Arou's steps grew faster.
Not because he was calm—
but because his chest felt tight.
Airi's sword trembled in his hand without rhythm.
Its light flickered up and down, as though it were breathing.
"Alien detected."
The mechanical voice echoed through the corridor.
Dozens of Aliens emerged from both sides.
Fushiku stepped forward.
"Arou, wai—"
"No."
Arou's voice was low.
Shaking.
He walked forward alone.
The first Alien attacked.
Arou did not shout.
He did not roar.
He swung.
One strike.
The Alien's body crashed into the wall.
The second and third followed.
Arou moved too fast.
Not with refined technique.
Not with perfect form.
His movements were chaotic.
"Why...?!"
Slash—
"The ones who die are always—"
Slash—
"The people I—"
Slash—
"WANT TO PROTECT THE MOST!!"
His sword blazed brightly—
then dimmed just as suddenly.
Arou stumbled.
The Aliens seized the opening.
Fushiku intercepted a strike that nearly reached him.
"Your emotions are leaking into your movements!"
"I KNOW!" Arou shouted.
His voice cracked.
He attacked again.
Not because of strategy.
But because he was afraid to stop.
Every Alien that fell—
Airi's face flashed through his mind.
His hands trembled even harder.
"Airi..."
"Airi!"
The sword suddenly felt heavy.
Arou dropped to one knee—
only for a second.
But it was enough.
The last Alien attacked.
Setsuna leapt in and cut it down from the side.
"Stop!"
His voice was sharp.
"If you keep fighting like this, you'll die before reaching the Alien King!"
Arou froze.
His breathing was ragged.
His eyes were wet.
"I'm..."
"I'm angry..."
"But I'm scared too..."
He lowered his head.
Airi's sword glowed weakly.
"I'm afraid that if I stop..."
"I'll truly lose her."
Fushiku stared at him for a long moment.
Then spoke quietly.
"It's okay to be angry."
"It's okay to cry."
"But don't let your anger drag you into death alongside her."
Arou bit his lip.
Tears fell onto the floor.
"...I hate this."
Airi's sword reacted.
Not with an explosion.
Its light became steadier.
Not because Arou had calmed down—
but because he had accepted his emotions instead of suppressing them.
Slowly, Arou stood.
His hands still trembled.
His eyes were still wet.
But his steps...
were steadier.
"I'll keep moving forward," he whispered.
"With my anger."
"With my grief."
"And with her sword."
Fushiku smiled faintly.
"That's the Arou I know."
Setsuna nodded.
"Let's move."
Far away—
the Alien Base alarms screamed louder than ever.
Xthalax knew.
The three humans were approaching.
---
The Place of Nothingness.
No color.
No sound.
No time.
Only emptiness.
Then—
a single footstep echoed.
Zata stood before a figure slowly taking shape from dim light.
Airi opened her eyes.
"Oh?"
A small smile appeared on her face.
"This place is pretty quiet."
Zata clicked his tongue.
"You stubborn woman."
Airi chuckled softly.
"Hehehe... sorry."
"I guess I was never suited for this game."
Zata stared at her.
"You broke the rules."
"You pushed yourself beyond your limits."
"You even disrupted the flow of the game."
Airi shrugged casually.
"What was I supposed to do?"
"The protagonist was about to fall apart."
Zata snorted.
"You know the consequences."
Airi nodded.
"I do."
She looked into the endless void.
"That's why I don't regret it."
Zata remained silent.
"You lost an eye."
"You died."
"And you're still smiling?"
Airi glanced at him.
"Smiling is free, isn't it?"
Zata let out a long, irritated sigh.
"You're unbelievably troublesome."
Airi laughed.
"Says the guy who made the game."
"Yet gets mad whenever the players go off-script."
Zata rubbed his forehead.
"If it weren't for—"
"For Arou?" Airi interrupted.
Zata fell silent.
Airi smiled warmly.
"Don't worry."
"I'm not asking to come back."
She stared into the emptiness.
"Just make sure he doesn't completely break."
Zata watched her quietly.
"...You trust him too much."
Airi's smile softened.
"Because he's worth trusting."
Zata turned away.
"The game continues."
Airi closed her eyes.
"Yeah."
"And he'll keep walking..."
"Even while he's hurting."
Before her form faded away, she whispered softly—
as though she knew Arou would somehow hear her.
"Arou..."
"Don't cry for too long, okay?"
The light disappeared.
Leaving Zata alone.
"...Annoying."
He sighed.
"Too many stubborn players."
Yet for the first time—
his smile wasn't entirely relaxed.
---
Arou suddenly stopped.
Not because of an enemy.
Not because of hesitation.
Something was pulling at his chest.
"Arou..."
The voice was faint.
Not in his ears.
Inside him.
Arou tightened his grip on Airi's sword.
Its light pulsed warmly.
Different from before.
"...Airi?"
Fushiku looked back.
"You heard something?"
Arou nodded slowly.
"Not clearly..."
"But I know it was her."
The sword pulsed once.
As if answering.
Setsuna lifted his head.
"The atmosphere here has changed."
The space before them split apart.
The throne room opened completely.
And there—
stood Xthalax.
The Alien King.
Massive.
Covered in living metal.
His alien eyes glowed coldly.
"Humans..."
"And pests."
Fushiku raised his weapon.
"Alien King."
Xthalax laughed.
"So this is the protagonist who caught Lord Zata's interest?"
His gaze fell upon Arou.
"Oh?"
A grin spread across his face.
"You've lost something."
Arou stepped forward.
Not calmly.
Not screaming.
His steps were heavy.
His eyes were red.
"Be quiet."
His voice was low.
Airi's sword lit up.
Not with a blinding glow.
But with a steady one.
"I didn't come here to hear your speeches."
Arou raised the sword.
"I came to end this."
And for the first time—
the protagonist who had been broken by loss
stood before a king.
The wind blew gently across the grass.
For the first time in a long while—
there were no alarms.
No monsters.
No countdowns.
No games.
Arou stood on a hill overlooking the city.
Below him, life continued as if nothing had happened.
People laughed.
Cars moved along the roads.
Children ran through the park.
Normal.
Peaceful.
Real.
"...It's over."
His voice was quiet.
Yet it felt strange to say those words.
Behind him, footsteps approached.
"You came all the way up here again."
Arou glanced over his shoulder.
Nova.
Shion.
Arthur.
Rei.
Feeth.
And a little farther behind—
Fushiku and Setsuna.
Everyone was alive.
Everyone had returned.
Nova crossed her arms.
"You disappear every morning."
Arthur laughed.
"It's suspicious."
"Very suspicious."
Arou shook his head.
"I just wanted some fresh air."
"Liar," Rei replied immediately.
Feeth nodded.
"Definitely a liar."
For a moment—
they all laughed.
A simple laugh.
The kind of thing that once felt impossible.
Fushiku stood beside Arou.
His gaze drifted toward the horizon.
"You've changed."
Arou smiled faintly.
"Probably."
"You don't look like someone carrying the world anymore."
Arou looked down at the sword resting at his side.
Airi's sword.
Its light had long faded.
Now it was just a sword.
Or perhaps—
something more.
"I still miss her."
The words escaped naturally.
No hesitation.
No denial.
Setsuna looked toward the sky.
"That's normal."
Arou nodded.
"Yeah."
Silence followed.
Not an uncomfortable silence.
A peaceful one.
The kind shared by people who had survived together.
Then—
a familiar voice echoed.
Light.
Playful.
Annoyingly relaxed.
"My, my."
Everyone froze.
A crack appeared in the air.
Zata stepped out.
Hands in his pockets.
Smiling as always.
"...You."
Nova immediately looked ready to punch him.
Arthur groaned.
"Oh no."
"Not him again."
Zata ignored them.
His eyes settled on Arou.
"So."
"How does it feel?"
Arou stared at him.
"For once..."
"...I don't know."
Zata chuckled.
"Good answer."
The wind passed between them.
Then Zata's smile softened slightly.
Almost imperceptibly.
"The Seventh Game is over."
"But stories don't end because games do."
Arou narrowed his eyes.
"What are you trying to say?"
Zata pointed toward the distant horizon.
The sky shimmered.
For a split second—
Arou saw countless lights.
Countless worlds.
Countless possibilities.
Then they vanished.
"The universe is much larger than you think."
Zata turned away.
"And some stories haven't reached their ending yet."
Arou frowned.
"You're not starting another game, are you?"
Zata laughed loudly.
"Hahahaha!"
"No."
A pause.
"Not today."
"That doesn't sound reassuring."
"It wasn't supposed to."
Everyone collectively sighed.
Typical Zata.
He took a few steps forward before stopping.
Without turning around, he spoke one last time.
"Oh."
"And Arou."
Arou looked up.
The wind suddenly felt warmer.
"She was proud of you."
Arou froze.
The world became quiet.
For just a moment.
Then—
Zata disappeared.
Gone.
No portal.
No light.
Nothing.
Only silence remained.
Arou stood there for a long time.
His hand resting on Airi's sword.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Small.
Fragile.
But genuine.
"...Thanks."
The wind carried the words away.
Toward somewhere unseen.
Somewhere beyond worlds.
And for the first time since the Seventh Game began—
Arou walked forward.
Not because of destiny.
Not because of loss.
Not because someone told him to.
But because he chose to.
And somewhere far beyond sight—
a girl with gentle blue eyes smiled.
The story of the Seventh Game had ended.
But Arou's journey—
had only just begun.