“Listen to me: I am Lupus Filia. I’m not the girl you couldn’t save. So don’t think you have to die for me.”
Lupus’s words, filled with heartbreaking sentiment, weighed heavier on Tsushima’s heart than any metal in the world ever could.
He had noticed it dimly himself. He was projecting Shion, who he had lost in the past, onto Lupus. Before he knew it, he had lost sight of Lupus’s identity, with Shion’s image overshadowing her so much that it was controlling his emotions.
But the girl who had just slapped him was unmistakably Lupus, not the smiling Shion from his memories.
Tsushima dropped his gaze and closed his eyes.
“Sorry. But an image of Shion haunts me whenever I look at you.”
“I don’t doubt that. I get it. She was very dear to you. But, Tsushima?” With her eyes still full of tears, Lupus, who had been trembling with anger, cupped Tsushima’s cheeks with her hands. Then she brought his face directly in front of hers, bringing him so close that they could feel each other’s breath.
“Don’t turn away. Look at me. I am here. I am still alive. I am standing next to you. So I want you to see the real Lupus Filia.” As she spoke, her blue eyes returned to red. She had stopped executing the Code that changed their color.
Her real eyes bore into Tsushima.
Looks spoke louder than words. Faced with the strong will reflected in her gaze, Tsushima had a realization.
“Hey you, what are you thinking?”
“Not ‘hey you.’ Say my actual name.”
“Lupus, what are you thinking?”
Lupus smiled in satisfaction.
“I finally get to hear you call me by my name. You should use it more often from now on.”
She let go of his face and, a little shyly, clasped her hands and turned away from him. Tsushima took a step toward her.
“Hey, answer my question. What are you thinking?”
At Tsushima’s inquiry, Lupus exhaled deeply and straightened her stance. Her silver hair rippled slowly, emitting light. Then she spoke in a resolute tone.
“I’m thinking…that I’m going to kill Ross.”
For a second, Tsushima couldn’t comprehend what she had said. That option had never even crossed his mind.
“What are you talking about?” he muttered when the meaning finally sunk in. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’ve never killed anyone before, have you? Once you’ve taken a life, there’s no going back. Killing someone changes your entire world. You shouldn’t come to this side, Lupus.”
“Is that because Shion stood by your side? Because you couldn’t protect her when you were in the same place?”
“N-no, that’s not what I’m saying,” Tsushima stammered, looking shaken for a change.
Lupus held her long hair in place as she turned to him, talking back mercilessly while keeping a dignified expression.
“After hearing everything from Brother Causa, I finally understand. This isn’t your fight—it’s mine. I can’t escape from this battle anymore. If I don’t face it head-on, I’ll keep sacrificing others. I would…lose you,” Lupus said, speaking clearly and with determination. The childishness and weakness that had once veiled her were nowhere to be seen. Tsushima found himself captivated by her dignified presence.
“But, you know,” she continued, “the unfortunate truth is: I can’t defeat all my enemies on my own. That’s why I need your help. I’ll leave Canus to you. I’m sure you can take him down. But no matter what happens, Ross is my enemy to defeat. He’s my nemesis, the one who ruined my life and turned it into a sham. I have to settle this with my own two hands.”
There was strong determination in Lupus’s red eyes as she stared directly at him, not budging an inch.
Tsushima quietly asked his final question.
“Are you serious about this?”
“Yes. I can’t just be the weak girl you protect. I don’t want to stand behind you as you defend me. I want to be able to stand next to you. So—”
Lupus paused for a moment, then grabbed the necklace from around her neck. The next moment, she tore apart the delicate gold chain.
She extended her clenched fist toward Tsushima and slowly opened her hand. In her small palm lay two rings: one gold, the other a tarnished silver.
“—I will make us equals. Let’s promise each other we’ll both survive and come back alive.”
A master and their knight were bound by fate. The knight protected their master at all times, and the master respected their knight until the very end. Lupus was saying they should exchange those vows there and then.
“Kneel down on one knee.”
When Tsushima hesitated slightly, Lupus pulled him forward by the arm. As he knelt on one knee before her, Lupus gave a bitter smile.
“You don’t want to be my knight?”
“I’ve always preferred to shy away from status or authority. Besides, I’m a little shaken.”
“It’s all right. I’m a runaway princess—I have no status or authority. This is just a promise between you and me. A secret vow, you might say.”
“A secret vow, huh?” Tsushima murmured, then quietly nodded. Lupus took his response as affirmation and rolled up her sleeves.
“Normally, this would be done with a ceremonial sword, but this is fine, right?” Lupus said, using her hand in place of a blade and placing it on Tsushima’s shoulder. With her thin, supple hand on his shoulder, Tsushima quietly looked down.
Lupus steadied her breath and closed her eyes.
“Thou shalt swear loyalty and fealty to thy liege and vow to remain with her until the end of the ashen age in which no sun shall rise. Thou shalt swear justice and peace to thy liege and vow to remain with her until the end of the age of black mist that sets the earth ablaze. Thou shalt become my shield and protect hope, become my sword and vanquish nightmares.”
It was the knight’s vow that had been handed down in the Balga Empire since ancient times.
“With that, you may no longer choose when to die.”
“You might be right.”
“It’s not that I ‘might’ be right; that’s how it is. So don’t be reckless. No matter how tough a situation is, you have to find a way to come back alive. Got that?”
A bitter expression came to Tsushima’s face as he found himself being reprimanded in what seemed like a complete reversal of roles.
“Isn’t that something we could both say? If anything, I’m more worried about you than myself. Do you have any ways forward in mind?”
“Yeah,” Lupus replied. “I have an idea. Even if it doesn’t seem reliable, I want you to leave things to me. Let me shoulder even an ounce of your burden. So please, focus on what you need to do.”
Lupus looked up at Tsushima with eyes full of confidence.