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Seletina held out her hands. She had no will to fight or counterattack. She just stood there in peace with herself. She stood before the giant sword that would take her life—the sword that had once been wielded by the berserk hero Orthus.

“Come on,” she prompted.

Seletina’s eyes were filled with determination. Saying she had already demonstrated her resolve through her actions. “Are you scared, Lichter? Your mortal enemy, Seletina, or rather Orthus, is presenting his head on a silver platter. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

“You b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲…” Lichter bared his canine teeth beneath his helmet. For him, everything about Seletina—her words, actions, attitude, and her atmosphere itself—felt deeply uncomfortable.

This was not the kind of ending Lichter had wished for. If their battle were to be described as a match, then victory was undoubtedly Seletina’s.

Lichter couldn’t understand this. Seletina was saying all this after stopping his swords, piercing his impregnable armor, and pointing her sword at his heart. Lichter found this offensive. For Lichter, who yearned solely for strength, this was the most repulsive expression of pity.

(Is this pity?) Lichter thought.

He wasn’t sure if Seletina’s gesture of giving him her head in that manner following the death of her friend Imitia was truly a sign of pity. Lichter could not understand Seletina’s intentions.

Amid his confusion, Seletina took Lichter’s hand and placed the tip of his giant sword against her neck.

“Lichter… Do what your desires tell you to. Follow your heart’s cries.”

The blade cut into Seletina’s white neck, causing bright blood to flow. If Lichter just pushed the blade a little more, Seletina’s thin neck would fall. However, Seletina’s unwavering, heavenly gaze remained locked in Lichter’s eyes.

“I’ll kill you.” Lichter spoke in a dismal tone. He was serious. It was a declaration that came straight from the depths of his heart. If he killed Seletina here, he could go wherever he wanted.

With this immense power and these wings, there was nothing more to bind him. This was what he had dreamed of all this time.

“Come on,” Seletina spread her hands once more, as if seeking an embrace.

Lichter exhaled. There was no more conflict within him. If she were that eager to die, then he would gladly grant that wish. It was easy for Lichter to decide to kill someone. As such, he didn’t hesitate to pull his sword.

The black blade bit into Seletina’s flawless white neck and clawed at her carotid artery.

Blood gushed from the cut in her neck like a fountain. By the time he had finished drawing the sword, Seletina’s neck was cut almost entirely through. Unable to support the weight of her shifting head, her neck, connected only by flesh and skin, eventually let go.

Seletina’s beautiful face, once crowned with grace, fell unceremoniously to the cobblestones, making a soggy sound and sending up a cloud of dust. Or that’s what ought to have happened anyway.

“What…?”

But, in the end, that’s not what happened.

“……”

Seletina’s head was still connected, and she continued to look into Lichter’s eyes.

Lichter believed that something magical had happened. He wasn’t sure if it was magic that could manipulate time, an illusion, or something entirely else, but something mysterious had occurred.

The fact that Seletina was alive now proved it.

“What’s wrong?” Seletina uttered. Her tone was, by no means, strong. It wasn’t gentle, but it wasn’t cold either. Her voice carried the warmth and severity of a mother. It sounded like condemnation, melancholy, and compassion.

Lichter decided to draw his blade once more. However, his arm did not budge.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!” It felt as if he was trying to move a huge rock. It was his own arm, yet it didn’t even feel like it belonged to him. It was too heavy and too strange.

“You b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲! What did you do?!” Lichter yelled, countless stress reactions going off inside his body. Sweating, increased heart rate, and mild dizziness. Lichter gritted his teeth and glared at Seletina.

“Lichter.” Seletina spoke his name, but he did not answer.

“Urgh…!!! AAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!” Lichter couldn’t move. Despite having his target in front of him, he was unable to make a move. Not only that, but the giant sword slipped from his hand.

The weapon fell from his grasp, piercing the cobblestone pavement and then disappearing like mist. Lichter no longer held anything with which he could harm Seletina.

Witnessing this, Seletina took a step forward. Her steps were slow and gentle.

In the middle of Lichter’s uncertainty and resentment, she put her hands around his back and offered him a gentle embrace¹.

1. TLN: This is the last chapter, the rest are side stories.