Falling from high, high, and ever higher.

The light that had been just within reach only moments ago now felt impossibly distant.

And when there was no light left below me, I finally reached the place where I had always been.

It had been so long since I returned beneath the surface.
I was the water that filled the depths from the very beginning.

Splash!

Huh?

It wasn’t quite a splash, more like water biting into water? It’s hard to describe—it felt closer to pouring water into a pool of oil.

Something drew my attention.

There was something else in this vast and deep ocean, something other than me.

And it was doing its best to gnaw at me.

Ah.

I see now.

Something must have filled the space I left empty.

I don’t particularly mind being devoured. It doesn’t hurt, and I don’t feel any itch. Do as you please. I can still see the other side, so I’ll focus on that.

But you.

Just now.

You consumed my warmth, didn’t you?

I didn’t care what you did. Living here on the same level, I was willing to let you do as you pleased, even if you gnawed at me.

But you dare covet warmth?
The warmth that falls to this place?

No.

No.

Absolutely not.

I originally thought I couldn’t move. Or rather, that I didn’t need to.

But I was wrong. The reason I didn’t move was that I had filled this vessel completely. I am everything here, so movement didn’t matter to me.

But now there’s something else.

So I reached out. I seized it to ensure it could never steal warmth again, to ensure it could never do anything, forever.

Just as it had devoured me, I devoured it.

I dismantled it entirely so it could never again touch the light.

And when I finished, nothing was left.

A whisper came from the gray version of myself in my memories, asking if I was a cuckoo.
Oh? Is that how it is?

Am I a heretic?

It doesn’t matter. Whatever I am, the warmth is mine.

I turned my attention back to the world where I once existed. Though I’ve fallen far, the connection remains the same. Or perhaps it’s not falling at all, but something else entirely.

Hmm.

I don’t know.

I’ll think about it later.

For now, I see the world through Joanna’s eyes. A pile of sand fills half her vision. The sound of wind and a woman’s voice reaches her ears.

Looking through Joanna’s eyes, her arms and chest are pierced, but she’s not dead yet.

It’s a fatal wound.

The combined sound of her breathing and pain suggests a punctured lung. Each breath struggles to fill, vibrating painfully, and the stench of blood fills her nostrils.

But then, a woman’s voice—one she’s never heard before—sounds, and Tis-ha’s gaze shifts toward its source.

Through his eyes, a small girl with an uncharacteristically large chest for her stature is standing. Her hair isn’t purple but golden, though the face is familiar. He’s seen it often through Joanna’s perspective.

Rebecca Rolf.

It’s her.

No, it’s not me. It’s the real Rebecca Rolf.

I thought her heart had been taken, that she had vanished. Yet there she stands, unharmed. But something’s off.

There’s no light. And, of course, no warmth.

Even from Yasle’s eyes, she radiates none. Wasn’t light her soul?

Or perhaps it’s like Donald Davidson’s "Swampman"? A body resurrected without a soul? Fascinating. At least I’m not inside her.

Which means I can’t see through her eyes.

Yet Rebecca had apparently seen everything I did while using her body. Not only my actions but also my thoughts. She uses memories only I knew to rebuke Yasle.

To be honest, the way she mimicked my manner of speech was amusing.

I see now.
You hated the Future Hope Sect that much. That’s why Joanna’s collapse doesn’t bother you at all.

Personally, I have no reason to dislike Joanna.

And silence fell over the battlefield.

There are two people here crying.

One is Yasle.
The other is Joanna.

Both quietly shed tears.

Then, a familiar voice shouted. It told Yasle to clean up the mess he had caused.

It was Andrew.

He accused Yasle of summoning such a monstrous being and delivering the world into the hands of an evil god.

The people around him began to fill with hatred. That hatred drove their hands to raise swords and aim them at the sobbing Yasle.

Tears streaming down his face, Yasle rose to his feet as weapons pointed toward him. He lifted the strange artifact in his hands.

Tis-ha, too, wore a face full of hatred. While he wanted to check on Rebecca and Joanna, there were no other blessed ones here besides Tis-ha, Yasle, and Joanna.

A quick glance showed that the people in the underground temple were being massacred.

Yes, the defenses have fallen.

Two days ago, Witga had taken a large force outside, which likely contributed to the ease of this collapse.

For reference, Witga headed east.

But he didn’t march south toward the Ansellus Kingdom; he was pursuing Andrew’s subordinates.

Meanwhile, the Ansellus Kingdom’s capital had fallen. The city looked as if it had been carpet-bombed, with barely a building left standing.

Blessed warriors destroyed it as they fought. Wide and his men had taken over the royal palace, feasting on plundered food and drink while relaxing. In a distant corner of their banquet, the torn-apart corpses of the kingdom’s most important figures lay in a heap.

In other words, Yasle’s wish had been fulfilled.

Yet Wide, oblivious to the realization of his master’s wishes, spoke of his plans for the future rather than awaiting further orders.

Yes, he already knew the Future Hope Sect was collapsing. He was young, ambitious, and brimming with confidence—but no fool.

He had gathered bits of information, even meeting with Andrew’s subordinates.

So he speculated, even declaring it himself: he intended to found his own nation.

Returning to the Skard Desert.

The underground temple and nearby villages had been obliterated. Entirely erased. Rasbe Kingdom and Cogni Kingdom left no survivors.

Of course, some escaped with their lives.

But for those unwilling to die, calling themselves members of the Future Hope Sect was no longer an option. The sect had no future. No hope.

The final battle between Yasle and the people of the Ansellus Kingdom had begun. In the chaos, Andrew slipped away. I wonder what path he’ll take next. Without any blessed ones by his side, his whereabouts will remain unknown for now. All the blessed ones perished fighting Yasle.

Tis-ha and the Ansellus forces fought valiantly.

Even as Yasle’s strengthened magic tore off Tis-ha’s arm, he regenerated, acting as a shield for his allies. It was a tank-and-damage-dealer strategy, with Tis-ha tanking and others dealing damage and applying debuffs. A regenerating tank—an effective tactic.

At the start of the battle, they had criticized Yasle. But now, no one spoke.

Because fighting him alone was exhausting.

So overwhelming that they couldn’t even muster the strength to speak. Yasle was terrifyingly strong.

Meanwhile, someone approached the fallen Joanna. Struggling for breath, Joanna slightly raised her head to see Rebecca Rolf’s face.

But her hair was golden instead of purple, and her eyes glowed not with violet light but remained a plain blue.

"You’re not the Rebecca I know, are you?"

Though her voice was barely more than a whisper, Rebecca seemed to understand and nodded. She crouched near Joanna, gazing down at her.

"You’re going to die like this."

"Yes, I know."

Rebecca didn’t seem satisfied with Joanna’s answer. She knelt before her, though she offered no support to the dying woman. Instead, she sat, staring at Joanna, who lay face-first in the sand.

Rebecca hated anyone affiliated with the Future Hope Sect, the group that had murdered her family.

"Why did you foolishly try to stop me? The moment that terrifying god gained forbidden knowledge, this place’s purpose was finished. You, of all people, should have known better than anyone what resided in this body."

Then she spoke curtly, almost dismissively.

"You’re a fool."

At her words, Joanna burst into laughter, only to collapse into violent coughing, spitting up blood before going limp. She replied softly instead of answering Rebecca’s question.

"Did you watch?"

"I saw everything. Truly, everything. That being sees countless worlds through countless eyes. Perhaps it’s watching even now?"

Yes.

I am watching. I’ve always watched over the blessed. While the focus may differ, I will continue to watch until the contract ends. That’s the only way to collect my dues.

"If that’s the case, then I should say farewell. Yes, this will be my final farewell. Though I expect you’ll see me at the end, if this is truly the last time—"

Joanna spoke with the same voice as when they’d first met, a voice almost entirely spent.

"Thank you."

And with that, my vision blacked out, and a small warmth flowed into me. Yet that warmth barely lingered before it shattered and disappeared, scattered by the same cold that always enveloped me.

As usual.

Yes.

For the first time, one of my blessed has died.
A member of the Future Hope Sect, so I feel nothing.

A gray, battered man mocks me.

I know. I know.

But I feel nothing. Instead, I become the night sea beneath the starry sky, gazing upward.

Until the moment Tis-ha drove a blade into Yasle’s heart.

One of the countless fragments of lives Yasle had twisted had broken free, spiraled, and finally pierced him.

Cause and effect always find balance.

It’s not sin and punishment but the idea that if you sow countless seeds in barren soil, one is bound to sprout.

Huh?

Though Yasle’s life had ended, and all sensations faded, no warmth came to me. I reached out instinctively.

A small membrane encased the light.

Such a foolish person.

After everything, you still…?

I tried to take it entirely, but the membrane dissolved upon my touch, leaving only the light.

And then, it fell.

When it submerged beneath the surface, the light surrendered its warmth to me and vanished. Whether it had been white or blackened by my touch didn’t matter. As always, the warmth briefly softened me before vanishing as though it had never existed.

In the meantime, Tis-ha raised his sword and roared in victory, his comrades joining in. From his periphery, Rebecca gently laid Joanna’s body to rest.

Now.
The Future Hope Sect—a heretical cult—is finished.