Holy water.
At Dawnstar Academia, holy water was invaluable in battle, of course, but when it came to choices, it was an item with downright cheat-level utility.
A cure-all.
Just as I had summoned Can with holy water during the abandoned house request, no matter how convoluted a quest’s progression was, a single bottle of holy water could resolve it immediately.
Someone is sick. Give them holy water.
Someone’s arm was cut off. Give them holy water.
They’re just about to breathe their last. Give them holy water.
The illness will not heal. Give them holy water.
A free pass!
Holy water was this cheat-code-like item that could solve nearly any gimmick involving illness or healing.
That was why I had given it to DLC Dante, who had been on the verge of death…
I had not expected this, though.
Its effect was far better than I had imagined.
Of course, I knew that holy water personally brewed by the Holy Virgin was different.
Unlike ordinary holy water, which restored 30% of one’s HP, it was an absurd item that immediately restored 50%.
So I had expected internal and external injuries to be completely healed, but…
[The Holy Virgin’s divine power temporarily suppresses the Frost.]
[Dante’s level is temporarily restored.]
I never imagined it would have effects like these.
It suppressed Dante’s Frost and restored her to her original level, even if only temporarily.
Ordinary holy water did not have such an effect.
I knew that much. It was not as though I had never used holy water in the DLC.
"…Th-this is impossible."
DLC Dante, standing before me, stared at her own hand with an expression full of shock.
Frost rose from her trembling fingertips like pure white smoke.
Then the faint radiance of holy water lingering around those fingertips flared out, and its warm heat quietly began to quell the coldly blazing Frost as though swallowing it whole.
【Dante de Astoria】
◈ Level: 87
◈ Your level has been temporarily restored.
It appeared the notification stating that her level had been restored was no lie.
Dante’s level, as confirmed through Insight Eye, was a staggering 87.
On par with the head of the Logres family.
And only three levels below the headmaster… a level that had reached the realm of superhumans.
So the DLC protagonist had not won her title through Go-Stop for nothing.
"No holy water… had ever healed this body…"
Dante murmured in a voice that seemed to blend shock and emotion in equal measure.
It was different from ordinary holy water, after all.
The Holy Virgin herself had made it through Iris, the heroine’s body.
Even so, it could not heal her completely?
Rather than a full restoration, it was only temporary.
That meant even the Holy Virgin’s divine power could not completely suppress Dante’s mana.
That was a little disappointing.
If this could have healed her entirely, there would have been no need to search for that thing related to Asteria.
It would mean I could settle everything simply by giving her this holy water.
So there would be no easy win… Tch.
I turned my gaze toward Dante, who stood beside her DLC self without saying a word.
She looked perfectly fine on the outside, and in truth, she was fine right now.
But Dante was terminally ill.
Not because of a disease, nor because of her lifespan, but because of her own mana.
She was gradually being consumed by Frost, one of Astoria’s mana powers.
She was all right now, but Future Dante was fated to be devoured by the Frost and vanish.
That was why DLC Dante, who was level 87, had fallen to level 50.
The only thing that could resolve it was the hidden piece related to Asteria—the requirement for seeing Dante’s marriage ending.
Only with that could Dante finally break free from the Frost’s shackles.
I had not understood it in the main story.
Why that item was necessary to marry Dante.
There had been no explanation whatsoever in the main story.
Perhaps Dante had known all along that she was terminally ill.
That was why she had not wanted to marry.
Knowing Dante’s personality, she might have believed that someone with so little time left could not make another person happy…
In any case…
In conclusion, finding that hidden piece was necessary to save Dante…
…Well, perhaps I should leave that to Iris or Dolnesia.
Giving it to her was something the heroine should do, not me.
All I had to do was make sure it dropped at their feet so Iris or Dolnesia could give that flower to Dante. That would be the end of it.
Wait a second, though… Dante was a woman.
And she married the heroine…
Was Dante gay?
While I was lost in such pointless thoughts—
"Thank you."
Dante’s voice, tossed out with a faint smile, broke through my reverie.
Having shed her grave authority and dignity, it was not Astoria the Emperor speaking, but simply Dante, one person sincerely thanking another.
As she spoke, the corners of her eyes were flushed red and slightly damp.
For some reason, the sight of her made me smile.
Even if she had become Emperor only because someone had to sit upon the crumbling throne, and she had been pushed into it by circumstance.
Even if she was a great mage who had surpassed the realm of superhumans and looked toward the domain of the absolute.
In the past, now, and in the future yet to come.
The person standing before me was still Dante.
No matter what path she walked, Dante would remain Dante.
That was what I thought.
"Still, it is too early to celebrate. It has not been completely suppressed, so it will return once time passes."
"I know."
At my reply, DLC Dante answered calmly and gathered frigid Frost in her right hand.
Ssssss—!!!!
The flames that had spread throughout the Imperial Palace went out merely from the aftermath of the Frost gathering.
And the Frost that collected in her hand became a sword.
A sword whiter than the one Dante created, radiating a biting cold incomparable to anything else.
It was merely a sword made of mana, yet it gave off such an overwhelming radiance that it did not pale beside the Clarent of the Coward I held now.
At that moment—
Rrroooaaar—!!!!
The owner of that earlier roar appeared from beyond the corridor.
A colossal beast whose enormous frame matched the massive mane, like the wolf and leopard from before.
【Lion】
◈ Level: 60
The strongest of the three beasts: the lion.
The massive beast let out an ear-splitting roar and opened its maw as though it would pounce at any moment.
It was not going to transform?
I had been a little worried.
Fortunately, the lion before us seemed to be a different individual from that lion, because it did not transform.
Well, in terms of pure level, this thing was stronger than the Body of the Lionheart Knight…
And at that very instant—
Slice—!!
I heard the chilling sound of something being cut.
Wondering what it was, I looked ahead. DLC Dante, who had been at my side, had somehow moved to the lion’s flank and stood there holding her frost sword.
Rrrooo…
Though I had clearly heard something being severed, there was not a single cut on the lion’s body.
But the lion stopped roaring and froze in place, staring blankly into empty space with vacant eyes.
Then—
Crackle—!!!
It happened in an instant.
Cold spread outward from the lion’s abdomen and swallowed its enormous body at terrifying speed.
The lion was trapped inside ice.
That massive lion became an ice sculpture in a single moment.
Not long afterward, it shattered into pieces and fell to the ground.
"Still… it is enough to get you out of this Imperial Palace."
Dante murmured as though she were saying something as trivial as taking a stroll around the neighborhood.
Kafka, Dante, and I.
We all froze at the sight of her.
This was Future Dante.
It went beyond a mere difference in mastery or realm.
She was simply on a different level.
At this rate… that guy would not be a problem either, would he?
Seeing DLC Dante’s strength, I suddenly thought of him.
The final boss of the DLC prologue, the one in charge of the defeat event.
Even after the lion had fallen, no notification appeared, so it seemed we had to see that guy as well…
Like Arghalia, he was an enemy I was guaranteed to lose against, but for some reason, I was not worried.
In the game, Dante’s body had not been normal, so defeat had been inevitable. Even if it was an event designed to make you lose no matter what…
The current DLC Dante was at the height of her power.
And with strength like that, forget a defeat event—it was obviously going to be an easy win.
Thank goodness…?
It was then.
Ding!
[Trait, Flower of Chivalry, activates.]
Out of nowhere, a notification window suddenly appeared before my eyes.
Despite the fact that every enemy had clearly vanished, Flower of Chivalry had activated.
I did not know why.
Without thinking, without even questioning it.
The moment I saw that notification, I raised my shield.
Because I got goosebumps.
It was a notification sound I had heard countless times before.
Yet never before had the sound of that notification echoing through empty space given me such chills.
Small talk was over.
Even the time to think was a luxury.
Ridiculous as it was, I stepped in front of him.
I poured every ounce of strength rising from my boosted stats into lifting Prydwen and doing nothing but blocking.
Because it felt like that was the only way I would survive.
"You…"
Just as something was about to leave DLC Dante’s lips—
Shraaaaaash—!!!!!
A dark crimson sword aura flew at us with enough force to tear apart space itself.
It cut through everything centered around me.
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