Alice-san’s magic, The Queen’s Croquet Ground, created an invisible blade by weaving together fire, water, and wind. Like the Queen of Hearts from whom it likely drew its name, it could sever anything in its path.
Its killing power was immense, though its range was pitifully short—much like my own instant-death spell, 『The rush toward the end is mocked by the night, a timeless observer of folly』.
It had been decided from the start that, when the time came to deliver the final blow, it would be the two of us. Alice-san would slash, and I would connect that wound to certain death.
The remaining challenge had been how to close the gap—how to get us close enough to land the hit. The plan was crafted by working backward from that goal, and in the end, we had executed it perfectly. That first and final strike was unleashed.
But we couldn’t afford to relax.
Not yet. Not when the battle was still unfinished.
「…Guh, ugh…!」
Even as Alice-san cleaved the Demon King’s torso in two, and I tethered the wound’s causality to death, the torrent of magic power continued to rage. If anything, it surged even more violently, like a candle’s flame flaring just before it extinguishes.
We had to endure this. If I failed—if I lost the thread of causality leading to death—the Demon King’s monstrous vitality would heal the wound again. Or worse, he might transform further, becoming an abomination even beyond the visage of a dragon.
We had to end it.
We had to kill him.
「Hold on… Sui-san!」
「Sui, you can do this!」
Color-san shouted encouragement, while Karen cried out desperately, her voice trembling.
Both of them were pushing their magic to the limit. Color-san’s MP regeneration spell and Karen’s magic nullification were the only forces holding the Demon King’s raging magic in check. Whether Alice-san’s strike could reach its mark—whether it could end this—depended entirely on me.
「Uooooooohhh!」
Without realizing it, I screamed.
The pendant on my chest grew hot, and I knew Karen’s earrings must be the same. This was the layered effect of The Fairy’s Droplet and Color-san’s own spell, amplifying our power.
The Demon King’s overwhelming magical energy weakened ever so slightly. The thread of causality I was weaving grew just a little thicker. That faint shift in balance was enough—it opened the path.
「…Take this!」
Eventually—pouring every ounce of my magic power into the spell, I tore through the raging storm of magic surrounding the Demon King.
And at the end of that struggle, in the moment when I finally bound the thread of causality to death—
With my eyes shut tight, I saw it behind my closed eyelids.
※※※
「Hey, Alice. About this little one」
「Yeah, so cute, right? Squeaking away like that. This is the first dragon hatchling I’ve ever seen, so it feels extra special」
「I want you to give it a name」
「Huh? Me? Seriously?」
「Fufu… seriously. My husband and I talked it over. If someone is to name it, we agreed it should be you. You’ve become our friend, fought alongside us… and this child, born in such circumstances, is surely destined to become a symbol of friendship between dragons and humans. Don’t you think a name from you would be fitting for the new era ahead?」
「You’re right. The war will be over soon… we’ll make sure of it. I want this little one to witness not the ugliness of human conflict, but the joy of people living together in harmony. Alright, I’ll name it」
「Thank you. …That said, of course, the name must follow our traditions. Since it’s a male, the name should begin with ‘Ji,’ marking my husband’s lineage」
「‘Ji something,’ huh? Hmm… how about Ji ▇▇▇?」
「▇▇▇… what a beautiful sound. Does it mean anything?」
「It’s from the language of my homeland… well, English, actually. It means ‘dear’ or ‘beloved’」
「‘Beloved’… oh, what a wonderful name. What do you think, little one?」
「Pii… pii!」
「Fufu, it seems the little one likes it too」
「Great, I’m glad. Nice to meet you, Ji ▇▇▇. …You’re probably going to live on long after I’m gone, aren’t you?」
So…
When that time comes, I hope you’ll be able to say you had fun. Let’s play a lot from now on, okay?
When you grow big, let me ride on your back. In the meantime, while you’re still small, you can ride on my head.
It’s a promise.
A new life, connecting dragons and humans.
Our dear, beloved—Dia.
※※※
The insect-like lower body dissolved into particles, crumbling like sand.
The mutant spawn that had been endlessly emerging from its back had lost their nest and would no longer be born. As for those that had already hatched, they had all been annihilated by Mother and Chocola.
「Kuun…」
But Chocola, who would normally wag his tail and nuzzle me, begging for praise, now only quietly pressed against my feet. I crouched down to stroke my loyal companion’s back, unable to tear my eyes away from the scene before me.
The thread of causality leading to death had been severed.
The wound would not heal; with its body cleaved in two, the Demon King’s life had come to an end.
From the severed wound, the lower body melted away.
Then, the upper body followed, disintegrating into fine particles.
The Demon King—this surviving rare existence—left behind no corpse.
It was the same with the chimera of the Void Forest and the visions from two thousand years ago. At the end of their rampage, after their magic wreaked havoc, their bodies disintegrated into dust finer than grains of sand, vanishing entirely.
It was as if this disintegration was the price paid for exceeding the natural order.
Alice-san knelt, cradling the Demon King’s head—now the only part of its body left intact.
「I’m sorry. I’m so sorry… I made a promise, and I couldn’t keep it… I’m sorry」
She whispered, sobbing, her fingers gently caressing its face.
That face, resembling a centipede’s head, no longer seemed like an insect to me—or to any of us. Damn it, this is unbearable.
In her arms, even the head began to dissolve, fading into emptiness.
It dissolved, disappeared, and left not a single speck of dust behind.
「OooooooOOOOOOooooOOOOOOOO——！」
Ji Liz roared, a cry that echoed three times.
In response, a sound, tender and beautiful like a melody, reached us from afar. Though separated by the walls of the castle, it felt as if it came from beyond the sky.
Not just me—everyone understood.
It was the reply of Ji Liz’s kin.
The bloodline of the Fafnir clan—Ji Liz’s grandparents, parents, Mine Ork-chan, Ji Ness-kun, and perhaps even Mine Ah-san.
All of them were answering Ji Liz’s roar together.
We are here.
We are living well in this world.
We carry on the bloodline you passed to us.
So—so please, rest in peace.
Alice-san stood, closing her eyes as she looked up at the azure sky of her memories. Then she spoke.
「To the heavens, let the thoughts of my beloved fosterling soar. Dissolve into the infinite skies and remain with us for eternity. Ji Dia, my precious child. Farewell…. until we meet again… let’s play together once more」
This was the funeral of a dragon.
The very same words Ji Liz had spoken for my father.
※※※
Into the blue heavens, the soul took flight.
Carried by the dragon’s roar.
Surely dreaming of carrying Alice-san on its back, playing joyfully once more.
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