Sasha read the scriptures quietly in her room. She had done so since last night. She still felt afraid,especially with the fact she still could not sense the chief God. But, deep down, she felt there was something comforting her. The door to her chamber opened and Capri came in. "It is time," said Capri slowly.
She smiled at the man who she now knew the true identity of. She had not seen them since their yelling at the tower, but the words he said were enough to make her finally realize who Capri was. Sasha rose and bowed slightly, "Thank you, again. Even if it ended in failure."
Capri nodded, "My men at the bottom of the stairs will escort you. As for me... I will be watching from afar." The Priestess bowed to Capri once again and headed for the stairs.
Step by step Sasha proceeded to then walk to her doom, to the executioner's sword. Guards clad in full suits of armor surrounded her as she left the stairs to her tower, protecting her from the mob that tried to swarm her as she left the castle. If the mob's roars were of hate of her or her fate, she could not tell.
She could see it in the distance now, the executioner standing atop a wooden platform waiting for her. Beside him stood a priest with a large book of scripture in his hand. As she ascended the platform, the guards separated and surrounded the platform.
Not a soul had to tell Sasha what to do, but she did hesitate—the fear of what was to come gnawing at her mind. Slowly Sasha fell to her knees, facing towards the crowd as the executioner walked behind her, whose face was filled with fear of the mob. The priest began to read aloud her last rites and once finished, he spoke in a neutral and uncaring tone, "Sasha Fullmoon, you have been permitted to make your final words to either man or to God. Which will it be?"
"I wish to pray."
"Very well," Replied the priest.
Sasha placed her hands together, but she kept her eyes open as she looked beyond the crowd, towards the back where Capri stood. "Oh, true chief God," she prayed, "Please, guide Elt. If what he seeks will lead to truth, then reveal it to him. If not, then so be it. And if it is heresy, then please forgive him. Please protect the children I cared for, even if they are mamono. Protect the people of the Order. Protect Elt and my companions from Lescetie. And, though I know she is a mamono, please protect Yami... Amen."
With her last words complete, the executioner lined his cut and Sasha's head was severed clean from her shoulders. Some cried and some cheered, but her death was the same as her head fell to the platform. It was quickly collected by the priest who was already blessing the body for protection from necromancy.
In the far distance, Capri watched from afar near walls of the city, beyond the mob. He held his helmet in his hands, revealing his face. His hair was long and partly covered his scar filled face, preventing his eyes from being seen. He was so frozen in place; one could have mistaken him for one of the statues. He heard armor footsteps approaching him, but he didn't bother to look, "Capri of Lescetie, once known as Elt!" spoke the guard.
"Yes?" Replied Elt in a hushed voice.
"His Holiness wishes to speak with yo-"
The guard stopped as suddenly the ground shook and from afar towards the eastern sky, behind the hunched over corpse of Sasha, grew a bright light. It was like the dawning of a new sun in broad daylight. From where Elt stood and from where the people stood, it looked as though Sasha had a halo of fire behind where her head once was; a halo that covered the entire sky in a blinding growing glow.
Everyone shielded their eyes, and some were knocked over by a strange force that boomed from the same direction as that halo. When the light dissipated, the city was roaring, and people got up from the ground and began fighting; many of the mob now charging at the guard, demanding for the corpse of the saint.
But what little did the people know was that that light was not a sign of sainthood for Sasha. It was instead the last breath of Zipangu.
In a way, it was ironic that it was not only Sasha's last breath, but also the last breath of the Order as it was known, and the last breath of the current age. And none were the wiser of that, not even the gods, for only the dark knew.