Akane commanded her feline companion to hold its ground, then charged forth by herself. She quickly noticed the roof of the castle was vibrating under her as she flew toward Midori, and Gakutenou's bladed muzzle suddenly emerged from the ground in front of her. If Akane had continued propelling herself forward, she would have been cut vertically in half by Gakutenou as if she were a wooden plank passing over a table saw, but her reflexes allowed her to change her path of flight and barely avoid her would-be killer. When she reached Midori, the Aswad leader blocked Akane's dual tonfa attack with the hilt of her halberd. Sensing his master to be in danger, Hari then dashed from his post and made his own charge toward Midori. He lowered his head to expose the bladed black quills on the back of his neck as he ran, turning his four-legged frame into a sort of metal battering ram.

Midori gasped as her struggle with Akane locked her in place and allowed two of Hari's blades to puncture her side. When Akane stepped back and lowered her offensive stance, Midori slumped over Hari's yellow and gray body. As her vital signs faded and her REM slowly ceased emitting energy, Gakutenou unceremoniously disappeared from his crater on Castle Windbloom's roof after letting out a final howl of sorrow. In her last breaths, Midori turned toward Akane and struggled to speak to her in a surprisingly friendly manner.

"Don't do anything stupid when you're in charge, okay?"

Akane initially found this particular request to be strange, but she quickly understood what it meant in this context. Aswad ultimately only wanted fair peace, and whatever remained of the tribe's hopes depended what she would do after marrying King Kazuya.

After announcing her final will, Midori closed her eyes and her arms fell lifelessly over Hari's back. She then toppled to the ground when Akane regretfully ordered Hari to return to stasis in her GEM. Despite her hostility toward Windbloom, the king pardoned Midori posthumously and gave her a respectful warrior's funeral.

With the last supporters of the late Queen Mashiro now dead, the rest of the world saw little hope in fighting the King of Windbloom and his Meister. The nations that hadn't already been conquered surrendered unconditionally to end the War of the Five Columns, and the world was unified under a single flag for King Kazuya to rule over. As the Columns themselves were lost in the final battle, Kazuya's reign went unhindered.

Akane soon retired as Windbloom's Meister and chose her successor from Garderobe's best soldiers. Her marriage to Kazuya and her coronation as queen soon followed, and she worked with her husband keep peace in the world's new state. Finally, just as she had dreamed, Queen Akane joyfully bore the beginning of Windbloom's new royal bloodline shortly after the marriage.

The new royal family ruled over Earl peacefully and diplomatically. King Kazuya and his wife eased the brutal suppression the Columns had placed on many of their conquests, and Windbloom's new Otome was ordered to exert aggression only when weapons were drawn against her first. The world would remain at peace for many generations to come.

Epilogue:

"How are you today, Arika?"

Queen Akane's gentle voice echoed throughout the main chamber of the Otome Catacombs in the lowest floor of Garderobe. She was standing within a circular garden of glass pillars, with her hand lightly pressed against one marked by a golden plaque that displayed Arika's name, birth and death dates, and a short statement about the master she had served. This was an eerie place to most visitors who realized what each of the numerous pillars represented, but it provided a homely feeling to Akane. It was as if she was watching over a second family here, in addition to her loving husband and children in Castle Windbloom.

"I'm sorry it's been a while. I've been so busy helping Kazu, I really haven't had enough time to visit."

She smiled as her hand remained in place.

"I promise I'll come twice as often for the next few weeks to make up for it."

Her expression changed to one of quiet guilt.

"It's okay if you're still angry at me for what I did to Mashiro and you. I just hope you can understand I only wanted Kazu to look strong and be safe. An Otome is supposed to fight for what she cherishes the most, right?"

Her eyes grew damp as her smile returned.

"I still consider you my friend, Arika, and I never thought less of you or Mashiro. I really miss you two."

She closed her eyes and sighed quietly.

"If nothing else, please let Mashiro know she left the kingdom in good hands. Kazu's always doing his best to follow her example, and the world is even more stable now than it was when you and I went here."

A polite but playful giggle escaped her lips.

"He'd come to visit himself, but you know Fumi's rules about allowing men on campus."

Akane finally removed her hand from the pillar and took a few steps backwards. She bowed respectfully to it before speaking again.

"It was nice talking to you again, Arika. I'll see you again soon."

The Queen of Windbloom quietly walked out of the chamber, allowing the room to return to peaceful silence.

THE END.