Epilogue (Volume 6) ─ Bad End

"... What's going on?"

Airi was looking at the bizarre landscape in front of her.

The capital was going up in flames.

Buildings and castles were crumbling, causing those running for their lives to be crushed.

They weren't the only ones doing so, she was also running exasperatedly through the burning streets.

She saw people suffering as she desperately fled.

"I must find Rudel-san fast!"

For some reason her feet felt funny, they hurt badly as did her head.

An object fell in front of her, it was an armor split in half, inside was Liam, wearing a white suit with a rose on his chest.

"Your Highness Liam!"

She went to his aid.

Before touching him, she noticed that on her right hand was a strange bracelet, then she noticed that her left hand held a scepter.

A beautiful ceremonial white dress, a wedding dress she wore.

"... And this?"

If that was even weirder, on her neck she wore a necklace she had never seen before and a tiara on her head, which was worn when the crown princess, the next queen, was appointed.

Airi didn't understand why she was dressed like that, but she didn't care and went to help Liam.

She couldn't do anything, his chest was exposed, spitting blood he spoke as he stretched out his hand to her.

"... Airi, run... Ixion, that guy betrayed us."

*Cough*

"You lie, Ix-kun would never do that!"

"He brought his allies─!"

Liam's hand as his consciousness plummeted forever.

Airi with Liam's blood on her face thought.

(He said "Airi." Why was His Highness calling me by that name?)

After standing up, she felt a cold stare from behind her, turning around, she noticed Ixion staring at her.

"Ix-kun─"

But she froze as she saw that usual gray color was now black. His red lens gave the impression that he was seeing garbage in his path.

"Why are you still alive even after a fall from such a height? It was my merciful way of saying goodbye to you."

Battler came down bringing a group of armed units.

He threw them down and she watched as Frey's lifeless body and the others lay there.

Fear began to grip her.

Seeing Ixion, she said to him.

"I-it's a lie, isn't it? Ix-kun would never betray us. You're our precious companion, you're part of our family!"

Ixion in a very cold tone, the same way he would answer Rudel said.

"Family? I think you are misunderstanding something, me and you were never anything. You were always my object of research, if I joked with you it was to get information about the new humans. There was never nothing more than research at the times you think you meant something to me."

Airi wanted to cry, the usual cold and expressionless Ixion was behaving in a way she couldn't consider from someone pretending not to be a friend.

Ixion was really exposing how much he despised being around them.

Tears were streaming down Airi's cheeks.

"Then you really betrayed us, you betrayed Rudel-san and Alisa... They will be very angry with you!"

After a short pause, Ixion said quizzically.

"Rudel-san? Alisa? Who are they? My database has no information on them.

Airi reacted angrily at the sight of it."

"How can you say that, you traitorous idiot!"

"Rudel-san! Rudel von Bradford is your Master and Alisa─ Alicelotte von Bismarck is your future owner since she is his fiancée."

"It seems the fall has left your brain malfunctioning, let me clear it up for you."

Airi heard more screams, these were coming from near the palace which was being bombarded by aircraft missiles equal to Ixion's main body.

The palace fell without being able to defend itself.

The sky was littered with black airships, armor and drones.

Ixion explained as Battler wiped the blood from his axes.

"It was your wish. You wished for this deep down. The nobility, Alicelotte, the women who annoyed you, the queen herself looking at you unkindly."

"You hated them all, they got in the way of your happiness. Why act now like the saint everyone thought you were, despite being responsible for dividing this country to the point of fracturing it? All this happened because of you, Irisdina, that's why I decided to take your life while your allies and those who abhorred you were killing each other."

"With your help I was able to destroy everything that would have interfered with my plan."

"... Plan?"

The flames behind Ixion glowed brightly, leaving his body almost red in color.

"The destruction of humankind. The age of the old humans will return when we purge this repulsive, false world. Their original form will come thanks to your help, former saint."

At that moment, another spherical body descended.

"Ixion, Aster has already been destroyed, the Kingdom will soon fall. Bellion informed us that the empire is putting up a lot of resistance. It needs help, let's go."

Zero told Ixion to hurry.

"I'll be right there, I just had one last conversation."

Battler moved near Airi, he raised his big axe.

"I wanted to do it in a way where you won't suffer, but you're too tough, this time I'll let your body── wow, I guess someone else will do it for me. Farewell, Irisdina, you were a great pawn in my plan."

Battler and Ixion flew away.

Airi wept as she watched the capital in flames.

She heard footsteps approaching towards her.

"You..."

She recognized that voice, it belonged to her friend.

"Alisa!"

With tears in her eyes, Airi turned around, she felt an icy sensation inside her.

Looking at her belly, she noticed how a broken sword had pierced her.

Bringing her eyes to the cause of it.

She watched as Alisa had a hole in her stomach which had scarred using her own fire magic.

Half of her face was disfigured, being covered by her long hair which was burnt.

Alisa's eyes were red as her irises, a look of deep hatred was reflected in them.

Alisa with her bloody teeth was screaming at Airi.

"It's all your fault. This was all your damn fault! If you had never shown up, my family, Their Majesties, the entire Kingdom! ... Everyone... everyone would still be alive!"

"Burn in hell, you damned wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch!"

"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

◇◇◇

"Aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Airi stood up screaming as sweat marked her forehead and tears marked her cheeks.

She was shaking, looked around and realized she was in Aurora's room.

In the same bed was Alisa sleeping soundly.

Airi pleased her shoulders as she repeated to herself.

"I-It was a dream. No, a nightmare."

"It wasn't real... it wasn't..."

"Ix-kun would never..."

Then she thought.

(Ixion is always someone cold, it wouldn't be uncommon for something like this to happen one day.)

That made her cry harder the same way she hugged herself.

"I would never wish for that... that's not the happy future I want... I would never..."

"Alisa... Rudel-san..."

Airi stayed up all night thinking about it.

???

They're all useless good-for-nothings.

No one can do anything right.

First it was Helsalem, being the only one who had no impediment to steal the sapling, he let some humans kill it.

Then came you, Goetia. You had the best chance to get rid of the guardian and get the sapling.

You are all incompetent. Now I will have to do everything myself.

Luckily, I have found a vessel. I don't need those women anymore.

*Laughter*

It's time to pull the strings in this country. For the ultimate show to have its presentation.

The age of man is over. the dark ages are here and we will come out of it to proclaim this new world that was taken from us by that bitch!

No one will stop us, kakakakakaka!

The end of humans is here!

___________________________________________

Volume 6 End.

Sacred Tree Truth Arc completed.