Saint Ai was confused because the man did not seem to lie. On the contrary, it was almost as if he respected her, which made an awkward silence descended on them. The man in front of her was supposed to be dangerous, but Saint Ai was unharmed throughout the exchange.
"I have to admit that I still don't know what you want from me."
"For you humans, my feelings can be seen as respect, awe, and love. I don't want any reciprocation, but a simple acknowledgment will be enough. These things are foreign to me as well, as I never felt them before."
Saint Ai blinked and stared at the bloodlust-filled man with confusion to see if there were any signs of his words being lies. However, albeit looking pale and having blood-curdling eyes, the man looked sincere.
"I watched you in your tower for the past month. I admit that not even I match up to your perfect existence," Lorius tilted his head while spreading his arm. "You are this world's favorite existence."
"I was not its favorite until I met the Seika," she smiled. "And I was not perfect when the skin was peeled from my face. Am I who you see now, or the little girl treated like a monster?"
"You are both a monster and a beauty, and that makes us similar. I am a monster to my enemies, but an angel to those I care about it," Lorius did not hesitate to answer. "Do you think the Seika would have accepted you if he saw your face? The only reason he revived you is that you saved him. But, then, he left you here to rot."
His words struck a chord inside her heart. The Seika brought her back from the void, but he abandoned her when she returned. It made her uneasy at night whether he was simply repaying debt without the slightest intentions to be in her life.
"You are a perfect creature, not a human. I know that you feel no hunger or need any sleep. Existence is your source of power. However, the Seika left you in my possession, not caring about your fate. Do you not want to show him what you can accomplish?"
"What can I accomplish?"
"The world needs nothing but a command. I can teach you my powers, and it will listen to you. You are this world's beloved."
Saint Ai stared into those eyes filled with faith and belief in her abilities. A question lingered on her mind, knowing full well that her death would be imminent if she lets it out.
'If I am the world's beloved, what does that make the Seika, who created me? Does that mean he is the world itself?'
However, Saint Ai knew that she could not make her thoughts known. This man seemed to be swaying her against the Seika, and it was better to make him think she was on his side. Thus, a tear rolled down her face.
***
Diana looked at the knights she froze. Their bodies were not killed but suspended from life, as she wanted. It seems that she has grown soft after she fell in love with the Seika, but she will not hesitate to behead anyone who refuses to back down.
A lonesome figure stood below the walls, staring at the corpses of the Mernars. Diana looked from above the walls before jumping down to land beside the Mernars' leader, Gwen, who looked with sadness at her fallen comrades.
"Their deaths saved a lot of us," Dia tried to say in consolation. All of them were prepared to die for this cause, but Diana knew that Gwen loved her people.
"The less intelligent lives worth less," muttered Gwen. "That is what humans think. You are alike, believing that you rule the world because you can talk, invent, and love."
Diana knew that Gwen was not being hateful but purely stating the reality of the world. She turned to look at the bodies of the Mernars, bleeding blood, not theirs.
"I sacrificed their lives because I believed the world needs the Seika. However, now that they have died, I wonder what benefit would the Seika bring them?"
"None," answered Diana truthfully. Gwen turned to look at her, the beastly eyes seeming in thoughts. "The world does not reward some deaths, and maybe their purpose is vague as well. I started this war because I love him, but the rest are following on their own. The Seika helped all of us, despite being in pain himself. Is that not the same for you? Have you not felt gratitude so great for finding your son that you joined this world?"
"Gratitude," smiled Gwen beneath her cloak. "I forgot that this was also a feeling. I am the selfish one for letting them die for my cause. However, if there was another life, I wish that they live over there happily."
"There is no happiness in this world," said Diana as she walked away. Her wings spread before flapping, sending her flying across the sky. She hovered over the walls and stared at Livia and its surrounding barrier.
That barrier needed to be destroyed by none other than their dark knight, Lusica. The Seika's dagger has been skillfully crafted to be used for this sake. It seemed almost as if everyone had a role in this show.
This was enough for Diana to realize her role, as well. The prophet did not want her to be on the Seika's side but to sacrifice herself for his revival. This was her end role and the purpose behind her existence.
This love of hers was the driving force behind this sacrifice, making it a plan of the prophet as well. All of their gratitude was written and unchangeable, and they could do nothing but obey.
It was as if the pieces were falling into place in front of her eyes. As if a giant hand grabbed her existence and manipulated her fate, like some sort of twisted story that placed her in continuous suffering.
"Tell me, author of this story," she stared behind her. "Are you enjoying this? All of these people, no… these characters are going to die for the sake of the ending. So tell me, is it fun?"
Her words went unanswered.
Diana sighed because she knew that there was no one to answer her frustration. She can always turn around and run away from this story, but her meaning will be taken. It was already written that she would die at the end of this story. This was the final piece of the puzzle.
"My love transcends all," she muttered. "I care not about an ending, a story, or a prophecy. All I want is that he returns. This is my proof of existence. I will walk toward death for this love."
Her words were again unanswered, or so she thought. It was sudden and defying logic when the sky cracked open, allowing the clouds to seep into it. Her eyes widened as she witnessed another dimension reveal itself in her view.
The crack in the sky seemed to belly every color in existence, but there was a golden cloud that contrasted them all. Diana was confused as she saw the golden lights gather to form a humanoid form, who reached out toward her.
"Arthur?" her body shook before she snapped out of her daze, and her wings spread and sent her flying toward the crack. Then, however, the world started to shake.
The wind pushed her back, and the ground started to fly toward the crack in the sky. It was as if the world would end if the crack persisted, and it would tear her apart if she dared get close.
However, Diana cared very little as her wings were torn apart by the storm of destruction. She reached out toward the crack and the golden figure inside it, but the figure paused.
The golden figure retracted his hand to realize the destruction that he was bringing. Then, the crack in the sky began to close, and the wind disappeared.
This allowed Diana to bolt across the sky faster to reach him, but the crack was closing. The last thing she saw was her reaching-out palm and the sadness in his eyes. Then, he disappeared.
***
"I hate you, father," muttered Arthur as all of his energy diffused back into nothingness. "The moment that I saw her again, a certain doubt emerged. I will kill you myself if you hurt her, father."
Arthur was still beside the world's core, trying to use it and return to Alka. However, it was as if everything he learned was not enough. The world did not give him the runes necessary to recreate his body, not acknowledging him as worthy.
This made him confused because Arthur knew that this power was his, but something was missing. It reminded him of his father and what made Arthur hate him: everything was by design.
His father must have left something back in the physical realm that could help him pass this trial and wield the true power of runes.. When he tried to look for a connection, he saw Diana, and he realized.
