She seems to be hurt by something, pouting her mouth and pretending not to notice.

Lose it?

Power?

entire?

… who?

“… ”

I stood close to the window again and watched the children from leaving after seeing us off. Something strange occurred to me, and I couldn’t help but be shocked.

‘They still think I’m a real [faded spiral]…’ Do you think that’s also a complete loss of power mode?! I just thought that the Ministry of Health’s children’s tests showed that they were fine… ?!’

They fought so brilliantly.

Now it’s not just Himsumjjin… Did I look like I had lost my strength?

For some reason, Hilde, Belle, and Eir all greeted each other solemnly.

‘I got scolded… ‘

However, before there was time to resolve the misunderstanding, the airship was already floating and heading toward .

＊

Eir stared blankly at the airship moving away to the east.

‘me… Watch. On behalf of you who completely lost your power for us, someday I will defeat the [Blue and White Thunder Spear]… I will become the strongest.’

Only that…

It may be a tribute to Clara, who burned the last flame she cherished for them.

[Pink Spiral] was still bright and cheerful despite losing everything.

no…

Even his faded appearance before he fought with his last strength was no different from his past appearance. She was always someone who cheerfully walked her own way.

Eir mocked himself with a bitter smile.

‘rather… ‘I am the one who got lost.’

And when I opened and clenched my fist again, I felt the road slowly starting to become visible. The boredom I felt from the moment I awakened [Unique Aether]. Before I knew it, it was following the pink spiral and heading towards the strongest path.

Eir punched the air.

Phew-!!

Now all you have to do is move on.

＊

Brunhild climbed up to the tallest building and looked at the airship.

“… ”

Her eyes clearly saw the faded pink hair sitting by the window in the distance.

at last.

I didn’t have the courage to go back and say hello.

Because of the shock of being rejected once, I avoided it like a coward.

“… ”

So Brünnhild looked at the airship in confusion.

That moment.

For some reason, his faded light pink hair seemed to be flowing and looking this way.

“… ?”

Brunhild jumped up.

In fact, it was a distance that even she wasn’t sure about as she was aiming for a level beyond zero, but somehow Lara seemed to be looking this way.

She slowly waved her hand through the window.

“… Lala.”

Maybe it was just a greeting to the students of who saw them off.

but…

Still, Brunhild waved his hand.

“… Goodbye.”

bye.

also… Let’s meet.

I hope we meet again.