Raining starlight illuminated the sky in seven colors.

Planets and constellations swirled around, hurriedly scrambling to keep the world's velvet threads together.

The waves of the endless ocean crashed against the raging storm.

As colors faded away, celestial beings could not observe that world anymore.

As colors blended together, demonic entities could not manifest in the world anymore.

At the center of the event horizon, a single girl made her last stand. The scarlet color that reached so many hearts had been obliterated beyond salvation.

Her fingertips recognized the cold steel of the Scarlet Grimoire, stained by the blood of he who sought to liberate heaven.

How much was left of her being? How many limbs were still attached to her body? How much longer did she have before she faded away? How many times had she seen this scene? Even after a million repetitions, this was always the last page of her story.

With the bloody steel pressing against her forehead, her finger sunk into the trigger.

Standing before her, an angelic light-blue radiance spun above the girl who lived in dreams.

Her eternal opponent would not let her escape, she would not give her the chance to try again.

Which one would trigger first?

Would the world reset back to the singularity point? Or would the star of dreams awaken from her reverie?

With the beast of the stars rising again, the sound of a gunshot was drowned out by the raging world.

― Scarlet Finale! Volume 4 ―

The chilly breeze of a Friday morning entered the window of the running train. The two students sitting across each other couldn't help but look at the colorful flowers that spread beyond the scenery. After living in the city's Indigo District for so long, it's not an imagery they got to see every day.

"See? I told you it would be great! Nothing wrong with going on an adventure every once in a while!"

"Huh, I still don't feel good about missing class today, I've had perfect attendance for three years in a row now."

Alice Hoshiyume and Daiya Kaida were students from Palette Academy in their final year of high school. They had taken a gamble and escaped school at the last moment, in fact, their bags still had all of their books and other folders full of important papers in them. For being such a prestigious academy, having students in their uniforms roaming around the city would certainly get them in trouble, but neither of them were afraid. After all, each had an important reason for having come in this trip.

Alice smiled at the boy, who adjusted his tie with a boring look on his face.

"Ohh! Do they give you anything for having perfect attendance?"

"Not really."

"Nothing all?"

Daiya only shook his head in response.

"Then what's the point?!"

"Perfect attendance is the sign of a good student, and if I'm in the student council, of course I have to set a precedent for other students to-"

"So it's completely pointless! Got it! Here, let's try this instead, break as many rules as you can, and I'll personally give you a reward in exchange!"

"What kind of reward-? No! No, I don't need that."

"Well, it's not like I don't get it." Alice crossed her arms and nodded. "You are just too scared of the president."

"That's- yeah, I can't completely deny that."

"Woah, surprisingly honest!"

"Can you blame me? Have you dealt with Risa before? I don't even want to think of what will happen to us once we get back."

"It's easy, we just never go back!"

"As if!"

Just like this, the train continued running closer and closer to its destination. The sound of that machine running across the lonely tracks was calming. With tourists and other travelers filling up the train, it made for a cheery and friendly atmosphere that wouldn't make anyone want to leave.

Of course, everything had to come to an end one day.

With a crashing sound, the train came to a sudden stop, and the girl woke up from her dream once again.