An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

"The longing I have..."

After hearing what Hajime said, a warm scene came to Shizuku's mind.

They were the family who smiled whenever Shizuku made some progress and were happy for her from the bottom of their hearts.

When you can help someone in need.

The people who helped expressed their gratitude to me sincerely.

When I spent happy time with Guanghui and the others.

When I met my good friend Kaori.

There are many other moments that are hard to let go, unforgettable, full of tenderness and warmth.

The past is not all bad, not all painful.

The smile on his face was no lie or pretense.

Why didn’t I think of it before?

The answer was clear. Ever since she entered the maze, the whispering voice in her ears had been guiding her consciousness bit by bit.

Shizuku felt as if the clouds had finally parted and the sun was shining. It was like the sunlight filtering through the leaves of a dense forest, the feeling of seeing light again amidst the darkness.

The light of will returned to Shizuku's eyes, and that light of will transformed into strength, flowing into Zeng's limbs.

"If you're discouraged by what she said, it proves you haven't truly faced yourself. If you're being a bit more shady, then you can just laugh it off and let it go... Having said that, you're a bit too serious. Just relax and don't overthink it. As long as you survive, you can handle anything else later."

“Nagumo-san…”

Hajime shrugged and said, "By the way, I'm a bit of a scoundrel."

At the same time, he began to recover the cross floater, which meant that there was no need to delay any longer.

Feeling Shizuku's gaze fixed on him, Hajime stood up, leaning his back against the ice wall, his arms folded across his chest. Then, looking directly at Shizuku, he spoke to her.

Although Hajime didn't mean to, that must be what Shizuku wanted to hear the most.

"I'll be watching you."

"...!"

"Just challenge until you win. As long as I'm here, you won't die. I won't let you die, don't worry."

"...That's sweet talk, isn't it?"

Shizuku only said these last words in her own mouth, and even her own ears could not hear them.

Of course, Hajime didn't hear it either. But if he had heard it, what kind of expression would he have? Shizuku imagined the look on his face, thinking it would be very troubling. Thinking of this, Shizuku couldn't help but laugh softly.

Thinking that Aiko-sensei and Liliana must be in the same boat as her, Shizuku felt strange. She had no idea what she was thinking, that she would fall in love with such a wicked man.

Shizuku felt as though her previous self had been fake, her body as light as a feather. She leaped to her feet.

Then, Shizuku hugged the black sword that Hajime had given her tightly, and her expression changed, revealing her usual stern expression, and turned to face the phantom (herself).

Shizuku stared at the quietly standing phantom, turned her back to Hajime, and asked him in a calm and coquettish voice:

"...Will you look at me?"

"right."

"Will you protect me when I'm in danger?"

"right."

"Even if I get frustrated again, will you help me get back on my feet?"

"I really can't help you."

Shizuku smiled faintly, a smile as clear as snow water.

Shizuku's lost vitality and energy have been revived. She gives people a feeling as gentle as the sunshine, yet strong and powerful.

After taking a deep breath──

Shizuku poured all the unspeakable emotions in her heart into one sentence and said:

"I'll be back soon."

"Okay, go ahead."

The lost blood hadn't been replenished, and Shizuku was now so anemic she was practically collapsing. However, her steps were far more resolute than when she first entered the large room.

Shizuku faced her own phantom, which had already sheathed its sword and was quietly waiting for her.

"How dare you flirt in front of the enemy? Your expression is much better."

"Really? That's all thanks to Nagumo-san. Also, we weren't flirting, although I do think it would have been nice if we were."

"Oh my, you're betraying your friend after all. And, becoming a love rival..."

"Stop this meaningless conversation. There's no point in asking and answering these questions. I want to live and see Kaori and the others again. We can talk about everything after that."

"..."

Seeing that Shizuku remained unmoved, the phantom remained silent. At the same time, she realized that her own strength was gradually weakening. This meant that Shizuku had realized her feelings and was beginning to accept them...

"We might quarrel, Kaori might be severely hurt, and she might even look down on me. But—"

Shizuku didn't think it would actually turn out that way. Because her friends kept telling her that...

She hopes Shizuku will be more willful, she likes the frank Shizuku.

Only now did Shizuku realize that while she thought she was protecting her friends, she was actually being protected by them.

The role allocation that Kaori advocated at that time must have been the most appropriate.

Thinking of her friend's gentle smile, Shizuku's mood suddenly became relaxed, as if her friend had given her a push.

So──

"I won't give up. I want to find the best happiness for myself. No matter how many times I try, I will never give up."

Whether it's a friend, a friend's feelings, or her own feelings, Shizuku won't give up. If it's for this purpose—

"In the end, you still have to be the girl who stands up and fights, right?"

Shizuku nodded in affirmation, then gave an embarrassed smile.

"But, although I've certainly suppressed a lot of emotions in my life so far, I've also gained a lot. Those are all precious memories that I can't let go of."

If you don't fight and just become a princess who is protected, you will never be able to obtain those precious memories.

Although she longed to become a princess, it was no longer a problem. Shizuku would never be confused again.

Because──

"Even if I stand up and fight as a woman, it seems there are people stronger than me protecting me."

Phantom shook his head, his expression as if he was defeated by her.

"He protects you purely because you're important to Kaori. That's undoubtedly just an indirect reason."

"It doesn't matter even if it's like that, at least for now."

Shizuku lowered her waist, took a horse stance, faced the enemy sideways, and assumed a sword-drawing stance.

"I don't have any strength left, so let's decide the outcome with one strike. This strike is all I'm putting in. If you can hold on, give it a try."

An extremely sharp aura emanated from Shizuku.

Due to the bleeding and mental burden, the extremely exhausted body can only gamble on one strike, which can be said to be a decisive blow.

"...Haha, what an amazing aura. How could he appear at such a perfect time? He shows up at the right place, at the right time... I thought people like him only appeared in stories."

The man by the wall had brought Shizuku back to life like a phoenix at that crucial moment, and the phantom gave him a wry smile for a moment. Those words of the phantom must have been a fragment of the longing that Shizuku truly cherished.

Phantom and Shizuku also lowered their center of gravity and assumed sword-drawing stances.

The pressure suddenly increased rapidly. No, this was sword energy.

The sword energy they emanated grew sharper with time, as if they were about to slay each other with mere will. Unlike the cold air, this sharp, clear energy gradually filled the air.

Shizuku's heart was as calm as a spring in a dense forest.

Because Shizuku could sense a huge presence behind her, she knew he was watching her and believed he would protect her if she was in danger.

The two took steps at the same time.

“—Huh!”

"Drink it!!"

The flying ponytail drew a trail like a shooting star, and the figures of Shizuku and the phantom intertwined.

There was no sound of weapons clashing, no sparks flying.

The two of them just passed each other quietly, maintaining a heartless posture with their backs to each other.

After a beat—

With a snap, Shizuku's ponytail came undone. The hair tie that held it in place broke and fluttered to the ground.

Is that evidence of a phantom's blade striking him? Or...

In the tense and silent space, the person who sheathed the sword... was Shizuku.

All that was heard was the crisp sound of the blades colliding.

In that instant, the phantom's body split, cleaved in two. Then, her form blurred, disappearing as if blending into space. A gentle smile could be seen on her profile, a look of contentment.

“──!”

Then, Shizuku's body swayed, and she was about to collapse. She was suddenly freed from extreme fatigue and tension, and her mood suddenly relaxed, so she could no longer hold on.

However, Shizuku did not hit the hard ground.

"Beautiful, your swordsmanship is still as fascinating as ever."

"Nagumo-san... Hehe, you can fall in love with me just like this, you know?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, what a shame."

Hajime hugged Shizuku and gently placed her on the ground.

As the two bickered, the ice wall melted, and a third passage appeared, in addition to the one Shizuku had come from and the one Hajime had left from.

"Yaegashi, can't you walk anymore?"

"Yes, I need to rest. However, rest alone won't cure anemia; I need to use regeneration magic. Regardless, I probably won't be able to move normally..."

After a moment's thought, Shizuku smiled sweetly and held out her hands to Hajime.

"That's it, Nagumo-kun, I'm leaving it to you, please?"

"What?"

"Carry me and walk away."

"...Yaegashi, you seem to have changed a bit? Should I say you've become more rude? Or perhaps more shameless?"

Unexpectedly, Shizuku would ask to hold her. Hajime looked at her with a slightly confused look in his eyes.

Shizuku smiled softly, shaking her straight black hair, and seemed quite happy.

"I just want to be a little frank. Stop talking, let's quickly reunite with the others, shall we? By the way, Nagumo-san, could you help me make a divine artifact that grants regeneration magic? While the black sword does have regeneration magic, its effectiveness is extremely limited."

Although Hajime was puzzled by Shizuku's change, he thought that before he could reunite with Yue and the others, something might happen. So even if the effect was limited, it would be better to respond, so Hajime decided to respond to Shizuku's request.

When Hajime was taking out materials from the treasure house, Shizuku made another request.

"If you're going to do it, can you make it into a hair accessory? Look, my hair tie is broken. I'd like something a little cuter, like the snow crystals you gave Yue and the others."

"...You're asking for so much. You seem to have really let go of a lot of things."

Despite complaining, Hajime thought, "Fine, let's just celebrate her success," and immediately began to refine.

Amidst the pulsing red lightning, a hairpin gradually took shape. Its shape resembled a cluster of abundant fruits, or perhaps morning dew on leaves. Perhaps because it was made of a pearl-like mineral with a high affinity for magic, the hairpin had a faint sheen.

"So beautiful..."

"Alright, is this all right? Once you've equipped yourself, let's get going."

In just a few seconds, Hajime finished making a hairpin with a regeneration function and casually threw it to Shizuku. Shizuku looked at the hairpin, fascinated.