Selection of the soul.

Elen gently cradled the small hand before her with both of her own.

‘…………o, ga……?’

‘I’m not your mother. I’m sorry. ……everyone’s already purified. Come with me?’

She wasn’t sure how much of this she could still understand. Amiel trembled at Elen’s words.

‘………wa, da, guji……min, na……giereba……ii de……’

‘Yeah.’

‘gi-e……min, na……gi-e, ja……’

‘Yeah.’

‘u……uu……zabi,……zabi, jii……min, na, inagu……na,……’

‘……yeah.’

The words she’d screamed—maybe they’d just been words of sorrow, spilled out in desperation.

It wasn’t surprising that a single girl had shaken the nation to its core. There had been the Hergner Kingdom behind her all along.

Amiel’s grief and hatred had been used—pushed so far, there was no turning back.

‘Wa-da, gu-ji wo… mina, gi-ra… o-aa… za-ma, mo…?’

‘Huh?’

‘O-aa, za-ma, wa-da, gu-ji, gi-ra…’

‘Amiel…’

‘U-va, a-aa…’

Grief and regret, wailing in unbearable waves.

Elen didn’t know what Agiel had felt toward Amiel—but somewhere, she thought she finally understood why Amiel had become so entwined with the curse.

(…Maybe when Agiel said something cruel, the curse and Amiel’s heart just… fused.)

The curse’s cry of sorrow merged with Amiel’s current wail.

Elen didn’t know it, but Gadiel’s curse was slowly purifying—because his own feelings had finally synced with it.

One single thought, and the curse’s power could shift everything.

‘If you’re that lonely… I’ll stay with you.’

‘…I-jo…?’

Too stunned by Elen’s words, Amiel had forgotten even her own screaming, looking dazed for a moment.

Yeah. Together. I'm a spirit, so we can stay together forever. Everyone else got purified and vanished... So how about we stop dwelling on those who're gone? Otherwise, we'll just keep being sad forever.

‘…………’

"If you're this sad, it's only natural you can't forget it right away. But you're worn out, aren't you? Just rest a little. When you wake up, I'll be right here with you."

'...t-there? Someone... there?'

I'm here. Always together.

Just a moment...

Yeah. Together.

Elen carefully draws Amiel’s soul closer, making sure it doesn’t break any further.

Gently encircling Amiel’s soul with both hands, Amiel murmured softly.

…………ahh, gai………

Amiel said that, voice thick with tears.

Amiel’s shattered soul was falling apart, ragged and torn.

Elen, using her power as a goddess, shielded Amiel’s soul, making sure it wouldn’t break any further.

(…Now I understand. What Mother meant when she said she chose my soul.)

Elen’s actions might have been unconscious.

Still, the meaning of choosing a soul as a goddess—perhaps it was something like this, vague and quiet.

Origin must have held Elen’s soul in his arms all along, with tenderness.

“O… ga… a… zama…”

Like a newborn clinging to its mother’s warmth, Amiel pressed against Elen.

I’ll stay here until your tears dry up from crying.

I’ll stay here until your voice fades from loneliness.

Unaware that this was the act of a goddess’s selection, Elen simply pulled Amiel’s soul into her own.

＊＊＊

When the light that had filled the air faded, only Elen remained standing there.

Everything was gone. The swirling darkness, Amiel—nowhere to be found.

The only thing left was the claw marks scattered across trees and other parts of the forest, a testament to Amiel’s frantic struggle.

"...What in the world..."

Durant, who had watched it all unfold, spoke in a hoarse whisper. His voice snapped the others back to themselves, and slowly, one by one, they began to move again.

It felt like time had stopped.

Lyle and Lore were too stunned to believe what they’d just witnessed.

‘The princess… she purified them…!’

Confused and unsure what had actually happened, Lyle gently reached out to comfort Lore, who was sobbing uncontrollably.

“You did it, Elen. You did it.”

Arc’s words reached Elen’s ears.

Elen answered Ark with a quiet "yes," her mind still wrapped around the soul she’d tucked into her chest.

Your Highness, I'm so relieved you're safe!

Thank you, Hoes. Sorry for pushing you. Is Father safe?

Yes, I'm unharmed.

"Thank goodness..."

Hearing that Lovell was safe, Elen let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

But from deep within Elen’s chest, a tear of sorrow slipped free.

Your Highness!?

Hose was flustered by Elen's tears.

Elen didn’t spare a glance to the side—she just ran straight to where Gadiel had fallen.

Elen’s tears fell one by one onto Gadiel’s cheeks, still closed in sleep.

"Gadiel..."

Gadiel’s chest is still rising faintly, but it’ll stop like this.

I know that much, but still—what the hell am I supposed to do? Completely at a loss.

No one said a word. They just stared at Elen’s back, as if they finally understood her sorrow.

Then, from high above, a cheerful voice rang out.

“Sorry I’m late~!?”

“Elen-chan! Why’d you pick a broken soul~!?”

The sudden arrival of Vār and Vōr made everyone flinch.

Hōze made a face like he’d smelled something foul and vanished in a blink. Definitely putting some distance between himself and the chaos.

“Yeah… mēgami.”

The words from Ark sent shockwaves through Duran, his guards, even Lyrū.

“Elen-chan! You can’t just choose a broken soul~! Of all the souls, why pick one that’s already shattered!?”

“Nooo~! It’s always the same with goddesses—those damn restrictions! Honestly, it’s such a pain not being able to see the important parts!”

Vōr shouted, arms wide, as if she could see everything.

Apparently, the goddess’s restrictions were in full effect—she couldn’t interfere with anything related to the goddess herself.

Vol was watching over Elen alongside Val, bound by her father's restrictions, but apparently hadn't expected Elen to pull off soul selection at the very end.

"Ah… so that's why I couldn't see it. Elen-chan could've interfered with my power all along… I wonder, just what kind of mechanism is this?"

Elen had just pulled off a feat that slipped through even the goddess's own restrictions—exactly what she’d done during Aria’s condemnation.

Val seemed to be recalling that moment, and both Dual Goddesses tilted their heads in unison.

"Well, it's done now. Can't be helped."

"Yes. That's that. This is this. We’ve got to hurry."

Suddenly, Vol and Val switched gears, waving their hands playfully toward the sky.

"Hey! You there! Come on, get over here already!"

Van shouted toward the group waiting in the sky above.

Richt arrived in a rush, frowning slightly but clearly unable to stop glancing at Elen.

Still keeping the Dual Goddesses in view, he kept stealing sideways looks at Elen, who was crying.

"Got it, I get that you're worried about Elen-chan. Now hurry up and carry Grandpa to the Spirit Castle, okay?"

"That's right. We have to give you a reward."

Richt scowled at the word "grandpa." He looked like he was about to protest, but then Volk pointed—“Huh!?”, he yelped.

Volk was pointing at Gadiel.

Ignoring Richt’s obvious discomfort—after all, they’d just realized he was of the Tembar royal bloodline—only Austor approached Gadiel.

"Ah…"

Gadiel was dragged away, and Elen instinctively threw herself over him, shielding him in a panic.

Austor patted Elen’s head gently, murmuring reassurances.

“Dunno, but the Dual Goddesses’re givin’ the monk a reward, so you’re fine, right? No need to stress.”

“Eh…? A… a reward…?”

Volk and Vaar smiled at Elen, her face soaked with tears, their expressions tender.

“That’s right, you did so well, Elen-chan. Leave it to us, okay?”

“We saw this coming. That’s why we made sure. It’ll be fine.”

“…Insurance… Gadiel… is he going to be okay?”

“Fufufu.”

“Who decides that… is the old one.”

What on earth does “up to Gadiel” even mean?

Van, watching Elen's unease and confusion, spoke as if to soothe her.

“Elen-chan, you still have something to say to these kids, don’t you? Come visit the Spirit Castle when it’s over. Origin and Lovell are waiting. There’s something important to talk about—about the selection, about what comes next for your old man.”

“……Yes.”

“It’s gonna be fine. He’s alive.”

“Yeah. It’s gonna be fine.”

“Yes.”

That was enough. There was nothing left to do but trust Gadiel to her.

Just as Elen stepped back from Gadiel’s side, Austor lifted him up and vanished in a blink.

Richt stood there, stunned. *Wait—was he just waiting for us so he could carry him away like this?!*

(He said he’s alive. He said he’s alive. It’s gonna be fine…)

Elen repeated it over and over in her mind, then roughly wiped away her tears.

Her eyes were red and puffy, but she fixed Durolan with a sharp stare.

"I have something to say. Your Majesty, King of Helgner."

Durolan’s shoulders twitched slightly at Elen’s low voice.

"...I’ll listen."

Just get this over with and head back to the Spirit Castle, where everyone’s waiting.