a long-fingernailed woman, they each split into four and reached for the Legend Dragon. When they did, they snatched her massive wings up by their bases, much like an innocent child would to a small animal. Their pointed tips dug into her draconic flesh as they lifted her high into the air. Another violent tremor ran through the air, the echoes of an inaudible scream. Blood gushed forth and melted the icy ground. The claws froze in the air, almost as though they'd heard the scream. They were finished moving. But the Legend Dragon's weight caused her to begin sagging. Each time she did, her wings tore from their bases where the claws remained lodged. She gradually started falling faster and faster. Then the Legend Dragon fell, her wings shredded to pieces. When her fleshy body impacted the ground, its weight caused the earth to quake. Tremors ran through the World's End. This, of course, caused the skinny path Kaito and the others were standing atop to shake. If not for the fact that they'd immediately grabbed on to the chains stretched out atop it, they very well could have toppled into the abyss. Lute collapsed onto the chains, then frantically crawled back to the path. Kaito broke out in a cold sweat and wiped it away with his fist. "Looks...looks like we made it." "'Twill only get worse from here, fool! Make haste!" Elisabeth's angry voice rose up to meet him. Kaito blinked in astonishment. As he did, he heard a faint popping noise. A chill ran down his spine before he even understood what it signified. The next moment, he discovered that his ominous premonition had been on the mark. Fatal cracks had begun loudly winding across their narrow walkway. Kaito looked up in shock. At some point, Elisabeth had finished making her way across the chains and had reached the side of the cliff opposite them. She was waving her arms atop the solid ground and shouting. "Hurry! At this rate, you'll be caught up when it collapses!" "Oh, now you tell me all of a sudden!" "It was hardly sudden, mister. That much weight comes crashin' down, even you should be able to put two and two together." "Pardon me, my beloved Master Kaito! But I have no intentions of giving you up to that abyss!" Jeanne was cradling Izabella in her arms and had already begun running. Kaito, on the other hand, had gotten a late start, so Hina scooped him up. That moment, the ground at her feet shattered. As she carried him bridal-style, Kaito turned to look behind them. The path had started to crumble. The ice sounded like a mirror as it shattered. The fragments glittered as they descended into the darkness. Kaito succumbed to his primal fear and gulped. Hina shot forward, accelerating like a bullet. Lute had originally been behind her, which meant that he was now in front as they ran for dear life. However, due to the weight of his winter gear, his footsteps were sluggish. Hina caught up with him in the blink of an eye. After thinking for a moment, she shifted Kaito to under her arm. "Master Kaito, this may be somewhat uncomfortable, but I ask that you bear with me! And, Mr. Lute, pardon me!" "Oh my!" Hina reached her free arm out and snatched Lute up by his burly back. Surprised by her strength, Lute let out a little yelp. Then he reflexively flattened his ears and tucked in his tail. The walkway continued loudly crumbling. If they slowed down even a little, the abyss would swallow them up. "Ha!" Hina kicked off hard against the ground. The hem of her maid uniform flared out, and the glimmering ice beneath her feet shattered. She skidded as she landed, scattering snowflakes in her wake. The two adult men in her arms screamed. However, their screams were drowned out by a loud clattering noise. Kaito and Lute cautiously looked backward. The thin path between the two crevices had vanished without a trace. Now that the obstruction was gone, the two ravines had joined together like a single vast river. Beyond it was the pit with the chains stretched over the parts of it still visible. Lute shook his entire body, and the fur on his cheeks stood up straight. "Th-that was a rather close shave... To think that Ms. Hina would end up having to carry me. Good gracious, how embarrassing. I do thank you, though. Never shall I forget this debt I owe you." "Th-thanks, Hina... Seems like you're always saving my ass, doesn't it? Now..." Kaito stared hard, trying to make out what was happening on the other side of the pit. The Legend Dragon was over there, writhing in a lake of her own blood. Eventually, the fierce convulsions running through her body stopped. The red gem in her chest continued glowing unabated. The pale woman was still sleeping inside, like an insect trapped in amber. In a daze, Kaito thought back to what Jeanne had once told him. "Our salvation lies in murdering Diablo, murdering God, and, yes, murdering a human." "Is it...is it time?" For now, the Saint had fallen to a place where they could kill her. As he stood atop the World's End, Kaito Sena thought to himself. The end was finally upon them. All they had to do was kill the Saint, just like they'd originally planned. Ever since he'd heard the Butcher's lonely soliloquy, every positive thought he'd had about the Saint had vanished. The very fact that the person who'd destroyed the world and built it anew still lived was unnatural. Now, mankind would lose the Saint, and the world would avoid destruction. And they would all live happily ever after. The fairy tale would finally end. Will it, though? "Now, then, I aim to proceed! Feel free to stay there, you lot; you'd be hindrances at best!" "Please wait. I, too, shall come... Or rather, allow me to join you, Torture Princess!" Elisabeth called out from the opposite cliffside, and Jeanne replied. Despite her expressionless visage, though, she seemed troubled as she cast her gaze down at the woman in her arms. Izabella was sleeping like a baby. Jeanne gently stroked her mostly metal cheek. Then she whispered quietly. "My dear little lady." Then, lifting her head, Jeanne looked at Lute. He'd gotten down from Hina's arm and was currently sitting cross-legged on the ground. Jeanne slowly approached him. He quickly stood up, his fur standing on end to illustrate his wariness. Jeanne stopped directly in front of him, then quietly held out Izabella. Lute seemed bewildered. However, his fur settled down, and he took Izabella from her. Jeanne softly brushed Izabella's silver hair from her face. Then she gave Lute her quiet request. "Of the three of you, your arms seem the thickest and most comfortable, mister. I leave her in your hands. Please do not let her go. She is very precious to me. Not that she herself knows, mind you. Hell, she'd probably find it a bother! But hey, that's first love for ya, am I right?" "Precious...you say. I understand. Then on my name as Lute, I shall protect her to the last! Hmm?" Being a devoted husband himself, Lute must have been moved by Jeanne's words. His ears and tail sprang up as he acquiesced. At the very end, though, it seemed like he remembered the fact that Jeanne had severely wounded him not long ago. Lute hmmed to himself and scrunched up his snout. As he did, Jeanne faced him and bowed deeply. "You have my sincere thanks." Kaito and Hina felt a slight shock. It was the first time they'd ever seen the golden Torture Princess act so admirably. Lute's voice got caught in his throat for a moment before he replied with a docile nod. "Think nothing of it. I may bear resentment toward you, but that has nothing to do with Madam Izabella. And grudge or not, I can hardly forsake another's beloved. If you would entrust her to me, then I will see to it that she remains safe." "Again, you have my gratitude. Thanks a million, li'l pupper." "Learn when to stop talking, will you?!" As Lute shouted angrily at her, Jeanne turned around and broke into a run. Hurrying toward Elisabeth, she dashed alongside the rim of the hole. Her radiant honey-blond splendor gradually grew distant. Kaito remained where he stood. If he went, he'd probably just be in the way. All that was left was for the two of them to lower the curtain. The Kaiser was silent, seemingly having lost interest in the way things were proceeding. The stone in Kaito's pocket was flaring up as usual, but now wasn't a great time to have a conversation with Vlad. Kaito's gaze was fixed firmly on the woman within the red jewel. She was still far away, but thanks to the Legend Dragon's collapse, she was now a good deal closer. She looked utterly defenseless. All they had to do was kill her, and the nightmarish turmoil regarding the world's restructuring would finally come to an end. Will it, though? However, doubt still welled up unbidden in Kaito's mind. All of a sudden, he noticed that his heart was palpitating strangely. Sweat was dripping from his entire body. Discomfited, he lost track of his thoughts. Then he pressed down against his forehead. "Master Kaito? My dear Master Kaito, whatever is the matter? Your face is ever so pale." "No, no... I'm fine. It's nothing... I think it's nothing." Hina worriedly stroked his brow. As he felt the soft sensation of her fingertips, Kaito replied. Deep in his mind, though, his childish self was asking his rational self an innocent question. Will it really, really, really, though? No, you're right. Something's off. But what? Kaito couldn't really put his finger on it. But his discomfort raged on, beating incessantly against the inside of his skull. He found himself lost in the strange sensation. It wasn't that he wanted to stop them from killing the Saint. At the moment, it was the correct choice to make. But something was off. Will this really, really, really bring everything to a close? Do I really believe that? You're a big dumb-dumb! his inner child crowed. Think about it carefully, the rational part of his brain murmured. And now that he considered it, there were a number of questions that he and the others had more or less ignored. Why did the Grave Keeper bring Izabella to us like that? Why did she give Elisabeth her blessings, then offer no resistance and practically kill herself off? Why did the Butcher invite us here? Why did he specifically wait for us to arrive before waking up the Legend Dragon? Then, upon noticing another fact he'd overlooked, Kaito went pale. The various races had each received a letter, and in the letter had been a certain phrase. "The beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand. If you wish to reject those words, make for the World's End." But we were the only ones the Butcher didn't send it to. Perhaps that fact signified something truly terrible. And at the same time, a question he had failed to consider up until then crossed Kaito's mind. The Butcher had claimed that the whole uproar about restructuring hadn't been his desire. The Apostle and the fanatics had simply been trying to grant the Saint's wish. But had anyone ever said that the restructuring itself was what the Saint had been wishing for? That fundamental problem now pierced through Kaito's brain. He frantically dug through his memories. That's rightâ€”it was the Grave Keeper! She'd said that "God and the Saint have been seeking this restructuring for many ages." But was the restructuring itself really her true desire? Wasn't it also a possibility that the reconstructing