Sensei sighs as if he is shocked. “……So he stopped it……”
After Crom Cruach spits the bullet of Tathlum to the ground, he changes the form of his face and arms back to that of a human. The damage he got till now is merely on his clothes and his wing. Crom Cruach speaks after taking a breath. “…………It’s time. Looks like this is it.”
He turns around and leans on the wall nearby. His motivation to fight also disappears completely. Vali who becomes dubious asks him. “Are you going to quit?”
“I was told to buy time for at least ten minutes. —I sure would like to fight seriously the next time I meet you.”
After that, Crom Cruach stops talking and becomes silent. The intense battle we just had ends so abruptly as if it didn’t happen. After we look at each other, we left the scene quickly. He doesn’t even come after us. When I take a little glance at him, he is gazing at Gasper……
……Evil Dragons, no, I think there are many things I can’t come to understand about Dragons. We go down the stairs. “Valerie, I’ll be there soon!”
All of a sudden, Gasper is walking ahead of us. He must be feeling that Valerie will be right below. When we go down the stairs even further, a huge door made of stone with gorgeous ornaments appears right in front of us. We open the door grandly. The interior is like a ritual place itself, so there are bookshelves full of creepy statues and scrolls at various parts of the room. “……Gas……Gasper……?”
When we look towards the direction where we heard Valerie’s voice—there is a bed placed above the huge magic-circle that is drawn on the floor, and Valerie is laying above it. The magic-circle is already emitting a creepy glow, and then the light starts to envelop Valerie. “Valeriiiiiiiiiie!”
Gasper screams out her name and approaches the magic-circle, but he cannot get closer to her due to the barrier blocking his way. Gasper catches sight of a man—Marius, who is controlling the spell inside the magic-circle. “Stop! Please stoooooop! Please don’t bully Valerie any more than this! Please release heeeeer!”
The bastard Marius shows a disgusting smile towards Gasper’s painful wish. “Yes, that’s why I’m trying to “release” her. Look, very soon I will be able to take out the Holy Grail that has been eating up both her mind and soul~.”
“Iyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
She releases a very loud scream, and it looks like something is trying to appear from her body. “Ku!”
“We can’t cut it!”
Xenovia and Kiba try to cut through the barrier of the magic-circle, but they can’t even make a scratch. I also try to punch the barrier by putting a lot of my energy into my fist, and then Marius says with a disgusting smile. “Oh, please refrain from making unnecessary attacks. If it affects the spell, then both the Holy Grail and the possessor won’t remain safe. It’s also useless even if the former Governor has some plan. I have been in contact with this Holy Grail more than anyone, and have researched about it. I’m fully aware of the method to take it out more than anyone else.”
Sensei activates a small magic-circle within his palm and starts to check Marius’s spell, but he soon ticks with his tongue. “Ku! This protect code is……the one that belongs to the God of the Bible! Why do you know a code which even I don’t know!? Is this also part of the information given to you by Rizevim! ?”
Marius smiles at Sensei’s question. “He shared a lot of information with me. Thanks to that, my research on the Holy Grail progressed even further where I was able to revive the evil creatures that were supposed to be dead back to this world. On top of that, it seems like Valerie’s Holy Grail has more outstanding aspects than all of the Holy Grail possessors till now. She’s especially splendid at getting rid of the weaknesses of creatures as much as possible.”
……So the reason why the Vampires were enhanced and the Evil Dragon's resistance to the dragon-slayer is due to Valerie being strong in that department. Marius then stops the control of the spell. “Fufufu, thanks to that, I have finished this safely.”
The spell of the magic-circle emits a strong light—enveloping Valerie! ……A memory which is like a nightmare flashes back in my head. ……It’s the same thing that happened to Asia when she had her Sacred Gear taken out from her by Raynare! “I will use my dragon-shot then!”
Rias stops me as I make my stance! “Stop, Ise! We won’t know what will happen if the spell goes wild by using a powerful attack recklessly!”
“B-But! We can’t allow this kind of thing to happen again……!”
I don’t want to see this kind of thing……! While I can’t aim my fist to the target, what appears from Valerie’s body is—a small cup. A small cup glowing in gold—. That is the Holy Grail which happens to be one of the Longinus as well as a relic. “……Aa……”
Valerie loses her sense of being alive completely by having her Sacred Gear taken out, so she lies down on the bed lifelessly. Marius takes out the Holy Grail from Valerie and holds it up high. “This is—the Longinus “Sephiroth Grail”. And it happens to be a masterpiece where it already comes with the requirement of unleashing Balance Breaker.”
……The magic-circle’s spell ends as well as the barrier which also disappears, so Gasper runs to Valerie’s side. “…………This is strange. For taking out a Longinus, this is……”
Seeing this scene, only Sensei makes a strange expression. ……There seems to be something bothering him. By embracing Valerie who is lifeless, Gasper calls out the name of his saviour. “……Valerie……”
Valerie opens her eyes as if she responded to his voice and looks straight into Gasper’s eyes. Valerie strokes Gasper’s face who is crying. “……You sure are a cry-baby, Gasper…… ……You have been crying all the time since you were little……but you have become stronger now, right……?”
Gasper takes her hand and cries out. “……I’m sorry……I……wasn’t able to save you……”
“……No, you did save me…… At the very end……I was able to see you again Gasper….. ……My only friend……and family…… ……Hey, Gasper……”
“……What is it?”
Valerie looks up to the ceiling—. No, she’s not looking at the ceiling. She must be gazing at the place even above that. “……I really wanted…...to see the sun……and if I were……able to go picnic with everyone……”
“……You can see it. I will take you there. Let’s also go and have a picnic as well.”
……Are you telling me something like this has to happen again……? Asia who can’t endure this situation hugs onto me. She is shaking very sadly. ……That’s because Asia also has experienced this before as well……
I……also have experienced this. I can’t endure looking at Gasper who is going through the same experience as I did……
After Valerie strokes Gasper’s cheek, she puts her hand on Gasper’s chest. She says this as if she’s talking into him. “……There is……your other self in here…… ……So I need to ask him for a wish for the very last time……”
She says it in a voice where it’s about to disappear.