Liberi Reader

Slowly, the life pod opens.

There, you see a familiar face, just as you have hoped to see thousands of times.

Once again, you take her hand.

Slowly, the woman inside gets up.

Amiya suppresses the urge to dash forward to embrace Kal'tsit, as Mon3tr digs her sharp claws deep into the soil beneath. Each and every one of them looks on nervously, as not one of them can so easily believe this outcome.

In contrast, the woman who has just been roused from her slumber looks to each member of the group gathered around her. Slowly, her bewildered expression begins to soften.

After stopping in front of the bloody palm print on the door for a brief moment, the man starts to slowly walk out of the dark corridor.

The only energy pipeline from the satellite city has begun to operate once more. He has fulfilled his promise.

Nothing following that is of any importance to him.

The man slowly falls to his knees and picks up one of the countless ice-cold bodies on the floor.

Had you long since given up the ideals that you talked about as a girl, when you fed fowlbeasts by the pond, would you really have ended up like this?

From afar, the soldiers, having just received their orders, look upon the sole survivor.

The sound of explosions outside is drawing ever closer, yet it seems he is making no effort to escape at all.

Why waste time on a man who will not live?

Within the fire burns the final urgent letter from the south.

Before the flames can reach her fingertips, Elisaveta lets go of the letter and pulls back her hand.

Her gaze turns to a woman looking at a painting on the wall.

Her features are practically the same as those of a woman in the portrait.

A hesitant expression, one that Elisaveta is all too familiar with, appears on Anastasia's face. After a brief moment, she speaks her will.

The soldier tosses his communicator to the side and takes a swig of vodka.

This morning, while he was kneading dough in the field kitchen, he found himself dragged outside by his officer.

This wasn't his first time using Originium bolts, but it was his first time taking a life, even if it was a mutated animal.

Before he left, he stuffed all the spirits he had into his backpack. Ever since, every time he's fired a bolt, he's taken a swig. It is the only way to keep his fingers from shaking.

A cloudbeast, or perhaps something that resembled a cloudbeast.

He thinks back to how the fluffy little things would hop into the kitchen and tug on his pants with their claws, and he would tear off a chunk of bread in exchange for a chance to pat their heads.

He approaches the creature lying on the ground unsteadily and reaches his right hand out—

Suddenly, the creature violently bounces up and turns into a black shadow. It leaps toward the soldier, causing him to shriek and raise his arms instinctively.

Right after he reprimands his subordinate, despite the bolt pierced through its body, the mutated creature shrieks and leaps up again.

Before the two are able to react, a scorching hot wave blasts past them. The beast is incinerated, turned to ash, while the pavement beneath it melts into a charred black pit.

The woman nods, and the old officer lowers his guard. He signals to the soldier standing nearby and walks away with him in silence.

She unsheathes her blade the moment she hears that familiar voice.

But when she turns, she finds not that familiar individual, but the ruined streets.

With a hint of remorse, Milana nods to Crownslayer, bidding her farewell.

Then, she slowly walks toward the source of the sobbing—a young girl, and some broken parts scattered across the ground.

The young woman nods and drops to her knees to get on the same level as the little girl. She reaches her right hand out, and dusts off the girl's dirty clothes.

He reaches his right hand out to Milana.

Milana finishes and lifts her head to find the workers slowly gathering around her and the two children.

All of them are listening intently, with some of them fighting back tears.

Standing atop ruins of the recent past, the white-haired Liberi peers down—Those who are unwilling to leave their homes are gathered in front of her, listening to her speech.

Among them are workers, soldiers, the elderly, and children... Faces you see in just about every city in Ursus. They are confused. They are strong.

The noble princess nods slightly and begins walking down the stairs to the starving men gathered below.

The men are haggard and weary. They are starved to the point that they can't even lift their heads, and their hunched backs appear slight in the darkness. Right now, there is only one thing on their minds—

'Yurodstvo.'

Once, they willingly endured, but now they have desire. Yet before any of them can voice their wishes, a peaceful, unquestionable voice rings out.

The voice sounds the same to every one of its listeners, as though it is capable of cleansing the lands of all injustice and bringing salvation to all suffering.

All of a sudden, there are bread, cheese, and cured meat... as if they have fallen from the sky.

Everyone in attendance forces themselves to lift their heads and reach their hands out. Though they are battered and bruised, not a single voice carries resentment. The only thing that can be heard is thunderous applause: 'Long live the Princess.'

Each of them clasps their hands for the Yurodstvo.

The Grand Duchess looks to the top of her castle and nods.

The young man follows the figures in the operation manual and adjusts the buttons and knobs on the control panel one-by-one, taking momentary pauses to observe the corresponding readings.

Once everything is ready and confirmed, he lifts the protective cover and presses the button underneath to lock down on the driving mode.