Rainana Royal Castle
Inside the Royal Castle, Prince Michael was stunned by the report of the monster's subjugation.
"Annihilated...? Impossible, that can’t be!"
He had assumed that even if the opponent was a monster, they could win by overwhelming it with numbers, just like they had with Absolute Ark. But the result was a miserable defeat.
"Why...? We defeated Absolute Ark! Is that monster stronger than Absolute Ark?"
Of course, even in her beast form, Uru couldn’t have beaten Absolute Ark. The reason the Royal Army was able to defeat Absolute Ark was because of the 【Absolute Evil】 skill, which weakened him against the Hero, who possessed holy power. Furthermore, brave soldiers acted as human shields every time the Hero was about to be killed, and the Saint repeatedly healed the Hero's fatal wounds while boosting the soldiers' morale with her beauty and skills.
It was the combination of all these factors that allowed them to achieve a miraculous victory. It was inevitable that the current Royal Army, lacking all of those elements, would be defeated.
"So the monster vanished… What in the world was it? A beastman? No, I've never heard of a beastman skill that powerful. Could they be holding a grudge against the Hero or our country...? We must also consider the possibility of an invasion from another nation."
For a moment, Michael considered a possibility that immediately denied. The possibility that it was the slave girl who had served Absolute Ark in the Ark House and had even won the martial arts tournament.
"She wasn't by Absolute Ark's side when he died. She must have grown tired of him and disappeared somewhere."
Although Michael denied it in his mind, a strange feeling wouldn't let him completely dismiss the idea.
And then—
"Your Majesty! A beastman woman is running around killing people in the castle! You must escape immediately!"
Michael's intuition was proven correct.
♢
Meanwhile, Uru entered the Royal Castle through the main gate, heading towards Michael while killing anyone she encountered.
(Soon, it will all be over. Then I can finally go to Master’s side.)
Uru couldn't fight alongside Absolute Ark. That's why she was trying to settle the score by killing those who had killed him.
Before ending her own life.
As she walked, she recalled the past.
How scared she was when they first met.
How he gave her sweets when she worked as a maid.
How he stroked her head.
How he protected her from the Hero at the academy.
How they went to delicious restaurants together many times.
How they loved each other.
How their child was born.
As she thought about her beloved Absolute Ark, who had given her nothing but happy memories, she reached for the door to Michael's room. There, Michael was waiting for her with an angry expression.
"Could it be that you're the one who defeated the Hero and the Royal Army?"
"What if I am?"
"Why? What's the point of taking tens of thousands of citizens with you just because you killed one Absolute Ark! Because of you, the Rainana Kingdom is finished! Answer me, you slave!"
Michael was furious. After all, Uru had killed at least a hundred thousand people just because one Absolute Ark had been killed.
Uru snorted as if mocking him.
(Just because I killed Master? Pathetic.)
To Michael, it might have been just one person. But to Uru, that one person was everything.
"Uru is going to Master's side now. I can't forgive the ones who killed Master for living so carefree. You will die and prostrate yourselves before Master and Uru in the afterlife."
"You're mad… But you underestimate me too much. I, a member of royalty, can use the strongest unique magic. Unique Magic, 『Absolute Invincible Armor』【King of Shield】activated!"
Light enveloped Michael's body. The light transformed into pure white, heavy armor that was equipped onto Michael's body.
"My unique magic nullifies all physical attacks and intermediate magic or lower. Beastmen fight mainly with physical attacks, so you have no means of attacking me, right? Now, come!"
Physical nullification was arguably Uru's greatest weakness. But Uru originally didn't intend to rely on physical attacks this time.
Dark magic spread throughout the room, centered around Uru's feet.
(Master, please lend me your strength.)
"Dark Hole!"
Uru used Absolute Ark's signature magic, which she had seen many times. Compared to Absolute Ark, who had a large amount of magical power, the power and range were weaker, but it was still effective enough.
Magical hands created from the dark magic dragged Michael into the darkness.
"No, that's Absolute Ark's magic?! Why do you have it! Damn it, let me go! Why do you continue to interfere with me even after death, Absolute Ark!"
"Master died in the battle two years ago. But Uru still remains in the Ark House. You lost to Master."
Michael's face contorted.
But everything below his head had already sunk into the darkness.
"Damn youuuuuuuu! Absolute Arkkkk!"
With a crazed voice close to a curse directed at Absolute Ark, Michael disappeared into the darkness.
He was the last opponent.
Uru quietly shed tears, basking in the afterglow of avenging her master.
How much she had regretted not being able to fight alongside him two years ago.
How painful it must have been for him to face everyone alone.
"Ugh… Master… This is… Your victory."
She muttered in a voice mixed with sobs.
Uru overwrote Absolute Ark's defeat with her own victory.
She had protected the pride of her master, no, of Absolute Ark.
Michael is dead.
◆
After defeating Michael, Uru walked through the royal capital. Before she died, she walked the streets she had walked with Absolute Ark many times, tracing their memories. There, she found her favorite sweets shop. It seemed to be still open.
"Excuse me…"
A stern-faced shopkeeper greeted her.
She felt a sense of relief seeing the shopkeeper and the shop, unchanged.
"Hmm? Oh, it's been a while. Welcome."
The shopkeeper probably knew about Absolute Ark, but he welcomed her without saying anything.
"I'd like a strawberry tart and a Mont Blanc, please."
Mont Blanc was what Absolute Ark often ate.
"Are you going to eat here?"
"Takeout, please."
The shopkeeper seemed to understand from looking at Uru's face, and he wrapped the items without saying anything.
"No charge… Hey, you don't have to go so far as to end your life, you know?"
The shopkeeper asked as a final attempt.
"Thank you. But the world without that person is still painful… The sweets here were always delicious! Thank you."
Leaving those words behind, she left the shop.
♢
Uru headed for the Ark House.
The territory, ravaged during the subjugation, had changed its scenery and looked like an unfamiliar town.
But the only thing that remained unchanged was the Ark House.
Even the subjugation army didn't destroy the mansion, which contained evidence and important documents.
The inside was sealed off, but the key hadn't been changed, so she used it to enter.
Of course, there was no one inside. Uru entered Absolute Ark's former room and placed tea and sweets for two.
Uru drank her share of the tart and tea and looked around the room. It was a room she had seen for many years, but it was her first time entering it in a while. Being in this room made her feel like she was back in those days.
After indulging in a little sentimentality, Uru stood opposite Absolute Ark's chair.
"Master, I'm going to your side now. I don't know what will happen when I die, but if we meet again in the next world, I want to fall in love with you again!"
Uru confessed her second love while shedding tears, and then stabbed her own heart with a knife.
At the end, she could die thinking about Absolute Ark as she had wished.
Uru was satisfied.
Her body lost its strength, and she collapsed to the ground.
Uru's vision turned white, and as death approached, it seemed like an unknown world was spreading out before her.
A pure white world with only white scenery. Before she knew it, Uru was there.
"...”
(Master?!)
It felt like she heard Absolute Ark's voice from somewhere in that world.
She could never forget the voice of her master, whom she had been with for many years.
Uru ran towards the source of the voice.
Unable to suppress her excitement, she simply headed towards the owner of the voice.
"...”
(There's no mistake.)
"...”
(Since you died, many things have happened. A child was born, and that child helped fill the void of losing you. But every time I thought I was happy, I remembered you… And every time, I couldn't help but want to see you.)
"…Uru."
(Ah, Master.)
The voice calling her grew closer and closer.
(…Welcome home. Master.)
Unable to hold back the overflowing tears, she jumped into the arms of the owner of the voice—
Uru's life disappeared.
Afterward, the Rainana Kingdom, having lost many members of the royal family and nobility, was absorbed into the Empire and transformed into a democratic nation over a long period.
And the name of the person leading that country was Uria Ark.
