"Duchess!"
A man called out, panting as he reached the pavilion.
Roselia turned slowly.
The smile on her lips never faded.
"Hm? Are the armies finally ready?"
The man, clad in steel armor, immediately dropped to one knee. Metal clanking sharply as his head lowered.
"That is correct, your Grace," he said between breaths.
"As such… the Emperor requests your presence. Both as Duchess of the Empire of Kazar… and as the Fourth Outer God of Causality, to bless our forces."
He never once lifted his gaze.
Roselia stepped forward.
Her kimono trailed softly behind her as she moved past him, her voice calm, almost gentle.
"I see."
She stopped just behind him.
Her eyes drifted toward the horizon where clouds burned in shades of orange, thick and heavy against the sky.
Then—
SNAP
The world shifted.
She now stood before an army.
Vast.
Endless.
Regiments stretched across the plains like woven patterns of red and blue, spreading outward from the towering walls of Vãr. The capital of the Empire of Kazar.
Behind her—
A figure rose from her seat.
The Emperor.
A young woman with sharp blue eyes and platinum blonde hair cascading down her back, catching the dim light bleeding through the storm-colored sky.
"Duchess Roselia," she spoke.
"Regarding the Theocracy of Ishtar… I've already dispatched a force to begin operations at their border."
Roselia turned.
Her smile widened, just slightly.
"What pleasant news to hear."
Her head tilted.
Her eyes settled on the girl before her.
"Dragon Emperor of Conflagration…"
"…Euphilla Belle Kazar."
She turned toward the army.
Her gaze swept across a forest of spears pointed toward the sky, shields glinting under the dim light.
Above them—
Three dragons circled.
One with obsidian-black scales.
Another with emerald green.
And a third, dark red. Its massive wings casting long shadows across the ranks below.
"With the Equilibrium absent…"
Her voice remained calm.
"The Theocracy is nothing more than a sitting duck."
A pause.
"Their only true protection is Rania herself."
Roselia glanced back over her shoulder.
Her smile remained, but her eyes were cold.
"And you've always hated the way they depict the Equilibrium, haven't you… Emperor?"
Euphilla remained silent.
Then slowly—
She nodded.
Her expression twisted into one of quiet disgust.
"Since I was a child, Duchess," she said.
"To claim they speak for the Divine Merciful Equilibrium… when they couldn't even offer her solace during her grief decades ago…"
Her gaze hardened.
"And to call her their citizen—simply because she was raised within their borders…"
"As if they alone have the right to speak for the divine…"
She shook her head.
The strands framing her face swayed gently.
"It's sickening."
Roselia's expression brightened instantly.
"Indeed."
She clasped her hands together, almost delighted.
"They never truly understood what Rania endured before her ascension."
Her gaze softened.
"So tell me…"
"Why should they take credit for her actions?"
She stepped closer.
Taking Euphilla's hands into her own.
Holding them gently, Roselia's voice lowered.
"I was right all along…"
"…you are the only one who truly understands."
A brief pause.
With a nod, Euphilla stepped forward.
Roselia stepped aside, her gentle smile never fading.
Euphilla raised her hand.
The air stilled.
The three dragons descended, each massive form settling within the army's formation.
All eyes turned to her.
"Great soldiers of the Empire—"
"Your Emperor stands before you with a single goal…"
"To liberate Aegea from the Theocracy's hypocrisy."
A breath.
"Years ago, before Ishtar became what it is today…"
"They claimed to abolish slavery within their borders."
"And the Empire upheld that same ideal under the anti-slavery treaty."
Her gaze hardened.
"And yet—"
"Why do humans and demi-humans still find themselves sold across nations… including ours?"
"When we, the Empire, did everything in our power to end it?"
Her hand pressed against her chest.
"Because every word they've spoken…"
"…is a lie."
Silence fell.
"And now…"
"They dare drag the Divine Merciful Equilibrium's name through the mud—"
"Masking their corruption as salvation in her name."
Her voice rose.
"But we know the truth."
"We all do."
Euphillia's arm swept outward.
"Their words are nothing more than a veil—meant to blind the world to the horrors beneath."
A pause.
Then—
Her voice sharpened.
"That ends today."
"For we—the Empire—will bring an end to the reign they built on lies and deception!"
One by one—
Swords were unsheathed.
Spears raised high.
Then—
A collective roar erupted.
From soldiers.
From dragons.
The sound reverberated across the plains, sending tremors through the city as the people within joined in, cheering as one.
"From this day on—the Theocracy shall fall!"
Euphilla raised her sword high.
"For the Great Empire of Kazar!"
The army answered instantly.
Dragons unleashed torrents of flame into the sky, igniting the clouds above.
"For the fall of the Theocracy!"
"Glory to the Emperor!"
"Glory to the Divine Merciful Equilibrium!"
Behind them—
Roselia stood still.
Arms folded.
Watching.
Fire painted the sky as the dragons spread their massive wings, their roars echoing across the land.
Her gaze lifted slightly.
The clouds above grew heavier.
"…That's right," she murmured.
"I will make us stand on equal ground."
A pause.
"…Rania."
The armies gradually fell silent.
Once they did, Euphilla raised her sword—
Then pointed it forward.
"To the Theocracy's fall."
At her command, the entire army turned.
And began their march toward the Theocracy of Ishtar.
—
Outside the Continuum
"As expected…"
A voice echoed.
Then—
Something began to take shape.
Two silhouettes formed.
One. A girl clad in a red velvet dress, long white hair cascading behind her, crimson eyes gleaming.
The other. A woman with waist-length black hair, her crimson gaze steady.
"That sly fox…"
Anathasia Veridielle Augthoria.
The First Outer God.
The Supreme Being.
Beside her stood another.
"It seems… Aunt Roselia truly planned this through."
Carthanalenia Veridielle Augthoria.
Their gazes fell upon one marble among lattices of innumerable others.
The Demiurge's Image that contained Aegea.
"She really played the long game…" Anathasia murmured.
Her fingers slipped through the thin layer of a pseudo-continuum, plucking the marble from within—
Then placing it back into the lattice.
Like a single piece settling into a puzzle.
A small smile tugged at her lips.
"Taking advantage of Rania's absence…"
"To stir conflict between the Empire and the Theocracy…"
"A war…?" Carthanalenia's eyes narrowed.
"But why…?"
"To force Rania to understand one thing," Anathasia cut in calmly.
"That control ensures permanence."
"And that unrestricted free will… is inherently unstable."
Carthanalenia's expression sharpened.
"But that's—"
"Messed up? Definitely," Anathasia cut in, rubbing her temple lightly.
"Makes perfect sense to someone unstable? Also check."
A brief silence followed.
Anathasia glanced at Carthanalenia before continuing.
"That said…"
She turned slightly, her gaze drifting over her shoulder.
At the edge of the Collective Sphere, something crept in.
A profound, unmoving presence.
Blank.
Formless.
Yet absolute.
It spread silently, suspending the lattices in a field of complete stillness. The entire Collective Sphere, frozen in place under its weight.
"Kyle…"
A faint smile tugged at her lips.
She raised her hand—
Then tilted it downward.
"Your turn."
Behind them, another silhouette began to take shape.
As the absolute stillness slowly receded, condensing into the Demiurge's Image where Aegea resided.
"Mom…"
A voice called out.
Francesca.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
"Why did Dad decide to go alone…?"
Anathasia fell silent for a moment.
Then she stepped forward, gently placing a hand on her daughter's head, fingers brushing through her hair.
"Because…"
She tilted her head ever so slightly.
Her voice soft.
Certain.
"He's the only one…"
A small pause.
"…capable of stopping even me."