The scene before them was surreal. Venti’s comically oversized shield toss, and the dragon’s feline-like reaction, clutching its snout in shock—it was almost like watching a bizarre fairy tale unfold.
For Gepard, this was a challenge to all he thought he knew. He glanced at Seele, who had instinctively covered her own nose as if in sympathy, revealing a softer side beneath her warrior’s grit.
As for Bronya…
Her eyes brightened as she raised her arm, her Harmony energy flowing into her allies, her voice ringing out clearly.
“Seele, the time is now! Fight with me!”
Behind her, Seele gave an exasperated mutter, “Tch. Quit bossing me around with cool lines like that.”
Despite her words, Seele was already in motion, her agile form darting down Dvalin’s tail to reach the blossoming Fragmentum on its neck. Her scythe swung down, the crackling sound of fractured space filling the air.
Under their combined assault, Dvalin’s anguished cries echoed, its body crashing heavily to the ground, breath labored and steaming like a panting creature in a sauna.
Venti strummed his lyre, his melody freeing the winds that had gathered around Dvalin, purifying the air and guiding a gentle breeze to cleanse the last remnants of the Fragmentum’s hold on the dragon.
The dark clouds dissipated, letting sunlight stream through. Bronya watched, hope filling her heart. She gave it everything, using her Harmony to support her allies, while Seele prepared to sever the seed from Dvalin once and for all.
But just as her scythe was about to strike, the ground trembled. A portion of the central cross on the circular disc cracked and collapsed beneath Dvalin’s massive weight.
Already weakened by Dvalin’s earlier assault, the structure reached its breaking point. With a thunderous crash, one of the columns gave way, sending Dvalin and Seele plummeting. Desperate for a foothold, Seele clung to one of the dragon’s horns to keep from falling into the gaping abyss of the city’s power core below.
It all happened in an instant. Bronya’s expression turned from fierce resolve to terror, her hand reaching out instinctively as if she could catch Seele. They locked eyes, the distance both impossibly vast and heartbreakingly close.
For a brief, painful moment, Seele felt the weight of Bronya’s anguish, her own hand reaching out as if by some miracle it would close the gap.
But the crushing reality of the fall hit, and Seele felt herself slipping. Strangely, her first thought wasn’t “I’m going to die.” It was simply a refusal—a defiance against a fate that would take her life and leave her broken in the shadows of the lower district.
With a deep breath, she let out a cry.
“Bard! Get me out of here—now!”
As her plea echoed through the collapsing chamber, her vision was filled with a deep green blur. A slender, familiar figure was diving toward her.
The wind whipped through Venti’s cloak as he plummeted, an irreverent grin on his face. His eyes reflected only her image, and his expression was infuriatingly calm, as though he had every confidence they’d make it out unscathed.
“Got it, Seele. But now it’s your turn to show some faith. Maybe a token of affection, or perhaps—”
His mischievous suggestion, so casually tossed out mid-fall, earned a heated glare from her.
There, suspended amid the falling rocks and the dragon’s thrashing wings, Seele felt neither romance nor charm. Instead, she was furious—furious at this fool for jumping in without a second thought, and for making light of the situation.
But beneath that anger stirred something else, a long-restrained emotion that demanded release.
Seele gripped the red scarf around his neck—the symbol of the loyalty she’d gifted him. Leaning in, she brushed a swift, indignant kiss against his cheek, pulling back with a flushed face and a fierce whisper.
“Fine. Consider that your token of trust,” she muttered, her cheeks blazing red. “But don’t mess this up. Show me you’re worth it!”
Ah… Venti thought, almost giddy. I was going for ‘apostle of the winds’ or something along those lines, but I suppose this works.
And of course, he didn’t dare say it out loud. If he did, he’d likely find her hands around his throat.
With a grin, he let the winds gather, no longer fierce but gentle as they cradled them both, lifting them toward safety.
Caught in the dragon’s shadow, they ascended like soaring butterflies. As sunlight bathed them, they looked like saviors in a miraculous moment of grace.
Bronya watched, momentarily lost in the vision, though she was the first to snap back to reality when they touched down, awkwardly pulling away from each other.
Venti had clearly pushed his luck, and Seele’s face was a blaze of both embarrassment and frustration. She looked away, fiddling with her hair as her usual composure gave way to an uncharacteristic shyness.
So much so that she didn’t even hear Bronya’s questions about her condition.
For Bronya, the sight came with a strange pang of disappointment. What’s going on here? Am I… the only one not part of the team?
She shook off the thought before it could linger, unwilling to let herself get lost in sentimentality. There was no time for that—she had more pressing concerns, like the power core that might be damaged by Dvalin’s crash.
Just as she was about to ask Venti how they’d deal with the fallen dragon, an even more powerful roar reverberated from below.
The earth shook violently as Dvalin clawed his way back up from the darkness, wings unfurled in a defiant display of power. The remaining fragments of the seed had crystallized into sharp, jagged spines along his body.
In his blind rage, the dragon let loose a howl that seemed to rend the heavens, and Bronya felt a foreboding weight settle over them all.
The finale was here.
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