Sage's knees suddenly buckled, the absolute exhaustion of the day finally catching up to her.
"Sage!"
River reacted instantly, her reflexes sharp as she lunged forward to catch her mentor before she could collapse face-first into the dirt. The other elf maidens gasped in unison, taking a frantic step closer until River gently adjusted the unconscious leader in her arms, checking her pulse with practiced calm.
"Thank goodness...She's breathing," River murmured, a weary but reassuring smile washing across her face. Relief broke over the gathered group like a physical wave. "Don't worry, she's okay. She has simply overexerted herself entirely. Sage pushed her body far beyond its natural limits today."
With gentle fingers, River brushed a loose strand of dark green hair away from Sage's pale cheek.
Kaito stepped closer, his brow furrowed with deep concern. "Will she be alright?"
River nodded reassuringly. "Yes, but she will need plenty of deep, undisturbed rest. Though..." A small, wry smile crossed her lips. "...I imagine she'll scold herself fiercely for collapsing before any of the rest of us."
Even through the thick layer of physical and emotional exhaustion weighing them down, a few quiet chuckles escaped the group. The suffocating tension of the battlefield eased, if only slightly.
River turned her head, looking out across the ruined remnants of Southwatch. Thick pillars of black smoke still drifted lazily between broken, charred homes. Collapsed timber and shattered stone lined the streets, where displaced families were already quietly searching through what little remained of their personal belongings.
"We should move everyone out," River said, her tone shifting to one of practical leadership as she looked toward the heavily damaged structures. "This village isn't safe for them anymore."
The elder nodded her head in solemn agreement, leaning heavily on her staff. "Many homes have fallen to the corruption today. The foundations are entirely unstable."
"We'll evacuate everyone to the capital," River continued, organizing the survivors with a steady voice.
Kaito stepped forward without a single moment of hesitation. "What can I do to help?"
River turned to him, her eyes softening with warmth and deep respect. "If you could assist us with coordinating the civilian evacuation, we would be incredibly grateful, my king."
He nodded firmly. "Alright. Let's not waste another second."
As the rest of the group began organizing the scattered villagers, Cherry gritted her teeth, stubbornly attempting to push herself up to a standing position. "…I'm fine," she grumbled, her jaw set hard.
She managed to take exactly one tentative step before her legs completely gave out beneath her.
Before her body could meet the hard stone, Kaito's arms slid securely under her shoulders, catching her mid-fall. "…Nice try, but you're not fooling anyone right now."
Cherry immediately looked away from him, a deep blush crawling up her neck, though she tried to maintain her usual sharp edge. "I don't want to be a burden to any of you."
Kaito frowned softly, his voice dropping to a gentle reprimand. "…Cherry."
She slowly dragged her gaze back to meet his. "Ugh, please do not look at me with those pathetic, worried eyes."
Before she could voice another word of protest, Kaito leaned down and carefully lifted her up onto his back. Cherry blinked in absolute shock, her hands instinctively wrapping around his neck for balance. "K-Kaito?"
He shifted his weight, adjusting her legs securely around his waist so she wouldn't slip. "Don't worry. I've carried much heavier things than you back on Earth."
"…Absolute liar," Cherry muttered, though her lips curved slightly as she rolled her eyes against his shoulder.
"Stop arguing with your king," Kaito countered playfully, taking his first steps forward.
Cherry let out a soft, defeated sigh. Then, slowly, the rigid tension left her muscles, and she entirely relaxed against him. She rested her cheek gently against his shoulder, her breathing even. "…Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely louder than the rustle of the leaves.
Kaito smiled softly to himself, keeping his grip steady. "You were reckless out there."
"…I know," she murmured into his collar.
"You scared us half to death, Cherry."
The fiery elf went completely quiet for a long moment, the steady thumping of Kaito's heart the only sound between them. "…I'm really sorry."
Another comfortable silence settled over them as they walked through the ash. Then, Kaito broke it. "…But thank you."
Cherry blinked, lifting her head slightly. "…For what?"
"For throwing yourself in front of me. For protecting my life."
Her cheeks burned a radiant pink, and she buried her face right back into the crook of his neck. "…I would do it again in a heartbeat."
Kaito immediately shook his head, a phantom ache flaring in his chest. "Please, never do that again."
She let out a quiet, melodic laugh. "No promises, human."
Nearby, River carefully maneuvered Sage's tall, unconscious form onto her own back. Though Sage was noticeably taller, River hoisted her up with a surprising, fluid ease born of elven strength.
Orchid walked alongside them, a knowing, amused smile gracing her lips. "You've clearly done this a time or two before."
River laughed softly, her eyes twinkling. "More times than she would ever willingly admit."
Even completely unconscious, Sage somehow managed to retain her stern, entirely dignified expression. Cherry peeked over from Kaito's shoulder, a grin breaking through her fatigue. "…She would absolutely hate finding out she was given a piggyback ride."
"Very much so," River giggled.
As they approached the center of the clearing, the village elder slowly walked up to Kaito. Stopping a few feet short, she lowered herself into a deep, profoundly respectful bow. "My king."
Kaito immediately shook his head, shifting Cherry slightly so he could gesture frantically with one hand toward the surrounding women. "Please, don't bow to me... they are the ones who deserve all the praise today." He offered a tired, genuine smile. "I couldn't have accomplished any of this alone."
He looked at each of the elf maidens in turn, his voice filled with sincere gratitude. "Rose completely distracted the beast when I couldn't. Cherry literally saved my life. River and Sage exhausted themselves healing everyone who was hurt, and Lily, Iris, and Orchid spent a lot of their time evacuating the civilians."
The elder slowly straightened her spine, her weathered face breaking into a gentle, knowing smile. "And yet…" she said softly, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "…they all ran into the fire to assist you without a single shred of hesitation."
Kaito opened his mouth to protest, but no words came out, and he quietly closed it again.
"A true king does not accomplish everything by the strength of his own hands," the elder continued, her voice carrying the heavy weight of centuries of wisdom. "He inspires those around him to accomplish what no single person could ever achieve alone."
Kaito's mind flashed back to the words Sage had spoken earlier. A selfish king makes bitter choices. A wise king leads. For the very first time since falling into Valeria, the true meaning of the trial began to take root in his mind.
The elder bowed once more, lower this time. "Thank you for saving our people."
The young civilian scout approached next, his steps much steadier now that the last traces of the parasitic black thorns had entirely vanished from his smooth skin. He knelt respectfully on the stone. "My king."
"Please, there's absolutely no need for that," Kaito said hurriedly.
The scout rose, a bright, relieved smile on his face. "I owe you my life, your majesty."
"You owe everyone standing here," Kaito corrected gently.
The scout turned and offered a profound nod toward the elf maidens. "…Then I thank all of you, from the bottom of my heart."
The girls smiled warmly in return. "You're very welcome," Rose said softly. "We're just glad you're alright."
"Mister!"
Kaito looked down, blinking as the little elf boy who had been trapped inside the iron cage ran up, tugging excitedly at his torn, ash-dusted sleeve. "You were amazing out there!"
Kaito blinked, entirely caught off guard. "…I was?"
"You made the biggest, brightest light ever!" the little boy shouted, stretching his small arms out as wide as he possibly could. "It went BOOM!"
Several other children immediately swarmed around Kaito's legs, their eyes sparkling with pure, unadulterated wonder.
"You blew the giant monster away!" "Did you see that super cool, glowing magic staff he had?!" "You were literally glowing like a star!" "He made white lightning appear from the sky!"
Kaito scratched his head awkwardly, completely bewildered by their descriptions. "…Did I really do all of that?"
The children all nodded their heads with furious enthusiasm. Kaito turned a helpless, questioning gaze toward his companions. "…I did all of that?"
Rose smiled proudly, crossing her arms. "You absolutely did."
Lily nodded in confirmation. "It was truly incredible to witness, Kaito."
Orchid folded her arms with a smirk, her eyes locked onto his. "I've never seen a display of magic like it in all my years."
River smiled softly, her voice reassuring. "You protected every single soul here, Kaito, and entirely obliterated the corruption."
Iris offered a firm nod of approval. "…You were phenomenal."
Kaito rubbed the back of his neck, a faint, frustrated frown crossing his face. "…Man, I really wish I could remember it."
The girls exchanged subtle, lingering glances. There was immense pride and wonder in their eyes, but beneath it lay a deep, unspoken concern. The primordial power Kaito had unleashed had been breathtakingly beautiful, but it had also been terrifyingly volatile. None of them wished to burden his already exhausted mind with those heavy thoughts today. Not after everything he had given to save them.
***
Nearly an hour later, the chaos of Southwatch had finally been contained. The last villager had been gathered safely into the evacuation zone, the raging structural fires were successfully suppressed, and the wounded had been treated to the absolute best of the maidens' limited abilities.
Lily leaned heavily against a broken, blackened stone wall, her chest heaving as she breathed through her sheer exhaustion. "…I still have…" She paused, offering a weak, determined smile. "…exactly one spell left in me."
Everyone turned their attention toward her.
"I can teleport us," Lily explained, her hands trembling slightly.
Cherry blinked from Kaito's back. "…All of us?"
Lily nodded her head firmly. "It will use every single drop of mana I have left in my body, and I will likely need sleep for a week. But it will get us all back to the safety of the kingdom instantly."
Kaito smiled at her with profound gratitude. "We appreciate it a lot. Let's do it, Lily."
In the center of the crowd, Kaito continued to hold Cherry securely on his back, while River maintained her supportive grip on the sleeping Sage.
Lily stepped directly into the focal point of the circle. She took a deep, centering breath, and her hands began to glow with a sparkling, pearlescent light that danced like liquid diamonds.
"Please hold on tight, everyone," she warned softly.
A massive, intricate magic circle rapidly spread beneath everyone's feet. Ancient, glowing runes materialized one after another in the air, spinning in a beautiful, protective matrix. The atmosphere shimmered with heat—and then, the ruined world of Southwatch completely dissolved into blinding white light.
The grand throne room of Valeria erupted in a sudden, brilliant flash of shiny radiance, the sheer magical pressure rattling the stained-glass windows.
Queen Fiore rose from her high throne immediately, her royal guards drawing their weapons. "By the gods!—"
The blinding light cleared, and the Queen's breath caught sharply in her throat.
The returning party looked utterly decimated. Their clothing was torn to shreds, their faces streaked with thick black dirt, ash, and dried blood. River staggered heavily under Sage's completely unconscious weight, her own knees shaking. Beside her, Kaito stood tall, still carefully carrying Cherry upon his back.
For one terrifying, agonizing moment, the Queen feared the absolute worst had come to pass. She abandoned her royal decorum, hurriedly running down the steps of the dais. "Sage!"
River managed to force a tired, reassuring smile through her fatigue. "Do not fear, your majesty. She is alive. Sage simply used the absolute last reserves of her mana."
The Queen visibly relaxed, a heavy breath escaping her lips as she pressed a hand to her chest. Then, her sharp eyes moved to the crimson-haired girl resting on Kaito's shoulders. "…And her? What of Cherry?"
"Alive and well," Kaito answered softly, his voice full of emotion as he looked back at her. "…Thanks to a miracle."
The Queen's royal expression softened into one of profound relief and tenderness. "Bring them this way," she commanded, turning to point toward a nearby, secure corridor. "To the royal infirmary. Immediately."
Servants and royal healers rushed forward into the throne room. River gently handed Sage over to the medical staff, letting out a long breath as her own burden was lifted. Kaito followed the stretchers closely into the clean, quiet ward, carefully laying Cherry down upon a soft, velvet-lined bed before helping the staff settle Sage onto the mattress beside her.
With both women finally resting peacefully, their breathing steady, Kaito let out a long sigh.
The Queen quietly stepped up to his side, her gaze lingering on the sleeping maidens before she turned to truly look at Kaito for the first time since his return. His royal garments were completely unrecognizable, reduced to shredded rags. His regal sleeves had been entirely torn away, revealing deep purple bruises covering his arms, and countless superficial scratches marked his skin. Even his hands were covered in raw, stinging blisters.
"…Kaito," her voice was incredibly gentle, lacking any of her usual monarchal distance. "You have been thrown through far too much."
Kaito looked down at his ruined clothes and his raw palms, then let out a faint, entirely content smile. "…None of that matters at all, your majesty." He glanced back toward the two sleeping elf maidens, his eyes softening. "We all came home safe."
His smile grew warmer, brighter, as he looked past the curtain toward the other five girls waiting quietly in the corridor outside. "And that's only because they never stopped believing in me out there. I couldn't have accomplished any of this without them."
The Queen looked at him fondly, her heart swelling as she watched the young man who entirely refused to take credit for saving an entire village. A quiet, deep pride warmed her chest.
Perhaps, she thought to herself as she watched him handle his court with such innate grace, the kingdom of Valeria had not merely summoned a powerful hero to fight their battles. They had finally found the king they had been waiting centuries for.