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The collapsed royal castle has transformed into a mountain of rubble.
On the ground, members of the knight order and court mages were fighting against the monsters overflowing from the gate to the Underworld
I could see Cyril taking command from a distance.
The gates to the Underworld, which were scattered like voids in the sky, one by one, seem to be closing and disappearing like mist, perhaps because Mephisto has departed.
Heading towards Cyril, I notice that although his right hand was missing from the wrist down, the wound appeared to have been magically treated, as it was closed cleanly.
"Chloe...! I'm glad you're safe."
Cyril, who was about to run towards me, stopped in his tracks upon seeing Julius, who had descended with me from Helios.
Helios laid Aliza's body on the ground.
There was a gaping wound in her abdomen, and all the blood had already drained away, leaving her face pale but still beautiful.
Seeing the drastically changed appearance of Aliza, Cyril opened his mouth with a solemn expression.
"Medics, take Aliza. There's no need for treatment, but... handle her body with care, as we mourn."
Upon Cyril's orders, some soldiers carried Aliza's body away.
Then, he turned towards us and bowed deeply.
"Chloe... I'm sorry. My foolishness has caused all this."
"Cyril-sama, now is not the time for reflection or regret. Let's quickly deal with the overflow of monsters. We can think about everything else later."
"Yes, you're right. We have enough soldiers here. If possible, would you go to assist the capital?"
"Yes, of course. With Julius-san's strength, we'll sweep through the monsters in the capital in no time. Right?"
I looked up at Julius.
With a disgruntled expression, Julius gazed at Cyril and spoke, "Amidst the chaos, I wanted to kill you, Cyril Astoria, but thanks to Chloe's foolish kindness, you've survived."
"Julius-san, why would you say something like that? It's not the time for such talk. You shouldn't intimidate people recklessly."
I reprimanded him.
"Silence, fool. Your sister and that one are equally guilty. Your sister died to atone for her sins, but that one is still alive."
Julius replied calmly in response to my reprimand.
He wasn't joking or enraged. His voice was calm and his gaze collected. He seemed to genuinely believe what he wad saying.
"That's right. It's all my fault. Many people must have lost their lives. I, too, must consider how to live for redemption. But please, wait for me. I will surely redeem myself."
Cyril said solemnly.
"Cyril-sama, please don't worry. I can't say don't mind about it, but for now, we must defeat the monsters to save as many people as possible. We're heading to the capital. Please take care, Cyril-sama!"
I pulled Julius' hand and returned to Helios.
Helios, once again soaring upward, headed towards the fountain square of the capital.
In the square, several armed individuals who seemed to be mercenaries laid fallen. Among them, Roge, standing tall despite his wounds, noticed Helios flying through the air and waved vigorously.
"Chloe-chan, Julius! I believed in you!"
As Helios descended to the square with Julius-sama carrying me, Roge rushed over with a smile that looked like he might cry.
Julius-sama deftly dodges Roge's attempt to embrace us both and I end up being caught in the embrace.
It was a surprisingly strong hug. I thought my internal organs were going to fly out of my mouth.
Roge let go of me, and said, "I thought I was going to die. This time, not just you, Chloe-chan, but Julius also looks like an angel to me."
Then he stepped back, preparing his greatsword, while Julius stood beside him.
I stepped back and began chanting healing magic.
Roge's and Julius's wounds began to close.
I really wanted to heal the fallen soldiers as well, but it seemed impossible.
Using magic more than usual today, I felt like I might run out of mana. It felt like I could only use holy magic one or two more times.
Still, there was no despair. I was okay. Because Julius was with me, I felt reassured.
Gazing at his dependable back, I readied my staff. From alleys surrounded by houses, I could sense the ominous magical presence of monsters.
"I'll finish them off in five seconds, Chloe." Julius said without turning around to me.
"Yes!" I replied loudly, though I doubted five seconds was possible.
But with Julius, it felt like anything was possible.
I heard Roge mutter enviously. "How nice, being so close."
---Five seconds may have been impossible, but subjectively, it felt like it was that quick.
By the time we finished clearing out the monsters in the capital, the scenery was dominated by the orange light of dusk. So, in reality, it might have been a few hours.
But it felt like no time at all.
Thanks to Julius, me, Roge, the mercenaries, and the knights who came to assist after clearing out the monsters in the castle, all the monsters in the capital were defeated.
By the time the medics took the injured to makeshift clinics, we could see the people of the city beginning to return.
Having run out of mana, I leaned heavily on my staff, using it like a cane to support myself.
Beside me, Julius, who had sheathed his sword, stood tall as always, his hair slightly disheveled but still maintaining his usual straight posture.
In the distance, I could see Roxy and other townsfolk running towards us, calling out.
"Chloe-chan!"
I looked up at Julius.
He roughly tousled my head, causing my bandana, which had somehow disappeared, to be lost somewhere. My hair and face must have been a mess.
But strangely, I felt proud.
I glanced up at the sky, dyed orange by the setting sun, where Helios gracefully flew.
---The sky, as always, stretched endlessly, a symbol of freedom.