The lake was covered by huge waves, and the cracked ice seemed to be swept into the air by some force, and then fell heavily.

Naria shuddered involuntarily. The sound of the ice crashing sounded like the roar of a dragon...... Is's figure never appeared.

Ed thought for a moment and held out his right hand to the sky.

He caught the sun. The bright, scorching light condensed in his hand and was sprinkled out by him with a wave of his hand, like a huge, golden fishing net.

It netted the churning ice that collided with each other, seeping down silently. After a few moments, the ice began to melt rapidly, and the lake gradually calmed down. Naria turned her head to look at Ed, her expression a little complicated.

She knew he was good—getting better and better. But seeing it with your own eyes always feels a little different.

There was a slight jealousy in the joy and worry, but she quickly suppressed it.

"Uh......" said Ed, "I'd better go see what he's doing, right?"

Naria retracted her gaze and nodded, "I'll wait for you to come back...... I'll wait for you to come back. ”

She let go of her hand. Ed unconsciously touched his palm, stunned.

He stepped into the water, and the current gently embraced him, and it seemed that the temperature of the sun still remained, and the cold and violence of the moment were completely gone.

Even after a long time of not practicing, Ed is fully confident in his swimming skills. But he cautiously added the necessary spells to himself before diving into the water, thinking with trepidation that Iss would indeed become a "real dragon...... It's much harder to beat him up and bring him back than it is to say!

Of course, he didn't dare to complain about Naria because of this.

The glacial lake, which seems to have regained its calm, still has undercurrents surging beneath the surface. Panicked little fish scurried around him, some even crashing into him. His eyes widened for Is's figure—he suspected that he had reverted to a dragon, which shouldn't be too hard to find.

Yet when he found him, he was neither like a dragon...... Nor like people.

Ed kicked his leg hard, lunged over, and grabbed Is, who was floating in the water, panicking - he didn't look lifeless, and his grip was heavy like a rock...... His face was covered in silvery scales, and sharp claws sprouted from his curled fingers, which pierced deep into his palms, casting a faint red color in the water.

His body twisted, frozen in half-dragon, half-human form.

It's not like I've never seen Iss like this - sometimes he fights in this form. But it was a natural change, and although it was weird, it was also elegant and beautiful...... Instead of being like this, it was as if a monster wanted to tear through the shell of this human and rush out of his body, only to be stuck there.

"Is!"

He shouted. The sound of being blocked by the water of the lake could not even be heard by himself.

Is's body was cold and stiff, he couldn't feel his heartbeat without temperature, and he didn't even dare to cast a spell to heal - who knows what the hell this was going on?

He panicked for a moment before he calmed down, reached under Is's armpit, and held him in his arms. In my memory, this is how the sailors at the docks of Visa City saved people from drowning.

- Can a dragon drown too? Maybe he shouldn't bother him at such a time?

Ed thought a little desperately, but quickly surfaced with Is.

The sun fell on Is's face, and the silver scales reflected a pearly sheen in the water, then faded away.

He jerked. The clawed hand gripped Ed's arm tightly, the tip of the claw easily piercing through the skin and sinking into the flesh.

“...... It's me! it's me!" Ed grinned in pain, lowered his head, and met a pair of golden eyes without surprise.

It stared at him, but it didn't seem to see him at all, the coldness and strangeness that sent chills down Ed's spine. But in the blink of an eye, the golden yellow faded into a shimmering pale gold on a pale blue background.

Isis seemed to come to his senses, but he was still in a trance. He didn't make a sound, he didn't struggle, he looked up blankly at the sky, and let Ed drag him to the shore.

Until Nalya dragged him ashore, he still looked like he was so unsettled, his eyes lowered and he refused to look at anyone.

“...... What the hell is going on?" asked Narya, who could only hug him tightly.

Ed shook his head blankly, but Ise refused to answer.

.

They felt that they could not go back like this anyway, so they took Isis back to Krichsburg.

The housekeeper had dismissed everyone and returned to Visa, and the empty castle was a little eerie. However, the familiar environment still somewhat relaxed Iss...... At least no longer desperately huddle yourself up like a frightened child.

Ed dragged a barrel of cider out of there, shoved it into a glass for Is, and took another sip of himself.

“...... Good sour. His whole face wrinkled.

Obviously it smells good!

“...... This is Leda's own wine. Iss whispered, "She doesn't really know how to do that. ”

Naria was still in the kitchen, trying to get something to eat. Ed hesitated for a moment, and unconsciously lowered his voice: "Did you find it?...... What are you looking for?"

Iss looked at him in amazement for a moment.

"I signed a contract, before I was born...... In order to be able to live. He said, "It is engraved in the depths of my soul, and I can never disobey it...... But I don't even know what it is. ”

He didn't have time to see clearly...... Stay a little longer, and he will be devoured completely.

“...... Oh. Ed replied, unconsciously taking another sip of the sour cider, and wrinkling his face again.

"Actually, it's nothing. He said, "We don't know a lot!"

That, of course, is not a little comforting.

"Celebryan may not be wrong. Iss looked down at the amber liquid in the glass—the barrel that Scott had hidden and pretended to drink.

Those memories that he clung to and refused to let go will disappear one day, right?

"I'm sorry. He said.

Ed was stunned, startled by the abrupt "I'm sorry."

He had never heard Iss apologize to him...... He didn't want to hear it at all.

"If that's the case...... Is's voice was as low as if it had come out of the ground, "you can use that name." ”

“...... I don't. "Do you think I'm so lucky to get my real name to control you?"

Iss looked up at him, his eyes blank.

"Besides, that's not your real name. Ed looked him straight in the eye, "Your real name is Iscontia Alan Christus, and it was chosen by a man who loved you with the best hopes of his family, his most beloved friend...... Unless your mother has taken another one for you. ”

“...... She didn't. Is's expression was like crying and laughing.

The nickname "Is" does not mean much, but "Iskantia" ...... In the first language of mankind, it represented an inextinguishable light.

He didn't know if he could do it...... But perhaps, it's not time to give up yet.

.