command, the thousand chains wound around the Grand King. Their pointed tips bound her arms, waist, and neck to the ground like wedges. She struggled violently, but the chains refused to break. Elisabeth raised her sword high. Then as she yelled, she brought it down, as though carrying out an execution. "Ice Sculpture!" An intense chill coiled around the Grand King. While Kaito tried to keep his gaping wound closed with what little mana he had remaining, his eyes went wide. Sparkling snow crystals danced around the Grand King. However, her bones felt nothing. She rattled her teeth, as if in disappointment. As she did, though, a massive statue of a goddess appeared beside her. The beautiful statue had snow-white skin and hair, and she smiled kindly at the skeletal woman. Then the statue tilted the water jug she was holding over her. Each time the water rained down onto the Grand King, it froze over. Her underlings, who were still prostrating themselves around her, were immediately encased in frost. The Grand King was going to be sealed alive inside an ice sculpture. She seemed to have realized the fate awaiting her. If she were trapped in the ice and the sculpture were smashed, it would be all over for her. She turned her hollow eye sockets toward Elisabeth. Elisabeth was still smiling. Distress ran across the Grand King's bony face. The composure she'd maintained up till now was gone, and her teeth rattled unbidden for the first time. "No... I can't meet my end here, not in a place like this... Oh, Pierre..." That had surely been her gardener's name. The Grand King's eye sockets were empty, yet Kaito could clearly see something resembling fear in her expression. The next moment, Elisabeth began rebuking the Grand King. "How pitiable you are, Grand King, to retract your own words like that." *** "Good, evilâ€”it's all the same. No matter how we amuse ourselves, live out our days, and dieâ€”that's all there is to the world. You were the one who said that, were you not?" Elisabeth's criticism was cutting. Her scornful tone made it clear that she was asking why the Grand King was complaining. They both went quiet. Before long, though, the Grand King broke the silence, her shoulders trembling. "...Ha-ha-ha... Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, ha-ha." Her scarlet dress shook as her chest heaved with laughter. The Grand King raised her voice in amusement. "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, well said, Elisabeth Le Fanu! Indeed, everything is as you say!" She laughed, her voice ringing gracefully. She scowled at her surroundings, as though to say she had nothing to fear or to be ashamed of. If she'd still been holding her crow-feather fan, she'd probably have made a show of unfurling it and covering her mouth. As the ice hardened around her, the woman who'd lived and breathed evil made her proud declaration. "Quite soâ€”I, Fiore, the Grand King, intend to laugh all the way to the grave." And just as she'd said, the Grand King didn't scream or plead once. She was still alive when the ice fully encased her. Sealed in ice, her fate was the exact opposite of her friend who'd been burned at the stake. Still in her hideous form, she was transformed into a sculpture. Then the chains swung. Silver chains struck the Grand King's sculpture and smashed it to pieces. Chunks of bone sheathed in ice went flying and then transformed into black feathers as they whirled into the air. Then the feathers fluttered down upon the battlefield like snow, carpeting the corpses of the underlings and familiars. In the midst of all that was Elisabeth, who had closed her eyes, opened them, and thrust her fist into the air. "How weak!" The battle against their most terrible foe ended. As the reality of that fact sank in, Kaito snapped his fingers. The bones surrounding Hina dissolved and crumbled to the ground. Seemingly pleased with the Grand King's death, the Kaiser gave a deep laugh. Suddenly, though, he raised his snout and turned to face Kaito. As his eyes burned with a sinister glow, he spoke deep and bluntly. "Bear this in mind, O Accumulation of Seventeen Years' Pain. I find your perversion pleasant. On the other hand, I do not take kindly to your refusal to destroy this world and mankind along with it. However, through no fault of my own, my power has been called into question, so I shall continue aiding you as you butcher the remaining demons to demonstrate my strength. I look forward to seeing how far your warped determination can carry you." Geh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, fu-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, geh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh. The Kaiser vanished, leaving behind his humanlike laughter. The afterglow from the hellfire in his eyes hung in the air and then disappeared as well. Kaito shook his head a little and then surveyed his surroundings. Suddenly, his eyes met Elisabeth's. "Umâ€”" "Mmâ€”" She stared directly at him. He returned her gaze. Neither said a word. After a long, long silence, however, Kaito was eventually the first to lose his patience. "I'm really sorry." "I'll have your head." Their exchange was concise. Elisabeth seemed serious. Sensing how earnest she was, Kaito raised his arms. Elisabeth approached him with long strides. Then, with one hand, she hoisted him up by his collar. Her beautiful face twisted fiendishly as she laid her rage bare. "What possessed you to make a contract with a demon? And the Kaiser, no less! Hmm?! What on earth was going through your mind? I'd been led to believe that there was some gray matter lurking in that skull of yours, but clearly, I was mistaken! Even idiocy should be practiced in restraint!" "Whâ€” It's fine! I didn't hurt anyone, and now you're safe!" "That's precisely the problem, you imbecile!" The emotion in her voice was stifled, and it hit Kaito unexpectedly hard. Elisabeth put more strength into her slender grip. Her crimson gaze landed on Kaito's left hand, the one that had transformed into that of a beast. As she glared at it, she quietly continued. "'Tis not what I resurrected you for, nor why I made you immortal." "Elisabeth..." "Fool." Kaito lowered his arms and then let the tension drain from his body. He obediently let Elisabeth hang him up in the air. Right as he was about to say something, he heard the sound of weeping. The two of them looked to the side in surprise. The next moment, Elisabeth tossed him away. He almost tumbled to the ground, but he managed to land safely. They both rushed forward, making their way over to Hina, who was still lying on the ground. "Forgive me, Hina! Your wounds no doubt ail you! Oh, your beautiful limbs, what have theyâ€”? Nay, 'tis no matter! I shall mend them for you, leaving nary a scar! Worry not!" "Hina, are you okay?! Does it hurt? It does, doesn't it? I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." "N...no, that's not it. That's, nod, id." As Kaito held her up in his arms, great, big tears came streaming out of Hina's eyes. Kaito and Elisabeth tilted their heads to the side, unsure of what she meant. Hina's face was as scrunched up as a child's. Hina struggled to elaborate through her sobs. "I'b so habby... So habby that you're okay, Baster Kaito, and that you're bedder, Lady Elibabeth. Thank, thank goodness..." "Hina..." "...Thank you, Hina." Elisabeth pulled a clean handkerchief from a swirl of darkness and mopped up Hina's tears. Kaito gently stroked her silver hair. Hina beamed through her tears. The three of them huddled together on the remnants of the battlefield. It had finally gotten quiet again. For the three of them, it was the first peaceful moment in a long, long while. The minute they returned to the castle, Elisabeth got to work on Hina's treatment. Carrying the limbless Hina in her arms, she made her way to an underground chamber, kicked out Kaito, who'd followed along, and closed the door. For a short while, thunderous noises rang out from the door's far side. It sounded less like medical treatment and more like construction work. On the near side, Kaito stood at rapt attention. An indeterminate amount of time passed. Eventually, the closed door opened as violently as the noises within had been. Elisabeth was cradling Hina in her arms. Her thin, pale body was clad in a fresh maid uniform and had four proper limbs fastened to it. Tears welling up in his eyes, Kaito spread his arms wide and dashed over to her side. "Hina!" "Fool, don't go touching her so carelessly! She's but temporarily pieced together. The gears within her are in a dreadful state of disarray. For the time being, she needs to let her automated maintenance and repair functions do their work." Elisabeth pressed her foot into his face, and Kaito stopped in his tracks. As he was about to rub his crushed nose, she made an announcement with a quiet expression on her face. "I should warn you, but Hina is about to enter a deep slumber." "A deep...slumber?" "She needs to realign her interior mechanisms, after all. While she does, she'll need to put a halt to all other functionality. Come now, gently lift her. You'll need to carry her. Gently, mind you." Urged on by Elisabeth, Kaito gingerly reached out. He picked up Hina ever so carefully and held her in his arms. She opened her eyes a hair and gave him a drowsy smile. He carried her as he would something extremely fragile. After making his way upstairs, he set her down on the bed Elisabeth had been occupying until just recently. He asked his next question in a bewildered voice. "When you say a deep slumber...how long is that gonna be?" "There's hardly cause to sound so miserable. While I can't give a firm estimate, it shan't take long. This isn't good-bye." Kaito softly stroked Hina's cheek. Her head trembled as though it tickled, and she weakly opened her mouth. She spoke in a sweet, hoarse, barely audible voice. "My deepest...apologies... It seems...I will be taking...a short leave..." "I'm so sorry, Hina. Is there...is there anything you want?" "Anything...I want?" "If there's anything you want, I can get it for you while you sleep. Can...can you think of anything?" Flustered by the abruptness of the situation, Kaito continued his line of questioning. Hina closed her eyes and pondered for a moment. Eventually, she smiled and gently murmured. "In that case...may I make...one selfish request?" "Yeah, anything." "I wish...to become a family with you...Master Kaito." Hearing Hina's words, Kaito's eyes went as wide as if he'd been struck. "Family," he dumbfoundedly repeated. Up until then, it had been a word that had brought him nothing but misery. Hina knew that. That was precisely why she continued, her emerald eyes brimming with love and affection. "Unlike...human women...I cannot bear children... But I wish...to become...your family, Master Kaito... I don't want you...to be alone...anymore." "Hina..." "I want...to become...your family... One that...properly...loves..." "D-don't be ridiculous, Hina... You always have been... From the moment we met, you've been my companion, right?" As he spoke, Kaito choked back tears. Hina bore a tender smile. Kaito caressed her cheek again and again. He spoke once more, repeating himself with a voice full of heartfelt love. "You're my beloved wife, aren't you?" "Ah...so...I am." After mumbling about how happy she was and how it was like she was living in a dream, Hina fell into a deep slumber. "...Sniff...nn...hic...unh...nn...sob..." Tears that even his own painful deaths never brought out were now rolling down Kaito's cheeks. All the things he'd lost and all the things he hadn't been able to obtain streamed through his mind. Elisabeth said nothing. She simply waited for him to calm down. At the end of the battle, after the insane choices he'd made, Kaito Sena had finally found a family. Eventually, Kaito roughly rubbed his eyes and stepped away from Hina. His