【Defeated the Mad Dragon, Le Ganus】

I quietly ignored the status window alerts ringing in my head.

I had become SSS-rank, and Le Ganus was dead.

Even though we had finally won, why was that?

I felt no joy at all.

It was probably because what I had lost outweighed what I had gained.

'Lefty. Righty.'

No response came even when I called them quietly.

The mental world, always bustling with noise, was quieter than ever before.

I had gained omnipotent power incomparable to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠before, but the torn fragment of my soul remained as it was.

Seeing my partners who never answered no matter how I called, I could finally realize it clearly.

I was alone.

[Nix.]

A quiet voice calling me pulled me from my thoughts.

When I slowly turned my gaze, Lehatna was approaching me slowly.

[It's Nix, right?]

Was it because my appearance had changed so much from before?

Lehatna, unable to confirm rashly, asked cautiously.

I nodded slowly toward her.

[I knew it... You've become incredibly cool.]

[...Thanks.]

[No. I should be the one thanking you... Thanks to you, we won... no, I survived. Thank you, Nix.]

I nodded quietly at Lehatna's thanks.

Yes. This battle was more accurately survival than victory.

The final moments had been utterly desperate.

I glanced around.

Nothing was intact due to Le Ganus's rampage.

Only the floating island where Lehatna's lair had been remained somewhat unharmed, but even that had its outer edges heavily eroded, reducing its size to a third of its original.

[What about the survivors?]

[...I need to check now.]

I nodded again at Lehatna's slow reply.

With the battle over, it was time for cleanup.

Counting the survivors was faster than counting the dead.

That many had perished in this battle.

The silver lining was that Giryu and Melusio had survived.

[Both are safe.]

[We got lucky. But we won't be moving for a while.]

[Same here, somehow... More importantly, you've changed a lot.]

I gave a wry smile at Giryu's gaze glancing at me.

As if sensing something from my reaction, Giryu quietly shut his mouth.

After that, we continued the cleanup in silence, without further small talk.

Among the survivors, there were more familiar faces than just Giryu and Melusio.

Pelte and Deabel had also barely clung to life.

From what they said, it was thanks to Lehatna and Giryu's help.

Though they had retired midway, that had ironically allowed them to survive to the end.

There were quite a few other survivors besides them.

Not a huge number, but enough to make Lehatna, who had been melancholic throughout, smile again.

And there was good news too.

While cleaning up, a small bird fluttered onto Lehatna's shoulder.

Lehatna tilted her head curiously, then gasped in surprise.

[Freya?!]

[...Freya? That one?]

"Pip— piyy—!"

A cheerful cry from a pure white little bird.

I wasn't sure, but it seemed to be Freya.

Did she have some skill?

Unlike her previous SA-rank, her rank was now barely E or F, but surviving was what mattered.

Though she seemed to have regressed not just in rank but even in intelligence to the point she couldn't converse, survival was key, as I said.

Everyone smiled along as Lehatna beamed with joy.

The good news didn't end there.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

As cleanup was wrapping up, something came flying from the distant sky at tremendous speed.

Melusio spotted it first.

The wounded one, who had helped with cleanup without rest until the end, jumped up at the sight of the approaching figure.

[Lady Leysia!]

[What? Sis?!]

A dragon with pure white scales landed quietly at the calling voice.

She wasn't dead?

She looked around quietly.

[...I'm late, it seems.]

[Sis!]

[Lady Leysia!]

Leysia indifferently dodged the two rushing toward her.

Lehatna and Melusio looked hurt at her cold demeanor.

Leysia gave a wry smile at their expressions.

[Sorry. My wounds are quite severe.]

Compared to us who had just finished battling, she was better off, but she too bore heavy injuries.

Upon closer look, not a single one of her beautiful scales was intact.

Only then did the two with pouting lips approach Leysia worriedly.

[What happened to these wounds?! Are you okay, sis?!]

[Lady Leysia! How did your beautiful scales end up like this...?!]

[...Your wounds look worse than mine.]

She murmured with a wry smile, glancing around.

Her gaze met mine quietly, and she showed a rare surprised expression.

[...Nix?]

[Yeah. Glad you're alive. The two were really worried.]

Lehatna, nodding slowly at my words, stared at me and continued.

[You've grown astonishingly strong... Yes. Lehatna must have given you the Dragon Heart, right?]

[...You knew she had it?]

[I heard it directly from Father, and I've guarded those remains for so long. How could I not know?]

[...I see.]

I nodded slowly, then asked quietly.

[So, are you okay with it? Me taking your father's Dragon Heart?]

[That item was given to Lehatna by Father from the start. I have no claim to it. If Lehatna chose you, that's enough.]

I nodded quietly at Leysia's calm words, as always.

As I'd felt before, among the Dragon King's three siblings, she was the most mature.

Personally, I thought she suited the Dragon King best.

With Leysia safely returned, Lehatna fully reverted to her usual self.

The innocent smiles and flitting about lifted everyone's mood considerably.

Not quite a festival, but quite lively.

Not everyone shared the mood, though.

Those who had followed Le Ganus originally remained somber.

They had achieved their goal, but had no comrades or master to celebrate with.

How could they rejoice wholeheartedly after losing the most comrades?

Freya was the one to lighten their mood.

Whether she knew their circumstances or not, she wandered among them innocently, much like Lehatna, making her presence known.

"Pii— pip—"

What was she trying to say?

Le Ganus's subordinates, who had been melancholic, gradually perked up at her chirping as she bustled about.

They hadn't fully escaped their grief over lost comrades and master, but it was much better than before.

The others seemed relieved at their state.

They had been enemies at first, but in the end, comrades who fought through life and death together—how could they not worry?

Thus, in Lehatna's ruined lair, we enjoyed a brief lively atmosphere, forgetting sorrow for a moment.

Unfortunately, it didn't last long.

No matter how tough the monsters, with such wounds, they needed rest now.

Except for me and Lehatna, who were relatively fine, nearly all collapsed as if fainting.

At dawn when all monsters had fallen, I quietly left Lehatna's lair.

I arrived at the floating island full of moonflower blossoms, where I'd come with Giryu before.

Far from the Le Ganus battle site, yet swept by its aftermath—the lush moonflowers were sparsely blooming, as if holed.

I stared at them for a while.

'Lefty. Righty.'

No reaction to the call, as expected.

The usually noisy mental world was excessively quiet.

I blinked slowly and summoned the status window.

Among the long list of skills, there was no 'Multiple Personalities' anywhere.

At that sight, I had no choice but to accept it now.

My companions who had been with me were truly gone.

The picky one whose attitude was charming.

The whiny one always hungry but serious when needed.

The precious partners I thought I'd spend life with were no more.

I was truly alone.

A profound sense of loss?

Emptiness crushed my whole body.

I'd lost much ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠before, but endured.

Because I had them.

With them, no room for loneliness or loss.

But now was different.

No one to chatter noisily.

Like the sparse moonflowers, my heart felt holed.

Plopping onto the dirt, their voices seemed to whisper in my ear.

'Filthy, just plopping anywhere? You'll get dirty!'

'Hun—gry—...'

Hallucinated voices of the guys.

Not just Lefty and Righty, but others chattering occasionally.

But reality wasn't.

Suddenly, Righty's last words came to mind.

'No more tantrums.'

Did he predict this?

If so, I'd ask: Was it necessary to go that far?

No answer now, but I knew it.

Because he was me, after all.

'No more tantrums.'

I smiled wryly at Righty's hallucinated voice again.

Yes. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠No more whining.

I'm not Suli or Lehatna.

But forgive me this once.

I lost my lifelong other halves.

I'll grieve briefly and return to normal soon.

Tomorrow, I'll be fine.

So please, say nothing this time.

Thus, alone under the moonlight, I quietly soothed my sorrow.

No tears fell.

Really.

Time passes equally, indifferently, even after loss.

I returned to Lehatna's lair with the quietly rising morning sun.

The severely wounded didn't wake easily.

A few were up, but not fit for activity.

[Ah, Nix! Where'd you go?!]

[...Took a short walk. Nothing happened, right?]

[Ah! Perfect timing! Giryu keeps trying to move on his own! Not a single healthy spot, yet! If only he'd stay put!]

[Miss. Even so, being nursed by you is a bit...]

[Hmph! Stay put, Giryu! You're a patient now!]

Lehatna, hands on hips in shrunken form, wasn't threatening, but to our miss-obsessed Giryu, it was.

Giryu fidgeted helplessly.

Leysia and Melusio, receiving her nursing with him, giggled.

[Give up, Mr. Giryu. Just stay obediently.]

[...You brat, Melusio. Nursed by one you should serve... You've gotten arrogant.]

[When's such a chance? Lady Lehatna won't be swayed. Just lie down. You without wings. Recover quick to fly like before.]

[...Still faster than you.]

[Oh? Can you back that? Shall we race who’s fastest in these skies?]

[Your arrogance pierces the heavens. To catch me, you're still...]

[You haven't forgotten I'm here, have you?]

Giryu and Melusio shut up at the quiet voice of the 'Flash Dragon' Leysia.

She seemed the fastest in these skies.

Watching the two silenced by Leysia, Lehatna, cheering 'Sis, you're the best!', suddenly spoke as if remembering.

[Ah, Nix! You free?]

[No particular tasks. Why? Something to entrust?]

[Yeah! Go bring the others! Battle's over, so bring everyone!]

[...Me alone?]

[Yep. No one else fit but you. I have to watch everyone.]

I quietly recalled at Lehatna's words.

Dozens to hundreds sheltered safely in the rear.

Could I transport that many alone?

[...Too many for me alone, don't you think?]

[You got huge yesterday! That size should carry all. You flew the skies well too!]

[...Still unskilled. Going for them might cause accidents...]

[It's fine! Our Nix won't mess up! Hurry back! I'll gather food for all!]

She patted my shoulder, flapped wings, and flew off.

I blankly watched the small dragon head carefree to her task.

[Hm. Lehatna truly is my sister. Ignores others completely, just like Father.]

[You've raised her splendidly, miss. I saw the Dragon King in her...]

I quietly ignored the somehow pleased Leysia and Giryu.

She'd said after the battle she'd do as she pleased, and overnight, she did.

Well, with time on my hands, it was perfect work—no intent to refuse.

Thus, at Lehatna's request—or rather, command—I headed to fetch the monsters awaiting us in the rear.

Since evolving to Imugi, I could finally fly the skies I longed for—good practice, good task.