After we jumped out of the space tear, we were above the clouds.
At first, we were falling in a curve, but gradually, the speed of our drop increased.
「Release me while you canーー」
I flicked Eleanor with a finger for saying that.
Because she has a physical body, the different feeling from when she’s a Demon Sword is interesting.
Eleanor rubbed her reddened forehead and stared at me with a dumbfounded expression.
「Just grab onto me and don’t let go. Your powers are almost exhausted right?」
「Uu……!」
「That’s why, you should just stay put」
Eleanor got silent. Was she persuaded? Or did she give up?
Well, it’s fine either way. We should find a way to land first.
The ground is rapidly approaching and our dropping speed is rapidly increasing as well.
We dropped from ten times the height from when I jumped off of Olivia’s back before, so we were dropping at an unbelievable speed.
I still feel the damage I got from escaping through the space tear, so it’s dangerous if I try to land as usual.
I thought for a second and held EleanorーーI held the Demon Sword Eleanor to a reverse grip.
I made a stance with that chunk of steel, and threw it with all I got just before we reached the ground.
I threw the sword as if I was throwing a spear towards the ground.
It hit the ground and created an explosion.
The blast spread out, offsetting most of our dropping speed.
We landed at the center of the explosion.
After that, I dropped down, laying on the ground while holding Eleanor in my arms.
I’m so tired, inconceivably tired.
This is the most exhausted I’ve been, just to escape through the space tear.
I looked up to the sky while holding Eleanor in my arms.
While the white clouds slowly passed by, Eleanor did not move an inch, quietly staying within my arms.
After a while, she said softly.
「It’s the first time in my life that I’ve been protected by someone……」
「Is that so?」
「Do you see me as a woman who needs the protection of others?」
「Not at all. And adding to that, probably, you have never protected someone else」
「Correct. Umu. Protecting and being protected, such concept was irrelevant to me up until now」
After saying that, Eleanor became silent.
From her presence, I felt that she was choosing her words, so I waited for her to speak.
「……it’s not bad at all」
「I see」
「My heart raced being protected by you. It felt as if my heart tightened, and my body felt as if it was going to be compressed……ahh」
Eleanor showed a self-deprecating smile.
「This must be how it feels to fall in love」
Eleanor reached that conclusion by herself.
She probably knew it as knowledge, so she quickly reached that conclusion after experiencing it first hand.
「It doesn’t feel bad at all. It’s as if I became, human」
「I see」
「But, I do not wish to be protected」
The way she spoke changed. Up until then, she was speaking as if she was relishing the feeling, but now, she changed her tone into a strong one, as if to assert something.
And while she spoke with that strong tone, she escaped within my arms, and sat on top of me.
My view that only showed white clouds changed into her beautiful face.
Eleanor’s beautiful face, her expression that was filled with a strong will, look down onto me.
「I would rather die than be protected」
「I thought so」
「What?」
Eleanor looked at me with doubt.
I took the Demon Sword that stabbed onto the ground beside me.
And while lying on the groundーーwhile being mounted by Eleanor, I threw the sword.
I threw the sword straight to the sky.
Just like fireworks flew to the sky, the Demon Sword rose to the sky with a roaring sound. Then finally, it disintegrated, disappearing within the skies.
Eleanor’s clone that she created herself, it was unable to endure my full strength, finally disintegrating.
It would be the same with an ordinary sword. There are only two weapons in this world that can endure my full strength.
And one of those, is Eleanor who is in front of me.
「The other you also told me. You told me to use you with all that I’ve got. I’ve never felt the concept of “protect” from you. It’s the same with Hikari. Not to mention protecting your beloved daughter, you’re even teaching her how a real Demon Sword should act」
「Of course. It is I after all」
Eleanor’s strong demeanor ended with that.
As soon as she finished her words, hesitation, and a slight fear appeared within her eyes.
「Men……they like weak and obedient women, right?」
「Being weak doesn’t suit you」
「Eh……?!」
「You don’t need to be protected, nor you need to protect. The symbol of fear and massacre, the world’s most evil Demon Sword, Eleanor. That you, is the most beautiful」
「Are you saying that seriously?」
「Do I look like I’m lying?」
Eleanor stared deep into my eyes.
Our eyes stared into each other, for a while.
Eleanor slowly shook her head.
「I wish……I’ve met you sooner」
「Isn’t that why I came? I came today, from hundreds of years in the future, just to meet you」
「I see……I would be able to meet you after waiting for several hundreds of years huh. Fufu, I see, you probably came because of that. If you didn’t, then I would be destroying everything in this world including myself by now」
「Probably so」
Eleanor who just gained her body looked very ominous.
She looked as if she despised all existence, seeming as if she could not help herself but destroy everything.
Probably, if I didn’t stop her, then she would’ve been destroying anything and everything around the world.
And compared to that, the Eleanor right now feels so meek.
「Hey, y-you……」
「Un?」
Why is she suddenly stuttering?
While sitting on me, Eleanor blushed and seemed to have difficulties saying something.
「W-What do you think of this body? If it is too young and too unattractive, I can do somethingーーhya!」
Eleanor’s voice became smaller and smaller, and hearing her words, I grabbed her wrist and exchanged the position of our bodies.
While she sat on me earlier, I am now pinning her to the ground.
Andーーwe kissed.
I pinned her and blocked her lips with mine.
Eleanor widened her eyes to surprise……but that was only for an instant.
She then closed her eyes and accepted my kiss.
We stopped kissing, and I stared at Eleanor inches away.
Eleanor opened her eyes and gave me a good look, then finally closed her eyes once again.
Under the blue sky, I took Eleanor, and turned her into my woman.