Yuyui breathed a sigh of relief as Aurolio appeared, new and all healed up.

The Void User groped himself all over, shocked. He looked at Yuyui, sizing her up. "Well. Fuck me. I died, didn’t I?"

He ran his hands over his face, his visage twisting into a series of shapes, most of which made his handsome looks unsightly. "How am I ali—?"

The question died in his throat as he spotted a decapitated body that looked suspiciously like his own just a few paces away. Indeed, it was him – the him that had been beaten by the masked man.

"We’re fortunate."

At the voice, Aurolio turned to find Elita, who was looking at Rias’ corpse. She then looked at him and gave a shallow smile. "I thought I was done for too. Without training wheels, fighting other Bearers really is a pain in the butt. Leaves a bitter taste in my mouth."

Aurolio had followed her line of sight to find Rias’ dead body. He gaped. "What the...? He’s dead?"

He’d hoped he’d had a hand in Rias’ death, but upon seeing the way his body was slashed, he realized that it had taken something more than that last-ditch effort he pulled before he was killed.

"I’m sorry," said Yuyui with a constipated face. "I should have revived you two the instant Grim and I landed inside the sphere. I just thought..."

"That we’d slow you down?" said Elita, but she was smiling. "I don’t doubt it, honestly. You’re worth your salt, as Skullius said."

Yuyui waved her hands desperately. "No, no, no! It’s nothing like that. In fact, I risked your lives by not doing it sooner. My Inhuman Eye can restore the dead, but there’s a time limit. I was cutting it close." She sighed. "I didn’t revive you immediately... for selfish reasons. The masked man killed someone we all cared about. I just wanted us to be the ones to... you know?"

And indeed, Yuyui could transfer her Inhuman Eye to others using the Eye of Moving, which gave her allies a one-off chance to revive from death. That was how she’d revived Pherdanta after she was killed by the original masked man back then.

Elita gave a chuckle. "I understand." She glanced at Rias, and her mirth faded. "Did you get the closure you were looking for?"

"No," Yuyui said without hesitation. "But we probably got the closure we deserved. We defeated him – his ideals. That matters more than beating his flesh and soul."

"Yeah, yeah, and it was all fucking happily ever after from there," Aurolio butted into the conversation, frowning, "but how exactly did you beat him? I need to know."

Yuyui sighed and indulged him. Elita also wanted to know.

Meanwhile, the Apostles gathered below the floating, glowing mass that was Beyrmir, still containing the detonation of the Doom Knight. He was slowly shrinking, absorbing the horrifying mass of energy. It was a spectacular feat. Clearly, it hadn’t been spectacle enough to distract everyone from Rias’ passing, though.

"He’s sure to come out the other end of that stronger," commented Weaver.

Araeyn wasn’t particularly pleased by the idea. The notion of the other Apostles getting stronger agonized him. It wasn’t enough for him that currently, he was the strongest because of the Focused Null Life he had obtained and was saved from using up because of Kenno’s rapid growth in power.

He turned from Beyrmir and eyed the Unlimited Star. Kenno was standing with Suzamete in the distance, watching Rias’ body.

A short distance from them was Maxim, Vali, and Grim. They were looking up at Aimon.

Indeed, Rias’ conduit remained, and now...

"Just like that?" said Maxim, shaken. "It’s yours now?"

"Seems like it. It’s not even resisting," said Vali with a smile.

Grim appraised the thing thoroughly. "Don’t get too comfortable with it yet. Using it carelessly might kill you."

Vali decided to take his word for it. "...I see."

It was a triumphant moment for everyone involved, however somber the backstory behind it. Skullius’ allies had obtained greater powers than before in the space of a single night – if that.

...But Ashema didn’t see it that way.

"You’ve all been entrusted with such... faith?" he said, scanning everyone with a defeated look. "How could one Divine who isn’t even a Deity make you all fight so hard and win? That’s not possible."

"How would you know?" said Baddan. "Boron played favorites. He didn’t give a damn about most of you, did he?"

Ashema couldn’t refute that. He had no choice but to admit defeat, if not for any other reason than humility.

Ashema and the last two Carven Generals would have died inside the Egg if not for Baddan’s decision to turn them into Sub-Exigencies and absorb them when Savast connected to every living mind inside the Egg of Future Dawn. Baddan had felt that it would have been a waste for them to die out like that.

"When Boron rises, I will return to his side," said Ashema stubbornly.

"Sure." It was Savast who said it, scoffing. "If he rises."

A distance from them, Kintar had just finished healing Pherdanta, who was flanked on both sides by a concerned Ruge and Gerriey. Tiredly, she told the two to stop fussing over her, especially not with Kintar watching.

"I underestimated you," said Kintar with a condescending tone. She had shrunk down to her ugly, miniature state – the Limited Mythos Form – floating above ground. "Well, I mean, I cheered you on as much as these two simps," – she pointed at Ruge and Gerriey – "but I honestly didn’t see your worth as a leader until now. You sure have the strength for it, at least, not to mention the heart. I was sure you would have to leave most of us for dead with your Territory."

Pherdanta could scarcely believe it. She’d imagined Kintar would pretend that nothing had happened since they shared the battlefield and go back to being stuck up and inconsiderate. "And I thought your ego was going to be master’s undoing." She suddenly donned a serious visage. "I had no right to undermine your role, much less your resolve and love for master. None of it is weaker than mine. For that, I apologise."

Kintar was taken aback. She clicked her tongue and floated a little lower.

"Don’t make me reciprocate with that bull crap formal tone," she said, turning away.

Right then, Sila flew down from the sky. He was holding a large golden seed suffused with a faint, blue light. It had just finished absorbing the last of the alternates he had captured following Soizar’s defeat.

"May I ask you for a favour, Kintar?" Sila said, and Kintar frowned before prompting him to continue. "I’ll be assimilating with... this shortly. Could you hang onto me until the process is complete?"

Kintar expelled a rude ’Ha!’. She wondered why Sila wouldn’t just give the task to some of the peons around her. Their battle was done, right? Did she look like she had time to babysit? When the words made to spill out of her, though, she stopped.

She clicked her tongue for the umpteenth time and sighed.

"...Fine."

Pherdanta shook her head. It was going to be a while before she got used to this Kintar.

Suzamete was watching her and everyone else. They seemed rather relaxed, considering that the world was shattering around them. This was the end of Aigas. Did they not register that? Or was it that...

<That Carven is right. You believe in Skullius religiously.> Suzamete said to Kenno.

"Is that wrong?" said the Unlimited Star, still appraising Rias’ dead body. He found it interesting how the faint presence of true death issued from it. "That’s about the only thing we can do, right? We completed the objective the boss left for us: those Liches retreated with their tails between their legs, even if I would have liked to kill them there and then."

<Those Liches aren’t Fulgardt. They are still predictable.> Suzamete said. <I’m not entirely certain I can see Skullius coming out victorious.>

Kenno chortled. "But you’re still counting on him fixing Aigas if he returns, right? You’re living on hope, too. And faith."

Suzamete couldn’t refute it.

She was hoping indeed.

Only Skullius could save Aigas now if he came out victorious.

---

[Author’s Note]

And that concludes the Unlimited Stars and Rias POV.

What did you think about it? I’d really love your feedback, and what you expect to happen following the event.

From here, we head into the climax, the final act of the Saga. Stay tuned.