ARRRRRRRRGGGHHH!!

Destroyed...by...humans...?!

No...I won't stand for it!!

Urgh...

Your Royal Highness!

I will not...lose...to insects...like yourselves...

Darn it! He started going berserk again!

He's completely outta control!

At this rate...

...... I will use Lafdranya's power once again!

Everyone, please buy me some time!

Understood.

We will stall him.

Yeah! We'll defend you from any of his attacks!

Please leave it to us!

That armor...is...

Cannot...allow...

Don't make me laugh!

We won't let you lay a finger on Edea!

I will not allow you to get in Her Royal Highness's way!

I will stop you!

Do you really believe...humans can defeat...a god...?

I'll prove it to you!!

You idiot! Fall back!!

Don't be...so certain!!

AAAAHHHH!!

P-PRINCEEESSS!!

Argh...

The person I swore to protect has protected me once again...

I...I--!!

Please calm yourself...Loch...

There is nothing...you should regret...

It's just that perhaps I like protecting others...a little more than I like being protected...

Your Royal Highness...

But...I...

I...I am so happy...that you came here to rescue me...

When we were children...you always avoided me... But now...you've come to rescue me...

N-No!

I wasn't avoiding you...

He he. I was just joking... I know the truth...

But...that's exactly why...I wanted to return the favor...

As the princess of Palmyna...to a brave...soldier...like you...

Urgh...

Your Royal Highness! Please do not overexert yourself!

Dean! Hurry, the princess!!

Edea!

Wait just a second, I'll treat your wounds right away!

I'm fine...

So please, focus on stopping Cardes...

......

I can still fight...

I will release Lafdranya's full power again...

But Your Royal Highness, in your current physical state you'll...

I'm aware of that...

...but it's only because I'm willing to put my life on the line...

...that I think I can seal away Cardes.

No way... Don't tell me you...

Quit talking crazy!

Why do you think we were able to come this far together?!

Because of you!

And you're trying to seal him away again?!

You won't enter another deep sleep like before, you'll die for real this time!

......

Please stop!

Our purpose here is not that of forcing you to make such a sacrifice, Your Royal Highness!

......

If Cardes manages to escape the Spirit World...

...every inhabitant of Palmyna will become a sacrifice...

I cannot stand by and watch that unfold before my eyes...

Even if that requires me to sacrifice my own life...

...... Seriously...?

Are you freaking kidding me?!

...pardon me?!

Why are you so ready to throw your life away?!

You have no idea why we came all the way here, do you?!

I...

No, WE came here to fight for Palmyna, that's true!

But that's not the only reason why!

We came here because of you!

We can't just abandon you here just like that!!

Why don't you just tell us that you want us to fight by your side until the very end, huh?!

Loch...

Hah... He said everything I was gonna say.

Edea, you give up way too easily. Don't you have any faith in us?

Lady Edea, your judgement has its moments, and its shortcomings at times.

But sometimes it is important to rely on others, and reassess the situation together.

Dean... Sir Lorand...

Dean! Professor Lorand! Stay with the princess until the very end!

Of course!

Certainly!!

Urgh...gragh...fools...

Is this what they call...the beauty of the human bond?

I should be grateful to you miserable worms...

Because while you wasted your breath on those pathetic words, I have managed to regain control over my powers...

That overwhelming power is once again mine!

Grr...

No matter what you do, your fate has already been decided.

You, along with that girl, are destined to die!

Argghh!

Gwahhh!

Everyone!

It's all right...

We will not lose... We definitely won't lose!!

Yeah, we can't lose here...

If we do, then we'll have fought for nothing this whole time.

Exactly. This is a critical moment in our battle!

Edea! Don't worry about us!

Just keep getting Lafdranya ready!

......

Very well...

......

......

I grow tired of toying around with you...

I shall destroy you all with one blow!!

Gragh...

......

Urgh...

This is as far as you go...

But do not despair...

...for that girl shall soon follow the same fate...

......

What?!

My attack...was ineffective?!

This is...

Then I shall attack once again!

GRAGGHH!!!

That voice... Is it Lafdranya?

I-Impossible...

It used my own attack...against me?!

It's overflowing with so much more power than before...

But at the same time, I feel like that power is disappearing...

Is Lafdranya going berserk?

No, that's not it...

Could this be...Lafdranya's own will?!

My wounds are healing...

Is Lafdranya trying to save us all of its own free will?

Well, when the princess went into a deep slumber...

...it was Lafdranya who let us know she was still alive...

And that voice...

Yeah...

It's like that armor wanted to protect the princess too...

Actually, you could say that it has wanted to protect her always, for way longer than us.

Loch! Gramps! Lafdranya gave us one last chance to fix this!!

We can't let it go to waste!!

Yes, you're right!

You will now taste the fury of the Inferno Gladiator, Cardes!!

I will turn everything to ashes!

Argh!

I will not let you hurt my friends anymore.

Try absolute zero temperatures for size!!

What's this...?! My body is frozen!

I'll snipe you as many times as it takes!

Until I destroy you!!

GRAAAAAAHHHH!

Y-You...filthy worms!!

Lafdranya... Please give me the strength for one last attack...

......

With this...

With this attack, this long battle will finally meet its end!

Cardes the Malevolent... It's all over for you...

I-It can't be...

I, a god...

A supreme god... Cardes the Malevolent...

I have...

...been defeated by mere humans...

It cannot be...

This cannot...be...

Did we...win?

His presence has completely disappeared...

I believe...we may have.

We did it! We did it, Your Royal Highness!!

......

Now...

Now Palmyna will be safe...

Thank goodness...

*Crack*

Lafdranya...is losing its powers...

......

It would seem that in fulfilling its role of protecting you, it used up all of its power...

It might have entered a deep slumber in order to recover its strength...

I'm sorry Lafdranya...

You did so much for me...

......

No, Princess.

...what?

You must have heard it too.

Lafdranya's voice.

Yeah...

That armor protected you from the beginning till the very end.

If that armor not only had a will, but feelings too...

...then I'm sure that at that very last moment when it gathered all of its strength to fight for you...

...it did so happily, and smiling.

Yes.

And for that reason, it may be wiser to choose a better way to address Lafdranya.

......

You are right...

Thank you for protecting me for so long, Lafdranya.

......

Well, we should be on our way soon.

The army must be anxiously awaiting Her Royal Highness's return!

Yeah...

We don't wanna stay in this awful place longer than we have to.

Lady Edea, from now on we will ask you to stop your exploits as a knight, and to regain your place as First Princess of Palmyna.

Even if their palace fell, the God Army still lives.

We have our work cut out for us if we want to rebuild our ruined country anew.

Yes, I understand.

We have no time to waste now, do we?

Everything starts henceforth!

Do not worry.

If Her Royal Highness ever needs it, I will be right here to help!

Oh geez...

You only know how to use a bow! How are you gonna help with anything else?

What did you say?!

I'm much more useful than a vulgar priest like you! I'll prove it to you!

You two never change...

CAN'T YOU JUST LET IT BE THIS ONE TIME?!

He he he...

Let's go home, to our country of Palmyna...

Hmph. To think you would include such an ending to your programming.

But I don't remember adding anything funny like that...

According to the situational data, that conclusion was entirely possible.

Palmyna had no other power to rely on, except for that of the Four Heroes.

That's why it was defeated.

......

Rhynt, do you like tragedies?

Hmph... Not particularly.

I just manage to keep my composure regardless of how different events happen to unfold.

Is that right...? That answer fits you perfectly...

......

I hate 'em though.

I mean, there's no way humans would lose to any gods or demons anyway!

I see...

......

I said something stupid, didn't I...?

Sorry.

No matter...