When Stelle opened her eyes again, she found a blazing spear in her hand.
"Tatsuki, should I free the Creation Engine?" Silver Wolf asked in confusion.
"That's right," Tatsuki replied.
Silver Wolf did as he said, tapping a few keys on her virtual console. The Creation Engine lit up once more.
Within the swirling snow, Stelle gripped the amber flame spear firmly and aimed it straight at Cocolia.
"Rules are meant to be broken!"
The red glow in the Creation Engine's eyes abruptly turned into a golden light. It lifted its iron fist high once again.
"Huh? It's moving again!"
March 7 cried out in alarm.
"Lia, get ready to pull back!"
Puck warned, prepared to evacuate with Emilia at a moment's notice.
"No, I trust Mr. Tatsuki."
Emilia's eyes held no trace of fear; she believed in his judgment.
So, while everyone watched warily, the Creation Engine's fist crashed down—aimed this time at Cocolia!
"!"
Cocolia unleashed a powerful surge of energy to block the metal fist.
"Flame spear, charge!"
A fierce blaze erupted from Stelle's spear. Heavenly fire rained down; the ice shattered. Cocolia was blasted down onto the ground. Struggling to her feet, she muttered in disbelief:
"That can't be…"
At this moment, Bronya finally regained her composure. She realized her mother had gone too far to turn back. The spear in Stelle's hands…represented a new hope.
"Mother, the will of Preservation has made its choice!"
"You know nothing of this world's plight…nothing of the ending that awaits it!"
Cocolia roared, lost in madness.
"Even if destruction awaits, we'll face that darkness hand in hand, unafraid."
The resolve in Bronya's voice was unwavering.
"You're merely making a feeble stand before the old world collapses!"
Cocolia lifted her head and raised her arms.
"The Stellaron's power is mine!"
"You're all just clinging to what's left of a world about to die!"
Brilliant gold energy burst from her body—the Stellaron's power. The sky itself changed color, swirling with golden clouds. High above, a piece of a golden stone of ruin seemed to emerge.
In that same instant.
"Heh."
A cold laugh rippled through the air. Holding Clara, Tatsuki stepped forward, staring down Cocolia.
"Don't you realize? I've already eaten the Stellaron."
"You're saying…"
Mid-sentence, Cocolia's breath hitched. The golden aura around her vanished like a bubble popping. The menacing presence in the sky disappeared into melting snowflakes.
Cocolia dropped to the ground.
"Aaah!"
Her monstrous body hunched over in pain, letting out a tortured scream.
Bang!
In a heartbeat, her false form crumbled away.
"The Stellaron's power… it's gone."
She stared numbly at her own hands, uncomprehending how the Stellaron had vanished.
[Ding! Cocolia has been defeated, the Stellaron has disappeared. Apocalyptic Journey complete! End-of-apocalypse partial conclusion achieved!]
[Tatsuki receives 500,000 apocalypse points, Silver Wolf 150,000, March 7 100,000, Bronya 100,000, Emilia 50,000!]
[Detected that Tatsuki erased the Stellaron; you receive an additional 1,000,000 apocalypse points!]
Mission accomplished. Tatsuki ended the livestream with a thought.
Now powerless, Cocolia was quickly surrounded by everyone. She raised her head to see Bronya's sorrowful gaze.
"Mother…"
"Bronya…"
Freed from the Stellaron's control, Cocolia at last returned to her senses, wearing that once-familiar expression. Bronya's eyes welled with tears.
"Mother…have you awakened from your dream?"
"My dream… it's over now…"
Cocolia's faint smile was tinged with bitterness. The dream had ended, but it was too late—for Bronya, for Serval, for Belobog and its Underworld…
She had lost the warmth of family, trampled on friendships, and abandoned her duty. Her mistakes could never be absolved. The Stellaron's energy had already torn her body apart. Now she began to disintegrate into golden fragments. This was the penalty she paid for being a false Great Guardian.
"Mighty outsider…thank you for saving this planet…"
"We wish to ask you… to take Cocolia away from the world that once drove her to despair…"
"…"
Tatsuki gazed into the void, where the wills of Belobog's past guardians lingered.
"All this…is our fault. She shouldn't bear it alone…we beg of you…"
"Sigh…"
Tatsuki sighed softly. He moved forward, stopping in front of the crumbling Cocolia. Under everyone's bewildered stares, he rested a finger on her forehead just as she was about to fragment completely.
"You—"
Cocolia tried to speak, but felt energy surging through her body. The damage wrought by the Stellaron began to heal; the fragments on her skin receded, replaced by normal flesh.
"This is…"
Bronya was thrilled yet confused by Tatsuki's actions. The rest also didn't understand his motives.
"Why… would you save a sinner like me…?"
Cocolia gazed into those clear golden eyes, hoping for an answer.
Tatsuki gave a slight shrug.
"Don't look at me—I'm doing this because the previous Great Guardians asked. They don't blame your choice and regret bequeathing such a hopeless future to those who came after them."
"Past Great Guardians…"
Cocolia murmured blankly.
"Of course, your crimes still stand. Bronya won't ever forget them. As for you, I'll be taking you away from this world—does anyone here object?"
Tatsuki looked to Bronya and the others. Bronya pressed a hand to her chest, gaze unwavering:
"Thank you. Mother's sins will remain carved in my memory. I'll spend my life making amends for her, guiding the people of Belobog toward a new future."
Tatsuki next turned to Seele, the one who held the greatest grudge.
"!"
Feeling his stare, Seele stiffened and ruffled her hair.
"Argh, well…you just saved me, so sure, I guess I'll go along with it."
Tatsuki raised his eyebrows—he hadn't expected the outspoken Seele to agree so easily. As he studied her in earnest for the first time, he noticed not just her clear skin and striking figure, but also her outfit. Was that white top around her midriff attached to the bottom somehow…?
"Hey, where are you looking?!"
Seele snapped, embarrassed, hiding her belly.
"Who knew you could get shy, huh?" Natasha quipped.
"He was staring right at me!" Seele fumed with shame.
Tatsuki gave a half-smile. She seemed easily flustered after all. Natasha, seeing the heated pink of Seele's ears, simply laughed softly:
"Ah, guess Seele's reached that age."
The exchange helped dispel the tension in the air. Then Natasha spoke up:
"I'm the leader of Wildfire, and I also agree with Mr. Tatsuki's suggestion. After all, you helped save this world."
"We have no further comment. We are simply nameless travelers."
Dan Heng folded his arms, representing the Astral Express's stance.
"Indeed," Stelle and March 7 echoed in agreement.
Gepard walked over, wearing an apologetic look.
"I'm sorry, Great Guardian, for rising up against you in the name of Belobog's people."
"…"
Cocolia stayed silent. Gepard had done nothing wrong—she was the one who had failed Belobog. She was the one who broke her Guardian's oath.
"On behalf of all Silvermane Guards, we accept your decision."
That left only Serval, giving Cocolia a complicated look. After a moment's hesitation, she wiped away a few sparkling tears and forced a smile.
"Oh, Cocolia, look at the mess you're in. If only you'd listened to me back then."
At first glance, it sounded like a barb.
"Sis…"
Gepard frowned. Was that truly the right thing to say?
But Serval crouched down, cupping Cocolia's face in her hands, wearing a radiant, comforting smile.
"Leave Belobog and go live somewhere else. Cast aside all that pressure. Live just once for yourself."
"Serval…"
Cocolia stared at her old friend—the one she betrayed and exiled.
"Yay, so it's unanimous! A perfect happy ending!"
March 7 cheered enthusiastically.
Tatsuki said dryly, "See that? Your daughter, your forebears, your best friend, the Silvermane Guards you betrayed, and the Underworld you abandoned…they've all shown you leniency. Shouldn't be any reason to do anything drastic, right?"
"…"
Cocolia's uncertain heart found a new anchor. Though she remained burdened by her sins, she would live on. She would carry out Serval's wish: to truly experience life for once. At least, she wanted to see Belobog's bright new tomorrow with her own eyes.
"Release Clara."
Svarog's voice suddenly broke the emotional silence, his mechanical gaze fixed on Tatsuki—who was still holding Clara in one arm.
It was then the others noticed Clara. She was perched in Tatsuki's hold, arms around his neck.
"Um!"
Under everyone's stare, Clara's face turned as red as an apple. She buried her head in Tatsuki's shoulder, her little bare toes curling nervously, looking about ready to vanish into the floor…
…
With his primal energy, Tatsuki had fully restored Cocolia's physical body. Gone were the monstrous marks of the Fragmentum. She stood quietly beside him, while Bronya, newly recognized as the next Great Guardian, began discussing whether or not to announce Cocolia's crimes to the public.
"Master, has the Stellaron's influence really disappeared?"
Now that Cocolia would accompany him away from this world, she had fallen under Tatsuki's dominion.
"Mhm. The Stellaron's power is gone—I ate it."
Indeed, he devoured it, though he hadn't yet digested it fully. At level lv5, Devour was slow but unstoppable.
"But the Eternal Freeze is still here. Jarilo-VI's environment has been changed."
Tatsuki glanced at Cocolia's tall figure—she stood in high heels, slightly taller than him. He went on, "But no worries. I'll handle the rest of this blizzard problem soon."
He'd still earn more apocalypse points for ridding them of the chill, plus it was a world worth saving. Two birds with one stone.
"Thank you, Master, for everything you've done for Jarilo-VI, for helping Bronya, and for showing mercy to a sinner like me."
Cocolia's gratitude was sincere. Her master possessed enormous power and a compassionate heart.
"Don't go around calling yourself a sinner every minute—just keep it in mind. Once we're back in my world, I don't want to see you wearing that long face daily."
"…"
Cocolia let out a faint breath, rubbing the cheeks she had kept so stern for so long. How did one not look grim all the time? She had no idea.
"Well…take it step by step."
Tatsuki shook his head. Expecting her to change overnight wasn't realistic.
He'd been absentmindedly petting the cat-like Puck who sat on Emilia's arm just a moment ago. So soft and warm, it was quite pleasant…
"…Huh?"
He glanced down. Puck was gone. Instead, he was stroking Emilia's delicate fingers—that was the soft, warm sensation!
"Hey, Tatsuki, you're basically groping Emilia's hand like some creep," Silver Wolf teased with narrowed eyes.
"I-it's not Mr. Tatsuki's fault…"
Emilia flushed as she tried to explain, "Puck suddenly returned to his contract form."
"Tsk. I was joking. You sure are serious," Silver Wolf muttered, disappointed her little jab didn't land well.
"S-sorry!"
Emilia felt like she had made a mistake.
"…Now I feel guilty," Silver Wolf said under her breath.
Awkward, Tatsuki withdrew his hand. Just then, the others finished their discussion and walked over, sparing him from further embarrassment. They exchanged glances, and Bronya spoke up.
"We decided not to publicize Mother's crimes for now. Belobog is in ruins, and we need hope and unity. This is only the beginning of new challenges—if the people realize even the Great Guardian was untrustworthy, chaos might worsen. When things are stable, I'll tell everyone the truth. If they want to drive me out, I'll accept it."
Tatsuki nodded. "It's your home; you decide."