When a new life-form eventually arrived on this dead planet eons from now, the Lion King would show them: "There were once creatures this wonderful on this world." In that sense, humanity would truly grasp eternity.
It was a salvation. It was a form of forever. It was a beautiful way to be.
"...But."
"Lion King. We humans... are 'creatures who must not seek eternity.' No matter how painful it is, no matter how foolish we are... we are a species that must never seek the everlasting."
That was the conclusion the King of Heroes had reached as well. A human must not become a creature whose value is only shown by living forever. Faced with hardship, one must not throw everything away and stop walking.
Humans are not clever creatures who run from difficulty.
"Even in this scorched world, there are people who struggle, seeking hope, a future, and a tomorrow. Right in front of you are people fighting to overturn a world where everything has perished."
"We stand, we break through... and we keep moving. We are precious, foolish creatures that continue to evolve and change."
"We are alive. We are truly living. As humans—as tiny lives from a God's perspective—we are living with everything we have. That is the value of a human. We continue our 'journey' called life, aiming for the 'answer' that our innocent selves will eventually reach."
Stagnation was unacceptable. Preservation was a denial of life.
"Therefore, Lion King... as long as we are humans, the day will never come when we can accept your love."
That was the history of humanity: a relentless, ugly, foolish march forward, never stopping for a moment. Singing of the future and evolution even amidst the tragedies they piled up.
"Humans have legs to walk on their own. They have arms to strike down their own hardships. They possess the potential to desire and create a better future. And that potential exists within every single person, in a different form."
"We no longer need protection."
Humanity was in its infancy, yes, but it was moving. It was challenging the future and walking toward its own end. There was no longer a need to return to a God's love. Divine guidance was a thing of the past.
"Prosperity or ruin... we can choose and seize it for ourselves. That is why we are here."
"You asked who we are, Lion King. We already have the answer."
"I am... a human. One who challenges and surpasses you. One who, while being loved and respected by you, must leave your hand and stand alone. I must bid you farewell... and live by my own strength. That is my answer, Lion King."
It was not a denial of God's love. It was an acknowledgement, followed by a departure.
To graduate from being a pupated species toyed with by the divine, and to live by their own power alone. To weave their own value, and eventually, to leave even this planet behind.
That is what it means to be human. That is the duty of those created by God.
"I believe that by standing on our own, by weaving a story with our own strength and reaching a future even God could not foresee... that is the greatest way we can repay the 'God' who gave us life."
"So, even knowing your love... I will oppose you. Not with ignorance or rejection... but with gratitude and respect."
"—Gratitude, and respect...?"
"Thank you. For calling us precious. For trying to protect us from destruction."
This was Air's gratitude as a member of the species. A sincere feeling toward the being who had watched over and protected humanity during its immature years, when it could not have survived without divine grace.
And then...
"Thank you, Goddess. For calling me an 'Ideal Soul' and caring for me. I wanted to tell you this..."
This was her gratitude as an individual soul. To the Goddess who had said she was important, that she didn't want to lose her. Even if that love was incompatible with human life, even if the Goddess no longer understood human feelings...
"Thank you... for loving us."
Even if a parting was inevitable, she would not forget the gratitude.
"—..."
Air realized that the very first feelings she, a once-hollow soul, had ever truly felt—the emotions recognized by the King—were gratitude and respect. She wanted to believe that expressing them could never be a mistake.
"—How..."
The Lion King... no, perhaps even she didn't realize why she spoke. She might not have even understood her own intent.
But certainly...
"How... beautiful... a soul..."
A single tear formed in the Lion King's eye and traced a path down her cheek. She did not notice it. She could not perceive it. For the part of her that could feel such things had long since fallen away.
"Hmph. To think my treasure could even move a God to tears. Truly, your greed knows no bounds," Gilgamesh said, pulling Air close.
"But... it was a fine ritual. It seems your value has reached even the Lion King."
(Yes, yes. There isn't a God in existence who can destroy a soul that offers respect and gratitude instead of malice. Humans have been offering that to the Gods since the beginning, after all.) Fou nuzzled Air's cheek affectionately. (Ah... you've grown into a truly magnificent soul. A Beast like me never stood a chance against you from the start, did I?)
"It's because you and the King were always with me. Thank you... both of you."
"—Because of that."
A gargantuan surge of Divine Authority erupted. It was a tempest of light like a raging sea, so powerful that the King of Knights, Rikka, and the King of Heroes had to combine their defenses just to keep the party from being pulverized.
"Wh-What?! Several SHEBA lenses just blew out! The video feed is dying! Are you serious?!" Roman's voice panicked over the link.
"Doctor, calm down. Leonardo and I will act as your eyes," Da Vinci's voice cut in.
The sheer power reached all the way to Chaldea.
"Tch, the Goddess's Authority! It seems she's finally serious because she's recognized Air's existence! She's determined to protect her at any cost! Are you a child, woman?!" Gilgamesh shouted.
"Is this... the power of a God...!"
Using protective Noble Phantasms, the King of Knights' Aegis, and the full deployment of the Mud, they barely avoided annihilation.
(She's rewriting the rules! Throwing a tantrum because things aren't going her way—this is why I hate Gods!)
"I agree entirely, but stay back! You'll be absorbed!"
It was a tyranny of absolute "Good." She would not even allow the King of Heroes or the King of Knights to step onto her stage.
"Therefore, I must protect you. I must. You cannot be lost. You cannot vanish. No matter what... no matter what..."
"Everyone—stay strong! We can't end here... I know we can't...!"
Bedivere forced himself up. Even within the suffocating divine pressure, he looked forward.
"Eternity to that goodness. Eternity to those finite lives. I will freeze and store these burning lives so their value never fades. I will not hand them over to ruin. I will not expose them to extinction. I must... answer that respect... that gratitude..."
"Goddess...!" Air looked directly at her, held firmly by Gilgamesh and Fou.
"Respect? Gratitude?! What is she saying?!"
"That is what it means to protect life. The ultimate conclusion of protecting humanity," the Lion King declared. To her, happiness was the absence of change. Perfection was the end of the journey.
"That's—!"
"That's not true! You're wrong!!"
A voice shouted a resounding "No" to her conclusion. A girl, living in the now and fighting with all her might, screamed—
"Lady?!"
"Mash—!"
Silencing her trembling limbs, Mash stood up and faced the God. She brandished her shield and cried out:
"You are wrong! I will not acknowledge the 'happiness' you speak of! Because I... I haven't decided 'how to live' yet!!"
Rikka's words echoed in her mind. It wasn't about how one was born...
"There was someone who recognized my freedom, even while they were afraid for me! There was someone who, while trembling at the thought of breaking our friendship, still told her precious friend to 'look after me'!!"
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