Epilogue
Two pillars stood atop the World’s End. Feathers, white and black, and roses, azure and crimson, fluttered down from them onto the frozen earth. They cascaded below like beautiful drops of rain and flakes of snow.
At that florid scene’s center, a massive crystal was enshrined between the two pillars.
Two humans were sleeping inside it. Or to be more precise, one was from another world, and the other was an automaton.
The two were nestled up close to each other, and their faces looked downright blissful.
They were like a symbol of all the joy the world had to offer.
The soldiers gazed dumbfoundedly at the crystal. The power that had threatened to destroy the world was gone, and all the underlings had turned to ash. The burning-black sky, too, had reclaimed its original milky-white, rainbow hue. The snowflakes drifting to the ground were clear and pure.
Amid all that, the soldiers had come to realize something.
Something about the person whom they’d all relied on yet had borne fear and bloodlust toward behind their smiles.
Something about the Mad King, the man they’d feared they would need to kill someday.
“…Was he always such a frail-looking boy?”
He was nothing more than a thin little man.
Still holding Jeanne, Izabella looked down. Vlad was still smiling. Lute struck the ground and let out a wordless roar. Valisisa spat on the ground.
And there was one woman who sat down in front of the crystal.
Her lustrous, black hair fluttered in the wind as she gazed at its two sleeping inhabitants.
Nobody moved to approach her. Eventually, though, La Christoph came up behind her.
Blood was flowing from his still-open rib cage. However, there was no pain in his voice as he made his solemn statement.
“This world has sustained a grave blow. Humanity has no leeway, and the Church’s authority has crumbled. I have no intention of committing the folly of killing someone as useful as you. Your execution is hereby permanently deferred, Elisabeth Le Fanu. That is the least we can do to repay the debt we owe that stranger.”
“Is that…so?”
“Before the day of your death, try to do some good at least.”
With that, La Christoph closed his mouth and turned. Then he left to go help treat the wounded.
Elisabeth remained silent. Suddenly, though, she moved. She extended her arm and touched the crystal. She pressed her hand firmly against its transparent surface. However, she was unable to make her way inside.
As she gazed at their two resting figures, she let out a small whisper.
“Hina… Perhaps this is the best for you. ’Tis a good thing, I suppose, that no tears need come your way… Aye, perhaps ’tis the best for both of you. And perhaps living alone is yet another of my punishments. No, as you said, I suppose I’m not alone.”
“Elisabeth. This foolish servant of yours will be by your side to the very end.”
Elisabeth thought back on the words she herself had been told. She curled her lips upward, just a hair.
She knocked her forehead against the crystal.
“You fool… You complete and utter fool.”
No voice rose up in reply. Nothing came back to her.
Even so, she wore a smile as she spoke:
“’Tis true—no matter how much time passes, you shall always be my foolish servant.”
Feathers, white and black, and roses, azure and crimson, rained down on her incessantly.
They rained down over the world, as if to congratulate it for its survival.
And with that, Kaito Sena’s story came to an end.
It was a tale from long, long ago.
A tale of admiration, folly—
—and love.
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