First, he thought back to what had happened in the Capital, back when the demonic mass of flesh had invaded. Izabella's straight silver hair had glistened in the moonlight. Back then, not a single scar had marred her skin. After unhesitatingly taking the Kaiser's contractor's hand in hers, she'd spoken. "Let's take out that demon together." Next, he thought about the events back in the demon's world, the space where everything died. Paying no heed to the fact that the force of her mana was tearing apart her skin from inside, Izabella had shouted at him through a communication device. "Don't give me that nonsense, Kaito Sena! Enough is enough! You should be looking for any help you can get, even if it comes from a monster! Don't you want to save the suffering people as soon as possible?" Then there had been the events down in the underground tomb. She had been the one to deal the final blow to the gatekeeper within, a monster that the Grave Keeper had created by fusing a demon with a divine creature. Despite her trembling hands, Izabella had laid her arm horizontally over her chest. Despite her flowing tears, she'd given it a bow. "No longer must you be bound by the chains of your tortured existence. Your efforts guarding the tomb did not go unnoticed." Finally, Kaito arrived at the memory of what had happened only just a little bit ago. Izabella had stood with her back to the exploding light. Even while she rejected Kaito and the others, she'd still smiled. "That we are, I suppose. Idiots, one and all." The lacerations running across her pale skin had twisted unattractively. Yet, even so, Izabella Vicker was beautiful. She had truly been beautiful. I... I can... As he tried to finish thinking through his answer, though, Kaito found himself interrupted. Crimson flower petals had begun gently fluttering around him. Startled, Kaito felt his eyes go wide. At some point, crimson had become interspersed with the silver snowflakes dancing through the air. A violent wind broke out, and petals and feathers flew through the air as though trying to blot out the milky sky. Astonished as he was, Kaito was reminded once more of a certain truth. Sentiment had the power to radically change the weight of a murder. That was only natural. But there's someone I know who's fully willing to trample their own thoughts and feelings underfoot. She was someone who paid no heed to the wails of others, no matter how grief-stricken or forlorn they might be. And she had the power to utterly destroy her own feelings and sentimentality. The hefty sins she bore on her back did nothing to dull the resonance of her loud laughter. Now she was standing proud and tall amid the whirlpool of crimson petals and black feathers. She was the proud wolf. She was the lowly sow. She was the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu. And she was holding Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal aloft. "How pitiful you are, Izabella. Yet, this, too, is the fruit of your resolve and dedication. Thus, I lend you no compassion or scorn. I shall simply kill you. And I shan't ask for your gratitude. Death is a fate we all wish to avoid. Even if it is the sole avenue to respite, that sentiment is one that every living creature shares." Elisabeth's voice was cold and firm. She was arrogant, and at the same time, she knew full well what it meant to take a life. Her black hair fluttered as she began advancing, passing by Kaito in silence. When she did, she didn't spare him so much as a glance. She said nothing to anyone else, either. When she spoke, it was to Izabella alone. "Resent me to your heart's content. 'Tis your right to do so." Unhesitatingly, she looked into those blue and purple eyes. Her gaze didn't waver for a moment. Just like she'd done for Marianne and the children who'd been fused to the mass of flesh, she gazed at the one she intended to kill. At the same time, Kaito felt as though he'd been struck by lightning. What am...what the hell am I doing? "Go now to your rest." "Elisabeth, wait!" The shout escaped Kaito's lips half-unbidden. Elisabeth whirled to face him, clearly annoyed. Izabella stooped over, then let out a growl. Keeping a careful eye on her movements, Elisabeth heaved a sigh. "What, are you going to insist that we can save her or some such nonsense? Idiocy taken to extremes can border on sin, you know." "No, that's not it! I just need you to hold on for a minute." Kaito tried to take a step forward. When he did, though, he realized something. Even though his thoughts were clear and level, his knees were on the verge of unceremoniously giving way. Hina quickly rushed over to his side. She gently took his hand in hers to comfort him. "Master Kaito, your hand... I understand what it is you're thinking. What a truly kind man you are. If you wish to do this, even though your legs tremble so, then I shall accompany you." "Thanks, Hina. Every step I take forward is thanks to your help." Kaito returned Hina's soft squeeze. Then, with her by his side, he stepped before Elisabeth. Awkward as his demeanor was, the Torture Princess didn't laugh at him. She simply waited for him to speak. As he gazed at her, he ruminated on something. Back at the entrance to the underground tomb, when he and Elisabeth had been crossing blades, what was it he'd been thinking about? Why had he fought so hard to avoid being killed by the Torture Princess? It wasn't fear of death. It was mindless obsession. That's right. It wasn't because I didn't want to die. It was something way more important than that. Like hell I'm gonna let Elisabeth kill me. Like hell I'm gonna let her kill anyone else she cares about. That was what had been going through his mind. Isn't that right, Kaito Sena?! The number of people whom one could choose to save at all costs was highly limited. Kaito was well aware of that fact. Back before he was reincarnated, he hadn't had a single person who was precious to him. That was precisely why he'd decided to fight to the bitter end to protect the ones he'd found in this life. But this demon-ridden world was harsh and cruel. His experiences in his past life had helped him learn one thing quickly: Due to his powerlessness, his arms could reach only a handful of people. Because of that, he'd chosen to put Elisabeth Le Fanu ahead of the whole world. He'd decided to put his entire existence on the line to save that dreadful, horrible, peerless sinner. What, then, could he possibly have to tremble about? "Indeedâ€”one who forgets their greatest wish is naught but a fool masquerading as a saint." The Kaiser had told him to trample over everyone who stood in his path. Kaito ground his teeth. Even if Izabella's smile had been beautiful. Even if she'd been radiant as she foolishly strode straight forward. That was something he couldn't allow the Torture Princess to bear. "I'll be the one to kill Izabella Vicker." And with that, Kaito made his declaration. He squeezed Hina's hand in gratitude. Then, after tapping the back of her hand to set her mind at ease, he let go of it and strode alone toward Izabella. The Torture Princess narrowed her crimson eyes. Hina closed her eyes, then opened them. Lute hung his head downward. Kaito Sena raised his hand high and made to snap his fingers. Then, right before he could, a massive silver fist came crashing into him. "Hmm?" "Whâ€”?" "Master Kaitoooooooooooo!" Elisabeth arched an eyebrow, Lute was dumbstruck, and Hina let out a cry. As for Kaito himself, it took a couple of violent revolutions of his body before the fact that he'd been punched set in. He then descended in a cartoonish tailspin. A moment before he crashed to the ground, though, Hina successfully slid into position to catch him. "A-a-a-a-are you all right, Master Kaito? I had no idea you would go popping and whizzing through the air like that, my beloved. Oh heavens, what would I have done if I hadn't caught you?" "H-Hina... Ow, ow, what happened to me?" "Why, it was her." Confused as she was, Hina's tone when she answered Kaito's question was filled with unmistakable reproach. At the other end of her pointed gaze, a single individual was walking forward. Her honey-blond hair danced luxuriously. It was the golden girl, her outfit as risquÃ© as ever. Behind her was a steel giant. Deus Ex Machina had merged back together, and it was the one who'd punched Kaito. Her rose eyes flickered as Jeanne de Rais looked down on Kaito Sena. When she spoke, her voice was cold. "As the one who chose Izabella Vicker as my evangelist, getting to the bottom of her transfiguration is my duty. Sorry for butting in just when you worked up your resolve, but I'm gonna need you to back down now. This one's mine." Then Jeanne turned to face Izabella and looked down on her transformed, monstrous form. After slightly narrowing her eyes, Jeanne raised an arm. The steel giant squared off in response. Spiderweb cracks splintered in the ice beneath its feet. Her voice dispassionate, Jeanne went on. "Granting her death will be my responsibility. Arrogantly, selfishly, and self-righteously shall I lower the curtain on her life... No, my apologies. Allow me to correct myself, that I may speak the untarnished truth. Granting her death will be my privilege." Jeanne spoke with imposing dignity. Izabella offered no reply. Blood and drool dribbled from her lips, and she receded backward, as though on high guard. Jeanne watched over her calmly. Then, eventually, the corners of her lips curled up into something resembling a smile. "It seems the stories were true... First loves just ain't meant to be." The next moment, Izabella dashed forward like a lion. When she did, a steel fist crashed hard into her side. Kaito watched over the state of the battle, still swaddled in Hina's arms. Lute opened his mouth in bewilderment, and Elisabeth crossed her arms. However, the affair before them could barely even be described as a battle. To be more precise, it was a beatdown. That was just how powerful Deus Ex Machina was after returning to one body. "I suspected as much. You didn't need to consume something like that to attain power, li'l miss." Jeanne began talking to Izabella. While she did, the steel giant continued mercilessly swinging its fists. Even if they tore or were sliced, Izabella's limbs and torso would quickly regenerate. Because of that fact, the steel giant narrowed down its attack to blunt strikes. Its fist carved a straight arc through the air. Its offensive options may have been limited, but its movements surpassed the perception of man and beast alike. Unable to avoid the strike, Izabella was dashed hard against the cold ground. The subsequent blow crushed her body. Her bones writhed, trying to return to their original positions. As they did, her flesh loudly burst. The regeneration had been too much for her, and her ribs had popped out through her back like springs. Lute's lupine snout scrunched up. Unable to take it anymore, he averted his eyes. Kaito, Hina, and Elisabeth were silent as they watched the one-sided beatdown. "Gah... Ahhh... Argh... Geh..." Izabella violently retched. Blood and countless chunks of flesh spilled out onto the ice. For the first time, Izabella looked afraid. She dragged her broken legs along as she tried to put distance between herself and Jeanne. Jeanne gracefully approached the fleeing Izabella, steel giant in tow. Then, with an almost terrifying calmness, she continued talking. "Divided as they were