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“Miss Ophelia, I’m here. We successfully destroyed Surut, all thanks to… all thanks to you…”

Mash reported the results of the battle to Ophelia, her voice trembling as she spoke.

Upon hearing Mashu's voice, Ophelia stirred slightly and said with relief, while Mashu listened attentively.

"Mash, you're amazing! I didn't expect you to actually defeat that guy. I have no right to blame Kadoc anymore. And stopping you was definitely... something from the very beginning..."

If it were possible, I'd like to... cheer you on on your journey... but I can't, I'm sorry, Mash. I can't betray Lord Kilshtalia, I don't want to betray him.

"Do not……"

“By the way, Mashu, do you know? I… while I might not reach the same level of longing as Brunhilde for Sigurd… as for Lady Kirshtalia…”

"Hmm. Although I don't know the detailed structure, you kept staring at him, and that was... I felt that it was the kind of feeling I had seen in many books and intelligence reports, what is called love-like emotion."

Although Mashu didn't fully understand this, she was quite certain of what she had seen.

"Really? That's strange. I didn't have those kinds of thoughts. My feelings are... I'm a magician at heart... love and all that..."

"Magicians fall in love too, right? And it's definitely not a mistake, at least that's what I think."

"Is that so... Hmm, perhaps. Mashu sees things much more clearly than I do... You really have grown up beautifully."

"I'm so happy about this, Mashu. There's another me in Chaldea, sealed off by ice and snow, always gazing out the window. Even though comparing me to the timid me who lives every day might bother you, I've always wanted to be with you…"

Ophelia didn't say those words aloud; she only kept the thought of "I want to be your friend" to herself. Instead, she encouraged Mash with the following words:

“You must keep moving forward, take steps, Mash Kyrielight.”

“Yes, I will, Miss Ophelia. We will continue to move forward, we will never back down, we will protect humanity, survive, and then… we will…”

"Well, if it were you guys, you might be able to do it, but for me... my feelings are a bit... complicated..."

……

"And so, the Nordic Lostbelt was saved—and the Shadow Border embarked on its journey. Congratulations, congratulations!"

...Although I'm very unwilling, something that goes exactly as I wish will never happen.

As Shido walked through the twenty-third village, he muttered these words with his eyes closed.

On the edge of the twenty-third village, the towering, fantastical tree finally came to rest.

"The transformation of existence, no, it's more like a plant. Surut didn't completely devour the Imaginary Tree; its roots remained almost entirely on the ground, and the trunk wasn't completely severed..."

"Exactly. Presumably, the Imaginary Tree is also connected to the roots within Surut's body through spatial distortion."

It's amazing. Even I, a god, would find it difficult to do such a thing. For this tree, it's just a function to maintain its survival.

The Imaginary Tree—where did it come from? Haven't you ever wondered that, my fellow Chaldea people from the pan-human history?

Skadi, who was standing in front of the Imaginary Tree, suddenly turned around and looked at the Chaldeans who had followed her there, and asked them a question.

"Hmm. The Imaginary Tree is shrouded in mystery, and we know little about it either, but so you are too, Scáthach Skadi. Cultivating beings of unknown origin... intending to let them completely overwhelm a world where no one cares."

Mashu's expression wasn't good, and she must have realized it, which is why she also asked Wuskadi a question.

"So what?" Skadi asked, closing her eyes, but without waiting for an answer, she continued speaking on her own:

"I must protect my world, though it goes without saying now. I am just like you, Chaldea, the pan-human history. It is based on responsibility and awareness that life and death are decided."

As Skadi spoke, she changed her posture and altered the clothes she was wearing.

"Don't be so surprised. This is the wedding dress that I never managed to wear, and it's also my only combat outfit now."

"It would be more accurate to say that there is a re-arrival. Even the Heroic Spirit enhancement technique based on Chaldean summoning is one of the things you can control at will? The so-called gods are truly terrifying beings."

"Heh, terrifying beings? To me now, you are the monsters. Chaldea, monsters who could even defeat the Flame Giant King."

Upon hearing Holmes's praise, Skadi couldn't help but laugh; such praise was simply too wonderful.

The Flame Giant King was a monster she had ignored and could not face squarely; the embers of Ragnarok were something she could not extinguish even now.

"In my memory, they barely managed to win by borrowing a lot of manpower from many parties... It seems you don't think so, Skadi."

“That’s right, if we rely on ourselves alone, we simply cannot…”

"That's the point, that's what's truly terrifying. Despite having no real power to stop you, you managed to do it so successfully, as if walking on thin ice."

Or perhaps, is this a miracle achieved in my already sparse Nordic region... a connection with all things in the world? "⑤～［

Faced with Skadi's words, everyone seemed to be able to remain silent. When Holmes hesitated for a while before calling out to Skadi, who had closed her eyes and was lost in her emotions, he was met with a sharp rebuke.

"Shut up, don't shake my resolve. The moment you open your mouth, you remind me of the myths of pan-human history."

There is no such myth here, no goddess, and no such past. My Nordic existence exists only here, not your final destination.

If you choose to consider this place your home, I, as a god, as a queen, as a mother, will love you forever…

But this is impossible. You will continue your journey, as you have in the past and as you will in the future. To destroy the Lostbelts, to reclaim your world.

Since that's the case, let's not waste any more words; it'll only leave us with emptiness.

Chapter Fifty-Two Farewell

"Ottlind".

"Yes, my God."

The last Valkyrie Tlind stood before the goddess, ready to serve.

"What are your plans? I grant you permission; you are free to choose."

This is the final moment of this Lostbelt. The loving goddess will not distort the wishes of the children she loves. jiu⒋$：8×②④san3＄¤嶙`∵⑤中≈○转◎＠ＱUN：Listen one last time to the choice of the girl before her.

“I intend to follow my own will, just as Sister Brunhilde, as well as Slud and Hilde, and just now… what you said.”

I follow you by my own will. I inherited the Norse sagehood, Scáthach, from my father. —Please enter the command.

Having witnessed the events of the past few days and seen the choices her three older sisters made, Otlind finally understood everything she had not been able to comprehend before.

"Prepare for battle. We will defend this tree to the death."

Skadi's gaze turned serious, the expression of a warrior about to go to the battlefield.

She issued her orders to maintain the existence of the Nordic Lostbelt, and the Imaginary Tree in front of her must not be destroyed.

What follows is the final battle between the two worlds; the victor in the desperate situation will survive and continue to fight against other competitors.

The seven Lostbelts and the history of humankind can only produce one victor in the end, so the war cannot end and must continue indefinitely.

"Understood."

Otrind simultaneously prepared for battle, unleashing her long-lost Valkyrie prowess.

This Nordic Lostbelt hasn't seen such a dashing Valkyrie in a long time, for this is a land that cannot produce heroes, and Valkyrie's former responsibilities can no longer be fulfilled. 4

Now, she will once again guide the heroes to the hall of the fallen, or perhaps guide herself to her own destiny. 8

"Did you hear that? The voice of those two birds soaring through the sky in Chaldea. If you can defeat me and cut down the Imaginary Tree, then I will tell you their true identities."

The two birds that often circled above the heads of the Chaldeans reappeared, soaring through the sky as if still observing the land.

"Ugh, sob. Was this battle unavoidable no matter what?"

Goldruff asked somberly, "Skadi is indeed not someone who can be easily regarded as an enemy."

This loving goddess showed her love for all people without reservation, making it difficult for anyone to feel hostility towards her. 5

"Yes, it's unavoidable. And these kinds of things will continue to happen in the future. As the Queen said, we also have to question our responsibility and awareness, and challenge her."

Leonardo da Vinci ruthlessly shattered Goldruff's illusions, a point that must be faced squarely and cannot be avoided.

"What we are about to decide is the life and death of two worlds, a weight that words cannot bear. If we are still thinking about avoiding anything now, we are being too sluggish. Be prepared, Master, and Mash."

This time, Manju did not take Shiva's trident, but only grasped the hilt of Balmong's sword.

After all, his condition was only barely able to hold together the broken spirit core. Once he used a large-scale release of magic power, the unstable spirit core would inevitably shatter.

Therefore, it's best to use a slightly weaker Noble Phantasm first, and then unleash the most powerful weapon when it's time to fight to the death.

“I understand… It is precisely because we share this idea that we are standing here.”

Fujimaru Ritsuka is no longer a completely naive and ignorant girl. She still knows what she is doing, and although the sinful moments test one's heart, she must continue on.

Because the consequence of not continuing is the destruction of oneself and one's world, and the reason for survival is sufficient.

"Speaking of which... in your pan-human history, how many humans have lived? Tens of thousands, millions, tens of millions, hundreds of millions... If we include wild animals and plants in the number of lives, then it must be endless."

"It's because you bear the weight of so many lives that you've come to destroy my beloved Lostbelt. Hmm. In that case, how could I, for the sake of my ten thousand people, sacrifice hundreds of millions, trillions—no, no, I don't even need to personally take Nayuta's life! How could I let such a miracle pass!"

Skadi continued to say things that reinforced her confidence, something Holmes had anticipated.

"A miracle, so that's how you describe it. The existence of this Lostbelt, and the fact that the Norse world has smoothly survived for nearly 3000 years, must be a miracle to you, Queen."

So it seems you knew all along, you knew all along, right? You clearly realized that Lostbelts were unnatural anomalies, long before the visiting Hidden Ones told you about the existence of Pan-Human History.

"Hehe, I can't hide it from you, sage. Could it be that your two eyes can even surpass the three eyes of the great god? No, this is the ultimate wisdom accumulated by humanity and history. You're right, I know everything."

It should have been cut off, my Nordic, my world, the path we have walked is destined to disappear from humanity forever.

It wasn't caused by the twisted and abnormal Ragnarok, because we truly survived that fiery era. Those few who survived after the gods' sacrifice transformed Surt into a false sun… us…

Because in this world that has lost so much, something still remains, and we keep struggling and suffering because of it, wanting to start anew from here...

The moment we set off again, human history and human reasoning erased us. Everything vanished into thin air; my love, hope, desire, and longing all disappeared.

Less than half a year after Surtur was sealed away and the distorted Ragnarok ended, human reason has already judged the land of gods and humans in the Norse kingdom.

The steps we take, those of us who survived the flames, walking side by side, are ultimately nothing but evil in the history of humankind.

However, this impossible thing has lasted for 3000 years, and although I don't know the exact nature of this paradox, I wonder if this miracle was aided by the power of the Imaginary Tree.

But on this planet, on the axis known as Modern Zero, my Nordic civilization has been reborn! This is undoubtedly a great feat that transcends all power! It is a miracle that neither gods nor great gods could achieve!

Then I will continue this miracle, even if it means taking Nayuta's life! Even if everything in the world becomes my enemy!

Skadi spoke in a less-than-ladylike manner, as if it were a battle cry before heading to the battlefield, expounding her ideals and the reasons why inaction must continue even if it is justified.

"Queen……"

Holmes was about to say something when he was abruptly and rudely interrupted.

"Shut up! This is no longer an argument, but my lament, my roar as I rush to the battlefield! Even after 3 years, it is no different from those six months. My powerless world can only maintain a hundred villages."

My hands can only support a mere 100 villages, a mere 1 people! I cannot even let them live to old age, for with my love, with my snow, my power can only touch the budding signs of spring.

Indeed, just as that archer said, this Lostbelt has no future, no tomorrow. No matter how peaceful or turbulent it may be, evil cannot flourish!