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"Noah had carried Dormammu toward the final stop… and with Noah Alden's disappearance into Finality, the war was finally over."
An old man's voice spread through the strange space as he uttered the final words from the book he was reading. He remained seated with one hand supporting his cheek while the other held open the book resting across his lap. His crimson eyes lingered on the final paragraph as though another sentence might suddenly appear beneath it, but the following page remained completely blank.
Eventually, he closed the book with a soft thump that sounded strangely loud within the surrounding silence.
"Well…" the old man murmured, running one finger across the cover. "I suppose that is one way to conclude a journey."
He rose from his chair and began walking through a place that could hardly be called a library in any conventional sense. Shelves stretched farther than sight could follow, some standing upright while others hung sideways or upside down without any concern for gravity. Books of every shape and size filled them, each carrying stories born from worlds that existed, worlds that might exist, and possibilities that had disappeared before anyone living within them ever knew they had been possible.
"A world consumed by a being from beyond its reality. Companions lost along the way. A Captain who carried the burden of an entire planet upon himself because he could not bear to let anyone else pay the price…" The old man's smile thinned as he continued between the shelves. "And in the end, the traveler created one last path and carried the enemy with him beyond the reach of everyone who loved him."
He eventually stopped beside one shelf among the countless others filling the strange space and carefully slid the book into place.
"A victory paid for through the disappearance of the person who made it possible." He stepped back and regarded the book thoughtfully. "A bittersweet ending, if I may say so myself."
There was no mockery in the way he said it. If anything, the old man sounded almost fond as he studied the book for another moment.
"The world survives, the people he protected continue living, and those who loved him are left with the future he purchased for them while the traveler himself reaches the end of his journey. A perfectly respectable conclusion." A small smile returned to his face. "Tragic enough to hurt, hopeful enough to make the sacrifice meaningful, and poetic enough that the readers might forgive the author for breaking their hearts."
A chuckle escaped him as he resumed walking with his hands folded behind his back.
"Perhaps even our little pink-haired romanticist would approve."
The impossible library gradually disappeared behind him as the bookshelves dissolved into distant points of light. The floor beneath his feet became transparent, revealing countless histories flowing below like luminous rivers. Some crossed one another, others divided into thousands of possibilities, while several simply stopped somewhere along their course.
Farther ahead, however, there was nothing except an endless expanse of white.
The old man eventually stopped and glanced around the vast space before the corner of his mouth curled upward. He turned toward the empty white horizon behind him and tilted his head, wearing the unmistakable smirk of someone who already knew he was about to ruin a perfectly dramatic ending.
"Is this conclusion acceptable to you…" His eyes laced with amusement. "Our dearest Finality?"
Silence answered him for barely a moment before a young woman's voice drifted through the white horizon.
"Hmm… perhaps Ellie would say that this story concluded in the most romantic way imaginable. A lonely traveler carrying the darkness of an entire world away so everyone he loves can continue toward tomorrow…" The voice sounded genuinely thoughtful, as though she were carefully considering his question, before a soft and familiar laugh followed. "And I'll admit, there is something beautiful about that."
The old man closed his eyes with an amused hum.
"But… unfortunately…"
Playfulness returned to the voice as a figure gradually emerged from the endless light. Long white hair tipped with purple was tied into an ornate ponytail that drifted weightlessly behind her. The violet, blue, and white dress she wore seemed to contain countless points of light that twinkled like distant stars. Her bluish-purple eyes carried brilliant pink irises shaped after the symbol of Finality, while radiant wings of Finality's light spread from her back.
She was Kiana Kaslana, the Herrscher of Finality.
"…I'm still not satisfied." Kiana looked toward the old man and smiled.
"I thought you might say that." He laughed.
Kiana placed both hands on her hips. "Hmmp! After watching our story since the very beginning of this Chronicle, and after all my efforts to change the predetermined outcome, shouldn't you know that already, Uncle Zel?"
"Kuhahahahaha!"
The old man threw his head back and laughed, clearly delighted by her response. Now that Kiana had finally addressed him by name, there was little reason to maintain the mystery any longer.
The old man was none other than Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, Wizard Marshal and wielder of the Second Magic, Kaleidoscope. He had spent longer than most beings could imagine observing worlds, timelines, and possibilities scattered across the vast reaches of existence.
To countless magi, his name alone carried enormous significance.
To Kiana, however, he was simply Uncle Zel.
"Of course I knew," Zelretch replied after bringing his laughter under control. "But surely you can forgive an old man for wondering whether spending so long at the end of everything might have finally given you an appreciation for tragic conclusions."
Kiana gave him a flat look. "I might have become Finality, but I'm still Kiana Kaslana at my core."
"Now that is the Kiana we all know and love." Zelretch's smirk returned as he placed his hands behind his back. "Still, knowing your answer and hearing you complain about it are two entirely different forms of entertainment."
"…You really never change, even after all these countless years, Uncle Zel." Kiana's cheek twitched as she gave him an exasperated look.
"What can I say? It is part of my charm." His smirk widened.
Kiana rolled her eyes.
Zelretch gestured toward the vast white expanse around them. "So, our dearest Finality, why don't you make your opinion clear to our lovely 'audience'?"
"Then I won't hold back!" Kiana crossed her arms as her cheeks puffed in annoyance. "Just what kind of ending is that supposed to be?! He saves everyone, says something dramatic, smiles like an idiot, and then thinks he can just disappear?!"
She glared at nobody in particular, and yet somewhere beyond the white horizon, the person she was talking about might have felt a sudden chill along his back.
"That might work on everyone else, but not on me!"
"Wahahahaha! Our favorite Trailblazer really made our dearest Finality angry, huh?" Zelretch laughed hard enough that tears gathered in the corners of his eyes. Before looking up at the empty sky. "That scolding reunion is going to be absolutely delightful!"
As if responding to his words, something changed in the empty sky of Finality. A single streak of silver light appeared in the distance, and it was coming toward them.
"So he finally arrived." Zelretch's smile softened as the Silver Trail came closer.
The playful irritation vanished from Kiana's expression almost instantly. Something much softer replaced it as she stared toward the approaching light. She had waited an impossibly long time to see this. The Silver Rail reached its endpoint, then collapsed into light.
A body appeared through it. The unconscious Noah Alden came out from it, his body still almost entirely covered by dark-purple corruption.
Kiana disappeared from where she stood and reappeared beside him before Zelretch could say anything.
"I got you now, Captain." She wrapped both arms around Noah and caught him.
With a wave of her hand, the remaining corruption inside his body began disappearing, not burned away or purified, but simply reaching the end of its allotted time. The injuries covering Noah followed. Torn flesh restored itself, fractures vanished, and the damage accumulated throughout the battle disappeared.
She didn't heal him. She simply made time rewind around Noah until his body returned to a point before those injuries had ever occurred.
Kiana gently lowered him onto the white ground and rested his head upon her lap. Her fingers moved through the edges of his bangs and brushed softly against his cheek as she stared down at him without any teasing remark, complaint, or joke.
"You… worked really hard, Captain," she whispered. "Really… really hard."
Zelretch watched from a short distance away and, for once, chose not to interrupt. And without making any noise, he turned back and left them alone.
Kiana continued running her fingers through Noah's hair. Tears slipped freely down her cheeks, but a smile slowly returned to her face.
"Thank you for everything you did."
"Uhm…"
Noah made a faint sound that made Kiana stiffen. When he remained asleep, she slowly released the breath she had been holding before puffing her cheeks and gently pinching one of his.
"You troublesome, stubborn idiot, Captain…"
She laughed softly through her tears and lowered her forehead against his. Then her expression softened with an affection that had survived entire histories.
"Just rest for now… my beloved Captain."
—---------
Noah had no idea how long he had been asleep.
Time did not appear to behave normally in this place. There was no sun crossing the sky, no change in the endless white horizon, and nothing around him capable of telling him whether only a few minutes had passed or several hours.
So when consciousness finally returned, the first thing Noah noticed was warmth beneath his head and the gentle sensation of fingers moving through his hair.
His eyes slowly opened.
The brilliant white around him blurred together at first, but the figure above him gradually came into focus. Long white hair tipped with purple framed a face he knew better than almost anyone else's, while bluish-purple eyes carrying the glowing symbol of Finality stared down at him with unmistakable affection.
Noah blinked several times before his exhausted mind finally caught up.
"…Kii?"
Kiana's hand stopped in his hair. Neither of them spoke for a moment before her lips finally curved upward.
"Good morning, Captain."
Noah stared at her. His eyes moved from her face toward the brilliant wings of Finality behind her, then to the unfamiliar dress she wore before finally returning to her eyes. He had seen this Kiana once before, albeit only briefly.
When Gosoythoth trapped them inside that false ending, she had appeared before Noah like someone reaching across an impossible distance. Back then, she disappeared before he could ask even half of the questions filling his head.
This time, she was sitting directly in front of him. Noah slowly lifted one hand and placed it against her cheek. Kiana's eyes widened slightly.
"So you really are here," he murmured.
"I could say the same thing to you."
A wry smile appeared on her lips.
Noah remained silent before carefully pushing himself upright. He expected pain to tear through his body the moment he moved, but nothing happened. His injuries were gone, and the dark-purple corruption that had consumed almost every part of him had completely disappeared.
"I'm healed?" He looked down at his hands in disbelief.
"Technically, yes." Kiana leaned back slightly. "I used Finality to rewind your body to before Dormammu's corruption infected you."
"I… see?"
Noah blinked before a sudden realization hit him.
"What about his remnants? Where are they?"
"Gone." Kiana shrugged. "I made him reach the end of his time. He's completely gone now."
Noah released a long breath and lowered his head.
"That's… great."
The relief in his voice immediately softened Kiana's expression.
Noah eventually looked back toward her.
"And the planet?"
"Safe. No corruption remains."
His shoulders visibly relaxed.
"And Gaia?"
"Exhausted, but alive."
Noah closed his eyes as a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Then the plan succeeded."
"…It did."
Kiana watched him slowly relax, already knowing which question would come next. Sure enough, the relief in Noah's expression gradually faded before he looked toward her again.
"What happened after I… left?"
Kiana's expression changed, and Noah noticed immediately.
She reached for his hand and intertwined their fingers before answering.
"Hyperion arrived at Non-Administered World #97 shortly after you disappeared."
"Hyperion… what?" Noah stared at her in bewilderment.
Kiana almost laughed at his expression but managed to hold it back.
"VA contacted everyone back home. Present-day me, Lumi, Ellie, Hajime, Hachiman, Nonon, Fii, Team Slash/Dog, Euphy, Ingvild, Villhaze, and Rossweisse all came aboard Hyperion to help."
"…So they arrived a little late."
Noah looked away as he finished the thought for her. Kiana squeezed his hand.
"That's what Hajime said, although his version had several additional words I probably shouldn't repeat."
Despite himself, Noah released a weak laugh.
"That sounds more like him."
"And Hachiman was even worse."
"Hachi?" Noah raised an eyebrow.
"He didn't shout."
Noah immediately winced.
"…Yep. That sounds worse."
"It was." Kiana's faint smile disappeared as she continued. "When Hyperion arrived, the path you created was already gone. All they saw was the restored world and everyone staring at the place where you had disappeared."
Noah silently listened to her.
"Miss Himeko met them personally. She gave Hayate's body to Nonon, Fii, and the others, while my sister's Herrscher Core was handed to present-day me."
"…I see." Noah's face tightened.
Kiana's fingers closed more firmly around his hand. Even after all this time, speaking about her older sister still hurt.
"Her consciousness seemed to have disappeared from inside the Core. Everyone checked again and again. Hii checked, VA checked, Chaldea checked, but none of them could find anything."
Noah slowly nodded. "And Hachan?"
Kiana shook her head. "She… was gone too."
The peaceful white landscape around them suddenly felt cruelly out of place compared to the conversation they were having.
"VA?" Noah swallowed.
"He came back with everyone aboard Hyperion."
Noah looked toward her. Kiana immediately understood what he was actually asking.
"And yes," she said softly. "He played your messages."
"…Damn." Noah closed his eyes.
"That was more or less everyone's reaction."
"I was hoping maybe he would decide not to."
"Captain, you specifically told him to deliver them."
"I know."
"And VA might complain constantly, but when it matters, you know he always follows through."
"…How bad was it?" Noah rubbed his face with his hand.
"You really want me to answer that?" Kiana gave him a flat stare.
"…Probably not."
"Good, because I was about to hit you."
"That… sounds unfair."
Kiana puffed her cheeks before continuing. "Hajime was furious. He kept saying they crossed an entire universe just to arrive a few minutes too late. For a while, I genuinely thought he was going to punch a hole through Hyperion."
"Please tell me he didn't."
"He tried."
Noah groaned. Kiana continued before he could recover.
"Hachiman stopped him."
That made Noah blink. "…Hachi stopped Hajime from damaging the ship?"
Kiana's mouth twitched. "Only because he said, and I quote, 'Don't break anything. I want Noah to pay for it himself when we find him.'"
Noah stared at her before laughter finally escaped him.
It started small but quickly became warmer and more genuine. Before long, Kiana found herself laughing with him even as tears gathered again in the corners of her eyes.
"So he was angry too," Noah said after their laughter settled.
"Oh, he was furious."
"He didn't look like it, did he?"
"Nope. Which made everyone even more worried."
Noah shook his head.
"How troublesome."
Kiana immediately rolled her eyes.
"Do not steal Hachiman's line after what you just did."
"No promises."
"Captain."
"…Fine."
She maintained the accusing stare for another moment before both of them smiled.
The lightness remained briefly before Noah looked toward the endless horizon again.
"What happened to Non-Administered World #97 afterward?"
"Reconstruction started almost immediately. The planet was clean after your exchange, but the war still caused enormous damage. Mahora, the surrounding territories, the World Tree area, several cities, and the Alliance facilities all needed repairs. Chaldea remained for a while to coordinate recovery, and the TSAB helped stabilize everything damaged during the dimensional battle."
Noah listened without interrupting.
"Eventually, the crew had to leave. Himeko and her crew boarded their Astral Express and resumed their journey through the Star Rail Universe. They couldn't stay there forever, especially after everything that happened."
"They kept going." Noah smiled.
"Just like you told them to."
His expression softened.
"And our crew?"
"Hyperion brought them home. Lumi, Ellie, present-day me, Hajime, Hachiman, Nonon, Fii, Slash/Dog, and everyone else who went after you returned to the Chronicle Universe together."
"How were they?" Noah turned fully toward her.
Kiana hesitated before answering. "Not good. None of them were. For a while, the Express was quieter than it had ever been. Nobody really knew what to do with themselves. Present-day me kept looking toward your seat whenever she entered the lounge. Ellie barely touched her camera. Lumi kept herself busy because stopping meant thinking too much, and Hajime disappeared into his workshop more often than usual."
"And Hachi?"
"He complained. Constantly."
Noah snorted.
"He complained about you being an idiot, complained about the entire operation, complained about how much work you left behind, and complained that somebody had to explain everything to the rest of the family."
"That sounds healthy for him."
"It probably was." Kiana leaned slightly against Noah's shoulder, her voice becoming softer. "But they mourned, Captain. They really did."
Noah looked down toward their joined hands. "I'm sorry."
Kiana immediately flicked his forehead.
"Ow!" Noah stared at her. "What the?!"
"Don't apologize like that."
"But I…"
"I know why you did it, and so did they." Kiana leaned closer until their shoulders touched. "That doesn't mean they liked it. It doesn't mean they weren't angry, and it certainly doesn't mean they wouldn't punch you if you suddenly appeared in front of them."
Noah grimaced.
"I'm beginning to notice a theme."
"You deserve the theme."
"How harsh…"
"Hmmp."
Noah chuckled, and Kiana smiled before continuing.
"Eventually, everyone realized that sitting there forever would go against the last thing you asked of them. You told them to keep going, so that's exactly what they did. They continued their Trailblaze."
Something in Noah's expression softened deeply.
"Before long, Hachiman and Team Ash Born completed their First Steps in DesuMachi."
"Really?" Noah turned toward her in surprise.
"Really. Team Ash Born completed it together."
For the first time since their conversation began, Noah's face brightened without grief weighing it down.
"They did it…"
"They did."
"…That is really great."
Pride filled his expression, and Kiana watched him fondly.
"You look like a proud older brother."
"I am proud of him."
"Don't tell him that."
"I absolutely will."
"He'll complain."
"I know."
"You'll enjoy it."
"Obviously."
Kiana giggled and rested her head against his shoulder. "They came back stronger, closer, and somehow with even more people attached to their family than when they left."
"That also sounds like Hachi." Noah chuckled.
"You're one to talk, Captain."
"What did I do?"
Kiana slowly raised her head and stared at him. Noah stared back until realization finally arrived.
"…Right."
"Your family tree requires navigation software."
"That's exaggerated."
"It really isn't."
Noah cleared his throat and looked away, making Kiana laugh again.
They continued talking for some time after that. Noah asked about the crew, and Kiana answered as much as she could. She told him how everyone slowly returned to their routines even though nothing felt quite the same. Arguments eventually returned aboard the Express. People forced one another to eat, sleep, train, and keep moving even when none of them felt ready, while the children gradually brought noise back into the halls because children had very little respect for dramatic mourning periods whenever snacks and games were available.
"That sounds like them," Noah said with a smile.
"It was probably what everyone needed."
"Probably."
Kiana's expression became serious. "There was one more decision they made after Hachiman completed his First Steps."
Noah immediately noticed the change. "What?"
"They decided their next destination would be Asterisk."
The color drained from Noah's face. He understood immediately what that meant.
"…My family."
"Yeah."
"They were going to tell them."
"Your parents, your siblings, and everyone waiting there." Kiana nodded.
Noah slowly exhaled and leaned back, staring into the endless white above them. He had no clever answer or joke to soften the moment. Only a tired sigh escaped him.
"…I see."
Kiana remained beside him as Noah watched the endless empty sky of Finality.
"I knew they would have to know eventually. I just…" He couldn't continue.
"Yeah…" Kiana gently took his hand again.
"I didn't want them hearing it like that."
"Then maybe you shouldn't have disappeared."
Noah gave her a flat look as Kiana smiled sweetly.
"…You were waiting to say that."
"For a very long time."
"Fair." Noah sighed.
Their conversation stopped for a while afterward, but the silence between them was not uncomfortable. The terrible distance that had once separated them was finally gone. For perhaps the first time since Noah arrived in Finality, he could simply sit beside someone without worrying about another battle, another world, another enemy, or another impossible decision waiting beyond the horizon.
Eventually, Noah glanced toward her.
"So how long have you been here?"
Kiana's expression became complicated. "That depends on how you want me to answer."
"That bad?"
"Time here is weird. Sometimes I watch decades pass like a few minutes. Sometimes one conversation feels longer than an entire century. Yesterday and tomorrow aren't exactly polite enough to stay in their assigned places."
Noah rubbed his temple.
"I hate temporal mechanics."
"You're the one who built a trail to Finality."
"That was an emergency."
"Still counts."
Noah stared at her.
Kiana smiled innocently.
"Hehehe."
He looked at her again, this time more carefully.
Kiana was still present in every expression. The puffed cheeks, playful smile, and stubborn brightness in her eyes were unmistakably hers. But beneath those familiar traits was something else now.
A loneliness Noah recognized immediately.
"Kii." His smile faded.
"Hm?"
"You've been waiting here alone."
Kiana closed her eyes and leaned more closely against his side.
Noah watched her.
"For how long?"
She looked away.
"Kiana."
"…For quite some time."
That answer hurt more than any number could have.
Noah reached out and gently pulled her against his chest. Kiana blinked in surprise before her face settled against him.
"Captain?"
"You said everyone was devastated when I disappeared. You said they had to keep going without me." His arms tightened around her. "But you were here too. You had to watch all of it from this side."
"Noah…"
Kiana stopped moving as her fingers slowly curled into his clothes.
"You don't get to tell me how hard everyone else had it and conveniently leave yourself out."
"That sounds suspiciously like something I would say to you."
She buried her face more deeply against him.
"I learned from the best."
"That was definitely Ellie."
"Probably."
A tiny laugh escaped Kiana before her shoulders began trembling.
Noah simply held her.
There was no grand speech, no attempt to tell her everything was fine when clearly it was not, and no pretense that an unknowable length of loneliness could disappear simply because he had finally arrived. He stayed there with her, allowing the silence and the embrace to say what neither of them needed to put into words.
Eventually, Kiana pulled back and wiped her eyes.
"Geez. I was supposed to be the one scolding you!"
"You already did."
"I wasn't done yet!"
"Now that's concerning…"
"Hmmp! As you should be!"
Noah laughed as Kiana poked him in the chest.
"You know, when I first saw the trail coming toward Finality, I spent several minutes planning exactly what I was going to say to you."
"And?"
"I forgot all of it the moment you fell out unconscious."
Noah gave her a thoughtful look.
"So my strategy worked."
Kiana's eye twitched.
"…You did not plan that."
"You can't prove it."
"Captain."
Noah smiled innocently until Kiana finally burst into laughter.
"You really are the same!"
"So are you!"
"I became Finality!"
"And you still puff your cheeks when you're annoyed!"
Kiana immediately puffed her cheeks.
Noah pointed at her with a triumphant smile.
"See?"
"I hate you."
"No, you don't."
"Unfortunately."
Their laughter carried across the strange world around them before gradually fading into something quieter.
Kiana eventually turned toward the endless horizon, and when she spoke again, there was a seriousness in her voice that immediately drew Noah's attention.
"Captain… Noah, you know this isn't the first time I've changed something in the timeline."
Noah's eyes narrowed slightly.
"VA. AI-chan and Hyperion. You sent them backward."
Kiana nodded.
"I couldn't erase what happened in the future that created me, and I never wanted to. Everyone there made choices that mattered. But once I reached Finality, I could see places where things might have gone differently."
"So you rearranged the pieces."
"Small ones." A faint smile appeared on Kiana's face. "I sent VA to you before you became Captain, then Hyperion and AI-chan. I gave everyone another chance to meet earlier, choose differently, and build something bigger than the road I originally knew."
Noah looked toward the white horizon.
"And that helped create the current timeline."
"It helped, but you were still the one who chose it."
Kiana found his hand again and held it firmly.
"You chose present-day me. You chose Ellie, Lumi, Sii, Hajime, Hachiman, Mei, Alice, Anis, and everyone else. You kept opening paths, and they kept choosing to walk them with you."
"You make it sound simple."
Noah smiled slightly.
"It wasn't."
Kiana laughed softly before her expression became serious again.
"But now we've reached this."
"This ending." Noah understood immediately.
Kiana nodded. "The world survived. Everyone else continued forward, and Dormammu is gone. Your sacrifice meant something, Captain. Nothing about what you did was meaningless."
Noah watched her carefully as Kiana tightened her fingers around his.
"But I still don't accept this ending."
"Kiana…"
"No."
She turned fully toward him. Her voice remained gentle, but beneath it was the same stubborn determination Noah remembered so well.
"I watched you give everyone else a tomorrow. You gave Non-Administered World #97 one. You gave Himeko and her crew one. You gave Hachiman and his group the chance to finish their First Steps. You gave our family enough time to continue moving forward."
Noah released a tired sigh.
"And now?"
Kiana lifted their joined hands.
"Now I want to give one back to you."
Noah stared at her.
The smile on Kiana's face no longer belonged to some distant Herrscher beyond conventional time. It was simply Kiana Kaslana, the girl who had always believed tomorrow could become something better if they were stubborn enough to keep reaching for it.
"Go back with everyone, Captain."
"Kii…"
Noah's eyes widened slightly.
"Return to the point before this tragedy began," Kiana continued, her fingers tightening around his hand. "And let's rewrite this ending into something we expect."
====== Chapter 243 END ======