Toaru Hikuushi e no Seiyaku:V9Part11

Part 29 (Part 11 of Volume 9)

"You trash. You must be desperately searching for me, but I refuse to let garbage like you have your way."

Demistri sneered as he glared up at the bronze-blue fighter planes covering the sky above the harem, his usual twisted expression etched on his face.

"We're leaving now. If we escape on the airship, no one will be able to catch us. Get ready quickly!"

He stood in the topmost floor of the Ulysses Palace harem, the grand chapel. Walking toward Claire, whose room had been specially renovated, Demistri issued his orders. He had been confident when the Ortega fighters were dominating the skies, but when all three were shot down, he began to panic. And once the Odin bombers started their attack, he immediately started preparing to flee.

Claire stood firm, facing Demistri with a stern tone.

"As the supreme commander, are you really planning to run? Your subordinates are still fighting on this island."

A vein pulsed on Demistri's forehead.

"Their objective is me! If I’m not on this island, their entire operation loses its meaning! This isn’t running away—this is a tactical retreat to ensure Urano can continue the war!"

Claire shook her head. She couldn’t let Demistri escape. If he got away now, capturing Pleiades would be meaningless. They needed to both seize Urano’s central powers and capture Demistri. If he survived, the will for war would endure, and this foolish conflict would continue.

As the relentless sound of bombing echoed, Claire stood tall, her voice unwavering.

"I will not go. If you want to take me, you'll have to do it by force."

Currently, Demistri only had one guard stationed near the door. If Claire could manage to evade him, she might be able to buy some time.

"My fiancé is coming to get me. I will wait here for him. I will not leave this capital city alongside a coward like you."

Her words were resolute. Demistri’s lips quivered with rage as he stormed over to Claire and slapped her hard across the face.

"Don’t think I’ll be kind forever! Understand? Sometimes I have to be harsh too! Do you get it?"

Claire’s cheek turned red and swollen, but she didn’t flinch. She looked at Demistri with calm, steady eyes, even as the palace shook from the ongoing bombardment.

"You poor man. You think you can move someone's heart with brute force."

Demistri struck her again, but Claire immediately turned her face back toward him, her calm gaze still fixed on his.

"If you want to move my heart, you shouldn't run away. Your men are fighting to protect you, aren’t they? How do you expect to win without encouraging them? If you’ve already lost the will to fight, you’ve already lost."

Just as Demistri raised his hand to strike her a third time, Countess Ulshyrra quietly entered the room.

Demistri turned pale when he saw her.

"Convince her! She still won’t listen to me!"

"I see."

"That’s why I hired you. Do your job. Take Claire with me, and we’ll escape. Hurry up!"

"Yes."

Ulshyrra nodded and turned to face Claire with a stern expression. Since their reunion in the chapel, Ulshyrra had consistently urged Claire to marry Demistri.

"Countess Ulshyrra…"

Amid the continuous sound of artillery impacts, Claire looked at Ulshyrra with a desperate plea in her eyes.

"Young lady, please stop being so unreasonable…"

Ulshyrra’s usual stern tone reached Claire. Tears welled up in Claire’s eyes as she caught a glimpse of the self-defence pistol Ulshyrra had drawn from her pocket—a small .22 caliber handgun, barely the size of a pinkie finger, that fit easily into her palm.

"Run."

Ulshyrra turned and placed the barrel of the gun against Demistri’s stomach, pulling the trigger.

A sharp crack, like the sound of a firecracker, rang out, and a faint wisp of smoke lingered in the air.

"……What?"

Demistri looked down at his stomach, then up at Ulshyrra, who was holding the small pistol. He finally felt the pain of the gunshot in his abdomen.

"Eh…?!"

He turned to call for his guard, but the guard lay on the floor by the door, bleeding from his neck. Perhaps, in the chaos of the bombings, Ulshyrra had shot him as well.

Pale-faced, Demistri turned back toward Ulshyrra. She calmly pulled back the slide on the small pistol, preparing to fire again. Although the gun had a short barrel, if pressed against vital organs, it could still kill a person. Despite its size, the shot was deadly when aimed at close range.

"You… you traitor…!"

Realizing he had been betrayed, Demistri pulled a dagger from the sheath at his waist, gripping it tightly as blood continued to pour from his abdomen. With his left hand, he grabbed Ulshyrra by the throat and raised the dagger.

"Countess Ulshyrra!"

At the same time as Claire’s scream, Demistri drove the dagger into Ulshyrra’s chest.

A gush of bright red blood poured from Ulshyrra’s mouth. Demistri, wearing a fiendish expression, pulled the blade out and shoved Ulshyrra aside, glancing down at his own stomach.

"Help…! Medic! Medic! I’ve been shot! Blood! Blood is pouring out of my stomach…!"

Blood began soaking Demistri’s ceremonial uniform as he screamed in panic, calling out into the hallway.

"Hurry up! Stop the bleeding! I’m going to die from blood loss!!"

Ignoring Demistri’s frantic cries, Claire knelt on the stone floor and cradled Ulshyrra in her arms.

"Countess Ulshyrra!"

The familiar blouse Ulshyrra always wore was now drenched in the blood flowing from her chest.

"Hang in there! Don’t die! Please, you can’t die!"

Claire grasped Ulshyrra’s hand and screamed, but the wound was too deep. The blade had pierced all the way through her thin body.

With a choking sound, Ulshyrra coughed up more blood. She looked at Claire, barely able to form words.

"Go… now…"

The suddenness of it all left Claire in shock, struggling to comprehend what had just happened.

"Why did you do this?! Why go this far…?!"

Ulshyrra tried to speak, but no words came out. Claire leaned in close to hear her faint whisper.

"Kal-el is… coming."

The weak breath managed to carry those words.

"Hurry… run."

Ulshyrra, using the last of her strength, urged Claire.

"Hurry!! Help! Claire is escaping, she’s trying to flee!!"

Demistri continued shouting from the floor, unable to move as blood poured from his abdomen. If he kept screaming, more guards would arrive, and Ulshyrra’s sacrifice would be in vain.

"Countess Ulshyrra… Was this why you did all of this? Pushing me to marry him, pretending to be on Demistri’s side, all so I could escape?"

Ulshyrra had obeyed Demistri up until this moment, waiting for this opportunity. When Kal-el’s arrival at Pleiades caused chaos, she had prepared, even carrying a small pistol for the day when she could finally free Claire. Everything Ulshyrra had done was for this very moment.

"Countess Ulshyrra…! Countess Ulshyrra…!"

"Go… quickly…"

"What are you doing?! Hurry, guards! Don’t let her escape, don’t let my woman get away!!"

Demistri continued to scream. If the guards arrived, Ulshyrra’s sacrifice would be in vain.

Claire held Ulshyrra tightly. There was no time to think of what to say to the person who had devoted herself to Claire’s wellbeing, both in Isla and now in Pleiades.

“Mother.”

If there were any words Claire needed to convey to Ulshyrra, it was the one that arose naturally from deep within her heart.

(Go, Claire,)

Ulshyrra smiled.

(Be happy.)

And then, the strength left her body.

Blood from Ulshyrra’s wound soaked Claire’s chest, stomach, and legs. Claire gently stroked Ulshyrra’s cold cheek and saw the peaceful smile on her face. It was the first time Claire had seen Ulshyrra smile like that. If her final words had brought about this smile, it was at least a small comfort.

“I will be happy. Happier than anyone else in the world.”

Claire made that vow to Ulshyrra’s lifeless body, her expression resolute.

Then Claire stood up, wiping her tears with her sleeve over and over. She pressed Ulshyrra’s final words deep into her heart and used her willpower to suppress the urge to cry.

“Are you really going to run away?! Are you leaving me behind in this critical condition?! I love you, damn it!!”

Demistri, pale-faced and kneeling, yelled in anger.

Claire shot a fierce glare at Demistri, marched toward him with large strides, and raised her hand high, delivering a sharp slap to his face.

The crisp sound of the slap was followed by Demistri’s pitiful cry as he collapsed onto the floor.

“Shut up! If you’ve got that much energy, you’re not going to die. If you’re a man, then be quiet for once!”

She had wanted to say a proper goodbye to Ulshyrra, but Demistri’s incessant whining had ruined the moment. Without sparing him another glance, Claire sprinted out of the room. Left behind, Demistri, bleeding from his abdomen, could do nothing but watch as the woman he loved disappeared from his sight.

“H-hic… hic… hngh…”

Lying on the floor, Demistri sobbed. The crushing heartbreak of being abandoned by the woman he loved overwhelmed him, and he wept.

“How could she… this is… hic… so cruel… I love her… so much…!!”

Tears and blood pooled around him as Demistri lay there, too devastated to even think about standing, his heartbreak leaving him in a state of utter despair.

Claire didn’t look back. Fighting back her tears, she rushed down to the first floor without any further interruptions.

There were no guards at the entrance. Aside from Demistri’s personal guards, everyone else was too distracted by the ongoing air battle. Claire kept running until she finally made it outside.

The harem was in chaos.

Terrified concubines were gathering their belongings and fleeing one after another. The guards weren’t stopping them; they had abandoned their posts and were also fleeing. The fleeing crowds whispered about a revolt in the Stefano district, their fear more focused on the looting by slum residents than the air raid.

Claire looked up at the sky.

The bronze-blue fighters of the Allied Multi-Island Sea were clearly dominating. The few silver-gray Alice Actus aircraft were being chased and scattered. The air battle had been decided. Claire was certain now—Kal-el would land here at the Ulysses Palace to rescue her.

She quickly realized that the front courtyard would be the best place for him to land. The wide, flat courtyard offered an ideal landing spot, designed by architects for its majestic view of the palace, and it was much larger and clearer than most airstrips. As a skilled pilot herself, Claire knew exactly where a pilot would choose to land in an emergency.

Staying inside the palace would be dangerous. Its complex structure would make it difficult to meet Kal-el, and Demistri’s followers would likely pursue her. If she could reach the courtyard, Kal-el would surely land there…!

Making her decision, Claire pushed through the crowd and ran toward the front courtyard as fast as she could.

The roar of propellers filled the sky above her, while smoke and soot rose from the ground, darkening the usually clear skies of Pleiades. The sounds of screams, shouts, and explosions swirled together in the chaos.

And in the midst of it all, one plane…

A fighter aircraft flying low over the main building was now descending, preparing to land in the courtyard…!

Claire no longer hesitated. She ran past the main building, racing toward the landing fighter.

“Kal…”

She knew. She knew it was him. Pushing aside fleeing people, breaking through the thick haze of smoke, she ran with all her strength toward the one she had waited for.

Six and a half years had passed since they were separated.

It had been far too long to hold on to the promise they had made, but Claire had clung to that promise. It had given her the strength to keep going all this time.

“I’ll come back for you! I’ll return and take you back, no matter what!!”

Fifteen-year-old Kal-el’s voice echoed in her mind.

I’ve never forgotten. I’ve been waiting for you, and only you.

Claire ran with everything she had.

The plane landed, and the pilot jumped from the wing. Even though the figure was small and distant, Claire knew exactly who it was.

He’s taller now. His body is stronger. But I know it’s you.

She ran.

With all her might, she ran. She called his name. She reached out her arms. Tears streamed down her face.

She had believed. She had known that he would keep his promise and come here.

He had overcome countless hardships, made it here with his comrades, and now stood in the sky capital.

The pilot turned and looked at her. Shock spread across his face.

Then—he called her name. He ran toward her.

I knew it.

“Kal…”

Claire threw herself into his arms.

“Claire…”

Kal-el embraced her tightly.

The strength of their embrace rendered a thousand words unnecessary. Simply holding each other, their arms wrapped around each other’s backs, made time disappear. Words weren’t needed. The warmth of his arms and chest, just as she remembered, was enough. All they needed now was to say each other’s names.

I just want to hold the person who came here, leading a fleet that covered the sky, fulfilling the promise he made, and then I’ll wipe my tears and greet him with a smile.

“Kal…”

She called his name.

“Claire…”

The grown-up Kal-el was here now, holding her in his arms. She knew she didn’t need to cry, knew that all she needed was to smile, but the tears flowed anyway. A billion searing emotions spilled from her eyes and ran down her cheeks.

Kal-el’s arms tightened around her. She clung to him, silently swearing that they would never be separated again. After so many years of longing to see him, after being apart for so long, they would never be torn apart again. Ulshyrra would surely be happy for them, feeling their joy.

I will stay with him, always.

And I will be the happiest person in the world.

From the skies above Ulysses Palace, Kiyoaki watched Kal-el land.

He saw someone running toward Kal-el in the courtyard, and the two embraced. Could that be Claire? The thought flickered in his mind, but he didn’t have time to get involved in others' affairs. His focus was on landing and rescuing Mio and Illia. Spotting a suitable location, Kiyoaki began his descent.

Landing his Ikaruga a short distance from Kal-el’s plane, Kiyoaki jumped down and took in the sight of the vast garden and the majestic palace looming beyond it, with flames spewing from its midsection.

The initial assault by Dambazolik and Karnasion’s recent crash had dealt severe damage to the palace’s structure. It wouldn’t be long before the building collapsed entirely.

Nobles, high-ranking officials, servants, and their families were fleeing into the spacious garden, looking up at the Odin Air Squadron circling above and covering their ears against the booming cannon fire that shook the ground of Pleiades. Everywhere, people were shouting conjectures at each other.

“There’s a riot in the Stefano district! Tens of thousands of people are heading this way…!”

“They say Claire’s supporters are stirring up the resistance!”

“Claire is popular with the poor. If those peasants take advantage of the chaos to loot the palace, this place will turn into a real hell!”

The nobles seemed more afraid of their own people than the enemy soldiers. After years of exploiting the lower classes, it wasn’t hard to imagine that the commoners might seize this opportunity to reclaim what had been taken from them. For the Allied Multi-Island Sea, it would be quite convenient if the ruling class of Uranos were overthrown by their own people, forcing a change in their will to continue the war.

With these thoughts swirling in the back of his mind, Kiyoaki sprinted toward the burning palace, gasping for breath. Where could Illia be held? And where was Mio?

"Mio! Illia! Where are you? Answer me!"

Kiyoaki entered the main hall, shouting at the top of his lungs.

There were few people left inside. The constant barrage of cannon fire shook the entire building, and smoke and dust filled the air. Flickering flames illuminated the haze, casting an orange glow over fallen chandeliers, paintings, and fine furniture that were now igniting.

The palace was enormous. Searching for someone in such a place felt hopeless. But all he could do was call out.

"Mio! Illia!"

Kiyoaki wandered the palace, yelling their names. Occasionally, a person resembling a commoner, with a sack filled with looted valuables—paintings, jewellery, expensive dresses—would emerge from the smoke and dash toward the exits. It seemed looting had already begun, but no one was there to stop them. Everyone was too busy trying to save their own lives. Kiyoaki, clad in his Odin Squadron flight suit, ran through the building unnoticed.

“It’s me, Kiyoaki! I’m here to save you! Mio! Illia! Please, answer me!”

He shouted their names at every turn of the hallways, frantically searching for any sign of them. The palace’s complex structure frustrated him, but he kept shouting, his voice hoarse. He climbed stairs, dodged flames, and finally emerged into a wide hall.

White smoke filled the space. Through gaps in the smoke, he could see expensive sofas, display shelves, and carvings stretching from the walls to the ceiling.

The soot and ash swirling in the air made visibility poor, but it was clear that this must be one of the grand corridors where nobles had once gathered to gossip. He recalled history textbooks that depicted large gatherings of aristocrats in such halls, signing treaties between nations. But now, there were no nobles in sight. Flames licked at the floors and furniture, and the desolate grandeur of the dying palace was evident.

Kiyoaki took a deep breath and shouted again.

"Mio! Illia! It’s me, Kiyoaki! Please, answer me!"

His voice echoed through the vast corridor, disappearing into the haze. The echoes faded into silence, and just as he was about to press further into the hall, he heard something—faint but familiar.

“Mio…?”

Kiyoaki strained his eyes, peering through the smoke. The swirling white haze stubbornly obscured his view.

He moved toward the direction of the faint sound, stepping closer to the spreading flames. The voice had come from this way...

“Mio! It’s me! I’m here to help! Where are you? Please, answer me!”

He called into the smoke, the orange flames dancing around him, beckoning him forward through the greyish-white haze.

He reached out toward the blurred mist—

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew through, clearing the air.

Sunlight streamed in through tall windows that stretched from floor to ceiling, illuminating the entire scene. Dust particles floated in the golden light, creating a sacred, almost heavenly atmosphere, casting layered beams of light deep into the hall.

Mio stood alone, bathed in the light, gazing at Kiyoaki.

Her pure white dress, stained with blood, shimmered in the slanting rays of the sun streaming through the window frame, cloaked in silver-gray light.

Mio stood in the dying palace, with flames at her feet and tens of thousands of sparkling particles of light at her back, like an angel bathed in blood.

Flames flickered on the carpet between them. Mio, with an expressionless face like a porcelain doll, simply gazed at Kiyoaki before stepping over the flames.

No words were needed. They simply wrapped their arms around each other, feeling the warmth of familiarity—the softness of the other’s body, the warmth they had known since childhood—in their hands, in their chests, and in the embrace of the other’s back.

It was true that they had been apart for a long time. But the moment they were reunited, time seemed to vanish, and the distance between them disappeared. It felt as natural as moving from yesterday to today, as if they had been separated by just one night. Kiyoaki and Mio accepted each other’s presence as if they had never been apart.

Ah, I see. We’ve been together all along. Even though we couldn’t see each other, we were always holding hands, somewhere far away from here. As he held Mio, Kiyoaki had this strange thought. He could feel the image of them holding hands and smiling in a field of canola flowers on Messus Island, just like in those memories, as if that connection had always been there.

Kiyoaki tightened his arms around Mio’s back.

“Fio delivered your message to me.”

“Yes.”

“... Right after it reached me, she collapsed. I buried her on a hill in Santos. Many people have been leaving flowers at her grave.”

“I see... Fio...”

Mio murmured, her arms still around Kiyoaki’s back, as she lifted her face to look at him.

“You came to save me, didn’t you?”

Kiyoaki gazed closely at Mio. Three and a half years had passed, and she had matured. The innocence he once knew was nearly gone, replaced by the calm, dignified eyes of a refined, intelligent woman.

“Yeah.”

“I see.”

Mio murmured softly, lowering her gaze while still holding onto Kiyoaki. He could sense the turmoil of thoughts swirling inside her, gradually organizing themselves, ready to be expressed logically.

“I saw you from the balcony. You shot down Karnasion.”

“Yeah, somehow.”

“You avenged your sister.”

“Yeah. I promised back then.”

Mio then took Kiyoaki’s left hand and checked that the ring she had given him was still on his pinkie.

“The ring. It made it.”

“Yeah, Fio delivered it.”

Mio smiled mischievously.

“You really are so gullible.”

She then took the ring off his finger and threw it into the flames on the floor.

With a sharp sound, the silver ring disappeared into the fire.

“You’re too naive. I taught you on Air Hunt Island, didn’t I? Humans lie. I was a spy who tricked you, using you for my amusement.”

Her cold smile was the same contemptuous one she had shown him when they parted on Air Hunt Island.

Mio let go of Kiyoaki’s back and took a step backward.

“Coming all the way here, you sure worked hard. How many times do I have to deceive you before you get it? Learn something already. I don’t care about you at all.”

Kiyoaki silently stared at Mio.

In his heart, he could see her inner tears vividly.

Mio was desperately putting on this act. He could feel it from something hidden deep within her expression, from the words she was trying so hard to mask.

If this had been the old him, he probably wouldn’t have understood. He would have taken Mio’s words at face value and been hurt. But the current Kiyoaki understood.

People have to make choices. You can’t choose two things at once; you have to pick one and move forward. Mio had chosen to perform this clumsy act and was moving in that direction.

“Illia is in the dungeon under the palace. Go down those stairs, take the right exit, and it’s in one of the two buildings with the bronze door. She should be in the basement. You need to hurry, or the building will collapse, and she’ll be buried alive.”

Still maintaining her villainous expression, Mio gave him the information as if it were nothing.

“And Claire—she’s being held by Demistri in the highest tower of the rear palace. Kal-el should be coming to rescue her, so you might want to tell him. He’ll be happy to know.”

“Yeah. I saw Kal-el land in the garden earlier, and he was hugging a woman—black hair, white blouse. I think that was Claire.”

When he said this, Mio’s face brightened.

“I’m so glad, Claire… really, thank goodness…”

Relief washed over her as she turned to face Kiyoaki again.

“That’s it. I’m done here. Goodbye, Kiyoaki. Don’t let yourself be fooled so easily next time.”

She spoke with a teasing expression and turned to leave. But Kiyoaki called out to her.

“Mio, come with me.”

Mio laughed and brushed off his words.

“Huh? Why would I go with you?”

She took a breath and laughed cheerfully.

“I have someone I love. I need to go to him.”

Kiyoaki remained silent, accepting her words.

Mio’s performance was so clumsy that it was almost painful to watch. The storm of emotions raging inside her was overflowing from her eyes, from the depths of her words. But pointing that out now wouldn’t help.

The palace wasn’t going to hold up for long. They didn’t have time to stand around, so Kiyoaki decided not to deny Mio’s lies and her act. For now, he had to focus on getting her to safety.

“Fine. We’ll bring him with us. Let’s all go together.”

“We can’t. Neither of us can return to the Allied Multi-Island Sea. If we go back, we’ll be killed.”

Mio tried her best to maintain her facade, continuing her act as a wicked woman.

“You understand now, right? Hurry, go to Illia before the building collapses. I need to go back upstairs, or he’ll die.”

The rumbling around them intensified. More dust and debris were falling from the ceiling. There wasn’t much time left. Kiyoaki had to reach Illia before she was trapped under the rubble.

But still—

“Mio, I came all this way to bring you back. After you save him, we’ll go back together. We’ll figure out the Air Hunt Island situation ourselves.”

For the third time, he pleaded with her. Mio continued to mask herself in a cold demeanour.

“There’s no way. You know that. We’re spies. Besides, there’s no point in risking our lives to return. I don’t need your help. So, goodbye. Thanks for coming this far. See you.”

With that, Mio turned to leave.

“Wait!”

Kiyoaki called out, realizing that if this was truly their final goodbye, there were things he had to say.

“…I… I came here after making a promise to marry Illia when the war is over.”

Mio stood silently, her back turned. Between them, new flames began to rise. Her expression was hidden from view.

“…I wanted to save you… and tell you that. So… none of this is your fault. I’m the coward here… I’m the terrible person.”

Through the flames, Mio’s bloodstained white dress seemed to reflect both tears and joy. Perhaps those conflicting emotions were swirling inside her at that very moment.

After a moment of stillness, Mio slowly turned back toward Kiyoaki.

Her clumsy mask was gone. In its place was the open, honest expression of the Mio he knew.

“…Really?”

Her voice was casual, like the small talk they used to share in the officer’s quarters. Kiyoaki nodded.

“…Yeah. I proposed right before I went into battle.”

Mio cupped her cheeks with both hands, tilting her head with a playful curiosity.

“W-What did you say? How did you do it?”

Caught off guard by Mio’s sudden change in demeanour, Kiyoaki stammered as he answered honestly.

“Well, I stood tall, and… I made a fist over my chest… and said something like, ‘I declare that I love you and only you! Let’s get married when the war is over!’”

As he stumbled through his explanation, Mio let out a playful squeal, like a young girl blushing with excitement, and smiled at him.

“And what did Illia say? How did she react?”

“Well, uh… she slapped me. Called me an idiot, told me I was clueless and reckless, then sent me off to battle.”

“Uh-huh, uh-huh.”

“And just before I went into the second battle, she finally agreed. You know, that superstition about soldiers who make marriage vows before battle ending up dead? Well, I embraced it, and here I am.”

Kiyoaki shrugged, palms up like a fool, while Mio clutched her stomach, laughing heartily.

“Hahaha, hahaha! What’s that? That’s awful! Making such a promise before a battle is just asking for death! That’s so like Illia. Hahaha!”

Mio wiped away the tears that had pooled under her eyes with the tips of her fingers, a result of laughing too much. She took a deep breath and looked up.

“Be happy. Give Illia my regards. …Well, I’ve finished my business here, and I need to go to the one I love.”

“I’ll save Illia, and you’ll save him. Then we’ll meet again. Let’s rendezvous in the garden.”

“I told you, we can’t go back to your side. Please understand that.”

He understood, but Kiyoaki couldn’t fully accept it. Still, the building was on the verge of collapse, and Mio was right—they couldn’t stay here forever.

Kiyoaki made up his mind to leave. He believed he would see Mio again soon. This was just a temporary parting. Once they rescued their loved ones, they could regroup and figure out the future. Thanks to the information Mio had sent through Fio, this mission had become possible, and there was a real chance of pardon.

“Mio, a gift.”

With that, Kiyoaki decided and tossed his holstered pistol to Mio. It was a standard-issue .45 caliber. He wondered if she knew how to use it, but Mio expertly removed the magazine, checked the remaining rounds, loaded it, disengaged the safety, aimed at the sidewall, and fired without hesitation. She smiled as she saw the bullet holes in the wall.

“Thanks. I’ll take it.”

Mio, with practiced ease, strapped the belt and holster around her blood-stained dress. It was clear she had received some kind of training—her movements were more skilled than the average soldier’s.

“For now, we’ll go our separate ways. But we’ll meet again later, okay?”

Kiyoaki emphasized.

“If we can meet again,” Mio responded with a smile before finally turning her back on him and running out of sight.

Kiyoaki silently watched in the direction Mio had disappeared. He recalled the words she had told him upon their reunion.

"Illia is in the dungeon under the palace. Go down those stairs, take the right exit, and in one of the two buildings with the bronze door. She should be in the basement."

Without Mio's guidance, he would have never found such a hidden location. If he hadn’t met her here, Illia would have remained trapped, buried alive, and they would never have seen each other again.

Mio… she searched for me just to tell me where Illia was…

He realized this. Despite her loved one being in danger, she had come downstairs to inform Kiyoaki and then returned to him. It wasn’t about wanting to see Kiyoaki—it was about saving Illia.

“Mio.”

He whispered her name. His body almost surged forward, ready to chase after her, but he barely restrained himself. He would see her again soon. After rescuing Illia, he would come back here…

Atori, the top special operative of the Patriotis organization, looked down at Thomas, now lying like a blood-soaked rag, and kicked his body over, forcing him onto his back.

Thomas, covered head to toe in his own blood, coughed up a thick clot with a sickening sound, barely managing to open his swollen eyes. The clear blue sky above him seemed almost mocking, an insult to the miserable state he found himself in.

"Did you really think you stood a chance? Against me? In that condition?" Atori sneered, his voice cold and detached.

Atori was a small man, but his combat abilities were unmatched even within Patriotis. Thomas had avoided confronting him ever since a childhood encounter had left him half-dead. Yet today, despite his battered body, Thomas had dared to challenge him, only to be swiftly cut down.

"Hurry up, Atori. Stop wasting time," came the raspy voice of Pope Illustriali’s from behind.

The rooftop of the Ulysses Palace was abuzz with activity. Nina Viento’s personal airship, emblazoned with the symbol of the "Hummingbird," was preparing for take-off. The rotor blades spun slowly, awaiting the Pope’s boarding. The plan was to escape the palace and flee to the capital of the Harmonia Empire, Arkaselt. Though the Taisho Sea Alliance had yet to discover it, Illustriali’s was the shadowy puppet master behind Uranos' ongoing war. As long as this elderly Pope survived, the conflict would continue unabated, with Illustriali’s siphoning endless wealth from war through Chrono Magos, keeping the world aflame.

Atori glanced disdainfully at the "Hummingbird" emblem on Claire's airship and then back at Thomas.

"Quite the luxury, huh? Getting your own symbol on the Queen’s personal ship. What’s your game, huh?"

He ground his boot into Thomas’s blood-streaked face. Weakly, Thomas raised his arms and grabbed Atori’s ankle, still trying to resist.

"Die," Atori snarled, raising his foot to crush Thomas's throat.

Just then, a faint sound—a pistol slide being pulled back—caught Atori's sharp ears.

It was a noise that most people wouldn’t even notice, the sound of a .45 caliber round being chambered from far away.

Atori immediately dropped into a crouch. A split second later, a gunshot rang out, the bullet grazing his hair.

He caught sight of gunpowder smoke drifting from behind a water tower to his right.

Without hesitation, Atori leaped into action.

Mio, reloading her second shot, braced herself internally.

"Two seconds... just hold him off for two seconds."

Since arriving in Pleiades, she had trained rigorously with the Hachidori every night, learning close-quarters combat. The bruises and scrapes from those sessions had helped her hone the skills necessary to hold her ground against Atori for just two seconds.

Her nerves sharpened to their peak. Time stretched, each moment becoming tens of times longer than it would for an ordinary person. Mio watched Atori’s every movement, preparing herself.

On his second leap, Atori was already in front of her. He twisted his body, avoiding the aim of the .45 caliber pistol, making it look as though he would attack from one direction.

But Mio didn’t fire. She kept watching, waiting.

A mere 0.1 seconds later, Atori's right-hand dagger thrust toward her left side. An attack that would be impossible for most to evade—but Mio narrowly dodged it with a slight shift of her body.

"?!"

Atori was taken aback. He hadn’t expected a woman to avoid his strike. With 1.6 seconds left, Mio slammed the pistol grip toward Atori’s temple. He swayed just enough to dodge, and in the next instant, his left-hand dagger was aimed at her carotid artery.

But Mio anticipated it again, bending her body to avoid the strike.

Atori's eyes darkened with genuine murderous intent. Having dodged his lethal strikes twice, he now understood that Mio had real combat training. With 1.4 seconds remaining, Mio focused every ounce of her attention on Atori's movements.

With a soft hiss of breath, Atori’s heel scraped the ground. His arm moved at such speed that even knowing it was an afterimage, Mio's eyes seemed to see dozens of arms coming at her. The next blow couldn’t be avoided, and she knew that even a minor wound would expose her to Atori’s poison. Determined, she poured her remaining strength into a powerful backstep and raised her pistol toward Atori.

She fired. A sharp sound rang out. Incredibly, Atori deflected the bullet with his dagger. He was truly a monster. With just one second left, she had to hold on.

Atori closed the gap instantly, his daggers falling on Mio like a storm of steel. But even if he was fast, he only had two arms. Remembering her training with the Hachidori, Mio focused on Atori’s eyes and shoulders, predicting the path of his strikes. She dodged the first slash by arching her back, blocked the second with the slide of her pistol, and deflected the third with her elbow against Atori’s arm.

"Your time is up."

With 0.2 seconds remaining, Atori groaned and looked back over his shoulder.

Thomas had already pressed his own blade against Atori’s carotid artery. Atori’s mistake had been underestimating Mio as just a woman in that initial 0.6 seconds.

"Well done, Mio," Thomas muttered, covered in Atori’s blood as it sprayed from his neck. As Atori’s body collapsed to the ground, lifeless, Mio turned her gaze toward the Pope. The small, elderly man was desperately trying to climb into the airship.

Mio fired a third round between the Pope and the airship, a high-pitched sound ringing out.

"Don’t move, Illustriali! One more step, and I’ll shoot!" she ordered.

Illustriali fell to the ground in a heap, raising his hands in surrender.

"P-please, stop! Don’t harm me! I’ve done nothing!" the Pope begged, trying to crawl away.

But Thomas, drenched in blood, stood in his path.

"Do you recognize me?" Thomas growled. "I’m the son of Levan Belour, Deputy Minister of the Department of Documents, who was executed by your trap."

Illustriali stared in shock at Thomas, still sitting on the ground, trying to explain himself.

"I-I don’t know you! Stop this! You cannot harm an unarmed old man—God will not forgive you!"

"I don’t want to hear your mention of God," Thomas retorted, pulling a belt from his waist and tightly binding the Pope’s hands and feet. He left Illustriali tied up on the rooftop.

"I’ll leave your fate to the goddess of fortune. If the building collapses, you lose. If your kind allies find you and untie you, you win. Consider it a kindness."

The palace wouldn’t hold for more than another hour. Anyone coming to the roof at this point would either be a high-ranking officer with access to the airship’s keys or a commoner looting the place. The Pope stared up at Thomas with bloodshot eyes, screaming in desperation.

"If you help me, I’ll make you my closest adviser! You can have all the money and status you want—unimaginable power! Leaving me here will do you no good. Think about it!"

Thomas scratched the back of his head, then coolly replied, "I’m dying soon from poison. I don’t care about wealth or power. Too bad for you."

With that, he kicked Illustriali’s body, rolling him to the base of a lighting fixture, then sliced the old man’s neck with a swift motion. The Pope slumped over, silent at last.

Thomas turned to Mio, his mouth forming a slight pout.

"What are you doing here? Where’s Kiyoaki?"

Mio shrugged and shot back with a wry smile, "A little gratitude wouldn’t kill you. I came back to help you, you know."

"As if I’d cry over it, idiot. But… thanks for saving me."

Thomas swayed, almost collapsing.

It was a miracle he was still standing. Mio rushed to catch him, gently lowering him to the ground and placing his head on her lap.

With a faint smile, Thomas rested his head comfortably on her thigh.

"Quite the luxury. Dying while getting a lap pillow from you… that’s a luxury."

Mio sighed, holding his hand.

"You sound like Reiner sometimes. Well, you are Reiner, after all."

"Reiner and Hachidori... they're both me. Back when I was at Air Hunt Officer Academy, those were good times... I wish I could go back," Thomas said wistfully, a faint smile on his bloodied face.

Mio looked up at the sky. The February sky was an overwhelmingly clear blue, silently gazing down upon the struggles of the people below.

"Your katsudon was amazing. We all ate it together, right? Kiyoaki, Illia, Cecil... even Kagura. Balthazar was always studying, but sometimes he'd come out of the study room and ask you to make coffee... Those were good times."

"Yeah, they were," Mio replied, her voice filled with nostalgia as she and Thomas reminisced about the distant past. The wind that blew through carried the bittersweet scent of memories they could never return to.

"Everyone's incredible, aren't they? The Seven of Eriadore. They changed the world. And you... you used Fio to destroy Pleiades. Everyone else is amazing, except me."

Mio stroked Thomas' head gently and shook her head. "You captured both Zenon, the head of Chrono Magos, and the real king of Uranos, Illustriali. You're a true hero of justice, Thomas. You saved the world. People might not know it, but it doesn't change the fact."

Thomas sighed. "Hmm. Doesn't matter. I'm going to die soon anyway."

The wind swept through them, signalling the end of Thomas's life was drawing near. Mio knew this but couldn't bring herself to leave his side.

However...

"Go on. The building’s going to collapse."

"I'm staying with you."

"I appreciate it, but you should go. Take that airship and go wherever you want. You're free now."

Mio tightened her grip on Thomas' hand. "I'm staying."

She repeated the words, this time with more conviction. Thomas shook his head and became serious.

"It doesn't make me happy. You should go to Kiyoaki. He'll make you happy..."

"Let me do what I want."

"Mio..."

"I want to stay with you. Until the very end. I decided that already."

Mio whispered softly as she entwined her fingers with Thomas' hair.

Thomas, who had lost his father to execution as a child and watched his mother fall into mental illness, had entered the intelligence training facility with the goal of avenging his father and curing his mother. He had been moulded into Hachidori and created Reiner by Zenon, all to achieve his goals. Despite being branded a traitor and mistreated by Zenon, he had sacrificed everything for his family.

And yet, on the day of his revenge, he chose to save Mio. Even though it had nothing to do with his personal mission, he had fought against Zenon, battled the Renjaku, and taken a lethal dose of poison for her. He had even told her to leave him behind and go to Kiyoaki, saying that would bring him happiness.

"I can't just abandon you."

Mio wasn’t sure if what she felt was love. She just couldn’t bear to let him die alone. If she could offer him a moment of warmth, the warmth of human kindness at the end of his life, she wanted to. He deserved that much after everything he had sacrificed, after he had wished for her happiness.

After Thomas was gone, she didn’t know what would happen. Would she go to the front courtyard like Kiyoaki had suggested? She couldn’t imagine herself doing that. How could she face them after what she had done—luring enemies to Air Hunt Island, causing massive losses to the people, the academy, and the fleet? Could she really smile among them again?

She had no place in this world anymore. All that mattered now was being by Thomas’s side. If the building collapsed, so be it. She didn’t care what happened to her anymore. She would gaze up at the sky of this ruined capital, praying for the start of a new, peaceful world, buried beneath the debris of the palace. That would be a fitting end for a traitor.

"It’s so frustrating..."

Yes, no matter how frustrating it was...

"I just want to destroy everything, make it all a mess. It pisses me off so much just watching this melodrama unfold."

Even if it made her angry to watch...

"I want to tear it all apart, just so you can never live with the embarrassment. Make it so you can't bear it anymore."

Suddenly, Mio realized the voice wasn’t just in her head. She looked up, surprised, to see Kiliai standing there, arms crossed and a frustrated expression on her face.

"Kiliai... you..."

She had been with them in the palace earlier, but Mio hadn’t noticed her leave. Now, Kiliai gave Mio a wicked grin.

"Sorry to intrude on your sweet moment here, but I just can't stand it. So, I'm going to ruin it for you."

With that, Kiliai pulled out a small yellow pouch from her pocket and tossed it to Mio.

Mio caught it, opening it to find ointment, round pills, and granules inside.

"Give that round pill to that idiot. It's tough, but don't let him spit it out. He'll thrash around, so you'll have to hold him down. After that, rub the ointment on his wounds, and make sure he takes the medicine twice a day. He'll be fine in a month."

"......"

"What's with that look? Don’t trust me? I’m a poison expert, you know. I wouldn't be stupid enough to use something I couldn't cure. Why do you think I mess around with something as dangerous as Mizukabuto poison? To make sure I can neutralize it in case I ever get affected myself."

Mio stared at the contents of the pouch, then looked back at Kiliai, her eyes beginning to water.

"Kiliai..."

Before she could thank her, Kiliai waved her hands frantically, a pained expression on her face.

"Don’t you dare start with all that sentimental crap. You two have already been saying enough embarrassing lines. If you didn’t die after all that, how would you even live with yourselves afterward? So yeah, you're welcome. It’s a relief for me, too."

Mio couldn’t suppress her joy. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she couldn’t stop herself from speaking her gratitude.

"I love you, Kiliai. I really do."

"Stop it! I hate melodrama, remember?"

"Thank you. I used to hate you, but now I love you so much."

"Ahhh, I can’t hear anything! I don’t hear any of this!" Kiliai, her face beet red, covered her ears with her hands and ran off, disappearing from the rooftop.

"I love you... I love everyone."

Mio muttered softly before opening Thomas's mouth and giving him the pill.

For a moment, nothing happened as Thomas weakly swallowed it. But then his eyes widened, and his body jerked upright like a spring. He tried to vomit, his body rejecting the medicine, but Mio held his jaw shut, restraining him with all her strength as he thrashed.

After about a minute, Thomas went still. He foamed at the mouth, his hands and feet twitching slightly. For a terrifying moment, Mio thought he might have died. But then, a few moments later, he opened his eyes slightly.

"Ugh... cough... cough! What was that?"

"Hey, don't spit it out! You're okay now."

"Ugh... cough... What... was that? Poison?"

"Kiliai gave you the antidote. She said you'll be fine."

Thomas blinked, staring up at Mio in disbelief.

"I'm... not going to die?"

"Seems like it."

Mio stared at Thomas, her expression a mixture of amusement and relief as he grimaced.

"...I think dying would’ve been easier than taking that medicine... What was that? It's worse than the poison."

"But look, you’re feeling better, aren’t you?" Mio smiled gently.

"...This is Kiliai’s idea of a joke. She loves messing with people... I was pretty sure I was going to die..."

"Maybe Kiliai’s actually a good person?"

"...Definitely not. Not as far as I know. But she hated Zenon, so maybe this was her way of paying me back... She's free now too, after all."

Mio helped Thomas to his feet, noticing that his steps were more stable than before. Together, they turned toward the airship. The cockpit was empty—probably meant to be piloted by Atori.

"Let’s get on this airship, head to the Stefano District, and help your mother. Then you can fly to Harmonia or somewhere else, and avoid getting captured."

Thomas scratched his head, thinking deeply. "Yeah... I have to save my mom."

"Let’s go then."

"But... Valkyrie’s fighters are still out there. If they target us, it’s over."

"If it happens, it happens. It’s all up to luck. But if we stay here, the building will collapse and we’ll die anyway. Let’s go."

Mio squeezed Thomas's hand and smiled warmly.

Thomas gazed at her for a moment before returning the smile. "...You’re right. It’s up to luck. Let’s go."

They nodded to each other and climbed aboard the airship. Thomas took the controls, and the rotor blades began to spin faster.

The airship, adorned with the hummingbird symbol on both sides of its fuselage, slowly ascended into the sky, bathed in sunlight. Below them, long-range artillery fire from the Odin fortress struck the military installations of Pleiades, spreading flames across the surface.

From above, they could also see what appeared to be a massive crowd marching toward the Evangelis District. Tens of thousands of people were on the move. Mio recognized them as the resistance forces stirred up by Ignacio. The numbers were far greater than expected, likely because everyone could sense the impending fall of the Uranos regime. If they succeeded in seizing the palace and the royal assembly hall, the old Uranos might crumble, and a new era could begin...

"You called me a stupid woman, didn’t you? I definitely heard you say it clearly."

"Uh, yeah, but do we really have to talk about that right now?"

"You didn’t just say it once, you kept repeating it. Is that what you really think of me? That I’m a stupid woman?"

As Kiyoaki scratched his head while running toward his beloved plane in the front courtyard of Ulysses Palace, he glanced back at Illia, who was running behind him.

"I don’t think that at all. But can we talk about this later? We need to hurry and get out of here. It’s dangerous if we stay, and everyone is still fighting hard."

Illia glared at Kiyoaki with displeasure but said nothing as she continued to run. After managing to follow the path Mio had told them about and reaching the underground prison to rescue the captured Illia, instead of thanking him, Illia was grilling Kiyoaki over the words he’d shouted during the aerial battle.

Finally, they reached Ikaruga. They looked around, but there was no sign of Mio. Since it was a single-seater fighter, it was impossible to take both Mio and Illia back at the same time. First, he had to take Illia back to the Odin flying fortress, and then return here to reunite with Mio. Odin was only 40 kilometres away, and including the take-off and landing, it wouldn’t take more than an hour to return. Convincing himself of this, Kiyoaki took Illia’s hand, climbed onto the wing, and slipped into the cockpit.

"Do you even know how to open the throttle, you stupid man?"

"Are you still going on about that!? Just hurry up and get in! It’s cramped, but you’ll only have to endure it for about five minutes…"

Illia puffed her cheeks in irritation, peeking into the cockpit to find a place to fit her body. Since it was a single-seater cockpit, there was no real room, so her only option was to squeeze in between Kiyoaki and the control stick.

To ensure Kiyoaki had a clear view, Illia turned her right side toward the windshield and lowered her hips onto Kiyoaki’s lower abdomen. This position was, in a way, a sort of “princess carry.”

"This is a really awkward position, isn’t it?"

"It can’t be helped. We need to hurry back and get ready to fight again. You can stay here if you want, but the artillery from our forces is pounding away, and I hear the civilians have started rioting, so it’s about to become a ground battle soon. It’s really dangerous."

Kiyoaki, of course, had never been this close to Illia before, and it made him nervous. Having her sitting on his lower abdomen, he couldn’t help but have some inappropriate thoughts given the situation, but he steeled himself, started the engine, and began taxiing for take-off. People nearby fled from the accelerating Ikaruga. The plane that Cal-el had been piloting had already taken off, as it was no longer visible.

The wheels lifted off the ground, and Ikaruga soared high into the sky.

By now, all the planes flying around were bronze-coloured. Kiyoaki and Illia watched in awe as Odin’s fighter squadron, which had seized control of the airspace over Pleiades, flew triumphantly. Trying to cover his embarrassment, Kiyoaki made conversation.

"We really did take control of the airspace, didn’t we?"

"Yeah, we did it. It’s still hard to believe."

"It’s not over yet, but… I think we won."

They climbed to 3,500 meters and began a gentle turn to survey all of Pleiades. Kiyoaki felt a growing certainty that they had won the battle. Most of Pleiades' major military facilities had been obliterated by artillery bombardment, with both the naval base and airfields engulfed in flames and rendered unusable. The anti-aircraft guns were completely silenced, and the bombers were making repeated, unchallenged attacks on their targets.

Soon, the paratroopers would begin landing, establishing footholds across the surface. After that, Odin would be brought down to Pleiades like pirates, and the ground forces would board and seize control of key ministries, broadcasting stations, and the Ulysses Palace. Uranos would lose its ability to govern or continue the war once the centres of political and military power were taken.

"It’s thanks to you," Illia said suddenly, looking down at Pleiades.

"You took down three Ortegas and shot down Karnasion. Taking out four ace pilots on your own was what decided the air battle. Because of that, Odin was able to win."

Illia’s close, serious expression made Kiyoaki blush.

"It was thanks to everyone. Captain Leo, Dambazolik, Lulu, Lala, Kandata, Sanatra… Cal-el, Seagull, and Takeo were all incredible too. I was just riding on their efforts. The fighter squadron as a whole made it happen."

"You’re humble."

"It’s the truth."

"Was calling me a stupid woman the truth too?"

"……I’m sorry. It was my fault… I was just caught up in the moment… I didn’t want you to die."

"You were yelling, 'Don’t you know how to open the throttle, you stupid woman!' What the hell was that? I know how! How could I not, when I’ve been flying?"

"……………"

"When you said that, I got so mad… I opened the throttle without thinking. If I hadn’t, I would have died. No question."

"……………"

"So, well… yeah. I forgive you."

Mumbling awkwardly, Illia turned her face back toward the windshield.

Below them, the Ulysses Palace was on the verge of collapse.

The last bit of stability it had barely been maintaining gave way like a kneeling giant. The base of the structure expelled clouds of dust, and the upper parts sank downward. A brownish haze and thick black smoke spread out like a massive donut, swallowing the crumbling remains of the palace.

The fall of the Ulysses Palace symbolized the defeat of Uranos.

Fifty-centimetre artillery shells continued to land on Pleiades, engulfing airfields, naval ports, and anti-aircraft gun batteries in flames, reducing them to concrete wreckage. Fighter-bombers circled above, relentlessly targeting bridges, highways, and military vehicles, isolating and dividing the ground forces of Uranos, cutting off their communications. Meanwhile, the paratroopers, protected by air support, were steadily establishing footholds on the ground, receiving construction materials, food, and ammunition from the sky, securing their positions over time.

Uranos was falling.

“To end this war. I’m going to crush Uranos.”

Seven and a half years had passed since that day on Messus Island when Kiyoaki and Mio had sworn that vow, staring down at his burned homeland after his family was killed. What had once seemed like an impossibly distant goal was now within reach. Kiyoaki allowed himself a moment to reflect on the years he had spent, moving between the great powers of the Multi-Island Sea, working with countless comrades, always giving his all. But then he quickly returned to the present.

Was Mio safe?

He hoped she hadn’t stayed behind in the palace that had just collapsed…

At that moment, the radio crackled to life.

"We’ve spotted a Uranos airship taking off from the Stefano District. It looks like it’s carrying high-ranking personnel trying to escape from Pleiades. Should we shoot it down?"

The voice of one of the fighter squadron members came through the speaker. Kiyoaki squinted in the direction indicated. Far off in the distance, a heavy transport airship with tilt-rotors was struggling along at an altitude of about 3,000 meters. The sky above Pleiades was already under Valkyrie’s control, so the airship’s escape attempt seemed desperate. It was probably manned by government officials or amateurs who thought they could somehow escape. Yet, for some reason, Kiyoaki had a bad feeling.

"…Wait. I’ll check it out."

It wasn’t more than ten kilometres away, so it wouldn’t take long to reach. Kiyoaki opened up the throttle of Ikaruga and began closing the distance between them. The airship was headed east-northeast, toward the Harmonian Empire.

As they slowly closed in, Illia murmured.

"A hummingbird…?"

"Huh?"

"There’s some kind of illustration on the side of the airship…"

Following Illia’s words, Kiyoaki focused on the side of the airship. There it was, clear as day: a beautifully drawn hummingbird with bee-like wings, blue and green feathers, and an unusually long beak.

Kiyoaki’s heart pounded in his chest.

He would never forget it—about two and a half years ago, during that scorching summer at the Odin air fortress.

When the Akitsu Federation and St Vault Empire suddenly went to war, Kiyoaki and Kagura, imprisoned in a cell, had managed to escape thanks to Balthazar’s reckless actions. They were preparing to parachute out of Odin when Kiyoaki had confronted Raine, revealing him as a special operative, and tossed him a parachute, giving him a chance to escape. Reiner was a traitor, but he was also Kiyoaki’s friend, so he did it. Just before Reiner escaped, he shouted something.

“Kiyoaki, my nose art is a hummingbird!”

Then Reiner parachuted out of Odin, and Kiyoaki hadn’t seen him since…

"No way."

His eyes widened. Friendly fighter planes had already started to close in, eager to shoot down the escaping airship themselves.

"Don’t shoot! Wait, let me confirm the passengers…"

Kiyoaki used his mic to order his squamates to hold fire. He carefully positioned Ikaruga so the black rabbit nose art would be visible to the airship’s crew, then slowly closed the gap.

He peered inside.

In the back seat, there was an elderly woman. Kiyoaki didn’t recognize her. In the front, in the co-pilot’s seat, sat a young woman. She placed her hand against the window and looked at him with a serious expression.

"Mio… Mio’s on that ship!"

Illia cried out in surprise. Kiyoaki focused on the pilot’s seat, locking eyes with the man there.

"Reiner…? That’s Reiner, right…?"

He couldn’t be sure from this distance, but the atmosphere suggested it was Reiner… or at least someone who looked like him.

"…It’s Reiner. Mio’s waving."

Illia said, waving back at Mio.

Sure enough, Mio was smiling and waving at them from behind the glass.

──Goodbye.

──Thank you. I’ll never forget you.

Both Kiyoaki and Illia heard her voice clearly.

They wanted to take them back to the Multi-Island Sea, but they knew Mio and Reiner wouldn’t want that. The weight of the sins they bore was something they understood better than anyone. For them to live on with smiles, it would be better to start fresh, far from here, in a new land.

Kiyoaki told himself that and smiled back at Mio.

He waved. He knew shouting wouldn’t reach her, so Kiyoaki called out to Mio in his heart through the sky.

──Goodbye, Mio. Be happy.

Mio smiled radiantly. Across the sky, their hearts exchanged words.

──Thank you. Goodbye. I love you all. I love you so much.

──Until we meet again. Mio, Reiner. Let’s meet again someday.

──Yes. I know we will. We’ll meet again someday.

──I believe that too. So, until then… goodbye for now.

Reiner gave a small wave and spoke to Kiyoaki through the sky.

──Hey, buddy. You two look good together.

──You’re looking well too.

──Let’s hang out again. Ride our bikes and talk about stupid stuff by the docks till morning.

──Yeah, let’s do that. The seven of us, let’s get together again and have fun until dawn.

Reiner grinned, gave a thumbs-up to show his understanding, and tilted the control stick.

The Hummingbird airship banked sharply as it disengaged from Pleiades. Several fighters, their propellers roaring, seemed ready to pursue, unwilling to let them escape.

"Do not touch the Hummingbird. They're allies. Let them go," Kiyoaki set the communicator to maximum output in all-ship communication mode and addressed the entire fighter squadron. Though some seemed displeased, he calmly reasoned with them.

"They're the real heroes of this mission. Without them, we wouldn't have won. So leave them alone and let them go where they want."

Kiyoaki and Illia silently watched as Mio and Reiner grew smaller in the distant sky.

The wind carried clouds that eventually covered the sky, and when they passed, the two figures had vanished, leaving only the clear blue sky behind.

Kiyoaki gazed at the sky where Mio and Reiner had disappeared, and then he understood.

Family, friends, lovers—those labels didn’t define my relationship with Mio. Even without categorizing it, Mio was always with me. During the three and a half years we’d been apart, she had never once left me.

Even though we couldn’t meet, we were always holding hands. Even if others couldn’t see it, we never let go. Deep within our consciousness, we were always together—laughing, crying, and encouraging each other.

Time and space don’t matter. We’ve already transcended those things. From now on, even if we’re apart again, Mio and I will always be together, holding invisible hands, exchanging invisible smiles, forever.

The wind blowing through the sky changed the shape of the clouds. The sky constantly altered its appearance, but the pure blue remained unchanged.

"…Are you sure it’s okay? To let Mio go?" Illia asked, and Kiyoaki nodded.

"…Yeah. It’s what Mio wanted."

As Kiyoaki drifted into sentiment, Illia, who had been silently watching the sky, softly spoke.

"Mio… and Reiner… are they… in that kind of relationship?"

"Mio said so. I’m not sure how true it is, but… I think that’s where things are heading. They’re both free now, after all…"

"…I see. Yeah, that makes sense…"

Illia once again gazed at the sky, sinking into her thoughts. Kiyoaki could sense that many emotions were flowing through her, but he didn’t ask. He simply kept his hands on the control stick.

Kiyoaki didn’t know if Mio truly loved Reiner. It might have been a lie, or maybe it was real. Either way, he hoped it would turn out well. All Kiyoaki wished for Mio was happiness. If Mio could live each day with her trademark smile, free of any worries, that would be enough to make Kiyoaki happy.

Illia gently rested her head against Kiyoaki’s chest, rubbing her cheek against him like a kitten. It was an unusual show of affection for her.

"Were you scared? Being held in that cell all alone?"

Kiyoaki asked. In the underground prison, which he found by following Mio’s directions, Illia had been sitting there, anxiously hugging her knees.

Illia silently looked up at Kiyoaki and nodded sincerely.

"…Yeah. I was scared. It was dark, and I was alone… the building seemed like it could collapse at any moment…"

"Mio told me where to find you. Thanks to her, I was able to save you. We should thank her."

"Yeah. I know. I want to repay her someday."

With that, Illia wrapped her arms around Kiyoaki’s neck.

Having been freed from the terror of imprisonment and the end of the battle in sight, Illia was being more affectionate than usual. Since they were in a closed-off space with just the two of them, Kiyoaki didn’t mind. He pressed his cheek against Illia’s hair and reassured her.

"It’s okay now. It’s all over. There’s still a little work left for the fighter squadron, but we can take our time…"

"…This position… isn’t so bad after all. I’m starting to like it."

"Really? Honestly, I’m starting to like it too. Shall we take it slow on the way back?"

"Yeah. Just a little longer, like this…"

Illia rested her head gently on Kiyoaki’s chest, and the sweet scent of her hair wafted up to him. After turning countless enemy planes into scrap metal and surviving through fire and smoke, Kiyoaki’s hardened heart was slowly being soothed. Even in the midst of a battlefield, he allowed himself to indulge in this brief sweetness.

"I love you, Illia."

When Kiyoaki said it bluntly, Illia blushed deeply, pressed her face into his chest, and closed her eyes.

"…Yeah. I know."

"I love you."

"…I got it. I know already."

With those words, Illia, her face still crimson, buried her head deeper into Kiyoaki’s chest. He gently tightened his arms around her back.

The person he cherished was here, close enough to talk to, close enough to feel her warmth. That simple fact felt like a miraculous joy.

So, this time, without coughing or raising his voice, Kiyoaki was able to sincerely and naturally make his wish known.

"Illia, will you marry me?"

Illia looked up at him, her eyes slightly moist, and smiled.

"…Yeah. If you’ll have me. Please take care of me."

The two looked at each other and were about to share a kiss when—

"Congratulations, Kiyoaki! Illia! You finally tied the knot! I’m so happy for you!"

Cal-el’s cheerful voice came through the speaker, freezing them both in place. Unperturbed, Cal-el continued his bright commentary.

"I’ve been so anxious about where your relationship was going! I’m really happy for you both! We’re going to be happy too, so I hope you two live happily ever after!"

Kiyoaki glanced at the communicator, confirming that the mic was on. He suddenly remembered that after setting it to all-ship communication mode earlier, he hadn’t turned it off. Could it be that everyone in the fighter squadron had heard his entire conversation with Illia from start to finish…?

At that very moment, a barrage of jeering voices shook the speaker.

"Shut up, you idiot prince!" "Why the hell did you butt in?" "Seriously, just go home!" "Go home! Go home!" "GO-HOME! GO-HOME!"

The squadron bombarded Cal-el with insults, clearly having been listening to Kiyoaki and Illia’s romantic exchange in silence. But Cal-el, undeterred, kept going.

"Huh? What do you mean? It was on all-ship communication, wasn’t it!? I thought it was your wedding announcement…!!"

"What kind of announcement is that!?" "You forgot to turn off the mic, idiot!" "Go home, dumb prince!" "GO-HOME! GO-HOME!"

Amid the fierce booing and chants for Cal-el to go home, some of the friendlier squad members began offering congratulations to Kiyoaki and Illia.

"Anyway, congrats, Captain Sakagami! You two are perfect for each other, woohoo!" "Invite us to the wedding!" "Man, I’m seriously jealous, but congrats!" "Congrats, Illia! Finally, huh? I’ve been rooting for you!"

The sound of cheers and whistles echoed through the speakers, filling the sky with congratulations.

As the red colour crept across Kiyoaki and Illia’s faces, they slowly started to realize what had just happened. Their faces were so red they seemed to be steaming. They quickly glanced at each other before frantically turning off the communication device.

Looking at the now silent speaker, they glanced around the sky. The squadron members were grinning as they peered into the cockpit. Some were whistling through the canopy, while others even began performing celebratory "wing dances." Cal-el, along with Claire in his cockpit, waved at them with a radiant smile, offering their congratulations.

More and more squad members joined in the wing dance, forming a celebratory circle in the sky over Pleiades. After the gruelling battle for air superiority, they were transferring their joy of victory to their wings, celebrating the end of the long war and the arrival of peace. The rhythmic sound of the propellers reverberated through the air like a song of the skies.

"………………………………"

For a moment, the two of them simply stared at each other in bewilderment.

If there was ever a moment to feel utterly lost, this was it. Neither of them knew what to do. Surrounded by the joyous dances of their comrades and the symphony of the propellers, Kiyoaki muttered an excuse, as if trying to rationalize the situation.

"…Well. Yeah. I guess… everyone would find out eventually… so… we don’t need to report it anymore, right?"

Illia, still flushed red with embarrassment, remained motionless.

"…Yeah. Well… that’s true… Everyone would find out eventually…"

After mumbling those words, she lifted her tearful face.

Seeing her troubled, reddened expression was both endearing and amusing, and Kiyoaki couldn’t help but laugh. Illia, still frowning, chuckled along with him.

"…This is the worst."

"…Yeah. It really is."

"Oh, look at those clouds."

Kiyoaki spotted a nearby cloud they could hide in, and he increased the throttle, steering Ikaruga into the cloud.

Once the canopy was enveloped by the white mist, Kiyoaki, this time undisturbed, was able to complete what Cal-el had interrupted earlier.

"…I love you."

"…I love you."

After parting their lips, they whispered softly to each other, then emerged from the cloud.

The bright blue sky, filled with light, stretched out before them.

They exchanged smiles, then caught the wind beneath their wings, soaring higher and higher into the vast blue expanse.