She appeared

ー

「Sera, if we don’t return home soon, we’ll be late for dinner and, won’t Matsuki be mad?”」

Lu! I’m mad since you’re only worried about returning home late!

But I really couldn’t afford to be slow when I think about it. I and Lu depart with a promise of a reunion with the Small Silver Dragon and Miyu-tan. Of course, I put the shell of Papa Small Dragon, which smells of money, into my <magic room>.

「Sera, let’s go!」

“Wait! I want to do some reconnaissance on the west side of the swamp.”

I had Lu, who had turned into an adult size, become mofu-size once again, and used genjutsu just in case. The swamp area in the Trundle Territory is still filled with the footsteps of several people. There are even new footprints and some of those are as small as mine. A child? A woman?

「Four people. Yesterday, as per the smell.」

“Papa Dragon’s wounds are from a week ago. Are they coming frequently?”

「It looks like that… speak of the devil… I detected a strange smell popping up?」

I used recognition inhibition spells, killed my breath and hid in the grass.

We heard a voice without tension.

“We can’t find it even today. I guess it should be the time soon enough?”

“It was only hit by lightning magic. Being charred black!”

My face distorts at the unpleasant conversation. Three black-robed people appear. Their robe tells they are the Nation’s magicians.

“Maribelle needs a little more control. The time to determine how much magic you have will be coming soon after all!”

Maribelle?

In the shadow of a black adult is… pink, fluffy and curly hair… which dazzlingly jumped into my eyes.

I feel goosebumps all over my body.

“But, didn’t you say you could beat it with all your might!?”

“Idiot, a commoner should always remember to put money into their calculations! If you sell them in a beautiful state, their price will go higher. Rather than when they are in the state of a bloody pus-covered corpse!”

“Well, I never intended to end up with the common people. Hey, it perhaps lies somewhere in the interior of the swamp.”

“Idiot, this is the limit. This swamp belongs to Trundle! If you step in without permission, you won’t be able to complain even if you were killed.”

“Who is the idiot? I can’t be killed. I’m the Heroine! Hey, quickly, go ahead! That snake might be a sacred beast. Well, I’ll get the strongest Sacred Beast soon, but this is better than nothing.”

Sacred Beast!

That is! Lu!

At the unexpected encounter, I forcibly move my in-operative brain, and look at Lu at my feet.

He shudders and wiggles, stepping forward with one leg and returning, stepping forward and back, repeating it. His sky-blue eyes are red and congested with blood.

“Lu?”

He returns in a pained voice.

「Sera… weird… It’s weird. Something attracts me… I’m attracted to that girl I’ve never seen before… my mind and body are screaming to go there… I can’t get it out of my head… I think… I know…」

Aah……

The Heroine… She’s here…

Lu’s heart is not really with me, but with Maribelle. This is the so-called…… forced compulsion of the story.

Lu groans bitterly, and he looks at Maribelle lovingly. He looks downwards as if swallowing himself with that thought, and drips his drool.

The memories from the encounter with Lu at the mansion until today comes to mind. It has been 8 years since we met. It is not short. But I can’t beat the Heroine. Lu falls for Maribelle right away.

Yeah, Lu is resisting me. After 8 years together, why does it come to this!? What is this strange fate? Staying next to me, standing near my feet, I once thought Lu would never betray me.

But… Lu doesn’t have to suffer this way. Even though Lu is a part of Maribelle’s route, he is the strongest and coolest beast of the four Heavenly Celestial Divide Beasts…… and he will live happily. Lu is supposed to be in the world of Maribelle… for his Happy Ending.

Wanting him to be with me is…… my selfishness.

I knelt in front of Lu.

“Lu? No, Ludarilfina. You can go. Over there. Don’t suffer like that.”

Lu’s bright red eyes are wide open.

“Thank you for being with me for so long…… helping me fight against my fate…… Thank you…”

No good… my tears are spilling.

“The contract… Can you cancel it? Lu… I love you… good… bye…”

I thought it wouldn’t work at all if I’m spilling so many tears, so I smiled. Lu can go to the Heroine Maribelle without hesitation. So that he can leave me and not end up hating me.

My sight is obscured by my tears, but… I can hear Lu growling.

「……I see. It is like that?」

-zari-!

The smell of blood comes after the strange sound. I rush to wipe my tears with my sleeve.

Lu in front of me… his blue eyes are glittering… his mouth is dyed red, and he bled a lot of blood from his right leg.

“Lu!!!”

I jumped in front of him and tried to stop the bleeding.

「Do not touch! Sera!」

I shrink at his voice.

「Don’t heal it! I can be sane this way. Healing should be… after returning home!」

It turns out that Lu has bitten his own leg. I understand that fact, but I can’t understand why.

“Lu… why…?”

Lu put his bloody leg on my knee.

「Sera, am I unsightly?」

I shake my head.

“Lu is always… the most beautiful in the world.”

「If so, kiss me.」

I don’t understand anything, but I kiss the bleeding area without hesitation. My tongue is numb by the taste of iron.

An intense dazzling ring of light appears with a -pan- and surrounds Lu and me. This light, it’s the second time. The first being that day I met Lu. The halo descends so as to wrap around our bodies, and tightly pull our bodies together, not allowing us to separate, and disappears into our bodies.

When I stood stunned,

「I received Sera’s blood. And now, a mutual blood contract has been made. The strongest and equal contract. Sera…… Don’t cry. I belong to Sera.」

He said and smiled calmly… and fell down on me.

“Lu!!!”

As I hugged Lu, I heard Maribelle’s shout.

“What was the ray of light just now!? Probably not a Sacred Beast. Maybe the magicians!? Let’s go!”

-zaku- -zaku-

Four people have once again inexplicably entered Trundle territory. I parted my eyes from Lu and fired a coalescence of spells that looked like lighting bullets above my head.

-do――n-!!!

“What! What’s this!?”

“Crap!”

“Run away!”

“Aaah!”

At the same time they shouted, the four are surrounded by several people in stealth costumes.

Grandmother’s ninjas.

I only released the genjutsu. Recognition inhibition remains unchanged.

A man in black stealth costume kneels in front of me.

“Hime-sama.”

“These intruders, of all places, invade this swamp that is under the protection of the Small Silver Dragon. I’ll rely on you in future.”

“By your will.”

I hugged Lu in my bosom and ran with all my might.

—

TN: Sorry I uploaded so late today. I was doing the final touches on my patreon and it took waaaayyy longer than it should (^_^;)

That said, my patreon is ready. Please support me on Patreon or PayPal. Thank you(*^^*)