Nikke, something’s seriously wrong with this evacuation point! Chapter 116 116: Your Sword will be Faster than Anyone Else'

"W-Why?! This makes no sense!"

Scarlet practically growled the words out.

"No matter whether it's battle achievents, leadership ability, or combat experience… Sister is far superior to !"

"You dummy. Precisely because of that, I have to stay."

Rose smiled softly.

"The people here need soone more adaptable and better suited to leading them forward. When facing ever-changing nature, only soone like that can find a path ahead, isn't that right?"

"I-I can change! I can adapt! I can–"

Rose raised a finger and gently pressed it against Scarlet's lips.

"No, you can't. As a Nikke… do you want to undergo a 'ntal shift' first?"

"You understand survival of the fittest better than anyone."

Scarlet could say nothing, because she knew Rose was right.

From every perspective, Rose truly was more suitable to lead a wilderness survival team.

At that mont, Rose quietly leaned close to Scarlet's ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"And Scar… do you really think the reason you lose to is because your swordsmanship is inferior?"

She gently shook her head.

"No. It's because you've always been holding yourself back. You're afraid that surpassing would make , your older sister, lose face. And honestly… you were never suited to being a leader in the first place."

"What you truly love is endlessly honing yourself… and then standing behind ."

"If you beca stronger than , then it would beco standing behind you instead."

Rose lightly tapped Scarlet's nose.

"That won't do. Only bad children think only about themselves… though I know you were only worried about my feelings. You've been suppressing your sword by force because you didn't want to hurt your sister, right?"

Rose looked toward the others.

The elegant Dorothy.

The loudly boisterous Red Hood.

Rapunzel trying to stop Red Hood beside her.

And Snow White, secretly standing behind Red Hood, blushing while curiously peeking over here.

That… was the outside world.

"But once you go outside… once you step onto a battlefield where I am no longer beside you–"

"At that ti…"

"Your sword will beco faster than anyone else's in this world."

Rose extended her hand and removed her own sword, Flowers Fade Within Ten Days(Fleetly Fading), placing it before Scarlet.

"S-Sister, this is—?!"

"Your Crape Myrtle is a fine blade, but compared to mine, it's still too weak."

Rose secretly glanced toward Charon.

"And I also have to thank the lieutenant for helping retrieve it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had a worthy gift to give my little sister–who is about to step into the outside world and bring honor to this family."

She placed Flowers Fade Within Ten Days(Fleetly Fading) into Scarlet's hands.

Though the sword itself was not heavy, Scarlet felt as if it was the heaviest blade she had ever held in her life.

"Flowers fade within ten days… but I hope your sword…"

"…will remain forever peerlessly sharp."

"Go, my little sister. Don't look back."

"And don't disappoint everyone."

Charon silently watched the sisters' farewell.

From this day onward, they would inevitably spend more ti apart than together.

But at the very least… both of them were still alive, weren't they?

Scarlet staggered forward a few steps.

She stopped, biting her lip so hard that the taste of blood filled her mouth.

Then she walked toward Red Hood, each step feeling as though she were treading on knife edges.

"Yo, figured it'd be you after all… uh, Scarlet, right?"

Red Hood grinned broadly, carefree as always.

"Welco to the Goddess Squad!"

"Don't rush her, Red Hood."

Dorothy spoke expressionlessly.

"The first thing she needs to do is return and report in. After that, she has to go through the replacent procedure for the No. 6 body. She probably won't officially join us for another month."

But even Dorothy had already accepted one fact:

Scarlet would definitely join the Goddess Squad.

Because the No. 6 body had belonged to the Goddess Squad from the very beginning.

Anyone dissatisfied with that could go argue with the giant chanical gorilla that didn't have NIMPH.

Scarlet lowered her head and silently swore to herself:

'Soday… I will let Sister, and everyone else, safely return to the human world.'

'Until then… my sword will fight for the Goddess Squad.'

There was no reason for this matter to drag on any longer.

The Goddess Squad also could not remain here for too much ti.

Once the future arrangents had been decided, Dorothy boarded the transport aircraft together with Scarlet and the others, heading toward the Wings of Victory.

"Lieutenant… may I borrow your shoulder for a mont? Just a mont."

Standing beside Charon, Rose asked quietly.

"Permission granted."

"…Thank you."

As she watched the transport aircraft rise into the sky, Rose lowered her head and rested her forehead against Charon's chest.

And in the end, she finally let go of all her strength.

Covering her mouth, she silently cried.

Charon simply stood there quietly, playing the role of a proper listener.

…

Wings of Victory.

"Welco, welco! A warm welco! Welco, welco! A warm welco!"

When Scarlet finished putting down her luggage and entered the bridge under Dorothy's guidance, this was the scene that greeted her.

Led by the overly excited Red Hood, alongside a downcast Snow White and the steam-princess Rapunzel, the three of them each held up two signs with varying amounts of text.

Read from left to right, together they ford:

"WELCO SCARLET TO THE GODDESS SQUAD!"

"…"

Dorothy pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

Honestly speaking, losing a match today had already given her enough of one.

And now they were doing this?

"What exactly is all this?"

"A welco ceremony! A welco ceremony!"

Red Hood raised her signs high into the air.

"Our Goddess Squad is one big warm family, isn't it?!"

"Uh…"

Dorothy actually couldn't refute that.

Ever since joining the Goddess Squad, she had genuinely been in a good mood most of the ti. Even Red Hood–who constantly acted like a clown–wasn't infuriating every second of the day.

"…Thank you."

Scarlet herself didn't even know what sort of reaction she should give.

She had only just separated from her sister, and her heart still felt heavy.

But she had already resolved herself to achieve great things within the Goddess Squad for the sake of her sister and everyone else.

So this was the only response she could manage.

"A-Anyway, Miss Scarlet!"

At so point Snow White had already run up before Scarlet.

"I-I'm the engineer of the Goddess Squad! If there's ever anything wrong with your weapon or body fra, I can repair it for you!"

"And , too! If you get hurt, I can heal you!"

Rapunzel also hurried over.

"And !"

Red Hood finally rushed over too, arms crossed proudly.

"If you ever need soone for a group brawl, just call !"

Scarlet: …?

"Why are you all looking at ?"

Only then did Dorothy realize the three of them had all turned toward her.

"I don't really have anything I specialize in…"

"…Fine. If you want tea, you may join my tea party."

"What kind of la skill is that?!"

"Red Hood. et on the deck later."

"Just you and ."