I took one last look around.
"..."
The airship's engine was already running, ready to take off from the dock with a gentle breeze. The students were bustling about, busy moving the materials the airship had brought from <Mimir Industrial High School> to <Scarlet Academy>.
But Hilde was nowhere to be seen.
Before leaving the hospital, I had asked the health department students of the <United Student Council> about her whereabouts.
They only saw the student council president leaving in a hurry. Other students also seemed unaware of where Hilde had gone.
Since yesterday, it was as if she had vanished from the city.
‘I still feel like she’s around…’
For some inexplicable reason, I had a gut feeling that Hilde hadn’t left the northern area. It was an irrational premonition, but I felt that I would meet Hilde one last time before leaving the city.
However, the dock was filled with students busy with their tasks, and there was no sign of Hilde's silver hair.
"…"
Was it just a delusion? A wishful thinking from an irresponsible adult who had left once but still hoped to be considered a friend?
"…"
I shook my head and walked towards my juniors, who were loading our luggage into the cargo hold. It was better to stop having such unfounded expectations.
‘From now on, I should directly meet and talk, instead of acting on sudden impulses.’
I would surely meet Hilde again. When that time comes, we would talk. With that resolve in my heart, I walked towards the airship’s entrance.
Eir was there, standing with many <Scarlet Academy> students.
She wore a black coat that flapped in the gentle breeze from the airship, a uniquely designed sword strapped to her waist. The students around her also held their weapons, dressed in simple black outerwear.
‘Hundreds of them in black coats, black masks, and red uniforms… They look more like a mafia than delinquents.’
If the delinquents were mere thugs, these students seemed more like organized crime members, with far superior average combat power.
I noticed a few notable second-year students among them.
Some of them were looking at me with intense eyes. These were the ones who would later become allies—playable characters, to put it simply.
‘Were they away on a mission that night? They weren’t around during the chaos… Well, they must have been scattered all over to fend off the chaos bugs.’
I wanted to leave a strong impression on these future allies, but Eir was waiting for me right in front, so I let it go.
As I approached, Eir smiled and greeted me.
"You’re here. [Spiral]." "Yeah♪ I’m here, [Trajectory]."
Wow. Wow… Unbelievable…
It just came out naturally, and she responded immediately. Who would have thought we’d be greeting each other with our epithets? Not in my wildest dreams during the turbulent first year.
It felt like exchanging business cards among warriors. Frankly, it didn’t even feel embarrassing; it was more like a formal greeting.
Just a natural greeting…
‘I’ve really become a game character…’
The <Scarlet Academy> students cheered loudly at this exchange. Some couldn’t contain their excitement, stomping their feet or banging their weapons on the ground.
‘They really love passionate declarations, oaths, determination, and epithets…’
I chuckled at their reaction.
Eir, showing her shark-like crooked teeth, laughed as well. She, being a true <Scarlet Academy> student, seemed to love this meaningful exchange.
"…Heh, this is the first time you’ve called me that." "We’re comrades who fought the same enemy now―☆" "Ah… That’s right… We are comrades." "Yes☆" "…" "…"
Eir’s crimson eyes, usually ablaze, wavered a bit.
Unlike the hostile atmosphere of our last meeting, Eir’s face now showed a familiar, comfortable expression from the past. There was a hint of nostalgia and regret.
Eir slowly relaxed her stiffened face and murmured quietly.
"I should have come earlier… to talk with you." "It’s not too late now―☆ We’re meeting again like this♪" "True… yes, you’re right… We can still meet like this."
Eir closed her eyes and smiled softly, as if shedding a burden. Despite the changes over time, she was still a girl seeking the unchanging.
I felt a pang of sympathy for her face… and a warm feeling, like meeting an old classmate unexpectedly.
‘If I knew it would be this pleasant, I would have been more honest.’
She was initially disappointed with my changed self, but seeing me fight the [Priest of Corruption] seemed to have softened her heart.
‘Well, I did openly use chi techniques and fight, so she must have realized that the [Faded Spiral] was just a cosplay.’
Eir, seemingly resolved, let out a huff and walked up to me.
And then…
Hug―!
She pulled me into a strong embrace, a hug so tight I could feel our heartbeats. The warmth I felt wasn’t from a shy girl but a fierce warrior.
Looking into her fierce face up close, I spoke.
"Eir, what’s wrong―☆ Suddenly feeling down?" "…"
With a voice filled with sincerity, she replied.
"…Clara. Thank you. For saving me, for protecting our school." "Hehe☆ Don’t mention it―♪" "You risked your life for me, for the juniors, for everyone…"
Eir locked eyes with me and made a vow.
"I will also risk my life for you, for your juniors, for everyone. Thank you, my friend… I’m sorry for misunderstanding you." "Yes―☆ Don’t mention it―♪ Thank you." "And…" "…?"
Eir whispered quietly into my ear, but her voice carried certainty.
"There’s a higher stage beyond [Unique Ether]… isn’t there?" "…!" "That night, during your fight with the ‘priest’. I felt something different. A stage beyond what I thought was the wall, the [Unique Ether]." "Eir…!" "The stage believed to be the completion of [Unique Ether]. I felt it was unnecessary, an outdated concept."
I looked at Eir in shock.
Her confident, blazing expression seemed to have grasped the existence of ‘Infinite’.
With the fervor of a flame, Eir declared her second vow.
"I will reach it…!! I will definitely reach it…!!" "…!" "So watch my growth…!! [Spiral]!! You are the true strongest in the academy city, and you have the duty to do so―!!"
I shuddered.
She called me the ‘strongest’.
Understanding the weight of the title ‘strongest’ from someone who only knew fighting, I could only widen my eyes in awe.
While I was in shock, Eir took a few steps back and shouted loudly.
"Flame Demons!! Our friend!! Our benefactor deserves a grand farewell――!!"
[Yes――!] [He deserves a grand farewell――!]
The following chorus of hundreds of footsteps. The echoing cries of countless warriors. A farewell ceremony of <Scarlet Academy> unseen in the game.
The Flame Demons shouted. The Flame Demons stomped. The Flame Demons pounded their weapons.
[Send off――!!]
Boom!!
[The warrior――!!]
Boom!!
[The hero――!!]
Boom!!
With each stomp, the ground trembled as if the sky was falling. They drew their weapons and ignited red flames. The flame-covered weapons glowed, shooting flames high into the sky.
Fwoosh――!!
[Ignite――!!]
Boom!!
[The flames――!!]
Boom!!
Hundreds of <Scarlet Academy> students shouted in unison. Their voices, filled with passion and fervor, drew the attention of everyone in the northern city.
[You are our sister, our heart――!!] [We will gladly lay down our lives for you――!!] [If there’s an enemy, turn and call for the red flames――!!]
Eir concluded the farewell.
"Whenever!! Call for us!! If the flames of war are needed!! We will gladly step forward!!"
Then came the resounding cheers.
-Waaahhhh!!! -Waaahhhh!!!
They shouted farewell at the top of their lungs until we boarded the airship. Their cheers echoed through the northern city, shaking the ground and sky, filling our hearts.
[The airship to <Central Prism Academy> will depart shortly. Passengers, please take your seats…]
Even after we boarded the airship and took our seats, we remained silent, feeling the reverberations of their cheers.
Watching my juniors, initially shocked but now moved, I chuckled.
"Hehe☆ The <Scarlet Academy> kids are really♪ nice." "Really?" "We only fought together once, and they called us sisters who can share their lives―☆ It shows how passionate and intense they are―☆" "…"
Albit responded with a slightly dissatisfied tone.
"…If that one fight caused you to lose all your ether and made you unable to fight anymore. For such… a hero, that much is reasonable." "…?" "…Just my opinion."
Turning her head away, Albit pouted as if hurt.
Lost? Power? All of it? …Who?
"…"
Pressing close to the window, watching the <Scarlet Academy> kids bidding us farewell, I felt something off and was soon shocked.
‘Do they still think I’m the [Faded Spiral]… in a completely powerless state?! I thought they knew I was fine from the health department’s examination…?!’
Despite fighting so brilliantly, I had gone from a hidden powerhouse to a visibly powerless one.
No wonder Hilde, Bell, and Eir all said such serious goodbyes.
‘This is a mess…’
But there was no time to clear the misunderstanding, as the airship had already taken off, heading for <Central Prism Academy>.
＊
Eir watched the airship slowly disappearing to the east.
‘Watch me. For you who lost all your strength for us, I will defeat the [Blue-White Lightning Spear]… and become the strongest.’
This was the only…
The highest honor for Clara, who burned her last flame for them.
[The Pink Spiral] remained bright and cheerful despite losing everything.
No…
Even before squeezing out her last strength, her faded appearance was no different from her past self. She always walked her path cheerfully.
Eir smiled bitterly, self-deprecatingly.
‘It was me who had lost the way.’
As she opened and closed her fist again, the path slowly began to reveal itself. The ennui felt since awakening [Unique Ether] now followed the pink spiral towards the strongest path.
Eir punched the air.
Whoosh―!!
Now, she just needed to move forward.
＊
Brunhilde stood atop the highest building, staring at the airship.
"…"
She could clearly see the faded pink hair through the window in the distance.
In the end, she couldn’t muster the courage to meet and say goodbye again. The shock from the initial rejection had turned her into a coward.
"…"
So, Brunhilde stood and watched the airship.
At that moment,
it felt like the faded pink hair turned and looked her way.
"…?"
Brunhilde jumped up.
Even for someone aiming for a stage beyond infinity, she wasn’t sure, but it felt like Lara looked this way.
She slowly waved her hand through the window.
"…Lara."
Maybe it was just a greeting to the <Scarlet Academy> students who had bid them farewell.
But…
Even so, Brunhilde waved back.
"…Goodbye."
Goodbye. Let’s meet again. It would be nice to meet again.