"Shaula."
Natsuki Subaru spoke.
Shaula immediately straightened up.
"Here! Awaiting your orders, Master! Shaula's in perfect form again today. Killing, carrying things, flying high, beating up bad guys-anything you want!"
"Don't put killing first."
"Huh? But that's what Master's had Shaula do the most lately."
Shaula blinked, then, as though realizing she had said something wrong, immediately raised a hand and knocked herself on the head.
"Oh no! Shaula said something that would trouble Master! Sorry, please don't hate Shaula, Master!"
Watching her apologize so earnestly, Natsuki Subaru gathered his thoughts and finally asked:
"Shaula, what exactly do you want to do in the end?"
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"Don't give me that."
Natsuki Subaru looked into her eyes, his voice lowering a little.
"You understand my goal too, don't you? What exactly do you want to do in the end?"
Shaula froze for a moment.
"In the end?"
She repeated the words as though she hadn't understood.
Natsuki Subaru nodded.
"After everything's over."
"After I find Natsuki Subaru."
"After the real Natsuki Subaru comes back and sets everything right."
At that, his voice briefly faltered.
He himself had no idea how twisted his expression was at that moment.
But Shaula didn't notice any of that.
At the words "after it's over," her eyes instantly lit up.
"After it's over..."
She raised her fingers and began counting them off one by one.
"Shaula wants to eat with Master."
"Shaula wants Master to tell her she did great again today."
"Shaula wants Master to pat her head."
"Shaula wants to take naps with Master."
At that, she suddenly covered her mouth and stole a glance at Natsuki Subaru's expression.
"Ah, was it okay to say that? Shaula said it out loud, you know? You heard it, Master! Now that you've heard it, you can't pretend you didn't."
Natsuki Subaru didn't smile.
The excitement on Shaula's face slowly faded a little.
As though finally noticing Natsuki Subaru's mood, she leaned closer and asked quietly:
"Are you unhappy, Master?"
Natsuki Subaru looked at her.
She was very close, close enough for Natsuki Subaru to clearly see the anticipation in her eyes. There was no doubt in them, no resentment, nor any hurt at asking for something and receiving no response.
She was always waiting for Natsuki Subaru.
Waiting for a word from him, waiting for an order.
And waiting for him to treat her a little better.
Natsuki Subaru suddenly looked away.
"I'll kill you at the end."
Shaula blinked.
After saying that, Natsuki Subaru clenched his fists hard. He didn't look at Shaula's expression, as though he was already prepared to bear her fear, anger, or tears and protests.
But none of those reactions came.
After a brief silence, Shaula's voice instead rose.
"At the end?"
Natsuki Subaru raised his head.
Shaula stood before him, her eyes frighteningly bright.
"Master's going to save Shaula for last?"
She pressed both hands to her chest, looking ready to jump into the air.
"Really? Really? After everyone else, Shaula gets to be the last one?"
Natsuki Subaru frowned.
"You didn't understand what I meant."
"Shaula understood!"
She answered immediately, quickly and happily.
"Master's going to end Shaula with his own hands, right? You'll look at Shaula, call Shaula's name, and save Shaula until the very last moment, right?"
The more she spoke, the happier she became, her cheeks even flushing a little.
"Then Shaula will be the most special of all."
Natsuki Subaru stared at the girl before him, stunned.
Shaula stepped forward and spoke in a rush, as though afraid he would change his mind:
"You can't lie to Shaula, Master."
"It's a promise."
"Shaula has to be the last."
"Master has to do it himself."
There wasn't a trace of fear in her voice as she said those words.
Natsuki Subaru looked at her, momentarily at a loss for words.
"Why... are you so happy about this?"
Shaula tilted her head.
"Because Master's saving Shaula for last."
She answered as though it were obvious.
"The people you get rid of first must be in the way."
"The people you get rid of in the middle must be troublesome."
"If Shaula's turn only comes at the end, it means Master's been thinking of Shaula all along."
"It means Master can't bear to end Shaula too soon."
"It means Shaula stayed with Master until the very end."
When she finished, she laughed again.
She laughed like a child who had been given candy.
"Master really does love Shaula the most."
Natsuki Subaru's lips moved.
He should deny it.
He should tell her that her interpretation was outrageously wrong.
He should tell her that being killed could never be called a reward.
But Shaula's eyes were too bright as she looked at him, filled with joy, love, and anticipation.
It was as though she had heard his sentence as a confession of love.
"Shaula."
Natsuki Subaru didn't want to deceive Shaula even at the end, so he called her name softly.
Shaula immediately leaned closer.
"Here!"
"What if you've been waiting for the wrong person?"
Shaula's smile paused for a moment.
Natsuki Subaru continued:
"What if I have no right at all to be called your master?"
"What if you've mistaken me for someone else from the very start?"
Shaula blinked.
Then she reached out with both hands and gently cupped Natsuki Subaru's face.
Her movements were very careful, as though the slightest force would destroy the beautiful thing before her.
"Master's saying strange things again."
She looked at him earnestly.
"Shaula waited a very, very long time."
"Until there was nothing in the tower, until every day was almost the same, until Shaula almost didn't know what she was waiting for anymore."
"But Master came."
"So Shaula knows she wasn't waiting for the wrong person."
Shaula was too close as she spoke, her breath brushing gently against the side of Natsuki Subaru's face.
Natsuki Subaru looked at Shaula so close to him, saw those eyes filled with love, and unwittingly stopped breathing.
Shaula smiled.
This time, her smile wasn't as boisterous as usual.
"It's okay if Master's become strange."
"It's okay if Master's forgotten lots of things."
"It's okay if Master makes Shaula kill people."
"It's okay if Master wants to kill Shaula at the end, too."
Her fingers brushed gently against the side of Natsuki Subaru's face, as though comforting him.
"Shaula loves Master the most."
"So Master has to love Shaula the most, too."
Natsuki Subaru looked at her.
He finally understood that what this girl called love was far removed from what ordinary people imagined.
Within it were waiting, obsession, obedience, and the loneliness of hundreds of empty years.
She had entrusted everything to the word "Master."
So whatever he gave her, she would obey.
Praise.
Orders.
Exploitation.
Death.
She would accept them all with a smile, then interpret them as love.
Natsuki Subaru looked away, his voice so low it was almost inaudible.
"...You're a real pain, you know."
But Shaula smiled happily.
"Yes! Master called Shaula a pain!"
"That means you love Shaula too, right?"
Natsuki Subaru didn't answer.
Shaula didn't press him any further, either.
She simply returned to his side, standing very close as she always did.
"Then it's a promise."
She held out her little finger.
"Shaula goes last."
"Master has to do it himself."
Natsuki Subaru looked at the little finger held out before him.
Only after a long while did he raise his hand.
Their little fingers gently hooked together.
Shaula smiled happily.
That smile was bright and light, filled with utterly unguarded trust.
Natsuki Subaru looked at the little finger held out before him and remained motionless for a long time.
Shaula didn't hurry him, either, waiting for his response with a smile.
"Yeah."
He extended his right hand and spoke softly.
"It's a promise."