The light of the fire was still bright to the blind, but the person who brought it was like a shadow in it.

“...... Too late. He said, his voice so dry that it seemed to crack into pieces, and he couldn't tell whether it was anger or sadness.

He raised his sword, and Sean understood his choice.

The weakness of that moment was refrozen into unbreakable ice. He had long missed the best of times...... They have gone so far on different paths that no one can turn back.

He raised his sword in almost identical posture - they swung forward in almost identical pose. Filly cursed angrily and drew his sword from its sheath.

The sound of three long swords clashing made Ed's fingers shake involuntarily, but the spell was already taking shape at his fingertips.

The golden-red mist of light surged like ocean waves, as if pushed by a strong wind, and rolled silently between the three of them. The power of great power, if substantial, weighed heavily on each sword, forcing those who clung to them to retreat.

The waves turn into whirlpools, trying to push them farther away from each other. In addition to Scott's ability to stabilize his body, Fili took several steps back, and Sean staggered and almost fell to the ground.

Scott stood still and did not take advantage of the situation to attack. He looked at Ed, as if he was confused.

This wasn't supposed to be a force that Ed could control...... But he can use it freely.

"I don't have to beat you to the death. The gray-haired young man approached slowly, his voice unconsciously a little sharp because of nervousness, "If you can use another method...... No one can refuse and repent, and the method of repentance determines who gets that egg ......"

"The only way for him to take it is to step over my corpse. Sean interrupted him without looking back.

Ed took a deep breath and held back...... Can't help it.

"And you know he can do it. "So, what do you get but your death? Surely, together, 'four against one,' as Filly said, might we be able to get rid of him, and then what? You know he won't give up—and we can't kill him, just as we can't watch you die...... Are you going to force us to do this?"

“...... That's what belongs to the Temple of the Water God. Sean's tone weakened, but he insisted, "Felicity has hidden it deep at the bottom of Lake Starnestle, and it has protected us for many years...... It cannot be taken away. ”

"If you hadn't dug it up, it wouldn't have been taken away by anyone. Scott spoke.

His voice sounded a little more normal. Fili breathed a sigh of relief, relieved by the faint anger in the sentence.

"Since it belongs to the Temple," Ed blinked, cheekily decided, "then I have the power to dispose of it...... Isn't it?"

Sean looked back suddenly, as if in disbelief.

"You said that," Ed looked at him without flinching, "it wasn't you who chose mine...... No one can erase my name as a saint. ”

"But this title is not something that you want to give up and give up, and you have to go back if you want to. Sean replied, a sinking tail with a faint fury.

It's shameless to do that—Ed thought to himself. But his cheeks don't matter at the moment.

"So you're going to deny it?" he gritted his teeth and held on to the end, "as long as you say ......."

He bet Sean couldn't deny it. For whether he was a saint or not, one thing was certain—Felicity had chosen him.

It was not easy to meet the mighty eyes of the old paladin leader...... But it's not the first time he's faced it.

After a moment, Sean's gaze fell.

"So," he asked, "what do you want?"

Ed let out a breath, his voice rising briskly.

"Not very well," he said, "as well as ...... Make a bet. ”

He stretched out his hand, and a dice in his palm was as white as snow, and the shallow notches on it flowed as blue as stars rippling on the sea.

He woke it up. When it floated leisurely into the air, the small barrier above the dragon egg instantly expanded to the entire space. Thin lightning turns into gentle streams of light, meandering and intertwining into brilliant and bizarre pictures. Ed could almost hear some kind of singing...... I heard that the power of the same source echoed and blended with each other across time and space. The firelight condensed into golden points of light in the water-colored streams, falling silently like petals in a golden rain in the breeze, splashing golden ripples on the otherwise empty stone slabs. The runes hidden beneath the ground loomed under the force of the mutual agitation, but there was no trace of danger, as if they were just beautiful and harmless patterns. Only the black fog that lingered was finally gone...... This little world was sacred and quiet for a short time, like a temple promised by the gods.

Everyone held their breath involuntarily until a strange sound suddenly sounded in the silence.

It's light, it's crispy, and it's like ...... The sound of something shattering.

Ed stiffly turned his head. He had a bad premonition...... But maybe it's not that bad?

Then, for the first time since he met, he saw a look on the face of Icabold Beria that could be called "shocked".

The priest stared straight at the egg. It stopped turning at some point, floating silently, trembling slightly, and a shallow glow floated on the rough surface of stone, changing between light blue and gold.

When another soft sound was heard, Ed turned and galloped back.

He wasn't wrong. The egg that everyone thought was "turned to stone" and "will never hatch again...... Cracked.

There were only a few shallow cracks, but when it began to dangle more and more violently, when the cracks gradually widened, when everyone saw a little metallic color, I don't know whether it was horns or claws, and the pointed little thing came out of the cracks, accompanied by an angry and aggrieved "Ahhh......h

Ed's mind burst with all sorts of sparks that he couldn't say why, and his legs were so weak that he could barely stand, but he still subconsciously reached out to peel open the eggshell. It sounded to him, a low, soft sound, like the little life inside complaining, and he couldn't understand why they stood in a circle around it, but no one came to help it.

Someone pushed his hand away.

"Let it come out on its own. Scott said, still expressionless, but his voice was as soft as if he had scared someone.

Beside him, Sean stood stunned, almost dazed with surprise, and Filly was in high spirits, his eyes glaring unblinking.

When the dragon finally broke out of its shell, Ed had the audacity to quietly squeeze Scott out of the way, standing right in front of the eyes that were trying to open them.