Two Nights
I can see why Lady Alicia asked me to handle this personally.
This power is completely different from that of an ordinary [Shifter].
Rather than simply being strong... it's foreign.
And yet, it somehow feels strangely familiar.
Just what are you?
...Who knows.
Are you inviting me to find out by force?
Well, that does happen to be my specialty.
Wait! Large seismic wave approaching!
Huh?
Kgh...! What now?!
Epicenter estimated to be... the [anchor point]!
You mean where the Void Core used to be?
...Likely caused by the collapse of the [spacetime discontinuity].
Forced assimilation of spacetime that had been separated from reality. From this, we can infer...
...[The destruction of the Void Core.]
That means... Captain and Asherah won, right?
Yes. A major impact is expected as everything that disappeared returns to reality.
We need to brace for impact...!
Everyone, get ready!
If the Void Core has been destroyed...
That means the [Sword of Aldebaran] is about to reveal itself!
Wobble, wobble... Omega's gonna fall!
Kiddo, hold my hand tight!
Captain, are you okay?
I'm... okay.
If we're here now... does that mean we're back?
Western Liberators, report! Is everyone safe?
Oww... My head's still spinning.
Kuku, I know you're dizzy, so stay still!
Everyone has returned safely.
Whoaaa! We won!
...So the mission is complete.
Besta, status report...?
I'm doing better than I look.
...There's a hole through you! How is that "better"?!
All units, evacuate the wounded first! Move!
Honestly... Don't even think about moving. Get on the stretcher and stay put!
...Is that nosebleed from your injuries, or are you having weird thoughts again?
Both...
Captain! Asherah!
Oh, Luna! Smile! Omega! We're over here!
We were worried sick! You're both okay!
Wanted to help, but could not find a way to cross the [surface] from the outside.
Omega cheered you on really hard too!
Ahaha, thanks! We won and made it back!
We're back. Sorry for worrying you.
I'm glad all three of you are okay too. We were really worried about you.
But... huh?!
Huh? Huuuh?!
What's wrong, Asherah?
N-no, it's just... H-how are you here?!
Fufu, it's been a while.
My daughter.
Have you been taking good care of the Dawn of Night you stole?
Daughter?!
I couldn't make sense of what she'd just said.
So... to put this together... Asherah was this woman's daughter.
Which meant... she was Asherah's...
Asherah's mother? You're really her mother?
Uh... okay.
She's my mom... I don't really know why she's here, though...
S-sorry, Captain! That caught you off guard, didn't it?
Don't worry. I'll send her home right away...!
Oh, Asherah, your mother is hurt.
We haven't seen each other in months, and the first thing you say is [go home already]?
N-no, that's not what I meant...!
We're busy right now! So when are you going home, Mom?
*Sigh...*
Your mother came here for work too.
And you do realize you're currently a runaway, don't you?
Ugh, whatever! That's not important right now!
Honestly! You haven't even been gone for a year, and you've already fallen head-over-heels for a man?
I stepped in front of the panicking Asherah and bowed my head.
It's a pleasure to meet you.
Ah, so you're the [Captain] I've heard so much about.
I've heard quite a few stories about you.
She looked me up and down with a meaningful gaze.
She had a very different air about her than I'd imagined, but she was still the head of a great house.
Asherah may have run away, but she'd been involved in enough major incidents that her mother probably knew roughly what she'd been up to.
Your daughter has helped me in many ways—
I heard you started by filling out a marriage registration form together?
Gah!
D-did I really just hear that?
My vision went dark, and a loud ringing filled my ears.
My, my... What an impressive young man you are.
My daughter has rather high standards, so just what did you do to make her fall for you this hard? Hmm?
Or perhaps it'd be more accurate to ask how you seduced my precious daughter?
Still, if you've laid your hands on the heir of a countess, I assume you're prepared to take responsibility.
Th-that's...! Nothing actually happened...!
Ah, yes. "Nothing happened."
You filled out the marriage registration but didn't submit it, so you did nothing wrong. Is that it?
Th-that's not what I meant...
Mom! Stop it!
You're making our Captain uncomfortable!
..."Our" Captain?
Anyway! If you're here for work, finish it quickly and go home!
Seriously, Mom, you're impossible!
...
Sorry, Captain. That was a lot, wasn't it?
My mom can be a little embarrassing...
I'll give her a good scolding later, so just relax.
No, forget later. I'll send her home right now...
You little brat!
They say raising daughters is thankless, and I suppose they are right!
You thought I wouldn't know what you were up to? Candle Square sent me all the reports!
And I heard you were the one who filled out that marriage registration first!
Do you have any sense of responsibility as the heir to House Stranis or not?!
Ugh, whatever! If it's our Captain, it's worth the trouble!
You've never even filled out a marriage form yourself, so why are you lecturing me?!
You should be praising me for finding you such a good son-in-law!
Son-in-law...?
N-no, I just meant hypothetically...!
Don't mind that! Don't mind it at all!
...Actually, don't completely ignore it either. Maybe mind it just a little... Anyway!
I told you, Mom.
I'm going to become someone worthy of being called a Star Savior!
No matter what you say, I'm not going home!
...
I see. So that's how it is...
Then I suppose it can't be helped. Fufu.
Huh? You're accepting it?
...That's weird. Since when does my mom give in that easily?
Well, there's nothing I can do now that you've already been registered as a Savior.
But! A prestigious house like Stranis cannot allow things to be done out of order.
Out of order?
Right. I have to get married before you do.
M-Mom? You're getting married?
I hadn't planned on it...
But if that's what it takes, I suppose I'll have to make that sacrifice for my daughter's future.
And just as you said, there happens to be a rather good man right here.
Huh...? Huh?! Whaaat?!
A chill ran through my entire body, like a frog caught in a snake's gaze.
So, Captain...
Have you ever considered becoming Count Stranis?
Whaaat?! Huh?!
...Me?
Of course. If you marry [me], you'd jump about three social ranks from commoner to count in one fell swoop.
MOM!!!
And ours isn't merely a noble house in name.
House Stranis is quite wealthy too.
You'd literally only need to bring yourself. It's the perfect arrangement.
MOOOM!!
Oh, and if you're worried about marrying a married woman, there's no need.
I've never been married.
In fact, I've never even been with a man.
Asherah was born through a rather unusual [virgin birth].
If you don't believe me, you're welcome to check NOA's official records.
There are even documents with the Grand Witch Lady Alicia recorded as a direct witness.
I couldn't take any more... My mind was starting to go blank...
Mom, are you insane?!
Why are you even bringing this up?!
Insane? Whatever do you mean, dear?
You want to get married so badly, I'm offering to get married first and make sure we follow proper tradition.
If you want to get married, go find some other man!
Keep your hands off [MY] Captain!
I don't want to. I rather like this Captain too.
Mom!
That scene just now. Was that it?
...I think so.
Luna's foresight is indeed accurate.
And completely useless.
What... exactly am I listening to right now?
The blood! You're bleeding even more!
Ah... Inspiration... Inspiration is surging through me!
To think I'd live to see a mother-daughter love triangle turn into a catfight...
I, Besta... cannot possibly die before immortalizing this scene in my work!
Cool it if you want to live!
Just then, another powerful tremor shook the ground.
One moment, she was Asherah's mother, bickering childishly with her daughter...
The next, she was Amora, the countess of House Stranis, scanning the surroundings with a sharp gaze, as if she'd never been joking mere moments ago.
All right, that's enough fooling around for now.
We can continue our introductions later.
Like I said, I'm here because of [work].
I turned my gaze toward where she was looking.
There stood a familiar girl with an blindfold, one we'd already encountered several times.
...
I might have been imagining it, but for a moment, she seemed to be looking at me.
No, it had to be my imagination. How could I tell where she was looking with that blindfold on?
And yet... my instincts clearly told me otherwise.
Kgh...!!! Another earthquake...!
...Captain.
Where Ceres silently pointed, a deep violet energy surged skyward.
That's where the Void Core used to be!
Yes. In that case...
It seems the [Sword] is about to reveal itself.
Fall back! Ten paces in orderly formation! Don't get caught in the blast!
As the smoke cleared, an unfamiliar form finally emerged.
A smoothly connected polyhedron.
Rather than a [Sword], it looked almost like...
A [Heart of the Star].
No. That's definitely the [Sword of Aldebaran].
I saw it in the records my sister left behind.
It only resembles a Heart of the Star in appearance.
Voidborns...?! Why?! We definitely wiped them all out along with Olberos!
That was in the space where Captain and Asherah were.
These are likely residual Voidborns that originally remained in this area.
The Voidborns! They're all gathering over there!
Of course they are. It is only natural for beings of the Void to be drawn to the Void...
We can't stand by and let the Voidborns claim it.
All units! New objective! Drive back the Voidborns and secure the [Sword]!
...
Well then, ready for round two?
...No.
I've lost interest.
That's unexpected.
Does that mean you're giving up on the [Sword of Aldebaran] too?
Of course not.
I meant that I have no need to deal with you myself.
This world's weakened Divine Barrier can no longer stop a Marquess-class Voidborn from descending.
What?!
The blindfolded girl raised a hand, and a translucent sphere descended from the sky.
With a flash of light, the sphere transformed into a massive [gate].
Captain! Watch out!
I have seen this in NOA's Voidborn Bestiary!
That gate... It's the teleportation pattern of the Marquess-class Voidborn [Demoraigis]!
As Smile shouted, a gigantic Voidborn emerged, sending shockwaves in every direction.
Is everyone okay?!
Can you still fight?
It's fortunate that the [Shifter] isn't joining the battle herself, but...
A Marquess-class Voidborn is an opponent that would require us to put our lives on the line even with all of NOA's forces mobilized.
I don't know exactly what happened, but you all already look exhausted. Your chances of winning are...
She's right... This is dangerous.
The Liberators are already exhausted from the previous battle...
And Commander Ceres, you're hardly in good condition yourself, are you?
...No. We were all prepared for this.
This is exactly... what my sister risked her life trying to prevent.
But are all of you really okay to keep fighting?
Captain, Asherah, the Western Liberators...
All appear to have sustained serious injuries and severe exhaustion.
Think rationally.
If you insist on fighting out of sheer stubbornness, you could lose your companions.
Hmph. There isn't a single Western Liberator who's afraid of that.
I was able to cut down Olberos because I promised my sister a new future.
I promised that no matter what stood in the way of our fate, we'd overcome it!
That Sword is what my sister tried to keep sealed away... even knowing she'd suffer for eternity.
And you expect us to leave it in someone else's hands and retreat? Absurd!
The Western Liberators will secure the [Sword] with everything we have.
...This world really is full of fools everywhere I look. Fufu.
Then I'll show you too.
I'll show you why House Stranis is worthy of being one of NOA's allied houses.
Asherah, you're ready too, aren't you?
Of course!
And the Voyager Savior Party?
Yeah! Everyone's ready!
All units! New operation objective! Crush the hostile forces and secure the [Sword]!
All units, prepare to attack!
Adjutant Besta! Fall back!
I'm fine. My body is a little different from everyone else's.
I can still move.
*Sigh...* Don't blame me for what happens later.
Kuku, get up. Time to earn your keep.
Eat every last one of those things in our way.