“OH?” KASEGI SAID TO THE HEIRESS as she approached him. “Could it be that you have a death wish as well? Then worry not, because I’ll be your djinn and make all of your wishes come true.”

Just then, the Kaesu Dagger began charging toward her at full speed. Thinking fast, she brought her left arm up to block it with the Alpha Blade. The dagger, upon hitting the Alpha Blade, refracted to her right side from the angle she held it at. She barely dodged out of the way before the dagger would have surely borne through her shoulder. Before she could regain her standing, however, she heard something coming at her from behind. She fell over to her side to avoid what was approaching. As it came toward Kasegi, the incoming projectile, which she realized was the Kaesu Dagger, stopped entirely.

“You know,” Lanya snarkily retorted, “for a sharp boomerang, your weapon isn’t half bad.” Charging toward Kasegi, she began to hack and slash at him. He had undoubtedly mastered the Kaesu Dagger long before then, however, and was able to repel her attacks with it and it alone. Time after time, the Kaesu Dagger stopped either Fabled Sword from being used to damage Kasegi. Every blow that Lanya unleashed upon the leader of the Saisei Coalition was blocked with near-perfect form. She saw an opening, however, when she looked down at his left leg. She saw the muscle as it poured out from the large gash created by his prior escape from death.

Seeing an opportunity to gain the upper hand, Lanya gave it a swift kick, causing Kasegi to collapse in pain. She then kicked him over and pointed the Omega Blade toward his throat.

“Any last words?” she stated, preparing to slit the throat of her mother’s murderer. Kasegi hesitated, trying to find a Plan C. Suddenly, he remembered something he hadn’t thought of by that point.

“I would like to advise any who are listening,” he started, moving his right hand toward his left side, “to always bring a second weapon.” Just as he said that he took a rapier out and parried the Omega Blade out of Lanya’s hand before sweeping her leg with his right. He commanded the Kaesu Dagger to hover over Lanya’s head, preparing to send it through her skull.

“Now it’s your turn,” Kasegi began. “Do you have any last words?”

Musuko looked over upon getting the rest of the Saisei Coalition to retreat to see his sister held at knife-point and his mother dead on the ground. Not wanting to draw attention to himself, he silently wept before noticing the Nukenai Bow on the ground, one arrow in the quiver. He looked over at Lanya, who was now looking over at him.

“Sometimes,” Lanya mustered, “that second weapon could be another person.” Kasegi stood silently before taking a cigarette out of his pocket.

“Well, I gotta say,” he continued smugly, grabbing a lighter from his pocket, “those were some of the dumbest last words I ever heard, but they are last words nonetheless.” He put the cigarette to his lips and tried to light it. However, the lighter did not start, having run out of fuel. He reached over to one of the burning buildings and used that instead to light up his cigarette. One long drag of the cigarette later, he found an arrow plunged into his chest from behind. Looking behind him, he saw a smug Musuko holding the Nukenai Bow.

“Now, Lanya!” he yelled out. Just as Musuko said those words, Kasegi took his last breath as a pain spread through his neck from one side to the other. His head tilted to the left before rolling off entirely. Blood began to escape from the stump that now stood above his shoulders as his body collapsed forward.

The two siblings, finally being able to take in what had happened, simply nodded to one-another, picked up their mother’s body, and carried it inside as the firefighters arrived. Ite was laid on the luxurious bed that she had not seen since the premiere of Cu Chulainn. The two children finally were able to properly mourn the death of their mother without the fear of death. The pains and sorrows that they had experienced throughout the past week were enough for a lifetime.

The effect on the nobility was even more pronounced. Only 24 members of the Akuni nobility, once with a population of 76, remained alive after the incident, most of which had to be hospitalized with severe burns. Zero arrived shortly after the firefighters.

“Lanya!” he called out as he approached the Akuni palace. “Musuko! It’s me, Zero! Is everything alright?” Lanya and Musuko stepped out shortly afterward.

“We’re just fine,” Lanya answered.

“Thank heavens!” Zero sighed in relief. “I couldn’t be more grateful. I can’t wait to tell your mother how strong her children are.” Just then, it hit him.

“Wait...where’s Ite?” The kids said nothing, averting their gaze.

“What happened to her?” Finally, Musuko spoke up.

“When she said ‘we’,” he answered, “she meant herself and me. Mom didn’t make it.” Upon hearing this, Zero collapsed to his knees, facing an internal conflict. He said nothing and made no sound until he could clear his head.

“In that case,” he began again, fighting against showing any vulnerability to the children, “we’d best start working to bring us back from this with you as the new Queen, Lanya.”

She nodded solemnly. Her fear of being put in control of the entire nation had come to fruition, but there was no better way to face your fears than to confront them, and that was what Lanya was going to do. Ite’s funeral happened that Thursday, with her being buried next to Yukan. Lanya drew a small amount of blood with the tip of the Omega Blade before dropping it between the two bodies. A bush of karlek roses grew on that spot, signifying their love for one another, created by the blood from a labor of love.