In a voice only the two of them could hear, the girl murmured, "Even if I can never replenish your magical energy again, may I still come to you whenever I feel lonely at night?"
Shirou: "..."
Fiore revealed a bashful, mischievous smile.
Shirou nodded. "Yeah. If it's Fiore, you're welcome anytime."
"Thank you. Then I can rest easy?"
"----Ahem, ahem."
Laeticia, Shirou's assistant, interrupted the two as they gazed at each other with ambiguous expressions.
"Then, please begin synchronization." Shirou's voice was solemn.
Half an hour later, the surgery was over.
Although there had been some twists and turns, the procedure had ultimately been completed without a hitch.
"Caules, are you all right? You didn't just transplant seventy percent of the crest—you even took eighty percent of Fiore's.
The one whose crest was removed is probably relieved, but you must be suffering terribly on your end."
"...I'm fine. It's nothing serious."
In truth, it hurt terribly. Every inch of his body ached so badly that he was nearly falling apart—but whenever Caules thought of his sister enduring such agony for so long, he could not help but put on a brave front.
"Caules Fulvigi Thousandth Tree Clan, you're truly remarkable. And, of course, Fiore, as his elder sister, you're just as remarkable."
Supported by Laeticia, Fiore rose to her feet and shook her head with a feeble smile.
"No, that isn't true. Please praise Caules for now. He's the younger brother I'm most proud of."
And so, Fiore died as a magus.
But as an ordinary human being, the path she had chosen in life was only just beginning.
"That's not certain. The more likely possibility is that five days from now, all of humanity will be wiped out."
Caules spoke with a joking expression.
But Fiore shook her