As night deepened, stars shimmered brightly across the sky.
Astraea slowly stepped into the courtyard.
"The moonlight here is beautiful, isn't it? I enjoy looking at the stars too, just like you."
Bell drew his gaze back from the sky and looked at the smiling Goddess.
"It's nothing compared to Astraea-sama."
Astraea took a few steps closer and sat beside him on the bench.
"I didn't expect you to be so smooth-tongued."
"No, this is sincerely what I think."
Facing a Goddess who could see through lies, Bell spoke his admiration without hesitation.
His honesty only deepened the faint blush on Astraea's cheeks.
"Thank you… for taking care of me earlier..."
Astraea—who was supposed to be the one tending to the injured—had instead fallen sound asleep, soothed by the warm, peaceful atmosphere.
The boy had gently removed her boots, adjusted her posture, and made sure she slept comfortably.
That had naturally involved some physical contact.
The moment she recalled it, Astraea felt her heart flutter in panic.
"I'm the one who should thank you," Bell replied. "All my exhaustion disappeared immediately. That must be thanks to you, Astraea-sama."
"I don't possess such an Authority," Astraea said quietly.
As the Goddess of Justice and Order, a confession like Bell's—offered the moment they met—should have been cause for divine judgment. Yet had it been anyone else, she certainly wouldn't have granted him this private moment with her.
"I'm just glad you're awake. I looked at your injuries, Bell Cranel. You pushed yourself far too hard…"
Even after half a day, the memory remained vivid. A youth covered in wounds, who should have collapsed long ago, moving forward purely through willpower alone. What she had seen far surpassed the scope of a miracle.
"Does Astraea-sama not like this outcome?"
Bell asked, staring into her eyes—deep and endless like the starry sky.
"Of course I do… I'm grateful that you risked your life to save me. After all, I still have responsibilities to fulfill in the lower world."
Astraea lowered her eyebrows slightly, a faint sadness appearing on her face.
"It's about Ryuu-san, isn't it?"
"Yes. I abandoned that child, even though she was lost and confused…"
Hearing her confession, Bell let out a gentle smile. It was the self-blame and repentance of a noble, upright Goddess. But Bell knew—it was undeniably a lie.
Astraea had never abandoned Ryuu. She had traveled all the way to Solingen, the city of swordsmiths, and even recruited a blacksmith as her Captain—clearly intending to help Ryuu.
Bell softly countered, "Lying isn't nice, you know. You were just waiting for her, right?"
"..."
Astraea's eyes widened slightly, startled by the boy's perceptiveness. For a moment, she wasn't sure who was the god and who was the mortal. She let out a relieved smile and admitted it honestly.
"You're right. I believe that child will one day find her own [Justice]."
No matter how lost or immature she might be, Astraea would continue waiting for the Elf girl.
"If you're that worried, why not watch over her more closely?" Bell asked.
"…Are you inviting me to the Labyrinth City?"
Astraea tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled softly.
"Yes."
Bell looked at her with unwavering sincerity.
Astraea paused for a moment.
"When the time is right, I will seriously consider it."
Her current Familia members saw this place as their home. Even if they were willing to move far away, such a decision needed time.
"Then, about the other matter—will Astraea-sama reconsider your answer?"
Bell pressed on, giving her no chance to escape the question.
"..."
Astraea knew perfectly well that he meant his confession. From those crimson eyes, affection mixed with passion poured toward her without restraint.
"I am not a Goddess of Beauty. I'm not worthy of someone like you pursuing me."
"Is that truly your honest answer?" Bell asked, seeing through her flustered words immediately.
"..."
What she had said moments earlier was nothing more than pale self-deprecation.
Astraea's beauty had once drawn countless male gods to pursue her, yet she had always rejected them coldly—and even played vengeful tricks on gods who behaved rudely. But before this boy, her heart only grew increasingly restless.
She had already refused him once. Her compassion held her back from crushing this earnest, burning affection.
After a long silence, the Goddess realized there was no avoiding the truth any longer—and finally spoke from her heart.
"Bell Cranel, I truly admire your [Justice]. Purer than anything else, it is a brand-new answer that surpasses even miracles."
That was the [Justice] once sought by [Absolute Evil]—the resolve to never give up a single smile, to never allow a single tragedy to be born. Whether hero or harem, it didn't matter. From the way he fought, Astraea saw the youth's sincerity.
Though she had never experienced romantic love herself, the Goddess had seen far too many faces: gods who deceived women with no Justice in their hearts, humans who used Justice as bait to toy with women. The world was full of such people—even couples who vowed to grow old together often strayed. Compared to them, Astraea could fully accept the boy's dream.
Of course, what she could accept at this moment was only allowing herself to receive his earnest affection—to stand as one member of his harem, to accompany his [Justice], to offer aid and share what lay in their hearts. Anything beyond that was something Astraea had not considered at all.
"It would be quite interesting to go with you to meet Hestia, but unfortunately, I still have unfinished matters."
Astraea Familia. The Goddess could not forget the girls who had died, nor could she embrace happiness alone.
"...Is it about them?"
Bell sensed the sorrow beneath her voice. Though the departed were gone and time had moved forward, the pain still lingered deeply within Astraea.
The night had grown unnaturally quiet. The forest's magic and the clash of blades had faded far away. All Astraea could hear was the beating of her own heart.
Just as she was about to speak, a dream surfaced in her mind.
It was a vague dream—one that had haunted her ever since the tragedy. She had always believed it was her own shadow, her grief struggling to cling to the [past]. But in this moment, Astraea remembered the dream completely—just as she had when sleeping beside the boy.
In it, her former Familia members were smiling and laughing, scolding the youth for his reckless confession. Some seemed to be competing for his affection; some challenged him to spar; others questioned him mercilessly about his relationship with the Goddess. And Astraea herself stood beside him, quietly watching the scene unfold.
The dream had been so vivid, one could mistake it for the [future] waiting ahead.
Astraea blinked her blue eyes and spoke softly:
"Loki—the Familia Goddess of that golden-yellow Elf—likes to describe the gods of today with the phrase: [All-Knowing, All-Powerful]. But there are things even gods do not understand. The [unknown]."
"So what I'm about to say isn't divine revelation or prophecy, merely the wishful delusion of someone who likes to dream."
The boy listened quietly, sincerity reflected in Astraea's gaze.
"Bell Cranel, do you know what happens when a god dies?"
"They are returned to Tenkai."
"That only happens when they are gravely wounded and forced to use their Arcanum," Astraea corrected gently. "If a god truly dies, they will revive after an [unknown] span of time—perhaps in an instant, perhaps in ten thousand years."
"When children of the Lower World die, their souls rise toward Heaven."
Astraea spoke slowly. These were only her own delusions, so she didn't dictate a [future]; instead she scattered clues before the boy.
"Every person possesses a soul."
"The more a child levels up, the closer their [Vessel] becomes to the divine."
"The Genkai is filled with unknowns; even the Philosopher's Stone, hailed as a miracle, truly exists."
"And the greatest unknown lies within the Dungeon."
"Time, life, death, obsession… everything can give birth to the unknown."
Having laid out the threads of her delusion, Astraea fell silent.
The clever youth understood exactly what she meant.
There was no room in Bell's dream for tragedy. And from the very beginning, he had faintly sensed why Astraea was telling him these things. When the clues were connected, the conclusion was unmistakably clear.
In the Genkai, such a thought was taboo—the most forbidden hope one could harbor for the dead.
Yet Bell quietly engraved it in his heart.
If miracles truly existed, he swore he would give everything he had to fulfill the Goddess's long-cherished wish.
"I understand, Astraea-sama, even if this were something that never happened. If one day, a miracle truly comes to pass, would you be willing—"
"There's no need to say more."
Bell's confession was cut short by the goddess.
Astraea had already grasped the youth's resolve, deeply moved by his wisdom and courage.
She lifted the corners of her mouth and gazed toward the sky.
Under the starlit night, a faint blush warmed her cheeks.
"I swear by the Sword of Justice and the Wings."
"Even if darkness engulfs the heavens, I will walk beside you."
Though tinged with shyness, though tinged with stubbornness, Astraea still yielded to her own delusion and spoke her true heart.
"When the stars shine bright, I shall become wings—guarding the Sword of Justice, protecting the Wings of Hope, forevermore."
Had anyone else heard these words, they might have thought the goddess cruel—
accepting the youth's affection, agreeing to remain by his side, yet using her past tragedies as a barrier to refuse anything deeper.
But Bell understood.
The stars Astraea spoke of held immeasurable weight in her heart.
This was not reluctance—it was the goddess's sincerity, the sole [Justice] shared between them.
Faced with this bittersweet response, Bell extended his right hand to Astraea.
"Fulfill our mission! Restore balance to the scales! Until the day we become stars!"
It was the poem of justice.
During their journey, the fortunate youth had once heard this vow whispered in the dreams of an Elf maiden.
"Like streaks across the sky, the footprints that adorn the earth with brilliant stars!"
Bell had never asked Ryuu about it.
Even in her dreams, she repeated the lines.
The meaning of the vow was obvious.
"Swear by the Sword and Wings of Justice!"
Astraea stood frozen in shock.
Only when the youth spoke the final syllable did she smile softly and echo him:
"I swear by the Sword of Justice and the Wings!"
Astraea placed her right hand upon the back of his.
Stars glittered above as a single meteor—symbol of granted wishes—cut across the sky.
At the spot where their skin met, beyond the warmth of affection, something else seemed to stir.