Ryuu IF: Justice Comes Around

by Meetra 0 Surik

The world was destroyed. All was lost. Like she had lost her Hero in the final battle. But she continued to fight until she had nothing more to give. She never regretted loving him, she only regretted failing to succeed in bringing about Justice, a brighter tomorrow. So it was ironic that she found herself waking up back in Stardust Garden. Justice comes back around indeed...

1. Epilogue

Ryuu IF: Justice Comes Around

Epilogue

"—Lion! Justice goes around and comes around!"

- Ardi Varmas

---

The world ended.

A truly sorry state of affairs, to put it lightly.

Despite Orario's best efforts. Despite Ryuu's best efforts. Despite her Hero's best efforts.

The Age of Gods had ended.

Replaced with the Age of Calamity as the Black Dragon decimated the land and its greatest defenders. The city at the center of the world was destroyed, and the tower that reached to the heavens crumbled, unleashing endless hordes of monsters onto a shattered and defenseless planet.

Nations fell one after another. Those that hadn't already collapsed from the very planet cracking under the Black Dragon's fury. The Children of Man quickly, yet slowly, died out from wave after wave of endless monsters. Until only one safe haven blessed by the gods remained. Except that too would now fall as Ryuu had fallen to the ground. The last of her strength exhausted from near-constant battle, death, and loss.

Had Ryuu been full of regrets when her death finally caught up to her? Of course she had. She had let down Alise and her precious Familia – having failed to live up to their expectations that she could bring about Justice and a brighter tomorrow. She regretted outliving her husband and Hero, having forced him to choose between her and the world during Orario's last shot at averting Armageddon.

But the one thing she could never regret was how she had grasped his hand that day and never let go.

So when Ryuu finally fell onto the cracked and scorched earth, no longer able to hear the sounds of the planet's mantle bubbling to the surface from the deep cracks through the planet's crust. Nor the hellish chorus of countless monsters' cries. When she had finally fallen in battle, despite all her regrets, she was at peace.

'Bell…' Ryuu thought to herself, too dehydrated and wounded to even try to speak aloud her final words, 'Everyone… I'll finally get to see you all again…"

And so Ryuu, the last of the elves and one of the few dwindling survivors of mankind…

Died.

And just as Ryuu wished in her final moments, she would get to see her beloved friends and family.

Just… not in the way she had envisioned.