Chapter 355: The End of All (8)

From the infinite summit of the lighthouse, Epherene stood staring into the sky, raising her head as though she could reach the stars.

Swoooooosh...

The celestial object descending from a dizzying, distant height was captured on Epherene’s retina, sinking in her mind like a pebble in a pond. It would have been a lie to say she wasn't afraid or wasn't certain, for her body was too honest to allow her to even manage her deception.

My fingers keep trembling, I keep scratching at the sleeves of my robe, and my heart is pounding,

Epherene thought.

"There is no need to worry."

Nevertheless, Epherene held onto her resolve, for now she believed in herself—the one who stood here now, the one in the past she had yet to meet, and in Deculein who was with her—and she believed in the Epherene who would surely win and rush to Lokralen to be with them...

"... Everything's all ready now, you know?" Epherene continued, deliberately sounding energetic.

Hummmm—

As if on cue, the

Telekinesis

—most magnificently realized through Deculein’s heart as its medium—moved everyone in this world, transporting all life to the outer edge of the world, into the canvas.

Particles of mana blossomed across the horizon, and Epherene could see people being rescued without her knowledge while the very precipice of destruction stood at their doorstep.

Craaaaaaack—

Meanwhile, the lighthouse was freezing, and those contained within the outer edge of the world would be frozen by the knight who served as the link between the continent and the edge—Yulie—until the lifespan of the outer edge of the world was exhausted.

“You see, time is a rather convenient and subjective one.”

Of course, it could take ten thousand years until then, or perhaps even twenty thousand.

"It's like when you're asleep, and you feel as if time has paused."

However, if that time could not be perceived, if its flow was unknown, then that time would cease to be time, as time was merely dependent on one's interpretation and awareness.

“I have plenty of confidence.”

Therefore, Yulie's miracle would freeze the outer edge of the world, putting all life into stasis for a suitable period. In this way, all life from the continent would be able to return safely and alive—no, they would without a doubt return.

"And after that... it will be our responsibility, you know?"

Epherene looked up at the sky again, which was always a flat expanse no matter its color, but now had a wrinkle in its surface, twisting like a crumpled curtain, all because of the immense mana and air pressure churning from the meteorite.

Ruuumble...

Should the gigantic celestial object, which was roaring as it drew closer with every passing moment, strike the continent, the continent would face destruction, and that energy could not be undone even with Epherene’s power.

“Professor.”

Because they were already aware, Deculein and Epherene chose to accept it, regarding the collision of the meteorite as their fate.

"It is a perfect spell."

However, Epherene knew that even if the collision was a matter of fate, it was hers to determine.

“Professor, you are honestly..."

Even if the continent were to face destruction, this lighthouse would not be broken. From the very beginning, it was a unique building whose very existence was a miracle.

"... Honestly, the most perfect person in this world.”

Therefore, inscribed onto this lighthouse was Deculein's last miracle, a magic that was the very essence of truth.

"Thanks to you, Professor, I'll be able to restore this continent, but it all depends on me."

The essence of that miracle was restoration—returning the continent, which had been destroyed by the meteor, to its original state, and submitting to the fate of destruction while never giving up.

"... I'm capable, you know?"

Then, Epherene suddenly pouted her lips, as if she heard a voice doubting whether a fool like her could manage it.

"But first..." Epherene muttered.

There was one last thing remaining, and that, the most important step of all, was...

The clear sound of swords clashing was the meeting of blades tempered with mana. The splashing rainwater marked the fierce battle between Sophien and Quay, leaving no room for anyone else to intervene. Meanwhile, Epherene merely waited for the right time.

Creeeeeeeak—!

Epherene looked up at the sky again as the thunderous roar echoed, and there, the dazzling celestial object, as expected, was grinding the world to dust...

“Epherene.”

Epherene had thought the voice that suddenly spoke to her was an auditory hallucination...

“... Idnik?!” Epherene replied.

However, as she turned around, she saw a real person standing there, and Idnik was looking at her with a chuckle.

“H-How?!”

"

Haha

, my apologies. I was delayed as I was occupied with a certain individual for persuasion," Idnik replied.

“Persuasion...?”

And then she realized there was one more person next to Idnik, a man in a robe whom Epherene had seen before.

“Mur...kan?” Epherene muttered.

“As this, too, is what Rohakan wished for,” said Murkan, a close friend of his and a mage of the desert who had given the pocket watch to Epherene, with an unreadable expression.

“

Oh....

”

Epherene glanced over Idnik's shoulder, expecting one more person... but there was no one.

"Is Demakan really not showing up at all?" Epherene asked.

Demakan, the archmage who had left the Mortal Realm, kept to himself until the final moment.

“

... Haha.

”

"I'm here, too!"

As Idnik wore a bitter smile, a clear, ringing voice called down from above, and it was obvious who it was without even looking.

"Archmage Epherene! I've also come to help, as a fellow Archmage!" Adrienne continued.

Beaming with a smile, the fairy was Adrienne, one of the members of the Sanctuary of the Ages and the former Chairwoman of the Mage Tower.

“I will attack that meteor! If its power weakens even a little, the continent’s restoration will become so much easier, right?”

Of course, perhaps they too, like Louina, had come to understand Deculein's lighthouse, and Idnik pointed to the wild Adrienne and smiled brightly.

“Do you understand, Epherene? You do not need to carry this weight on your own,” Idnik said.

“... Okay,” Epherene replied with a nod, feeling comforted by their presence. “Then, for the brief time that remains..."

Turning her eyes away for a moment, Epherene watched the two people on the ground below.

"... I will stay with Her Majesty.”

***

... In the distant past, they would rise to the sound of chirping birds, receive God's revelation, then interpret and study it—recording it as a holy book and spending each day in faithfulness and piety.

In that olden time, everyone was a singular follower, meaning there was no need for strife, no need to kill animals or harvest plants to live, and no need to worry or mourn about an uncertain future...

Clang—!

In that olden time, with a pride of having been created by God, he lived only for Him and dedicated his life to Him...

“...

I

was not needed,” Quay muttered, staring into Sophien’s eyes.

Quay looked into the crimson pupils that utterly blazed like a flame, at the human named Sophien who housed his own physical form, and at the turbulent passion of the soul that seethed within her body.

“Because I belonged only to God.”

Claaaaaaash—!

The mana that sparked from the clashing blades—Sophien's crimson against Quay's darkness—appeared to hold a balance for a brief moment, yet the victory or defeat of this decisive battle was already obvious because Quay's body was now disintegrating.

Booooom—!

The moment Sophien bounced her sword upward, a fragment of Quay's skin dropped off like a piece of a puzzle.

Slaaaaash—!

In that moment, Quay grabbed the sword thrusting toward him again, and while clamping down on it with force, he smiled.

“Because I lived for God alone.”

Quay knew that in his puppet form, he was unable to overcome his true body or repel the arrogant human who now commanded his body.

“... Was what I did wrong?” Quay asked Sophien. “Was it wrong?”

In that olden time, to serve God, to be for God, to offer himself to God...

“Was it really wrong that I would be left abandoned for ages upon ages?”

Sophien offered no response.

However, for Quay, that silence was all the answer he needed.

“Sophien.”

The soul of Sophien, contained within Quay's body, was unlike him, for she had her own purpose, her own life, and a distinct self, and Sophien was Sophien, with the root of her every action being merely that Sophien herself willed it to be.

"You have won."

Quay could not defeat Sophien, and the immense physical difference between them was the reason.

Nevertheless, there was no wavering in Sophien’s eyes, nor was there even the slightest hint of carelessness.

“

Haha.

”

Finding Sophien’s expression to be strangely charming, Quay let out a chuckle and shook his head, all while standing in the rain.

“But what you're saying... it's wrong, and Deculein is wrong.”

Rainwater touched the corner of Quay’s eye, having flowed to rest there.

“While Deculein says God’s name is

Rain

, I feel nothing of God in this falling rain. There is only my sorrow.”

Fwoosh—!

Mana blazed on Sophien's sword. At that moment, Quay's hand, which had gripped the blade, crumbled to ash...

"God is already dead."

Soon after, Quay's chest was pierced, making a rustling sound—not like cutting a human body, but like tearing mere paper.

“... God will not return. The only presence who can judge the correct interpretation is God Himself, but He is no more,” Quay continued, giving a plain nod as if to admit defeat. “Perhaps I was defeated long ago. My faith, which worships a God who is dead, cannot hope to overcome your faith, which is placed in yourself.”

Without a word, Sophien drove the sword deeper into Quay, executing the last follower.

Pufffff...

As the skin on his puppet body flaked like dust and his form came undone, Quay fell away from Sophien's sword and slowly began to collapse.

The moment Sophien was about to strike Quay with the final killing strike...

“Sister.”

Someone called Sophien and stopped her, the title of sister a familiar one, prompting her to turn and face him.

“... It is me,” Creáto added.

Creáto, her rather foolish younger sibling, calmly walked toward her, and the sight of his face alone made her want to punch him in the face, yet Sophien inexplicably laughed, feeling a certain familial affection for him even in this incredibly serious moment.

"You damned bastard," Sophien said.

Looking down at Quay with a low chuckle, Creáto watched as his skin flaked off piece by piece and oxidized into dust before he suddenly dropped to both knees.

"Let the final matter be handled by me," Creáto replied.

Sophien was not taken aback, for the reason he chose to appear at this very moment was none other than Quay, without a doubt.

"This man's death is a certainty. I wish to speak to him for the little time that remains, and following that, I will accept my punishment."

"

Hmph

, you have committed no wrongdoing deserving of punishment."

Shing—

“One who has already conceded defeat is one who has lost his very self. It is only fitting that he give himself death,” Sophien added, returning her sword to its sheath and turning away with a snort of contempt.

Sophien had more important things to concern herself with than a defeated loser, as a tumultuous heat and mana erupted from the sky directly above her head.

Ruuuuuuuuumble—!

As Sophien observed the distorted atmosphere, she heard a gentle footstep approaching her side.

"Enter the lighthouse, Your Majesty."

Someone told Sophien to enter the lighthouse.

"It seems you have forgotten your manners," Sophien replied with a low smile.

She remained silent.

I suppose she thinks she has grown beyond her station,

Sophien thought.

"My power remains with you, Child of the Moon."

“... By any chance, are you wishing for regression, Your Majesty?” Epherene asked.

“No, since it was mine to begin with, should I not retrieve it?” Sophien replied, shaking her head.

“There’s no need, Your Majesty. The preparation is already complete,” Epherene said, pointing to the lighthouse and the tall building, which looked frozen with its surface caked in ice. “Now that Your Majesty has won, a miracle will soon manifest.”

"... Are you referring to a spell of Deculein's?"

“Yes, that miracle—the Professor’s Final Summary, the most perfect spell on this continent, Your Majesty,” Epherene replied, a proud smile on her lips, her eyes full of affection for her mentor.

Sophien felt a strange sense of camaraderie with Epherene at that moment.

This one, too, appears to share my own feeling for Deculein...

Sophien thought.

"Will you be alright?"

“Yes, I'm alright. After the continent has been restored, Knight Yulie will not freeze the entire continent, including me.”

“

Hmm

, will the Imperial Palace be alright?”

"Of course, everything will be reversed to the way it was as if only one or two nights had passed because Lokralen cannot disappear," Epherene muttered in a resolute tone.

“... I see,” Sophien said, staring at the cosmos while the meteor, having already broken through the atmosphere, was more vivid than the distant stars.

“... Your Majesty, it will only be a temporary hibernation for us,” Epherene replied.

The words from Epherene were spoken with a hint of concern.

“Indeed, I am aware.”

Then Sophien nodded her head, as if she found the matter to be ridiculous.

"However, I am not a supreme sovereign to be taken ever so lightly," Sophien added.

“... Sorry?” Epherene muttered.

“Once this matter is finished, and when the knot is tied without incident, then without a doubt..."

Sophien paused speaking and smiled brightly, and her smile was like sunlight.

"It will bring a very interesting turn of events,” Sophien continued.

... And then, a light spread, and the whole world was drenched in its radiance.

Booooooom...

The shock that shook heaven and earth with the thunderous roar echoing across the world as the meteor struck the continent, along with the rupture that broke apart the earth’s crust, were all swallowed by the vacuum of space at a certain moment and subsided.

As if the concept of sound had been extinguished and a stillness close to emptiness and nothingness settled over the now silent world, the two people—Epherene and Sophien—who were still standing on the ground looked at each other and smiled, even in that moment of destruction.

***

Thud—

Thud—

Meanwhile, Yeriel was walking inside the frozen lighthouse, bearing Deculein on her back and a Sylvia puppet, now a statue, tucked under her arm.

Thud—

Thud—

Yeriel was walking with a great sense of earnestness.

“...

Oh

, I get it, but...” Yeriel muttered.

Yeriel recalled Sylvia's last words, telling her to find the center of the frigid cold, and understood what Sylvia had meant, but...

“Where exactly is the center of this frigid cold?”

The search was necessary for Yeriel because if she froze and preserved Deculein at the center of the frigid cold, there would be a possibility of bringing him back to life after their plan succeeded.

“Miss Yulie, can you hear me?” Yeriel called.

The only reason I am not frozen, and why I have enough air to breathe, must be that Yulie is waiting for me, and she might even be watching me from somewhere,

Yeriel thought.

“Miss Yulie...?”

Crunch—

Instead of a response, a brittle sound of shattering ice suddenly echoed from the dark corridor.

Crunch—

No, it was someone's footsteps.

"What... who is it?!" Yeriel shouted, the hair on the crown of her head standing on end as if from static electricity.

Crunch—

Crunch—

Despite Yeriel’s caution, the footsteps did not stop, and he was taking large strides toward her while Yeriel knew who

he

was.

“

Oh?

”

It was a knight she saw, and upon seeing his face, she understood that he was already completely frozen, moving as if he were a living statue.

“Knight Keiron?”

—

... Yes.

He was the only person besides Yeriel—who had Yulie’s permission—who could maintain his reason and move within this lighthouse because a statue was Keiron, and Keiron was a statue since a human who was utterly frozen could utterly be considered a statue.

—

Come with me. I will lead the way. This is by Her Majesty's order.

“

Oh!

Okay.”

He was an unexpected helper, and Yeriel walked toward him.

Ruuuuuuuuumble—!

However, she had not even taken a few steps before a violent shock shook the lighthouse.

“What?!”

Though it was a massive shock, there was no particular sensation.

“What was that?” Yeriel muttered.

Yeriel continued to walk without any further care, as even the cataclysmic shock of the celestial object that brought about the destruction of the continent was merely a faint sensation inside the lighthouse.

—

Tell me, Yeriel, what is it that you want?

Keiron asked a question all of a sudden.

“What do I want?” Yeriel replied, glancing toward Deculein on her back.

Thud, thud—

“I don't ask for much. I... just want my brother to die well,” Yeriel continued, walking after Keiron.

—

... To die well?

It was Keiron, and his tone was a little questioning.

“If wishing for him to live a long life is too much to ask, then rather than him dying like this, I just want him to find some comfort in his death,” Yeriel explained, a weight seeming to lift from her shoulders.

Since everyone will call Deculein a villain, I hope that when he eventually dies, he can find a little happiness with those who know of his dedication and sacrifice...

Yeriel thought.

—

... You hold a very affectionate wish for your brother.

Keiron replied.

“Not really. I just don’t like that he tries to shoulder everything alone,” Yeriel said, shrugging her shoulders as she looked at Keiron’s back.

***

“Everything will be frozen in a moment."

... This place was the outer edge of the world, the place where all life from the continent—people, livestock, and pets alike—was confined.

"I need you guys to calm everyone down and make sure no one is harmed in any fighting,” Sylvia continued, making final preparations in her office.

Yulie's

Eternal Winter

would soon reach them, and in an instant, everyone would be frozen, with the word hibernation perhaps being more appropriate than freezing to describe what was to come.

“Zeit, your help will be especially important.”

“...

Oh?

Okay...

Umm...

” Zeit muttered, giving a reluctant nod and looking back and forth between Sylvia and Yulie.

Yulie—the young Yulie who was different from the one who had sacrificed herself in the outside world—seemed lost in thought with an expressionless face, and for some reason, Zeit’s heart felt a sense of guilt as he looked at her.

“Listen, Zeit. There are agents of the Altar even in this place,” Sylvia said, snapping him out of his daze.

“

Oh

... yes. I will make sure they are bound,” Zeit replied, his voice snapping back to attention.

“You must not kill them. They must be brought before the law.”

“... I will do so. But you have not forgotten our promise, have you, Iliade? If I cooperate with you—”

“I promise you. I will raise an artificial sun over Freyden,” Sylvia interrupted.

If he could receive a promise for Sylvia's talent—the one thing that could overcome Freyden's ice age—then Zeit would be content.

“Yes, and...”

However, Zeit had one more thing that was weighing on his mind.

Pretending not to know anything, Zeit gestured toward Yulie with his chin while she was completely deep in her thoughts that she couldn’t even hear their discussion.

"... Take care of her for me, as she appears to be in a state of confusion," Zeit continued.

“Don’t worry, as she is one of the people who protected the continent, and she is a much tougher person than you believe,” Sylvia replied with an unreadable expression.

To Zeit, the phrase—the knight who protected the continent—was pregnant with meaning, for she who had vowed to only guard Deculein had ended up safeguarding the entire continent and thereby had fulfilled her every wish.

“Trust your younger sibling, Zeit.”

“

—Yawwn. Hmm. Hmm.

”

At that moment, Zeit wiped away the tears that were threatened to well up—no, the tears that were already in his eyes—feigned a yawn, and then pounded his chest.

“I understand. Iliade, you have my word. I will take charge of this outer edge of the world...” Zeit concluded.