The day was a cool, rainy day, but no one felt the chills due to the heat of the battle.
Shiro was fighting 2 berserkers, which he quickly finished off with several hits from his naginata and then took a quick turn to observe how everyone's doing. He sees Ophelia using her magic to defeat a wave of soldiers in front of her with Soleil fighting off some lancers beside her. Dwyer and Foleo are rushing to heal Asugi who got hit pretty badly from a wyvern lord, defeating those in their way.

Siegbert was busy fighting with a great knight and a paladin in front of him. He notices a small hint of light, realizing that a sniper is readying his bow to shoot at Siegbert.

"Oh shi- Sieggy watch out!"

"Huh?!"

He turns around to see Shiro fall to the ground.

"Shiro!" Siegbert finishes off the two horsemen with one strike and sees the sniper dead from one of Kiragi's arrows.

He carefully picks up Shiro, seeing him bloody, in pain, with an arrow in his chest. "Oh gods, Shiro,
why did you do that?! Please, please, stay with me!" Tears started filling up his eyes. A good leader is supposed to keep his composure, to remain calm in every situation, but he couldn't help it. Not now.
He couldn't bear to see his best friend like this.

"Siegbert," Shiro called quietly, coughing out blood shortly after.

"No, Shiro. You mustn't talk. You must save your energy. You will live, Shiro!"

Despite his pleas, Shiro still opened his mouth, continuing his words.
"Please, Siegbert. I must tell you this in case I don't make it."

He was horrified hearing those words? 'In case I don't make it'? That's not something Shiro would say.

"Shiro... don't say that... you'll live. You promised me that you would. You must! PLease..." he whimpered.

"Siegbert. We both know that I'm boisterous, I don't think about what I do before doing it, and it screws me over a lot. I mean, look at me now. My badmouth always gets me in trouble, and my attitude annoys a heck of people. Yet you still stayed by my side and accepted me as your friend. I know we got off to a bad start, but I'm really glad we were able to get along so well. Siegbert, you're smart, kind, and so easy to talk to. You can get so timid sometimes, though, and I love that about you."

Love? He staggered at his sudden confession. "Shiro, wh-why are you telling me this now? Sh-shouldn't you tell me after the battle?"

And to his surprise, he teared up and laughed. "I'm afraid... I won't be able to... " He slowly raised his hand to Siegbert's cheek. "Siegbert, my life was dark. I felt that no one would ever accept me as who I am but instead accept me for my status, but you were different. You understood me and accepted me. You brought light to my world. PLease, do not blame yourself. I would gladly give my life a thousand times if it meant saving you... Thank you...for helping me live my life brightly. I love you so much..."

Before Siegbert could even say anything, Shiro's teary eyes closed, and with a smile, his soul left his dead body in Siegbert's arms.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! SHIRO!" He screamed. He brought his body close to his,
embracing the corpse and crying on his shoulder. He wished he could've noticed the sniper before Shiro did. He wished he protected Shiro. He wished he told him his true feelings. But he didn't, and now, his life is full of regret.

Like Siegbert was Shiro's light, Shiro was also his own, and now he lost it.

He continued weeping on the corpse's shoulder, knowing that the light to his world would never shine again.

The final battle was over; the children have won. They have finally brought peace to all worlds.
But they couldn't celebrate. Not after all that they went through.

Siegbert wanted to be exactly like his father: strong, capable, and a good leader. He spent his entire life training and studying, day and night, just to make his father proud. He worked hard so that he will be a just ruler and protector of his people just like his father was, yet why couldn't he protect his own friend? No matter what he can't help but ask himself that.

His best friend, the one person he could talk freely to. The one person he loved. Gone.

He could never forget what happened that day, and he will never forgive himself for what he hadn't done.