[The glasses-wearing girl lightly lifted the camera in her hand and slightly raised her head, observing the star-filled night sky through the lens.]
["What is this?" Firefly stepped forward and asked curiously.]
["I picked it up on the battlefield. It seems to be civilian equipment. Although it can no longer be used and the lens is a bit worn… just looking through the lens makes the entire world feel different."]
[Under the lens, lotus leaves floated quietly on the water's surface. Occasionally an evening breeze brushed past, raising a few fleeting ripples on the water. Several fireflies trailed fluorescent traces through the night, flying lightly, and finally landed toward the distant flower bushes.]
["The lens..."]
[The white-haired boy beside them lightly laughed: "No wonder you wear those strange goggles."]
["There's also another reason. If everyone looks the same, wouldn't we be unable to tell who is who?" The girl aimed the lens at Firefly. "Your hair is also very special."]
[Firefly smiled upon hearing this and tucked the strands hanging by her ear behind her ear: "Thank you. I've grown it for a long time."]
["Hair length is also proof of seniority."]
[The evening breeze lifted her long hair. The strands fluttered like silk woven from moonlight, drawing soft arcs under the starry sky: "But it occasionally blocks my eyes. It's been a bit troublesome lately… I've also been hesitating whether to tie it up."]
——
KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!
"She's really beautiful."
Kazuma tilted his head up and murmured involuntarily.
At the same time, the other male adventurers in the guild also, without prior agreement, voiced the same sentiment.
It was not simply praise for the girl's appearance, but a feeling of emotion that even after experiencing countless life-and-death battles on the battlefield, she could still stop for a wildflower with such innocence and gentleness.
Aqua suddenly came back to her senses. She discovered that she had almost been captured by Firefly's smile as well, and hurriedly rushed forward to grab Kazuma's shoulders and shake him vigorously: "Hey, Kazuma! Don't be deceived by this woman! The other party is a soldier who kills without blinking an eye!"
"What do you mean 'kills without blinking an eye'?" Kazuma slapped Aqua's hands away. "All I saw was a peerless good woman who punishes the wicked, is kind-hearted enough that she cannot bear to see the other side suffer, and simply sweeps the opponents away in one go."
Aqua's face was full of disgust: "Why don't you listen to what you're saying? Someone who doesn't know better would think you've been hit by a succubus's charm spell."
"Please do not compare a vulgar rouge-and-powder succubus with Miss Firefly." Kazuma spread his hands. "Besides, Aqua, don't talk about me. Back when Aventurine's past was displayed on the celestial screen and that slave owner said Aventurine was only worth sixty copper coins... who was it that said they wanted to work for a month and then save up money to buy Aventurine?"
"I-I..." Aqua immediately stammered. "It's not like I could actually buy him! Besides… I wanted to buy Aventurine in order to successfully conquer the Demon King! The reason I had that idea was all because of you, Kazuma!"
"Hey hey! No matter how you look at it, it's the fault of you useless goddess, right?!"
The two of them began arguing noisily again inside the guild, while the adventurers to the side completely ignored them as if they were in another world—they were still staring intently and intoxicated by the girl on the celestial screen, voicing heartfelt sighs.
"She's really beautiful..."
——
[The camera moved to the Imperial Guard model mecha. The glasses-wearing girl smiled: "Your turn. Are you really not going to say something?"]
[It lowered its arms, seeming about to speak, when the communicator by its ear rang at just the right moment. It froze for a second and immediately said: "Communications have been restored. Glamoth Military Regulation Article 8: Surviving Knights should proactively return to the unit."]
[Firefly raised her face, her gaze falling on the flag beside her that had been torn by the flames of war.]
[She reached out and lightly tore off two relatively intact sections from the tattered cloth. One section she used as a hair ribbon to tie up her hair; the other she folded between her fingers into a somewhat rough butterfly bow and carefully pinned it in her hair.]
[The glasses-wearing girl lightly patted her shoulder: "It looks very good. It suits you."]
[It was time to part. The few of them also had to return to the battlefield from their brief rest. The white-haired boy had already transformed into a mecha with them once more and leapt toward the sky: "On the next battlefield, I hope we can see the stars."]
["Will we meet again?"]
["Probably not."]
["What if the war ends?"]
["…Then we should be able to recognize each other, right?"]
[Watching the three trails of fire racing across the sky, the Firefly-V Type on the ground released its transformation. After the flames dispersed, a woman with the same white hair walked out from inside.]
[She stood quietly in the morning breeze, watching the distant dawn inch by inch devouring the territory of night, dyeing the sky into a gradient of blue. She narrowed her eyes, and the corners of her mouth finally lifted into a shallow arc.]
["Should I say something…"]
["Then, let's wish that we return in triumph?"]
——
Akame ga Kill!
"It seems... the war they spoke of has already ended."
Inside the Night Raid headquarters, upon seeing the dawn on the celestial screen, a trace of relief flashed through Mine's eyes. She lay on the table: "I just don't know where they all are now? Has Firefly not actively searched for their whereabouts?"
"Oh? Mine… on what basis do you think their war has ended?" Chelsea put down the small cake in her hand and glanced sideways at the pink-haired girl beside her.
"The result is obvious. Look—Firefly is already free." Mine stretched out her hand and counted on her fingers one by one. "Falling in love, shopping, traveling, tasting delicious food... Without the constraints of the Glamoth Military Regulations, as long as she thoroughly resolves her Entropy Loss Syndrome from now on, she will be no different from an ordinary person. Isn't this exactly what it looks like after a war ends?"
"Mm... It really is a very beautiful imagination, isn't it?" Chelsea blinked, the corner of her lips curling into a meaningful arc: "However, Mine... do you think there might be another possibility?"
"What possibility?"
"Perhaps the war has never truly ended." Chelsea lightly waved the fork in her hand. "Perhaps… all of her comrades have fallen in battle, and the only one who survived is her. Those boys and girls who now accompany her have also all vanished in the flames of war."
The smile that had just been on Mine's face instantly froze.
"You woman! How can you say such cold-blooded words?" Mine angrily rushed forward and grabbed Chelsea's collar. "You're not implying something about us, are you? Hmm?"
"You violent woman..." Although being treated roughly, Chelsea's face still barely maintained a decent smile. "I was only proposing my conjecture. You're the one who insisted on bringing it into reality. Besides, if you truly intend to survive in battle, just venting your anger at your teammates won't achieve that, you know?"
"Hmph!"
Mine angrily released Chelsea and turned back to glare at her coldly: "Just you watch. I will definitely survive... together with Tatsumi."