The white dragon's silhouette drew all their eyes.
Its whole form was white: a blend of a great western wyrm with wing-talons and a white bird, its body covered in downy, feather-like fur.
Luminous blue irises ringed by pitch-black sclera shone beneath a mane; its face was lupine—like a white wolf—with two metallic sheen rings encircling its neck.
The neck and forearms were long and slender; a soft pelt wrapped its abdomen, which was trim rather than broad. The legs bore hard, ridged calluses; the shins were fine-boned; the foreclaws were long silver blades; the hind talons braced it upright.
Like the neck, the tail's root carried a pair of glossy rings—beneath them, a turbine-like assembly: its tail, venting cyan flame.
The True Dragon—Reshiram.
Vast and draconic, awe-inspiring—yet elegant, beautiful.
"So it's you," Shichen looked up at Reshiram and smiled.
The instant it awakened, he knew what it was—of course, he knew its gift too. As the Ho-Oh's golden flames burned corruption and filth, Reshiram's blue flames burned Authorities.
Purifying flame, and flame of truth.
"Shichen…" Emilia was still swept up in the afterglow; her cool lips nuzzled his cheek, seeking his mouth again.
He didn't rush to deepen things. He dipped to give her a quick kiss—leaving a smear of blood-red gloss—then slipped an arm around her slim waist to steady her, and lifted his gaze to Betelgeuse inside the spatial cube.
Not a peep out of him.
Oh—right. Sound was cut off.
"Shichen, is Emilia-sama… all right?" Rem noticed Emilia still a little dazed.
"She's fine—just woozy. She'll be herself in a moment."
"Is that… a side effect of being bitten?" Rem blinked, studying Emilia's restless wiggles.
"Smart girl."
"That's great."
"'Great'?" He gave her a look.
"N-nothing," Rem shook her head quickly and schooled her face.
Shichen only sighed. Rem's little schemes could wait. First the lunatic.
He recalled Reshiram into himself; with a turn of his palm, pale blue flame uncoiled.
A casual toss sent the flame drifting toward Betelgeuse. The cyan lotus of fire floated through the barrier and met the unseen thing coiled around him.
Blue fire caught, as if igniting air.
"What? How? No! It cannot be!"
Betelgeuse's voice cracked with terror and scream—his Authority of Sloth, the Unseen Hands, were simply consumed to nothing. Then the flame settled upon him and burned.
"Ah—what are you? There is no record… nothing in the Gospel! Nothing that happened today is written—ahhh—!"
He shrieked and dwindled, burning away to dust. The blue fire, as if it had a will, fell upon the one remaining Cultist and reduced him to ash as well.
And thus the Witch Cultists—and their Sin Archbishop—were erased before they ever declared why they'd come.
"…Incredible," Ram breathed.
She knew better than anyone how dangerous the Cult was—worshippers of the Witch of Envy, ravening for her return, taking innocent lives by the hundred. They were the world's malice made flesh. She'd seen it as a child.
Now she understood Shichen's power—and why Roswaal feared him. That white dragon left her with no thought of resistance.
What was that being? Was that also his strength? Could it be the Dragon God's power?
"All right. Let's go home."
As if nothing had happened, Shichen ferried them by space to the mansion. Emilia still floated in that warm haze, so he took her to her room first. Ester and Beatrice, naturally, went back to his.
Rem—escorted by Ram—returned to their room to rest. Then Ram went to report; such news, she had to bring to Roswaal.
In Emilia's room, Shichen eased the clinging girl to the bed and laid her down.
"Ooh—what's this?" Puck popped out.
"Nothing." Shichen's face didn't change.
With the little furball awake by day, he had no desire to perform with an audience.
"Haha~ I thought Emilia was about to become a grown-up," Puck teased.
"You'll only see that when you're not around."
"Ahh~ then one day you'll forget what hour I wake up, and she'll be a grown-up before you notice."
"You really are in the way. I should ship you off to spend some quality time with Subaru."
"…Why do you keep pairing me with him? I'm male," Puck grumbled.
"I don't know—some higher will insists on it."
"I almost—Anyway, what was that white dragon? And what does it have to do with the Dragon God?" Puck suddenly sobered.
"Just my familiar. No need to be afraid."
"Familiar…?"
Puck didn't understand, but he knew one thing: he couldn't meet Shichen's gaze as an equal anymore. That white dragon—he was no match. Still, he took comfort: Shichen's feelings for Emilia were crystal-clear. That was enough.
"Mm… Shichen?" Emilia stirred awake.
"Oh~ I'll leave you two to your little world," Puck joked, then slipped back into the crystal.
"Awake?" Shichen pinched Emilia's cheek.
"I… what… ah!"
Her face flamed as memory came rushing back.
"Uu…" She covered her face, head ducked, mortified.
"What happened just now…"
"Bite after-effects," Shichen chuckled.
"Why… why does being bitten make me like that?"
"Mm~ it draws out what your heart wants."
"What my heart…?" Emilia lowered her hands, puzzled.
"That you want to do those things to me."
"How could—"
"Are you sure?"
"Uu…" She covered her face again. She would not deny her truth.
"Emilia," he said softly, lifting her up by the shoulders.
"Wh-what is it?" She kept her eyes averted, nerves humming.
"There's no one here now," he reminded her.
"Uu…"
He said no more, simply moved her hands aside. Gazing at that rosy face, meeting her trembling eyes, he leaned in and kissed her.
She obediently closed her eyes and let him take what he wished.
Though evening neared, he didn't linger long. A brief check of her budding curves had nearly undone her; the rest could not be rushed. She didn't know her body's truth yet—not half-elf for long. It would show soon enough—perhaps overnight. He hoped it wouldn't frighten her.
That night Rem didn't come to play; he figured she must be exhausted. After a little more five-in-a-row with Ester and Beatrice, he curled up with both and drifted off.
He'd expected daylight when next he woke. Instead, the room was dark as ink—and a blue figure lay sprawled atop him.
"Rem?"
"Yes," she smiled, whisper-soft.
"What time is it?"
"About midnight."
"What brings you here now?" She was still in her blue nightdress. Softness pressed into his chest.
"Because Rem can't hold back anymore."
"Can't hold back what?"
"Can't hold back… from eating you, Shichen~."
~~~
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