After a brief self-introduction, Flare-san slid the pipe she had been holding into a holder strapped to her belt. She then looked up at me and spoke.
"It would be easier to understand if I showed you my dragon form, but that would certainly cause an uproar in the middle of the city. I shall leave that for another occasion. My apologies... I explained things poorly and caused you unnecessary confusion, my Comrade."
"Oh, no, please don't worry about it. By the way, um, what did you mean by 'Comrade'?"
"Haha, well, it is simply that we once stood upon the stage of the God Realm together. Though our positions and techniques differed, we faced the same direction and fought for the same cause. Thus, we are Comrades."
"I see."
The "stage of the God Realm" she mentioned referred to the trial Shiro-san had given me. Since I had only heard the details from everyone after the fact, I didn't know the specifics that well. However, it seemed that besides my close acquaintances, a great many others—including the Six Kings' Executives—had lent their strength to that battle.
And Flare-san was one of them. Meeting her like this, even by chance, felt like a stroke of luck. I had been thinking that I needed to thank everyone eventually anyway.
"Flare-san, it’s a bit late, but thank you so much for lending me your strength back then. I truly appreciate it."
When I bowed my head to her, Flare-san blinked in surprise for a moment. Then, she smiled with a touch of tenderness and reached out to lightly tap my shoulder.
"I would like to say that no thanks are necessary, but I shall accept those words of appreciation with gratitude since they come from my dear Comrade. However, if that is the case, then allow me to offer my own thanks in return."
"Wait, for what?"
"I wish to express my gratitude for being able to take part in that battle, and for being allowed to witness your great deed with my own eyes, however briefly. It was truly magnificent."
"No, I was really helped by so many people during that incident. The only reason I was able to reach Shiro-san was because of everyone who supported me."
Those words came straight from my heart. I had technically defeated the Creator of the world—put that way, it sounded like an incredible, world-shaking feat. But in reality, I wouldn't have been able to overcome even the first trial with my power alone.
I spoke with those feelings in mind, but Flare-san quietly shook her head.
"No, you misunderstand, my Comrade. Certainly, what you accomplished and the result you achieved were wonderful. However, the reason I call you great is not because you won."
"It's not?"
"It goes beyond the matter of the God Realm. From the moment you arrived in this world until the time you challenged a God, you must have faced countless obstacles. I do not know every detail, but there was the incident with the Underworld King, the conflict involving the one called the Demon King, and surely many other hardships besides."
Flare-san paused and turned her gaze toward the sky. Following her lead, I looked up to see a beautiful, cloudless blue expanse stretching out above us.
Still staring at the sky, she continued in a gentle tone.
"Tell me, my Comrade. There must have been many times when you could have 'compromised.' There must have been paths where you could have simply 'given up.' Of course, in life, there are moments when running away is not an option. However, those moments are few and far between."
"..."
"You could have stopped at a moderate result. Even if you had abandoned the struggle and fled, no one would have blamed you. The walls standing in your way were far too high for a mere human to be expected to climb."
As she spoke, I realized she was right. For example, when I first met Isis-san, no one would have faulted me if I had lost to my fear and run home. There were many times when I could have turned back, and many instances where it would have been easier to settle for less and give up halfway through.
But I didn't.
"But you did not stop, my Comrade. Seeking the best possible outcome, you steeled your trembling heart and stood your ground. Because you did, you gained so much. Because you did, you grasped a magnificent victory."
"Flare-san..."
Flare-san shifted her gaze from the sky back to me, looking me straight in the eyes.
"My Comrade, you are not great because you won. You are great because you 'challenged' it. Above all else, I wish to praise your courage—that proud heart that reached out, refusing to settle for anything less than the best. You should be proud. That challenge was something that could only be achieved because it was you. It was a great deed that no one else could have ever imitated."
Even through our brief exchange, I could tell Flare-san was a straightforward, honest person. That was why I knew these words of praise were her true feelings, and it made me feel a little bashful.
"That is why, to have been able to provide even the slightest bit of help in my Comrade's great challenge... it is a source of pride for me. Being able to see you emerge victorious brought me a joy beyond compare. Therefore, let me thank you. I was allowed to participate in a truly grand battle."
Seeing Flare-san give me a broad, confident grin, I couldn't help but smile back. I wasn't amazing because of the result itself. I was amazing because I had aimed for that result and kept reaching for it... Flare-san's words, praising the courage I had forced myself to find, made me truly happy.
Serious-senpai: "...Her affection level is aggressively high right from her debut."
???: "She’s been doing nothing but singing his praises the whole time... Wait, Serious-senpai, why are you drinking black coffee like it's the most natural thing in the world? Also, there’s a whole bunch of extra stuff in this afterword area now..."
Serious-senpai: "Machina gave me all sorts of things. Her personality might be problematic, but her logistics are truly godly."
???: "I was worried about whether you two would be okay, but it looks like you've actually hit it off. Well, anyway, I’m putting sugar in your coffee now."
Serious-senpai: "Why are you harassing me so naturally!?"