"Mash! Can you hear me?!"
"Yes, Director! Senpai is unconscious, but she's safe!"
"Hah! That's our Rikka! But there's no time to celebrate!"
Roman's voice crackled through the comms as Mash quickly hoisted Rikka onto her back.
"The bands of light are destabilizing! With Goetia gone, the keystone holding that magical energy together has vanished. At this rate, the rings will trigger—a total collapse! A massive explosion!"
Mash broke into a sprint, weaving through the crumbling reality. "Is Chaldea... is everyone else safe?!"
"Of course! Even the Marduk is practically unscathed! Just get back to the Holy Gate through the spatial rift in the Throne Room, and we can initiate the Rayshift immediately. Hurry, Mash! You can't let Solomon's final regrets swallow you whole!"
"Understood! Mash Kyrielight, returning now with Master!"
With that final report, Mash vanished into a blur of speed.
Pant... pant... pant!
She leapt over shattered masonry, bounded across falling platforms, and ran with every fiber of her being.
"..."
"Senpai, I'm with you until the very end! I won't let you die—I promise! Eek!"
The floor ahead disintegrated into the abyss.
"Ngh...!"
The ceiling buckled, a cascade of stone blocking her path.
"Tch!"
One by one, her routes of escape were being severed.
"I won't give up—!"
In the distance, the light of Chaldea beckoned.
"I will save her—!"
Just one more step.
"I won't let it end like this!"
Just a little further...
"Until the very... last..."
Then—everything collapsed.
Weightlessness. Emptiness. For a fleeting heartbeat, the cold sting of resignation took hold. We didn't make it.
(—Not yet!)
If this was the end, she would use her last ounce of strength to throw her Senpai toward the light. Even if only Rikka survived...
(...King of Heroes. Heroic Princess. I'm sorry. This "perfect conclusion"... I couldn't—)
As she steeled her heart for the final sacrifice, a voice drifted through the void.
"Now, now. That would be a most grievous error. Do you have any idea how much trouble I would be in if I left Lady Rikka behind?"
Suddenly, Mash and Rikka felt their bodies grow light. It lasted only a second—a mere pulse in time. A sensation as if they had been scooped up by a giant hand.
"...Ah—"
"A fortunate thing that we are currently outside the flow of time. It seems clinging to my will with such unsightly persistence has finally paid off."
"You... you are..."
"A mere ghost. A remnant of what was. And yet, to save my dear friend and her partner, I've decided to show my face from the reverse side of the world for just a moment."
Standing there was a figure with hair as white as snow and eyes of piercing blue, draped in a long black coat. This was the soul liberated from its grotesque fleshly vessel—the ideal form dreamed of by its creator.
"Now, go. The flawless 'Happy Ending' is just within your reach."
With a powerful shove, they were hurled back toward the light of Chaldea.
"Forgive my rough handling. A bit of eleventh-hour plot armor is the spice of any good story—laugh and let it slide."
"Wait! Please, wait!" Mash cried out. "You're... you're Senpai's—!"
"Take care of Lady Rikka for me. And do not fret over me; my will is simply returning to the other side where it belongs."
"Wait! Gudou—!"
"...Did you see that? That was Rikka. My pride and joy... my one and only friend."
As Mash reached out, another hand caught her own.
"Fool. Do not reach for a Great Spirit. Simply accept his will and his actions."
"But! But Senpai... she... for his sake...!"
—Your friend is the greatest Master in the world. I am so glad... that she was my Master.
With those words as his salvation, the mysterious savior smiled—and vanished.
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Greyhounds
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"