[————!!?]
From the Netherworld, from the Other Side, 'It' reaches out.
'My hand slipped carelessly. —Please forgive the rude interruption. No. Forgive the rude sword. —Now, it seems the time for parting is near—'
It kills immortality itself, granting peace even to the undying.
—The innocent Shiki, A Strike of Void—
'The Princess the club members spoke of is not here... Then, let us meet again someday. On a night when everyone is fast asleep—'
~
"—So she has finally awakened as a human. Hmph. It was a long, far too long childhood."
The King murmurs happily.
"—..."
Wrapped in the Sister habit, hands clasped in prayer, the Hero Princess speaks.
"––Please, may Master be able to dance back to this wonderful world filled with joy and love. May you, and everything surrounding you, be filled with blessings and happiness—"
—This world is waiting for you.
Please, do not lose to sorrow or malice.
—I, we... love you, and everything about you, very much.
Just the same—all of the world is waiting for the irreplaceable you—
"...Offering a prayer, is it? It is an act of self-satisfaction that may reach no one—but it is none other than your wish. Who else but I would grant it?"
Murmuring slowly, he casually grips a key-sword the size of a palm.
"The ruling has been handed down. Humanity's final Master has defined herself as a human. —Then, I must prepare a birth celebration or two—oops."
Poi, he tosses the key into the ripples.
"I carelessly let go of it. I cannot laugh at grace either. —After all, it is just a leftover rusty key, and can only be used once. It matters not if it gets lost in some hell or another. Fuhahahaha!!"
The King laughs, and the Princess continues to pray.
"Even if the form you choose is different—I love your soul—"
Wishing for the safety of a single girl—
[[[Guaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!]]]
Azi Dahaka screams in its death throes.
"Have you completely lost your hold! Kuhahahahahahahahahaha!! Good!! It is the end of the banquet!! Beast!! Know this!! You will never—reach beyond the vengeance!!"
At last, the black flames rage to their absolute peak!
"Complete treatment—Executing sterilization."
Slowly, she holsters her gun and opens both hands.
"Thank you! Jeanne! —If you hadn't been here, I wouldn't have realized it!"
She hugs her with all her might.
"It's not something to be so formal about. Simply—"
Slowly, Jeanne savors that warmth.
"As a matter of fact... it is simply the story of a little girl who was saved by that proud way of living. —You guided me, a counterfeit who was supposed to be sought by no one—all the way to becoming a 'Hero'—"
Squeeze, she puts strength into her embrace.
"Thank you for turning a fleeting dream into something irreplaceable... Ricca."
"Yeah, yeah!"
[Yaaawn, excuse the intrusion~! Someone who can't read the room is passing through~!]
Yank, a girl who appeared out of nowhere interrupts the two.
[If you start a romance on the battlefield, you'll get stabbed, you know~? Do that kind of thing in a room, in a room.]
"...!?"
—Standing there was Ritsuka Fujimaru. Stark naked.
Wrapped in a red cloak around her chest, waist, and head, with hideous patterns piercing all over her body, wearing a frivolous face with a sneer.
[Yo! The cute junior! And the blinding, blinding Master-san! Sorry, but I'm borrowing this form without permission, so well, please overlook it.]
Though there are differences, it is certainly...
"Hah? Are you an enemy too?"
[Well, of course I'm an enemy? If I'm not the enemy, who is? The Last Boss convenient for everyone, that's me. Pleased to meet you. Since 'All the World's Evil' came out, I borrowed this form for a bit, you see? To show off a Senior's dignity, you see? I came from the deep, deeeep part of the heart? Well, something way worse than me is livin'... well, whatever.]
Hihihi, the Thing wearing Ritsuka Fujimaru laughs.
[Anyway! I'll take the best parts, yeah? After all, it's the weakest Hero's biggest stage! I gotta ride it! This Big Wave! The pain and agony you unconsciously bottled up! I'll return it all as a gift, just watch! Tell you what, I'll show you something good that'll 'curse you to the last generation'!]
"—You are also, All the World's Evil, aren't you."
[Great insight! —Ah, it's something you don't need anymore.]
Slowly turning around, she speaks over her shoulder.
[Stick to shouldering beast-like concepts. —Because 'All the World's Evil' isn't something a 'Human' should shoulder.]
Thumbs up, she gives the signal to the two.
[The light is that way, the abyss is this way. Give my regards to Mama! Struggle as ungracefully as you can!]
"Wai—ouch!?"
On the head of Ricca, who tried to stop her—
"...What is this?"
A rusty key hits her and settles in her hand.
"—Ah, I knew it... You were watching. Gil—"
Clench, she grips it tight.
"—Come on! Let's finish this! Jeanne!!"
"Yes!! Ricca! Let's go home! To Paradise!!"
—The curtain of the banquet is drawn!
[[[Gagaga, Gagagaaaaaaaa⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛!!!]]]
[Oh, oh, looks painful. Well, I guess so. It's like a fetus being dragged outside. It must be terribly painful, huh? Is this what they call NDK (Hey, how's it feel)?]
Sneering, she slowly changes her form.
[But well, the tough part starts now. —You're prepared, right, you guys? For the meaning of 'Cursing' a human.]
[[[⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛!!?]]]
[When you curse a human, you dig two graves. The guy who cursed falls into a deeper, deeeeper hole than the one they cursed. —I haven't forgotten. What you did to me, carefully and thoroughly. I'll return it all the way to your source, your original souls—!!!]
The black girl's form changes. A Beast with curses carved densely all over its body—
No—Majestic wings, a gigantic frame. Six horns. A pitch-black dragon appears, overflowing with power, standing firmly on two legs in hell.
On its sturdy arms, gauntlets shaped like 'Dragon Heads' are equipped. A pitch-black three-headed dragon with crimson eyes shining glaringly.
An imitation shaped from the abyss of a single girl, looking down on the rotten beast—!
That is the darkness harbored in the abyss held by Ricca, who continued to be embraced by the light.
—The manifestation of Zoroaster's Evil Dragon, Azi Dahaka—!
[This is the bottom of hell, right? Then it's my exclusive stage! Putting a curse on a soul is a piece of cake! Plus, the guy who nurtured me was an exceptional vessel! My grudge is bone-deep, my patience bag is bursting! —Don't think you can curse people as much as you like and then enjoy peace! Self-inflicted! Karmic retribution! A clumsy curse destroys oneself! I won't let a single one escape!! Let's go to Nothingness together!! You fellow badgers of the same hole!!]
[[[N-No! No no no!! Help help help help help me!! I don't want to die! I don't want to die I don't want to die I don't want to die!!]]]
[Stop your grumbling!! I'll listen to that crap forever and everywhere!! This is your just deserts!! —Before you go to the world where light shines, pay your tab in full! —Die upside down!!!]
Modeling the Evil Dragon, the Primordial Avenger howls!
['False Copy of All Creation — Verg Avesta' —!!!]
It is the primordial curse.
A curse that reflects one's own wounds onto the soul of the opponent who inflicted them, sharing the pain.
—The pain received by the soul, remembered without omission by All the World's Evil harbored within Ricca Fujimaru.
In the same way, a curse of karmic retribution that slams it back onto every soul—!!!
[[[Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—!!!!!!]]]
Beast if receives a proper return gift of all that accumulated cursing and pain. And that curse traces All the World's Evil, capturing and carving into every soul that harmed Ricca Fujimaru—!!
[This is Avenger-senpai's Ultimate Secret Technique! 'Falling Curse unto the Last Generation'! Leaving a curse reservation is a treat! Look forward to when Human Order returns! I will surely deliver all the pain and despair of this world to everyone!! Hyahahahahahahaha!! I'm stroooong—!!!! I'll pay back everything I stored up! Slowly and thoroughly! After all, that's the true satisfaction of 'Vengeance'!!]
Laughing at Humanity's Evil from the bottom of her heart.
[—Go!! Human-sama!! Humanity's final Master!! Don't you ever get involved with the likes of me again—!!]
The Something that stagnated in Ricca's abyss ruined itself as if dissolving into the darkness, and vanished—
"Now!!!"
Responding to Ricca's will, the key shatters.
Deployed simultaneously is—
"Gil!! I'll be using it!! 'Gate of Babylon'!!"
The gorgeous and dazzling King's Treasury! Human possibilities—!! They attack all at once!
[[[Gugyaaaaaaaa!!]]]
Beast if is skewered without leaving a spot untouched. There is no mercy or compassion in the treasures.
"Mom! Lend me your strength! 'Ox-King's Storm Call — Gozu Tennou'!!"
'Yees—! Of course—!'
Ricca gives form to her mother's love, becoming five bodies and leaping at Beast if!
The Divine Messengers break Beast if's wings, crush its legs, tear its flesh, and shatter its bones!
'Only I dwell within my child—! Ahahahaha! Goodbye, goodbye! I shall give you the final requiem—!'
[[[Gugiiiiiiiaaaaaaaa!!!]]]
"Jeanne!!"
"Yes!! —This is the roar of my soul, polished by 'Pride' and 'Determination'!!"
Jeanne burns up the emotion that supplemented the hatred held in her chest—!!
"'Roar, O Rage of Mine — La Grondement Du Haine'—!!"
Vivid crimson flames burn Beast if to nothingness!
[[[Giiiiiiiaaaaaaaa!!!]]]
The human faces scattering malignancy, the rabble, are burned away completely!
"The path I walk! The path we go lies beyond love and hate— 'Tiger, Burn Brightly — Enfer Château d'If'!!"
Moving at super-speed that escapes all yokes, every clone of the Count of Monte Cristo burns Beast if to ash!
[[[⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛!!!!!!]]]
Taking the flames all over its body, the majority of its body, which had rotted away, is blown away.
"I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous! With all my power, I will guide the happiness of the people!!"
Sublimating the spirituality of the Angel who ran through the battlefield and faced death, and further combined with the concept of the nurse as "The Angel in White who saves the sick and wounded" established from her anecdotes to the modern era, she unveils her Noble Phantasm!
Behind her appears the figure of a gigantic nurse, swinging down a pure and upright greatsword that cuts through all held toxicity and malice—onto Beast if, which is poison itself!!
"'I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous — Nightingale Pledge'—!!"
Her True Name. Florence Nightingale.
The Angel of Crimea who ran about to save all life—!!
[[[Ugyaaaaaah!!!]]]
Beast if, formed of malignancy that is poison itself, is cut right in two!
And————!!
"Uooooooooooooooooooooh!!!"
Humanity's final Master runs through to deliver the final blow—!
[Ricca! Ricca! Help me! It hurts, it's painful! You're my daughter, right!? Help your fa—]
She chops off the head of the Arrogance that was her father.
[You'll save just me, right!? Right!? Right!? I am your moth—]
She blows away the Arrogance that was her mother into smithereens with lightning released from her katana.
"Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!"
She leaps—and swings her blade down at the rotted dragon—!!!
[Ahahahahahahahahaha!! Ahahahahahahahahaha!! Thank you! Thank you!! To all of this world—Thank you!! Ahahahahahahahahahaha!!!]
—Punishment, Executed.
The katana holding her mother's feelings is swung down with certainty, and the evil Beast's head is severed.
[—It's already over, isn't it?]
"————Yeah. Your place isn't there."
Slowly, she sheathes the katana.
"But—my precious people have an irreplaceable place. So I will take back the future. For the tomorrow that everyone wishes for, and that I wish for. Everyone's happiness is my wish. I fight for myself—that is reason enough to fight."
She bids farewell to the crumbling figure of what she could have been.
"Goodbye, the Beast born from me. —I will never forget you. Embracing the beast that is you, I will move forward. —To save the world."
—The crumbling Beast says something.
[————Yeah. For your sake, I hope you can—save the world—]
Was that an auditory hallucination, or perhaps a visual one?
—Holding that answer in her chest.
Beast if vanishes without a trace.
...There is no longer any sign of the Beast in the Château d'If.
"—I will save it. Definitely. As long as I am me."
She thrusts her fist high into the air.
"Like a beast, I will run. If anyone gets in my way, I'll kick them aside and move forward. I don't care if they call me a monster. I, who kept a Beast as a pet, have nothing left to fear. A world where people can live as people... As a human, I will desire it, seek it, and grasp it! For that sake, I will run faster than anyone! I will never run away from being myself again—!!"
The Beast—was defeated at the bottom of hell—
—Happy Birthday, de gozaru. Ricca-dono—
...You don't need to meet her?
Unnecessary. Both myself and Ricca-dono have already bid our farewells in this life. —I, who am not of Heroic status, would only be a hindrance to Ricca-dono's path. —I feel like I might have been called, but my answer is decided.
But...
You are kind, de gozaru na. ...It is fine. I have business in neither heaven, nor hell, nor the Throne. In this place where I drifted ashore, I will simply watch over my close friend's rapid advance. ...Ah, does it smell?
No—You are beautiful.
Please spare me. Certainly, it is good that I was released from that ugly vessel, but the appearance of a soul cannot be understood from the outside. —I am no match for you, the predecessor of Homunculi.
...Have confidence.
What a charmer, de gozaru...
...Will the world be saved?
Of course. As long as my close friend is there. That is a promised conclusion that will never be overturned. After all... my close friend is the greatest!
...Then, I shall believe in the same way. In your close friend, and the girl burning with pride standing by her side.
That is best. —Advance, Ricca-dono.
—Please, have a good journey. My irreplaceable, eternal friend—
-------------------------------
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