Back in the Chronicle Universe, across four different worlds, the crews' communication terminals activated at almost exactly the same time. A holoscreen bearing the Astral Express logo appeared in front of each group, followed by a priority code none of them had seen used outside catastrophic emergencies.
[EMERGENCY TRAILBLAZE CHANNEL ESTABLISHED.]
[TEAM STAR PULSE.]
[TEAM REASON.]
[TEAM SLASH/DOG.]
[TEAM ASH BORN.]
Teams that had been separated across several worlds suddenly appeared together on the same communication network. Planet Deviluke, the DxD world, the Marvel forward operation, the Astral Express above the DesuMachi world, and Gururian City were all connected through a single emergency channel.
On Planet Deviluke, Hajime immediately sat upright from where he had been resting with his family and Team Reason. Alice and Anisphia stopped whatever they had been discussing beside him, while Euphyllia, Ingvild, Sagiri, Sona, and Lavinia turned toward the screen. Villhaze moved instinctively behind Ingvild, while Ophis, Ilia, Lainie, and Rossweisse gave the projection their full attention.
On another screen, Tobio, Sae, Natsume, Kouki, and Shigune of Team Slash/Dog gathered around their terminal back in the DxD world.
At the Marvel forward base, Lumine rose from her seat with Nanoha and Fate beside her. Chrono, seated farther behind them with the Wolkenritter and several TSAB personnel, immediately recognized the tone of a battlefield emergency.
On board the Astral Express, above DesuMachi world's orbit, Kiana and Elysia stared toward the holoscreen in front of them. Herta sat nearby with Gabriel, both waiting in tense silence, while Belfast, Ram, Rem, and the rest of the Maid Team gathered behind them.
Finally, on the surface of Gururian City, Team Ash Born fell silent inside their accommodation. Hachiman stared toward the screen from where he sat among Mei, Ruan Mei, Tinasha, Zena, Sora, Patricia, and the rest of their family. Even the kids, who had been making enough noise to fill the room only moments earlier, stopped when they noticed the atmosphere suddenly change.
Void Archives appeared at the center of every screen. This time, there was no sarcastic greeting, no complaint, and not even one of his usual dry remarks about the Captain doing something catastrophically stupid again.
That alone made everyone nervous.
[Apologies for the sudden activation of the Emergency Channel. I have overridden standard communication restrictions and connected all four operation teams directly. We have reached a critical situation that requires immediate intervention from the other teams.]
Nobody interrupted as Void Archives continued.
[Captain Noah, Miss Sirin, Miss Hayate, and Little Zwei, the detached team who pursued Dormammu into the Star Rail Universe, have been compromised. The situation escalated into a planetary assimilation event involving Non-Administered World #97 and has escaped our control.]
"VA, where are they now?!" Kiana immediately demanded.
Void Archives hesitated for only a moment, and that hesitation terrified them more than any answer could have.
[Miss Hayate Yagami… died several minutes ago.]
The words hit everyone connected to the channel like a physical blow. Nanoha stopped breathing, while Fate's eyes widened and one trembling hand rose to cover her mouth.
"…What?" Vita stared at the projection as though she had simply stopped understanding the words being spoken.
Signum's entire body stiffened, but nothing came from her. Beside her, Shamal covered her mouth with both hands while Zafira slowly rose from his seat, a deep and trembling growl escaping his throat.
[She intercepted a Killing Curse intended for the Captain. Her body has been recovered,] Void Archives continued before anyone could interrupt. [...All vital signs had ceased.]
"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!" Vita collapsed onto her knees.
Shamal dropped heavily back into her seat, shaking so badly that everything she had desperately refused to accept became real all at once. Signum's expression crumbled despite all the discipline expected of a proud Belkan knight, while Zafira could only stare blankly ahead.
"…Hayate." Chrono clenched his fists.
Void Archives moved to the second report.
[Miss Sirin Kaslana Schariac was subsequently hit by the same curse while fighting Voldemort. Her Herrscher Core remains intact and has been secured. However… we were unable to detect any trace of her consciousness within the Core.]
"No…" The color drained from Kiana's face. "…No."
Elysia immediately reached for her and caught Kiana's arm before her knees could give way. Kiana could only stare at the holoscreen, her lips trembling as though she had heard every word perfectly, but her mind simply refused to accept them.
"My sister is…"
[…She was effectively dead,] VA confirmed quietly.
Silence consumed every world connected to the emergency channel until Lumine finally closed her eyes and forced herself to take a breath.
"What about Rein?" she asked. "What is her status?"
[Little Zwei was hit by a direct Dark Dimension attack while protecting the Captain.] Void Archives' voice became almost unnaturally flat. [I… we were also unable to detect or locate any trace of her after the attack.]
Nanoha squeezed her eyes shut as the full weight of the situation finally settled over them. Hayate was dead, Sirin had been killed as well, and Reinforce might have been gone as well. One after another, all three had fallen.
"And that idiot?" Hajime finally asked the question everyone else was already thinking. His voice had become dangerously flat. "…What happened to our idiot Captain?"
[He… almost fell to the Dark Side.]
Everyone connected to the channel tensed.
[After Miss Hayate and Miss Sirin fell, the Captain lost his emotional control and activated Blaze. He nearly burned Mahora City while deliberately torturing the individual responsible. Little Zwei managed to bring him back to his senses before she was hit.]
Hachiman closed his eyes as his jaw tightened.
[The Captain eventually recovered enough control to resume fighting the planetary assimilation. However, Dormammu's corruption had already spread deeply into the planet's ley lines and core. The Alliance in that universe was unable to discover any reliable method of reversing it.]
"What was the latest assimilation percentage?" Herta's expression sharpened.
[When I was last directly connected to the Captain, it was approaching complete planetary conversion.]
Hajime's chair scraped violently against the floor as he stood.
"Hajime…" Alice immediately looked toward him.
"Directly connected, you say…" Hajime spoke carefully, but Alice and Anisphia could both hear the anger laced in his tone. "Don't tell me that idiot did something stupid like sending everyone else somewhere safe while he stayed behind to face the enemy alone."
Void Archives said nothing, and that silence answered everything.
"That idiot said goodbye, didn't he?" Hachiman said.
Several people turned toward him. Hajime narrowed his eyes, while Void Archives remained silent.
"…He said goodbye to everyone before he sent you back," Hachiman added.
[…Yes.]
"I'm going there," Hajime announced immediately. "I'm going into that universe, and dragged that idiot back myself."
"Then we will stay."
Hajime stopped and looked toward Alice and Anisphia. "…What?"
Alice met his eyes calmly. "Anis and I will remain on Deviluke. Team Reason still needs its principal representatives here, especially with our current arrangements and obligations."
"You go help Captain," Anisphia added with a nod. "We'll keep everything here from falling apart while you're gone."
Hajime stared at the two of them, visibly caught off guard. "…You two are usually the ones following me before I even decide where I'm going."
"Then perhaps it is time we trusted the others to accompany you," Alice replied, a small smile appearing on her lips.
"This… feels weird," Hajime muttered.
"You'll survive," Anisphia answered, earning an annoyed look from him.
Sona leaned back slightly in her seat. "I'll remain as well. Alice-san and Anisphia-san shouldn't have to manage our current obligations alone."
"Then I'll stay too," Sagiri added with a firm nod. "If several of our strongest members are leaving at once, those remaining here will still need protection and coordination."
Lavinia hesitated briefly before smiling. "I'll stay too. I want to go help, but leaving everyone here with too few people would only make Hakkun worry."
"Then I will accompany Hajime-sama," Euphyllia said as she stepped forward.
"I will also go," Ingvild added without hesitation. "With my abilities, I believe I can help."
"Naturally, I am coming with Milady." Villhaze immediately took her place beside Ingvild.
"And I will accompany them as well," Rossweisse said. "Temporary it may be, but I am still assigned as Lady Ingvild's knight."
Hajime looked toward Alice, Anisphia, Sona, Sagiri, and Lavinia. He clearly disliked leaving without several of the people who normally stood beside him, but he understood why they had chosen to remain.
"Bring Captain home, Hajime," Alice said, her expression softening.
"I will." He gave her a small nod.
"And tell Captain he owes all of us after you drag him back," Anisphia added, pointing toward him.
That finally pulled a faint smirk from Hajime. "Yeah. I'll make sure he hears it."
Nearby, Shu, Sumire, and Mitsuha watched him with obvious worry. Hajime turned toward them, but Sumire spoke before he could say anything.
"Just go."
"Mom…"
"Your friend needs you." She smiled at him.
Shu placed one hand on Hajime's shoulder. "We'll be alright. Go help your friend."
Mitsuha still looked worried, but she forced a small smile. "And when you bring him back… I want to finally meet this Captain you keep talking about. I need to see for myself what kind of person manages to give Onii-chan this many headaches."
Hajime blinked before he let out a snort. "Trust me. You're not prepared."
"Now I definitely want to meet him."
Hajime shook his head before turning back toward Void Archives, the brief amusement disappearing from his face.
"I'll introduce you after I drag him home."
On another screen, Team Slash/Dog required considerably less discussion.
"We're going," Tobio said immediately.
Sae nodded beside him while Natsume had already called Griffin to her side. Kouki rolled one shoulder as Byakusa manifested behind him, and Shigune hugged Poh closer before giving a determined nod.
Void Archives stared at them. [You understand that the destination is another universe currently experiencing planetary collapse.]
"Captain and the others came running whenever our world was in trouble, didn't they?" Natsume crossed her arms.
"Would be pretty pathetic if we started calculating the risk now," Kouki added with a snort.
"Please open the route," Sae said with a small smile.
"We're Nameless too," Tobio simply added.
There was nothing else to discuss.
In the Marvel world, Lumine had already reached her decision before Void Archives even turned toward their screen.
"I'm going."
"So am I," Nanoha said as she stepped beside her.
"Me too." Fate did not hesitate.
Chrono's expression tightened as he looked between his sister and Nanoha. Technically, the Express/TSAB operation in this world had not ended. They still had responsibilities here, especially with the incoming threat surrounding the Infinity Stone holder, but Hayate and Reinforce were apparently dead, while Noah remained alone on a collapsing world.
Chrono did not need long to decide.
"Deployment approved."
"Nii-san…" Fate looked toward him.
"Go." Chrono's voice remained professional, but his clenched fist betrayed everything he was feeling. "Bring everyone home."
"…We will." Fate gave him a determined nod.
"And make sure you bring that idiot back before he decides saving the universe means he has to disappear with it."
"Leave it to us," Nanoha replied, managing the faintest smile.
"AI-chan, prepare for immediate dimensional departure," Lumine ordered.
[Already doing it!] AI-chan answered throughout the base. [Hyperion is charging the jump systems now!]
Aboard the Astral Express above the DesuMachi world, Kiana had not sat back down since hearing Sirin's name.
"I'm going too." She placed one hand against her chest. "I'm Captain's Radiant Flame and the Aces of the crew."
Her eyes briefly moved toward the world below and the stars beyond the Express windows.
"If the world that Captain and the rest are protecting has turned bleak, then I'll follow what my Signet, Hope, stands for. I'll ignite the flame that leads toward a better tomorrow."
"Then you'll have company," Elysia said beside her.
Kiana turned toward her. Elysia's smile remained gentle, but tears still shone in her eyes.
"As one of the first people to join his journey, it is only right that I join this mission too." Elysia placed one hand over her heart. "We were his partners during his First Steps, which means we're supposed to be there for every step that comes after."
Her smile trembled. "Our beloved does not get to decide that his journey ends without us there."
Kiana reached for Elysia's hand and squeezed it.
"Of course," Herta said, exhaling through her nose.
"Hii?" Kiana blinked.
Herta looked toward both of them. "I have no objection to your desire to be by our Dear's side. I'm not going to waste our time trying to talk either of you out of something you have already decided."
"I will remain aboard the Express," Gabriel added. "If Noah-san is still using Crowned Clown and Trailblaze simultaneously, I may be able to monitor the Sacred Gear from here."
"And I'll analyze whatever ridiculous Transcend application my Dear is attempting this time," Herta said. Her expression remained flat, but her voice had become noticeably colder. "Someone needs to figure out how to stop him before he decides that surpassing his limits also includes surpassing his right to remain alive."
Kiana managed a faint smile. "Got it. Take care of the Express."
"Please bring him back to us," Gabriel said.
The final screen remained silent. Nobody from Team Ash Born had spoken since Void Archives finished his report.
Sora sat unusually still. Tinasha held Kagura close against her chest while Zena and Patricia kept the children near the center of the room. Ruan Mei's expression had become unreadable. Then Mei looked toward Hachiman as everyone else followed her eyes.
He remained seated exactly where he had been, elbows resting against his knees with his hands loosely clasped beneath his chin. Noah had lost Hayate, Sirin, and Reinforce. After that, he had sent everyone else away while remaining behind to deal with the world's main problem.
Hachiman understood perfectly well what kind of decision usually came next. Perhaps that was why he remained silent longer than anyone expected.
"Hachiman," Mei finally said.
He blinked and looked toward her.
"You can go."
Hachiman frowned. "…What?"
"We're safe here." Mei glanced around the room before looking toward the noisy streets outside their residence, where civilians, officials, and nobles had spent the last several days trying to catch even a glimpse of the hero who had suddenly appeared in their world.
"There's no immediate danger here. If anything, our biggest problem right now is people trying to catch a glimpse of you."
Ruan Mei nodded. "The local situation is stable. The only persistent complication is the increasing number of nobles and civilians requesting meetings with the 'Hero.' From a purely practical perspective, leaving the city temporarily may actually reduce the attention focused on this residence."
Hachiman stared at both of his partners. "…You're using the hero problem as an excuse to send me away."
"Yes," Mei replied without shame, a tiny smirk appearing on her face. "Go help your brother."
"Hachi-nii…" Sora clenched her hands against her knees. "Please go help Noah-nii."
Something in Hachiman's expression loosened. He looked toward Sora, Mei, Ruan Mei, Tinasha, Zena, Kagura, Patricia, and the rest of the family gathered around him.
"…You're all sure?"
"Yes," Mei answered immediately.
"We will manage everything here," Ruan Mei added.
Hachiman released a long sigh. "…Troublesome. That idiot really can't do anything normally, can he?"
Then he stood and looked back toward Mei and the others.
"…Thanks."
Mei's expression softened. "Hmm. Anytime."
Hachiman looked toward Kagura for a moment longer before gently resting one hand on top of her head.
"I'll be back."
"Auu…"
His hand remained there for a moment before he stepped away and faced the holoscreen.
"Alright. Count me in."
"Everyone heading out, let's meet at Hyperion," Lumine announced. "We'll use it to cross into the Star Rail Universe."
"Got it," the others replied.
Everyone who had volunteered to bring Noah and the others home immediately began preparing to teleport toward Hyperion's Space Anchor. On Planet Deviluke, Hajime stood with Euphyllia, Ingvild, Villhaze, and Rossweisse while Alice and Anisphia remained behind. In the DxD world, Tobio, Sae, Natsume, Kouki, and Shigune gathered together. Aboard the Astral Express, Kiana and Elysia stood side by side while Herta, Gabriel, Belfast, Ram, Rem, and the others remained on board. In Gururian City, Hachiman gave Mei and the rest of his family one final glance.
Then the Space Anchors activated.
Flashes of Trailblaze light filled Hyperion's hangar as the arriving teams materialized one after another. Kiana and Elysia appeared first, followed by Hajime and his group, then Team Slash/Dog, and finally Hachiman.
Nobody wasted time on greetings. They simply followed Lumine toward the bridge, where Nanoha and Fate were already waiting.
AI-chan's hologram appeared above the deck as soon as everyone arrived. [Dimensional route locked! Destination coordinates received from Void Archives!]
Lumine looked around at the gathered crew. Kiana, Elysia, Hachiman, Hajime, Euphyllia, Ingvild, Villhaze, Rossweisse, Tobio, Sae, Natsume, Kouki, Shigune, Nanoha, and Fate had all been scattered across different worlds only minutes earlier. Now they stood aboard the same ship for a single reason.
To bring Noah home.
"AI-chan," Lumine called.
[Ready!]
"Take us to him."
Hyperion's engines ignited as the battleship pulled away from the Marvel world's moon. Ahead of them, Silver Rails tore open a passage through the dimensional boundary, and the Chronicle Universe disappeared behind the ship as Hyperion accelerated into the light, racing toward the Star Rail Universe and the world where their Captain was preparing to make his final choice.
—--------
Non-Administered World #97, Star Rail Universe…
The light of Trailblaze swallowed the world as the two states exchanged places. Dark-purple corruption vanished from the leylines, while Dormammu's signature disappeared from forests, oceans, mountains, cities, magical territories, and every other part of the planetary system it had consumed. Even the corruption infecting the World Tree disappeared completely, leaving its restored branches stretching toward the sky once more. Rivers regained their natural color, corrupted creatures collapsed wherever they stood, and the leylines that had been completely assimilated only moments earlier began circulating ordinary mana again.
Gaia finally breathed again.
But Noah screamed.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
The exchange of opposite states crushed him all at once. The hand holding Dormammu's shard blackened first as dark-purple veins raced across Noah's skin, spreading from his fingers into his arm before tearing across his shoulders, chest, neck, and legs. Dark-purple flames leaked through cracks opening across his body while every trace of corruption that had once been distributed throughout an entire planet became concentrated inside one person.
Crowned Clown immediately tried to protect its bearer, purifying whatever it could and attempting to contain the rest somewhere else, but there was simply too much. Dormammu's remaining life energy was no longer diluted throughout an entire world. It had been compressed into Noah alone.
He collapsed onto one knee beside the restored World Tree as another surge of agony tore through him. His vision flashed purple while something foreign pressed against the edges of his consciousness, searching desperately for another place to spread.
"No…! Stay… inside…!"
Dark-purple fire exploded around him, scorching the newly restored ground before Noah forced it back into himself through sheer will. His breathing came in ragged gasps while Crowned Clown strained to keep his consciousness from being swallowed. He could not allow even the smallest fragment of Dormammu to escape. If that happened, everything he had done would become meaningless.
"…That's… great…" Noah managed through clenched teeth before another violent pulse in him. "Kaaaaaah!!!"
Through Crowned Clown, however, he could still feel the planetary consciousness. Gaia was weak, exhausted, and barely awake after almost having her entire existence replaced, but she was alive. That alone was enough to soften Noah's expression despite the agony consuming him.
Another pulse tore through his body and forced him lower. Purple cracks spread farther across his face as Dormammu's remaining existence attempted to turn Noah into its new vessel.
"You really… don't know… when to give up!!!"
Dormammu no longer possessed his true body. His connection to the Dark Dimension had already been severed, and the planetary vessel meant to resurrect him had been restored and taken away from him as well. Everything that remained of Dormammu now existed entirely inside Noah.
And Noah understood what that meant. He needed to take whatever remained of Dormammu somewhere he could never cause trouble again.
Noah slowly raised his head toward the sky. Trailblaze had carried him across worlds, dimensions, possibilities, and paths that should never have connected. It meant moving forward, creating a road where none existed, and finding another destination whenever the current path came to an end.
Yet every journey, no matter how long, eventually reached somewhere. A road could branch, a traveler could turn around, and another destination could always be found, but if the journey itself reached a point where nothing existed beyond it, where there was no next step and no further destination that could be created, then even Trailblaze would have reached its final stop.
Noah gritted his teeth as Dormammu's corruption writhed inside him. "…Come on… just one more… step."
Purple flames erupted from his back and shoulders, drawing another scream from him. Rather than wasting what little strength remained trying to suppress the corruption completely, Noah focused everything he still possessed into his Trailblaze Authority.
"Just… one last path…" His breathing shook. "…The final stop."
His authority answered.
A single Silver Rail appeared and rose toward the sky. It did not spread through Mahora, circle the planet, or reach toward another universe or possibility. Instead, the path climbed beyond the clouds, passed through the atmosphere, and continued beyond every physical coordinate Noah understood.
The Silver Rail trembled almost immediately as Dormammu's corruption fought against it. Dark-purple flames wrapped around the route, attempting to tear the path apart before Noah could establish its destination.
"Ghh…! Stay… together!"
Noah slammed one palm against the restored earth and forced more of himself into Trailblaze. Another Silver Rail appeared beside the first, followed by another, until an impossible pathway began taking shape above the World Tree. It extended beyond ordinary space, not toward a geographical location, but toward a conceptual endpoint.
Noah was not creating an escape route. He was creating the final destination for the corrupted existence trapped inside him, somewhere Dormammu's journey could never branch into another resurrection, another vessel, another Dark Dimension, or another world.
The end of its journey.
The pathway trembled together with Noah's body. Dark-purple veins now covered almost every visible part of his skin while Crowned Clown continued fighting against the corruption and easing whatever burden it could.
"Come on…" Noah whispered as he forced more of his will and authority into the path. "Trailblaze!"
The Silver Rails extended farther into the sky before finally locking into place. Noah could feel the destination now. No world waited there, no sky or ground existed at the other end, and there was no ordinary passage of time.
There was only the point where this particular journey could go no farther.
The final stop, the Finality.
Noah slowly pushed himself upright. His knees nearly gave out, but he managed to remain standing as he looked toward the restored World Tree and the city beyond it. Nobody was there. Everyone remained safely inside the Mirror Dimension.
That was good.
"…Let's go, Dormammu." Noah smiled.
Silver light gathered around his body as the final path began pulling him upward. Dormammu's remnants reacted violently, dark-purple flames exploding around Noah as the remaining life energy fought desperately against the destination he had chosen for both of them.
"No…" Noah looked down toward the restored world. "You wanted this world… but you're coming with me instead."
At that moment, something changed inside the Mirror Dimension. A sharp CRACK! spread across the reflected sky, immediately drawing March's attention upward.
"What was that?"
Another fracture appeared beside the first, followed by several more. Himeko immediately turned toward Starblazer's instruments. "Dan Heng?"
His hands moved rapidly across the controls as the reflected world trembled around them. "The Mirror Dimension is destabilizing. The power sustaining it is being redirected somewhere else."
Caelus stared toward the growing fractures while March's face immediately lost color. "Noah…"
Across the reflected world, Chaldea's instruments began producing conflicting readings while TSAB personnel looked toward the slowly breaking sky. Marisbury turned toward the main display. "What happened to the planet?"
One of the operators stared at the readings in disbelief. "Director… the planet is clean."
"Completely?" Kirschtaria asked sharply.
"Yes! No planetary Dark Dimension contamination remains!"
Kokonoe's voice immediately entered the shared channel. [Then where did all the corruption go?]
Nobody had time to answer as the Mirror Dimension began collapsing.
KRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAACK!!!
The reflected world shattered as blinding light covered Starblazer.
"HIMEKO!"
"Hold on!"
The entire Mirror Dimension broke apart at once. Everyone Noah had hidden away returned to reality as Starblazer reappeared above Mahora alongside the Arthra and the remaining Alliance aircraft. Chaldean personnel, TSAB units, Clock Tower Enforcers, Mahora defenders, and civilians materialized throughout the locations from which the Silver Rails had taken them.
Confusion lasted only until everyone saw the world around them. The corruption was gone. The dark-purple wall had vanished, the World Tree was restored, and the planet's natural life force circulated normally once again. Streets that had been swallowed by Dormammu's influence were no longer burning with dark-purple fire, and the terrifying pressure that had covered the world was completely gone.
Then everyone looked upward. High above Mahora, someone was already disappearing into a road of silver light.
"…Noah?" March's eyes widened.
Himeko followed her gaze, and her breathing nearly stopped.
Noah Alden was ascending above the restored World Tree, surrounded by Silver Rails that disappeared toward some destination beyond the sky. His body was almost completely covered in dark-purple corruption, violet flames pouring from cracks across his skin while Crowned Clown barely remained visible around him.
But Noah was still alive.
"NOAH!!!" March slammed both hands against Starblazer's console. "NOAH! COME BACK!"
"Maximum thrust! Get us to him!" Starblazer moved forward as Himeko immediately seized the controls.
[Maximum propulsion.]
The giant machine accelerated toward Noah, but the distance between them refused to close. The Silver Rails carrying him were no longer entirely inside conventional space, and the closer Starblazer tried to approach, the farther the final path seemed to separate from reality.
Dan Heng stared at the readings, his expression tightening. "There are no coordinates."
"What?" Caelus turned toward him.
"That path doesn't lead anywhere we can navigate to."
Welt looked upward from the ground, and his expression slowly changed as understanding reached him. [Because Noah isn't traveling toward another location. He created a path toward an ending.]
"No… No! Not again!" March immediately shook her head.
At Chaldea, one of the operators suddenly froze over her display before turning toward Marisbury.
"Director… we found Dormammu's remaining signature."
"Where?" Marisbury immediately looked toward her.
The operator slowly raised her eyes toward the screen displaying Noah. "All remaining Dormammu life energy is inside Lord Peverell."
Everyone understood at once.
"No! NO!" March shook her head violently as tears began running down her face. "He already saved the planet! He doesn't have to do this!"
High above them, Noah heard something approaching and looked back.
Starblazer.
Surprise briefly appeared on his face when he realized the Mirror Dimension had collapsed sooner than expected, but the surprise quickly gave way to relief when he saw Himeko, March, Caelus, and Dan Heng aboard Starblazer, Welt below, Chrono and Amy aboard the Arthra, the Alliance scattered across the restored world, and countless civilians standing safely beneath the clear sky.
They were alive.
All of them.
"NOAH, STOP! PLEASE!" March shouted through the channel, already crying. "COME BACK!"
"There has to be another way!" Caelus yelled from his station. "Just give us time!"
Dark-purple flames suddenly erupted from Noah's body and swallowed his silhouette for a moment, frightening everyone watching even more. When the flames receded, Noah looked toward them and then toward the restored planet below.
"Ahh… everyone is back."
"Noah…" Himeko stared at him through tear-filled eyes.
The Silver Rails shone brighter as Noah rose farther into the final path. Dormammu's corruption fought desperately against him, tendrils of purple flame stretching downward toward the restored world, but Trailblaze dragged every fragment back toward Noah.
Across Mahora, everyone stopped and looked toward the sky. Chrono stood silently aboard the Arthra while Amy covered her mouth beside him. Konoemon stared upward without speaking, while Marisbury and Kirschtaria watched Chaldea's instruments track Dormammu's entire remaining signature as it moved farther and farther away from the planet.
Noah looked toward them one final time, at the people who had fought beside him, trusted him, and could continue their journeys because his had reached this place.
He raised one hand in a simple wave and smiled.
"Everyone… keep going."
"Noah…!" March reached toward him through the display.
The final boundary opened around him as silver light surrounded his body. Dormammu's remaining existence made one last desperate attempt to escape, but Noah carried it forward while the path closed every possible branch behind them. There was no return route, no alternate vessel, no Dark Dimension waiting beyond another turn, and no continuation past the destination Noah had created.
Trailblaze had reached its final stop. Noah's silhouette remained visible inside the silver light for one final moment, his hand still raised in farewell and a smile still resting on his face.
Then Noah Alden disappeared. Every trace of Dormammu disappeared with him, and the Silver Rails vanished from the sky. Chaldea's instruments updated almost immediately.
"No Dark Dimension signature detected," one operator reported.
Another checked the planetary readings before slowly turning toward Marisbury. "Dormammu's life energy is gone. Completely."
Marisbury slowly closed his eyes as the meaning of those readings settled over the Command Room. The corruption was gone, Dormammu had disappeared, and the planet they had fought so desperately to protect had survived.
Inside Starblazer, March remained frozen with one hand still stretched toward the empty sky. Caelus lowered his head beside her while Dan Heng quietly closed his eyes. Himeko remained at the controls, staring toward the place where Noah had vanished only moments earlier.
Noah had carried Dormammu towards the final stop.
And with Noah Alden's disappearance into Finality, the war was finally over.
====== Chapter 242 END ======