The deck of the falling fortress.
I had collapsed and didn't even have the strength to stand, so I just watched as everything came to an end.
"We won, didn't we?"
When I looked at Luxion, he was battered all over from protecting me.
His surface was covered in dents and scratches, and his red lens was cracked.
"--Yes. However, I pushed myself too far. The main body fired the main cannon and is sinking again."
I had really put Luxion through too much.
"I-I see. Sorry--ugh"
While we were talking, it seemed the effects of the enhancement drug had worn off.
My body suddenly grew incredibly painful.
"Master! The neutralizer--!?"
Luxion confirmed that the backpack had fallen off my body, and he immediately flew off in search of the medicine.
When he got near the fallen backpack, he saw it had been pierced by spikes and the neutralizer was leaking out.
"The neutralizer. Master's neutralizer! --Mas--ter's--"
It seemed Luxion's sub-unit had also reached its limit, as it fell to the floor.
Even so, it kept trying to gather up the neutralizer.
"Master's neutralizer. Master will die-- Without this, Master's life is--"
His voice sounded almost like he was crying.
Seeing him like that, I called out to Luxion.
"That's--enough. Come--here."
Luxion, who could no longer even float, rolled over to where I was.
And then he came to a stop against my right hand.
My right chest had been pierced through.
I'd lost too much blood, and my body was a wreck.
Even with the neutralizer, there was no saving me now.
Luxion must have understood that too.
"How did Marie turn out? Angie and Livia--they're safe too, right? What about Noelle? And then--and then--"
"Master, please don't speak anymore. Help is coming. When it does, I'll definitely save you. I'll regenerate your body. By any means necessary, please stay alive."
He was saying such touching things.
"That's not like your usual self. Talk more flippantly. --I'm not going to make it. You understand, don't you? There's no time."
Before I could be saved, the time limit was approaching.
"Ahh, but--my second life, was it better than the first? Last time, I tumbled down some stairs. And then I was reincarnated into this world--"
When I started coughing, Luxion spoke to me.
"Do you have regrets?"
"I wonder--about that? It was pretty--fun, wasn't it? Though if I were told to do the same thing again, I'd have to think it over."
If I were told to loop, I'm confident I'd refuse with all my might.
Still, it feels a little wasteful.
Part of me wants to do it over, but surely ending things here is for the best, isn't it?
Liquid was leaking from Luxion's lens.
Doesn't he look like he's really crying?
Luxion spoke to me.
"Master, if--you were to do it all over again. If we could meet again. Would you come to pick me up again?"
I tried to ask what was suddenly wrong, but no voice came out.
"If Master were to be reincarnated again--in the same situation, would you come to pick me up? This time, I won't fail. I'll definitely make Master happy."
A do-over? Reincarnation--no, that's not it, this is more like a loop or that sort of thing.
Talking about, if you could go back to the very start once more.
Honestly, master and servant both thinking the same thing.
Then the answer was decided.
"--Absolutely not."
Hearing that, Luxion appeared to be disheartened.
So I told him the reason.
"If I went to pick you up--again, I don't know if I'd succeed. --If there is a do-over, this time you come to pick me up."
To obtain Luxion, I went on a great adventure that wasn't like me at all.
Riding in that little boat, how many times did I nearly die?
I don't think I'd succeed if I did the same thing again.
If that's the case, I want Luxion to come to me.
If possible, I want to be saved before I'm sold off by Zola.
"--If Master reincarnates again, will you become my Master once more?"
"O-only if you--find me--okay?"
I was at my limit.
My vision blurred and I couldn't see anything.
"--I will definitely find Master. I will definitely--come pick Master up."
"I'll be--counting on it."
As my consciousness faded, a green machine landed near us.
"Found you! You're still alive, right, Leon!?"
It seemed Jilk had rushed over.
"W-why are you here?"
Jilk disembarked from his armor and was shocked at the sight of me, but immediately began first aid.
"The others went to save Marie-san, you see."
"Th-then, you too--"
You should go to Marie too--that's what I wanted to say.
But no voice would come out.
Jilk seemed to understand what I wanted to say.
"His Highness and the others will definitely save Marie-san. Besides, saving my brother-in-law seems more likely to raise my standing with Marie-san."
What a shrewd guy.
When I laughed, Jilk's expression turned serious.
"So please, don't die. For my sake--for Marie-san's. No, for everyone's sake, I can't have you dying on us."
What an unreasonable thing to say.
"Don't--ask the--impossible."
Just as my consciousness was about to slip away, I felt warmth on the back of my right hand.
◇
The sound of waves could be heard.
When Marie woke up, she was lying on a rubber boat.
A festival happi coat had been draped over her in place of a blanket.
And under the light of the setting sun, Julius, Brad, Greg, and Chris were looking at Marie with faces on the verge of tears.
"Everyone?"
When Julius helped Marie sit up, he shouted at her.
"Why did you do something so dangerous!"
"Julius."
Julius embraced Marie.
"Thank goodness. Truly, thank goodness. --That you're safe, I'm truly glad."
Brad was crying.
"If Marie died, we couldn't go on living!"
Greg was sniffling.
"Rely on us more, Marie! You're just like Leon--at the important moments, you push yourself too hard all alone!"
Chris had removed his glasses and was covering his eyes with his hand.
"Still, I'm glad Marie is safe."
Seeing the four crying, Marie looked up at the sky and gasped.
"H-hey, what about Bro? And what happened to Jilk and the others!?"
Just as Julius was about to open his mouth, an airship floating on the sea approached.
It was the Bartfort family's airship.
Nicks was waving from the deck.
"Are you guys safe!?"
On that deck, the sapling of the Sacred Tree was visible.
Jilk's armor was also visible.
When Marie tried to get up, Julius held her in his arms.
"Jilk is safe. Those who escaped are also alive. But Leon--"
Hearing that, Marie had a bad feeling.
"--Bro!?"
◇
The Bartfort family's airship, which had fallen and could no longer fly, was conducting rescue operations.
Nicks was directing the operation.
They floated the unharmed airships and were taking people aboard them.
On the deck, Vince and Balcus could be seen, both wrapped in bandages.
The two were sitting side by side, watching Nicks giving instructions to those around him.
"--You have a fine son."
When Vince said this, Balcus looked bashful.
Though he had been treated, Balcus could not move and watched his eldest son from where he was.
He was worried about his second son who had been brought in too, but since he couldn't move, he prayed for his safety from this spot.
"With that child here, my house is secure too. --They're better children than I deserve. Both Nicks and Leon. Your son too, Duke, is splendid, isn't he?"
Vince looked up at the sky.
The Redgrave family's airship was floating there, and it seemed to be organizing the surrounding unharmed airships.
"Even without me, things will be fine. It seems I'll be passing on the seat of head of the family to that boy sooner than I expected."
He seemed relieved, but Vince also looked a little lonely.
Balcus looked down.
"I'd like to hand mine over as soon as possible too, though."
Vince laughed.
"Does the Baron want to retire comfortably? Father and son really are alike."
Balcus made a troubled face.
Seeing this, Vince apologized.
"My apologies."
"No, that boy is surely safe. He's survived from no matter what situation, after all. Even so, ever since he set out on his adventure at fifteen, Leon has been one surprise after another."
It all started when he, at fifteen, searched out an unexplored dungeon and discovered treasure and lost items from there.
Leon has lived through an extraordinarily dense period of time.
"Before I knew it, he was on the same level as me, and then he quickly surpassed me--now he's at the very top. As his parent, I'm proud, or rather, I just can't comprehend it."
He had become someone beyond his reach.
Balcus felt proud of such a son--and also worried.
Vince looked up at the sky and watched the ducal house's airship descending.
Along with it, the floating island was also descending.
"A new era is coming. As an old-timer, I have nothing more to worry about. I think I might retire comfortably as well."
To Vince, who laughed that their era was over, Balcus spoke of one dream.
"That sounds nice. But before that, I have just one lingering regret."
"A lingering regret?"
"I was so busy just trying to live that I never really got to be active as an adventurer. Even if not on as grand a scale as my son, I'd like to do something."
Vince laughed.
"That sounds nice."
"Well, but finding a bride for Nicks comes first. He's the biggest problem."
"He should be found one in no time, surely."
"That's the difficult part."
Then, a man who had been listening to their conversation spoke up to Vince and Balcus.
"You're having quite an interesting conversation, Duke."
Seeing the other party, Vince immediately understood who he was.
"The Roseblade family?"
"Who's that?"
Balcus, not knowing him, honestly asked Vince.
"Count Roseblade."
"Eh!? You were a Count!? Th-this, please forgive my rudeness--"
Seeing the startled Balcus, the Count laughed.
"You saved me when I was shot down. Please don't stand on ceremony."
The Count looked at Nicks, who was giving instructions on the deck.
"--You really do have a fine son. How about it? I have a daughter, you see."
Without Nicks's knowledge, talk of a marriage engagement was being raised.
◇
"Hurry with the medical pod!"
Inside the Bartfort family's ship.
Various pieces of equipment were being brought in there.
Robots moved about on Cleare's instructions, and when Leon was brought in and placed into a pod, treatment began in great haste.
Noelle was speaking to Leon.
"Wake up! Hey, Leon!"
Yumeria pulled Noelle away from the pod.
"Noelle-san, we have to let him rest now."
Kyle and Carla, having heard that Marie was safe, were heading there with Jilk.
Angie and Livia were being treated in a separate room.
Cleare looked at Luxion's battered sub-unit.
"You've been motionless for a while now--are you broken!? I can't tell what's going on at all!"
She couldn't tell what had happened to Luxion's main body either.
Was it sinking and immobile? Or was it safe?
If it was safe, she wanted it to bring the medical pod they'd previously obtained from Ideal.
Cleare looked at Leon.
Leon had been stripped, and various devices were attached to him.
The gaping wound in his right chest was horrible.
But what was even worse was Leon's body, ruined by the enhancement drugs.
"Even with regenerative treatment, it's meaningless if Master dies like this. Besides, the equipment-- Luxion, where is your main body!?"
Noelle gripped Leon's hand.
"Leon, I won't forgive you if you die in a place like this!"
Leon was somehow keeping his heart beating thanks to the medical pod's apparatus.
But it wouldn't be strange if he died at any moment.
Into that room, Livia and Angie rushed in wearing hospital gowns.
When Noelle made room for the two of them, Livia and Angie touched Leon's body.
"Leon-san! Please open your eyes, Leon-san!"
"--You idiot. If you die, there's no point to any of it!"
When Leon faintly opened his eyes, Livia and Angie--and everyone around them--smiled.
But just as he closed his eyes again--Leon slowly took one breath.
Immediately after, the electrocardiogram showed Leon's heartbeat had stopped, and a continuous "beep" sound began ringing out.
Cleare spoke regretfully.
"--Master, you idiot."
Everyone around understood what this meant, and Noelle collapsed to her knees on the spot.
Yumeria also burst into tears.
Livia shed tears with an expressionless face, and Angie clung to Leon's body and wept.
"Don't leave me behind! You promised, didn't you? That you'd definitely make me happy!"
As Angie clung to Leon and cried, things grew noisy outside the room.
Without paying it any mind, Livia silently touched Leon's face with her hand.
And then, while tears spilled down in large drops, she desperately tried to force a smile.
"Leon-san--I absolutely will not forgive you for leaving us behind. Please, please open your eyes. Call me Livia again."
Livia's tears fell onto Leon's face.
Leon did not move.
And then, those who came noisily into the room were Marie and the others.
"Bro!?"
Marie rushed in and grasped Leon's hand.
He was already in cardiopulmonary arrest.
Cleare had given up too.
"He just now passed away."
Hearing those words, Marie was on the verge of tears, but immediately wiped them away.
"Not yet. There's still time!"
Angie raised her face.
"There's still time? I-is that true!?"
Livia grabbed Marie's shoulder.
"Is there some way?"
Perhaps it hurt because of the incredible force, but Marie brushed her hand away.
"Don't underestimate my game knowledge! --There's a spell that only a Saint can use."
Angie was startled.
"You can treat him from this state? I've never heard of such a thing. Even Cleare has given up!"
Cleare also agreed with Angie's opinion.
"That's right. I don't think the magic of this world can do anything about this either."
But Marie seemed to know something.
"Don't worry. I'll bring Bro back. But if Bro's soul departs, I can't bring him back. I want to tether it with something, but there are no tools here. In any case, we have to hurry."
Noelle clung to Marie.
"Maricchi! Anything is fine, just tell us! What kind of tool do we need!?"
"A tool to tether the soul. I think Cleare can manage the body somehow, but if the soul departs, nothing can be done."
Just then, the back of Leon's right hand began to shine strongly.
The electrocardiogram also began to faintly revive.
When everyone widened their eyes, the crest of the Sacred Tree's Guardian on the back of Leon's right hand shone brightly.