✦ ✦ ✦
Something inside her clicked. So that’s it. I must’ve gotten this second chance at life so I could have an opportunity to save him. She’d given Leon so much grief during her first life, and quite a bit in her second too, if she was honest with herself. It was gratifying to think she could be useful to him here, at the end—that she’d carried out her duty.
Satisfied, she smiled. “Okay, you big worrywart,” she said, as if speaking to Leon directly. “Time for you to finally enjoy your life.”
The third shield at last gave in. Light surrounded the Licorne, and Marie’s consciousness began to fade. She accepted that this would be the end, that the remaining power of Arcadia’s attack would evaporate her and the Licorne. But as she was thrown through the air, she saw two women resembling Livia and Angie wrap her in an embrace as if trying to protect her. The Licorne, however, was swallowed by the blast—exploding and crumbling to dust.
✦ ✦ ✦
The Licorne had managed to block Arcadia’s final attack, though the process destroyed it.
“Angelica, Livia, Noelle, Yumeria, Kyle, Carla, and Cleare all escaped safely,” Luxion reported. “I cannot confirm Marie’s safety.”
That dummy. What was she doing? If you go and die on me, there’s no point to any of this. Our parents will be furious with me when I cross over.
“Th-that idiot,” I choked out. “If only she didn’t…push herself…so much.”
My eyes moved to Arcadia. He said nothing at first, just floating there in the air. It took him a moment to digest the reality of the situation. At that point, he turned on us.
“Just how long will you and your lot keep getting in my way?! Filthy descendants, crawling up through the cracks and acting as if this world is yours! This planet belongs to new humanity!”
He could scream whatever he liked. I no longer had the energy to feel pissed off at his words. I couldn’t even have stood up if I wanted to.
“Master, everything is ready,” said Luxion.
“Heh heh. I knew I could count on you until the very end.” My voice was so hoarse that the words barely came out properly. Thank goodness Luxion still had one last ace up his sleeve.
“I’ll carve you two to pieces!” Arcadia howled as spikes formed on his skin once again. “Wh-what?!”
I was equally shocked, my mouth agape. “Arroganz…?”
Arroganz had tackled Arcadia, arms wrapping tight around the Demonic Core as it dragged him away from me. Arroganz’s thrusters spit out so much fire that the flames burned through its plating, but the Armor kept Arcadia squeezed to its chest.
“L-Let go of me, you piece of scrap!” Arcadia wriggled desperately, releasing his spikes. They plunged through Arroganz’s plating, embedding themselves deep inside it and shredding its exterior.
Arroganz’s head turned toward us, and its eyes gleamed. I knew Luxion wouldn’t command it to do that; he was all about efficiency. The only explanation was that Arroganz did so by itself. Luxion had implemented primitive AI into the Armor, and it was conveying its farewell in a final show of dedication.
“Thank you for everything, Arroganz,” I said.
“I am grateful to you for all you have done, Arroganz,” Luxion added reverently. Yet, knowing he couldn’t waste the opportunity, he quickly added, “Firing my main cannon now.”
Having undergone emergency repairs after it sank beneath the waves, Luxion’s main body finally reemerged. A blue-white beam of light sprang forth, piercing Arcadia and extending like a pillar toward the sky above. The blast also caught Arroganz, since the Armor was holding Arcadia in place.
I stretched a hand toward Arroganz. It held my gaze until its form crumbled wholly into dust and disappeared on the wind. Thank you for sticking with me through all those battles, I thought. You were as much my partner as Luxion.
“You bastaaaaard!” Arcadia howled in his last moments, before his core disappeared completely.
His fortress began to sink, parts crumbling away.