Kazuki turned without a word, his footsteps echoing in the chamber as he walked toward the door. Behind him, Arthur's voice broke the silence at last, answering the question that had lingered like a blade between them since the previous moment.
"Option two," Arthur said firmly. "If the world is going to crumble, I would rather die fighting to save it than sit still and watch it end."
Kazuki paused mid-step. The corner of his mouth curved into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. He didn't turn back. He simply walked out of the room, the echo of his boots fading into the long corridor.
As he descended the stone staircase, his thoughts became a whisper in his own mind.
Well… I don't want to get overconfident. It would be foolish to think my victory is secured. But to be honest… I cannot picture losing either.
The candlelight flickered along the stairwell walls as his internal monologue deepened.
Everything so far has moved perfectly, like threads on a loom. My threads are perfectly tied. The first part of my plan—conquering North Ryehem, defeating Vareon—executed flawlessly. I am certain the second part will unfold just as smoothly. But the third one…
His steps slowed. For the first time in days, he felt the weight of what he was carrying.
Moments later, Kazuki entered his chamber. The heavy door closed behind him with a dull thud. He walked past the polished desk and ornate curtains, ignoring the golden glow of his royal surroundings. He sat on the corner of his bed, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. Both hands rose to his temples as if to cage his skull. His fingers dug in, his posture twisted—half strategist, half madman.
"I will win this game," he murmured under his breath, his voice low and almost unrecognizable. "I will fulfill the purpose of being the child of the Prophecy of Fate's Chosen Path. Even if I lose… I won't care. Because at least I tried."
He stared at the floor, his eyes hollow but burning.
Yet… am I even living anymore? I don't think I am enjoying life at all while planning this. Despite being royal, despite having an advanced mind, I still can't hold all of this inside me. It feels like my brain is going to burst under the weight of every calculation, every secret plan. But I can't give up. Not now. I've come too far. I must trust myself. I must.
His hands trembled slightly as he whispered again, almost like a prayer:
"My entire life depends on this. Everything I've done so far—every alliance, every war—is for one result. Nine years from now. I just want to reach that point. I will reach it… if everything keeps going as perfectly as it has."
The sound of his breathing filled the room, uneven, heavy.
—
Far away, yet within, the scene shifted. The sky of Kazuki's Spirit Realm trembled. Clouds boiled into crimson waves. Chaos energy spilled like molten rivers through the air, staining the once-serene horizon with a violent glow.
On a marble platform suspended in that sky stood Elsa, her wings half-unfurled, light and shadow flickering across her angelic form. She gazed upward at the roiling red heavens, feeling the pulse of his inner turmoil vibrate through the very air.
"I know why you're doing this," she whispered, her voice a mixture of awe and sorrow. "I know it's for the greater good. But at this point…"
Her hands clenched around the railing of the platform. Despite being a spirit—an angel of Julius' Court, no less—her voice cracked with emotion.
"…At this point I just want to ask you, Kazuki… why don't you just stop? Why don't you let it go? I shouldn't—I shouldn't—feel pity for a mortal of this world. A superior entity isn't supposed to pity. But still…"
She looked toward the core of the realm where his soul's light pulsed like a distant star.
"I can't stop feeling pity for you."
The red sky flared once more, the chaos energy howling like a storm, as if his spirit itself had heard her words but refused to answer.