The canopy rustled. Shade's expression was solemn, and faint patterns resembling a giant tree appeared on the floating Moon Egg. The earlier steps were not actually important, because Emilia knew Shade would definitely agree. What mattered was the final step:
"Helena Carter."
With a certain solemnity, Emilia asked the floating Moon Egg:
"Are you willing to sign a contract and become Shade Suellen Hamilton's Dragon Maid, no matter the time or spacetime?"
The egg, which had already turned golden, slowly rotated in the air. Under the curious gazes of the Little Unicorns, Daniste's worried gaze, and Shade and Emilia's somewhat nervous gazes, the Moon Egg within the golden light became translucent, allowing everyone to see the tiny life form curled up inside.
"Wow~"
Just as Daniste covered her mouth with tears in her eyes, a clear cry came from inside the eggshell.
At that moment, the Moon Egg shone beneath the giant tree like a golden sun. Amid the scattered streams of golden light, every living being beneath the tree saw the fleeting shadow of an Ink-Colored Dragon. Its pitch-black skin was covered in specks of light like starlight.
After the Ink-Colored Dragon vanished, the shadow of a young woman appeared in the golden light as well, standing in a pose similar to Tifa, Matilda, and Winnie. But she too vanished in an instant.
The dark gold sapling formed from Emilia's Destiny Ring temporarily borrowed the power of the World Tree Sapling from the Throne Land. The World Tree bore witness to the fulfillment of this vow spanning all time.
On one side was an Outlander who had already come to regard this place as home. On the other was someone who had sacrificed herself to protect the world, then was reborn through love and longing.
The instant Shade raised