Defeating Daybit and his Lostbelt's king was something that shouldn't have been possible. The sheer difficulty was staggering; facing off against Tiamat felt like a mini-boss fight in comparison. Naturally, I couldn't have done it without the help of each and every single one of the servants that fought alongside me, lent me their strength, and brought me to this outcome. However, it had finally ended, and the world, given some time, would be restored.
The muscles within my body relaxed all at once. The sheer relief from knowing I'd managed to bring the task I promised to fulfill to its end, protecting the world Dr. Roman had in the past, was immeasurable. I still didn't fully comprehend how I'd managed to do it - I knew what had happened, what led me to this outcome, and it felt surreal all the same.
I couldn't muster the little energy I had left to keep myself from getting hurt, and so I surrendered myself to a less than graceful fall.
That's when I felt someone sweeping me off my feet.
Her touch was candid - overly so. I felt as though she were handling me like a precious gem, one that had to be looked after with the utmost care. Her violet hair tickled my nose as she performed a pirouette trying to keep me from landing in a less than preferable way.
"... you must watch out, Master." Her voice was a mix of relief and playfulness. A sadistic grin played over her lips. "If you get hurt here, I won't be able to torment you myself from a while. Everyone else would insist you must 'focus on recuperating' and whatnot."
I feel my cheeks rise, a smile slowly forming on my face. I almost comment on how my head is in her lap, but I want this moment to last as long as possible, so I manage to remain silent. I feel her hand stroke my hair and reach out to stroke hers in return.
On this journey, there were many times I felt as though I should give up - that I was ultimately not making the right decisions, and that someone, anyone else should've been in my place, but she always managed to wash that away. The heart-to-hearts we'd had changed the way I saw things, and she'd supported me in ways she couldn't even imagine by simply being there for me.
"The lostbelt is starting to fall apart." Unlike other lostbelts, this one's fall was extremely slow. Perhaps it was the world's way of saying it needed time to restore things to the way they were, and I felt as though it were fitting. I was already thinking about everything I'd do once things went back to normal - which is why I brought it up.
"The mana left behind by the lostbelt should be crystallizing soon - I hope you're ok with incarnating with that." It was a bold proposition, the sort I could only make because I'd checked multiple times with Da Vinci and director Goredolf whether it was acceptable for me to use a grail to fulfill a single wish of mine at the very end.
"..." Melt's questioning gaze fell upon me, but her questions seemed to have been promptly answered; her face flushed. "...what is with that face, seriously..."
I looked at her expectantly, hoping to hear the answer if but a second sooner.
"... that smile is cheating, you hear?" Her voice was barely a whisper, yet I could make out every single syllable, almost as if she wanted me to be able to.
After darting around for a while, her eyes finally returned to mine. "... fine."
I felt goosebumps form on my skin and I nearly broke into a run. I was pretty sure if I did I'd end up collapsing, but I didn't care. I could finally be with her, not as her master, rather, her partner. The joy that brought me was enough for me to explode.
"..." For once, I'd managed to take her breath away. I was looking forward to doing it much more often in the future, but knowing I had already brought me so much happiness I thought I would accidentally pass away.
That's when it happened.
Melt's body began to emit golden particles.
"Wha-" I sprung to my feet. My mind racing, I turned on the comms. "Da Vinci, what is happening to the servants?!"
"I don't know - the spiritrons are behaving strangely! I'll try to do something!" Her voice conveyed nothing but pure panic.
I felt something inside me break. Does the world hate me that much? Am I not allowed a sing-
Melt's arm, now clad in golden particles, touched my shoulder. When I turned to her, I saw a sad smile, one I'd never seen her show, and a pair of eyes on the verge of crying.
"There is not much time," she said, as if she'd known this would happen. "For my last request, I only want one thing... hold my hand tightly enough to break it."
Emotions rushed at me all at once. The wish to save her, the desire to respect her wish - they fought each other endlessly within me.
I remembered it - every smile we exchanged, every time she'd 'tormented' me, it all burst forth, threatening to swallow me whole. I fought against the current, desperately holding on, and grasped her hand just before it dragged me with it. I gripped it as tightly as I could, knowing she wouldn't be able to feel my touch otherwise.
"..." I could tell it was painful, but she kept on smiling. Even as gold completely surrounded her, she still had that same, pained smile on her lips. "Thank you," she said in a voice that betrayed how she really felt.
I felt deeply powerless. I knew for a fact there was nothing I could do - even if I managed to change our contract to her using me as her source of mana, I could maintain her myself for half a second at best, and considering how she'd acted, I knew there was no way this incident could've led to anything other than her disappearance.
I felt something well up in my eyes, but I rushed right past it; I didn't have time for it. I needed to convey it to her, in the end - I needed to tell her.
When I started talking, the words came surprisingly easily; "Melt, you have saved me more than you know." I did my best to ignore the tears gushing out my eyes; "without you, I'm quite sure I wouldn't be here - I would've given up at some point or the other, unable to shoulder the weight of the lives I claimed. For that, you have my eternal gratitude."
Her silhouette began turning transparent, so I started talking more quickly: "But that's not all there is to it - you see, with how amazing of a girl you are, with how much you supported me, I couldn't help but fall in love with you." Her eyes seemed to waver for but a moment. "I love you. I love you. I... love you. And I will forever love you, until the end of time, until the sun dies and all life is extinguished from the universe - until then, I will love you."
Melt bit her lip - she was barely holding on, somehow keeping her existence intact for longer than she should've been. I saw her lip turn red, as if she bled, but kept going after strengthening my grip on her hand.
"I promise to never forget you. I promise to carry you in my heart forever, even if the world comes to an end again." While holding her hand, I got closer to her. I knew how I must've looked from crying, but she didn't care; she wrapped her other arm around me, and I did the same.
"..." After a moment that was far too short, I created distance between us once again to say one last thing. "I'll hold your hand, so hold my heart for me." I paused briefly, fighting back the tears that kept spilling forth. "I'll ask you to return it the next time we see each other - that's a promise, you hear me?"
She wiped her eyes with her sleeve briefly and then let her hand fall by her side. It was then - a smile of incomparable beauty washed over her features. It was something that an ordinary human being could never hope to replicate. "Yes, my Albrecht."
She rushed towards me. Our lips touched. My grip on her hand strengthened. Her free hand pulled me closer. The sun shone right through her silhouette, a myriad of colors painting the sky.
At last, the last embers of her soul were snuffed out and she faded into nothingness. The breeze picked up her remnants, carrying them as far as they could go. If someone were to watch it from the sidelines, they might believe it to be a supernatural display.
A lone scream echoed throughout the silence.
