That is... God.
The brilliant red crystal did not look the way humans envisioned their God. But, it certainly wasn’t human and it wielded overwhelming power, so it must be God.
I see... This is Europea’s imperial capital.
Meitzer spoke of this. He said the Saint used her memories to control Lud’s spirit. This world was her memory.
Hm?
However...
Didn’t the Saint just die at the cliff?
The moment this question arose, the scenery changed once again. A grass field again. Lud and the Saint were standing in the middle. The two were on their knees and offering thanks.
Did time turn back? No...
She heard a voice. The voice wasn’t Meitzer’s but she recognized it. It was the voice of God.
What did you say?
Sven doubted her ears. God spoke...
“I am sorry.”
An apology from God was unthinkable. In the first place, this god was created by the European Empire for their “perfect world.” God was perfect yet had admitted a mistake and apologized.
Oh my...
Then Sven noticed something. She had sensed a strangeness about Lud. She felt something was missing. At last, she saw what it was.
His scar isn’t there!
His face had no large scar. She knew that scar well. During the Great War, they had tried to protect friendly forces from enemy fire and the cockpit was nearly destroyed. His face was stabbed by the debris and he was left with that awful scar. She knew it well because it had happened inside her.
What is going on?
As she wondered, the scenery shifted. It was a town. This world wasn’t glorious like the imperial capital. It was a town lined with hovels and tent shops as if erected amidst ruins. Lud, still without the scar, was here with the Saint. However, they had changed.
“You always...!”
“Shut up! Don’t say anything about my methods!”
“I will speak up! That’s my role!”
“Shut up! You’re a fake!”
Their atmosphere between them was tense and hostile. What in the world was happening? As the two quarreled, they ripped bits off a chunk of bread they were sharing.
“Argh! Isn’t there anything that tastes better than this?!”
“If you’re gonna complain, don’t eat it!”
“What an awful thing to say!”
They were so grumpy that they couldn’t seem to talk without bickering.
“What’s going on?” Without thinking, Sven spoke. Then...
“What?” The Saint turned toward Sven as if looking into the distance.
“—?!” Surprised, Sven braced herself.
This was Lud’s spirit world. The scene was a memory. It was like a scene in a movie. However, the characters were aware of a spectator who had spoken out, which was impossible.
“Oh, you made it this far? Did that Devil put you up to this? This fake doesn’t know her place!” The Saint approached Sven with anger and contempt. “Get lost!”
“Uh-oh!!”
By the time Sven realized, it was too late. The Saint released her power and cut off the lower half of Sven’s body.
“Aagh!”
It was a single blow capable of killing a human. Sven collapsed to the ground.
“This is perfect. Now sink. Fall into spiritual mud and disappear in soul and spirit!”
The ground turned to mud and began swallowing Sven.
“Urgh... Darn it!”
Sven flailed both arms and desperately tried to crawl out, but the more she struggled, the more her body sank.
“It’s no use.” The Saint sneered.
Her face was so hateful that Sven clenched her teeth and struggled with more determination. However, she could not free herself. On the contrary, she sank further.
“Master... Master!!” Sven desperately called to Lud.
“It’s no use, no use at all.”
As Sven struggled, the Saint continued to taunt and sneer.
“I’ve locked him in a world of memories. He cannot sense you. That’s the way I designed it.”
Sven was buried up to her neck. Her hands, with nothing to seize onto, grabbed only air. The Saint may have expected this and planted her pseudo self in Lud’s spirit world in case Sven intervened.
Everything goes the way she plans...
Struggle as she might, Sven didn’t expect to survive. There was nothing she could do. Her heart would be sealed in the Saint’s memory and Lud would forget himself forever.
“No!” That was too sad and too hard. Too difficult to bear. “Master! Master!” Desperately, she begged for Lud’s help. He didn’t have to help her. It would be enough if he looked at her, even without recognizing her. Sven couldn’t stand to just disappear from his world.
“I told you it was futile, didn’t I?” The Saint spoke coldly.
Lud didn’t turn around. He didn’t even glance her way. Her words didn’t reach him.
“Master!” Nonetheless, Sven cried out. “Master, Master... Lud!!”
Then a miracle occurred.
“What?” The smug smile disappeared from the Saint’s face.
Something appeared on Lud’s left cheek. It was his scar, the cross-shaped war scar. The scar he got fighting alongside Avei.
“Master...”
Then something appeared on his right cheek as well. It was a handprint. Sven’s handprint from when she slapped Lud earlier.
“Whaaat?!”
Sven was astounded as Lud slowly turned toward her. Then he spoke.
“Sven...?”
He was looking at her, seeing her, Sven, and he had said her name.
“Impossible!” The Saint was shocked.
Her expression clearly said that she thought what just happened was absolutely impossible. Yet it had happened. Sven’s beloved Lud had just said her name, so... She was no longer afraid of anything!
“Graaaaahhh!”
With an explosion, the muddy bog imprisoning her was blown away. Her severed body was healed. She pushed with both feet against the ground and her red eyes glared at the Saint.
“No... Impossible! Why?!”
Sven ran toward the thunderstruck woman. Then...
“How dare you attempt to seduce my master! Take this!!”
This wasn’t a slap like she had given to Lud. This was a steely fist that bashed into the Saint’s face.
“Gugh!!”
The Saint made a sound as if being crushed and her apparition split apart. In that instant, the world began to crack. The world of false memories the Saint had generated began to crumble.
“Let’s go, Master!”
“Sven... What did I...?”
“It’s okay! Everything is fine!”
Lud was bewildered, but she gripped his hand and they started running. Nothing mattered now. Lud remembered her. He had said her name. Now that she was sure that she existed inside him, there was nothing to contend with. The two had returned.