I glide to the ground where everyone is waiting for me.

　Pash, Pashish.

(Hmm...?)

　That's when.

　The 'divine Qi' in his body was depleted, and suddenly, the right metal wing couldn't hold its shape and disintegrated into rainbow colored particles.

(Wha?)

　I'm more than thirty meters to the ground.

　I'm spinning and falling.

"Male!

　Mr. Illtimina on the ground let out a scream.

'No!'
Wait ... are you kidding me?

　Everyone is in a hurry, too.

　Poe entered the drop zone and Mr. Colontude held up his magic wand.

'Oh dear,'

　slumping

　With a voice from above (!), my fall stopped.

(!)

　A black child's hand was gripping my right wrist.

　I looked up and there was the Child of Darkness with four jet black wings.

'Do I owe you this?'

　I laugh.

(M.........)

　Feeling repulsed by those words, I wielded the "Fang of Marl-2" that was inserted behind my waist belt.

　Huh.

Wow!

　He was startled and pulled his hand away.

　Huw.

I'd rather drop out than owe you a favor.

　If you're hurt badly, you have Solstice and Mr. Columcude.

　I'm sure they can fix you up.

　...it would hurt like hell if you fell.

　And so, being a stubborn man, I head to the ground.

　But.

Merle!

　huffing and puffing

　Once I was caught by the 'Child of Darkness' and my falling speed dropped, Illtimina-san caught me firmly.

(Upps.)

　The impact caused me to plunge my face into her chest.

　I could feel the firm elasticity through the armor.

　Perhaps to kill the momentum, Illtimina-san fell backwards as it was and was on her ass.

'Are you alright, Marle!　

　A worried voice sounded as I held this little body in my arms.

　I looked up in his arms.

'Uh-huh. Thanks, Illtimina.
Oh, thank God.

　swoosh

　When she looked at my safe face, she hugged me again and exhaled as if she was relieved.

(Illtimina-san........)

　I couldn't help but hug him back, too.

　The quilts were also exhaling in relief.

　And.

You don't have to hate me so much.

　A short distance away, the 'Child of Darkness' landed.

　Its face was unhappy.

　I stood up with Illtimina-san and glared at him.

''We fought together, didn't we?''

　I answered that.

　Our common goal, the defeat of the demons of this land - the demon fragments that would be created - was successfully accomplished.

　Now that that's done.

Are we enemies again?

　He says sadly.

　............

　Don't be fooled by that expression.

　The other party is a 'child of darkness'.

　The way he thinks and feels may be different from us humans.

　Kirt-san and Po-chan step forward to protect me and hold the 'Great Sword of Thunder' and 'Dragon Scale Fist'.

''.........''
..........

　The two wizards also held their respective wands at the ready.

　Illtimina-san is also holding me in one hand while pointing the beautiful blade of the 'White Winged Spear'.

　I also put my hand on the hilt of the 'Fairy Sword'.

''I really hate you,''

　I said.

　In order to cause so much damage to the Woman of Darkness, you blew yourself up with two of your own people.

　She turned someone who claimed to be part of the family into a disposable asset.

I can't forgive a man like that.

The lightless black eyes of the "Child of Darkness" looked at the six of us for a while.

''Yes.''

　Eventually, I let out a breath.

'I guess it's going to be tough for me to fight here, too.
..........
I'm going to have to pull out for now. You'll forgive me for that, won't you?　I think I've contributed that much.

　He laughed wickedly.

　............

　Mr. Kilt drew his sword.

'Fine.'
Mr. Quilt....
It is also true that the information you gave us, that dark power, saved the world. But there will be no next time.

　A voice like iron.

(............)

　The five of us also lowered our respective weapons.

'Child of Darkness' nodded.

'Okay.'
..........
'But I like Merle. If you need any help with anything, you can always call me.

　Huh?

I still have five more demons, you know?
..........
I'm sure we'll get another chance to fight together. I'm looking forward to it.

　The black child laughed.

　Basa.

　The jet-black wings on its back fluttered and a small body floated up.

'We'll meet again someday.'

　A smile like a red crescent moon.

　Then he flapped his wings once more, and his figure quickly faded away into the blue sky.

　In just a few seconds, his figure disappeared.

''.........''
..........
..........
..........
..........
..........

　None of us said anything for a while.

　After all, he was true to his word and didn't act hostile to us at all.

　But.

(I have a feeling there's something more to it than that...)

　It doesn't seem so.

Putting the 'Great Sword of Thunder' back on his back, Kirt-san also said.

''I'm too honest.''
..........
Did he have some other agenda for this fight?　And you pulled it off because you fulfilled it?

　Everyone's eyes are drawn to it.

'....I don't know.

　Mr. Kilt sighs.

'Well, good. To be honest, it was a lot of wear and tear over here now too. I'm just glad we didn't get into any more battles.'　

　...Yeah.

　I have run out of 'divine energy'.

　Kilt-san and Illtimina-san have also been exhausted after releasing their own maximum depth of power.

　Colonchudo-san is also probably recoiling from using the 'divine art'.

　Poe's five minutes of being able to be a 'divine dragon' should have passed by now.......see?　I'm out of god body mode even as I'm thinking about it.

(Only Solstice had any spare power, right?)

　It's not as if she's going to be able to stand up to the 'Child of Darkness' on her own.

　Mr. Kilt looked back at us.

Well, we're all alive and we've won. It's a good thing we're here to celebrate.

　He smiled at that, showing his white teeth.

'Yes!'
Yes, sir.
Yeah.
...ummmm...
... (laughs)

　We laughed too.

　To be honest, it was hard for me to stand, so I sat down on the ground.

　Immediately, everyone else seemed to lose their minds and sat down one by one.

　I leaned against Illtimina's back, and she leaned back against us, leaning her weight against us, too.

　I could smell the sweet smell and the warmth of her body.

　It's kind of reassuring.

　I'm sure she feels the same way, I thought.

(Phew.)

　I let out a big breath and look up at the sky.

　The sky was blue and very beautiful.

　It was a beautiful and peaceful scene, far different from the scenery on the ground where the battlefield had been turned into a battlefield.

　...........

　I suddenly look at the sky where the 'Child of Darkness' disappeared.

''........I'll see you again someday.......''

　Muttering quietly, I slowly closed my blue eyes.


　◇ ◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇


　Mr. Quilt, who was sitting down, pulled out a ten-centimeter-long metal tube from his pack.

　Crunch.

　He twisted the tube and the trigger came out.

　Then his finger squeezed the trigger while pointing the tip of the tube to the sky.

　Huwun paaaan.

　A large, twinkling magical light shines in the blue sky.

　--a luminous signal bullet.

　It's as if another sun was born, looking up at the sky.

It's only a matter of time before Arnold and the others come for you.

　Mr. Kilt explained.

(I see.)

　Until then, take a break - she added and laughed.　

　Perhaps because the battle is over, the air is relaxed.

　Everyone is resting to their heart's content.

　In the midst of all this, I was a little curious, so I stood up.

'Merle?'

　With Iltimina-san's mysterious voice at my back, I headed to the collapsed 'Holy God Tree'.

　A huge rainbow-colored crystal lay on the scorched ground.

　Crunch, crunch, crunch.

　Stepping on the crystals that had become fine fragments, he approached the thickest part of the trunk.

(............)

　Inside the beautiful crystal, no less than 300 meters in diameter, there was this.

　--the corpse of a demon.

　It was the figure of a huge old man who looked to be a hundred meters tall.

　However, compared to a normal person, his head was unusually large, especially the back of his head was sticking out for a long time.

　His limbs were skinny, and his ribs were floating.

　There were three lightless eyeballs, and they were pure white, as if the water had evaporated.

''..........''

　At a glance, I could see that it was a severely debilitated body.

　There were four fingers on each hand and foot, but only the left hand had two fingers that were torn off from the base - those fingers showed such a terrifying fighting power?

　This is the devil........　

　In the Cocudo area, I myself couldn't confirm its appearance because I was stuck in the area right after the battle.

　So this is the first time I'm seeing a real demon.



　Hmm?

　Suddenly, I realized that everyone else had gathered and were looking at the 'Devil's Corpse' together.

''Hmmm.......so this is the Devil of the Vega Country?''

　Mr. Kilt muttered.

　Solstice stared at the dead, giant old man with a creepy look on her face.

You don't look like the demon I saw in the Cocudo district again.
...Is that so?
'That one had scales all over its body, and it looked like a mix of dragon and man. When I saw it, it looked like it was all dried up and had scorch marks all over it.

　Heh, I see.

　I nodded, and Iltimina-san leaned closer to me and hugged my little shoulder.

''Once, four hundred years ago, Marl was fighting these beings, wasn't he?
..........

　sizzling sound

　Her hand was strong in hers as she said this.

　Poe, who remembered those days.

..........

　He didn't say anything in particular. He just looked at the 'Devil's Corpse' with his light blue eyes.　

(Speaking of which........)

　The High Elf Colonchude is over a thousand years old.

　She lived during the ancient Thanatos magical dynasty, and of course, she's experienced the Divine Demon War as well.

　So I was going to ask her about those days.

I don't remember.

　That's how I was answered.

　.....................

　I don't know if it's true.

　Maybe it's a past I don't want to remember.

　The truth of it was impossible to decipher from the sleepy face.

　We stared at The Devil's Corpse for a while.

"What are we going to do with it?
"Hmm.

　Mr. Quilt thought for a moment.

If I could, I'd like to take it back to Shumria and have the Royal Academy of Magic study it.

　I replied.

''The corpse of the demon in the Cocudo area was brought to the research institute of the Arun Divine Empire. In Shumuria, there is also the corpse of the demon that was the source of the Children of Darkness. By comparing these data with this one, we might be able to make some new discoveries.
New discovery?
It's an anti-demon "something", you know.

　There was a sparkle in Kirto-san's eyes as a demon hunter.

(I see.)

If we look to the future, humanity will have to learn how to resist the Devil, or the Devil's Piece,

　Solstice blurted out, "I honestly don't want the time to come when we have to fight the devil itself.　

"I honestly don't want the time to come when we have to fight the demon itself...

　The corpse of a giant looking up at him.

　How much fighting power would have been hidden in this terrifying 100-medium tall hulking body if it had been alive?

　Even the tiniest piece of it can shake the world.

(I ... don't want to fight it either.)

　Honestly, I thought so.

　And I thought the Arkynes, the seven 'God Dogs of Yacour', who fought such a being, were really brave.

　Galang, Galang.

(Hmm?)

Hm?　Did you come?

　The distant ringing of bells is the sound of bells worn around the necks of the elephants in the beast carriage.

　From the bottom of the war-torn hollow, we look up the hilltop.

　Soon, against the backdrop of blue skies and forest scenery, Arnold-san's riding beast car and the beast soldiers appeared there.

''Oh~!''

　The six of us gave them a big wave.

　They are far away, but they immediately notice us and give us a big wave back.

Well, well. Well, let's go back to Karanka, the capital of the country, and rest for a while, shall we?
Yes.
Yes, sir.
Yeah.
Yeah, that's right.
... (laughs)

　We laughed, too, at Kilt's smile.

　Galang, Galang.

　The sound of the approaching bells was sucked into the blue sky where the battle had ended.