Chapter 110

Third Act The Villainess Warps Others’ Destinies If this world were a game, then Grace Dark was probably the first person to escape its framework. She should have been the villainess: born frail, resenting the fact that she couldn’t become queen, resenting her younger twin for becoming the Maid of the Sacred Sword, and then dying. Except she hadn’t resented her sister. Not only that, but she also whipped her body into shape, said being queen didn’t suit her, and bowed out voluntarily. Then she lived as she wished, won her beloved—the demon king—and produced the sacred sword before being beheaded by her sister. On top of that, her sister used her corpse for further plots. And in the end, Lilia destroyed it with the sacred sword. What does this mean? Grace Dark was the first Daughter of God? That can’t be right… Aileen can see Machina out of the corner of her eye, standing still and expressionless. A girl who looks just like Amelia Dark— and now a girl who looks just like Grace has turned up. It really doesn’t seem as if that could be a coincidence. “I’ve been lookin’ for you. You’re Lucia, ain’t you?” Is that the girl’s name? Evare leaps toward the core of the light. “I searched and searched, and it took me all the way back to the past.” With a terribly gentle whisper, he reaches out to the girl. The light that envelops her recedes. Evare’s eyes and those violet eyes meet. “—No.” Evare’s hand freezes. Flustered, he backs away, gazing at the Daughter of God’s unseeing eyes. “She’s got no soul. She’s just like Machina. Why…? Why? Where’d she go?” “Aileen! Claude!” “Mother?!” A voice abruptly speaks above them, and Aileen turns, looking up. Evare’s head also snaps that way, as if he’s been struck. Grace doesn’t notice. “Something’s broken out of Luciel’s barrier! Is he here?!” Almost none of what Grace is saying gets through to Aileen. All she sees is the body of the girl who looks just like her, and Grace herself as nothing but a soul. Claude seems to have picked up on the same thing. “Mother, run!” he shouts. Startled, Grace blinks. In that moment, a shadow falls over her back. “What are you—?” Grim-faced, Grace turns around, squaring up to fight—but then she freezes. It’s Machina. In an instant, she’s moved from Charles’s side to Grace’s. “Ame…lia…?!” That delay proves fatal. Chains tangle around Grace, and she vanishes. As soon as she’s gone, the sacred sword rises from Machina’s palm. The essence of the sacred sword is the soul of a maiden. It’s clear that the sword in Machina’s hand is a barrier that’s trapped Grace’s soul. As further evidence, Evare’s laugh rings out. “I see, her soul— So her sacred sword was split off, huh? Yeah, that’s right, that’s how she explained it.” “What do you intend to do?! Your goal is regaining the evil god’s power, isn’t it?!” Aileen shrieks. Evare shrugs. “What’s the point of resurrectin’ as an evil god this late in the game? That’s just a step in the process.” Taking the sacred sword from Machina, he smiles happily. “What I want is to bring back the Maid of the Sacred Sword.” His heartfelt smile sends a shudder through her. “It’s fine, I’ve got all the materials. With this body and the real sacred sword, I can make her. —That’s what the Queendom of Hausel’s knowledge is for.” Evare is gazing into the distance, toward the far edge of the sky. In the darkness, Aileen didn’t notice it before, but now her eyes widen. Creeeak, creeeak. With a sound that seems oddly warped, the Queendom’s palace is floating in the blackness. Baal has seen it, too. “Was it you who stole the floating palace, you scoundrel?!” “Aw, don’t put it like that. You’ll ruin my reputation. I had you give it back, that’s all. Okay, I’m off.” “No one here is fool enough to just let you get away,” Claude says coldly. He lunges at Evare’s back, but for some reason, Charles gets between them. Crackling with magic, Claude’s and Charles’s swords repel each other. “What do you think you’re doing?” Shoving Claude’s sword back, Charles answers coldly, “Not having a Maid of the Sacred Sword is a problem.” “No one mentioned anything about that to me.” “Estella…! You idiot, what are you doing?!” Charles yells. Estella has positioned herself in front of Evare, blocking his way. Sacred power rushes from her hands as she attempts to restrain him. “You know I’d never let you go like this.” “Machina, blow yourself up.” Evare turns to Machina, who’s following him, and issues a cold order. Estella goes very still. As everyone around him freezes, Evare gives a smile so gentle, it seems awfully out of place on his face. “I’m sorry. Thanks for everythin’. I can get by without you now, though.” Machina, who’s been standing perfectly still, raises her head. She might not even have been breathing before, but now her lips move. “Under…stood.” A pillar of light rises from Machina’s core. Claude pulls Aileen into his arms without giving her time to object. She sees Baal grab Estella and yank her away, as if getting her out of Evare’s sight. Charles— Where is Charles?! Before she can find him, light explodes. As Aileen clings to Claude, the ferocious wind of the blast buffets her. She can’t open her eyes. That’s all, though. There’s no heat. It’s as if someone’s suppressing it—and then abruptly, silence falls. Timidly opening her eyes, Aileen raises her head in Claude’s arms. Her vision has opened up substantially. Her surroundings are just a little brighter than they were before; it’s a sign of the coming dawn. When she looks at the sky, both Evare and the floating palace are gone. Instead, she sees two overlapping shadows. At the center of the power that’s blasted everything away, Charles’s body tilts. He’s holding Machina, and they’re plummeting out of the sky together.