lovely little flower! If the world could speak, it would boast of both your beauties to all creation!" "Mmm, 'tis a most pleasant way to be complimented." Hina hopped up and down before Elisabeth like an excitable puppy. Elisabeth nodded. That alone made all the strain and suffering she'd endured worth it. Kaito, who was in the middle of carrying a set of wine bottles with Lute and the others, stopped in his tracks. Then he rushed over to Elisabeth and let out a cry of astonishment. "Hey, that looks nice on you! See, I told you it'd be good to try wearing a normal dress every now and again." "Your compliment is perfunctory at best. I give it failing marks." "Why?! I said you look nice!" he shot back, flustered. At present, Elisabeth's slender frame was clad all in black, with her two arms bare at her sides. Her collar was so low that it exposed her collarbone, and she had a crimson shawl draped around her neck. She looked bewitching, yet at the same time, strangely ephemeral. "You think a pedestrian word like nice is sufficient to capture the entirety of my refined beauty? Why don't you try that again until you get it right?" "Hey, having self-confidence is great and all, but you gotta cut me some slack." "See, I knew it would look good on you!" Then Elisabeth and Kaito heard a delighted cry. They looked over at its source. Izabella was standing in front of Jeanne, who was standing stiff as a board, and nodding repeatedly. Izabella scooped up a tuft of her full, honey-blond hair in her gloved hand. "It's just as I thoughtâ€”a maidenly dress like this truly brings out your beauty. It's so sweet, so charming. And the color goes perfectly with your hair!" *** "Oh hey, I guess we finally figured out how to get her to be quiet," Kaito commented. "See, what Izabella gave there was a model compliment. Try taking a lesson from her," Elisabeth replied. "Wouldn't that sound kinda creepy coming from me?" "...Ah, true enough." Elisabeth nodded deeply, and Hina hopped up and down in front of her. "That's not true at all! The enchanting words that Master Kaito spins with his honeyed voice are always the finest there can be! Lessons are useless for him because he's been unmatched at compliments since the day he was born! Hmph!" "Yeah, yeah. Thanks, Hina. You're the cutest, just like always." Kaito wrapped Hina in a tight embrace to calm her down. Meanwhile, Izabella took Jeanne by the hand and headed for her seat. The beastfolk, now finished with moving the wine, hurried back to the table as well. Lute theatrically pulled Ain's seat back for her. Vlad hadn't once budged from his seat, and the Butcher was restlessly scattering flower petals around the room. Elisabeth assumed the seat of honor and gazed out over the table. Sitting atop its pearl-gray tablecloth was a fine feast indeed. There was organ pie, a whole roast hen, potherbs of every sort, vegetables in jellies and potages, seafood, myriad desserts, and countless other labor-intensive dishes all arranged in a beautiful spread. And as a finishing touch, the silver and white flowers sat decoratively at their center. Kaito stood by Hina's side, his arm gently wrapped around his wife's back. They leaned toward each other, the very image of bliss, then faced Elisabeth and smiled. "Congrats, Elisabeth. Good work these last three years." "Congratulations on three years well served, Lady Elisabeth." "Aye, thank you. And thank you, everyone, for coming." Elisabeth looked out over the group. All of them were wearing warm smiles on their faces. Kaito and Hina. Izabella and Jeanne. Lute and Ain. Her beastfolk subordinates. The Butcher. Vlad. Everyone was there. How unnaturally convenient. "...Thank you, truly." For a brief moment, Elisabeth closed her eyes. She breathed in a deep breath. Then she clenched her fists and spoke. "Now then, it seems high time..." However, she stopped midsentence. She hesitated, unsure if she should continue. She glanced Kaito's way once more, her gaze strangely reminiscent of a child's. Is this for the best? she was asking him. I'm not making a mistake? But Kaito Senaâ€” â€”just returned her gazeâ€” â€”smiling at her like he had once before. And so Elisabeth opened her mouth, emptying her lungs of words and breath alike. To end it all. "...we put this charade to rest!" And in that moment, the world was filledâ€” â€”with the heavy, heavy ringing of a bell. Creeeeak... Ding-dong... Ding-dong... Ding-dong... Ding-dong Dingâ€” â€”dong D i n g D o n g There was nothing there. And yet at the same time, there was everything. If one was to describe that place, the most apropos comparison would be to a blank white canvas. Or perhaps a completely black canvas. Nothing meaningful was painted atop it. In other words, one could paint over it to their heart's content. It was empty, and it was free. There was nothing there, yet there was everything. That was where Elisabeth now stood. At the spot that lay after the end and before the beginning. By all accounts, nobody should have been there. Mankind had yet to even be born. However, Elisabeth could sense someone behind her. They were still and silent. Not turning around, Elisabeth spoke in a soft whisper. "I know nothing of this place. And I suspect it isn't just me. Nobody does, save for one exception." The list of people who'd witnessed the blank world before the reconstruction was short. In fact, it had but one name on itâ€”the reconstructor, the one who built the world, who wielded the brush all those lifetimes ago. The Saint. "This scene was formed from your memories, was it not?" "...When did you notice?" "Notice what?" "That the world laid out before you was all just a fabrication." Despite the fact that they were asking a question, the other speaker showed no sign of alarm or confusion. This was an outcome they'd seen coming. Elisabeth looked up at the sky. Everything above her was empty and hollow. There were no clouds, no sun, and no stars. Not even color. It would seem the two of them truly were standing atop the canvas. Below them, it was white, and above them, there was nothing. It was a lonely place. There was no death there. But the world itself had no life. And a world with nothing born unto it was a lonesome place indeed. Elisabeth couldn't help but lower her voice. "Subconsciously? Since the start, I daresay... But it only truly became clear with the Butcher. That man betrayed us, and he had no regrets. There was no reason for him to ever appear before us again. And that was precisely why I created himâ€”as a method to put my confusion into order." In her eyes, that was the role he played. As a person, the Butcher was someone who constantly spouted nonsense yet always held the answers she was looking for. The person behind her didn't reply, leaving Elisabeth's words to echo across the ivory plane. Suddenly, those words materialized, taking on a form as hard and brittle as glass. Then they shattered and vanished into nothing. Even words were alien to a place as empty as this. Like ink spilled in water, they refused to conform, instead getting swept away by some invisible hand. Undeterred by their change, Elisabeth went on. "This place resembles somewhere elseâ€”a dream, spun by a demon. Although, granted, that one was a psychological attack, so the nuance differed somewhat. This place uses memories as its base, and each time I grow suspicious of it, it breaks down and builds itself anew. Thus, the world within can remain gentle forevermore. Ha, what an absurdly convenient dream. Why, if the end of days hadn't come, I'd have been executed. Burned at the stake, as was my destiny." Elisabeth clenched her fists. Inside the dream, three years after Ragnarok, everything had fallen into place. Nothing had been lacking, and everything in her life had been good. But no matter how fate had turned, such a world could never really have come to be. "Kaito was there, and Hina. The Butcher was alive. Jeanne, Izabella, my menâ€”they were all there as well, and I worked in the beastfolk lands. How could such a place possibly exist?! 'Tis ridiculous! Utter absurdity! Yet exist it did in there." Elisabeth bit down on her lip, hard. It had used her memories to temporarily bring about an impossible future. It was like a fictitious castle built out of sand. No matter how many times it fell, it would always come back. But because of that, it was a castle that could never hold a permanent form. "A sandcastle by the beach. A stage, repeating the same act again and again. A piece of sugar candy, melting awayâ€”'tis too pleasant to be called a nightmare, yet too unsettling to be taken as benevolence. So why? Why call me here?" The figure behind her didn't move. Elisabeth didn't turn. If they wanted her dead, she would be dead. If she had expressed malice, they would likely have lopped off her limbs. However, they just stood motionless, seemingly bewildered by their own actions. And so Elisabeth pressed on. Without so much as looking at her face. "Answer me, Saint." "The thing about...dreams, you see..." The Saint began to answer. Elisabeth closed her eyes as she listened to the woman's strangely childish voice. The Saint went on, as though trying to validate her own intentions. "I felt that...everyone has the right to dream." "How do you mean?" "You bore the burden of the world... Or rather, the people you care about most did. And it fills you with anguish. And so...I, too, would have liked to gaze upon a dream of the time before everything went to ruin." At the end, Elisabeth heard a small gasp. That was the wish the Saint had sealed away deep within her heart. It was an insipid, fleeting wish, to be sure. Eventually, Elisabeth let out a short sigh. "I see. So not quite benevolence, then, but pity. However..." With her eyes still shut, Elisabeth began walking forward into the darkness. After the first step, though, she felt a pair of hands grab her wrist. Those weren't the Saint's fingers. No, it was a sensation so nostalgic, it almost made her trembleâ€”the hands of the two people she loved so much, she couldn't stand it. But Elisabeth knew. Those two would never have stopped her there. They would have wanted her to move forward, even if it meant she had to do so alone. It was cruel, without a doubt. Yet even so... Yet even so. "...I've no need of it. I saw the only dream I need long ago." Once, the Torture Princess saw something beautiful. Two beautiful people. They were people who made the world worth saving. "And I was by their side." Now they were gone. Yet even so, there were some things that would never vanish. And so Elisabeth shook off the shadow of her memories and walked. Just like she had walked in front of Kaito when they were trapped in that nightmare long, long ago. Even though this time, there was no one by her side. "That was enough." And with that, she quickened her pace, eventually breaking into a run. Without looking backâ€” â€”she abandoned the Saint. Ding-dong.........ding-dong......ding-dong......ding-dong......ding-dong......ding-dong Ding-dong It felt like a bell was ringing somewhere. A solemn noise, echoing through the air before vanishing. It was a sound that signaled the end. However, it was probably just a trick of the wind. Or perhaps, without a doubtâ€” â€”it came from someone's dream. Elisabeth slowly opened her eyes. She was sitting in a place with no night or day. She glanced about. All around her was purity crafted from snow and water, wind and mana. Above her,