The resurrection state had ended, and now I had truly reached my limit. If that serpent wasn't dead yet, then I was the one who would die.
I tried to sit up, but I no longer had the strength. I attempted to sense my surroundings, but the dust and smoke were too thick—I couldn't see anything. Then suddenly, I felt a gaze from within the haze.
A gaze filled with gloom and death, and I instinctively dodged.
It... wasn't dead yet...?
As the dust began to clear, it revealed what remained of the serpent. Its once long body had been reduced to just a short stump, drenched in blood from end to end. It looked like it had used everything it had to withstand that last attack.
It was still alive... but just as exhausted as I was.
Damn it!
The serpent let out a roar of utter fury, so loud it felt like my eardrums would burst. Blood flowed from my ears, but I had no time to care.
What should I do next...
I had run out of Holy Mana, so I couldn't use Nirvana either. The serpent clearly held deep hatred for me, and it might really try to drag me to hell with it...
As expected.
It roared again and lunged toward me. Though its speed was slower than before, I didn't have the strength left to dodge. I sat there, waiting for the end.
Strangely, everything felt so quiet. I had never been this close to death before, yet I wasn't afraid. Even with the last shred of strength, I would stop it.
Come at me, you damned eel...!
I focused all my attention on the charging serpent—but then my view was suddenly blocked by someone who appeared in front of me.
"Fire Phoenix!"
That voice... it sounded familiar...
The person raised a hand, and upon speaking those two words, a blazing fire erupted and shot straight at the serpent. The sheer heat and scale of the flames were overwhelming.
It looked like it could incinerate even stone, and of course, the serpent was hit directly. Its anguished screams echoed, and when everything finally ended, all that remained was a charred corpse.
It... was really dead this time...?
I looked up at the person standing in front of me.
"Sorry I was late. The road was a bit long."
It was Shuhu... which meant...
I glanced around and quickly spotted a little girl hiding nearby, watching me. Her eyes were filled with longing, but she didn't dare approach.
I didn't know what to do, but in any case, they had just saved my life. I waved my hand, gesturing for the girl to come over. She still seemed wary, so I had to wave a few more times before she hesitantly stepped in front of me.
"Thank you," I said softly, patting her head. The discomfort I felt earlier seemed to fade away.
"Let's go home, shall we?" Shuhu suggested.
"Sorry, I'll rest for a bit." I said via telepathy. I could barely speak, let alone move.
Sigh… I just hoped Meradis would come pick me up soon.
Shuhu didn't respond. She simply glanced at the girl, and her eyes seemed to give some kind of signal. The girl hesitated but looked at me for a moment and then nodded.
Suddenly, the little fluffball approached and picked me up in a princess carry.
Ah!
Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around her neck—only to realize I was being carried by a child.
This looks so weird!
Put me down already...
How is this little fluffball so strong?
"Let's go home, shall we?" Shuhu asked again.
What else could I say? I could only nod and let the fluffball carry me like that on our way back.
I just hoped Meradis wouldn't misunderstand...
The fluffball held me tightly, but not in a way that hurt. In fact, her warm body heat made me feel a bit more at ease. Still, I couldn't believe such a small-looking child could carry me so effortlessly.
Shuhu walked slowly behind us, keeping a cautious eye on the surroundings. It looked like she was still on high alert. Even though the serpent was dead, there was no guarantee that something else wouldn't appear.
Oddly, even though they clearly had the means to instantly bring me back to the capital, they chose to walk instead. That made the journey feel unnecessarily long.
I wasn't sure if I had fallen asleep or simply lost consciousness for a while, but when I came to, I saw Arkanis right before my eyes.
The scene was still chaotic. Several buildings had collapsed, and the citizens were chattering nonstop about the events of the day.
Soldiers stood at the gates, blocking anyone from entering or leaving—but they didn't seem to notice us.
Probably Shuhu's doing.
"Shiraori!"
It was Meradis. I suddenly felt nervous for some reason.
She rushed over to me, but when she saw me being carried like a princess by a child, her expression froze.
I could see the tension in her face, every muscle in her cheeks pulled tight. Her eyes seemed to question whether she was seeing things correctly.
I quickly used telepathy before she could get the wrong idea.
"I don't have the strength to walk on my own."
Her expression didn't change.
"They saved me." I added.
Meradis blinked once, then shifted her gaze to the fluffball. For some reason, I felt like... she really didn't like this.
The fluffball seemed to notice Meradis's gaze but showed no reaction. She just kept holding me tightly, as if I were something incredibly precious that she didn't want to let go of.
In the end, Meradis sighed.
"Alright. But put her down."
The fluffball hesitated.
I quickly patted her shoulder, signaling that I could stand. She glanced at me once, then slowly lowered me to the ground.
The moment my feet touched the floor—
Cough!
A wave of pain struck, and I collapsed instantly.
"Shiraori!"
Meradis quickly caught me. I could hear her gritting her teeth in frustration.
"Don't push yourself…" She said.
I wasn't. I just didn't expect my condition to be this bad.
"...Alright. Let's get back first."
I didn't object. This time, the fluffball didn't carry me—Meradis carried me on her back.
I didn't resist.
The trip back was wrapped in an odd silence.
Once we arrived, I was immediately examined by the mages. Of course, they couldn't fully heal me, but at least I wasn't in so much pain that I couldn't move anymore.
Meradis gave me a brief summary of what had happened in the capital during my absence, and I introduced her to Shuhu and told her about the fluffball.
"I see. Then you should get some rest."
I nodded. Memez arranged a luxurious room for us inside the royal pyramid. He himself was busy dealing with the coup and preparing to announce Rian's identity to the public.
That night, I lay in bed, unable to sleep. I had recovered a fair bit, but laziness had crept in, and I didn't want to move.
The fluffball was sitting nearby, her eyes never leaving me. No one told her to, but she stayed there like a vigilant kitten wary of the world around her.
Suddenly, the door opened and two small figures entered.
Rian and Erin.
As soon as Erin saw me, she rushed over and hugged me tightly, like she was afraid I would disappear if she let go. The fluffball stood next to her, hand still mid-air, having missed the chance to pull Erin back.
Oh, I could see it clearly—there was jealousy in the fluffball's eyes.
How cute.
"Sis!" Erin sobbed as she called out to me.
I patted her head, silently assuring her that I was fine now and she didn't need to worry.
Erin clung to me stubbornly, but this time the fluffball wouldn't stay idle. She reached out, trying to pull Erin away from me. Erin immediately sensed her spot was at risk and hugged me even tighter, glaring at the new rival.
I felt the corner of my mouth twitch. Were these two really about to fight?
Whatever the case, I still needed to check on Erin. The Holy Spirit had passed her power to Erin earlier, so something must have changed.
Appraisal!
[…]
Oh, there it was.
Erin's Eucharist had awakened a little more. It was divided into ten parts, and she had now awakened two of them—even if only slightly. If she had someone to properly guide her, she wouldn't have anything to fear.
That was exactly what I'd been thinking about.
Suddenly, someone came to mind. Wasn't the perfect candidate already right here?
I looked at Shuhu. She was calmly sipping her tea. I didn't know how strong she really was, but as the Queen of the Phoenix tribe, she definitely wasn't weak. Maybe I could entrust Erin to her.
Yeah. I'd find time to talk to her about it.
As I lost myself in thought, an intense battle had already broken out elsewhere...
The fluffball still wore her usual expressionless face, but her eyes had grown sharper. She continued tugging at Erin—this time with a bit more force.
But Erin wasn't backing down either. She clung to me like an octopus, glaring fiercely at the fluffball as if ready to fluff up and brawl at any moment.
"Sis is mine!" Erin declared boldly.
The fluffball didn't say anything, just tugged a bit harder.
I sighed and reached out to pat both their heads.
"That's enough." I reminded them through telepathy.
The fluffball stopped immediately, though her gaze never left Erin. Erin pouted but also stopped making a fuss.
I had finally calmed the two down… but I still felt like someone was staring at me. I scanned the room and found Meradis standing in the corner, eyes locked on us.
The look in her eyes practically said, "I want in on this fight too."
Don't make my life any harder than it already is!
Fine! I'll sleep with you tonight, happy now?
Or so I thought.
When it was time to sleep, the two kids absolutely refused to leave. Even Shuhu was powerless against the fluffball, and Erin had already claimed her spot beside me. The fluffball quickly laid down on my other side.
And Meradis…
Oh no, she's clearly not pleased.
What do I do now…
I couldn't bear to kick the two kids out. There was only one way: make them leave willingly.
I used telepathy to ask Meradis to return me to my original form. She looked hesitant, but I was already determined. She cast the spell, dispelling the transformation magic, and I immediately returned to my previous spider form.
Look!
Scared now, aren't you!?
I was waiting for them to scream or freak out—but strangely, the room remained quiet.
"So this is what you really look like, sis? You're beautiful!" Erin said with a beaming smile.
Just what kind of taste do you have, girl!?
I glanced at the fluffball—only to find her gaze burning even hotter than before.
Okay, I admit it. I really don't understand these kids at all.
"Let's sleep." I said.
By midnight, both girls were sound asleep, and I quietly got up and left the room. I hadn't gone far before running into Meradis—she seemed to be waiting. She turned me back into my human form and picked me up without a word.
Being carried like a princess again… so embarrassing. But even so, I let Meradis carry me to another room.
Tomorrow was Rian's coronation, and there was a lot to prepare. I didn't expect Memez to rush it like this, and I was quite curious why he didn't sit on the throne himself. But whatever—not my problem.
During the ceremony, the two girls clung to me nonstop, probably because I snuck out last night. Still, Meradis didn't seem bothered anymore. After all, she had gotten her wish last night.
The coronation went smoothly. Memez listed all of Solari's crimes, and Rian was confirmed to be of royal blood. Though there were objections, I believed Rian could handle them.
Now then, time to deal with Erin's matter.
I spoke privately with Shuhu and explained everything about Erin. After thinking it over for a while, Shuhu agreed to take care of her.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally… it was time to find a way back!
Now that everything had been resolved, Meradis and I could focus on that issue.
We had unrestricted access to all information related to the Heaven's Wheel Engine, but still found nothing useful. Currently, it required a catalyst to activate, and if it wasn't Rian, then there was really no one else.
Wait a minute.
I suddenly remembered—I still had the soul of Vao's Doros.
Maybe… it could work.
I held Vao's Doros's soul in my hand, sensing the energy within. Even though the soul was shattered, I believed it could help activate the Heaven's Wheel Engine.
"Meradis, get ready." I signaled.
She didn't say anything—just nodded, her face full of concern. I began focusing, channeling the soul into the Heaven's Wheel Engine, creating a surge of powerful mana.
Light burst forth from my body, illuminating the space around us. But after a while, everything fell quiet again—no sign the Heaven's Wheel Engine had activated.
Disappointed, I leaned back—but then, a sudden flash of light erupted from the air. The Heaven's Wheel Engine finally responded. A radiant portal opened, revealing the secrets Meradis and I had been searching for all this time.
"We did it!" I whispered.
That was... a lot easier than I expected.
Was it really okay? Could we finally go back?
I looked at Meradis. She looked back at me.
We could go back now, and yet, I didn't feel as happy as I thought I would. I guess… I was still too softhearted. Maybe we should say our goodbyes first.
Suddenly, Erin and the fluffball burst into the room. They rushed over and clung to me, their faces on the verge of tears.
"You're leaving, aren't you?"
How did they know!? I hadn't even done anything yet!
I saw that Shuhu was also present. I figured she must've sensed the dimensional ripple when the portal was activated.
Well, too late now…
Not long after, Rian and Memez showed up as well.
"So it's goodbye, huh… how dull." Memez muttered, but no one paid him any mind. The three kids were what mattered.
Rian still looked composed, but his emotions were clearly stirred. Since he was closer to Meradis, I left him to her.
Now what do I do with these two little ones...
Even though I had already told Erin beforehand, she still couldn't hold back. The fluffball was the same. All I could do was pat their heads and say via telepathy:
"Live well, and we'll meet again someday."
Erin let go, tears still glistening on her cheeks—but her gaze had grown more determined. "I'll wait for you."
That sounds weird somehow… But if she could come to terms with it, then that's good.
The fluffball didn't seem to accept it yet, probably because I had never told her about this before.
I thought for a moment, then used telepathy to speak to her: "When we meet again, I want to see your magnificent wings."
Okay, maybe not the best encouragement—but it was all I could think of.
The fluffball finally understood. She let go and nodded. "Miss Shiraori... see you again."
I was a little surprised. This was the first time she'd called me by name. But come to think of it… I still didn't know her name.
"Mm, my name is Shiraori. And you?" I asked via telepathy.
She lowered her head slightly, then looked at Shuhu. After receiving a nod from her, the girl turned back to me, didn't say a word at first—then suddenly lunged forward and hugged me tightly.
"...Seraphina!" She whispered.
What a beautiful name. But why whisper like that?
After a while, Seraphina finally let me go.
Meradis had finished her farewells too, so we didn't want to delay any longer to avoid unforeseen complications. Before leaving, I also used telepathy to say one last goodbye to Rian and told him to protect Erin well.
Rian just looked at me silently, but that determined gaze of his was the firmest answer I could ask for.
Good.
Everything's been taken care of.
Meradis and I stepped toward the portal, our hands entwined. I turned back to look at all of them one last time, smiling softly.
"Goodbye."
And thus, my adventure from two thousand years ago came to an end.
Let's look forward to the next journey!