Once you get absorbed by a magic armor that has lost its core, you can no longer return to being human.
Paradoxically, that means that as long as the core still exists, it's still possible to separate it from the human.
"There has to be a possibility."
Right now, I felt no pain.
My whole body had been screaming, but thanks to the drugs, I no longer felt any pain.
Truly an outrageous medicine.
Even though I'm this battered and on the verge of death, I can still fight.
Mia was directing her hatred at me.
"I'll never forgive you. Never!"
"Hah! I never expected to be forgiven. Listen, the fight is already decided. After this, all I have to do is rip the core out of you and destroy it, and there'll be nothing left to worry about!"
"You — you were the knight's friend!"
"That's exactly why I killed him! If you can't even understand that, then stop butting in and stay out of the way! Finn's death would be in vain. He fought to the death to keep you alive, and you're throwing all of that away!"
"He was killed right in front of me — how could I just stay silent?! And besides, you didn't have to kill him!"
"The job of the one in charge is to take responsibility. There's no reason to let the Empire's hero live. He understood that too."
"You — how could you!"
Even if Arcadia were to sink, that guy would have fought to the very end.
Same goes for me. If I tossed away this fight just because I couldn't win — what would I say to the people who died because I dragged them into it?
"This isn't your place to interfere! Hurry up and hand over the core!"
"Like hell I would, to someone like you!"
As long as Arcadia's core survives, I couldn't die in peace even if I tried.
— Besides, the war is over. This is just an extra.
Forcing my body to move, I piloted Arroganz and swung the great sword up from below.
Mia-chan reared back, and as she put some distance between us, Luxion conveyed his analysis results to me.
"Master, I have confirmed the location of the core. If we pierce that exact point, it is possible to separate it from the pilot."
"Mia-chan will be unharmed, right?!"
"There is a chance of her survival. However, even a slight miss would pierce a vital point in her body."
"Then Arroganz won't cut it."
Stabbing Brave's great sword into Mia-chan's tiny body would mean instant death.
I stroked Arroganz's control stick.
Then I gripped it firmly and turned it toward Mia-chan.
She held out both hands toward me and unleashed her magic.
A mass of red-black energy was launched, then spread out.
I dodged the scattered blasts as I closed in, but Arroganz couldn't avoid all of them — every hit pierced through its armor.
I pushed forward using Brave's great sword as a shield, but my limit was approaching.
Arroganz spewed flames, and equipment inside the cockpit was sparking with electricity.
That Arroganz, having tossed away the great sword, grabbed Mia-chan with both hands.
"Purging the hatch!"
"Thanks!"
The hatch in front of me blew off, and wind rushed in.
My body was freed from the seat, and I quickly grabbed the rifle I had placed beside me.
I quickly leapt out of the cockpit just as Mia-chan was forcing her way out of Arroganz's grip.
She easily tore off the fingers of Arroganz's left hand and hurled them at me.
When Mia-chan saw me, she looked momentarily surprised — but then her brow furrowed.
I was startled, even just for an instant, at how a once-adorable girl's face could transform into something so full of hatred.
She clenched her teeth, and that once-cute face now looked like that of a ferocious beast.
It was understandable. I'd done that much.
"Now that you've come out — !"
Mia-chan pointed her right hand at me and tried to release her magic.
Luxion swiftly moved in front of me and deployed a shield, and my view was engulfed in flames.
Black flames spread out beyond the shield.
"Master, I cannot endure! The shield's energy will be depleted in five seconds!"
"Five seconds is plenty."
When I raised the rifle, the scope displayed the target location thanks to Luxion's assist.
Luxion must have been able to see exactly where Mia-chan was beyond the black flames.
When I pulled the trigger, the bullet pierced Luxion's shield from the inside, broke through the black flames, and made a hole there.
A clean hole opened up in the black flames, and on the other side, Mia-chan was pierced by the bullet and blown backward.
The black armor-like thing clinging to her body was stripped away, and her silver body began to crumble with cracking sounds.
"Yeah, well. It's a rare-item, special-made one."
Once the black flames vanished, I attached a bayonet to the rifle and approached Mia-chan.
Mia-chan was lying on her back, and beside her, a small black sphere was using tiny hands to crawl away from me.
"I — I won't accept this. I refuse to accept this."
Luxion floated near my right shoulder, but he seemed less stable than usual and was wobbling.
"— The sub-unit's battery is nearing its limit. Master, the shield energy is also depleted. Please finish it off quickly."
"Roger that."
"Gyaaah!"
When I leveled the rifle and shot the black sphere, it writhed while spewing out black liquid.
I fired round after round, but the magical creature that seemed to be Arcadia's core wouldn't die.
"Stubborn bastard."
As I was about to swap out the magazine, the magical creature swelled up and turned its single eye toward me.
"Only youuuu —!"
Sharp spikes sprouted from the black sphere, and were turned toward me.
Just as I thought, "This is bad," Luxion flew out in front of me to shield me.
Large, sharp spikes — black, conical objects about sixty centimeters long — came flying at us, and Luxion deflected most of them.
"I will not let you harm Master!"
Luxion's body deflected most of them.
He was denting his own body, desperately trying to protect me.
The magical creature was laughing.
"Too bad, scrap heap. — Look behind you."
Luxion immediately turned around and looked at me.
I looked down at my own chest.
Something black had pierced through me near my right chest.
The backpack on my back came loose and fell away.
Strangely, there was no pain, but my body was honest — blood was flowing from my mouth.
"Master?"
Luxion looked like he was trembling, but it was probably just my eyes losing focus.
My body, already past its limit, refused to put forth any more strength.
Behind Luxion, the magical creature was laughing.
"I'll destroy everything just like this! Your country in particular — I will absolutely blow it away! There's nothing left to stop me now!"
"Not — gonna happen!"
At that magical creature, I — hurled the rifle I was holding.
"Gyaaaah!"
The bayonet portion pierced into the magical creature's eye, causing it to spew out black liquid.
But the order had apparently been transmitted to Arcadia — it was channeling the remaining energy into its main cannon and preparing to fire.
I collapsed to my knees.
The magical creature was laughing, with black liquid gushing out from all over its body.
"Gyahahaha!"
At the very last moment, I had failed.
"D-dammit —"
◇
Inside the Ricorne.
Having used up all her strength, Livia was collapsed alongside Angie.
Because Livia had gone all-out, the Ricorne had also reached its limit, with electricity arcing from its equipment.
Cleare was giving out instructions.
"Hurry, cling onto the Sacred Tree! That's the escape pod!"
The section where the sapling of the Sacred Tree had been transplanted had been set up so it could detach from the Ricorne.
It had been designed so that the Sacred Tree alone could be separated at any time.
Noel carried Livia on her back, while Yumeria and Carla carried Angie.
Kyle was preparing the Sacred Tree's escape device.
Amid all this, only Marie stood there blankly, staring out the window.
As she looked out the window, the large, painted-looking eyes of Arcadia were glowing.
It was preparing to fire its main cannon.
The Ricorne was picking up Leon and the others' conversation, and Marie had overheard where it was being aimed.
Noel, with tears in her eyes, called out to Marie.
"Marichi, hurry up and get on too!"
Leon had collapsed, and Noel was panicking too.
Marie slowly approached the escape pod, and Kyle and Carla stretched out their hands.
"Master, hurry!"
"Lady Marie, I understand how you feel, but we have to escape right now!"
Seeing the two of them on the verge of tears, Marie let go of her staff and stretched out both hands — and grasped their hands.
Marie showed them a smile.
"You two — thank you for everything until now. Thank you for caring about someone like me. Truly — thank you."
While the two were left stunned, Marie released her grip.
Something like a glass barrier deployed, enveloping the Sacred Tree.
The two desperately pounded on the glass, but no sound could be heard.
They were frantically trying to convey something, but no voices reached her.
Marie looked toward Cleare.
Only Cleare's voice came through, via the Ricorne's communication device.
"— Are you sure?"
Marie picked up her staff, slung it over her shoulder, and gave a smile.
"At least at the end, I should clean up after Bro. When we meet again, I'm going to tease him about this. — So hurry up and go save Bro."
Cleare understood what Marie was saying.
"Escape."
With just that word, Cleare and the others, along with the Sacred Tree sapling, slowly descended.
Kyle and Carla were crying and shouting something, but Marie just smiled and waved.
And once she could no longer see them — she wiped away her tears.
"Stupid Bro, you better not screw up."
When she turned around and faced forward, the main cannon looked like it was about to fire at any moment.
She spoke to the Ricorne.
"You're going to fight together with me."
The Ricorne's mechanical voice could be heard.
"Owner changed to Marie. Awaiting instructions."
Marie struck the butt of the Saint's Staff that she held in both hands forcefully against the floor.
As Marie began to glow faintly, her hair swayed.
She seemed to sparkle.
"I'm going to block the enemy's attack. Move in front of that thing!"
"Understood."
As the Ricorne shook and moved to a position in front of the main cannon, Marie spoke to the staff she gripped tightly.
"Please. Lend me your power. Let me protect them."
As if responding to Marie's voice, the Saint's Staff, the necklace, and the bracelet all began to shine.
In front of the Ricorne, three large magic circles unfolded side by side.
To block the main cannon, Marie deployed three shields.
Then, Arcadia's eyes flashed, and the main cannon fired.
Immediately, a red-black light enveloped her view, and the first shield was easily broken.
The interior of the Ricorne shook violently as well.
Marie gripped her staff and stood firm, enduring the shaking.
"Don't underestimate meeee!"
The magic circles glowed brighter, gaining strength, but the second shield was also broken.
Marie was looking back on everything until now.
(I really am a hopeless one.)
What came back to her was being reincarnated and getting a second life.
And how she had relied on her brother ever since her previous life.
She had always been a burden.
But her brother had always protected her.
She'd gotten angry at him from time to time, but looking back now, he was a brother to be proud of.
Too embarrassed to say it out loud, but Marie loved her brother dearly.
Cracks ran through the final shield, and the Ricorne was spewing flames from every section.
Equipment inside the ship was bursting, and smoke filled the air.
In the midst of it all, Marie was shedding tears.
"I'm the one who ruined your life, Bro, so this time I'll protect you. So you — you have to live properly."
Marie came to her own conclusion in her heart.
(I see, so maybe — my second life was meant to save Bro.)
In her first life, Marie had been a burden on Leon.
Same in her second.
But in the end, she had been useful.
She felt she had fulfilled her role.
"Stupid Bro who keeps suffering, this time go enjoy your own life."
Saying that, Marie laughed.
The Saint's tools must have reached their limit — they began shattering to pieces.
Then the third shield was broken, and as the Ricorne was swallowed up by the light, Marie's consciousness began to fade.
The last sight she saw, in the midst of being blown away — was being held and protected by a woman who resembled Livia.
And then, amid the flames — four armors could be seen flying toward her.
"Marieeee!!"
As she heard Julius and the others calling her name, Marie's consciousness was cut off.
◇
The Ricorne had withstood Arcadia's final attack.
In exchange, the Ricorne too had been blown to pieces, but Luxion reported to me.
"Angelica, Livia, Noel, Yumeria, Kyle, Carla — and Cleare, escape confirmed. Marie's status is unknown, but Julius and the others dove in before the explosion."
What is Marie doing?
There's no point if you die.
In the afterlife — Mom and Dad will scold us.
"Y-you idiot. Always — doing reckless things."
I was looking at the magical creature in my line of sight.
It was simply floating there, wordless.
After a while, it looked at us and shouted.
"You keep getting in our way at every turn! You filthy descendants of the Old Humanity, don't come out now and act like you rule everything!"
It was shouting, but I no longer had the strength left to even get angry.
I tried to stand up, but my body wouldn't move.
Then Luxion spoke.
"Master, preparations are complete."
"S-so you still had a trump card —"
My voice wouldn't come out.
Thank goodness we still had a trump card saved for the very end.
The magical creature once again sprouted spikes.
"At least I'll rip you apart! W-what?!"
I stared in shock at the scene before me.
"Arro — ganz?"
Arroganz body-slammed the magical creature, grasped it as though hugging it, and pulled it away from us.
"L-let go, you scrap heap!"
Spikes were driven into Arroganz, and it was being battered, but it wouldn't release the magical creature.
Arroganz looked over at us, and it seemed like its twin eyes flashed.
Did Luxion control it?
"— My gratitude, Arroganz. — Main cannon, firing."
The Luxion main body, which had sunk first, finished its emergency repairs and revealed itself.
It fired its main cannon from directly below Arcadia, and a pale blue light stretched up to the heavens like a pillar.
Within that light was Arroganz, holding the magical creature.
I stretched out my hand — and Arroganz too was stretching out its hand toward us.
I could hear the magical creature's dying scream.
"Daaamn youuuu!"
As it vanished into the light, Arcadia was greatly carved away and exploded.
The fortress began to fall.