It was a normal day, like any other one.

The stunning rays of the sun are still shining everywhere on the endless grasslands.

The immense clouds cover the sky.

And there is an excellently pretty witch flying through the horizon on her broom.

I'm heading for a famous country.

That country was not famous for its scenery, its nice food or friendly people. Actually, it's a quite normal country.

It's only famous for this one person.

The people who knows about that person all call her All-Knowing God.

Everyone who talked about her before me only told me that "All-Knowing God is All-Knowing God." And she lives in the country I'm visiting.

I was lucky enough to meet some people who actually spoke to the All-Knowing God in the nearby countries. They only told me with scary tone: "I talked with The All-Knowing God. She knows everything."

When I asked them what she knows, how did they meet the God, and why they are scared, they just said: "I can't tell you".

There are some rumors that this God is a Grandmaster of magic, but people don't really know.

That's just weird. But it just makes my curiosity grows a lot.

To be honest, I'm not even sure if I will meet God if I can get into the country. I don't even know where she lives in the country, and how people managed to talk to her.

Why do you talk to a God to begin with? The information that those people gave me was incomplete, but at least I know that I can actually talk to this All-Knowing God.

This may sound weird, but I have never talked with gods before. Are you even supposed to talk to them? I only saw them on statues and on wall paintings.

They don't feel real, I think.

So I can't wait to meet this All-Knowing God.

I was thinking about miscellaneous things as I soar between some curious pigeons.

Like that moment when the super angry drawing of me was printed on the wine bottle.

I actually saw an auction for such a wine bottle in the last country I visit. What if 100 years later, people will only remember me as an annoyed girl stepping on grapes?

I wanted to buy it so bad but I was sadly broken. I can never cure my throw-money-out-of-windows habits.

As I sighed a lot, I saw a young girl with white hair and slightly yellow shades standing in front of the gates.

Those gates were large, metallic ones with golden shades, with decorating flowers. It looks luxurious, girly and eerie at the same time.

Here I am, it's the country I'm trying to reach.

Why is a young girl standing here though? And she is smiling as she looks at me.

Somehow I get a strange feeling that something bad will happen.

The air... is just different.

It's a little... energized. It feels exciting and scary at the same time.

I step off the brooch and look at the young girl.

She is still smiling.

I don't know why, but suddenly my heart and my breath became a little stiff.

"Ano... Uhm..."

I'm trying to say something like "I would like to visit this country" like usual, just to stop the stress, but I didn't.

"Hello, Elaina." The mysterious girl greeted me. She is wearing some sort of pretty royal clothes. Maybe she's from a royal family?

"... How did you know my name?"

I feel a little fear as I mutter those words. I try to dig up my memories, but the presence of this pretty girl is nowhere to be found.

If we never met each other, how did she know my name?

"Well, I know everything." The girl keep smiling.

"I was waiting for you."

... Maybe this is the All-Knowing God?

I don't know why, but I know it's her.

This must be the All-Knowing God.

The All-Knowing God is waiting for me. How long have she been waiting? How did she know that I'm about to come?

That should be the only reason why she knows my name.

"... Why, may I ask?"

"I would like to ask you a favor."

"... What would the All-Knowing God ask such a normal witch like me for a favor?"

The girl laughed. "Ah, yeah, people like to call me the All-Knowing God. How did you know?"

"... You did say that you know everything."

"And the air... surrounding you is different. It's the first time I experienced this."

The little girl smirks. "Well, you must be a really good witch. Normal people can't feel the aura."

"Aura?"

"The air around me."

"Oh."

A part of me wants to run away, but another part of me wants to keep talking. It's a little like the feeling when I look at a premium hotel.

"So... I have some urgent business, I'll come back later."

That's all I said as I swung my magic wand.

Countless tiny silver particles flood out of it. In a moment, a smokescreen completely covered the area.

I feel kind of guilty, but I'm scared of this God.

Weirdly, some ice shards appeared at the instant I swung my wand. They cover my body and I'm unable to move anymore.

And the smokescreen instantly vanished.

I opened my eyes widely. It's the first time I saw such instant magic casting.

I heard about this, magic that just appear instantly at the cast time, because of a combination of space manipulation and extremely impossible speed of power in some obscure books.

I always thought it's impossible.

"... I guess my trip to this country wasn't a waste."

"Why, may I ask?"

"I was able to witness instant casting."

God laughed.

"You're really an interesting girl, Elaina."

"Thanks... I guess?"

"And really pretty."

"Thanks... I know." I smiled. The ice shards disappeared after my smile.

"... So... could I hear what do Your Majesty needs?"

"Your Majesty is despicable."

"... Then how should I address you? Please tell me."

"You is ok."

"... Your Majesty is not ok, but you is ok?"

"Yes. I would like to become your friend."

"Oh... You, then."

"That was needlessly short." We laughed at it. I never thought that God would be... this friendly.

And powerful. And weird.

Somehow the stress I felt on my heart disappeared.

"... So, what if I refuse?"

"You can't refuse." The God smiled.

"If you refuse, I'll tell everyone that you are the girl on that famous wine bottle."

"Eeehh? How did you know?"

I didn't expect this. That must not happen!! Not in one thousand years!

"And you snatched money from Matrixa."

God just ignored my question. I guess she already revealed to me the fact that she knows everything.

But she really does. That's quite amazing... but she's not going to tell anyone!

"I didn't... it was just the money for the statue's copyrights... and they willfully gave it to me..."

"And you screamed "I am very beautiful" once, on the street."

"That... that was just a test... I didn't know how it turned out that way..."

"I don't care. I'm gonna tell every single soul in this country."

"Noooooo!! Anything but that!"

"Okay, I guess you know what you have to do."

"...Yes..."

I lost.

I guess I'll have to do her favor... whatever it is.

God just laughed and walked into the country. She made a hand gesture telling me to follow her.

〇

As we walked through the giant iron gates which strangely looked like cabbages, I couldn't help asking her some questions. The fear that I feel when I'm around her didn't completely vanish yet, but it's not like I can just literally follow her to God-know-where without understanding anything.

To be honest, this is the first time that I experience something like this. I was always an outsider. I enjoyed it.

Now there is a mysterious girl, no, a mysterious God waiting for me. I can ask her about her true intentions. But I really doubt if I will get the real intention or not.

Why is she... interested in me, in the first place, anyway?

"The roads are really beautiful here, aren't they?"

I just blurted something out to break the silence. The roads are truly nice though. They're in a stunning silver color with shining golden rays.

"Of course. I made them after all."

"You did?"

"It was quite a pain to study about architecture, material strength and stuff like that, I don't like that kind of thing, but it turned out to be really nice in the end."

"Oh... Maybe you're not just an All-Knowing God, you are an All-Able God as well?"

"No. There are things that I can't do."

"That's why I have to ask you a favor."

As God told me that, she walked into a huge silver mansion with golden roofs. Actually, it looks more like a luxurious château of some kind of king. The radiant reflected from it is just amazing.

"Wow... I never saw such a beautiful mansion!"

I just told her the truth.

"Yeah, it'll be the place that you stay for a while."

"Thank you."

I have to keep my dignity, but actually I'm super excited.

"So... the favor is..."

"Hey Elaina. Sit here."

God leaded me into a giant art room, with works from super famous painters hung around. I can see some famous names from the countries I visited before. There is the faint smell of oil painting. In the middle of the room, there is a canvas. It looks very normal compared to everything else. It almost looks out of place.

I sit on the normal-looking chair in front of the canvas.

"Bear with me for a while."

God sit before the canvas and takes a brush. She started drawing.

"... Eh?"

God seems to be concentrating on the drawing.

"... Are you drawing me?"

"Yes. Please wait a moment."

I didn't expect this. I thought she would ask me to kill a dragon, cure an incurable disease, or something grand that even a God cannot do.

"Is the favor... really sitting here?"

"Hey I'm finished!"

I'm curious so I jumped to God.

The painting is quite cute, I have to say that I like it.

"Are you hungry, Elaina?"

God waved her hand and a nice-looking cake with strawberry jam appeared in my hand.

I was hungry so I just dug in. It was really delicious.

"The strawberry is so fresh."

At my surprise, the canvas disappeared.

"Ehh?"

Naturally, I looked around to find the canvas.

The canvas is now at the side of me, 3 meters away.

And God is behind it, still drawing.

"Of course, I picked fresh strawberry just for you."

"... With teleportation?"

"You got it."

I guess God did that. Instant teleportation is super advanced magic, but it should be easy-peasy for her.

"Hey Elaina, it's done."

This time God just teleported to my side. I'm not even really surprised anymore...

The drawing was me... eating the strawberry jam and the jam got stuck on my cheeks.

"Ehhh? Could you... erase the jam please?"

"No, it looks so cute! It's the most important part of the drawing!"

"It's not cute at all..."

I frowned. Before I could think it through, I swung my magic wand. The drawing is on flame and becomes ashes.

"Ehhh? No! My drawing!"

God seems to be really displeased.

"My cute Elaina drawing!"

"Urrggh..."

God frowned and jumps to the canvas.

In just 2 seconds, another exact drawing is in front of my face.

"You never give up, don't you..."

God just laughed like a kid and showed it to me.

I just sighed and asked her:

"What are you drawing these for...?"

Without answering me, God took my hand and dragged me to the hallway.

"Elaina-chan, you haven't showered for how many days?"

"... a week, I guess?"

"Really? Why don't you stink?"

"I meant showering, I did bathe in the spring inside the forest yesterday."

"Oh. If that's the case, I bet you'll love my bathroom."

God showed me to a giant bathroom with natural stone tiling. There are decorative golden lines and two giant rubies on two sides. It has something like a onsen spring, with warm water endlessly pouring down. This just looks like heaven.

"... How did you make those springs?"

"The water goes in a loop, they evaporate after falling down, and become water again in the air. Mana is pushing, heating, and cooling the water."

"... You are amazing."

"Thanks. Enjoy yourself."

God quickly undressed me with her magic and pushed me down the onsen.

The water splashes all around.

"Don't just undress me like that without permission!"

"Don't worry, I didn't look."

That was obviously a lie.

"Thank you for all of this, but please ask for permission next tim..."

Before I completed the sentence, God disappeared.

I let out a sigh.

Where did she go to?

However...

This place is nice! It's too nice!!

I swam around happily as I enjoy the warm water.

"It's a long time since the last time I enjoy an onsen..."

I spoke to myself.

...

Something is not right though.

I feel like I'm a puppet of God. I'm just being pushed around. I know nothing about her intention.

The drawing was obviously not a favor. God wouldn't bother with such a petty thing.

Then what is it...?

I think back about the instant magic casting and the instant teleportation.

God is one of the best magic user in the world.

Maybe I'll ask her to teach me some of her technique. It's only fair, I did a favor for her, right?

While I think about that, I fell into deep slumber.

...

〇

When I woke up, I heard a really loud voice.

No, actually that voice woke me up.

"Ehhh! Is this really Elaina's...?"

...

This voice... is familiar.

... It shouldn't be... Saya-san?

That can't be.

The next thing I realized is that there is no water around me.

The water is gone.

"Yes! I just completed condensing it!"

This voice is God's.

God and Saya... are talking with each other?

I quickly dry my body with heat magic, dress up, and ran to the voices.

I was careful to make no sound, and sneaked near the door.

"Elaina... Elaina-san's bathing water...!"

Bathing water?

My bathing water?

"It has the most wonderful aroma on the world, isn't it?"

Does it smell that good? Wait, so did God somehow collect it? I'm feeling so cold as my skin directly touches the marble of this bathroom, but this is not the time to worry about that.

"Yes! I can smell this all day! I am so happy! This smell is heaven!"

"Feel free to smell it! Hahaha!"

"Does this also has Elaina-san's bo...body fl..."

I jumped in.

"Body what?"

I saw God and Saya sitting in a mysterious black room. There is a weird smell of herbs around, and a giant pot in a corner. Saya is holding a tube with a kind of solution having rainbow colors.

Around the tube, there is a picture of me. It's the drawing with strawberry jam on my cheeks.

God and Saya just froze for like 10 seconds.

"Elaina-chan... I thought you are sleeping..."

God just ackwardly laughed while looking at me.

"I'm sorry, but Saya's loud voice woke me up."

Saya walked towards me, holding the rainbow tube. She's really happy for some reason.

"Elaina-san... this is a solution made from your... your bathing water... and it smells so nice... Ah... I just wanna keep it forever... But I can't... Elaina-san... you need to try drinking some..."

I was about to refuse, but I tried to smell it out of curiosity.

This is... so different from anything I have ever tried.

It has the aroma of magic, flowers, happiness, sadness, hope, and desperation, at the same time.

This smell is kinda addicting for some reason... It is drawing me to it.

I guess this thing has magic... but my head is not right... It's a little like when I was drunk...

I unconsciously tried a sip.

What?

I feel a lightning passed through my brain.

My body jolted.

I'm in ecstasy.

...

It took me 10 seconds to return to normal.

Saya is holding me.

"Elaina-san... are you okay?"

"I think I'm fine... I guess... I just lost my mind for a little while..."

The tube is not in my hand anymore. God is holding it.

"How was it, Elaina?"

God asked me.

"... Weird..."

"Haha. I know."

"You know everything I guess." I gently push Saya out.

"Urrggh... I just wanna hold you for a little more..."

"... So what is this about? Why do you do this, God-sama?"

"... Elaina-san. I'm sorry because I didn't ask you for permission."

"But you are special."

Me? I'm special?

Then what's so special about my bathing water...

"You have the essence of the whole world."

"... Nani?"

"Saya told me that you are an excellent witch who travels all over the world."

"You're not just a witch. Your mana has the tendency of collecting other mana everywhere you go."

"As you touch many sources of mana, you become more and more colorful. And you are holding the best mana, values, feelings, and magic from the whole world. From the places you came, and the people you met. All of those has mixed to become you."

... I don't know how to think about that.

This is too new and I cannot grasp it yet.

But it has a wonderful vibe in it. I have the whole world's beauty? I always knew that I'm special, but I didn't know that I'm that special.

So all the flowers, happiness, sadness, hope, desperation, and magic I felt... was from all the places I have visited?

"... I never heard of that."

"But you are smiling, Elaina."

"Yeah, you're the most pretty when you smile, Elaina-san. I never thought that my lover had such a power too." Saya playfully smiles as she holds my hands.

"I'm not your lover." I pushes Saya's hands away as she frowns. I unconsciously smiled and I'm happy about all of this, so much that I don't feel irritated about them doing things behind my back anymore.

"And why did you have to ask Saya?"

"There are things that I don't know."

"I know everything in my own country. But if I want to know about a certain person, I have to touch the mana of that person's friend."

"... Saya is not really my friend."

"Do you mean we are not friends, but we are lovers? Did you mean that, Elaina-san? Did you mean that??"

Saya jumps to me and interrupted our conversation.

"You're... a special acquaintance."

"Special... acquaintance..."

Saya frowns a little, but she doesn't seem to hate it.

"... Anyway, I was looking for someone like you. So I asked the travelers who come to our country."

"And you met Saya."

I never thought that my troublesome "acquaintance" could be this troublesome.

"That's right! God is such a nice person and told me the day you would come!"

"... Please don't spill out personal information."

All of the sudden, God talks in such an uncharacteristic sad and humble voice.

"I'm sorry, Elaina-san. It cannot be helped. Our country needs you."

"... country?"

"I had a vision recently. I can't sleep." God sighed. I have never seen her being that troubled before.

"... What kind of vision?"

"A dark one. Dead bodies are all around."

"Bodies...? Of whom?"

"I think they are my citizens' bodies. This country's in flames. And no one survives."

"..."

"I guess that no one survives, because I wasn't able to feel the presence of any of my citizens."

So she doesn't know for sure herself? I guess even God has her limits. It would be scary if an All-Knowing God really existed though, outside of books.

"Did you see what happened to the country? Is it possible to prevent that? Why didn't you tell me about all of this sooner?"

I never thought that the favor is related to something this deep. I wish she told me sooner about everything.

"..." God just let out a sigh.

"Although she is the king, Mikaze-san wasn't able to foretell the cause of the disaster. She's really depressed because of that." Saya explained to me. "She didn't tell you because it's... not her style, I guess?"

"Mikaze...? Is it God's name? And you're also the king..."

To think about that, it's really not her style to just tell her troubles to a stranger, and asks for help, so I decided not to ask further about it.

"Yes." Saya is surprised. "You didn't know about that?"

"She just told me to call her "You" so... Anyway, how does the solution has to do with the disaster?"

"... I plan to fly to the future."

"... Fly to the future?"

"Yes. It's impossible to know what will happen. I'll be there. And prevent the disaster." Mikaze told me with determination. "With my own hands."

"... And my solution is the ingredient for this future-travel magic." I just guessed, but I'm quite certain that it's the truth.

"That's correct." Mikaze put her hands on my shoulder. "Thank you for bathing." She told me with a serious tone.

"It's nothing... if it can help save this country." I really don't mind bathing if it can help Mikaze and save so many lives. "I just wonder how in the world could my bathing water allows time travel."

"Why don't you feel hungry right now, Elaina?"

"Huh?" What is Mikaze getting at? "I ate your strawberry jam cake, I guess."

"Yeah. You ate my cake in the past. That's the cause of the fact that you are not hungry in the present."

"..."

"So all of your energy that you took into your mana, that is the cause of events in the future." Mikaze continues. "We can travel on that."

I does feel a little headache, but I'm a little proud that my body is that awesome.

So all of those... essence in my bathing water got condensed into that small tube.

And that seems to be the cause of future's events...? How could that even work? I'm so curious, but I believe this is not the right time to ask about that.

"I guess I understand a bit. So you'll go alone?"

"I'll also come." Saya told me. "Because you'll be there."

"Me?"

"Yes. In Mikaze's vision, you are flying in a nearby city. We don't know why, but I need all the help I can get." Saya said in an uncharacteristic sad tone.

"I will fly to your side. And we will prevent this together." Saya put her hands on my shoulders.

"Saya..." I looked into her eyes.

"And... I will be by your side forever..."

"..." I didn't respond and asked God something for diversion. "Can I come too, Mikaze-san?"

The whole time travel thing is too exciting to me, and I wanna try it. And maybe I can help saving people.

"Sadly no. We cannot let you and your future self meet each other. That would be disastrous. All of us may die from that."

"..."

"Maybe Elaina and Futuelaina will fight to the death over how beautiful they are, and then the world ends?" Saya is suggesting something weird that I'm surprised she could come up with.

"Not that, Saya. That is just a time contradiction. It's complex, but basically you cannot meet yourself."

You can't meet yourself, huh?

That does sound like a big problem. I think I read about that in a book. I can't remember its name though.

Anyway, even if I could join them, I think I would not be much help. God is unbelievably strong, and maybe I'd just be a hindrance.

"Since your future self is around, only God knows what your future self will do."

"... You are not a god, Mikaze-san?"

Mikaze just smiled. "No. There is no god in this world. Gods are just extremely powerful magic users."

"But they are still magic users who control mana. So am I. And mana and magic have limitations. That's that."

"So you are an extremely powerful magic users... You must know that changing the future is impossible. That is a golden rule of magic."

"I know right." God just smiled. "But nothing is impossible. I have to try. I can't just sit around forever."

"So... we're going. See you again, Elaina."

"Ehh? Right now?"

"Yes. We have prepared for this in a long time. I cannot waste a second."

As Mikaze is saying that, a giant magic circle is generated under our feet.

"Good bye, Elaina-san. We will come back soon, we still are not adept at controlling the exact time that we come back from the future, but it should be fast." Saya looks into my eyes and kissed my cheek. "I'll miss you a lot, Elaina-san. I love you."

"If you don't see us coming back after a week, you don't need to wait anymore." After kissing my other cheek, Mikaze is holding Saya's hands and flying to a black hole. "Not that I think you'll be waiting, you are a free ashen eagle, and you should roam freely. Ah, don't worry about money. I told people, so you can get anything for free."

They just told me that as the beautiful rainbow essence flies upward and form a spiral which leads to the black hole. That was a magnificent scene that I feel fortunate to be able to see, but I also felt wrong at the same time.

I should have denied this.

We might have found another better way to solve this if I did.

"I will... wait for you."

I cannot tell them how long I would wait. Somehow I think whatever I say would be wrong, no matter it is three days, one week, or one month.

"Please don't die."

I could only say that. I don't want to be haunted in the future, that someone died because of me, and I could totally prevent it. Not Mikaze-san. Not Saya.

Both of them smiled.

"Sayonara."

〇

I don't know how long I've been waiting.

I stopped trying to count.

I just sit in Mikaze's library all day, trying to read as much as I could about the time-travelling magic.

Apparently the spell is extremely complicated, although I shamelessly dug up its magic circle, I couldn't understand it at all. Maybe Fran-sensei has a clue, but she's not here, sadly.

I can't do this spell in a thousand years. Not that it matters though. I cannot go with them anyway. I don't wanna harm them.

Actually I'm grateful that we knew about time contradiction beforehand. If not, we could make a fatal mistake.

When I get hungry, I walk around the city and get some food. There is not much to see, and the strawberry jam cake is not as good as Mikaze-san's one, but the people are so friendly.

The mansion is breathtakingly nice, and the bedroom has a cool stargazer glass ceiling which has stunning stars. I'm so grateful of Mikaze-san about all of this.

Sometimes I get this selfish feeling of wanting to own this place forever. But I immediately feel worried about Mikaze-san and Saya-san after that.

I tried not to overthink, but the feeling kinda overwhelmed me.

I planned to leave this place after three days. But something is just holding me back. Mikaze-san did say that I am a free ashen eagle and I should fly anywhere I want, so I just want to leave and forget about everything.

But I can't.

I feel that I'll regret it if I do. Even though that is just my routine.

I think about Saya-san. I'm just happy that they used up my bathing water. If Saya could get a hold of it, only God knows what she would do with it.

Thinking about it makes me smiles.

But I also think back at God's words.

"There is no god in this world."

...

I'm so tired after too much reading, so I decided to get on my broom and fly around for a change of pace.

I just flew around and look at the boundless sky.

Mikaze, Saya. What are you doing right now?

They did tell me that they can't completely control they returning magic, so the time is not exact.

As I understand, they can return after three days, seven days, a month, a year, or never.

Can they really save this country's citizens after all that?

I look at the citizens' face.

They look happy.

I bought a strawberry jam cake and flew back home. Temporary home, at least. I looked at the clock on the way, and it has been five days.

As I eat the jam, I heard a familiar voice behind me.

"Elaina-chan, jam is over your face again. Do you miss me so much that you lost your senses?"

...

I turned back.

It's God.

It's Mikaze-san.

She's smiling, but her eyes are so sad.

"Mikaze-san..." I looked into her eyes.

"I'm just glad that you are alive."

God laughed. "How could a God die? Baka."

"Where is Saya?"

"... She is fine. I will check her status in a while, I cannot do it right now."

... I want to know about Saya, but I guess I can wait as long as she is fine.

"How are the citizens?"

"... We could not do anything."

"We are like ghosts there, magic doesn't work, we can't touch anything. Dead bodies are still there."

Mikaze looks like she's about to cry.

I reached out and embraced her.

Tears began to fall.

"They are just dead... the roads are vacant! Fire and smoke everywhere..."

God is now in my arms.

But God is also just a normal girl.

There is no god in this world.

God can also smile, cry, tease me, play with me, and feel desperate.

That went on for several minutes.

And I heard another voice.

"Elaina-san, Mikaze-san!"

It's Saya. She seems to be delighted for some reason?

"Don't cry anymore! The citizens didn't die!"

"... Huh?"

We look at Saya's face. Saya is panting, maybe she has been running here.

"They didn't...! Those bodies were soldiers' bodies from another hostile countries!"

"... Then where are the citizens?"

God was fast to recover, she asks with a calm voice and removed the tears with magic.

What a proud God.

"Elaina-san... Elaina-san evacuated them to another country!"

"... I trust you, Saya. But..."

"Here! Look at this!"

Saya takes out a blue orb.

"When... did you steal my orb?"

Huh?

Saya did it again?

"That's... not important right now! Please look!"

Saya takes out a rainbow tube and sprays it on the orb.

When did she snatch some bathing water...?

A bright light shined and we began to see images, as some light rays are spread from the orb.

They're images from the future.

The future me is flying while using water magic to push soldiers away.

The soldiers... are chasing citizens. But they are very far from catching them. The citizens are sitting on horse carriages running through a dark forest, and I'm guarding them from the sky.

Then the images changed to our city.

There are mages from some kind of army killing foreign soldiers.

All kinds of offensive magic is thrown down from mages in the sky. The soldiers are just hopelessly resisting with bows, but they don't work at all.

After a short while, soldiers just ran away. Mages kill the ones that run towards citizens and spare the rest.

"Edward... Lothania... Fras..."

God is telling names as the images of the citizens' face are shown. Saya really did a good work with this image capturing.

And a good work snatching too.

"Are they really your citizens?"

"It's them. I can recognize them... they are just two or three years older than now. The event also takes place three years later."

The images switch to a happy scene of a city, where citizens are having a feast. Wine, strawberry cakes and chicken are thrown around, and God seems to be having fun flying. From what we can hear they talk, it seems like all of this, the evacuation, the fight, was God's plan all along.

I and Mikaze let out a sigh of relief.

Mikaze hugs Saya. "Thank you so much."

A smile finally appeard on Mikaze's face. On all of us.

Saya looks at me with eyes full of hope. "My present."

"...Eh? Present?"

"I saw you hugging Mikaze-san."

I sighed. "You're just like a kid." And I hugged her.

"... I'm not a kid ... I am a full-grown woman who is allowed to love you..."

"Hai, hai. You did a good job."

I patted Saya's shoulders.

"I was... too impatient. I couldn't stand looking at my citizens die, so I came back too soon." God sighed.

"Saya is really good at her recklessness. She knows that the longer she stays, the more dangerous it is, but she still does. And she even snatched my orb before I left."

"Just like back then, heh?" I stretched her cheeks as strong as possible.

"Ah... uh... that hurts, Elaina-san..." Saya is almost crying.

"This is also like back then, huh?" God just told us something with implicit meaning. But both of us understand. Then God shows us a drawing.

It's a drawing of me pinching her cheeks. That was too fast! Did she pull out a canvas from somewhere and we didn't even notice?

Saya snatched it right away.

"Eh, Saya, do you like being pinched? Why did you snatch my drawing?"

"Noo! This is just... a memento! Memento!"

"Let me pinch your cheeks too."

Mikaze just jumps at her and pinches her cheeks really hard.

I just stand there and have an awkward smile.

〇

"Ehhh? This mansion has just one bedroom?"

I and Saya spoke at the same time.

"Well... It never had anyone other than me living, so..." God is a little awkward.

"I will sleep with Elaina-san." Saya sounded extremely excited.

"No." God just bluntly said this. "Who knows what you will do to Elaina. You'll sleep to the right of me, Elaina to the left."

"Thanks for your concern..." I just awkwardly told her.

"Okay..." Saya looks dissatisfied.

We were tired after all of that, so we just went to bed. I'm tired of waiting too, did I?

I put my ashen hair on the warm cushion to the left of Mikaze, glanced at the starry sky and quickly fell into slumber.

... Is it the morning?

I tried to yawn, open my eyes and look around.

Oh, that's right. I was staying with Saya and Mikaze-san, after their time travel. It still doesn't feel real, but it seems like things will turn out well in the end.

I feel some small gentle hands on my hips, and a nice smell of...

Charcoal?

I looked at my right hand.

Saya is clinging to me like a puppy.

What?

I thought Mikaze-san told her to be separated.

Oh well.

"How long are you sleeping?"

Mikaze-san woke up already and pinch Saya's cheeks.

"Uhmmm... Just 10 more minutes..."

"Go with me. I'm busy." Mikaze-san is talking with a bossy tone.

"Ahh..." Saya slowly crawls up.

"Why are you here in the first place?" I complained a little.

"It's because Elaina-san is kawaii." Saya kept clinging to me.

I blushed a little and pushed her out.

"Meanie..."

God just drags Saya to God-know-where. I tagged along.

〇

We got into a strange place with a lot of couches, it looks like an opera house. There is a large beautiful red stage, and a luxurious golden pedestal in the middle. A giant white thing of some sort is behind the pedestal. I don't know what it is, it looks like a curtain, but it's flatter.

"Is this an opera house, Mikaze-san?"

"It was, we would sometimes organize plays here in festivals."

God put the blue orb from yesterday on the pedestal. It begins to glow shiningly and has a wonderful radiance. The pedestal is also glowing yellow.

The rays from the blue orb began to focus on the white curtain.

I and Saya sit down on the couches, waiting.

I appeared on the curtain. It was a long time ago, when I was evading Fran-sensei's students who was chasing me.

"Why are these girls and guys chasing you, Elaina-san?"

"Shh. I'll tell you later."

Huh?

When trying to evade a student, I almost flew through a torch. The torch's fire was purple, so it was extremely hot. And it was extremely close, the distance between me and the fire is like a wand's width.

"At this moment, if you made a small mistake, you had been burned alive, Elaina-san."

Mikaze was right. It was too dangerous there.

I heard Saya's crying voice. "To think that your bea...beautiful skin would...would be burned... Please be careful next time!"

"I know, I know..."

I was really careless, actually. I was playing with the students (that's what I felt) and I didn't notice my surroundings.

Mikaze-san switched to another scene.

"It's... the Truth-Telling Kingdom!" Saya noticed right away.

It's the time when I fought with their soldiers while trying to break the sword.

An arrow flew to Saya.

I just jumped to the arrow and catched it.

I feel Saya holding my hand.

"Elaina-san... you saved my life... I'm so happy I could die..."

"It was nothing, I forgot about it right away..."

"But you saved my life... I'm in debt... I'll follow you everywhere from now on..."

"Please don't!"

I turned Saya's face to the curtain.

I saw an arrow flying near my chest.

My heart is suddenly painful.

I turned my body to face the King and told him that white lies are sometimes useful.

Thanks to that the arrow barely flew next to my heart.

I heard Saya's crying voice again. "Elaina-saan! I'm really happy that you're alive!"

"..." I couldn't say anything. I barely avoid death there.

Well, Saya was there so maybe I wouldn't die right away, but...

"I think you understand that you did extremely dangerous things and you're alive because of luck." Mikaze said in a serious tone. "I'm worried about you."

"Me too." Saya holds my hands.

"That's why I will grant you a special spell."

"Special spell?"

"A magic shield. It will protect you from now on, no matter which corner of this world you are in." God smiles at me and walk to me.

God put her hand on my heart and closed her eyes.

Some wind-like magic is flying everywhere from my heart. It felt refreshing.

I was slowly flying while wind mana engulfs me inside its magnificent glow.

As the wind gets condensed into my heart, there is a shining blue layer around my body. I can feel its presence and protection on my skin.

God suddenly disappeared.

I looked around and saw her on the ceiling.

God put her wrists next to each other and spread her palm wide.

A hot yellow beam is suddenly fired at me.

It was too fast so I didn't even have the time to react.

But I was not harmed.

"Elaina-san!!!"

Saya holds my hands and check everywhere.

"Don't worry, I didn't lose a hair."

I don't feel any pain or irritation.

"It worked." God smiled at me. "Don't worry, I held back a lot."

"This is amazing. It can protect my Elaina-san...Thank you so much..."

"I'm not yours. Thank you a lot, Mikaze-san."

"I am really grateful. I feel like something divine will always protect me from now on. I guess I'm more special now."

"It's nothing. There is another place I would like to take you to."

God gently smiled.

〇

We walked through beautiful places in the country, like a pretty bridge and a statue of a bird that Mikaze-san made, and a candy house. It was great fun (although it was a little annoying when Saya clung to me all the time).

We spent some days at that country, it was one of the happier experiences of my life.

Then Mikaze-san told us to go to a faraway place.

It's a beautiful ridge in the forest. A peaceful river was flowing.

"Where... is this place?"

"A ridge near our country." Mikaze-san told me. "I guess it's time to say farewell. But hey, Elaina, did you forget something?"

"..." I try to dig up my memory, but I can't seem to forget anything. "Could you please tell me?"

"You forgot to do me a favor." Mikaze-san smiled.

"Ehhh?? So what was the whole bathing thing about?"

I was mistaken this whole time!? But it's true that I never really heard what the favor is from her mouth.

"It's not the favor. I already told you about the favor." Mikaze-san is still smiling.

"..." I have a hard time remembering. It's impossible for me to forget about something that important.

"I would like to become your friend."

"...! Right! I remember now! You did say it at the gates..."

"You still remember."

We look at each other's eyes.

"... So, farewell, my friend." As I told her, I smiled gently at the sunset.

Mikaze-san holds my hands. "Please be safe on your journey, Elaina. Visit me sometimes, okay? Or not I'll chase after you."

"... What kind of farewell is that?" I let out an awkward smile. "Well... see you again."

"I'm sorry, Elaina-san. Suddenly I have a stomachache. I'll have go now. See you lateerrr!!" Saya just told me this really hurriedly and jumped on her broom and flew away. Something is not right about this I think, but I didn't know what to do at that moment.

"Ehh? Saya-san, I'll wait for you right?"

"Elaina-san..." Mikaze is trying to say something important?

"Yes?"

"There is leftover Elaina bathing water in her pocket. She just snatched it from me, and I can take it back, but it's more funny to see you take it back yourself, so..."

"..."

"SAYA!!! STOP RIGHT THERE!!! YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY WITH THAT!!"

Under the sun, two beautiful witches chase each other in the sweet days of their youth.