- Tears -

Light shafts descend upon the atrium’s altar, illuminating the Dungeon Princess.

Shion lays before her waiting audience. Everyone held their breaths, as Taro took out the Serpent’s Tear. The weight of which felt far heavier than its actual mass.

He holds the crystal above the sleeping beauty. The light that passes through the stone casts a rainbow like glow onto Shion. Contact appears to produce a small wisp of steam.

*Gasp!

Taro hesitates. But remembers the instructions from the texts and Asmodeus. The Serpent Tear transfers divine power using moonlight. Taro had no time to hesitate. He continues to hold the gem over Shion.

Taro, who held the jewel, felt the weight of all his friends’ expectations, of Shion’s life and his own convictions. “(Please!)” he prays, “(God please work!)” His palm white from gripping so hard, he clings to the belief that his friend will come back.

…

“Akari...” His voice shakes,

“Huh?!.. Taro?... What is it?...” Akari says worried,

“...”

She approaches closer to the altar. And looks at Taro's face, who was in intense concentration.

“Akari…” He repeats,

“… my…”

“...arm is tired.”

…

The stone was put up on a pedestal. They waited and clinged to the belief that Shion would come back.

Three nights had passed. No one had slept properly. The crystal had stopped casting its rainbow colored shadow. Akari sat against the altar.

“Akari…” Taro came by, “You have to eat something.”

She looks at Taro listlessly. “I’ll eat later,"

“You said that yesterday…”

She pulls her knees up to her chin.

“Please…” Taro pleads,

“... Okay, just a bit.” she finally relents,

Akari leaves the room. Taro walks next to the still sleeping Shion.

“Shion…” He whispers… “What are we supposed to do without you?…”

Taro falls to his knees at her side.
He had never felt dread like this before. He wanted to curse the knight that slain her. He wanted to curse the angel that gave him false hope. To curse the world. But most of all; he wanted to curse himself and his own weakness.

In his deep helplessness he pleads.

“Wake up… Wake up Shion…please.”

“Wake up...”

….

“It can’t be helped…” a voice says, “It is the duty of a Lord after all.”

“!”

Taro looks up. Shion was weakly smiling.

“Shion!” Akari jumps onto the altar and smothers her master.

“Euughh! Shioonn!” she cries from her snot nosed blubbering,

“You guys… ? How?... Why?...”Shion asks,

Taro stood silently. He was doing everything he could to keep his heart from pouring out… Until he could muster an answer.

“B-Because… We are your loyal servants!”

“...” Shion was surprised by his answer but then smiles, and wordlessly pets his head as he cries.

The slimes join in and wail for their masters.

All of them cried together that night. This time the cries of joy rung through the halls of the dungeon instead.

...

The moonlight casts an ethereal glow around Shion as she longingly looks to the sky. The way her lone pale figure cuts into the darkness was akin to a piece of art. Around her everyone was sleeping from their trials. She felt an overwhelming amount of pride in her friends.

The Dungeon Lord gets up quietly, but then freezes.

“Shion…” Akari talks in her sleep,

She gives her a few loving pats on her head before continuing. Shion walks the halls like reuniting with a long lost friend, she takes her time.

Shion then decides to walk outside of the dungeon for the first time since she was born. The cool air was heavenly to her. She basks in the moonlight glow. Shion jumps to a sound behind her.

“Oh Taro, it’s you,” Shion says, relieved.

Taro meekly comes out from the doorway. His hair was ruffled and he still looked quite beat up from his journey. “(Most likely he hadn’t had a proper rest since he’d returned.)” Shion thought.

“Come sit down,” she beckons her hero, “Watch the night with me…”

The two sit down overlooking the valley and moonlit skies. For a time, a peaceful quiet remained.

“S-Shion…” he finally speaks up, “Should you be out here?...”

“You’re worried?” Shion asks,

He quietly nods.

“It should be fine,” she quietly reassures her, “Adventurers don’t travel at night. Even I, know that...”

Shion takes out the empty Serpent’s Tear that revived her and looks at it wistfully

“This… This is what gave me a second chance at life, didn't it?... It couldn’t have been easy. I can’t even imagine what you had to go through to get it…”

“Are you mad?...” asks Taro,

“Hmmnm” Shion shakes her head, “I’m grateful. You all have made me realize something.”

“...?”

“I’m sure you saw that I was trying to revive my mother,” she continues, “I would have never done it…”

“W-What do you mean?”

“I lived my life in fear. I never took risks or tried to take control of the role I was given. This is even the first time I’ve even been outside my dungeon. Even if I managed to collect enough for the journey, I would've been too cowardly to have done anything."

“Shion…” Taro says,

“Don’t make that face. I’m not being self-deprecating. I’ve made a decision.” She stands up.

The skies were growing pink. Dawn was approaching. As a soft breeze blows through her beautiful translucent hair that glows in the morning light.

"I'm not going to run or hide anymore."

“I’m going to live... Truly live.” she declares, “Not as Orochi’s daughter. Not as a Dungeon Lord.”

“I’m going to live as Shion.”

Taro stunned by her beauty took a moment before he could respond.

"Sounds good to me." he smiles.

…

Taro finds himself within the white walls once again. He must’ve slept sometime after talking to Shion.

“Taro.” the angel calls out to him,

“We really must stop meeting like this,” jeers Taro,

“...” the angel doesn’t respond.

An awkward silence fills the air.

“Well, thank you… For everything…” Taro finally gets the words out from his throat, “I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused. You… What this meant to me…”

“Well, as long as you know.” she finally speaks, her mood appears to be indifferent, or at the very least more indifferent.

“I have to ask…” Taro changes the subject, “When I met… Asmodeus…”

“The Divine Realm…” the angel finishes his thought, “Is it where I and my like reside?”

“It is.” she answers herself,

“If it’s about Shion! She’s blameless isn’t she?!” Taro pleads, “Are you people holding a grudge against her?!”

“Such devotion…” she trails off, “I haven’t even said anything…”

“Please! Don’t hurt her! I’ll do anything!” Taro gets on his knees to beg,

The angel bites her lower lip, but then quickly composes herself.

“... if I met you then…” the angel whispers, “Would the serpent eat me whole as well?”

“...What?...” he looks up,

“Nevermind that, I wasn’t even implying anything.” she affirms him, “I didn’t call you here to get a thank you, threaten you or anything else that you’re thinking…”

“T-Then?…” Taro stammers,

“I called you here to give you a warning.” she says coldly,

“W-What?...”

“Don’t let her revive her mother, Taro.”