Different Doesn't Mean Wrong

Honestly... I'm impressed.

It's just the two of you...

And yet you've held out this long against dozens of maids blessed by the Void.

Ghh...!

Struggling is pointless.

I've already scattered enough Void fragments around the area...

It won't be long before the blessing of the Void seeps into the two of you as well.

And when it does... you'll soon realize how meaningless everything is.

...What exactly are you plotting?

Oh? You came back without learning anything about the Void Force?

Heh. Now this is something I didn't expect.

You've been going on about the Void this whole time. What are you even talking about...?!

Why, naturally...

I'm talking about the Void Star.

Do you know how this universe came to be?

The universe... was born from the Void.

The spark of life conceived by the empty Void blazed brilliantly and illuminated all creation...

But now the time has come for everything to return to the Void once more.

I merely seek to restore the natural order of the universe that was forcibly brought to a halt.

I'm nothing more than a faithful servant of the Void who has attained a small measure of enlightenment.

What kind of nonsense are you spouting?

The Void Star? What does that dead star have to do with any of this?

Haha, it has everything to do with it...

That strange boulder is a fragment of the Void Star.

What...?

And those black stones are fragments of it.

The fragments of a fallen star are magnificent apostles of the Void in their own right.

The blessing of the Void that flows from them guides foolish humans onto the proper path.

So everything happening in Kalaid right now...

Is simply part of the process of setting things right.

Ugh... I don't really get what you're suddenly going on about, but...

Basically, you're using some creepy power oozing out of those stones to make people act weird.

That's what you're saying, right? Tch. You're out of your mind.

Haha... You really should have left quietly when I gave you the chance.

Why you insisted on coming back just to suffer like this...

I simply can't understand.

Aren't you ashamed to call yourself a senior maid of Candle Square?!

Instead of helping Saviors and civilians, you're the one plotting something like this!

Ashamed? And help Saviors and civilians?

Why?

Well, that's because...

Because I'm a maid of Candle Square?

Is that how you've been deceiving yourself all this time?

Emily, put your hand over your heart and think back.

Did you truly become a maid out of some unwavering sense of duty?

Was there really no other reason?

There was no other reason!

I simply became one to fulfill the mission I was given...

Is that really true?

Can you honestly say there wasn't a single moment...

When you forgot that lofty purpose and simply enjoyed yourself?

...!

Hahaha... There's no need to be embarrassed.

That's only natural.

Humans ultimately act according to their own desires.

The Void Force isn't some power that turns humans into monsters.

It merely peels away one layer of the mask they wear.

And once that thick mask is removed, what remains is...

Desire. Followed by mistrust, conflict, strife, failure, resignation...

You asked why I'm doing this, didn't you?

I'm going to save this world... all of Lavistar.

And that salvation will begin right here in Kalaid.

Nonsense...! What you're doing will only fill the world with chaos and despair!

My, that's exactly what I want.

Chaos and despair... and at the end of it all lies the Void.

No matter how desperately humans struggle, their true nature is destined to be drawn toward the Void.

So stop this pointless resistance and accept the Void Force.

Hmm... No. Perhaps a little resistance would be better.

Saviors of your caliber...

Might receive enough blessing of the Void to become Executors.

Perhaps we should put that theory to the test while we have the chance.

Executors...? What are those...?

My, why don't you find that out for yourselves?

Assuming you ever get the chance, haha...

Well then... I have matters to attend to.

Hey! Hey! Get back here!

Girls, put them to sleep for a while.

Uh... okay...

Ngh...!

Phew! So this is how things turned out.

What... happens to us now...?

Who knows.

While we were unconscious, it seems they moved the strange boulder.

Perhaps... they're preparing to do something on a much larger scale.

So they don't even need to hide it anymore.

...Hey, Emily. Looks like she wasn't bluffing after all.

Every time this sticky black energy clings to me, I can feel my strength draining away.

Even moving a single finger feels exhausting.

The same is happening to me.

At this rate... we'll eventually become puppets of the Void as well.

Just like these people strewn across the floor.

...This is all my fault.

If I hadn't come up with such a foolish plan—

...No.

If I'd stayed a little calmer like you told me to, we might have found another way.

No. If I hadn't been here, you never would've gotten dragged into this incident in the first place.

Ahaha! By that logic, this all started because I invited you to hunt the Wendigo!

Even if we'd parted ways then, neither of us would've been able to leave Kalaid anyway.

If anything, we might already have fallen under the spell of the black stones by now.

Ahaha! Can't you let me have this one?

I was trying to give you a cool apology before I died.

The way of the hunter! Go out with a bang!

Fufu. Come to think of it, we really don't see eye to eye.

Yeah. We're completely different in every way.

But I didn't hate it.

Well, you did get on my nerves when you nagged me about every little thing!

I didn't hate it either.

Though it was frustrating whenever you acted recklessly just because something looked cool.

Ahaha! Then we're even.

Let's call it even.

Heh... I never thought I'd die such an anticlimactic death...

...

Emily... if I die... put on my gravestone that I was the greatest top-tier hunter in all of Lavistar...

And make the gravestone... a top-of-the-line one that sparkles in gold... please...

...I'm trapped here just like you are.

...Oh.

Then I should write a will before all my strength is gone—

Trish.

H-huh? Do you need a sheet of paper too?

That's not what I meant... Don't you feel a little better?

Huh...?

It feels much easier to move than it did before.

Huh... You're right.

But that pile of stones is still pouring out dark energy...?

Trish... this...!

Huh?! That cool-looking charm I bought back then!

It's... absorbing all of the dark energy.

Wait... this thing actually works?

I was sure that suspicious peddler was making it all up!

...You bought it even though you thought that?!

So what? It looked cool! And it actually works.

Hold on. I definitely had that multi-tool we packed in my pocket.

All right. Emily, come here. I'll cut you free.

Hmm? I've already freed myself.

The restraint escape techniques I learned back in my mercenary days proved useful.

...Oh. Right. I see. You had your own way out...

...Yeah. Right. Of course.

...Pfft! Puhaha! Hehehehe!

Trish? Why are you suddenly laughing?

Ahahahaha! What have we even been doing this whole time?

What...?

We really are different.

What we want, what we're good at, how we think.

But so what?

There's a saying among hunters.

Three hunters, six ways to set a trap.

It means they argue over whose way is right and end up not setting a single trap...

But whoever came up with that saying is an idiot.

If there are multiple ways to do something, why not try all of them?

Then you get to use everyone's strengths!

It doesn't mean one of us is wrong.

Sometimes, both ways can be right.

Just look at this charm.

I'm the one who bought it because it looked cool...

But I couldn't be bothered with it later, and you were the one who insisted we bring it.

And now look where that's gotten us.

It's kind of... funny, isn't it? Feels like we've been acting like idiots this whole time.

...I think I've heard something similar before.

It was...

Hmm...

...I forgot the exact wording.

But basically, if you accept each other's differences and make up for each other's weaknesses, you can build a strong team.

Something like that.

Back then, I wondered why anyone would make something so obvious sound so profound...

But now... I think I understand it a little better.

...So what are you going to do now, Trish?

What am I going to do...? Isn't it obvious?

If I don't save them, all of Kalaid is going to be swallowed by darkness...!

There's only one solution! Top-tier hunter Trish makes her grand entrance!

Fufu... I suppose you're right.

Phew... A final battle with everything on the line...

*Huff...* *Huff...* I suppose it can't be helped.

Yeah. Can't be helped.