Things That Never Change
Kgh...!
Haydee! Are you all right?!
Tch... Worry about yourself...! You almost died just now!
Ufufu... He's far stronger than I expected...
...He's strong.
...Must protect... the princess...
Your precious princess is standing right here! You useless tin can!
Tch... If only we could get through to him, we might be able to talk some sense into...
It's no use. You know that too, don't you?
That bastard's brainwashing isn't something you can break that easily.
The castle's about to collapse soon...
Can we really take him down in time?
Probably not. We were already fighting at full strength just now.
Yet all we managed to do was strip away one layer of his armor.
...At this point, we should assume we have no chance of winning.
None of our attacks are landing a proper hit. At best, the impact only knocks him back.
...He's a monster.
I'm sorry, Captain.
I've dragged you into something completely absurd.
Bringing you here, and letting things come this far... It's all my responsibility.
I'll hold it off somehow. You find a way out.
Haydee, you go with the Captain.
...Hmph. That's nonsense.
If you stay behind alone, you'll last a few exchanges at best before that greatsword cleaves you in half.
Fufu... Haydee, have you forgotten?
I, Cristelle de Montua, cannot die until my revenge is complete.
This body, half-tainted by the Void, refuses to die despite my wishes!
Being buried under a little rubble is hardly a problem!
...Quit showing off.
What...?
You know your body's trembling, right?
Y-you're seeing things! I'm not afraid at all!
That doesn't suit you. Just act like you normally do.
What's gotten into you all of a sudden?
Weren't you the one who told me to "hide the fire of vengeance beneath cold reason"?
Besides, even if you sacrifice yourself, there's no guarantee we'll make it out safely.
B-but...!
Hmph. Forget it. I'll handle this myself.
Because there's still one thing I can do.
One thing...?
I'm sure you've both realized it by now.
This world was forcibly constructed from my memories.
So if this world loses its blueprint, everything should disappear in an instant.
In a space that becomes something that never existed, there'll be no ceiling to collapse and no floor to give way.
When you two open your eyes, you'll probably just be standing amidst the ruined remains.
...?!
Wait, do you mean...
...!
Don't be absurd!
Haydee, I still have one last ace up my sleeve.
If I fully unleash the power of this eye, I should be able to bring it down some—
Grgh, nngh...!!
Cristelle tried to sweep back the hair over her eye, but her body crumpled with a groan.
...Don't overdo it. You've already pushed the Void Force to its limit.
If you go any further, you won't remain human.
Cristelle. Admit it. This time, we've lost.
We couldn't break free from Morcerf's trap.
There was only ever one way out from the beginning.
My death.
Ngh... No...!
Not... like this...!
Just so we're clear... this isn't like before.
I'm not doing this because revenge has lost its meaning or anything like that.
If anything, this is my final act of will for the sake of revenge.
Cristelle.
My guardian, my partner, my companion, and...
My friend.
My revenge ends here, but I want you to keep moving forward.
I know that's irresponsible and selfish of me.
It's nothing complicated. It's simply...
The ashes of a burned kingdom that should've died long ago finally letting its long flame go out and returning to dust.
...So live. Live for my sake, and take revenge on Morcerf for my sake as well.
That's my wish.
...
And Captain.
I still—!
You still can't accept it?
Stop fighting reality. This is the best option we have.
Still...
Thanks to you, at least I won't have to die with regrets.
...You said I could just find something other meaning, right?
Maybe if I'd met you after my revenge was over...
A life like that might not have been so bad.
So...
...Thank you.
That's enough goodbyes.
Don't come any farther.
It may all be a false illusion, but this kingdom is still my home.
I'm the one who has to untangle this knot.
Haydee drove all her remaining spears into the ground to form a wall, then advanced toward the knight without looking back.
I wanted to run after her and grab her at once, but for some reason, I couldn't force my feet to budge from the ground.
It wasn't simply because I was exhausted.
Then why?
I'd said all those grand things about saving her whether she liked it or not, about refusing to accept this ending. So why couldn't I stop her now?
...Perhaps it was because...
This wasn't a choice she'd made on impulse. This time, she'd known everything and had agonized over it before reaching her decision...
And I couldn't simply trample over the conclusion she'd chosen for herself, free from anyone else's interference.
Your princess is here.
Impostor... You are... not... the princess...
The knight in gleaming silver armor let out a horrific roar at Haydee, who stood defiantly before him.
In the blink of an eye, the knight raised his greatsword toward the sky.
Ggh... Ngh...! Hay... dee...!!!
Cristelle, barely able to hold herself upright, struggled to lift her head.
Her red gaze shot toward the knight.
The knight staggered back several steps.
No!
You'll die if you keep that up!
...But...
I don't...
Want to lose anyone again...
I refuse to make the same stupid mistake and regret it only after it's too late...!
...Idiot.
Behind Haydee's faint smile, I saw the greatsword come crashing down with a terrifying roar.
...Huh?!
That's...!
That statue...?