“This is…”

A haze of white dust hung in the air.

Beatrice frowned as she looked at the wreckage inside, overturned by the explosion.

“Clay!”

She stepped into the room, but when the haze blocked her sight, she immediately unfurled the two wings on her back and gave them a single, powerful flap.

Whoosh!

The dense cloud of dust was swept away in an instant, revealing Clay—shirtless, standing upright.

“Clay?”

Beatrice swallowed dryly, her voice trembling as she spoke.

Clay slowly lifted his head.

“Leave.” He uttered just that one word.

“Leave?”

“Take everyone and get out.”

His red eyes burned even more fiercely. Only then did Beatrice realize he was clenching his fists, suppressing something with all his strength.

“No way…”

As she murmured blankly, Athanasia, who had been sprawled in a corner, suddenly sprang to her feet and shouted while running out.

“Get back!”

Seeing Athanasia dash for the exit, Beatrice’s eyes widened as if she had finally grasped the situation. She immediately began moving.

“Everyone, get out now!”

Her shout spurred those in the hallway into motion.

“W-wait! If we leave him—!”

On Beatrice’s head, Naiad flailed her arms in panic.

“Stay still!”

Beatrice slammed a hand down on her to pin her in place. At that very moment, as they reached the end of the hall—

KWA-A-A-AANG!

A second explosion tore through the palace.

“!?”

Even Beatrice was thrown forward by the shockwave. She barely managed to stabilize herself with a quick beat of her wings.

“Kh…!”

Athanasia, who had rolled across the floor with Neville under Syltanaro’s protection, quickly pushed herself up.

“This is just the beginning!”

Her words warned that the blasts were far from over—and that worse destruction was coming.

“This won’t do!”

Beatrice smashed a window and shouted,

“Everyone, jump towards me!”

No one needed an explanation. They leapt out, landing on Beatrice—already shifting into her dragon form—in quick succession.

『Hold on tight!』

She soared upward in an instant. The party gritted their teeth against the buffeting wind, then glanced down.

KWA-A-A-A-AANG!

A crater blasted open in the royal palace. Debris from the half-destroyed castle shot into the sky and scattered in all directions.

“What the hell…”

Neville muttered, stunned. The others wore the same dazed expression, even if they stayed silent.

『Athanasia.』

Beatrice’s voice came like an interrogation. Snapping back to herself, Athanasia shouted,

“It’s not a failure!”

『Failure?』

“We were building what Clay wanted! A core that can hold both holy power and magia at the same time!”

『Then what is that?』

“He’s still adapting to it!” Athanasia yelled, “This is the final backlash before the two forces fully synchronize! He just needs to vent it out and endure! The pressure’s being released—it’ll settle down soon!”

『And if it doesn’t?』

“It’ll blow!”

Everyone’s eyes widened at her explosive statement.

“What?”

“I-it’s fine!”

Athanasia spat the words out under Syltanaro’s unhinged gaze.

“It’ll be fine!”

But it was nothing more than guesswork, and everyone’s faces darkened. Meanwhile, the detonations below continued.

“What the—get down!”

“It’s coming this way!”

“Run!”

Nearby soldiers screamed and fled. Both the gathered civilians and the Demon King’s Army recoiled in shock, retreating to a safer distance.

Rumble!

The ground gave way. Beatrice saw the floor beneath Clay collapse, dragging him into the underground, and she immediately landed the group nearby before taking to the air again.

『Explosion or not…!』

One more blast could bury even her. Yet she ignored the danger, tearing through the dust.

『!』

Her eyes caught Clay, barely standing under the weight of a collapsed wall.

KRAAANG!

She turned instantly, her wings slicing the wall like steel blades.

Freeing Clay from the crushing weight, she gripped him gently in her jaws and shot upward.

She cleared the pit just as the ground collapsed again. Only then did she set him down in a safe spot.

『Clay!』

He sat motionless, as if utterly drained of strength.

Beatrice, in human form again, pulled him close.

“Wake up!”

As she tried to restore him, she felt something strange. Her eyes widened, and she looked at him in shock. Slowly, Clay lifted his head to meet her gaze.

Thump.

Something was beating inside him, like a newly grown heart.

“You… did it?”

Her tone was half-worried, half in awe.

“Probably.”

His expression said it all—she was the first person he wanted to share this success with.

♧

Stability.

It was a word far removed from the Clay of now.

“Beatrice.”

Yet, even now, there was someone who could bring him a measure of peace.

“Yes.”

She had already moved him to another location. Inside a room of the detached palace that had remained intact, she was laying him down, his head resting on her lap.

“Did I faint?”

“Yes.” Beatrice let out a sigh, “You were reckless while I was gone.”

She pointed out his folly.

“Even if Athanasia could do something like that, you should have discussed it with me first.”

“Then it might have taken longer. Maybe it wouldn’t have been possible at all.”

“So you see me as someone who’s too rigid.” Her voice lowered slightly before she continued, “Of course, I would have had to prioritize your safety. I’ll admit that much.”

“It’s not like I did it specifically because you weren’t here.”

“I know.”

“I just didn’t want you to misunderstand.”

Clay spoke with a rare sense of comfort.

“It’s because of you that I’ve been able to keep living like this. I’ve always been grateful for that.”

“You say embarrassing things so easily.” Beatrice allowed herself a faint smile, “If you’re that grateful, then make me a promise.”

“A promise?”

“Yes, it’s—”

“Clay!”

Just then, someone burst into the room calling his name.

“Naiad?”

With a questioning look, Clay opened his arms as Naiad flew straight into them.

“You’re safe!”

She rubbed her face against his chest.

“The explosion was so strong, I was worried! I’m so glad you’re alright!”

Clay glanced toward Beatrice. It was odd—judging by how much time had passed since he’d collapsed, Naiad’s arrival only now didn’t make sense.

Beatrice, catching his gaze, gave a slight shrug.

“I told her to wait until you woke up. I didn’t want to disrupt your recovery.”

“If I were here, you’d recover faster! I know how to heal too!”

“I told you before—you're too small to even support Clay’s head.”

Naiad let out a groan at that.

“That’s not true! I can get bigger, you know?”

“Really?”

“Yes! There are some conditions, but—”

“So right now, it’s impossible.”

“Ugh!”

Naiad clenched her teeth, pouting like a child who refused to lose.

“Naiad.”

Clay spoke to calm her down.

“If you were that worried, you could have come in. Even if Beatrice told you not to, you could have forced your way—”

“No, this is an emergency shelter room. The door’s warded. Beatrice locked it herself, so I couldn’t open it until now.”

Seeing her look aggrieved, Clay chuckled.

“I see. Well, now that I’m fine, you don’t have to worry so much.”

“Hmph…!” Naiad muttered and shot Beatrice a look, “That’s good, but be careful. She’s a really scary woman.”

“Oh my, someone might take that the wrong way.” Beatrice wrapped an arm around Clay’s shoulders, “Clay and I share a special bond. There’s nothing scary about it.”

“Let go of him!”

Naiad flew up and pushed Beatrice away.

“My.”

Beatrice’s eyes widened slightly in surprise at the power such a small body could produce.

“So the Spirit King is a Spirit King after all.”

Her body then ignited, flames roaring to life and engulfing her entirely. Startled, Naiad quickly darted back into the air.

“But if you keep acting up here, you could be reduced to ashes in an instant.”

“Try me!”

Clay sighed as the two bickered.

“That’s enough, both of you.”

For the supposed second-in-command of the Demon King’s Army and the Spirit King, their exchange was anything but dignified.

“I’d rather you didn’t fight over something so trivial.”

“It’s not trivial!” Naiad bristled, “You were in danger! I should’ve been the first to check on you!”

“I already told you—I was the most suitable for the task. I’m the one who saved Clay in the first place.”

“That’s—”

“Do you think Clay can keep indulging you if you keep acting like a child?”

At the sharp words, Naiad froze, shocked.

“You… you…”

“Clay is the leader of the Demon King’s Army, and I’m second-in-command. I have the responsibility to stay closest to him. I won’t tolerate interference.” Beatrice’s eyes gleamed fiercely, “So choose your moments wisely.”

Perhaps because their private time had been interrupted, Beatrice pressed Naiad hard. Instead of retaliating, Naiad flew up and grabbed Clay’s cheeks firmly, as if to tell him to listen closely to her side.

“See? She only says mean things! Are you just going to sit there?”

“…I’m not sure.”

“Not sure?!”

Even the great Clay looked awkward, and those standing outside the door couldn’t help but let out quiet laughs.

“Well, looks like we won’t be going in there.”

“Indeed.”

Athanasia and Syltanaro muttered, while—

“Guess I should be glad you’re safe.”

Neville paced nearby, unsure of what to do, and let out a sigh.

‘I’ll have to talk to him about this later.’

Amid the noisy scene, Clay lowered his gaze to his own body—where something inside him was still faintly stirring.

(End of Chapter)

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