Luna-san’s room was the very definition of Feminine Power. I obviously couldn't go around touching things recklessly, but since there was only one chair, I didn't even know where I was supposed to sit.
I ended up waiting just inside the door for about ten minutes before Luna-san finally entered, a look of exhaustion plastered across her face.
"My apologies for the wait, Miyama-sama. Please, take the chair."
"No, wouldn't it be better if you sat down, Luna-san? You look completely drained."
"Yes, well... to be honest, the mental fatigue is quite severe. However, I shall sit on the bed, so please, do not worry about me."
"I... I understand."
Since Luna-san had returned, I assumed her discussion with Noah-san had finally reached a stopping point. One look at her face was enough to tell me it had been a grueling battle.
At her urging, I sat in the chair. She placed a cup of hot milk before me—not the one she had been drinking earlier, but a fresh cup she must have just prepared.
"To be perfectly honest, I did not want you to see this room... but I pride myself on the fact that my tastes are far more normal than Lili’s Dragon Room. I suppose it is acceptable."
"It’s a very cute room. The plushies have wonderful designs."
"I am aware it is a bit childish, but I have always been fond of them."
"I think it’s great. Everyone has their own preferences. Besides, if we’re talking about being childish, I have my fair share of that too."
"Now that you mention it, Miyama-sama, your food preferences are—"
"Whoa there, Luna-san. Saying any more than that would be a breach of our contract."
"Fufu, quite right. My apologies."
It wasn't her usual malicious teasing; it was just a light joke woven into casual conversation, and I didn't mind it at all. In fact, having a talk like this with a softly smiling Luna-san felt rather nice.
As we continued our peaceful chat, Luna-san suddenly went quiet, her expression shifting as if she were weighing her words.
"Luna-san?"
"Miyama-sama, this is a bit of a sudden change in topic... but may I ask you one thing?"
"Eh? Sure."
Her thoughtful silence transitioned into a look of absolute seriousness as she gazed at me. I straightened my posture and nodded.
"In the past six months or so, I believe you have encountered various... well, situations that defy common sense. There were hardships, and there must have been times when you truly feared for your life. Did you never think about simply running away?"
"..."
I wasn't sure exactly which incident she was referring to. But just as she said, I had experienced so much in these six months.
The battle with Anima back when she was still a Black Bear, the chaos surrounding Megiddo-san, the time I was kidnapped. Facing the depths of Kuro’s heart, the terrorist attack during the Hero Festival... I’d even defied a transcendent god like Eden-san. There were even situations that sounded ridiculous when put into words, like confronting a Hero-role just so I could speak with the Demon King.
"I don't believe anyone would have blamed you if you had fled. So why... why are you so strong?"
"Um, well, Luna-san. You’re making one major misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding?"
"I’m not strong at all. In fact, I’m surprisingly cowardly."
There were many reasons why I had managed to face those things. I had reliable allies by my side, or there was something I wanted so badly I was willing to push through the fear, or sometimes I was just swept up in the flow of events. There were really all sorts of reasons.
But when it came down to why I didn't run away, only one answer came to mind.
"Well, how should I put it... I think running away is a decision that requires a lot of courage. I’m far too cowardly for that. I’m not skilled enough to just turn my back on things and forget them, and I don't have the courage to choose the path of escape. I’m just... a very small existence."
"..."
"So, it’s actually a very simple story. The only choice I have is to force some life into my trembling legs, lean on the support of those around me, and scramble forward with everything I’ve got. Though, having that choice at all is only because I am so incredibly blessed."
"Is that so? Then, as I thought... you truly are a strong person."
I didn't fully understand why she had asked, but it seemed I had managed to give her the answer she was looking for.
Watching Luna-san smile contentedly, I felt a strange sense of relief.
Dear Mother, Father—I really am a weak human being, someone who is helped by others far more often than I help them. But being supported like that... and being able to offer a little strength in return, however small, fills me with a happiness I can truly take pride in. Because I am so incredibly blessed, I can somehow find the strength to stand without my knees buckling.
In a wide plain a short distance from the capital of the Kingdom of Sinfonia, the sounds of intense combat echoed through a normally quiet area with few monsters.
Lunamaria, one of the two combatants, was pulling weapons from her Magic Box one after another as the battle progressed.
Lunamaria had no weapon of choice. To put it kindly, she was an all-rounder; to put it bluntly, she was a jack of all trades and master of none, switching between various armaments to suit the flow of combat.
Sword, spear, bow, axe, mace... As she cycled through an enormous arsenal, a sharp reprimand cut through the air.
"Your switching is too slow! I told you not to stop thinking! When you are facing a superior opponent, pausing your thoughts for even a second is the same as asking them to kill you!"
"Gugh!?"
The one delivering the harsh lecture while punching through Lunamaria’s small shield was none other than her mother, Noah.
"How long do you intend to stay on the ground? Your opponent isn't going to be patient enough to wait for you to stand up!"
"Y-Yes!"
With a severity that was impossible to imagine from her usually airy demeanor, Noah launched a follow-up attack at the fallen Lunamaria.
A shockwave rippled through the earth from her swung arm, closing in fast. Enduring the pain, Lunamaria scrambled to her feet and dodged with a sideways leap, but Noah gave her no time to breathe.
"Against a superior foe, being one step ahead is too slow. Even two steps ahead isn't enough! You must always read three or four steps ahead. If you cannot do that, you will simply be crushed!"
"Yes, Mother!"
Noah was Lunamaria’s mother, but she was also her combat instructor. And her lessons were notoriously ruthless.
It was because Noah loved her only daughter from the bottom of her heart that she was so unforgiving during their training.
If she showed any leniency now, it would only lead to Lunamaria’s death later.
They continued their mock battle for a while longer until, sensing the right moment, Noah’s expression finally softened.
"Ru-chan, let’s take a short break."
"Haa... yes... understood... haa..."
"I understand your impatience, but blindly punishing your body won't make you stronger on its own. You must take proper rest."
"Yes... Mother, do you think... I can actually get stronger?"
Lunamaria sank to the ground as Noah had suggested and spoke in a small voice. The image of a certain young man flickered in her mind.
The one who was destined to challenge the very apex of the world.
"You seem unusually motivated today."
"When the Phantasm King-sama spoke to Miyama-sama in secret, it didn't really feel real to me. Lili and Sieg were panicking, but to me, that battle felt like something happening in a place far beyond my reach. I couldn't wrap my head around it."
"But now, it’s different?"
"It would have been fine if Miyama-sama were some kind of superhuman. If he were some invincible hero who feared nothing and never wavered, I could have just stayed a casual bystander."
Lunamaria had long believed that Kaito was exactly that—a superhuman. Someone who felt no fear and could charge into situations that would leave her terrified. She believed he possessed an unbreakable heart.
"But the truth is, he’s no different from me. He gets scared, and he gets lost. He’s just a normal, clumsy person."
"..."
"And yet, I know he won't run away. Even if he’s afraid, even if he’s trembling, he’s still going to stand there and face the apex of the world. If that’s the case... then I want to be of some help to him. Even if it’s only a little. It’s not like I dislike the man, after all."
"I see. If you can feel that way, then you’ll be just fine. You will certainly become strong."
Feeling proud of her daughter's growth, Noah turned her gaze toward the sky. The clear blue expanse was so silent and beautiful that it felt like the calm before a storm.
It was coming. In this world centered on the Singularity known as Kaito Miyama, a conflict greater than any in history was about to begin.
Serious-senpai: "So, how many chapters until the Decisive Battle?"
???: "Hmm... about three chapters, I guess."