* * *
Ed clenched his fists a few times before gently pushing the grand duke.
“So, go and lead the knights. Leave this to me.”
“…If anything happens, I won’t hesitate to choose you, Ed. I can’t lose another family member.”
“Then I’ll just have to work harder for Your Grace’s sake.”
Smiling at Ed’s jest, the grand duke leaned down and kissed his forehead.
“Be careful, Ed.”
After a brief, lingering gaze, the grand duke silently turned and left.
Meanwhile, a knight struggling to hold back the approaching crowd felt his breath ease as a blade sliced through his constraints.
Turning to thank his savior, he froze upon seeing the grand duke’s face.
“Your Grace!”
Before the knight could express gratitude, the grand duke swiftly took command, raising his sword sheath and calling out orders.
“Everyone, to your positions!”
The knights instinctively obeyed, rallying as the grand duke’s voice cut through the chaos.
They quickly reformed their lines, their morale bolstered by his presence.
Irtel, standing close to the grand duke, whispered, “Your Grace, how long must we hold out?”
The Grand Duke gazed toward the radiant light piercing the dark night.
His resolute eyes conveyed his answer.
“As much time as Ed needs.”
Even if that meant a lifetime, he was ready to devote every moment of it.
At that same moment, Ed felt the unwavering trust and determination in the Grand Duke’s gaze, prompting a faint smile.
Resolving to meet the expectations of the one who steadfastly supported him, he focused his mind.
It was possible that his story and plans might seem unreliable.
Yet, the Grand Duke refrained from questioning further, revealing a steadfast will to support him until the end.
Bolstered by that faith, Ed extended his hand, and once again, a shimmering blue light began to swirl above his palm.
This time, the light pulled raindrops toward it like a magnet, gathering them into a rounded mass in the air.
As Ed visualized the streams becoming larger and stronger, his gaze traced the blue tether looped around the black dragon’s claw.
Looking up, he saw the young dragon coiled tightly around the black dragon’s snout, and beyond them, Luan spewing fire.
The flames pierced through the streams of rain and struck the black dragon’s dangling threads, igniting them briefly before the fire sputtered out.
“……”
However, the burned ends of the black threads began to regenerate with a faint crackling sound.
Ed narrowed his eyes.
‘The damage repairs slowly, but unless the black dragon is fully subdued, this will drag on endlessly.’
The Grand Duke, while purifying those around him, remained vigilant, ready to react swiftly if anything went awry.
Ed, too, observed him carefully and resolved himself.
‘Even if I can’t guarantee perfect success, His Grace is with me.’
Fear had no place in him.
Looking up at Luan, who was breathing flames again, Ed spread his hands wide and closed his eyes, recalling the scenes he had envisioned earlier.
A fleeting doubt crossed his mind—would the power manifest as he pictured?
But his worries were soon dispelled.
His hair rose sharply, and the wind howled around him.
When he opened his eyes, he saw water droplets swirling into a large, spinning circle above his hands.
“Ah…”
A column of water rose to Ed’s eye level, forming a circular, glowing blue barrier.
From within, six massive jets of water shot upward, like fountains erupting toward the sky.
“It worked.”
Ed whispered softly, raising his hand higher.
With a roar, the glowing water columns surged into the night sky.
“……”
Everyone held their breath.
The radiant blue streams piercing the dark sky were so breathtakingly beautiful and majestic that they made one forget the dire situation at hand.
Irtel, tilting his head back with his sword in hand, murmured unconsciously.
“It’s like another dragon ascending to the heavens.”
“Doesn’t this feel like a scene from the Empire’s myths? Dragons uniting their powers to vanquish an evil beast….”
The intertwining water columns rising into the sky were so mysterious, they seemed almost divine.
The streams soared higher and ensnared the black dragon, binding its head, body, wings, legs, neck, and tail, pulling it downward.
The black dragon thrashed violently, knowing that being dragged down meant its end.
In a desperate struggle, it forced open its snout, despite the young dragon’s efforts, and spewed a fiery blast.
The force of the attack sent the young dragon hurtling backward.
“Kyiiing!”
The young dragon’s coiled tail loosened as it was flung away, but Luan quickly intercepted it with his body.
At that moment—
A sharp sound echoed as something sliced through the rain-soaked night sky.
A radiant silver chain shot upward, its pointed end coiling tightly around the black dragon’s snout.
The dragon flapped its wings frantically, letting out muffled cries.
‘…That’s…’
Recognizing the technique, Ed turned his head.
The Grand Duke was winding the chain around his wrist, pulling it taut like a spool of thread.
The combined force of the Grand Duke’s chain and the blue tether tightened, dragging the black dragon downward.
Ed noticed the strain etched into the Grand Duke’s features as his arms tensed with effort.
Catching Ed’s concerned gaze, the Grand Duke offered a faint smile and shook his head gently, reassuring him it was all right.
Then he called out to Luan.
“Luan.”
The golden dragon responded instantly, wrapping its tail around the black dragon’s body and shifting forward.
Understanding Ed’s intent, the Grand Duke coordinated with Luan, using the chain and the dragon to maneuver the black dragon into the glowing barrier.
The black dragon resisted fiercely, its struggles deepening the lines on the Grand Duke’s brow.
Watching him, Ed was reminded of when they had first fallen into the rift together.
‘Back then, His Grace protected me while fighting alone. But now, it’s different.’
He was no longer a burden for the Grand Duke to shield.
Instead, the Grand Duke was his guide and partner, walking this path alongside him.
Briefly resting a hand on his stomach, Ed lifted his head.
‘With the child’s encouragement, I can push a little further.’
The young dragon also joined the effort, pushing the black dragon toward the barrier it had helped create, nudging its head against the dragon’s body.
United in purpose, everyone worked toward the glowing barrier Ed had summoned.
As Ed focused his energy, the wind around him grew more intense, a natural result of his heightened concentration.
When the black dragon was finally dragged over the barrier, Ed let his blood flow.
Picking up a fallen sword, he gripped its blade in his palm, allowing crimson drops to trickle down.
‘Just a little more….’
The barrier, formed from water, absorbed Ed’s blood, gradually turning from blue to red.
If you wish for peace for those around you, offer more.
Sacrifice, and I shall grant your desire. Now, hurry!
The raindrops, the barrier, and the blood seemed to whisper to Ed, urging him to give more.
Feeling dazed from the blood loss, Ed unconsciously raised the blade again to offer more of himself.
“……”
But then, a warm hand clasped his wrist.
Looking up, Ed saw the Grand Duke, panting as if he had rushed over.
“Your Grace?”
The Grand Duke gently took the sword from Ed’s hand and let it fall with a sharp clang.
The Zelda, descendants of mermaid blood, were neither fragile nor weak.
The Grand Duke knew how strong they could become when protecting something they held dear.
Before Ed could push himself further, the Grand Duke pulled him into an embrace and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.
“I called you so many times… Can you see me now?”
The tender yet vivid sensation made Ed instinctively hug the Grand Duke back.
Recalling the conversation they had when they first fell into the rift, Ed’s lips curled into a smile.
“Can you see me now, Ed?”
“Hmm, I guess you still can’t.”
The voice was the same as back then, but now, it carried a playful tone.
“I guess you still can’t see me.”
Even though I answered that I could see him back then…
As Ed took his time responding, once again, the Duke gently kissed his forehead.
The moist, sweet sensation made Ed lower his eyes slightly before looking straight at the Duke, his blue eyes filled with him as he spoke.
“You’ve always been visible to me, Your Grace.”
“I’ve felt the same, from the very beginning.”
It was as if they were confessing their hidden feelings to one another, sharing their true emotions.
“And every day, every moment, I feel you growing stronger and more wonderful than before.”
The Duke noticed the black dragon being almost fully drawn into the trap Ed had set.
* * *
