"It's finally tomorrow," I whispered, looking up at the full moon from my window.
"Tomorrow's the day you and the others head to the 92nd Floor, right, Big Sister?"
Sophia, dressed in cute loungewear, spoke to me from across the room. My little sister really was the most precious thing in the world. Just looking at her was enough to soothe my soul.
"Yeah, that's right."
"Are you nervous?"
It was only when she pointed it out that I realized my hands were trembling.
"Of course not. These are just jitters from the excitement. I’m finally getting my revenge after a whole year, that’s all."
I suppressed the unease in my heart and maintained a brave front. I couldn't afford to show any weakness in front of Sophia; I had to be the strong older sister she could rely on. If I wavered, it would only make her more anxious.
Having taken Sophia away from our home without a word of consent, the duty to protect her rested solely on my shoulders.
"...If you're scared, it's okay to say so, you know?"
"...Eh?"
As she spoke, Sophia wrapped her arms around me.
"I don't want you to go. I'm afraid you might die tomorrow, Big Sister. I want you to stay by my side forever. But even so, you're going anyway, aren't you? If that's the case, this is about all I can do, but I’ll give you some of my courage! Recently, I feel like I've finally become friends with Carol and Log. I'm even commanding the unit now, and I can feel courage welling up inside me, even if it's just a little. So, even if it’s small, I'll share my courage with you! I know you can even beat the Black Dragon, Big Sister! Do your best!"
Sophia had grown so strong. Until just the other day, she had been a shy girl who did nothing but try to read the room and shrink away. Had Orun been the one to give her the chance to change?
Even Sophia, who used to be such a crybaby, had become this resilient. I couldn't afford to be afraid here.
"Thank you, Sophia. Thanks to you, I feel that courage, too. We will—"
◇
I sat in my room, staring at my tattered Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky jacket.
"Albert-san, tomorrow... tomorrow we challenge the 92nd Floor. We're going after the Black Dragon."
Once Albert-san was gone, I became the oldest member of the party. It was only then that I truly grasped how great of a man he had been.
Was I doing a good job as the "big sister" of the group? I wasn't nearly as much older than the others as Albert-san had been, but I’d resolved to take on that role and do my best in my own way. I wondered how I was measuring up.
"Tomorrow, we're going to catch up to you. To the man who was once part of the former Hero Party. And then, we'll catch up to the current Hero—no, we'll surpass him. We’ll be the ones to become the next Heroes. Tomorrow is the first step toward that goal. I hope you'll be watching over us from heaven. Because we..."
◇
"What a beautiful moon..."
I looked up at the full moon from the roof of the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky headquarters.
"Hehe, this is the perfect night for the eve of our greatest battle!"
Whenever I felt anxious, I found myself drawn to places where I could see the moon.
And I was anxious. I took pride in the fact that we had worked harder than anyone else over the last year, yet I still didn't know if our efforts would be enough. If Alba-san saw me being this faint-hearted, he’d probably laugh his head off. He might even be rolling with laughter in heaven right now.
Wait... thinking about that actually made me a little annoyed.
"I won't lose anyone this time. I've had more than enough of that grief. That's why I've spent the year studying recovery magic and developing my own original spells. Everyone's lives are in my hands. I won't let another person die. We..."
◇
"There. Maintenance is done."
"Oh, thanks, Old Man."
I stepped into the open space and gave my twin-bladed sword—my partner—a few test swings. Alan-san—the Old Man—had done a perfect job as always. It fit my grip so well it was almost frightening.
"It’s as good as it’s ever been. ...Wil, you’ve gotten strong."
"What's with the sudden compliment?"
"You've grown. Your skills as an explorer are one thing, but your heart has changed even more. You’re still a frivolous brat, but the 'you' I used to know would’ve run away by now. Instead, you're standing your ground. You really have become strong."
"............Haha, give me a break. I was the one who acted like a coward and got Albert-san killed. He was the man I respected most. I’m the one who should have died that day. But I survived. So I have to do this. No matter how scared I am, no matter how much people sneer at me, I have to carry on his dream and conquer the Great Labyrinth. To do that..."
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
""""Tomorrow, we will defeat the Black Dragon and set foot on the 93rd Floor!!!!""""