Elsez was at the village square’s dessert café with Tezette.
‘I remember he once said he’d buy me dessert.’
That was because Tezette brought up the note he had left on the day they raided the Demon Resurrection Sect’s hideout.
To keep that promise, and also to enjoy the festival, they had come out together.
But as soon as the dessert arrived, Elsez thought of Reti.
‘I left Reti behind since he was sleeping…… Maybe I should’ve woken him up and brought him.’
Then he could’ve enjoyed dessert too, and seen the fireworks. He would’ve loved it.
While Elsez was distracted with worry about Reti back in the room, barely touching her dessert, Tezette’s voice came from across the table.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Ah… I’m just worried about leaving Reti behind.”
As she said it, Elsez suddenly found herself thinking it was strange.
‘I sound just like a mom who left her kid at home.’
Well, technically he was a kid……
Tezette, who had been quietly watching her worried face, spoke up.
“Then let’s bring him with us tomorrow.”
At those unexpected words, Elsez blinked at him in surprise.
“Tomorrow” meant he was planning to come see the festival with her again.
“Again tomorrow? Won’t you get tired of it?”
“It’s fine.”
And Tezette meant it sincerely.
As long as she was by his side, twice, three times—no, however many times.
Even if the same days repeated endlessly, he thought he wouldn’t mind.
After finishing their desserts, the two left the café.
There were still thirty minutes left before the fireworks began at exactly ten o’clock.
By the time they reached the fountain in the square, a large crowd had already gathered.
Everyone was waiting for the fireworks to start—mostly families and couples.
Tezette watched the couples walking hand in hand, laughing together, then glanced at Elsez beside him.
But Elsez paid no attention to the atmosphere, her wide eyes scanning around as if searching for someone.
“Tezette, check if that idiot Cassian’s around. If he is, I’ll drag him away from that fake.”
“He’s not here.”
Elsez narrowed her eyes at Tezette, who answered immediately.
‘This guy—he was staring at me the whole time! At least pretend to look around before lying!’
But just as he said, Cassian was nowhere to be seen.
‘Guess he didn’t come this way.’
Elsez gave up on looking for Cassian, and just then noticed some children tossing coins into the fountain at the square’s center.
‘Oh, right. There was that rumor—if you managed to throw a coin into the little angel statue’s plate, your wish would come true.’
Like she could ever miss out on that.
Striding confidently toward the fountain, Elsez suddenly froze as a problem occurred to her.
‘…Right. I didn’t bring any money.’
Even the desserts earlier had been paid for by Tezette.
She sneaked a look up at him beside her.
“Tezette, do you have any spare change? I wanna throw a coin into the fountain.”
Instead of answering, he pulled something out of his pocket and handed it over.
A luke bill.
“If you need more, I’ve got plenty.”
Elsez stared in horror.
‘Who the heck throws fifty thousand won into a fountain!’
Leaving behind only, “Wait a sec,” she hurried to a nearby shop, bought something, and exchanged it for coins.
She came back with six.
Elsez kept just one, handing the rest back to Tezette.
“Once is enough.”
She said it brimming with confidence.
Marching up proudly to the fountain—
The kids who had already used up all their coins watched the newcomer with eager eyes.
‘I’m actually good at things like this.’
Elsez steadied herself and tossed her coin toward the plate the angel statue was holding.
But……
“Huh?”
The coin, which she had thrown so confidently, missed completely, almost mocking her.
“Eh, what? She looked so sure of herself, I thought she’d be good.”
The spectators’ deflated voices drifted over.
Elsez’s pride took a hit.
She quickly held her hand out to Tezette again.
“Ha, just lend me one more. This time I’ll really get it.”
Tezette handed her another coin.
Like that, five times in total.
And Elsez failed every single one.
As they waited for their turns, the watching kids whispered among themselves.
“Isn’t she gonna go broke?”
“No, it’s that guy’s money. Poor guy keeps getting ripped off.”
Before long, among the children, sympathy started to build toward Tezette, who kept getting “robbed.”
Hearing those whispers, Elsez’s pride shattered completely.
When Tezette naturally tried to hand her the last coin, she pushed his hand away.
“No, seriously. It looks easy, but it’s not. You try it.”
Tezette glanced briefly at the target, then tossed the coin right away.
To everyone’s surprise, the coin landed with a crisp clink in the plate.
“Wow! Big bro’s amazing!”
Cheers and applause burst out among the little spectators.
Elsez’s eyes went wide at the sight.
‘Th-that actually worked?’
Her five failures suddenly felt embarrassing.
At the same time, seeing Tezette do it so easily, as if it were nothing, made him look a little different to her.
‘This guy… he’s sneakily good at little tricks like this.’
Elsez spoke to him, who was just standing there blankly even after succeeding.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and make a wish.”
“I don’t need one.”
“Really? Then I’ll make yours for you, okay?”
Tezette nodded without hesitation.
Elsez quickly clasped her hands together and closed her eyes.
Meanwhile, ten o’clock—the time for the fireworks—was drawing near.
The children who had been watching the coin toss disappeared, saying they were going to see the fireworks.
Tezette gazed quietly at Elsez, who was absorbed in making her wish.
Just then, the bell signaling ten o’clock rang.
Hearing it, Elsez’s eyes flew open, sparkling.
At that very moment, bursts of multicolored fireworks blossomed in her pupils.
Seeing those eyes, Tezette found himself utterly unable to look away, as if in this world only she remained.
“Tezette?”
Elsez, standing with the fireworks exploding behind her, tilted her head and looked up at him curiously.
Tezette slowly took her in with his eyes.
Her platinum hair swaying softly, her eyes blinking slowly in puzzlement, her red lips shaping his name.
Every time he saw her, an unknown emotion surged in his chest, a heavy, searing sensation like he had swallowed fire, leaving his throat dry.
That unbearable feeling finally burst out on its own.
“Why… why do I feel so strange when I’m with you?”
“……”
“For the first time, I want to know what someone else is feeling.”
Tezette’s hand slowly reached toward Elsez.
“I want to touch you.”
His hand met the pale skin of her cheek. From the point of contact, warmth spread.
“I want to hold you.”
His fingertips gently caressed her cheek, his gaze following where they moved.
“My throat burns.”
His thumb brushed lightly beneath her lower lip.
His eyes lingered briefly on her lips, then returned to hers.
As he spoke, his brow furrowed slightly, as though confused by emotions he couldn’t even understand himself.
Elsez gazed at him with trembling eyes.
“What is this feeling?”
He was asking her, not knowing the name of the emotion himself.
But Elsez knew what it was.
It was his confession.
An earnest confession, even if he himself hadn’t realized it yet.
If she gave this emotion its name, she would have to face his feelings head-on.
‘But even if I never give him the answer, Tezette will keep wanting me without knowing its name.’
It was an emotion impossible to avoid forever.
Elsez parted her lips for a moment, then finally spoke.
“You like me.”
Tezette savored the name of the feeling he had at last come to know.
And as soon as he realized it, the emotion swelled beyond control.
Without taking his eyes off her, he asked:
“…And you?”
“……”
“Do you… like me?”
Elsez stared at him, who was desperately seeking her answer, then finally forced out words.
“I…”
That was when it happened.
“…What?”
Over Tezette’s shoulder, beyond the fireworks bursting in the night sky, a massive black rift appeared.
The crack widened.
‘That… could it be…?’
The moment Elsez realized the black rift was a dimensional fissure, monsters began pouring out of it.
“Wh-what is that?”
“Kyaaah!”
The square, once filled with laughter, instantly descended into chaos.
‘But we just arrested the remnants of the Demon Resurrection Sect today…’
And they strike again so soon?
What’s more, this rift was incomparably larger than any dimensional fissure she had ever seen.
‘If that really is a dimensional rift…’
As Elsez stood frozen in the confusion, she suddenly felt a colossal power surge within her.
“…Ruel?”
Sensing something ominous from her, Tezette hurriedly grabbed her arm.
At the same time, the necklace she had worn ever since Astaire gifted it to her shattered.
Crack—
The suppressed power of the Demon God erupted violently from within her.
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