underlings were swarming up there. It was due to the innumerable black feathers suspended in the empty space. The wind that had once been so frighteningly clear and pure was now contaminated with the stink of rust. No traces remained of that beautiful, empty place where the solitude of everything having ended and the faint hope that something new would begin had commingled. Kaito was once more cruelly reminded: Nothing in this world stayed the same forever. The once-peaceful land was gone, and there was no guarantee it would ever return. Yet as she stood atop it, the first imperial princess of the beastfolk boasted a will to fight that was untarnished. Valisisa gripped the handle of her sword so hard that it creaked. Her red fur rustling like a billowing flame, she continued her address. "We are the proud sons and daughters of the Three Kings of the Forest, and for us, retreat is not an option! We will advance, and we will kill! With those deaths, we protect our people, we protect our country, and we protect our world! We will never surrender, so victory already lies in our grasp! Kill, kill, kill and die in victory's embrace! Before us, God and Diablo are mere trifles!" Surprisingly, her voice was burning with gleeful bloodlust. Kaito's eyes went wide. Even when faced with the despair that accompanied the end of days, her fury was as vibrant as ever. She was like a living flame. Valisisa wrenched her sword free from the frozen earth, then made her loud, operatic proclamation. "The world lies in the palms of our hands!" """In the palms of our hands!""" The crowd's roar rose up to meet her. The beastfolk's armor, which was made primarily from the leather of their comrades, rattled as they yelled. At the moment, none of them were wearing obstructive winter gear. Kaito was using his magic to protect everyone present. Vyade, as well as the first imperial prince and a number of other imperial-family members Kaito wasn't familiar with, were standing behind Valisisa. Vyade's dress was composed of a number of layers of thin fabric, giving her a graceful, ladylike appearance. As he gazed at their backs, Kaito let out a murmur. "Man, I don't really know how to put it, but as an imperial princess, Valisisa is like a sword designed for emergencies...or, like, a gnashing fang or something. She calls me the Mad King, but I feel like she's a perfect match for that title." "Indeed. It seems you've already noticed, Sir Kaito, but...the eyes that chose my sister weren't clouded in the slightest. Our opinions may often differ, but she, too, has the capacity to be an excellent dynast." Vyade gently provided her assent. As the Wise Wolf of unclear age, the woman who received more support from the people than any other, and the veritable symbol of peace, the second imperial princess gave her firm judgment. "My sister is precisely what the world needs in troubled times." When he heard her, Kaito nodded. Thanks to Valisisa's speech, the beastfolk were in high spirits. Given the current situation, preserving the willpower of people with so little magical aptitude was a near-Herculean task. The humans have La Christoph and Izabella Vicker...but the problem's the demi-humans. Kaito was well aware of that. At the moment, the three races were deployed in a fan formation around the God and Diablo pillars. The humans, with their mages, paladins, knights, and saints, were to the west, and the demi-humans were to the east. However, the plan was to directly send the cannon teams in right before they made contact with the enemy, so the demi-humans' main forces were going to join up with them later. In truth, they had no proof that the demi-humans would actually show up. All they could do was trust in them. No matter how things shake up, this is where it all ends. This was where everyone's fate would be decided. Kaito purposefully took in a lungful of the frigid air. At this point, he couldn't even feel pain from cold temperatures anymore. After letting out a white cloud of breath, he raised a hand. "All right, I'm heading out." "Do be careful. And may the protection of the Three Kings of the Forest be upon you." Vyade gave him a gentle bow. The first imperial prince and the rest of the imperial family followed her lead. Finally, Kaito looked out over the riled-up soldiers. When he did, he noticed a certain wolf-headed fellow among them. That unmistakable coppery fur belonged to Lute, the captain of the first squad of Vyade's private army. He seemed to have noticed Kaito, too. Familiarity spread across Lute's face, and he almost opened his mouth. A moment later, though, he quickly corrected his expression. Somewhat guiltily, he went back to talking to his subordinates. Perhaps it was his way of marking boundaries, or perhaps it had been born out of fear toward Kaito's transformation. It was impossible to know which. But ever since Kaito had become the Mad King, Lute hadn't started a conversation with him once. In fact, ever since Kaito had made his proclamation back at the World Tree, they hadn't talked privately to each other a single time. Kinda sad, but it is what it is. Kaito nodded. However, after a few seconds of silence, he changed his mind and called out: "Take care, Lute! And try not to get hurt, or you'll make your wife sad!" Lute whirled around as though he'd been struck. Clearly panicking, he opened his mouth. But Kaito didn't wait for his answer. He hadn't been looking to coerce a reply out of him. He'd merely said what he'd wanted to say. Then he dropped the glass orb filled with his blood onto the ground. He gave Lute a big wave. "Later!" "S-Sir Kaito!" What's the matter? Lute readied his legs, as though preparing to dash over to Kaito. However, he clenched his fists tight and, in the end, stood still. Soon, his unmoving form was blotted out by a wall of azure flower petals. And then Kaito saw nothing. The shock sent him to his death for a moment, but Kaito quickly recovered. He'd arrived at a different part of the World's End. There was not even a single member of the three races' armies in this desolate, silver knoll. The only ones waiting for him were a man dressed in a black, aristocratic coat; a massive, supreme hound; and a lovely maid. It was his self-proclaimed father-in-law, the demon he was contracted to, and his bride. Vlad let out an exaggerated voice, a perfect smile spread across his face. "Well now, are you fully prepared to bid them farewell, my dear successor? Have you no more regrets? Nothing you've left undone?" "Nope. I'm good." Kaito nodded dispassionately. Vlad gave a grandiose wave with his white, gloved hand. It looked like he hadn't gotten over his elation at having obtained a body, as every gesture he was making was exceedingly theatrical. He gestured at their surroundings as he spoke: "What? There's no need to be so tense. The strong have every right to bear property. Why, all you need do is wish for it, and this very world would be yours. None who stand upon it are your equal, after all. It then follows that what's about to begin is a battle for hegemony among Diablo, God, and yourself. Why pay the ants any heed?" "Don't spout bullshit, Vlad. The soldiers are important." "Hmm. You have a point. I'd expect nothing less from you, my lord. Pawns are, in fact, vital. And infantry, in particular, is good to have in numbers. But the path they open belongs to you and you alone. As do the choices. It's a privilege to be allowed to watch from the box seats." Vlad gave him a courteous bow. Kaito didn't reply. Instead, he walked silently to the edge of the silver knoll. The rusty wind tousled his faded-brown hair. Suddenly, his field of vision expanded. An azure rose and a crimson rose. The two vibrant flowers were in full bloom, stretching up toward the heavens. Underneath the black, feather-filled sky, the two pillars were haughtily towering upward. "Elisabeth..." Faced with that otherworldly scene, Kaito let out a faint murmur. Supported by the human sacrifices at their cores, these two pillars, which shouldn't have been able to exist, continued to manifest. The armies of the three races were waiting a short distance away. Like lurking predators, they were waiting for their signal, just out of reach of the briars that were winding around the pillars. Kaito closed his eyes. He counted the seconds. The moment the imaginary clock hands overlapped, he opened his eyes again. The beastfolk, demi-human, and human dispatchers acted just as they'd been instructed. The bugles of war sounded out loudly, almost as if to suggest it was the true signal for the end of days to begin. The noises overlapped, and the sullied ground started shaking. Kaito muttered to himself, as though to drive the point home. "We gotta bring this story to an end." Thus, the flare of rebellion went up against the higher entities. So that the people of this world could struggle valiantly and die believing in the future. Over at the human army, the first thing the saints did was assume a strange formation. Hand in hand, they formed a circle with La Christoph at its center. They looked like a group of infants playing a game. As proof that it was nothing so idyllic, many of the linked arms had undergone some manner of horrible transfiguration. A hand covered in scales was joined with one that had flowers blooming from the joints in its fingers. However, there was one girl with her legs bound in irons whose arms were resting idly by her sides. A female saint reproachfully grabbed her right hand. The girl curled her lips into a pout. She turned to the man on her left. "Hey, hey, hey, hey?" "WHAT IS it?" The man turned to look at her. The bottom half of his body was transparent, and numerous fish were swimming around inside. His smooth belly was like a big, round fish tank. Everything from his chest up, on the other hand, was emaciated and marked by deep wrinkles. The girl whispered to the bizarre-looking saint, as though they were exchanging idle gossip. "Iâ€”I, you see. I, believe, in God. Believed, in God. Believed, really, reeeeally hard. But ever, since, my legs, were blessed with, these holy wounds, my memories, have, been really, spotty, you see?" "WHAT IS it?" "If God said, it should be destroyed, then...shouldn't, the world, be destroyed?" A purehearted question left the girl's lips. The face of her neighbor on the right stiffened. The man nodded in appreciation. Then softly but resolutely, his wrinkled face turned from side to side. *** "What's, wrong, about it?" "EVEN GOD, makes MISTAKES, I should THINK." The girl stared at him in puzzlement. The male saint's lips twitched. After suffering a great deal of pain, he managed to form what could almost be described as a smile. He awkwardly went on. "Calling EVERYTHING, God's FAULT, and PURPOSELY committing WRONG ACTS, is not, FAITH." "...It's not, faith?" "NOâ€”you see, prayer is supposed to be a one-way street." A silver fish splashed within his transparent abdomen. As it did, all the wrinkles faded from his face, revealing the visage of a beautiful boy. He looked to be around the same age as the girl. There was no hesitation in his eyes as he spoke. "'The land, the power, and the glory are eternally Yours.' We prayed for that to be the case. But using the fact that everything belongs to God as a pretext for wanting to destroy the world out of wickedness, or for greedily wanting to witness a miracle, are equally unforgivable. 'Pray that