In the end, thanks to the tireless efforts of Great Sage Agrippus and the soldiers, the capital of Larichmond was successfully defended.
As the sun began to dip below the horizon, the Demon King Army started to withdraw.
They hadn't been routed, however; there was no doubt they would renew their offensive come morning.
"Nyah..."
"Are you awake, Nyau?"
"Yes... Um, where are we?"
"A hotel room. Great Sage Agrippus arranged it for Nyu. He said it was the best room they had."
"I see... It certainly is a luxurious room, now that I look at it."
As a reward for her contribution to the war effort, they had been granted a suite in the city's most prestigious hotel.
"So, what is the status of the battle?"
I filled her in on everything that had happened after she lost consciousness.
We had held the line, but only by the skin of our teeth. The Demon King Army had retreated at nightfall to a nearby base where they were likely regrouping. And, in all probability, they would resume their march tomorrow.
"There's a high chance they'll invade with an even larger force than today. Tomorrow will be the deciding day."
"I see..."
Nyau nodded, falling into a vacant silence. She was likely processing the weight of the coming conflict in her own way.
"Anyway, why don't we eat? You must be starving."
"Now that you mention it, I suppose I am quite hungry."
I shared the provided rations with Nyau.
"Feeling a bit better?" I asked after we had finished.
"Yes, much better. I think I'll be able to fight again tomorrow."
"Good. Just don't overdo it."
"I understand, yes."
After her reply, Nyau suddenly leaned her head against my shoulder.
"Um, Kiska... you've predicted the future before, haven't you?"
"Something like that."
She was likely referring to when I warned her about the betrayal of Holy Knight Kanaria and Warrior Golgano.
"Does that mean you know whether or not we can win this war?"
"Even I can't know something like that."
I said the words, but I already knew the answer deep down. Judging by today's battle, victory was a distant dream. We had barely endured today; the odds of the city falling tomorrow were incredibly high.
Nyau likely knew that better than anyone.
"Um... Kiska, there's something I've been meaning to ask..."
"Yeah? What is it?"
"Who exactly is Ageha?"
So she was curious about that.
I had been asking everyone I met if they knew anything about Ageha. It was only natural for Nyau, who was always by my side, to wonder.
"Well..." I hesitated. Explaining who Ageha was to someone else was remarkably difficult. "Ageha is... she might be the final hope for humanity's salvation. That's why I've been searching for her all this time, but I haven't found a single lead."
"I see..."
"Was that answer not what you were looking for?" I asked, worried I had been too vague.
"N-No, it's not that. It's just... I half-wondered if Ageha was your lover..."
"Haha, I don't have a lover." I laughed, finding the idea strange.
Wait, someone else had mistaken Ageha for my lover before. Ah, that’s right—it was Hero Eligion.
"That's surprising. You're so handsome, Kiska, that I thought it wouldn't be strange if you were already married, let alone had a girlfriend..."
"What about you, Nyau?"
"N-Nyau couldn't possibly have a lover or anything like that!"
"Is that so?"
Strange. Hearing that Nyau didn't have a lover made me feel a sudden pang of relief.
After that, neither of us spoke. A heavy, quiet time stretched between us.
I felt restless, yet I found myself unable to break the silence. I wondered how the atmosphere had become so charged.
"U-Um...!"
It was Nyau who finally broke the tension.
"Kiska! I have a request...!"
Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were moist.
"Well... um... i-if this battle ends... w-with Nyau... fnyuuuuhhh..."
"Hey, are you okay...?"
After letting out a strange, muffled sound, Nyau froze. Sweat beaded on her forehead; she was clearly overwhelmed by nerves.
I could guess what she was trying to say. I knew she had feelings for me, and there was only one thing a person would try to say to their beloved in a moment like this.
If she couldn't finish it, I would have to.
"Hey, Nyau. Will you marry me?"
I tried to sound as calm as possible, but my heart was pounding so hard I thought my throat might catch fire.
It was easy to deduce that she wanted to say, "If this battle ends, please marry me." If she had managed to say it, I would have said "Yes" without a moment's hesitation.
So, I decided to be the one to say it. After all, I loved her.
But more than that, I wanted to grant the wish of this girl who was heading into a suicide mission tomorrow.
"Ugh... uuu... ah... Kiskaaaaaaaan!"
Suddenly, Nyau burst into tears.
"Hey, don't cry."
"I'm zorry! It'z just... it'z just..."
"Calm down. I'm right here. Just take your time and give me your answer."
Nyau gave a small, jerky nod. Then—
"I love you. I love you more than anyone in the whole world. So... yes, please."
Hearing those words, the dam holding back my emotions finally broke.
"I love you too!"
I pulled her into a tight embrace.
As I held her, I realized how light she was. Her frame was so delicate it felt like it might break, and my arms easily circled her with room to spare. Wanting to feel her warmth with my entire being, I pulled her even closer.
"Kiska, that hurts."
Even when she said that, I couldn't bring myself to loosen my grip.
I wished time would just stop here.
When tomorrow came, we would both likely die. If I died, time would wind back again. And if time wound back, our relationship would surely be reset. Even if it wasn't, we could never truly be together.
After all, I was a person from the World 100 Years Later. Eventually, I would have to return to that time.
"Why are you crying, Kiska...?"
"Ah... um..."
I only realized I was weeping when she pointed it out.
"I'm crying because I'm happy."
I knew that wasn't the whole truth, but it was the only answer I could give.
I woke up. Morning had come.
Looking beside me, I saw Nyau sleeping peacefully. I instinctively reached out to touch her hair. It was incredibly soft and silky.
"Ah... Kiska."
"Sorry, did I wake you?"
"No... I was planning to get up soon anyway."
She made a move to crawl out from under the sheets.
"Nyah!"
With a startled cry, she dove back under the covers.
"What's wrong?"
"No... um... I forgot I was naked."
Ah, right. We had fallen asleep just like that last night.
"Are you embarrassed?"
"...Of course I'm embarrassed."
"Even after everything we did yesterday?"
"Uuu, please don't make me remember! It was incredibly embarrassing!"
Her face turned bright red as she curled into a ball under the blankets.
"You're cute."
"Wait, Kiska! Don't just say things like that! Ah!"
Even as we shared this moment, time continued its relentless march.
Soon, the final battle for Nyau and me would begin.