She is not an investigator.

With that, he sighed and saluted the three silent men in front of him.

"Goodbye."

"..."

He turned and left without looking back, gripping his weapon tightly as he trudged through the snow and ice towards the red city behind him.

His steps had never been so firm, and his farewell so heavy.

But the weapon in his hand gives him strength and the motivation to keep going.

His life, though short, was dedicated entirely to humanity.

"team leader!"

"..."

He stopped walking, and even though he didn't turn around, the footsteps behind him could be heard clearly.

"team leader…"

“I have no choice, and I can’t stay here any longer. I can’t stay with you anymore. You’re all dead, and I’m no longer your captain.”

"Do not."

Scorpion patted Anfer on the shoulder and stood beside him.

"Even if we die, we will still be soldiers, and you will always be our captain."

"...!"

"Yes."

The crow also came to him and handed the wine jug that he had put down back to Anfer.

"The fact that we are here means that we are needed again."

"Captain, give the order. We will follow you forever, even if we die, even if we are no longer human."

"……Oh."

The cold north wind blew across his cheeks, slightly dispelling the heat in his eyes.

"...Everyone!"

"To!"

Hearing the deafening response around him, he took a deep breath and raised his weapon high.

"Operation, commence!"

…………

Clang—!

"Ha ha…"

"Damn it..."

Inside the grey church, two figures, their bodies slightly hunched, were breathing heavily in unison.

The burning flames have vanished, and the light of the sword blade has dimmed.

The ground and walls were covered with scorch marks, sword marks, and bullet holes.

The stirring piano music, at this moment, also became heavy and dull.

"Fighting, endless fighting, pointless fighting, is this what you want!"

"Shut up!"

Clang—!

The two figures clashed again, their blades rubbing and striking each other, the low metallic clang of metal echoing and even drowning out the increasingly faint piano music.

"How can I save everything without fighting? How can I protect everything without fighting!"

boom--!

The two figures quickly separated again, each half-crouching on the ground, staring intently at each other.

Their physical strength had reached its limit, and even wielding their weapons had become extremely difficult.

But even so... even so—!

They cannot afford to lose, and they cannot afford to fall here.

"I can't... I can't lose again..."

She has already lost enough, and if at this moment, she is to lose even her self.

Then she would truly have nothing left.

"Not giving up, huh... Sigh..."

The flames rose again, but they seemed so weak that they could be blown away by a gust of wind.

The light on the blade shone again, but it was so inconspicuous that it was almost indistinguishable from the sunlight.

Even so, the two figures charged at each other once again.

"Down...!"

The flaming blade was the first to be swung out, aimed straight at her face.

Her attacks remained sharp and cunning.

But her strength was waning, and the force of her swings began to falter.

She was ultimately too weak.

boom--!

"...!"

The strike, which should have hit him directly, was kicked away just before it landed.

Igris's kick came from below, and the gleaming blade, the moment her weapon was knocked away, rested on her neck.

Ta-da!

As the heavy piano notes faded, the battle between the two finally came to an end.

"...You lost."

The Gods' Folly - Beyond the World: Chapter Twenty-Nine, The Struggle... Abrupt End

"I lost...ha...haha, I lost..."

thump.

She suddenly knelt on the ground, the weapon in her hand fell to the ground, and the already faint flames on her body were completely extinguished.

Her face had never been so pale, and her body, utterly exhausted, began to tremble.

She lost, utterly and completely, in this battle where she staked everything.

"I...lost...sob..."

But why did she lose?

She was the real Igris, she was the one who tried so hard to save everything.

She's been trying so hard, she's been...

She shouldn't have lost.

"..."

"Kill me..."

"...?"

“Kill me, and you'll wake up. You've already won. You're stronger than me, more capable than me. You are the real Igris. Just kill me here… and no one will know whether you're real or fake. Just kill me, and you will be the true…”

Clang—!

The sharp blade plunged into the ground in front of her, causing her to close her eyes and quietly await her death.

But no.

She did not feel the pain of the bullet entering her body, nor did she feel the pain of a sharp blade cutting her skin.

Instead, she felt a somewhat unfamiliar sensation.

Finally, she opened her eyes and looked at the "imposter" in front of her.

Why did you…?

Her words lost their power, her weariness began to lose its meaning, her anger, her sorrow, her despair, her pain.

All of this was completely soothed at this moment.

Why did you…?

She spoke again, but as she spoke, she couldn't help but respond by hugging the figure that was holding her.

"...Why didn't you kill me..."

"What nonsense are you talking about..."

She hugged her so tightly that Igris even felt like she couldn't breathe.

No, that's not right... Her movements were very gentle. What was really making it hard for her to breathe was...

It must be her heartbeat.

Her heart hadn't raced this fast in a long time. Why... because of fear, because of terror?

Or... because of something else.

"Please stop fighting..."

"..."

How should Igris respond?

She was the one who lost, she was the one who failed, the one who knelt on the ground and cried.