"That...... Actually......"

I was about to tell the Red Dragon about the true purpose of Votigan.

…………

Bang!

Without warning, there was a loud bang on the surrounding rock walls, and it seemed that they had begun to collapse.

"What's going on......?" Barely crouching down to stabilize my figure, I asked the red dragon.

…………

"This makeshift space is going to be destroyed soon, and you have to get out of it right away." The red dragon said to me with a serious expression.

"But Artoria ......" looked at the girl's sleeping face, and my heart hesitated.

"Leave it to me, the Knight King, I and she are one and the same. Even if this space disappears, I will still use my power to help her. The important thing is that you get out now, otherwise you won't be able to leave again. The red dragon said quickly.

"Good...... Then Artoria will ask you, please make sure that she is back to normal. "I bowed deeply to the red dragon.

"Don't worry, soon the Knight King will wake up." Nodding, the red dragon's slender hand nudged lightly on my chest.

…………

Suddenly, the body lost weight.

It felt as if I had become a feather, wrapped in a soft breeze and quickly drifting away.

The last scene in my eyes was a completely collapsed rock wall, completely covering the figures of the two.

After that, there was a boundless darkness that swallowed me completely......

…………

"Don't!"

I screamed and opened my eyes.

The surroundings had reverted to the appearance of a square, and I sat cross-legged on the edge, a stone pillar more than a man high.

"Little ghost, it looks like I'm back safely." The voice of a mature woman came to my ears.

Who is it?

I followed the sound.

…………

"Skaha?"

The long purple hair, the tight purple clothes, and the red pupils that seem to dominate everything, reminded me of the identity of the person who spoke.

"Oh? When you come back from a trial, do you call me by name? Interesting. Skaha teased as he lifted his chin with his hand.

"Hug ...... I'm sorry, but I'm so nervous that I ......" I scratched the back of my head embarrassedly.

"An, I'm not angry, so why do you care?" Skaha waved at me, "Or rather, I prefer you to call me by my name, which feels more cordial." ”

…………

"Uh...... So from now on...... How about calling you Skaha-senpai? "After thinking about it, I said cautiously.

"Really, Skaha is Skaha, and that inexplicable title is a sign that I'm very old?" Skaha crossed his arms tightly, looking a little resentful.

"That...... Your request is really difficult for a strong man......" I smiled wryly.

"Well, forget it. It takes a while for habits to change, so let's just allow you to call them that for the time being. Skaha rubbed his forehead with a look of reluctance.

…………

"Thank you for your understanding......"

Saying this, I felt helpless.

How, it's like I'm doing something wrong......

…………

"By the way, how is Artoria?"

Remembering the last thing I saw, I looked at the center of the square.

In the center of the Gathering Circle, I saw a girl sitting on the ground, her eyes closed.

…………

"There were a few riots in between, but now the situation has stabilized. She was currently fully absorbing the energy contained in the dragon factor in her body, so it looked like she was asleep. As if it weren't a surprise to my question, Skaha replied directly.

"Whew, that means she's fine." I breathed a sigh of relief that the red dragon wasn't lying.

"It's okay, it's okay, but I'm not sure when I'll wake up." Skaha shook his head and said, "That must be possible after the potential in the body is fully activated." This process can range from a few days to a few weeks. ”

…………

"How long did it take?" I was amazed.

"It's been fast, okay?" Skaha gave me a blank look, "You think the energy of the Dragon Factor is so easy to absorb?" That is to say, Lily is outstanding, and the absorption speed is amazing, if you change it, you may not be able to do it for a few years. ”

"Haha, that's it......" I smiled awkwardly.

Sure enough, I'm a complete idiot......

…………

"Speaking of which, little ghost, I really admire you." Turning his gaze to the girl who was asleep not far away, Skaha seemed to sigh something.

"Huh? What do you mean? "I was very surprised to hear what Skaha said.

"Three years." Skaha turned her head and stared straight into my eyes, "At most, Lily will be fully grown in body, and her beauty will spread to every corner of the world, surpassing her own merits. Every man in this world will think about her and think about how to possess her. ”

"You...... It's a joke...... "I feel my throat dry."

The scene Skaha was talking about makes people's scalps tingle just thinking about it.

…………

"It's you yourself underestimating Lily's charm. Lily originally had the best appearance among humans, and if you add the evolution of the dragon factor...... Tsk......" Skaha smiled playfully at me, "Little ghost, I've seen you being hunted up and down in the near future." ”

"Spare me......" I said with a bitter face.

"Little ghost, this matter is very important, I hope you understand." Skaha suddenly changed to a serious face, "You don't have the ability to stand by Lily's side now, let alone in the future." You get the idea. ”

…………

“……”

Bow your head and clench your fists.

Skaha's words pierced me like a sharp spear into my heart.

…………

What role have I played so far?

The clerk at the time of Camelot, the spiritual sustenance in the battle, and the provider of the weapons needed just now.

Rarely in public have I been able to proudly stand shoulder to shoulder with her and reap the glory together.

Forever, I can only hide behind Artoria and silently assist.

…………

"You've been saying over and over again how much you care about Lily and how much you're willing to protect her with your life, but that's a sign of your weakness!" Skaha said mercilessly, "In fact, you have already realized in your heart that in the face of a real crisis, even if you pay with your life, there is nothing you can do." ”

"......" I was speechless.

"A true brave man will never give up his life so easily! It is precisely because they have the people they love that they are extremely eager to live and bring eternal happiness to each other! To do this, they will desperately motivate themselves to become strong, strong enough to protect anything they want to protect! Skaharat said as if he were giving a much-anticipated speech.

…………

"If you want to keep Lily by your side forever and not let anyone take advantage of it, then now I give you a chance to become stronger!"