Miracles exist in this world. Not the transcendent phenomena created by gods or constellations, but miracles that humans gift to one another.

Some call this miracle by a simple name.

Comrades.

"Kyaaaah!"

The stem of the flower avatar bent backward.

Pop!

The spores that were about to leave its mouth burst on the spot. The burned flower avatar writhed in pain.

Rustila belatedly assessed the situation.

"My jaw, I think my jaw is going to dislocate!"

The flower's calyx was already half-severed. The blue core was nakedly exposed. The flower avatar couldn't control its wobbling head.

"Phew, that was a close call."

A black-haired woman approached Rustila. She carried a large sniper rifle on her back.

Rustila spat out the sand grains that had entered her mouth. Her face brightened as she shouted.

"Ireh unni!"

"Little sister, are you okay?"

"Y-yes. But what about the Captain and everyone else...?"

Ireh stretched her stiff neck.

"I don't particularly enjoy delivering finishing blows... but given the situation, I'm sorry. Leave the rest to me."

Ireh discarded the sniper rifle and pulled out a new gun. It was a pulse rifle glowing brightly with the blessing of a constellation.

"And who are you supposed to be?!"

"Someone who's killed you hundreds of times over."

"...What?"

Tung, tung, tung!

The first three shots hit the avatar's jaw. It was precise shooting without the slightest deviation.

"Argh!"

Bang!

The final shot struck the avatar's core.

"Guurk..."

The precariously dangling calyx broke off and fell. The head separated from the stem.

Fssss.

The core disintegrated into powder. The stem and leaves turned stark white. The cells had lost their regenerative ability.

"...Is it over?"

"Yeah."

Ireh answered firmly. There was no sign of the avatar reviving.

"You managed to find a way to defeat it. Impressive."

Ireh put away her gun and tried to support Rustila. Rustila shook her head and pointed toward where Naiere was.

"I can walk. If you're going to help someone, help the Captain instead..."

Ireh nodded. She slowly helped Naiere, who had been hit with a paralyzing needle, to her feet.

"It's safe now. Come down," Zernya called out, gesturing toward the sky. Medical helicopters that had been hovering above descended gently.

Doctors moved busily, loading the injured onto stretchers. Zernya supported Rustila and walked toward a helicopter.

"Damn, you're heavy. Lose some weight."

"That's my chest weight, you know?"

"Ha."

Zernya chuckled. Rustila also giggled, finding her own comment ridiculous.

"Lie down here. Get comfortable. Put your left arm here, yes, like that."

Whoop-whoop-whoop.

More than ten helicopters took off simultaneously. The interior shook slightly. Zernya carefully examined the wound on Rustila's left shoulder.

"Blood poison. Contains pron."

"...Am I going to die?"

The words of the Smiling Flower lingered in her mind—a curse that she would soon die after being hit by the poisoned needle.

"I can neutralize the poison itself. The problem is the pron. It seems to have spread to the bone. If not treated properly, you'll either go insane or turn into a monster."

Rustila let out a long sigh. Zernya added:

"Hey, do you trust me?"

"You?"

"My constellation can heal this."

Rustila nodded. There wasn't a hint of hesitation in her eyes.

"Then I'll do it."

Zernya disinfected the wound area and removed the needle. After applying local anesthesia, she used spirit arts to remove the pron accumulated in the bone.

Despite performing the procedure inside a helicopter, there wasn't a single mistake. Zernya's concentration rivaled that of any veteran doctor.

As the surgery was nearing completion, Rustila asked:

"What about Captain Naiere...?"

"My father-in-law is operating on him."

"Ah..."

That's a relief.

Rustila closed her eyes peacefully.

[— You have acquired "Grand Triangle (Lv.6)."]

[— You receive Healing Boost (+30%).]

When she opened her eyes again, she was in a recovery room at the hospital.

***

When news came that Rustila had been seriously injured in the battle with the flower avatar, I dropped everything and hurried to the hospital.

"Ah, Eidel!"

Rustila waved at me as I entered the room. She wore her usual bright smile. I sighed with relief.

"Are you okay?"

"She almost died."

The answer came not from Rustila but from someone else.

It was Ireh. With an expression that made her look ten years older, she said to me:

"If I hadn't arrived in time, we would have lost two people at once."

Shamplawi.

The flower avatar that appeared this time.

Even a Great Omega-grade swordsman would struggle against it without knowing its weakness.

Ordinary avatars have one core, but this one has two. It's difficult to subdue unless both cores are destroyed simultaneously. It also constantly launches ranged attacks, making it a terrible match-up for swordsmen.

"Somehow we got through it."

"Yes."

I embraced Rustila. She hugged me tightly as if not wanting to let go. I felt her gentle warmth.

"Are your injuries okay?"

"Yes, thanks to the Grand Triangle effect, I'm fine. At this recovery rate, I should be discharged soon."

My flesh still trembles. I almost lost someone I love in a single moment.

"Ireh unni, thank you. If you hadn't shown up, it really would have been over."

Rustila hugged Ireh too. Zernya stood with her arms crossed, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Don't I get any thanks?"

"You're the one I'm most grateful to."

"That's all I needed to hear."

Zernya turned around abruptly. Her white coat fluttered. She glanced at me and twitched the corner of her mouth. A silent request for a reward.

I smiled and wrapped my arm around Zernya's waist.

Smooch.

Zernya sat down, looking satisfied. Rustila didn't particularly react to this. Instead, it was Ireh and Sonia whose reactions were noteworthy.

First, Sonia clicked her tongue. That was expected.

Meanwhile, Ireh's face hardened. She left the room, saying she was going to get some water.

However, even after more than ten minutes, Ireh didn't return. Curious, I made an excuse about going to the bathroom and went looking for her.

"Ms. Ireh?"

"Huh? Oh?"

Ireh was sitting on a chair in a secluded area. She jumped like a mouse confronted by a cat when I called her.

"Didn't you say you were getting water?"

"Oh, I drank water and was just taking a break. Just resting..."

Ireh rubbed her face vigorously with her hands. She mumbled something as if she had something to say.

"May I sit beside you?"

"...If it's you."

I sat down on the chair and looked at Ireh. I wondered if she was worried about what would happen next.

"Are you concerned about someone like Phosphorus appearing?"

"That's part of it..."

Phosphorus.

Among the Queen's loyalists, he's the most devoted.

If Shamplawi is Rustila's counter, then Phosphorus is the one who has driven Ireh to death multiple times.

His nature is literally like fire, so ordinary bullets don't work on him.

"...Shamplawi appeared too quickly. He should have shown up a month or two later. It's different from before. History has been greatly distorted."

"That's actually good. It means the Queen sees us as that much of a threat."

"Because of that, we're running short on spirit bullets."

Ireh was creating a "build." Yes, like in games.

"As you know, I can't fire my spirit bullets for free. I have to pay coins. Strength, vitality, agility—I want to increase all these, but I can't. I always need to save extra coins for battle."

There was a reason Ireh was desperate for the "Grand Triangle" effect. It doesn't require coins to activate.

"I'm not sure where to earn more coins..."

"Oh, I can solve that for you."

I had a "Red Egg" that I'd obtained from raiding the Adelbein treasury before.

What is a Red Egg? It's a golden artifact that provides 5,000 coins and 5,000 pron daily. I had accumulated many coins without using them.

[— You have donated 150,000 coins to "Ireh Hazlen."]

Ireh's eyes widened.

"...You?"

"I don't need them. Raising my basic stats won't help much against those who'll try to assassinate me in the future. It's better to give them to you."

"This... no, you could give it to Rustila."

I shook my head.

"This is between you and me."

Rustila has her own coin supply. I'd like to give her some too, but if it's about using them where they're most needed, giving them to Ireh is the right answer.

"Between you and me?"

"That sounds ambiguous. Should I say we're people who know what others don't?"

Regression and possession.

A secret only the two of us share. We can trust each other completely because we're open about everything. That's the second reason I entrust the coins to Ireh rather than someone else.

[— "God of Wisdom and Curiosity" complains about why you're not giving any to him.]

Cartesia, you didn't do anything this time. Get out.

[— "God of Wisdom and Curiosity" clicks his tongue.]

Anyway, I looked at Ireh and expressed my gratitude.

"Thank you for saving Rustila. I'll carry this debt to my grave."

But Ireh shook her head.

"This isn't just my doing. Without Zernya, Rustila would have permanently lost the use of her arm. So your contribution in bringing those two together is the greatest."

"You're too modest, Ms. Ireh."

"It's the truth."

She smiled.

"I think you're the first person to help me this much. You saved me from Sapaul, brought down the Adelbein family faster than expected, and even recruited the capable Zernya as a comrade. And now you've given me coins."

Ireh placed her hand on my shoulder and moved her lips.

"Eidel, you're like my constellation."

Ireh truly believed in me too.

I wasn't sure about other things, but one thing was certain—there was a subtle current flowing between us. There was something I'd wanted to tell her for a long time. Now was the opportunity.

"...Then, can I ask you for one favor?"

"Anything, just say it."

I spoke while trying to calm my racing heart.

"When I become a professor... would you join my lab as a graduate student?"