I am already dead.
I died ten thousand years ago.
After the land was completely destroyed, I sank into the Sea of Nothingness, flew in the sky until I exhausted my strength, and then sank into the featureless Sea of Nothingness.
Then, my body turned into a Spirit Hole.
Although my body was nearly dead, my soul and consciousness, unwilling to die, drove my body to remain active after losing its vitality.
Where I eventually arrived, the part of me left on land does not know.
I am merely a part of the corpse of Albion the Dragon... born from the corpse of Albion the Dragon's right claw, an Emptiness forever sunk in regret.
Consciousness exists, a body exists, a soul exists.
As a species, as a living being, I possess all the most basic elements.
Only the Self is lacking.
I don't know who I am.
I don't know what I should do.
I simply let myself sink in this swamp, just staring at the sky like a plant. Watching the sky change from light to dark, and from dark to light again. Watching the sunrise countless times, watching the moon set countless times.
This is all I have experienced for the past ten thousand years.
The only way of life for me, who possesses no Self.
However....
Change occurred at some point in the past.
It all started three thousand six hundred years ago. I, who was staring emptily and vacantly into the sky, received something.
Light.
My empty Self recognized the true form of that thing.
It was a ray of light that came from who knows where. It appeared suddenly, without warning. Only at that moment, my worthless self saw light. My utterly hollow self saw light.
I saw the most dazzling light.
I saw the most beautiful light.
Then, my empty self produced a Desire. My self, drawn by the light, produced a Desire.
I want to see that light once more.
I want to witness that light once more.
For the first time since birth, for the first time in ten thousand years.
The worthless (Self) produced Reason (Desire).
Therefore, the decaying body moved. The slumbering body awoke. It emitted a Call to the outside world. It emitted a Call to that light.
That light alone is enough. That light alone is enough. I don't need anything else. As long as I can see that light once more.
As long as this self of mine, which has no desires and no value, can see that most beautiful starlight again, I am willing to do anything.
I thought so.
Then....
*SPLASH!*
My self, which had been calling for years in the dark swamp.
My self, which had been waiting for years in the empty world.
Without warning, just like three thousand six hundred years ago, I saw it again suddenly, without any preparation.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
"Light..."
The dragon fairy, beautiful as aurora light, opened her eyes in Naoki's embrace. Like a newborn baby, she called out in a stiff voice.
It was the light.
The light that suddenly illuminated her world three thousand six hundred years ago.
"Beautiful..."
As if thirsty, her hand reached out as if to grasp the light. Her body leaned as if to embrace the light. The dragon fairy stretched her hand with all her might towards the light in her eyes. Her body drew closer little by little.
Finally—
"Nngh!"
Her lips felt a slightly cool touch.
Naoki, who had just pulled the dragon fairy from the swamp, stood stunned in place, watching the girl suddenly hug him tightly, and then directly kiss him forcefully.
"Nngh~~~~ Muah!"
Pushing the girl clinging to him firmly, Naoki lifted her with one hand: "W-what is this? Suddenly kissing me...."
"Like!"
The dragon fairy stared at him and said.
"Light! Like!"
"Huh?"
Naoki pointed at himself: "Light... you mean me?"
The dragon fairy nodded vigorously, very vigorously, and super vigorously: "Yes! Light! Beautiful! Like!"
"...."
Is there something wrong with this Melusine?
Was Melusine really like this when first pulled out?
(No, no, the original Melusine was pulled out by Aurora roughly a thousand years later. If I pulled her out a thousand years earlier... so the current Melusine is a premature baby?)
Appearance-wise, she was no different from the Melusine Naoki knew, but her language function seemed not fully evolved. Perhaps she hadn't learned human language yet.
No, what's even stranger is Melusine's attitude towards him!
"Melusine, you—"
"Melusine?" The dragon fairy tilted her head cutely, "Me? Melusine? Name?"
"Ah... uh... yes... Right, your name is Melusine."
(I forgot, she didn't have a name when first pulled out. Melusine is the name Aurora gave her...)
"Melusine, Melusine, Melusine..."
Melusine, held in Naoki's hand, repeated her name over and over, then smiled a smile sweet enough to melt Naoki's heart: "I like this name, Melusine. You gave me this name. Thank you, Beautiful Light. I like you very much."
"...."
To be frank, Naoki is a playboy, a super playboy who has dated nearly twenty women.
But even so, now he received a straightforward confession of love from a girl who, mentally and physically, is no different from a little girl....
(If the people back home find out, I'll definitely be executed, right?)
Even though he can't die.
"By the way... Beautiful Light means me? Why do you call me that? Do you know me?"
"Yes! I've known you since three thousand six hundred years ago! I know you are the very beautiful starlight! For these three thousand six hundred years, I have always been looking forward to reuniting with you, and always calling for your arrival!"
Three thousand six hundred years ago, starlight...
(Could it be the Holy Sword? But three thousand six hundred years ago... Could it be that when Morgan performed the Rayshift, besides affecting Aesc, it also had an effect here?)
Judging from the situation, that's the only possibility. There's no other explanation.
(I'll discuss it with Aesc later.)
Looking at Melusine hanging from his hand, Naoki said: "Melusine, can you get off my hand for now? You're a bit heavy... Also, my name is Naoki, not Beautiful Light."
"Naoki. Yes, I've remembered it."
Jumping down from Naoki's hand, Melusine grabbed his hand: "I like you, Naoki."
"...."
Damn it.
For some reason, even though he doesn't know why, now Naoki feels... he might be embarking on a difficult path.
(Melusine is so adorable.)