Chapter 20: Parting Words

The display of Isao's power left a permanent mark on the army. The knights now gave our party a wide berth, looking at us with a mixture of fear and reverence, assuming we were all demigods of some kind. It was an awkward, but not entirely unwelcome, development.

We were camped at the base of the volcano, the final battle looming. The air was hot and smelled of sulfur. The plan was for a small, elite force to sneak into the dragon's lair while the main army distracted its forces. Thanks to Isao's little demonstration, our party was unanimously "volunteered" to be that elite force.

On the eve of the battle, as we were making our final preparations, Isao found me staring up at the smoke-wreathed peak of the volcano.

"Nervous?" he asked, his voice softer than usual.

"I'm a Level 1 ex-goddess with a 'Soul Jab' and a party of chaotic misfits," I said. "We're about to fight a dragon and its army. Yes, I'm a little nervous."

He stood beside me, not speaking for a long moment. "I suppose my vacation is over," he said finally. "The paperwork in the Underworld won't file itself, unfortunately. And I have to say, this has been the most entertaining trip I've taken in centuries."

I looked at him, surprised. "You're leaving? Now?"

"I can't interfere directly, Aka-chan. You know that. My very presence here is already bending the rules of cosmic neutrality." He smiled, a genuine, almost sad smile. "Besides, it's more fun to watch from a distance. The suspense is better."

He reached into his black robes and pulled something out. It was a small, simple object: a single, perfectly preserved cherry blossom, encased in a tear-drop of what looked like clear, solid crystal.

"A souvenir," he said, placing it in my hand. "From your third life. You were a poet. You died of a broken heart. Very cliché, but you wrote some beautiful verses about the fleeting nature of beauty."

I stared at the impossible flower. It was a piece of my own forgotten past.

"It's a one-time-use item," he explained. "It won't kill the dragon or win the war for you. But if you find yourself in a truly, absolutely hopeless situation… crush it. It might make things a little more interesting."

He turned to leave.

"Isao, wait," I said, my voice quiet. "Thank you."

He paused, his back to me. "Don't thank me," he said. "Just give me a good show."

And with that, he dissolved into the shadows, leaving me alone with the impossible flower and the daunting task ahead. His presence had been maddening, terrifying, and confusing. But his absence, right before the biggest fight of my mortal life, was somehow even more frightening. We were on our own now.