“Saluena!! I’m going to help Rose-san, so please take care of the carbuncle!!”
“I was just in the mood to start swinging my sword too. Leave it to me.”
Unicorn’s hooves tore through the lush green grass as she charged forward. I’d say it’s maybe a 100 meters between here and the altar? And Rose-san is collapsed in the middle of that huge space.
“Child of man. Why do you resist? Salvation lies right before your eyes.”
“Salvation, isn’t something you impose on somebody else. If it has to be forced, then it’s no different than ordinary violence.”
Closing the distance in one swift gallop, Unicorn placed herself between Rose-san’s body and the carbuncle as if to protect her. Form there, Saluena flew off Unicorn’s back, continuing the approach against the carbuncle on foot.
“{Powerful shield that cannot be broken}!!”
After seeing her off, I barked out my chant. Unicorn’s mane shone white as ten magic circles of differing sizes both large and small were deployed around us. I then spread them out all around us in order to protect me and Rose-san.
“Unicorn, hold for just a moment!!”
“Ooooooh, what should I do!?”
“Stay on Unicorn and tell me if anything is coming our way Lapris!! Absolutely do not leave her side!!”
I dropped down off of Unicorn’s back and rushed to Rose-san’s side.
“Rose-san! Rose-san!? Please hang on!!”
Rose-san’s eyes were peacefully shut as she laid back on the warm ground. I could feel the warmth coming from her body when I lifted her up.
“S-She’s alive!? Rose-san!! Please open your eyes Rose-san!!”
The ruby the carbuncle resides in is also known as the Dream Gem. Those who came to possess the stone fell asleep, never waking back up again until they eventually perished.
According to Toslin, Carol has been asleep for four days now. I don’t know when Rose-san collapsed, but she’s definitely in a dangerous state right now.
“…….Sally…….oneesama…….”
“Rose-san!?”
As I was shaking her shoulders, Rose-san’s beautiful peach-colored eyebrows twitched in response. And then…..she mentioned Saluena’s name.
When I heard that, there was a moment where it felt like someone was squeezing my heart. Rose-san called out Saluena’s name instead of mine……aaaaah, what am I thinking about!?
I don’t care about that right now!!
“It’s me! It’s Iris! I came to help!!”
I shouted in her ear. However, Rose-san wasn’t showing any sign that her eyes were about to open. Her face continued to carry a quiet, calm expression as her chest rhythmically moved up and down alongside her steady breath.
“Pointless. At this moment, she is rejecting this reality and enjoying the realization of all her hopes inside her happiest dreams. Her soul is already set to depart. You must not destroy her peace. Leave her as she is and allow her to die.”
“Q-Quit letting that idiotic drivel spew from your mouth!! What peace? What salvation!! We don’t want what you’re selling!! Oi Iris, give her one of my feathers already!!”
“R-Right!!”
I picked Rose-san’s hand up off the ground and clasped it with my own while holding the fairy feather. The faint glow of the fairy feather is meant to stave off death. I don’t know how effective it’ll be for Rose-san who is already on the verge of death, but it has to be better than nothing.
“Is Rosa still alive?”
After taking a few swings with her sword at the carbuncle, Saluena took some distance and called back to us.
“Yes!! S-She’s still…….alive. She muttered Saluena’s name just now.”
“……really?”
Saluena’s battle-hardened expression relaxed a bit.
“Really”
And then muttering to herself, Saluena’s grip around her sword tightened, and she once again swung down on the carbuncle.
“Fool”
*Kiiiiiiiiiiii!!*
Saluena’s sword managed to reach the carbuncle. Her blade was strong enough to cut an ent in two with a single strike, but this time, it gave off a high pitched echo as it bounced off.
“Ugh……hard.”
Rubies have a hardness that ranks up next to diamonds. The carbuncle looks almost proud of its body which carries over this characteristic and prevents Saluena from easily cutting through.
If I were to release the seal and allow Saluena to regain her former strength, she should be able to easily cut through. But without knowing how long I can channel Saluena’s power without passing out, it’s a tremendous gamble.
That’s why I set our main priority to not defeating the carbuncle, but to rescuing Rose-san and Carol.
“……..fufu……..if it’s Iris, then……..”
“……..R-Rose-san……..?”
Right now Rose-san is seeing a dream. According to the carbuncle, it’d be the dream that brings her the most happiness. So……Saluena and I are both in that dream? Moreover, just now she……called my name without using any honorifics…….
“Will you…..come with us too? Is it okay?”
Rose-san never addresses anyone without an honorific no matter who it is. Whether it be Toslin or Carol, she always attaches ‘san’ to their names. Me too of course.
But, just now……I definitely heard it. With a weak, pale expression, and yet one that was cheerful and laughing, she called for me.
Iris……..
“……no, I……won’t go. Rose-san either, you’re not going anywhere……”
I gave Rose-san one last tight hug before setting her back down on the ground.
“Hwoah!? O-O-Oi Iris! Damn it!! That thing’s starting to get serious!!”
“The unsightly. Those who tire of life. Leave yourself in silence, and embrace the final rest.”
The gem embedded in the carbuncle’s forehead glowed a vibrant red. But that light was as terrifying as it was vivid.
Taking that light at point-blank range, Saluena’s body slowed.
“…….ku……this is unexpected……..a powerful emotional wave……..”
“Damn, damn it!! My feathers aren’t going to hold out for long!! We’re all going to end up dreaming at this rate!!”
Goldmund looked over worriedly towards his master Rose-san. However, it was clear that it was becoming harder for him to keep his eyes open. His big head kept swaying this way and that as he waited for Rose-san to wake up.
“Lapris, keep calling Rose-san’s name. Goldmund, stay by your master’s side and protect them both.”
“Yeah I can do that, b-but what are you going to do!?”
“……..”
I could see Toslin fighting Carol a short distance away.
Right now Toslin is able to dodge or parry all of Carol’s attacks, but who knows when the effects of carbuncle’s light will begin to appear.
“Because the two of them won’t wake up, we have no choice but to beat the carbuncle.”
“But, not even Anego’s sword could beat it!”
I switched places with Lapris and climbed back on top of Unicorn’s back.
“No, you’re wrong.”
I shook my head, stroking Unicorn’s glowing white mane.
“There’s nothing that Saluena’s sword can’t cut.”
“Saluena!! I’m going to help Rose-san, so please take care of the carbuncle!!”
“I was just in the mood to start swinging my sword too. Leave it to me.”
Unicorn’s hooves tore through the lush green grass as she charged forward. I’d say it’s maybe a 100 meters between here and the altar? And Rose-san is collapsed in the middle of that huge space.
“Child of man. Why do you resist? Salvation lies right before your eyes.”
“Salvation, isn’t something you impose on somebody else. If it has to be forced, then it’s no different than ordinary violence.”
Closing the distance in one swift gallop, Unicorn placed herself between Rose-san’s body and the carbuncle as if to protect her. Form there, Saluena flew off Unicorn’s back, continuing the approach against the carbuncle on foot.
“{Powerful shield that cannot be broken}!!”
After seeing her off, I barked out my chant. Unicorn’s mane shone white as ten magic circles of differing sizes both large and small were deployed around us. I then spread them out all around us in order to protect me and Rose-san.
“Unicorn, hold for just a moment!!”
“Ooooooh, what should I do!?”
“Stay on Unicorn and tell me if anything is coming our way Lapris!! Absolutely do not leave her side!!”
I dropped down off of Unicorn’s back and rushed to Rose-san’s side.
“Rose-san! Rose-san!? Please hang on!!”
Rose-san’s eyes were peacefully shut as she laid back on the warm ground. I could feel the warmth coming from her body when I lifted her up.
“S-She’s alive!? Rose-san!! Please open your eyes Rose-san!!”
The ruby the carbuncle resides in is also known as the Dream Gem. Those who came to possess the stone fell asleep, never waking back up again until they eventually perished.
According to Toslin, Carol has been asleep for four days now. I don’t know when Rose-san collapsed, but she’s definitely in a dangerous state right now.
“…….Sally…….oneesama…….”
“Rose-san!?”
As I was shaking her shoulders, Rose-san’s beautiful peach-colored eyebrows twitched in response. And then…..she mentioned Saluena’s name.
When I heard that, there was a moment where it felt like someone was squeezing my heart. Rose-san called out Saluena’s name instead of mine……aaaaah, what am I thinking about!?
I don’t care about that right now!!
“It’s me! It’s Iris! I came to help!!”
I shouted in her ear. However, Rose-san wasn’t showing any sign that her eyes were about to open. Her face continued to carry a quiet, calm expression as her chest rhythmically moved up and down alongside her steady breath.
“Pointless. At this moment, she is rejecting this reality and enjoying the realization of all her hopes inside her happiest dreams. Her soul is already set to depart. You must not destroy her peace. Leave her as she is and allow her to die.”
“Q-Quit letting that idiotic drivel spew from your mouth!! What peace? What salvation!! We don’t want what you’re selling!! Oi Iris, give her one of my feathers already!!”
“R-Right!!”
I picked Rose-san’s hand up off the ground and clasped it with my own while holding the fairy feather. The faint glow of the fairy feather is meant to stave off death. I don’t know how effective it’ll be for Rose-san who is already on the verge of death, but it has to be better than nothing.
“Is Rosa still alive?”
After taking a few swings with her sword at the carbuncle, Saluena took some distance and called back to us.
“Yes!! S-She’s still…….alive. She muttered Saluena’s name just now.”
“……really?”
Saluena’s battle-hardened expression relaxed a bit.
“Really”
And then muttering to herself, Saluena’s grip around her sword tightened, and she once again swung down on the carbuncle.
“Fool”
*Kiiiiiiiiiiii!!*
Saluena’s sword managed to reach the carbuncle. Her blade was strong enough to cut an ent in two with a single strike, but this time, it gave off a high pitched echo as it bounced off.
“Ugh……hard.”
Rubies have a hardness that ranks up next to diamonds. The carbuncle looks almost proud of its body which carries over this characteristic and prevents Saluena from easily cutting through.
If I were to release the seal and allow Saluena to regain her former strength, she should be able to easily cut through. But without knowing how long I can channel Saluena’s power without passing out, it’s a tremendous gamble.
That’s why I set our main priority to not defeating the carbuncle, but to rescuing Rose-san and Carol.
“……..fufu……..if it’s Iris, then……..”
“……..R-Rose-san……..?”
Right now Rose-san is seeing a dream. According to the carbuncle, it’d be the dream that brings her the most happiness. So……Saluena and I are both in that dream? Moreover, just now she……called my name without using any honorifics…….
“Will you…..come with us too? Is it okay?”
Rose-san never addresses anyone without an honorific no matter who it is. Whether it be Toslin or Carol, she always attaches ‘san’ to their names. Me too of course.
But, just now……I definitely heard it. With a weak, pale expression, and yet one that was cheerful and laughing, she called for me.
Iris……..
“……no, I……won’t go. Rose-san either, you’re not going anywhere……”
I gave Rose-san one last tight hug before setting her back down on the ground.
“Hwoah!? O-O-Oi Iris! Damn it!! That thing’s starting to get serious!!”
“The unsightly. Those who tire of life. Leave yourself in silence, and embrace the final rest.”
The gem embedded in the carbuncle’s forehead glowed a vibrant red. But that light was as terrifying as it was vivid.
Taking that light at point-blank range, Saluena’s body slowed.
“…….ku……this is unexpected……..a powerful emotional wave……..”
“Damn, damn it!! My feathers aren’t going to hold out for long!! We’re all going to end up dreaming at this rate!!”
Goldmund looked over worriedly towards his master Rose-san. However, it was clear that it was becoming harder for him to keep his eyes open. His big head kept swaying this way and that as he waited for Rose-san to wake up.
“Lapris, keep calling Rose-san’s name. Goldmund, stay by your master’s side and protect them both.”
“Yeah I can do that, b-but what are you going to do!?”
“……..”
I could see Toslin fighting Carol a short distance away.
Right now Toslin is able to dodge or parry all of Carol’s attacks, but who knows when the effects of carbuncle’s light will begin to appear.
“Because the two of them won’t wake up, we have no choice but to beat the carbuncle.”
“But, not even Anego’s sword could beat it!”
I switched places with Lapris and climbed back on top of Unicorn’s back.
“No, you’re wrong.”
I shook my head, stroking Unicorn’s glowing white mane.
“There’s nothing that Saluena’s sword can’t cut.”
