The day has finally come.

　Yes, it's the day of the parade.

　Officially, it's a celebration of reclaiming the land of dusk and the signing ceremony with the elves, but that name doesn't matter.

　It was simply a day to celebrate. That was enough.


''Alright....''


　I get up out of bed and put on my military uniform. Then I put on my military boots and make sure I'm well groomed. I decided to do a little bit of work on my hair as well. I combed my hair with a comb as I went in front of the mirror, and from there I put a little oil that my seniors gave me in my hair to get my hair flowing.


　Honestly, I don't think it would be any different than usual, but I still felt different.


　Today is the day of the parade. It's a day to celebrate, so it's okay to be a little buoyant at least.


'....I'm going to go...


　I said hello to the remains of my father and mother, now deceased, and left my room.



'Julia. You're early.
Shelly too. Is it just Shelly now?
'Yeah. Because I came right after my morning workout.
I see. But I'm pretty sure it's only half an hour before our meeting time which is a bit early.
Yeah. Well, I'm glad Yulia is here. We'll have time to kill.
Haha, that's good.


　The special class anti-magicians are supposed to gather in a conference room in the base, in case you're wondering. There, after listening to the arrangements for today, of course I know beforehand, but just to make sure, I'm going to join the parade.


　I'm sure the city is going to be very active today since this morning.


　This is the first feat since the Warding City was born. Up until now, humanity had been occupied with protecting this inner world. There was no time to look outside. But we broke through that old status quo and reclaimed the land of the twilight, even if only in part.


　Of course, it wasn't without casualties. Although it was quite a bit less than previous large-scale operations, it was still fresh in my mind that human lives had been scattered in the Land of Dusk.


　Bertina Light.

　An old special-grade anti-magician and swordswoman who was touted as the strongest swordsman in humanity.

　Her disappearance was a great loss to humanity. With the loss of two special-grade opponents in such a short period of time, it may seem like we're being driven into a corner, but.......this is not the case.

　It is true that we are moving forward. That is the only fact that there is no doubt about it.

　The will of those who have died in that way has been passed on. I can see that in Sherry now. I don't know if she is conscious of Belle-san, but the sight of her holding the magical sword Oboro Gekiya at her waist reminds me of Belle-san somehow.


''Shelly, what about Oboro Tsukiyo?''
Yeah. I've gotten used to swinging it. It was a bit heavy, but now I feel comfortable with it.
Where's the sword?
'Of course I've tried everything but...'
But?　What's going on?
Do you know how many kinds of swords there are in all?
Aren't you ten?
Eleven.
What ... really?
'Yes. I had a faint glimpse of the doctor's last moments, but that was the last secret sword.
The Last Secret Sword, huh? Literally, the last secret sword...?
'Yes. I've had my teacher teach me the theory, but I don't know how to handle it yet... yet. But I'm sure you've arrived at it. That final secret sword. But you still lost. And I'm going to beat him. I'm going to surpass you and your dagger. I'm going to make it to the other side.
Yeah. I'm sure Shelly can do it.
"Mmm-hmm.
What's going on?
It reminded me of my old self, you know?
'....There was a time when you were struggling. But that was....
Yeah. It's the same now. Even if my demon blood is awakened, I'm still a work in progress. I'm far from reaching perfection. No, I'm sure.......I may never be finished. Because I will continue to pursue my best and strongest self for a long time. I will never be satisfied with the status quo.
Yeah. I wish I could be.
We're in this together, Julia.
Yes.


　While such conversations were taking place, the special class anti-magicians came into the conference room one by one to confirm the arrangements for today.

　It was Princess Liane who gave the explanation. It seems that she is also working on our side of the table, even though she has official duties as a royalty, not as a soldier this time.

　I honestly admire her attitude.

　She may not have completely gotten over Belle's death. But even so, the only thing that doesn't change is that she's moving forward. It's okay to grieve, it's okay to stop. You can stop and grieve, because each time you do, we can take another step.

　When I look at Princess Liane, she smiles back at me. I smile back at her with a smile.


　And so, at last, we're ready for the parade.


　◇


........wow. This.........is amazing, senpai.
'Yes. We've got a full military band here this time, and everyone in town seems to have done a lot of work on the decorations and stuff.
I see....


　We had come to a large main street running north and south in the city in the Central District. This time we were to proceed here, with a special class of anti-magicians leading the way. After that, he would make a speech in the auditorium. This was followed by a party at the royal castle with only the people involved, which was the arrangement for this time.


　I'm the first in the ranks of the special class anti-magicians, and I'm the first in the rank of zero.


It's a very good idea to have a good time. Go ahead.
Yes.....


　There are a lot of people on either side. And in front of me, there is a straight line of parallel roads that goes on forever. There are usually so many people here that I never see this place so open. I step out of the room, drinking in the solemn atmosphere.

　The moment I step out, a musician starts playing.

　Then the people start to get rowdy. They scatter flowers and congratulate us on our feats.


'Thank you!
Thank you for bringing the earth back to us!
'Kyah!　Julia!　Look at me~!
'Cute!　I'm embarrassed~!


　And then various voices go up. I'm naturally not used to this kind of thing, so I wave back, a little embarrassed.

　I waved back, a little embarrassed, as I waved back, my boots clacking as we walked on.

　The people are all smiling. It was as if the gloomy atmosphere of a few months ago when we were attacked was a lie.

　People knew then. The peace in this warded city they were in was only temporary. Once you step outside, you are in the land of dusk. It is a ruthless land that has killed many humans.

　There are many people who were scared, trembling and terrified by it. But there is nowhere to run.

　That's why we stood up. Led by a special class of anti-magicians, we have moved forward and achieved a feat that mankind has not achieved for 150 years.

　People spring up. It's as if the world has been liberated from twilight. But that's all right. You don't need to know that world. The only person to stand in that ruthless, wailing land is the antagonist.


　People don't know what happened to the witch who died. It may be knowledgeable, but it will fade into oblivion. That is the extent of their knowledge. That's why we'll remember them. We'll remember that the wizards who died were in this world. It is because they were there that we were able to accomplish this.


　Let's play in this parade with that in mind. It's something that can be given away. For the sake of our dead comrades, let's enjoy the happiness of this day.


Hey Julia.
What is it, sir?
I'm glad we've been working so hard.
Senpai....


　When I looked closely, I saw that the senior was smiling smugly and shedding tears.

　But it's not sadness. He was shedding tears of joy. My hard work up to this point has been rewarded. Nothing could make him happier than this.

　Special-grade anti-magicians are touched by many deaths. It's not just me. My seniors and others also know about the deaths of their friends.

　Knowing this, tears well up in my eyes.


'Senpai, let's keep up the good work. Let's keep up the good work, seniors. Let's make the world a place where people can't stop smiling.
Well....


　And so we went on through this hustle and bustle, laughing.