"Mr. Nero!"

"Yo, Nero!"

"Nero!"

The trio rushed forward with energy that seemed impossible for people who'd been dying just yesterday.

Kaito reached them first, his usually confident demeanor cracking as emotion overwhelmed him.

"I... we wanted to thank you and Miss Aurelia for saving us."

His voice wavered slightly despite his attempt to stay composed.

Yui nodded vigorously beside him, tears already streaming down her face.

"Without you two, we would've… I would've been…"

She couldn't finish the sentence.

Haru, normally the anxious one of the group, somehow managed to keep his voice steady.

"You kept your words. You helped us find our parents, and even when things went sideways, you still saved us."

"..."

Nero scratched the back of his head awkwardly, genuinely uncomfortable with the gratitude being directed his way.

"Look, you guys should be thanking Celis instead. She's the one who actually did all the healing work. I just... asked for her help, that's all."

"But that's exactly why we're thanking you."

Yui stepped closer, her expressions were so serious and determined, not giving any leeway for Nero to say otherwise.

"You could've given up on us. Mr. Nero could've left us behind when Vincent captured the camp. But you didn't."

"You fought that disgusting blob monster thing," Kaito added with a grin. "You nearly died protecting Miss Aurelia. And the first thing you did after waking up was figure out how to save us… and you ever revived Yui. We're more than grateful that we don't even know how we're going to repay it."

"Yeah, you shouldn't sell yourself short. Everyone here is grateful for what you guys did."

Haru nodded emphatically.

"..."

The genuine emotion in their voices made something in Nero's chest tighten uncomfortably.

Before he could deflect again, Yuki stepped forward from the gathered crowd.

Her magical girl energy was completely mixed by her mother's raw gratitude.

"Thank you for bringing my son back to me~! Like what Haru-kun said, everyone here knows that all of this wouldn't be possible without your SUPER intervention~! … So thanksies for making it possible…!"

Her voice cracked as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks by the end.

"W-When I thought I'd lost Kaito-kun... when I believed I'd never hear his laugh again..."

She couldn't continue, overcome by emotion.

Haori approached next, her usual "ara ara" demeanor replaced by something far more vulnerable.

"You gave me my daughter's life back," she whispered, clutching Yui's hand tightly.

"I don't have words grand enough to express what that means to a mother."

"..."

Juno behind her didn't say anything. But just don't by how he closed his eyes with a faint smile, the gratitude of what he wanted to say was there.

"Mhm. She's right."

Genya, standing beside Haru with his military posture intact but eyes suspiciously bright, simply nodded deeply.

"You also have my eternal gratitude and loyalty for saving our boy."

"H-Hmph! Well, it's not like he's completely useless or a-anything… so, thank you…"

"You do realize you look completely tsundere while saying that, right? … Well, with that she said, yeah, all of us were truthfully grateful for all three of you… Nero, Aurelia and Celis."

"S-Shut up! W-Who are you calling a tsundere huh?!"

"Now you became a gangster…"

Hina and Ren who'd spent hours torturing Vincent for information also gave their gratitude despite their light banter in the middle.

"..."

Nero looked at each one of them expressing thanks in their own way, their voices thick with emotion.

And then the six former wives approached.

Frila spoke first,

"You freed us from Vincent's control. You gave us back our autonomy, our choices, our lives."

Carmen nodded,

"When we were trapped in our own minds, watching ourselves do things we never wanted... you ended that nightmare."

Zara's bone constructs materialized on her hand as she scratched the back of her hair

"You didn't have to help us. We'd been enemies just hours before. But you still tried to save everyone."

Nell, Isabell, and Dia added their own thanks, each one genuine despite the awkwardness of their situation.

"..."

Nero stood there surrounded by grateful faces, feeling increasingly overwhelmed by the weight of their words.

His gaze drifted past the crowd until he caught sight of Celis sitting peacefully at the edge of the gathering.

Her gentle smile radiated the kind of serene warmth that made everyone around her feel at ease.

When their eyes met, she gave him a small nod of acknowledgment.

"..."

A wry chuckle escaped his lips as he looked back at the assembled survivors.

"... Is this a thanking ceremony or something? Because if we're going to do this properly, someone should've prepared index cards with talking points."

The comment broke the emotional tension like a hammer through glass.

Several people laughed, others groaned at the terrible joke, and the heavy atmosphere lifted considerably.

Jin seized the moment immediately.

"Alright, alright, enough with the sappy stuff! Our fearless leader needs to give a proper speech before we can start this party!"

"What? What do you mean leader? It should be Juno, right? Hey, wait! Don't push… I didn't prepare—"

"Speech! Speech! Speech!"

The chant started somewhere in the back and spread through the crowd like wildfire.

"..."

Nero sighed in resignation as he realized there was no escaping this.

Fine.

If they wanted a speech, he'd give them a speech.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, very much aware that public speaking had never been his strong suit.

"Okay, so... uh... we survived today."

The opening was so anticlimactic that several people burst out laughing.

"I know, I know, that's a pretty low bar to celebrate," he continued with a self-deprecating grin.

"But considering how many times we almost died this past month, I'd say surviving this far is actually pretty damn impressive."

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd.

"When this whole apocalypse thing started, most of us were just regular people trying to figure out how to not get eaten by monsters. Now look at us... we've got magic powers, we've fought literal demons, and we've built a whole settlement out of rocks and determination."

He gestured broadly at the stone structures around them.

"We've lost people along the way. We've made mistakes. We've been scared out of our minds more times than I can count."

His expression grew more serious.

"But we're still here. Still fighting. Still giving a middle finger to whatever cosmic joke decided to merge reality with fantasy."

Several people cheered at that sentiment.

"So yeah, today we celebrate surviving. Tomorrow we'll worry about the next crisis, the next battle, the next impossible situation that needs solving."

Nero raised the mug of alcohol that was given to him, grinning widely.

"But tonight? Tonight we eat, drink, and remind ourselves why we're fighting so hard to stay alive in the first place! So, cheers to that!"

"CHEERS!"

The roar of approval from the crowd was deafening as everyone raised their actual drinks in response.

*Clink! Clink! Clink!*

Glasses and makeshift cups collided as the celebration officially began.

Music swelled from somewhere, probably courtesy of someone with music-related skills and amplification abilities enhancing the sound to a speaker.

Food materialized on tables as people with various abilities contributed to the feast.

Someone with fire manipulation was handling the barbecue station, flames dancing perfectly under their control.

Another person with water and ice abilities kept beverages chilled and flowing.

And just like that, the settlement transformed into something resembling a proper party.

"So about last night..."

Genya sidled up to Nero with a shit-eating grin.

"Fuck off."

"Hahahaha! I'm just saying, the acoustics in these stone corridors are really impressive. Like, concert hall quality. You did a great job as a man!"

"I will literally pay you to stop talking."

"Some of the kids were asking if there was a wounded animal that needed help."

"..."

Aurelia, who'd been standing beside Nero, went completely rigid with mortification.

"We told them it was just... very enthusiastic victory celebrations."

Genya's grin widened while giving a thumbs up.

"Which technically wasn't a lie."

"..."

Before Nero could formulate a sufficiently devastating comeback, Gilbert appeared with perfect comedic timing.

"Ah, there you are! I wanted to personally thank you for summoning that magnificent healer. Her techniques are absolutely revolutionary!"

The old man's enthusiasm was genuine in his voice,

"The way she manipulates life force directly, the precision of her restorative magic... I've learned more in one day of observation than years of conventional practice could teach."

"Glad she could help," Nero managed, grateful for the topic change.

"Though I must say," Gilbert continued with a completely straight face, "her stamina is truly impressive. She worked through the entire night without rest."

"..."

"Much like yourselves, apparently."

The old healer walked away chuckling before either of them could respond.

"... I hate everyone here," Nero muttered.

"..."

Aurelia looked like she wanted to literally fly away and never come back.

Their mortification was interrupted by Frila approaching with the other five former wives in tow.

All six women had clearly been working up the courage to approach their body language with a mixture of determination and nervousness.

"Nero, we wanted to—"

*Whoosh!*

It was then they noticed the somehow cold look of Aurelia as her somewhat glossy "aftertaste" look made the six of them unconsciously gulp for her to look that "refreshed", making them remember… things.

"!!!"

Perhaps it was the memory of last night's sounds.

Or maybe it was the intimidating aura of someone who could bend reality through swordsmanship.

… It can even be the sheer awkwardness of the situation that what they're about to say, could be shameless considering the lover was superior in every way possible.

Well, whatever the reason, all six women suddenly found urgent business elsewhere, somewhat embarrassed.

"Ah! Nevermind! We'll... talk later!"

"Much later!"

"Like way later!"

They scattered like startled birds, leaving Nero and Aurelia alone at the edge of the celebration.

"..."

Aurelia's "cold" aura, or rather depressed pondering look sure has a repellant effect for those who aren't used to knowing what she's thinking underneath that stoic and serious expression on her. (Currently thinking how badly her image must've been destroyed after the shameless noises she made last night.)

By the time the six women scattered away, only then did she snap out of her thoughts,

"I apologize if I scared them off… was I interrupting something important?"

"... Nah, probably just more teasing about last night."

They stood together in comfortable silence, watching the celebration unfold around them.

Lisa Chen was teaching some younger survivors a card game, her cheerful energy infectious.

Robert Chen was deep in conversation with other survivors about supply management and logistics.

Gilbert moved between groups, checking on everyone's health while sharing medical knowledge.

The six former wives had regrouped near the beverage station, laughing about something while shooting occasional glances toward Nero and Aurelia.

Jin was arm-wrestling someone with enhancement abilities, clearly using her own powers to cheat shamelessly.

The parents of the trio were clustered together, sharing stories and bonding over their children's survival along with the trio who had several funny expressions.

… And everywhere, people were smiling, laughing, living in ways that seemed impossible just days ago.

"..."

Something melancholic settled over Nero as he watched the joyful atmosphere.

That said, a certain memory resurfaced.

He couldn't have been more than six or seven years old at that time, he still with his adoptive parents.

They'd taken him to some community festival, the kind of small-town celebration with cheap decorations and homemade food.

"... What's a festival?"

His younger self had asked, confused by all the noise and activity.

His foster mother smiled warmly at the innocent question,

"A festival is when people come together to celebrate being alive, sweetheart. It's about remembering that even when life is hard, even when things are scary or uncertain, we still have each other. We still have moments of joy and connection that make all the struggles worthwhile."

She'd ruffled his hair gently.

"Festivals remind us that happiness isn't something that just happens to us... it's something we create together, even in the darkest times."

"..."

The memory hit harder than expected, bringing with it the familiar ache of loss.

*Tap.*

A gentle touch on his shoulder pulled him back to the present.

Aurelia was looking at him with concern in her golden eyes, clearly having sensed his emotional shift through their bond.

Looking at the frown and expression on her face, the longing in his heart immediately dissipated.

'Right, I'm not alone anymore… looks like I finally found her, mom.'

He thought to himself with a peaceful smile.

"Lord Nero, are you–"

But before Aurelia could finish expressing her worry, Nero laughed lightly and pulled her into a warm embrace.

"!!!"

The sudden contact made her stiffen with surprise, a cute squeak escaping her lips.

"I'm fine, angel. Just thinking about how lucky I am."

His voice was soft near her ear, genuine affection coloring every word.

"Lucky to have you. Lucky to have survived. Lucky to have this ridiculous found family of disaster survivors."

"..."

Aurelia's face went red, but she didn't pull away.

Despite the crazy stuff they did last night, Aurelia is still a pure maiden in heart, she's not used to this kind of stuff…

Give her some time, okay?

But with that being said she also wanted to reciprocate her Lord Nero's feelings, and so,

*Hug…*

Her arms slowly wrapped around him in return, accepting the embrace despite her obvious embarrassment.

"Lord Nero is too bold…" she whispered, though there was no real complaint in her tone.

"Am I now?" he teased, pulling back just enough to see her flustered expression.

"Besides, you're calling me bold? Aren't you the bold one? Considering you're the one who was screaming my name lewdly last night, loud enough for–"

"D-Don't utter it anymore!"

She tried to cover his mouth with her hand, her entire face burning crimson.

Holy… just how shameless can this Lord of hers be?

"Heh…"

Nero just grinned against her palm, enjoying how easily he could make the legendary First Star Valkyrie turn into an embarrassed mess.

"... Lord Nero is terrible for teasing me like this, aren't you afraid that divine judgment would come to you, if you're this bold?" she muttered, but the small smile tugging at her lips betrayed her words.

"I'd be happy to get struck if it were you though… besides with how shamelessly noisy we were last night, I don't reckon you would be punished alongside me. You wouldn't abandon your lover if that happened, would you?"

"... Unfortunately, no."

The deadpan delivery made him laugh outright, which in turn made her smile widen despite herself.

Looks like they're now starting to share the same kind of humor.

"..."

The two stood there in their own little bubble, the celebration continuing around them while they enjoyed each other's presence.

Until a gentle voice interrupted their moment.

"I apologize for the interruption."

Both of them turned to find Celis walking towards from behind them, her presence somehow both noticeable and unobtrusive.

She carried the same gentle smile and motherly aura that seemed to make everyone around her feel welcome and safe.

"Celis."

Nero straightened, his expression shifting to genuine gratitude.

"I wanted to thank you properly for everything you did. Saving the trio, healing everyone who was injured... Jin told me you worked nonstop helping people."

The Saintess's smile remained serene as she inclined her head slightly.

"'Tis merely the duty of one blessed with healing gifts. Those in need deserve aid, regardless of circumstance or convenience."

Her kind words are oddly endearing combined with her gentle demeanor and sincerity behind them.

"Still, not everyone would've pushed themselves that hard for strangers."

Nero's respect was evident in his tone.

"You went above and beyond what anyone could've asked for."

"..."

Although he appreciated her dedication and kindness, part of him remained cautious.

Aria's warning about incomplete background information echoed in his mind.

The possibility that Celis might act outside his expectations despite her absolute loyalty.

But so far, everything she'd done had been purely altruistic and helpful.

No signs of the concerning behavior the warning had suggested.

… Maybe he was overthinking things.

But considering what just happened, lessons were now learned.

"Thy gratitude is appreciated, Savior," Celis responded warmly.

"However, 'tis I who should offer thanks for summoning me to this realm. The opportunity to serve and heal once more brings purpose to my existence."

"Actually, speaking of which..."

Nero realized they'd never properly done introductions beyond the emergency situation.

"We kind of skipped the whole 'getting to know each other' part yesterday."

Celis's smile widened slightly, her half-closed eyes radiating gentle amusement.

"Indeed. Mayhaps we should remedy such oversight."

She took a graceful step forward, her ceremonial robes flowing elegantly with the movement.

*Whoosh...*

A breeze picked up at that exact moment, causing her golden hair to dance around her like living light.

The timing was almost supernatural, as if the world itself was staging her reintroduction.

"Once more, let this humble woman introduce herself to thee… I am Celis Verillia."

Her voice carried a melodious quality that seemed to resonate with something deeper than mere sound.

"Sanctified of the Immortal Daylight, servant of divine grace, and now... humbly at thy service, my Savior."

She performed a humble bow as the ceremonial ornaments attached to her ears waved slightly according to her gestures.

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