"Master hasn't changed at all."
Raon let out a dry laugh as he watched Rimmer stand with his chest puffed out proudly.
'That's not an act.'
He had considered it might be the Leader of the White Blood Religion's magic, but that was definitely not the case. Only Rimmer could be so brazen as to openly ask to borrow money like that.
-Indeed!
Wrath nodded his head emphatically.
-That shameless face cannot be created by mere magic!
He smiled warmly, confirming this was indeed the real Pointy Ears.
"Master? Martha called me master too..."
Rimmer's eyes widened in curiosity.
"Why does everyone call me master?"
He tilted his head in confusion.
"So you did help Martha after all, Master."
From Rimmer's words, it seemed he had helped Martha with her revenge inside the Sword Domain.
"I merely gave her a push."
Rimmer waved his hand, saying he hadn't done anything special.
"Martha was the one who moved her legs and swung her sword."
He curled his lips in a smile, proud of how Martha had become a worthy swordsman.
"I agree."
Raon nodded, thinking of Martha who had finally achieved her goal.
"Never mind that! Why do you keep calling me master!"
Rimmer furrowed his brows in curiosity.
"There's nothing else to call you. You're no longer the Division Leader or Vice Division Leader."
Raon raised his hand toward Rimmer.
"Instructor feels too cold like in the old days, so Master is more fitting."
Though there were other things he could be called, Master was the most suitable title to describe Rimmer.
"If you don't like Master, I could call you lazy bum, gambler, debtor, or sleepyhead instead."
Raon wiggled his fingers as he offered the choices.
"L-let's stick with Master."
Rimmer sighed, finding none of the alternatives appealing. Talking face to face with him like this felt like being back at the fifth training ground.
"Right. Come to think of it, I am dead."
Rimmer let out a bitter smile as he realized that was why he couldn't be called Division Leader or Vice Division Leader anymore.
"That's right..."
Raon pressed his lips tightly together.
"But how did you end up inside the Blade of Requiem?"
He asked what he had been wondering about to break the gloomy atmosphere.
"I'm not sure?"
Rimmer blinked, as if wondering why Raon would ask him that.
"What?"
"They might have pulled me in, or I might have gone in on my own. I'm not really sure."
He shrugged his shoulders, indicating he didn't know the details himself.
"That's such a typical answer from you, Master."
Raon let out a dry laugh and nodded. Even without getting an answer, he was enjoying himself. He wished this moment could last a little longer.
"Still, I got to see many good things because of it."
Rimmer slowly closed his eyes.
"I was by your side when you reached Transcendence and avenged me, when you brought down the Black Tower, when you split The Fallen's soul, and even today when you tore apart the Leader of the White Blood Religion's soul."
He opened his eyes as he spoke of sharing all those moments.
"But more than those great achievements, I was happiest during the simple moments - eating together, training together, sleeping together. Every moment spent with you all was precious."
Rimmer smiled softly, saying he was content just watching over the Light Wind Palace.
"So you were just slacking off after all."
Raon smiled faintly as he asked why Rimmer hadn't shown himself if he'd been there the whole time.
"Sorry about that. You know how much I love to sleep."
Rimmer played along with the joke, pressing his hands together as if asking for forgiveness.
"Truth is, I entrusted the Light Wind division to you because it was you. If it had been anyone else, I wouldn't have handed over the children even if the Head of House came. My choice was right after all."
He revealed a nostalgic look in his eyes as he gazed at each of the Light Wind Palace Swordsmen outside.
"Master..."
Raon let out a heavy sigh as he looked at Rimmer's downcast eyes.
"Have your thoughts about becoming head of house changed?"
Rimmer raised his right eyebrow, asking about Raon's thoughts on becoming the head of the Zieghart family.
"No. Now..."
Raon lifted his now steady gaze as he thought about today's battle.
"I want to climb up there on my own."
After avenging Derus, he couldn’t leave because he had grown too attached to the people of Zieghart, or rather, to Zieghart itself. If he could, he wanted to become the head of the house and protect everyone like Glenn.
"I knew you'd say that! That throne belongs to you!"
Rimmer clapped his hands enthusiastically. Hearing his applause after so long made Raon's heart burn with emotion.
"Get rid of that old man and that envious Karoon, and hurry up there!"
He shook his fist as he spoke words that would bring down dozens of lightning bolts if Glenn heard them.
"Lord Karoon has changed a lot. He's not an easy opponent anymore."
"Well, that's true. I never expected him to change like that."
Rimmer smirked, suggesting there were ways to reform people.
"Ah, wait! Hey you! Why haven't you answered when I asked if you had money!"
He reached out his hand as if suddenly remembering his request for money.
"I have plenty of money."
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Rimmer's palm.
"But none to give to you."
Even knowing his gambling addiction, Raon never expected him to lose even his underwear gambling with spirits. The absurdity of it was so energizing it made him feel alive again.
"Did you really lose money to the spirits?"
"I'm telling you! Those guys are card sharks! The cards keep changing in their hands!"
Rimmer waved a deck of playing cards that had appeared from nowhere. Seeing this, it really seemed he had been gambling inside the Blade of Requiem.
"Hah..."
Raon let out a long sigh while holding his forehead.
"So should I melt down some gold coins and burn them for you? Or should I bury them?"
He asked because traditionally, to send money to the dead, one had to either burn it or bury it in the ground.
"Huh? Did you become an idiot while I was gone?"
Rimmer twirled his finger near his head as if suggesting Raon had gone crazy.
"Obviously you need to send it to people! I have addresses!"
He tapped his crown, telling Raon to come to his senses.
-Oh, this is infuriating!
Wrath ground his teeth in frustration.
-That fellow has a talent for irritating me whether dead or alive!
Despite his words about the irritating Pointy Ears, he wore a very faint smile.
"A-addresses? Spirits have addresses?"
Raon furrowed his brows in confusion.
"Real addresses, of course! Using the Soul Sword must have made you stupid!"
"Well, of course I'm confused when you suddenly start talking about real people's addresses after discussing spirits!"
Raon shouted. He found himself laughing, realizing this was the first time since Rimmer's death that someone's words had caught him off guard.
"Some of these spirits have parents or children outside the village. Some want to help people they knew. I'd like you to look after those people."
As Rimmer spoke, he placed his hand on Raon's forehead. As a gentle breeze blew from his fingers, the stories of the spirits and the faces and locations of the people they wanted to help flashed through Raon's mind.
"Can you do that?"
Rimmer pressed his hands together pleadingly.
"Master..."
Raon touched his forehead where Rimmer's hand had been and smiled softly.
"You really haven't changed at all."
Despite appearing like human garbage on the outside, his master still had the deepest heart of anyone. Confirming that he hadn't changed set Raon's uneasy heart at peace.
"I understand. I'll take care of everything with the money you left behind. I'm still making donations to that orphanage too."
Raon nodded solemnly, telling him not to worry.
"Ah, it's embarrassing when you mention that..."
Rimmer clutched his head as if remembering his secret vault.
"Usually people feel proud about donations and embarrassed about gambling, you know?"
Raon let out a dry laugh at Rimmer's reversed reactions.
"I'm not your usual ordinary person!"
"That's true enough. Damn Elf..."
He chuckled and nodded. Just exchanging these light jokes seemed to make all his fatigue disappear.
"And... hm?"
Rimmer lowered his eyebrows as he noticed the spirits gradually fading away while trying to say something else.
"Looks like our time is up."
He clicked his tongue, saying it was time to leave.
"The spirits..."
Raon's fingers trembled as he watched the spirits grow dim.
"Will they be able to go to a good place?"
"No."
Rimmer shook his head, his smile gone.
"No matter how unjust their deaths were, these fellows ignored the world's laws and remained in this realm. If they had stopped there, it might have been different, but they achieved their revenge too, so they can't go to a good place."
He let out a heavy sigh, saying only oblivion remained for them.
"I see..."
Though he had known this honestly, hearing it still made his heart ache. It seemed this really was the end of his journey with the Blade of Requiem.
"So..."
Rimmer took a step toward him.
"These fellows want to give you one last gift."
When he snapped his fingers, the spirits poured toward Raon just as they had when targeting the Leader of the White Blood Religion. Whoosh! Unlike when they had devoured the Leader, the spirits approached his soul without baring their teeth, leaving behind their pure energy.
"Wait, hold on! If they leave their power with me, those fellows will..."
Raon looked at Rimmer with trembling eyes.
"It's power that would be meaningless for them to keep. It's a gift from comrades, so it would be proper to accept it."
Rimmer nodded, saying gratitude was enough.
"Comrades..."
Raon bit his lip hard as he watched his soul grow stronger while the spirits grew weaker. After transferring their pure energy and souls to him, the spirits returned behind Rimmer, surrounded by the same purple aura they had when they first entered the Blade of Requiem.
[You have received the spirits' sincere gratitude.]
[Trait evolves into trait .]
Raon performed the Zieghart sword salute to the spirits, sensing that he could now draw upon the Soul Sword with his own power alone.
"Thank you."
Just as the spirits had shown their sincerity to him, he showed his sincerity to them. The spirits sent one final message expressing their own gratitude before slowly rising into the air. Their very existence began to fade from this world.
"So this is the end."
Rimmer gave a thin smile as he watched his body grow dim like the spirits.
"What will happen to you, Master?"
Raon grabbed Rimmer's hand.
"My soul has been tainted by staying with the spirits, so I probably can't return to the World Tree right away."
Rimmer wrinkled his nose, saying he wouldn't be able to melt back into nature like other Elves.
"Once my soul is purified as I wander the world as wind, I might try visiting. I might even become a spirit."
He waved his hand gently, saying he would still keep watching over him.
"Master..."
Raon clenched his teeth while refusing to let go of Rimmer's hand.
"I wanted to help Martha achieve her revenge, see Runaan overcome her trauma, and watch Burren defeat his father, but what I looked forward to most was seeing you ascend to Zieghart's throne. I'll definitely be watching."
He gently pulled his hand free, promising to visit no matter what.
"I can't call you little king anymore. Become a king you can be proud of."
After saying this was his final request, Rimmer rose into the sky as a green wind.
"Tell the Light Wind Palace children to live doing what makes them happy. Holding back only leads to sickness."
He clicked his tongue regretfully, as if wishing he had time to visit and advise each one personally.
"Ah! Lastly, tell Sheryl to never forget me and remember me forever! Tell her she must live alone!"
After shouting to make sure to tell this to Sheryl, Rimmer disappeared northward along with the purple mist left by the spirits.
-T-that's telling her to live as an old maid!
Wrath gaped in disbelief.
-Leaving with a curse! He's truly insane!
He shook his head, saying Rimmer was truly crazy.
'That's not it.'
Raon calmly shook his head.
'Since Lady Sheryl never listens to Master, he means the opposite - for her to forget him and find someone good.'
Rimmer wanted Sheryl to forget about him and be happy.
"You must..."
Raon wiped away the clear, light green teardrops that had formed in his eyes as he looked at the sky where Rimmer had disappeared.
"You must come back."
He gripped the Heavenly Drive, vowing to show Rimmer the moment he was looking forward to.
***
"...Are you alright?"
Runaan held Raon's shoulder, her eyes wide.
"After a purple flash burst from the handle of the Blade of Requiem, Palace Master didn't move for a while."
Burren shook his head, saying he thought Raon had fainted with his eyes open.
"Yeah. I'm fine."
Raon let out a weak laugh as he picked up the Wooden Ring Sword that had fallen at his feet.
"I have something to tell you all..."
"Raon!"
Martha looked up from checking on Denier and raised her hand to him.
"I saw that lazy Elf! In the Soul Sword you sent..."
"I met him too."
Raon nodded, saying he knew everything.
"L-lazy Elf? Could it be..."
"No 'could it be' about it! There's only one lazy Elf in the world!"
"You saw Master?"
"Where, how!"
The Light Wind Palace Swordsmen, who had been doing different tasks, all gathered around him and Martha.
"I'll go first. Inside my Sword Domain..."
Martha began telling them what had happened to her.
"Wait, hold on. So Miss Rakshasa can't hold a sword anymore?"
Runaan's eyes trembled, as if unable to believe Martha was no longer a swordsman.
"Yes. My soul is bound by a restriction. Even if I wanted to, I probably couldn't use swordsmanship."
Martha nodded, saying the blood oath was wrapped around her soul.
"You. No. Hah..."
Burren's lips moved silently, as if not knowing what to say.
"I'm fine. Thanks to this, I was able to complete my revenge."
Martha let out a refreshing laugh, saying she didn't regret it at all.
"Hick!"
"Division Leader..."
"Martha..."
The Light Wind Palace Swordsmen, sensing Martha's resolve, bit their lips and asked no more questions.
"I'll tell you what happened next. When the handle of the Blade of Requiem broke..."
Raon told them about what had happened with Rimmer to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
"Gambling with spirits? That Elf hasn't changed."
Burren snickered as if imagining Rimmer's pathetic expression.
"Yeah. Still an idiot..."
Runaan nodded with the slightest smile on her lips.
"It was so comfortable when Master was teaching..."
Krein closed his eyes, saying he now understood how precious Rimmer had been.
"At least he wasn't trying to kill us. This is hell..."
Dorian sighed, noting the difference in training intensity.
"It's because of the Palace Master's hellish training that we're alive now."
Mark Goetun placed his hand on his sword, saying they were able to overcome the Leader of the White Blood Religion's pressure thanks to facing the Soul Sword.
"That's true."
Martha nodded in agreement.
"If it weren't for that training, I would have died long ago."
She smiled faintly, saying she had endured thanks to that harsh training.
"And also... Ah!"
Martha quickly turned her gaze toward the groan she heard beside her.
"Are you conscious?"
She rushed to Denier as she saw him struggling to open his eyes where he had fallen.
"M-Martha..."
Denier whispered Martha's name in a parched voice.
"A-are you alright?"
Martha held Denier's hand. The desperation in her eyes suggested she still considered him a father.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."
Denier repeated his apologies in a raspy voice.
"Don't speak! The medical team will be here soon!"
Martha shouted at him to please stay still, holding his shoulders to keep him from moving.
"I-I was born in falsity, but thanks to you, I was able to live a true life at the end."
Denier slowly raised his hand with a gentle smile.
"Thank you so much."
He tapped Martha's forehead with his glowing white finger.
"Bloody energy?"
Runaan gritted her teeth and drew her sword.
"No."
Raon raised his arm to stop Runaan. This was the same technique Rimmer had used on him to transfer memories.
"Ah, aah..."
Martha sat dazed as if reading Denier's memories, then gasped and widened her eyes.
"Y-you. How could you..."
Her eyes filled with tears so thick her dark pupils were no longer visible.
"Thanks to you, I can die as a human..."
Denier smiled like a gentle father, as if proving his words about being human.
"I'll take on your remaining karma."
He roughly grabbed Martha's wrist as if his original power had returned. The blood oath that had been wrapped around Martha's soul began to be drawn into Denier.
"Let go! Let me go!"
Martha screamed and tried to shake off Denier's hand, but he absolutely wouldn't let go. He seemed to be using all the energy of his final moment before death.
'The oath has become a curse.'
Unlike Martha who kept her promise, Denier would suffer terrible pain for trying to transfer her oath to his own soul. That pain would likely never fade, even in death.
"Kuheck..."
Though Denier coughed up blood repeatedly from the unbearable pain, he absolutely refused to let go of Martha's wrist until the end. His firm resolve burned like flames in his red eyes. Finally, Denier pulled the blood oath that had been constricting Martha's soul into his own soul, multiplying its power several times.
"W-why..."
"You were the light of my life."
Denier raised his trembling hand to wipe away Martha's tears.
"My beloved daughter."
With those words of love as his last, he closed his eyes. His tear-wet hand fell heavily to the ground like a stone.
"G-get up..."
Martha's chin trembled as she clutched Denier's sleeve.
"Get up! You promised to explain everything to me! Not through memories, tell me with your own mouth!"
She struck the ground with her bleeding fist and buried her face in Denier's chest.
"Father..."