Arc 6 Chapter 89

『Shaula』
Gently, gently, falling away.
Greatly, greatly, flaking away.
Gradually, gradually, fading away.

Gently, greatly, gradually, everything is shining so far away.

△▼△▼△▼△

——Outside the tower, a STAMPEDE of countless witch beasts descend,

breaking through with the 『Witch Beast Tamer』's hard fighting.
——The second floor, crushed along with Reid Astrea, who stole Roi Alphard
body.
——The fourth floor, profaner of bonds, accursed Sin Archbishop Rai
Battenkaitos' defeat.
——The first floor, the unseen and unknown 『Trial』 being overcome thanks
to Emilia's brave fighting.

They CLEAR multiple challenges which were being prepared for them, in order
to capture the Pleiades Watchtower.
This is the result of comrades who joined together as one, believing in each
other.
To put it in an Emilia-esque way, that this outcome came true seems to be
because of 『everyone getting along』.

Thanks to that, they were able to arrive at this moment.

In that case, all that's left is——,

「——If we don't win together, it was all a lie!」

The first time they arrived at the Pleiades Watchtower, Emilia said this.
They didn't come here to lose, they came here to recover what was lost.
Everyone had already agreed with her words, so they can't help returning safely
from the sand sea. Even if the number of people on the return had increased in
comparison to when they arrived, that is that.

Subaru, Emilia, Beatrice, Ram, Rem, Meili, Anastasia-Echidna, Julius and

Patrasche, and it's fine to add Shaula to that as well.
It doesn't matter how troublesome and annoying she is on the way home.

「——Go!」

The two spirit knights lined up, and Julius naturally took the initiative.
—Julius recalled his healing Kua, momentarily halting the mending process,
and once again the six spirits' borrowed power cloaks him in an aurora of light.
To understand it through the effect of 『Cor Leonis』, his Od swells into a vast
light with the change, which must be proportionate to the burden on Julius
himself as well as his spirit sword.
It's a considerable load on his form to do. But, no one wants a drawn-out fight
to begin with.

「——A short, decisive battle」

Julius ran, he flew over the sand while leaving a trail of rainbow light.
The open distance is closed in an instant; Julius' slash closes in on the Crimson
Scorpion. The Crimson Scorpion's ferocious compound eyes spot him and her
great pincers and tail stinger drive him away, tempestuous as a storm.
However, where the scorpion's carapace receives the rainbow sword strike,
——the brief contact raises white smoke.

It melted.
Julius' strike transformed into a rainbow, his magic sword clad in an aurora of
light from the constant use of Al Clariste, and the scorpion's carapace could not
protect it where the attack struck.
Furthermore, the rainbow of light cloaking his body is more than his usual
flashy display.

「————」

The Crimson Scorpion's tail stinger is fired from point-blank range; Subaru had
been killed by it no less than ten times, a stab of 『Death』 that has also caused
the death of Emilia and Julius——HELL'S SNIPE.
Julius doesn't repel it with his sword; the protective aurora of light wards it off.
An aurora of light which thinly cloaks his entire body, this spell is also an
application of 『Al Clariste』, a rainbow barrier.
That is, offense and defense were unified, such that an extraordinary grade of
swordsman called the 『Rainbow Spirit Knight』 was being born.

「～～bzz～bzz!!」

The deadly blow didn't go through, and her own protection could be broken,
causing the Crimson Scorpion to go through a harsh experience.
However, the enormous witch beast that spent four-hundred years as the tower's
star-rank is stubborn. The brilliance of the Crimson Scorpion's carapace is
growing even more vivid, causing heat to emit from the great pincers, which
strike Julius and send the Rainbow Knight flying.

The great pincers take on intense heat, and the air surrounding the Crimson
Scorpion begins to distort around that terrible firepower.
Huge pincers of scorching heat——If Subaru were to name them, 『JESUS
SCISSORS HELLFIRE FORM』.

New techniques are being unveiled here lately; it's admirable to deliberately
make the LAST BATTLE more exciting, and even an enemy wants to forgive
such developments.
But the fact is, an enemy character that breaks out of its shell and grows isn't
wanted right now.

「Minya!!」

Large, bright red pincers plow through the air, aiming at Julius, but they're
obstructed by a purple arrow from the flank.
Since Subaru's strength is not enough to intervene in the high-level battle
between Julius and the Crimson Scorpion, he waits for the right opportunity.
Beatrice's flanking spear is covering Julius while Subaru looks for his chance.

「————」

Carefully positioning himself so as to not die in the aftermath, Subaru turns his
gaze towards the sand, where a swarm of witch beasts had been driven away by
the whirlwind.
At this place called the Augria Sand Dunes, the burden of the harm and
wariness that the witch beasts had inflicted on Subaru and the others' journey
was exceedingly large.
From that tower they were keeping a certain distance; looking at that scene was
bizarre.

The watchtower's clouds have cleared, perhaps Emilia, on the first layer, has
rewritten the rules of the tower.
Were the clouds some kind of means to keep witch beasts away? Originally, it
seemed that witch beasts did not approach this watchtower, so that STAMPEDE
taking place seems unnatural.
Either way, that the witch beast's interference couldn't get in has helped the
situation of Subaru and the others, who were trying to return sanity to the
Crimson Scorpion——Shaula.

「——Subaru!!」

「Ah」

A voice reached towards Subaru as he cuts diagonally across the sand sea to
take the best position.
When he looked up, the Crimson Scorpion had dodged Julius' thrust, and
recklessly landed at Subaru's side.
Joining hands at Beatrice's complaint, Subaru suddenly stops.

「Guts——!」
「——Murak!」

Subaru's and Beatrice's simultaneous resolutions overlap.

The effect of gravity lessens so that both Subaru and Beatrice are as light as
cottony candy.
The next second, struck by the powerful swing of the tail, Subaru and Beatrice
fly through the air.

「Wa——」
「Byah!?」

Instead of being swung around, they were shaken off.

Shortly after they felt their feet leave the ground, Subaru and Beatrice
hammered into the sand.
Even though they had become as light as cotton candy, if they had been on solid
ground the force would have broken their bodies, luckily, they only had the
breath knocked out of them.

「Let's give up the attack——!」

「——bzz」

Immediately, the Crimson Scorpion came after Subaru and Beatrice, who were
buried in the sand. However, a rainbow of light blocks her path, and a battle
between the scorching heat and the aurora of light unfolds.

Each time the light scatters, it splits the sand sea, and creates a shockwave that
fills the clear sky with a sand wind.
Their destructive power is competing; Julius is fast but the Crimson Scorpion is
tenacious——if no decisive blow is struck, Julius might be pushed past his
limit.

「——ptui, ptui! Damn, we've got to do something!」

「——ptui, ptui! Find a way to win, in fact!」

——Subaru and Beatrice escaped the sand and, in identical manners, spat it out.
The voices of Subaru, with teary eyes, and the other others, together with Julius'
rainbow, search for a way to reach Shaula.

Subaru wants to rely on three possibilities——,

Julius achieves a greater awakening, easily defeating the Crimson Scorpion; it's
an annoying way to win, though.
Subaru and Beatrice complete their new technique, it seals the Crimson
Scorpion, and the team is victorious.
Suddenly, Emilia descends from the Heavens bearing LOVE and PEACE, and
her cuteness creates a harmonious world.

「I want to hope first for something closer to the third, but……」

As previously stated, he doesn't believe in his own awakening, and he doesn't

expect Emilia to be so nice as to appear with perfect TIMING.
In that case, their best hope if for Julius' own power to sharply rise, but——

「It's too much to expect that to happen again……」

Subaru's vision couldn't follow the speed of the ceaseless battle between Julius
and the Crimson Scorpion.
Subaru looks for his next move while watching the scene of destruction, the
aftermath of which is capable of frying him if he approaches.

In the end, he's expected to fight, exhausting every card in his hand.
If that's the case, Natsuki Subaru will finish without overlooking the cards he
has.

「Think, think, think……」

Thinking at FULL THROTTLE, he finds the real thing, not just wishful
thinking or wild imaginings.
Then, when he searched through cards he possessed, Subaru realized.
He had one last card left, which he still wasn't using.

「——Beako!」

「You have an idea, I wonder!」

Beatrice responds to Subaru's call, as if she's been waiting for it.

Lucky to be blessed with such an understanding PARTNER, Subaru rejoined
that small hand with his, said 「Right!」, and nodded vigorously.
Then——,

「——I'm going to use all of my strength on this maneuver!」

△▼△▼△▼△

Gently, gently, falling away.

Greatly, greatly, flaking away.
Gradually, gradually, fading away.

Gently, greatly, gradually, everything is shining so far away.

The rainbow of light flashes fiercely across her eyes, and she instinctively
swipes it away with her arms.
The pincers of both arms shine bright red with hidden firepower, enough to
burn through anything, and would surely cut through rock and steel like butter.

「Well, not that I really know what butter is like」

While talking about something of which she had only second-hand knowledge,
she hunts down the shimmering target.
However, there were no obstacles here on the vast sand sea, so she couldn't
quite cut it off. But whether an inescapable place or a drawn-out battle, this is
her unrivaled area of expertise——,

「He said SNIPERs, are always alone, right?」

She also heard that a SNIPER is a sharpshooter, which meant they attentively
prepare and wait until they bring down their prey.
So she waited. She waited with pride as a SNIPER in her heart.

Day after day she gazed out beyond, she kept waiting, focusing on people
coming to the tower.

There were rules. The rules bound her to this tower.

She thought they were troublesome things to have, but without them, she feels
that her absent-minded self would have quickly and utterly forgotten various
things.

Places they went, things they said, experiences they shared, everything.

「Yeah……that's awful」

Everything moved on, and left her behind.

If she's told to wait, then she wants him to come back; because he kept her
waiting, she wanted him to come back. If he would come back, she would wait
forever.
So——,

「I was happy, Master came back for me」

Because she thought everyone left.

And when he came back, she didn't know how she had trusted the words that he
said.
Was she waiting because she believed, or out of apathy, she didn't even know.
Didn't even consider.
She didn't need to consider it, either. Because, before it faded, the promise was
kept.

「I, am a lucky girl, Master」

That's why she doesn't want him to go. She had spent enough time here.
SNIPER is quitting now, because it was done alone. Although she was quitting
SNIPER, she believes a reward is appropriate for that.

「I don't want to be left behind again, Master. And I wanted to be loved

by……」

Because everything moved on, and left her behind.

This time, she wants to stay with him, forever and ever.
So——,

「I wanted, you to love me. ——Master」

△▼△▼△▼△

Her body quivers, and the glow of the Crimson Scorpion's carapace grows more
and more vibrant.
It was conceivable that that trembling is the more striking feedback of the
『Attack Color』, but that seemed wrong to Subaru.

It seemed as if that vivid crimson hue was a result of Shaula crying.

Four hundred years, locking up her emotions, Shaula had been shutting herself
in this tower, following orders, causing her overflowing affection to explode,
shining.

Red is passion, red is fury, the beauty of 『Love』 cannot be restrained by red.
The Crimson Scorpion surely shines red because she loves someone and wants
to be loved.
「——Because it's common knowledge that Scorpio Women are extremely
affectionate!!」

While fiercely shouting and kicking the sand, Subaru's broad shoulders loosed
his whip.

「————」

He aims at the Crimson Scorpion, who had turned her back to him, and her
ongoing affair with Julius..
He's sorry for being restless, but her affectionate master's whip is insisting.
When she's coming on so strongly, it's irksome and cruel——,

「So when you go nuts on another man, my manly heart gets depressed——!!」
「Subaru's manner of speech is base as always, in fact!」

Pushed on by the harsh words of Beatrice over his shoulder, Subaru's whip had
struck its aim——it was entirely entangled at the base of the Crimson
Scorpion's tail.
However, that left them in the same situation that had been turned around on
them before; under those circumstances they had been buried in the sand.
But now the Crimson Scorpion, overwhelmed a moment ago by the outcome of
her exchange with Julius, was focusing her attention on him and not Subaru or
the others.

Subaru and the others are weak. ——Abuse that idea.

「El Vita——!!」
「Gaaah!!」

Beatrice chanting magic, the effect applied to Subaru's entire body, and
tremendous weight buries his feet in the sand.
The influence of gravity is reduced by Murak, while Vita does the opposite, it
increases gravity's effect——the weight of an Appa rises from the Makuuchi to
the Yokozuna sumo-division, and rivals the Crimson Scorpion's tail.
However, naturally, that's still insufficient. Though it's heavy, more or less, at
most it's one hundred kilos. It's no match for Shaula's strength, which feels like
it could easily carry a dragon carriage.
That's why——,
「——It's showtime! Come on, do it!!」

Subaru puts strength into his arms and buries his feet in the sand, and shouts.
The next moment, the strength of the Crimson Scorpion's tail nearly uprooted
him, but Subaru's body remained on the ground.
The reason is obvious, the forces that pull against eachother were matched.
Between the Crimson Scorpion and Subaru——No, Subaru and the others.

「————bzz～bzz」

Holding its ground in front of Subaru, the one who had been holding and
bracing the whip, the grotesque frame of the Hungry Horse King intruded on
the tug-of-war.
And then, the Hungry Horse King is no longer the only one who joins the
record-breaking tug-of-war.
A flower bear, flying mole, and suspicious snake, go to war.

Those witch beasts, who should to be bitter enemies, had been assisting
Subaru's struggle.
The one who could do that is——,

「……Ah really, the fact is, management is rough」

The little girl's voice bore a listless, sullen mood.

The little girl on the sand who uttered that, her cheeks bloodless and her
breathing heavy——Meili.
She took a long, deep breath, her cute face tightening.
Right after, she energetically clapped her hands together with 「Ho～ra」,

「Everyone, welcome. Just looking is wasteful～」

The thwack of Meil's hands resonated, one beat later, the sand sea shakes.
The witch beasts continue to stomp and roar, rushing forward, this demonic
environment called the Augria Sand Dunes is ruled by the 『Witch Beast
Tamer』——No, she can't be called that anymore.
That phenomenon's scale wasn't that of a 『Witch Beast Tamer』.
Utilizing the power of the 『Divine Blessing of Witch Beasts』, the figure
moves the witch beast swarm occupying the Augria Sand Dunes at her whim,
merely being titled a 『Witch Beast Tamer』 isn't suitable.
The existence that once laid waste to the southern empire, the second coming of
the 『Mother of Witch Beasts』.
Reuse of STAMPEDE properly transforms this battle into total war, and tries to
illustrate its true potential.

「————」

Meili's painful expression; there was a certain trick backing her return to
consciousness and ability to participate in the FINAL BATTLE before she was
fully recovered.
The explanation, naturally, Subaru accepted the DAMAGE sustained by Meili
and distributed it using 『Cor Leonis』. ——The final card in Subaru's hand.

It isn't Emilia, Beatrice, or Ram. Neither Julius nor Echidna, nor Patrasche, nor
Meili, much less Rem, sleeping.
The final ally in the conquest of the Augria Sand Dunes——,

「——Sorry for getting you involved, Gian! Come help me!!」

Far away, the watcher's basement——the earth dragon left behind on the sixth
floor, through 『Cor Leonis』 Gian was connected, Subaru went through with
distributing the burden to the earth dragon.
The painful decision was heartbreaking, but even more so was that Gian met the
requirements for sharing the burden of Subaru's 『Cor Leonis』.
That means, just like Beatrice and his other friends, Gian also wants to support
Subaru, and had already decided to do so.

Depending on the heart of the movie-style version of Gian, through the medium
of Subaru, the earth dragon was taking over and shouldering the burden of the
majority of Meili's strain. That was the trick behind Meili having been able to
rise up.
That was also the explanation behind the Crimson Scorpion being unexpectedly
defeated in a contest of strength.
And finally it is——,

「——It's the the condition of your defeat, Shaula」

Literally, the Crimson Scorpion's feet come loose in response to Subaru's words,
who had borrowed the strength of the witch beasts and the earth dragon to win
this war.
The 『Greatest Knight』 doesn't overlook the opportunity.

The Crimson Scorpion struggles in the contest of strength, has her tail severed
from the root by the release of the rainbow slash.

「————」

The severed tail bursts open, just like its previous self-destruction, and that
same destruction spreads throughout the environment, yet it doesn't pass
through the rainbow's light.
Cut off, her trump card suppressed, the Crimson Scorpion fiercely swings her
great pincers down at the back of Julius.

「し——bzz！」

The slash draws an arc, which cuts through the fragile segmented joint of the
left great pincer, and sends it flying away. Shaking from the force of her arm
being blown away, the still-remaining right great pincer captures Julius.
And finally, the pincers close on the bisecting line of the tall figure's body,
attack——,

「——Al Krangel」

Just before it closes, the aurora of lights enveloping Julius' body unravels and
expands all at once.
The moment the rainbow armor he wore came off, the aurora of light spills out
explosively into the great pincer, which was about to close, from within, the
shining light caused it to burst open, and the pincer was blown off at the root.

「————bzz～bzz」

Knocked about by the resulting shockwave, the Crimson Scorpion's body spins
through the air. Just after, the witch beast forcefully tumbles across the surface
of the sand, bereaved of her tail and both arms, and covered in wounds.
Finally, the Crimsons Scorpion comes to rest on her back, is surrounded by
watch beasts, and held down.
Eight legs are pressed down by weight, preventing the Crimson Scorpion from
moving about.
Her head filled with sharp fangs twisted around, as if to deny the approaching
end.
Maybe, if the Crimson Scorpion derives a new technique from its strong
reaction, the development could overcome this dilemma, accomplishing
something incredible, but

「——This is it, Shaula」

The Crimson Scorpion's compound eyes twist, and Subaru rises in order to be
reflected in all of them.
The Crimson Scorpion had been driven into a pitiful state, legs pressed down,
arms lost. It seemed easy to deliver the coup de grâce in that state, but that isn't
what Subaru wanted.
He had forced her to this, but still, he didn't know——,

「Meili」

「……Brother, if I had not been here, I wonder what you would have done」

Her name called, Meili turned towards the Crimson Scorpion and sighed.
She took a long breath, snapped her fingers, and lined up together next to
Subaru. And then, lets herself focus on the consciousness of the compound
eyes.

「Who are you? Crimson, scary scorpion-san? Or……」

「————」

「Or, is it Shaula?」

The movement of the Crimson Scorpion's compound eyes slows at the question.
She shakes, silently staring at Meili, and then, her gaze shifts to Subaru.
Aggressive red eyes, they slowly, slowly, change color.

「Shaula」

Together with the bright red glow of its carapace, it continues to fade.
Her eyes are green, her shell is black, and gradually, it continues to fade, finally
——,

「——Shaula!」

Finally——,

△▼△▼△▼△

Gently, gently, falling away.

Greatly, greatly, flaking away.
Gradually, gradually, fading away.

Gently, greatly, gradually, everything is shining so far away.

Gently, greatly, gradually, everything shining seems so far away.

Everything is gently, greatly, gradually, shining so far away.

Left behind, the memories are fading away, that's surely what was shining.
Because all those days were precious, they were desperately gathered up.

「————」

「Are you remembering, Master? You told me to wait because you would
definitely come back, you said that and then you disappeared」

He was asked that by Shaula, who was doubtfully tilting her head and sitting,
hugging her knees.
Subaru shook his head at that, while Shaula's attitude spoke of fond, familiar
days.

「Not remembering. Rather, I guess I'm saying I don't know. How many times
will you make me deny it!」

「Well, it can't be helped. Master's forgetfulness is being given up on by me.

Master and I are alike」
「That's creepy! Creepy, but I admit a similar taste in vocabulary」

However, her using the language of Subaru's world, is why he inadvertently

feels a kind of affinity for her.
Compared to her charm, Subaru is unpleasant, unattractive, and unadmirable.
He couldn't devote himself to someone who left him behind for four hundred
years.

「Not because I'm less than patient. I'm impatient, and I want immediate results.
But if I stayed together with you the whole time, I'd probably be even more
worried about endurance……」

「Aaah, no no no that's no good, Master! Alright? There's a certain saying about

this. Love is endurance!」

「I think that innuendo is the wrong 『endurance』!? It sounds like a

beleaguered woman, or a courtesan's SLOGAN!?」

「Everything is for the sake of realizing the love that's stirring the depths of this
young woman's heart. Prepare to laugh for this pathetic, silly woman. That
smiling face…… is also wonderful」

「No, I can't laugh. See, I became a little teary-eyed.」

「Let me see, let me see～」

Pointing at his face, Shaula said that and brought her face close to Subaru.
Shaula stood up all at once, her face almost close enough to feel her breath, and
he again examined that shapely facial structure up close.

Big almond eyes, intense eyes, the bridge of her nose running straight between
them.
Long eyelashes, perfect skin that didn't look like it had spent so much time in
the sand sea, and it's difficult to understand after her pleasant mien changes, but
rather than her cuteness, her beautiful side is entirely obvious.

Gifted with the name of a star, being on this piece of land, burdened by fate to
keep waiting for her loved one.
「Huh? Master, how should I put this, are your eyes teary, or aren't you crying a
little?」

「……Your Master, is a fucking bastard. I'm going to put him on his ass with
my own hands!」

「What a troublesome guy, I have to watch that with messy-messy complex

feelings! If Master KOs Master, what kind of difficult situation is this! ……
Jeez」

Resentment making his lips tremble, Subaru tightly shut his eyes.
The hot fury filling his heart rises up, and then pushes past his eyelids, and
down his cheeks.
Seeing those watery drops, Shaula once more, 「Jeez」 softly whispered and
——,

「————」

In a surprise attack, a damp sensation stroked the blind Subaru's cheeks.

He slowly separated and opened his eyes to Shaula's face. She smiles impishly
and puts her finger to her lips, the display makes him glance at her crimson
tongue.

「……Master's body fluids, are salty and sweet」

「Language……」

「Something like language doesn't matter, the way I say it hasn't changed. My
way of expressing my love is with my body and soul. ——Master, I love you」

She loves him, she said that frequently.

It's a small word that, knowing his history, he would never be able to say.

「I love you」, Shaula occasionally spoke of such, because she was

overflowing with love.
Always-always, been telling and believing those words, overflowing from
within.
Four hundred years, wanting to love, wanting to be loved, her heart kept
desiring that——,

「I love you, Master」

「……I, won't tell you I love you」

「I know. Because Master is a mean, very shy-SHY person. But, I'm also in
love with that, too. I'm madly in love. ONLY YOU」

「————」

Time went and left her behind, because her imposed role was binding her like
chains.
The moment that her duty almost hurts her beloved, she cries and begs for
『Death』
The reason is that she'd much rather have lost her life than hurt him. Sobbing
like that, what did he say to her?

Even though he told her he wouldn't allow her to cry as she wished.

「I, won't, tell you, I love you……」

「……It's fine. Until Master says it back, I'll keep saying his share. Then
someday, he'll certainly want to talk back」

「Someday…… Well, it's a lo～ng story. Feels like four hundred years?」

「That's it? Four hundred years was easy」

She was waiting once, for a long time, and wailing in an anguished voice.

Left behind by the passage of time, her captive love ultimately shackled her,
and she cried all alone the entire time.
Now she has no way of knowing, but there was a world where she had
unleashed her feelings about that. So how devastating were the feelings in her
heart, which she concealed behind an indifferent facade?

He swore that he won't let her cry. She doesn't intend to break his promise.
So——She wants him to cry. If crying isn't enough, she wants him to weep.

If she gave him her cries, screams, sobs, and howls.

Then Natsuki Subaru, who is neither master nor anything of the sort, with his
entire soul would struggle to stop those tears on her behalf.
Even so——,

「To think that four hundred years, was like the day after tomorrow」

She was so beautiful that he was captivated in spite of himself, she was so
ephemeral the she looked like she would evaporate with a touch of his fingers;
faintly, a flush rises to Shaula's wan cheeks, and
With the face of a maiden who had fallen in love, she continued 「Because」.

The maiden who fell in love, continued 「Because」——,

「——I've loved waiting so long for you～」

「————」

「Right, Master? That's why, again, someday——」

△▼△▼△▼△

Gently, gently, falling away.

Greatly, greatly, flaking away.
Gradually, gradually, fading away.

Gently, greatly, gradually, everything is shining so far away.

Gently, greatly, gradually, everything shining seems so far away.

「——Shaula」

Crumbling, a part of the carapace flakes away and crumbles to dust over the
sand.
It doesn't stop at one part, the peeling spreads to the whole body.
The severed tail, the dismembered giant pincers, the legs that had been pinned
down by the witch beasts, and finally, the head embracing Natsuki Subaru,
everything——,

「……Finished acting out her role, I wonder」

Beatrice revealed her emotions in that small voice to Subaru, who tries to gather
together that slowly thinning existence and hug it to his chest.
The cute spirit was lonesomely staring at the helplessly disintegrating witch
beast——no, these two were the same, companions in their continued sacrifice
to the role provided by fate.

His brain denies comprehension of Beatrice's words.

But he instinctively understood. ——This isn't 『Death』.

This was the unavoidable end to her obligation as the star-rank of the Pleiades
Watchtower, and now, the moment she would eventually reach had arrived.

「Then……we……」

If we hadn't come, she would have stayed here forever.

At this place, this tower of sand, she would keep waiting forever for someone
who would never return.

「——Subaru, you should realize. That assumption is insulting to her」

「————」

「Thus what you should do, is not regret this」

Already sheathing his knight sword, the knight, who had straightened his blood-
and-sand-caked outfit, told him that.
Cold-hearted, but, he was right in every respect.

Subaru bit his teeth and took a breath to conceal his hate for that honesty.
And then he hugged her tighter, she who had been alone for so long.

She spent a long time in that empty place, totally abandoned.

Slowly, not departing alone, she was sent off with her first-rank beside her.
Subaru, Beatrice, Julius, Meili.
The faint presence of someone far away, running back through the watchtower.
It's their companions in the tower.
Everyone coming and gathering, for her, who spent all that time alone.

『Even if Master is here alone, that's enough for me』

The image of her saying such an undemanding thing, rose to his eyes and turned
into tears.
Slowly, the witch beast's fang gently traced the drops that ran down Subaru's
cheeks.

Sharp fangs that looked like they could break anything, in order to not break
Subaru, gently, gently, caress him, who is so easily broken in comparison to
anyone here.
And then——,

「——ah」

The sensation in the arms that held her was suddenly lost.
Scattering, the Crimson Scorpion's frayed carapace loses mass, and transforms
to dust. Black dust dances on the sand, and Subaru opens his mouth wide.

「Shaula……」

『Yes, Master』

「Shaula……Shaula……Shaula……」

『That's right, Master』

「Shaula, Shaula……」

『Mm～, I'm being loved too much by Master, I'm so embarrassed～!』

If he closes his eyes, then, resurrected in his ear, her voice answers his call.
And yet, now, she doesn't exist anywhere.

「——ah」
Subaru squats over the sand and scratches at it.
Someone's voice reached his eardrum. He doesn't know who it belongs to.
Subaru had no time to check, but, he was drawn to look up, and he opened his
eyes wide.

A small, trembling something crawls out where the black dust is piled up on the
sandy ground.
So small, a being the size of his palm. Two pincers appeared and shoveled the
sand, and the tiny, crimson-carapaced being then dragged its body out of the
sand by skillfully using its tail——

「————」

It comes towards Subaru, who is kneeling on the ground, and softly cuddles into
his hand buried in the sand.
The mere act of touching seems to be leaving behind a trace of her charm.

△▼△▼△▼△

Gently, gently, falling away.

Greatly, greatly, flaking away.
Gradually, gradually, fading away.

Gently, greatly, gradually, everything is shining so far away.

Gently, greatly, gradually, everything shining seems so far away.

Everything is shining, because you were there.

『To think that four hundred years, was like the day after tomorrow』

『Because I've loved waiting so long for you～』

『Right, Master? That's why, again, someday——』

『I want you to meet me again, someday』

『Oh, this time it's Master's turn to wait for me? Instead of the woman pressing,
the woman is being pressed』

『——Master, it's an important, important promise』

『Next time, please don't forget』

『——Master, I'm loving you』

△▼△▼△▼△

「You, idiot」

Like hell would he forget, Subaru whispered, voice shaking.

Then, he picked up that which delicately touched the back of his fist, and
wrapped it in both hands.
He awkwardly, precariously accepts her, as she wishes, and the tiny, tiny
scorpion shivered.

Her carapace is red, so red that it's beautiful to look at, that bright red.

——Four hundred years' time still could not fade it, it had become the color of
『Love』.

All rights belong to Nagatsuki Tappei, orginal author.

This is a translation of the free web novel, which can be found at
http://ncode.syosetu.com/n2267be
Translation by Appochs