IBHJ 1306

Neither turned. They didn't hear her. They couldn't see her. The crowd swallowed them up, the woman's elegant back and the girl's small drooping head vanishing into the sea of people.

That little girl had no idea what kind of hell awaited her. She'd never understood the true meaning behind her father's words—that she wouldn't live past fourteen.

The mother had brought her to see the bustling world once—just once—before joining her father in feeding her to the sect as sacrifice.

Kiara squeezed her eyes shut against the memory. When she opened them, the festival had disappeared. She stood in a cold Buddhist temple.

Golden Buddha statues lined the walls, but the floor was littered with cow bones from Shinto sacrifices—a twisted blend of faiths perverted for power. The young Kiara lay sprawled on the damp earth floor. Her eyes looked empty, staring at a piece of bone near her hand. "Why..." The girl's tears fell silently. "Books say people help each other. But I only see people pushing others into darkness. Why?"

Kiara's own tears spilled over as she watched, unable to change what had already happened.

A figure appeared before the girl with eyes full of strange tenderness.

"Because in this world, only you exist," this new girl said. "Only you and me."

"Who are you?" the girl whispered.

"I'm the only other person in your world." The new girl knelt down. "I hurt when you hurt. I suffer when you suffer. I smile when you smile. I'm your friend... and I'm you." She wrapped her arms around the girl.

The girl broke down. "It hurts so much. Everything hurts."

"Sleep now," the other girl murmured, voice soft as a mother's lullaby. "I'll protect you. I'll take all your wounds, carry all your pain. Just sleep. Forget everything. That's all you need to do." Her embrace felt warm—the warmth a mother should have given.

So warm. The girl's eyes fluttered closed.

Kiara closed her eyes too, tears streaming down her face. When she opened them again, something had shifted. She wasn't watching anymore.

She had become the girl.

She gazed at her mirror image through tears. "I'm sorry. I forgot you for so long, my first best friend. But I can't go back to sleep anymore."

The other girl didn't look surprised. "The world hasn't changed. It's still dangerous out there. Are you sure you want to wake up?"

Kiara nodded.

Her twin looked at her with gentle understanding and closed her eyes. "I see."

Crack—

Like breaking glass, the entire world shattered around them. Everything dissolved into nothing.

In the empty blackness, a massive black lotus materialized before Kiara. Inside its dark petals waited her most cherished friend, her other self—Demonic Bodhisattva.

"I always thought you'd stay asleep," the voice from within the lotus said. "Even when you left my heart, I believed you'd eventually return. I was wrong, Kiara. You faced the past I couldn't bear to see. In our war... you won."

"I didn't win," Kiara said, her voice breaking. "There was never a war between us, friend."

"Thank you for still calling me that." The voice softened. "From the moment I saw the Emperor, I knew the truth. All I wanted was to build a world where you could live innocently. But now I understand—what you need isn't my world. You need real friends who share your pain and your joy. I'm happy for you, Kiara. You don't need my protection anymore."

The black lotus unfurled its petals, revealing a dark center. Demonic Bodhisattva's voice came from within: "Take your rifle. Pierce the core."

"No!" Kiara's hands trembled. "I didn't come here to destroy you! I wanted to take you to see the fireworks... like we promised. We promised..."

"You already showed me the fireworks. They were beautiful." The voice softened. "So—"

A pause. "You won't make me worry anymore, will you, Kiara?"

"This isn't right..." Kiara bowed her head, tears streaming down her face.

"Back then, when you lost all hope in humanity, you split yourself in two. You created me. Then when the believers killed me and I became a spiritron hacker, the Lord of Salvation found our weakness. We became a Beast—a seed of the Demon King." The voice grew wistful. "Everything led step by step to this moment. I'm frustrated that Mr. Shirou destroyed my perfect plan without even trying. So frustrating. But strangely, I'm not angry. Do you know why? Because he helped you find the courage to live again."

"In this world, the person who loves you most can only be yourself. So Kiara, you're the only one I've ever loved. That's why the Emperor can't kill me. The Enlightened One can't kill me. Shirou and the others can't kill me. Only you can. Because I love you."

The lotus trembled. "Say goodbye to me, Kiara. Walk toward the future with your friends."

Kiara stood up and raised her rifle, aiming at the pulsing dark core.

"…Goodbye, old friend. Goodbye to my fear." Tears streamed down her face as she pulled the trigger.

Black light erupted from the barrel, piercing through the core like a spear.

Crack crack crack—

The core shattered like glass.

Kiara collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. From this day forward, no one would ever love her as completely as Demonic Bodhisattva had. No one would stand in the shadows, protecting her from everything, asking nothing in return.

Demonic Bodhisattva stepped from the broken lotus. She cupped Kiara's face between her hands. "Why are you crying? You won. You defeated a Demon King that even the Enlightened One couldn't destroy."

"But—but—"

"Hush now. This isn't how a victor should look." She gently wiped Kiara's wet cheeks with her thumbs.

"…Mm, you're right." Kiara straightened her shoulders. "I won't cry anymore. Never again!"

"Good." Demonic Bodhisattva smiled, then her expression turned grave. "Kiara, you must secure the future from the Lord of Salvation. Tell Mr. Shirou that my Master has already manifested in this world, and has been by his side from the beginning!"

Her voice grew urgent. "Everything about us, everything about him—it was all within the Lord of Salvation's grasp. Not the Arrow of Akasha, not the Emperor, not the Counter Force-Ideal King, not even the Enlightened One's actions—nothing escaped the Lord of Salvation's plan. Listen carefully! You must tell Mr. Shirou! The true identity of the Lord of Salvation is—"

…

"No—this can't be happening!" Sixth Seat howled, his face twisted in horror. "The Demon King actually—this is impossible!"

As the Black Tree collapsed, Paranirmitavaśavartin began crumbling like ancient stone. Sixth Seat, now fused with its spirit, felt his body breaking apart piece by piece.

"Looks like Kiara pulled it off," Manaka said, watching the destruction unfold.

Skadi's eyes narrowed as she studied the disintegrating Sixth Seat. "Letting you simply fall apart is too merciful for a beast like you."

"Unbelievable," Sixth Seat spat through gritted teeth, chunks of his body flaking away. "Even after becoming a Demon King, she kept her self-awareness. That Demonic Bodhisattva's obsession runs deeper than I thought!"

He gave Skadi and Manaka a hateful glare as his body continued to dissolve. "This isn't over. We'll meet again soon. You'll all become pawns in my revenge against the Holy Spirit! Soon—very soon—"

With a sharp crack, his body completely shattered, vanishing into nothing.

The collapse spread rapidly. With Paranirmitavaśavartin gone, the sealed Fomoire Abyss began breaking apart around them.

"We need to grab Kiara and get out," Skadi shouted over the rumbling. "This Fomoire Abyss is a relic from the Age of Gods—it's about to disappear!"

"Kiara will be fine," Manaka said, already turning away. "You go ahead. I still have unfinished business."

Before Skadi could protest, Manaka sprinted toward the collapsing Black Tree.

Skadi hesitated for just a moment, then turned and raced for the exit.