The world fell into a profound silence as the reddish sky slowly crumbled, giving way to a dark yet luminous night. Countless stars reclaimed their positions, unveiling a breathtaking scenery of constellations and shimmering auroras. The two moons shone brightly from above, mesmerizing stones of light that outshone the stars surrounding them.

  Carol panted heavily, clinging to the last of her strength as she maintained her battle stance mid-air, her magic circles glowing faintly beneath her feet.

  Dein, however, remained frozen in place, staring directly at the moons in utter shock. "Why... must it come to this..? I planned everything... to realize your fate... and yet... it bears no fruit whatsoever..." Dein spoke, forcing his body to move, though he winced as he clutched the deep gashes across his form. He coughed up a thick spray of dark mud. Half of his body began to crumble into dust. "Is it because of your desire to be human, Priestess? Or is it because you respect your so-called 'friends' enough to fight against your destiny?"

  Hearing his questions, Carol stepped out of her battle stance. She stood tall, slowly loosening her grip on her violet sword. The blade fell toward the earth, transforming back into its grimoire form, now tattered and worn, before it hit the ground.

  "Neither of those, Apostle Dein. Neither of those," Carol said. She didn't bother to turn her head, keeping her gaze fixed on the beautiful night sky instead. "I fight because it's what I truly want. Nothing more."

  Dein chuckled in pure amusement. "Is that so?" Without warning, he lunged toward Carol, attempting to ambush her from behind with the longsword in his remaining hand. "But there’s more to it than that, isn't there, Priestess!!" he roared, swinging his sword swiftly at her back.

  His effort was useless. Carol spun around instantly, meeting Dein with a look of cold contempt as she manifested a blade of Dark Ender. Gripping the hilt tightly in her left hand, she slashed through Dein’s neck in one fluid motion. In the final, slow-motion heartbeat of his life, his eyes widened as his head was severed from his body.

  "You’re right. There is more than just reason why I fight," Carol stated, her nonchalant smile returning as a final taunt to the dying man. "Not that you'll ever know what it is anyway."

  Dein ground his teeth in a final surge of frustration, returning her deadly glare for a split second before his head and body vaporized into dust, scattering into the midnight air.

  Left alone in the sky for a moment, Carol wore a flat expression as she watched Dein’s final moments. She released her hold on her Dark Ender sword, letting it dissolve into thin air.

  "Finally..." Her fatigue finally kicked in. Her legs trembled, unable to maintain even a simple stance. Her magic platform shattered into pieces, and she began to fall. Her body faced the sky, and her eyes slowly drifted shut. she was powerless to land safely or plan for the impact; even her control over Dark Ender and wind magic had failed her. She surrendered to the exhaustion, her eyes shutting tightly as she drifted into the darkness within.

  At the same time, every remaining undead within the Dark Wasteland Domain began to vaporize, leaving the soldiers in a state of confusion.

  Ordeus and Crake delivered their final blows against Suzie and her partner, pinning them to the earth. Their bodies were battered by stone debris, and blood dripped from their foreheads. As the two Holders pointed their blades at the fallen Apostles to assert their dominance, Suzie ground her teeth in frustration; she couldn't believe that even being reborn as an Apostle wasn't enough to defeat the Holders. With their defeat, the Dark Domain crumbled out of existence, revealing the true night sky. In that moment, a single, faint light fell from the heavens like a shooting star, catching the attention of both men.

  Every citizen—including the surviving soldiers, Lily, her maid, the group of Verlyn students, Arvain, and the nurses within Qtiryn City and the Ordeus Mansion, shifted their attention to the star falling across the celestial night. Although many were frightened of what the star might portend, they chose to clasp their hands together, closing their eyes in prayer for a better tomorrow.

  In the infirmary, Yuno stood mesmerized by the falling star as he watched through the window. Hana, recognizing the significance of the light, drew a smile of relief and began to pray as well.

  In the midst of their wonder, Grey’s left hand quietly twitched, a silent sign that his consciousness was slowly resurfacing.

  At the center of the ruined village, Aria, Rein, Revir, Noire, Erick, and Dulcinia managed to wake at the last possible moment, slowly pulling themselves up as they clutched their heads and tended to their wounds. When they lifted their gaze toward the sky, they found it was already night. Although the scenery was beautiful and mesmerizing, the sight of a faint light falling toward the village instantly caught their attention.

  "What is tha—" Aria began, her voice trailing off as she stared at the descending light. Saria was already racing past her, running panicked toward the point of impact.

  (Carol... please be safe... Please... don't give up just yet!) Saria thought. Small tears escaped her eyes, trailing through the wind as she ran.

  Meanwhile, within Carol’s mind as she opened her eyes, she found herself in a void of total darkness, the same abyss where she had lost herself to Irene back in the Nariens Field. She wandered aimlessly, hoping to find something as she walked deeper into the gloom. At the far corner of the void, she saw a child kneeling, her face buried between her knees. Carol stopped, watching with lingering sadness as the child sobbed.

  "Why did you do this... Mom..? Why did you leave me..?" the child mumbled, her tone cracking with grief. "I don't know if I can do this... I don't know if I love myself enough to survive in this world alone..."

  Unable to bear the sight of the crying child, Carol walked gently toward her.

  "My sins have already piled up... my hands are already tainted with the blood of the innocent..." the child continued, her crying intensifying. "What should I do, Mom... what should I do..."

  As Carol hugged the child, she whispered a reassurance. "Didn't I already say it, Irene? We just have to live... live long enough for us to find our own happy ending..."

  "Huh..?" Hearing Carol’s words, the child raised her head and saw Carol, who hugged her gently. Just like someone who had finally accepted the ugliest parts of themselves. Her eyes widened in shock.

  "Even if our sins are unforgivable... even if they never accept us... then that is more than okay," Carol stated, her own tears falling. "As long as we wish to live... as long as we still have the desire to continue... then we can do this..."

  "Even if our consequences... are going to be grim..?" the child asked.

  "...Yeah," Carol answered, hugging the child tightly.

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  In the physical world, Carol’s unconscious body responded. She extended her left hand, her palm reaching toward the sky.

  "That’s what we have to do... for we chose the path of the Margia... and the path of the Priestess ourselves."

  As Carol finished, the child finally drew a smile of relief, returning the embrace. The void around them lightened, yet the darkness remained, a sign of hope persisting even within the shadows of their soul. In response, the unconscious Carol manifested a wand through her extended hand, a wand based solely on her own essence, forged from her unique Dark Ender.

  Saria, desperate as she saw Carol falling without any sign of waking, stomped the ground and reached toward her. In a slowed moment of time, Saria whispered a prayer she never thought she would utter—a selfish wish for her own reasons. "O Lord... I pray upon your name... for this servant of yours has sinned... I wish upon your name... for my own selfish wish... for me to fly toward the graceless death star!"

  A pair of light-wings, bright as the sun and beautiful as an angel's, erupted behind Saria. She leaped high toward Carol, using the wings to soar. But it wasn't enough; her Ender was exhausted, and her body was battered with bruises. However, as Saria began to fall back toward the earth, a terrain of Azure Ice spiked upward from the ground, propelling her further toward the sky.

  She was shocked by the sudden aid. Saria looked down and saw Rein, still enduring the pain as he clutched his wounded right arm.

  Noticing his silent nod, Saria responded with one of her own and shifted her gaze back to Carol.

  Closing the distance, Saria jumped from the peak of the ascending ice. At that same moment, Carol’s hand instinctively gripped the newly formed dark wand. Saria finally caught Carol in her arms, and the two of them began to fall together as the light-wings vanished into thin air.

  Saria’s expression hardened. For the first time, she wasn't afraid. Revir manifested chains from the ground, snagging them and dragging them safely toward the earth. Just as the girls were about to hit the ground, Noire created a massive leaf to soften the impact. They rolled across the dirt, eventually coming to a stop apart from one another.

  Saria groaned as the pain of the impact hit her, but she suppressed it, slowly standing and moving toward the unconscious Carol.

  Saria stopped beside her. She looked down at Carol, lying still as a gentle breeze drifted across the field. The sound of swaying grass echoed through the village as Saria knelt and took Carol’s right hand, interlacing their fingers in a prayer for her safety.

  "Even if the world doesn't accept you... even if everyone calls you a monster... for us... you're our only leader... our only friend..." Saria said, tears falling down her cheeks. "So please... stay alive... I’m begging you... Carol..."

  With that, a gentle night breeze passed by, a sign that the chaos had finally ended in a quiet resolve as Carol’s hand remained closed around her new wand.

  (The Next Day)

  Qtiryn City felt busier than usual. Stalls were overflowing with goods, and a festive atmosphere took hold as citizens celebrated their survival of the catastrophe. The surviving soldiers cheered as they downed their beers, while the Verlyn students happily ate their fill in a state of sheer satisfaction. Arvain was back to his usual shenanigans, flirting and boasting arrogantly to any girl within earshot. However, when a young man stumbled and fell nearby, Arvain paused his boasting to help him up, a rare, genuine display of kindness. Lily relaxed in a corner of the field, sipping juice through a straw, while her maid looked on, bewildered by the sudden festivities.

  "Uhm... are you sure we should be relaxing like this?" the maid asked, watching the survivors and citizens having a blast. "You know, especially since most of Sir Rein’s 'friends' actually survived."

  "Let them be," Lily stated, pulling her mouth away from the straw as she finished her drink. "It’s not like that girl is going to transform again anytime soon. After all, she looks quite promising now that she’s realized her own desires."

  "What makes you say that, Miss Lily?"

  "Eh, just a feeling." Lily swirled her glass, shrugging as she finished the last of her juice in one go.

  In the infirmary, Carol, covered in bandages with a small patch on her cheek, slowly opened her eyes. Though she was greeted by the same morning light she had seen during her days of dementia, she sat up with a clear mind. She immediately slid out of bed, barely glancing around as she grabbed a cloak from the coat rack to hide her face. She slipped out of the room, leaving her new dark wand resting alone beside her bed.

  On her way out, she skillfully dodged the nurses. She even bypassed her friends, Erick, Dulcinia, Yuno, and Hana, who were on their way to see Grey now that he had regained consciousness. Carol paused for a moment behind the door of Grey and Aria’s room. She turned her head slightly, peeking in to see her uncle’s condition. Seeing him awake, she exhaled a long breath of relief and continued her quiet escape from the infirmary. Inside the room, Grey shifted his focus toward the door, catching a glimpse of a familiar figure running down the corridor. He drew a proud, genuine smile, knowing exactly what she was about to do.

  After more dodging and hiding across the city, Carol finally arrived at her former village. It was more ruined than ever after the decisive battle of the previous day. As she stepped further into the wreckage, she found Mary kneeling, carefully creating a grave for the fallen villagers to honor their memory.

  Noticing Carol’s presence, Mary stood up and turned slightly toward her.

  "A-Aunt Mary..?" Carol said, slightly shocked.

  "Seems you finally remember who I am," Mary replied, her grin widening slightly. "I suppose you’re here to honor your mother’s death, aren't you?"

  Carol remained silent, looking down at the charred earth.

  "Here. You might need this." Mary pulled Carol’s old, broken wand from her pocket, the artifact Carol had clung to when she was lost in the memory of her mother. This time, however, it felt different. Mary walked over and placed the wand in Carol’s hand. "Tell her about your journey so far, Carol. I bet she’d be thrilled to hear it."

  With that, Mary walked toward the exit, leaving Carol alone in the silence of the village.

  Carol gripped the broken wand tightly and walked toward the grave with a somber expression. She knelt and placed the broken wood upon Lydia’s resting place.

  "Hey, Mom. How’s life up there? I bet heaven is really shining!" Carol exclaimed, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "You know, I have so many tales to tell you! Though I can’t remember all the details," she chuckled softly. "I guess that’s what happens when you face your own trauma."

  She continued for a long time, sharing every story she could piece together, even the parts that remained foggy in her mind.

  "And that’s when I slashed that guy like he was a piece of wood! Swoosh!" Carol said, mimicking the sound of a sword. But her expression quickly slumped back into sadness; she couldn't maintain the cheerful act anymore. "But Mom... is it—" She shook her head, reminiscing about the sheer hardship she had endured to get this far. "I suppose I should say thank you. Thank you for letting me out of that 'comfort.' Look at your daughter now... much more mature, right?" she added with a surge of confidence and a genuine smile.

  "So don't worry, Mom. I can do this."

  As soon as Carol spoke and stood up, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the village, growing louder by the second. A squad of Qtiryn guards, led by Ordeus and Benjamin, marched in and blocked the exit.

  "Caroline Erlikh!" Benjamin shouted in a harsh, official tone. "You have been found guilty of your actions during the war at Nariens Field! For the killing of thousands of soldiers in your destructive wake!"

  Ordeus stepped forward, stopping directly in front of Carol.

  "I’m sorry for this, Carol. There’s nothing I can do," Ordeus stated, his voice heavy with guilt.

  "It’s okay, Sir Ordeus. These are my consequences, after all," Carol replied, calmly offering her arms to him. "It's not like I wanted to run from them anyway."

  "You really are a brave girl," Ordeus said, pulling out magic handcuffs and binding her wrists. "Be strong, okay?"

  "Heh, I will. This is far less than what I’ve faced so far," Carol said, shrugging with her signature nonchalant smile.

  [Arc 5:Ended]