The light radiating from Tonbokiri grew increasingly bewitching. In the pitch-black space of consciousness, Futayo Honda heard two voices calling out to her: "Get up, get up!"
Her awareness gradually cleared, and she saw two handsome men standing in the darkness. However, their bodies were faint and blurry, with a broken sword and a shattered seven-colored shield clearly visible within them.
"Nice to meet you. I am the first guardian knight of the Angel—my name is Yuu. My title is Blade of the Broken Sword."
"I am the second guardian knight of the Angel, Dariel. My title is Shield of Dawn," the two introduced themselves.
"Angel?" Futayo looked puzzled.
"They mean the Divine One," said the gentle Yuu.
Hearing this, little Futayo lowered her head in shame. Though called a guardian knight, she could not protect her lord—she could not even protect the one she was sworn to serve.
"The Angel is now in danger. We no longer have the strength to guard the Angel. That is why we need you to take our place and protect them," Yuu continued.
"What must I do?" Futayo asked, her face tense.
"That is for you to decide. We can only give you the remnants of our power," Yuu said with a shake of his head.
"But I was never granted the right to choose freely," Futayo replied, her expression stiff.
Yuu fell silent. Freedom and vows—Futayo possessed neither. Her life was not her own to choose. There were two things she lacked: "willfulness and impulse."
No one could grant these to her, for no one had the right to redeem her.
"We have long been dead. What remains of us are but fragments of souls. Our greatest regret is that we could not guard the Angel for eternity," said Dariel, whose nature was once twisted. Those who are extreme understand those like themselves.
"Accept our power! Take our place in protecting the Angel. Then your life will carry three duties—one of loyalty, and two of protection for the Angel. With the number of duties altered, so too will their weight. Even if lost, you will still have choice."
Dariel smiled faintly. "But know this—if you accept our power and our mission, your life will shift from loyalty toward protection. Tell me, what is your choice?"
"I... I do not know," Futayo said, shaken. The beliefs instilled in her by her father for more than ten years were wavering.
"You need only speak the desire in your heart. Leave the rest to us," Dariel said.
"I wish to protect my lord," Futayo said firmly. That was the one thing beyond all doubt.
"Then, accept our power! It does not matter if you cannot yet bear the mission," Dariel and Yuu exchanged glances and nodded. Then their bodies vanished, transforming into a broken sword and a shattered shield that flew toward Futayo.
At that moment, Futayo's glowing body began to change. A golden broken sword appeared above her head, forming four radiant golden characters: "Blade of the Broken Sword."
"Broken blade reforged, the knight returns." The golden words split into eight, merging into Futayo's body. Her empty HP bar surged upward—red, yellow, orange, green.
At the same time, a seven-colored broken shield appeared above her head, forming four shining characters: "Shield of Dawn."
"Broken shield restored, brilliance reborn." The letters turned to eight and merged into her body. A rainbow light burst from above her.
Crack! The black letters "Abnormal Status ×99" shattered. The colorful light illuminated the entire Crystal Guild. The abnormal status above everyone's heads broke apart at once.
People groaned, dazed, and slowly sat up.
Futayo now stood with a radiant glow above her head—half golden, half rainbow-colored. All eyes turned toward her.
On the golden side shone large golden words: "For the sword: Though time passes, my heart remains true."
On the rainbow side glimmered radiant letters: "For the shield: Even if bones shatter and death comes ninefold, I do not regret."
The golden and rainbow lights intertwined, merging into a pillar of brilliant blue that pierced the heavens—shattering the very sky itself.
Futayo Honda opened her eyes, and blue characters appeared above her head: "My heart shall not perish; loyalty shall endure forever!"
It was over. The red-name players' nightmare ended the very moment Futayo opened her eyes.
Her blue figure dashed through the red-name ranks. Hundreds of them were sent flying, each one struck down and left crippled upon landing—unable to fight again.
At that moment, the mysterious girl Madoka lifted her gaze toward the sky, her lips moving silently as she mouthed words to Kayaba Akihiko above.
Adjusting his glasses, Kayaba suddenly remembered. When Kibaou had first heard about Kurumi and Asuna's relationship, he had been consumed by emotions of total destruction! That could be exploited.
"This scapegoat is getting heavy," Kayaba muttered, his hand trembling slightly. Taking advantage of his remaining control over the system, he quickly implanted an alluring voice into Kibaou's mind: "Kimi-nee is about to belong to someone else. Rather than watch her leave you, wouldn't it be better to perish together with her—while she's still yours?"
"I failed to protect my lord in her hour of peril. I deserve to die a thousand deaths!" Futayo once again dropped to one knee before Kurumi, bowing her head solemnly in apology.
"Uu!" Madoka let out a pitiful cry, curling up timidly within the flowerbed like a frightened animal.
"Kimi-nee is going to belong to someone else!" Kibaou muttered blankly as he began staggering toward Kurumi.
"Big Sister Honda! You're scaring Madoka!" Silica exclaimed, still in tears of joy after despair. She hugged the trembling girl tightly, gently patting her to calm her shaking body.
Although Futayo's face was still tense, her eyes were filled with confusion. What is my lord doing...? Could she have been struck in the head?
"Damn it, I truly deserve to die a thousand deaths!" Futayo's head drooped even lower.
"Kimi-nee is going to belong to someone else..." Kibaou walked unsteadily forward, his aura growing more and more deranged.
"Uuu... Kurumi-chan turned into Madoka again... But I'm just so glad she's alright!" Asuna sobbed uncontrollably, embracing Kurumi tightly. The emotional whiplash was simply too much for her heart to bear.
"Kimi-nee belongs to someone else now." Kibaou stopped before Kurumi, his eyes empty and void of life.
"Uu! Asuna-senpai, why are you hugging me? It's Madoka right now!" Silica turned her head toward Asuna, who was hugging Kurumi from the opposite side. Their eyes met—and at that moment, a long sword flashed between their gazes.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl. Asuna's and Silica's pupils shrank to the limit.
Shhk! The sword pierced straight through Madoka's chest. Kibaou's face twisted into a blissful smile. "Kimi-nee, let us disappear together."
In an instant, Madoka's HP dropped from near death to zero. Her body shattered into countless fragments of light, scattering into the air. The glow lingered faintly as Silica and Asuna, losing their balance with nothing left to hold, collapsed together into the flowerbed.
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