"Really? Here of all places?" Chartette stammered. Rather than eating at the palace, Riliane suggested a rather informal picnic in the forest...and by forest, she means the Forest of Bewilderment. The trio did some exploring and realized that the extent of Riliane's Purgatorial Lucifenia extends far, even to the edge of the Millennium Tree Forest. What lay beyond the borders was an endless void.

"Why not? It is certainly a nice change of pace!" Riliane huffed as she tasted some freshly made brioche. "Besides, I didn't know the forest exists here too! I mean, if we are indeed in an exact replica of Lucifenia, imagine if Retasan exists as well!"

"...You're not thinking of crossing the Babel Desert, are you?" Allen gulped. "It's a very long trip through hot terrain. I know you have dreams unfulfilled but I hope exploring the world is not one of them..."

"Indeed it is!" Riliane loudly proclaimed. "Too long have I been cooped up in a palace and a monastery! I want to do some sightseeing...with you by my side~."

"Uuuugh..." Allen groaned. He was starting to internally despise the sibling card Riliane kept playing. But Riliane just sounded so cute when she said that.

"Well, if I may interject, anywhere would be a lot better than this..." Chartette shivered.

"Why? What's wrong, Chartette?" Riliane cocked her head.

"Oh right...You see, this place has bad memories for Chartette." Allen explained. "When I was little and I was living with Leonhart and Germaine...Chartette got kidnapped by bandits."

"HUH?" Riliane's eyes went wide. She quickly looked towards Chartette, who was hunched up. "Oh um...i, if you don't like it here, then we can go somewhere else..."

"No no..." Chartette spoke in a shrill voice. "I'm...I'm fine. I've gotten braver as time went on so... But it doesn't really matter anymore because Germaine saved me!"

"Oh really now?" Allen looked unamused. "If I recall correctly, it was you who talked the bandits out of it."

Suddenly, the blade of a thin sword appeared and stabbed the picnic basket, snatching a piece of brioche away.

"Oi! What the?!" Riliane turned to where the sword originated. There, standing above the trio was...

"Nope nope, Chartette is right. I saved the day~." said a cocky voice. Standing high and mighty was a tall brunette in red carrying a rapier.

"G, G, Germaine!" Allen exclaimed.

"Hey! Germaine, you're here!" Chartette grinned.

"I'd figure you two would be here." Germaine smiled as she sat down with the group. She then turned her attention towards a moderately surprised Riliane. "...Long time no see, Princess." She patted Riliane's back.

"U...Y, Yeah..." Riliane murmured.

"Eh? What's wrong? Cat got your tongue? Or maybe you have finally lost your bite now that you don't have power at all~?" Germaine teased.

"..." Veins started popping on Riliane's head. "Watch it, Germaine. You are nothing more than an orphan! You may be older but I am still your superior in this realm!"

"Superior? Oh here you go again, being the snobbish immature brat that you are. You may be the princess but I am way more mature than you!" Germaine shot back.

"Mature?!" Riliane shouted. "Let's see how mature you can be once your head starts flying!"

"Well, if you're going to do that, how about growing a few more inches so you can actually reach there?!"

"WHY YOU...!"

"G, Girls! Please!" Allen stood in between them. "Stop fighting!"

""WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON, ALLEN?!"" Riliane and Germaine shouted at Allen simultaneously.

"Ulp!" Allen turned to Chartette, who was sitting there quietly. "Ch, Chartette...! Help!"

"EH? Oh no way! I'm staying out of this one!" Chartette shook her hands, backing away. But while Allen is momentarily distracted, Riliane took the chance and tackled Germaine off her feet, tumbling down the forest hill.

"R, RILIANE! GERMAINE!" Allen couldn't believe his eyes as he dove down there to stop the fighting. Riliane and Germaine continued to grapple with each other until both of them were too exhausted...and started laughing together.

"You were asking for it!" Riliane giggled.

"Haha...! Yeah I did...! When I saw you in that royal gown, I just had the sudden urge to beat you up! It's something I've always wanted to do for a long time~." Germaine laughed and sighed deeply. "...But as we know, it's meaningless now."

"Yeah... I feel the same way too..." Riliane nodded and slowly got up, offering a hand to Germaine. "Come on. Let's get back to m...our palace. Thanks to you, I need to clean up...and so do you. Consider this your punishment~."

"Heh. Fine. This is way better than having my head chopped off." Germaine took Riliane's hand and stood up. "But seriously. It's good to see you again."

Riliane smiled. "Likewise."

"Riliane! Germaine!" Allen finally arrived. "You two are not hurt, are you?!"

"Oh no no, Allen. I'm fine." Riliane grinned, brushing her hair free of leaves.

"Yeah she's got that tough exterior just like you, Allen~." Germaine slapped Riliane on the shoulder.

Chartette had packed up their picnic quickly and stared down the hill at the three. "Oh! Shame the two of you! What would your fathers say if they saw you like this?"

Riliane and Germaine looked at each other for a moment. Riliane shrugged. "...He'd probably shut me up in my room until I learned some manners."

Germaine smirked. "My father would probably say something stupid like 'Did you win?'."


After taking separate baths (Allen wanted to make sure they don't get into another "fight"), Riliane and Germaine were too tired to do anything else so both of them agreed to spend the rest of the day in the palace while Allen and Chartette started doing chores.

"...So, this really was your life before you became a nun?" Germaine looked puzzled for some reason while sitting in a lounge chair.

"Yeah." Riliane said bluntly while she poured tea from a porcelain teapot into two fragile-looking cups.

Germaine blinked. "...And you don't get...bored at all?"

"Um, no not really." Riliane then set down a teacup for Germaine. "I usually have teatime with my servants and normally they do this line of work for me. But after I became a nun, I was forced to do everything by myself." Riliane then sat down with her teacup in hand. "...Now, I'm stuck here in this...new Lucifenia until I sort out my feelings so even Allen and Chartette alone aren't enough to maintain this whole palace...and brew a cup of tea~."

Germaine paused. She stared at Riliane with a concerned face. Then she spoke up. "...Can you count me in?"

"Wh, What?" Riliane looked surprised.

"Orphan or not, I am still Allen's sister...and in a way, I am your sister too. I'm sure that there may be things you want to clear up with me, right? Plus, an older sibling protects her younger siblings, does she not?" Germaine gleefully took a sip from her teacup.

"E...M, Maybe I do have things I want to do with you but...why would I need a protector?" Riliane asked. "I mean, we are still part of the afterlife, right? What could possibly-"

"Riliane, we're not part of the afterlife yet." Germaine interrupted. "We're all still in limbo, waiting to ascend to the Heavenly Yard...or descend to the Hellish Yard. Even with lingering feelings of revenge, there is no way drifting souls could possibly harm one another. But here..." She then reached out and took hold of Riliane's and examined her palm. Her white palm was scratched a few times when the two of them rolled down the hill. "...this place is different, this...Purgatory you exist in."

"What...?" Riliane looked alarmed. "So...in this Lucifenia...anybody can...die...? Can souls die...?"

"I...don't want to test that..." Germaine murmured. "The realism in this place is just astounding..."

Riliane immediately set down her teacup and stood up. "...I'm leaving." She then started storming out.

"Y, You're what? R, Riliane!" Germaine got up and chased after her.

"R, Riliane?" Allen overheard the commotion going on and hurried over.

"Princess Riliane!" Chartette followed suit.

"I'm ending it! I'm ending this world! I regret nothing now! If I can indeed be killed here, I can't risk my own soul for some lingering dreams and wishes I have!" Riliane shouted.

"Riliane, that's not how this place works!" Allen protested. "There is no way you can leave this world! Only the rest of us can!"

"..." Riliane bit her lip. Then she faced the three. "...Then all of you must leave me. Save yourselves."

"P, Princess?! You can't be serious!" Chartette shook her head.

Riliane grasped Chartette's arms. "Chartette, I'm glad I stopped you from using that Rocket Glove! Who knows what might become of you!" She then turned to Germaine. "I have made a lot of enemies during my short reign as the Daughter of Evil, whether or not the truth has been revealed to them or not! You may have lost your desire for revenge, Germaine...but there are souls out there who may still have hatred left! I can't risk you! The same goes for you, Allen...!"

"Riliane! I'm not going to abandon you!" Allen shouted.

"Well you should..." Riliane said sadly. "...Everyone has let go of their past...and is ready to enter the Heavenly Yard...but I...I am Pride. I am selfish. I want more than what I was already promised... Such a person...shouldn't burden all of you..."

Everyone was silent for a moment. Allen still walked up to his sister and cupped her face in his hands. "...Some people don't change...and luckily, I never changed."

"Allen...?"

"If there is one order I will not obey, it is to let you die. Even if every soul despises you, I will defy them for you. I will protect you, even if it means taking on the entire cosmos by myself." Allen said something totally outrageous, so much so that the others were dumbfounded.

"Allen..." Riliane slowly clung to Allen weakly.

"You are one fanatical guy, Allen. No way can you fight against the entire cosmos by yourself...but you are known to impress~." Chartette grinned. "Make that two standing with you, Princess!"

"Make it three." Germaine took hold of Riliane's shoulder. "As I've said before, a big sister protects her younger siblings. That includes you, silly."

"Everyone..." Riliane murmured. "...On second thought...please stay with me..."

"Always." Allen whispered.

Riliane finally let go and faced her posse. "Thank you...so much."

"Now...what're we going to do about manpower?" Chartette asked the burning question. "We'll all feel much safer if we have more people..."

"Agreed." Germaine nodded. "Not all souls still in limbo are bad. We're going to need somebody who can scour around the void and search for the others unde-what are you smiling at, Riliane?"

Riliane just grinned. "...I know just that person."