"It's pretty dark when you're dead."
So this is what death is like.
My body is cold, my heart feels desolate.
Trapped in a dark space, I have to stay still and alone.
"I wonder how long I'll have to stay here for things to flow according to the ending..."
Still.
It must be less difficult for me than for Luna, who's struggling outside.
I should be able to endure this much alone.
To ease my boredom, I took a step forward.
Into the dark space of death.
The floor was annoyingly squishy, which irritated me.
"Come to think of it, it's been a while since I've been alone like this."
Maybe because they're kids, but it was always noisy around me.
They'd make pointless noise and giggle.
They'd cling to me, saying they felt anxious when alone.
I wasn't given time to organize my thoughts.
"It wouldn't be bad to organize my thoughts with this opportunity."
Until Luna walks the path I've paved for her.
Let's just organize my thoughts.
However, as if unwilling to allow me even that time.
An annoying nag reached me from the darkness.
"Jun-woo, how does it feel to be dead? People only do it once after being born. But Jun-woo will do it twice? Kekeke."
"...Don't laugh, Minerva. My body is still alive."
Though there was no pain from the attack on my soul.
It feels unpleasant.
Minerva curved her lips into an arc and sneered.
"That's why, who told you to sacrifice yourself? I told you not to, but you kept doing it. Serves you right! Serves you right!!"
"Alright, that's enough."
"Your soul could have been hurt! It's lucky the Hero threw herself and got hit in the shoulder! If it had hit her heart, the connection would have been severed and you couldn't even talk to me like this!"
"...I get it, so don't be angry. This was the only way."
"Bleh, you idiot!"
Blahhh—
Minerva stuck out her tongue.
To think a goddess would act like this.
It was truly childish.
"Anyway, Minerva. Do I have to stay trapped in this gloomy space until Luna defeats the Demon King?"
"Well, yes. There's no other way. And even if you recover your soul and open your eyes, there will be side effects."
"...I don't know the detailed side effects, but I know there will be some. I read it in a book."
"Y-you!"
Minerva suddenly shouted upon hearing my words.
"What you know! I know too! Would it kill you to thank me for telling you!"
"Why are you so cranky today?"
"Just! Because you're foolish! You dummy!"
Hiss— Hiss—
Minerva breathed heavily like an angry bull.
She seemed displeased with my actions somehow.
Minerva shouted at me more and threw a book.
"Here! Take it! What you want! I'm giving it to you before you ask!"
"Alright, thanks."
"...Just take care of your body and mind! I'll come check if you're doing well! Wait for me! You foolish Jun-woo!"
"Got it."
After saying that, Minerva disappeared into the darkness.
Though I couldn't see properly ahead, I brightened my vision with magic.
In my hand was still a small book.
The title was 'The Departure of Hero Luna'.
Luna's biography being written in real-time.
With the thought of not missing a single word, I read the chronicle of Hero Luna's hardships.
"...I alone will acknowledge that you suffered more than anyone, Luna. Leave the ending to Estia."
Opening the path and watching her reach the destination.
That was the best method I, as the Hero's guardian, could do.
While the children were immersed in sorrow.
Estia mustered her courage and shouted.
"I still have Divine Power left! It's just a little, but! Can't I do something!"
"Sob... Wh-what do you mean...? I-if you have Divine Power... can you s-save Mister...?"
"Maybe I can!? Divine Power is the Goddess's power! I should be able to do anything!"
Estia strongly expressed her opinion.
Having defeated the Demon King with Divine Power, her confidence pierced the sky.
Saten struck at the heart of Estia's overflowing confidence.
"Estia, isn't your Divine Power no different from back-alley drugs. Like that Holy Water."
"...Right, Mister told you to be careful, Estia. He said it's a drug you can never come back from."
"N-no! My Divine Power is holy! Don't compare it to drugs! That's offensive!"
Estia shouted that it absolutely wasn't.
But because of what they'd seen so far.
The Hero Party couldn't trust Estia's words.
Just then, the bodies of two men caught their eyes.
Having discovered a new path, Saten smiled faintly and muttered.
"...If this goes well, I might not have to return to the family."
"Sob... Wh-what do you—"
"Be quiet and stop crying, Hare. It seems a new method has appeared."
Saten pointed at the floor with her finger.
The brothers who had been struck by the Demon King before Lee Jun-woo was hit.
Saten looked at Luna and boldly declared.
"Luna, let's take those two people home."
"S-Saten, you..."
"Those two are as good as dead anyway. It's good if they live. Whatever if they die. You'd better think carefully, Luna."
Those two people's lives and Mister's life.
Which is more precious?
Luna's answer to Saten's question wasn't long.
"Mister is the first priority...! But still, if I can save those brothers too, I'll definitely save them. They're the first people I ever saved."
"It's unfortunate that's not my will. Let's go home for now, Estia. Our work here is done."
Trudge— Trudge—
The Hero Party headed back home.
The streets were destroyed, but with the Demon King's disappearance, the sky was clear.
However, Lee Jun-woo, who always stood before them, was absent.
The Hero Party had directly witnessed and viscerally understood the danger of the Demon King.
How should the remaining Divine Power be used?
How could they wake Mister from his sleep?
Saten knew the answer to that method.
"Estia, do you see these two people lying on the desk?"
"Yeah, I see them!"
"Experiment."
"Huh?"
"Experiment to see what power Divine Power has."
"Huh...?"
If we accumulate data.
We'll be able to wake Mister with the power of Divine Power.
"To move forward, experimentation is necessary. So we'll use these two people as test subjects. Can you do it?"
"Th-that's...!"
Estia shouted with all her might.
"I-I can't!! I absolutely can't experiment! I can't do it!!"
"Hmm, is that so."
"My friends died from experiments! How can I experiment! I absolutely! Absolutely can't!"
Estia knew friends who had died from experiments.
Though she didn't see their final moments.
She clearly remembered the sounds that came from beyond the bars.
The end of experimentation was never a good death.
"Absolutely... absolutely no experiments..."
"Even though Mister has to lie there like that forever. You don't need experiments?"
"Experiments are necessary but... I can't do it..."
"This is quite a variable. To think Estia won't experiment."
Saten pondered for a moment.
How could she make Estia use Divine Power on these two people?
She wondered if there was a way to forcibly proceed with the experiment.
*'...Unfortunately, I have neither Divine Power nor the ability to persuade.'*
I'll have to pass it on reluctantly.
Though Saten was anxious the test subjects might get hurt, she decided to proceed to the next stage to save Mister.
She opened the door and entered Mister's room where his body was laid to rest.
Creak—
"Hare, Luna. Estia says she won't experiment. It seems she doesn't want to save Mister."
"I'll go..."
With all strength drained from her body, Hare trudged toward the brothers.
Her eyes were hollow, her skin had no color.
Having shed so many tears, the area around her eyes was stained red, and she gave off an atmosphere similar to a homeless person wandering the streets.
In other words, a person with nothing.
Someone with nothing to lose and nothing to possess.
"...Estia."
"Y-yeah?"
"...Won't you do it?"
Crack—!
Hare stabbed the dagger she was holding into the desk between the brothers.
Red eyes shining between pink hair stared directly at Estia.
"...Really, you won't?"
"W-wait! Put down that dagger first and—"
"...If you won't do it, then we don't need these two, right?"
"Eek...!"
Hare pulled out the dagger stuck in the desk.
Then, raising it high, she asked one last time.
"...This is the last time. Without Mister, we don't need them either... So choose carefully, Estia..."
Will you save Mister?
Or will you let me kill them?
The eyes of someone with nothing to lose are the scariest in the world.
Estia, who only today realized the meaning of those words.
Facing Hare's chilling eyes, Estia shouted in a trembling voice.
"O-okay... Don't do that...! Leave them alone...! I-instead, I won't experiment... I-I'll try it directly on Oppa...! Is that okay...?"
"...If you fail, I'll die. Please... save Mister..."
"Okay...! I'll pray with all my might...! If anything happens to Oppa...!! I'll take responsibility...!!"
Instead of experimenting.
She'd take responsibility and save Mister.
At those words, Hare lowered the dagger she had raised high.
Then, kneeling, she burst into silent tears again.
That familiar process was too eerie for Estia.
*'What exactly does Oppa mean to Hare? Ugh, there's no one sane here.'*
Estia glanced at Hare and headed to Mister's room.
Passing Luna and Saten, Estia faced Mister lying on the bed.
She swallowed dryly and said confidently.
"I won't experiment. I hate experiments. I'll use Divine Power on Mister right away. I'll take responsibility."
"Responsibility is heavy. Do you know what it means when you say that, Estia?"
"I don't know! What's responsibility! I don't know that stuff! I'm just doing it!"
Because it feels like I can do it.
Unlike the past when I couldn't do anything.
Because it feels like I can do anything now.
That was why Estia didn't cry when the other children shed tears.
Estia confidently reached forward and shouted.
"Goddess! Let Oppa wake up! Let him open his eyes!"
"Will Mister wake up with words like that?"
"...Be quiet, Saten. Estia's Divine Power is moving."
Contrary to Saten's doubt, Estia's Divine Power flowed toward Lee Jun-woo.
Warm golden light enveloped his body and circled around as if checking his condition.
Estia clasped her hands together and prayed earnestly.
"Let Oppa open his eyes! Heal his injured soul! Please! It's boring without Oppa! He rescued me from the boring Church!"
He showed me it's fun even without Holy Water.
He showed me things more fun than Holy Water.
Without such an Oppa, I'll have to drink only Holy Water again.
"I like that but I don't want it! I like warm things much better!"
So please help Oppa!
Estia clasped her hands tightly and prayed desperately.
However, had she used too much Divine Power to annihilate the Demon King?
The Divine Power circling around Lee Jun-woo began to fade.
"N-no... this can't happen..."
"It can't?"
Luna quietly held a real sword in her hand.
If necessary, she planned to take her own life and return again.
Estia held the lives of three Hero Party members in her hands.
*'I-if this... isn't enough...? A way to give more Divine Power...!! Isn't there one somewhere...!?'*
Estia looked around frantically.
Wasn't there a method somewhere?
Wasn't there a way to give Divine Power to Mister?
*'Huh? What about this?'*
In the midst of that, one object caught Estia's eye.
A mirror reflecting her appearance.
Estia reflected in that mirror.
White hair disheveled.
Blood flowed from her lips, glistening from biting too hard from tension.
At that moment, Estia made a decision.
"No matter how I think about it!! Th-this is the only way!!"
Smooch—
"...Huh?"
"Hmm."
"..."
Estia climbed on top of Mister lying down.
Silence fell over the busy room.
"Hmm, CPR. There probably is a lot of Divine Power in the mouth."
"..."
If viewed coldly, it was the optimal solution.
But if viewed with emotion, it looked different.
In the silent room, Estia tightly closed her eyes and shared the Divine Power in her mouth with Lee Jun-woo.
To Luna and Hare watching, that moment when their lips met seemed like time had stopped.
After such a long transfer of Divine Power, as the sun began to hide into the earth.
His trembling eyelids gently opened and Lee Jun-woo's voice flowed out.
"Where is..."
"O-Oppa...!! I-I saved you! Oppa!!"
Lee Jun-woo, who looked softer than usual.
Estia embraced him, and Lee Jun-woo silently stroked Estia's head.
The venom had completely drained from his expression.
"O-Oppa... you fool Oppa... I saved you..."
"...Yes, well done. Estia. You worked hard."
"Don't do it again... sob... I don't want to do this again..."
"Acting like a child after doing well. As promised, the Holy Water is..."
I'll give you Holy Water when we meet again.
Lee Jun-woo had presented a kind of reward.
At those words, Estia shook her head.
"Sob, I don't need Holy Water anymore...! Sometimes I need it...! But I don't really need it anymore...!"
Estia, who had achieved mental growth.
She answered maturely and felt warmth in Lee Jun-woo's embrace.
Saten just stood quietly, observing whether Lee Jun-woo's condition was okay.
Lee Jun-woo asked Estia in his arms with curiosity.
"More than that, Estia. Where did Luna and Hare go?"
"Luna is behind me...! And Hare is... lying on the floor."
"...Someone carry Hare to a room."
Was it because the tension suddenly released and she shed too many tears?
Hare had collapsed unconscious, and Saten moved her.
Lee Jun-woo was worried about Hare.
However, now wasn't the time to worry about her.
"Luna."
"Yes, Mister..."
"You worked hard."
"..."
Lee Jun-woo answered with a smile as if he knew everything.
Luna recalled the difficult events from the past.
Dying hundreds of times, friends dying from wrong choices, memories of even choosing to run away.
Luna couldn't readily approach and asked.
"Mister, I... I..."
"You don't have to say it."
"..."
"Being here means you did well."
"..."
She had wandered by choosing the wrong path.
But even if the path went astray, she could return.
Lee Jun-woo had already shown her the way.
*'Mister knows everything...'*
The painful memories of the past that had been bundled up scattered and flowed from Luna's eyes.
Sorrow and joy.
Two emotions coexisted.
Luna cried endlessly in Lee Jun-woo's embrace.
"I-I... sob... wanted to give up... b-but thinking of Mister... I endured... sob..."
"...You did well."
"Don't... go again... stay with us... Mister... don't leave us alone anymore..."
"...You did your best."
Mister affirming the past she hated.
Luna burrowed deeper into his embrace seeking warmth.
She didn't want to feel that lonely emotion again.
Squeeze—
"Sob... d-don't leave us... Mister..."
Never.
She never wanted to feel it again.
Hero Luna desperately desired that deep in her heart.