The Half-Grown Queen
I had cleared Space Survival and woke up in a hospital bed.
My parents, who had split apart after I came of age, wrapped me in their arms and wept. Holding me tight, they kept murmuring over and over how glad they were that I had lived.
To some people that might be the most natural thing in the world, but to me it was unfamiliar. All through my time in the hospital, my parents had done nothing but blame each other.
Then again, had I ever truly wanted a happy, harmonious family? Somehow tears welled up in my eyes, and I found myself crying along with them.
After they finally calmed down, my parents told me something.
They said they wanted to start over.
That legally they were strangers now, but they hoped we could slowly rebuild what we'd lost.
Watching them, I noticed something I never wanted to notice.
I was dreaming right now.
My parents loved me, but their relationship with each other had never been good. Even if I had died, there was no chance they would ever have reconciled.
The moment I realized it was a dream.
I opened my eyes on the surface of the swamp.
'How long was I out?'
I checked my lower body and tail. The tail, coated in a thick layer of mucus, was completely unmarked—not a single wound. The pincer that had been obliterated entirely had regrown as well.
Perhaps because I'd glimpsed reality through that dream, it suddenly struck me that it would have been nice to have this kind of regeneration even when I was human. If I had, my parents would never have divorced, and I would never have spent my days alone at home without a single friend.
'...Useless thoughts.'
I had no idea why memories of the past surfaced in a dream when I wasn't even evolving. All it did was ruin my mood.
I shook my head, shaking off the negativity along with the mucus. The ripples I made across the swamp's surface broke against something in front of me.
It was the White Gallagon, Ham Ort, lying still with Symbiote Spores clinging to her body.
She was much improved compared to when she'd first entered the nest, but she was far from fine. Her broken legs and shredded tail had healed, but her wings had not even regenerated halfway.
The horns on her head remained broken just as they'd been. It would take more time to know for sure, but there was a real possibility they might never recover.
Having checked Ham Ort's condition, I rose to my feet. The first thing I saw upon emerging from the nest was the gigantic, bright pink jellyfish.
It was No. 26, her body swollen to its maximum size. Between the gaps of her pink tentacles, I could make out the heads of blue-scaled Gallagons. Just as she had done on the heavy cruiser, she was cradling a full load of the cold-vulnerable Blue Gallagons against the chill.
｢Big Baby, you not hurt?｣
[Zzz Zzzz Zzzzz (No. I'm all better now.)]
When she saw me, she lifted a single tentacle and gave it a gentle wave.
Looking around, I spotted several pits I hadn't seen before falling asleep. Each one was covered over with branches.
'So they were hiding in here.'
It seemed the Green and Blue Gallagons had dug themselves into these pits when the heavy cruiser departed. It was easy to recognize—we had used a similar trick to preserve body heat after our fight with Jason.
The pits now held not Green Gallagons, but the corpses of other creatures.
｢Middle Baby caught them. Big Baby should eat too, if hungry.｣
Recovery of the body and an empty stomach were two separate matters. I gladly accepted her advice and pulled one of the corpses out of the pit.
It was a Snowbanshee, its whole body twisted grotesquely, tongue torn out. Judging by the cold radiating from it, it had been dead for quite a while.
I'd eaten the species a few times before. It tasted like a mix of beef jerky and dried squid.
I brought the meat in my hand to my mouth and chewed. It was close to scavenger feed to begin with, so even cold it was tolerable enough.
Chewing the chilled Snowbanshee, I asked No. 26.
[Zzzz Zzzz (Where is everyone else?)]
｢Flappy ones went hunting. Middle Baby says she has things to talk about with Little Baby and Big Flappy.｣
The 'Big Flappy' she mentioned was Nel Germa.
As she spoke in thought-waves, No. 26 plucked out a single tentacle strand and pointed into the forest.
｢They all went that way.｣
[Zzzz (Thank you.)]
I polished off the corpse in an instant and crawled off in the direction she'd pointed.
Ahead lay a forest of nothing but black and white, like a chessboard. A thin dusting of snow on the ground, and black trees growing from it. Faint light seeped through the densely tangled branches.
Passing through the somber woods, I sensed the movement of three creatures of wildly different sizes.
And the smell of blood.
The blood scent hanging low over the forest floor was quite familiar. It was the blood of a White Gallagon.
'So Adhai has been eating Gallagon corpses.'
They must have sensed me too, because one of the smaller creatures came toward me. Moments later, Mother of the Sky in her wendigo form emerged from between the trees.
｢There you are. How's the body?｣
[Zzzz Zzz Zzzzz Zzz Zzzzz (Great. I even got a meal out of it.)]
｢I caught plenty since I didn't know when you'd wake up. Good thing I did.｣
[Zzzzz Zzzz Zzzz Zzz (How did you bring Ham Ort here?)]
｢Ah—actually, there's something I need to tell you first. It's about Adhai.｣
[Zzzzzz Zuuuu Zzz Zzzz (Come to think of it, where is Adhai? Is her growth finished?)]
At my words, she fell silent. She scratched at her skull with a black-furred hand.
｢It's hard to explain, so just see for yourself.｣
She beckoned with a finger, signaling me to follow.
For a moment I wondered what had gone wrong, but her demeanor didn't suggest anything bad. Her reaction was closer to the awkwardness of having witnessed something entirely unexpected.
Following her brought me to a small clearing. Scattered across the ground among chunks of meat lay the white Gallagon Nel Germa. She bowed her head slightly when she saw me.
And behind her stood a Gallagon I had never seen before.
Somewhere between four and five meters long? A little larger than Mother of the Sky in her griffin form.
Six horns on its head, a long bundle of tendrils trailing from its mouth, a serpentine body. Everything about it said Gallagon—except for one decisive difference.
Its wings. The little Gallagon's wings were not two, but four.
A Gallagon's wings sit on its back, close to the chest. This Gallagon behind Nel Germa likewise bore its large pair of wings on its back near its forelegs.
But there, additionally, a smaller pair sprouted from the point where its hind legs met its tail.
In the game, there was exactly one Gallagon with four wings.
The strongest of all Gallagons, a being with power rivaling even the Vortex One—the Red Gallagon.
'But...'
Red Gallagons bore red scales, as the name implied. Using not psychic power but a unique energy framework called Dragon Power, the Red Gallagon's scales gleamed with a mysterious luster like red diamonds.
But the Gallagon behind Nel Germa was not red.
No—to be precise, the red-diamond color was confined to its wings and horns. Its horns and wings glowed crimson, as if they had drunk deep of the Gallagon blood pooled on the ground.
Every other part of it, however, remained as blindingly white as the snow piled up in the clearing.
A small thought-wave drifted out from the hybrid Gallagon, tangled in red and white.
｢Big Adult｣｢Me｣｢Failed｣｢Sorry｣
Hearing Adhai's half-apology, half-grown as she was, I couldn't say a word.
Because I was disappointed? Honestly, it would be a lie to claim I felt nothing of the sort—but that wasn't the reason.
The real reason I was flustered was that none of this made sense.
'A half-grown Red Gallagon.'
No such being existed even in the game. There wasn't a single event that produced one.
Red Gallagons were, by design, raid bosses—transcendent beings who ruled over every last Gallagon. There was no such thing as one caught halfway through its growth.
And besides, wouldn't the natural outcome of failing the leap from White to Red be becoming a Black Gallagon? I couldn't understand why Adhai had ended up a fifty-fifty blend of White Gallagon and Red Gallagon traits.
My head aching with confusion, I examined her again. No matter how I looked, her wings numbered four. They drooped limply above her eyes, but there was no mistaking them. Her wings, and her horns too, were blood-red.
Then my gaze met hers. Her eyes, beautiful as amethysts set in ice, were brimming with anxiety.
I had seen those same eyes a long time ago, and for an instant I flinched.
Whenever my parents fought, I hid in the closet. And every time, I came face to face with the mirror hanging on the closet door.
The look in her eyes right now was strikingly like the eyes of someone reflected in that mirror.
'...Calm down.'
Forcing my heart steady, I sent a thought-wave to her.
[Zzzz Zzzz (What happened?)]
｢Me｣｢Big Adult's expectations｣｢Betrayed｣
[Zzzz Z Zzzz Zzz Zzz Zzzz Zzzzzz Zzz Zzzz (No. I have never once thought you betrayed my expectations)]
It was the truth.
No. 26, Adhai, Mother of the Sky, even PS-111.
Not once had I ever felt disappointed by the ones who helped and supported me. They had all performed beyond what I'd hoped for, and filled in whatever gaps I had.
Whether my feelings reached her or not, Adhai seemed to calm a little. Seeing that she'd steadied herself, I asked again.
｢Corpse｣｢After eating｣｢When growing｣｢Bad feelings｣｢Had｣
[Zzzz Zzz (Bad feelings?)]
｢Growth｣｢Complete｣｢Me｣｢Savior｣｢Change｣｢Savior｣｢Kin's only king｣｢Red Queen｣
[Zzz Zzzzz Zzzz Zzzz Zzzz (Right. When you grow, you'll become a red Kin)]
At my words, Adhai shook her head and looked at me with sorrowful eyes.
｢Then｣｢Me｣｢No longer｣｢Big Adult's side｣｢Cannot guard｣
[Zzz (What?)]
｢Red Queen｣｢Kin｣｢Prosperity｣｢Must lead｣｢That｣｢Only mission｣｢Big Adult｣｢Small Adult｣｢Friends｣｢Sick children｣｢All far away｣
Hearing that, something stirred in my memory.
In the lore, the Red Gallagon was something like a king among Gallagons. A being that commanded all Gallagons and reigned above them.
And a king cannot exist apart from his kingdom.
｢Me｣｢Worried｣｢Kin｣｢Ham Ort｣｢Hate｣｢But｣｢Watching her die｣｢Don't want｣｢So｣｢Me｣｢Savior's path｣｢Decided to walk｣
Adhai kept pouring thought-waves at me as I listened quietly.
｢Me｣｢Chose｣｢Savior｣｢Big Adult｣｢Wanted both｣
[Zzzz Zzzz Zzzz Zzz Zzz Zzz Zzz (So you gave up becoming a red Kin?)]
At my words, Adhai fired off a thought-wave of denial.
｢Me｣｢Red Queen｣｢Is mission｣｢Refusing｣｢Impossible｣｢Only｣｢Postponed｣
[Zzzz (Postponed?)]
｢Me｣｢Red Queen｣｢Still｣｢Not ready｣｢Big Adult's side｣｢Things to learn｣｢Many｣
She stepped out from behind Nel Germa and came toward me. Then, before me, she bowed her head with solemn care.
｢Me｣｢Big Adult's pack｣｢Member｣｢Belong｣｢Big Adult｣｢Me｣｢Will accept?｣
While I had been sleeping, Adhai had made a monumental choice.
It was a decision reached in a short span of time, yet nothing about it struck me as rash. And even if it had been, I was in no position to belittle her choice.
She had given up a king's throne to remain at my side.
'Adhai will be useful to me.'
I had no idea just how strong she'd become, but at the very least she would have surpassed an ordinary White Gallagon. If luck was on her side, she might even be able to wield Dragon Power, the unique strength of the Red Gallagon.
In the fight against Ored Ghad, and against whatever powerful enemies lay ahead, she would be a valuable combatant.
'...Though it's not only that.'
If I had ever intended to let her leave, I would never have come this far in the first place. Like No. 26, I would never hand her over to anyone else.
I approached her and extended an arm. She flinched and trembled as I stroked her head.
[Zzzzz Zzzzz (You're welcome anytime)]
Whether she could eventually grow into a Black Gallagon or a Red Gallagon remained uncertain. But judging from the nuance of the word 'postponed,' her growth didn't seem to be impossible.
So while a Red Gallagon might be out of reach, growing into a Black Gallagon might still be possible someday—though I had no idea how to make that happen.
'I'll look into that later.'
Adhai, in her new form.
It seemed like something I could put to good use against Ored Ghad. It wouldn't matter even if she hadn't grown any stronger.
The red horns and wings.
The Gallagons themselves understood better than I did what that symbol meant.
'With any luck, I might even be able to sow discord among them.'
With that thought, I kept stroking Adhai's head.