The door to the lab opened. Keena came in, wearing a white dress. It probably wasn’t intended as a burial dress, but supposedly it was the fanciest dress the palace had. Except for the lack of a train, it looked like a bridal dress. Both the old knight who was her servitor and Korone were behind her. But when she entered the room, the old knight silently walked away.
“She’s pretty, huh?”
“Yeah.”
Hiroshi and Akuto nodded to one another. Keena hated frilly clothes like this, so the fact that she was wearing this was a sign of how serious she was. Akuto looked at her face, and saw that she was wearing a thin layer of makeup.
“Guys...” she said, but then fell silent. But no one seemed bothered by the fact that she didn’t say another word. Instead, they all motioned her into the capsule.
Keena silently climbed inside. Just before the door closed, she finally spoke up.
“This isn’t the end, everybody! It isn’t goodbye!”
She was trying to make herself sound as confident as she could.
“We know.” Yoshie and Nonimora smiled.
The capsule closed tightly, with no time for further words. Hiroshi equipped his Brave suit, put Korone, who was carrying the Robe of the Fire Rat, on his back, and then turned to Akuto. Akuto lifted the capsule and flew upward through the tower.
Nonimora and Yoshie waved as they departed. Instead of waving back, Akuto nodded at them. He and Brave flew up high into the sky, carrying the capsule with them.
When they broke through the atmosphere, Akuto deployed a mana field around himself, while Brave used his gravity control to allow them to move. Once they arrived at the now-abandoned space station, they opened the airlock and placed the Swallow’s Cowry Shell inside.
The station was an experimental one, with only a small space for the crew, but there was enough room for the four of them to talk. Out one window they could see the Earth, and out another, the distant sight of the advancing asteroid. They opened the capsule after making sure there was oxygen for Keena to breathe.
“I feel kinda... guilty... that we’re the only ones surviving,” Keena said.
“It’s still the best option we have. Please just accept it,” Korone replied, taking out a futon from her bag for herself to sleep in. The inside of her pocket was a VPS. Since it depended on power from Earth to work, it wouldn’t be useful for much longer. This futon would probably be the last tool that Korone pulled from it.
“Why a futon?” Akuto asked.
“When the Empress awakes once more, I need to be by her side... This futon is made from special fibers. If I get inside and shut down, I’ll stay fresh for around another thousand years.”
“I see... wait, fresh?” Akuto asked.
“Fresh for a thousand years... My own idea of a joke, I guess.”
As they spoke, the asteroid was getting larger and larger in the far window.
“It’s almost time, isn’t it?” Hiroshi asked. Korone poked his side with her elbow. Hiroshi looked back at her, confused. She got into her futon before continuing.
“I’m going to sleep. I’ll see you all in the next life.”
Hiroshi finally understood.
“Oh, um... I’ve gotta go, boss. I’ve got something I’ve gotta do.”
“Something you have to do?”
“Yes. I’m gonna stop that asteroid, or at least try to. If I’m gonna die anyway, it’s better that I go out with a bang, huh?”
And that was all he said, before heading out the airlock. There was a small “Fwoosh” sound as the air escaped, and then silence. Akuto thought to himself that they could’ve said a longer goodbye, but he satisfied himself by thinking that Hiroshi truly believed in this world.
“I guess I should get to work, too...” he said, but Keena stopped him.
“Hey, Ackie.”
“What is it?” He turned around. Keena was right next to him, staring at the ground.
“You don’t have to be that worried...” he said, but then suddenly Keena looked up at him. Her face was bright red. She didn’t look like she was depressed, or sad.
“W-What is it?”
“W-Well...” Keena said, and then started to fidget. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but they weren’t coming out.
“A-Are you okay?” He asked again. And then she started to talk.
“I know this might not be the end... but I’m going to sleep for a long time, right?”
“I think so. You might wake up right away though... maybe.” Akuto nodded.
“Do you think I’ll forget what happened when I was asleep?”
“I’m sure you will. Even if you wake up years later, it’ll be like you slept a single night.”
“Then it’ll be okay, right? You’ll come to wake me up, right?” Keena said, staring into his eyes.
“I’m sure I will.” Akuto answered gently, trying to make her feel better.
“Yeah... Okay, then I can sleep without having to worry. But will you promise me?” Keena asked.
Akuto’s eyes betrayed his hesitation.
“I already... I already promised you, just now. It’ll be fine. I’ll come back. I don’t know for sure where I’m going, but...”
“No. Promise me. Now...” Keena began to fidget again.
“What?”
“Now... let’s get married now.”
“M-Married...?” Akuto was caught off guard.
“Y-Yeah. I mean, it’s not the last time, but it might be the last time. And I... I kind of want a promise.”
Keena was rambling, a forced smile on her face.
“Um... uh... well...”
“Is that... a no?” Keena’s expression clouded.
“I-It’s not a no, but...”
“T-Then let’s do it! I’m wearing a white dress right now... And I mean, you kissed Nonimora too...”
She started to flail her hands as she spoke.
“A-Are you serious?” Akuto said, and then he grabbed Keena’s flailing hands and lightly held them.
“Y-Yeah... I’m serious,” she said, and then looked down at the ground.
“If you’re serious then... yes.”
“Really?!” Keena looked up at him with bright eyes.
“Yeah... I’m serious, but um... what do I do?”
Keena suddenly looked just as confused as him.
“Y-Yeah. What do you do, actually?”
“Well, most of our friends are too young to get married... So I’ve never even been to a wedding.”
“Y-You put a ring on me, right?”
“B-But I don’t have a ring...” Akuto said, confused.
“Then, um... how about this?” She jumped into his arms.
“Huh...?”
Akuto staggered under her weight for a moment, and then looked down to see that she was looking into his eyes with trembling lips.
“Ackie...” she said, and then fell completely silent. Her eyes were slowly closing. Akuto knew what she meant. He brought her close and softly moved his face to hers, before quietly giving her a kiss.