Case 149: As seasons pass.

In the end, the cooperation was set.

Under Jeanne's fervent persuasion and Serendia's affirmations, all four of the former hero party members agreed to help with Cecilia's cause. Their primary role was still that of Lyra's teacher, though they also promised to use their leverage and connections to better tighten the empire's military.

And such efforts naturally didn't go unnoticed. Whether it was the imperial family, the nobles, or the corporations, they were all aware of the former heroes' sudden movements. Fire fueled fire, and the capital of Libre soon found itself frozen in a tense atmosphere. Rumors spread like wildfire that humanity was bracing itself for the descent of another demon lord.

War.

Faced with that imminent possibility, people scrambled to protect themselves. The emperor led the court to pass an urgent legislation, doubling military spending for a period ahead. The following months witnessed far fewer banquets and parties in high society, as the blue-bloods poured their money into recruiting soldiers instead of blowing it on leisure.

A gloomy shade fell onto the capital city, Syrus. This, in turn, became a silent warning to other kingdoms under the empire, and soon enough, even neighbouring countries.

Somewhere, the cat-kin princess of Visette Kingdom sighed at the lead-grey sky as she drove back to the adventurer guild. She could sense a storm coming.

Somewhere, the little fourth princess of Libre sat listlessly, her thoughts and prayers gently washed away by the summer wind. At some point, she stopped praying. One look at the sky above was enough for Valerie to steel her determination.

Somewhere, the pink-haired inventor sighed as she tinkered with yet another machine. She couldn't help but feel a burning anxiety for her dear friend and benefactor. Nearby, the former demon queen sat, her mind drifting along the grim clouds.

Somewhere, the half-vampire imperial princess flicked off the monster blood on her sword, and her fiery orange eyes flashed a hint of crimson. Enduring the aching hunger and longing for her love, she pushed through toward the next destination.

Somewhere, the dark-haired magnate of Bourbon retracted her frost magic. Gazing into the colossal iceberg before her eyes, she could see the rare beast's panic, frozen in time. Quietly, she had a wish—how nice it would have been if, just like this, the time she had with that girl was also frozen, forever beautiful.

Somewhere, the royal princess of Anjou sat quietly atop a tree branch, her thoughts one with the swimming birds seeking shelter before calamity struck. She remained silent amidst the howls that permeated the forest.

Somewhere, among the busy streets of the demon city, a lone girl slipped toward the final fortress. Her steps were nimble yet confident, somewhat unfazed despite being in the heart of the enemy's territory. She would go to any length for the woman she loved—Lyra swore in her heart.

Somewhere... Cecilia lay blankly, her spirit unsettled. Still bearing the shackles that restricted her power, her freedom, still bearing the millennial curse in that fragile frame, yet her mind was solely for her loved ones.

For a moment, her eyes fell onto the thin stacks of letters, each carefully wrapped and decorated, that she had prepared herself. Those were her good wishes, her apologies, her thank yous, and... her farewells to the people she cared about.

Despite having made her decision months prior, she always dreamed of that perfect, happy ending. After all... no one would blame her for having a dream.

'How nice would it be... if I never have to send those letters?'

Cecilia laughed bitterly.

And while the girl's wish stayed unchanged, the world kept moving. Those idle days turned into weeks, weeks into months, until the autumn leaves stopped falling and winter snow arrived, yet Cecilia's anxiety only intensified. Caged in the mansion, alone with her thoughts. On certain days, she nearly slept through them without much hesitation.

Though her body was steadily deteriorating, and on cold days, she would experience that searing pain again—Cecilia was running out of time.

Her only solace was the heartfelt visits from her loved ones. Only by being with them did she feel her mind ease. Yet, approaching the end, Cecilia's heart gradually calmed, as if she had already accepted her fate. Even those violent coughs did little to shake her.

At some point, as she gazed at the gentle rain of snow outside the glass window, Cecilia decided to face it all with a smile.

So, on a snow-heavy night of December, she gathered everyone again.

By now, the reality of the situation had settled in—war was imminent, and there was no place where people could sense it more vividly than in this room.

Cecilia sat meekly on the edge of the bed, hugging her small shoulder over the draped quilt. Her eyes reflected silent sorrow, yet the slight curl of her lips betrayed a bitter acceptance.

''...Time's almost up.'' She said. ''Before proceeding, I want to know the extent of your growth. If it's insufficient...''

Cecilia's words trailed at the end as she bit her lips, but she quickly snapped back, ''If it's insufficient, we can accelerate.''

Hearing the uncertain tone, Lyra resolutely stood up and grabbed the woman's shoulders, ''What do you mean 'time's up'? You said there would be a year and a half. It's barely been a year.''

Cecilia averted her eyes helplessly, ''We can't do anything about it. Astaroth's pushback is more potent than I thought.''

The eyes unconsciously went toward the shackles on her neck, wrist, and ankle. Indeed, if one felt it carefully, they'd be able to discern the faint leak of dark magic between its joints, one marred with the archdemon's malice.

No one was able to come up with a retort, not even the stubborn Lyra. Since... she was the one who could sense it the most clearly.

These days, she had a grim premonition, a certain omen that she couldn't shake off. Even then, she kept pushing, kept working hard to maintain the glimmer of hope and to nurture the immense pride she had in herself, which was the only thing that could help the situation.

Yet, Lyra couldn't stop herself from quivering.

It felt like the woman in front of her—her entire world—was slipping away from her embrace, and she couldn't do a thing about it. A bitter irk fell. The heroine's arms trembled.

''It's alright.''

''...''

With the same kind smile she had shown over the years, Cecilia pulled Lyra into her embrace. Only then did the little girl's shaking calm.

''Promise me you'll do your best.'' Cecilia softly said. ''Won't you?''

''...Okay.''

The following day, several vehicles were parked in the academy's grounds. The group headed to a practice hall, now devoid of students thanks to the winter break. Cecilia sat in the spectator's seat, draped in thick layers of clothing. Even though the freezing cold had gotten to her fragile body, she refused to remove her eyes from the heroine.

Below, Lyra could feel that gaze vividly. Even though she had proven herself countless times in front of other people, she had never been so anxious before. Meeting Cecilia's benevolent yet somehow dull eyes, she felt... fear.

''...''

But in the end... she could only choose one option—that was, to step forward.