“Your hair… streaks of gold… like the apple…!”

The girl’s eyes responded to the blinding light of Frost’s hair. The white was banished by gold and black locks.

The Princess’ sky-blue irises blinked with clouds of gold.

The ten spears from above crashed down beside them, impaling the ground with their handles.

It blocked the oncoming attack of Elysia. The shockwaves were neutralized entirely. Lailah emerged behind them, her armor shattered and her visor revealing a single golden eye. Likewise, Elysia hovered a hundred meters away with a single eye staring back, and a golden heart beating in tune with the Icon of Judgement.

The Eleventh Apostle | HP: 1

< The Eleventh Apostle asks why >

< It knows that it must strike down a friend >

< For the sake of protecting what it was born to cradle >

The Twelfth Apostle | HP: 1,000

< The Twelfth Apostle sought for the best outcome >

< All life has been cursed since that day >

< It seeks Salvation as it always has >

They were eerily still. Their wings were raged, and both were at the brink of death. Yet they stood tall, ready to fight to the bitter end. The exposed, golden heart of Elysia throbbed with such magnitude that the world quaked.

< The Icon of Judgement’s wings flap in the presence of its forbidden fruit >

< Its heart aches for Salvation >

< “All things of humankind and Stars elsewhere shall be judged fairly in my realm.” >

< “One Sin shall be thy everlasting shackle.” >

< “Cometh, my fruit. Cometh and grant me the Salvation I hath promised for all.” >

< What is the meaning of Salvation? >

< Its heart wishes to know >

“… Salvation…”

The first spear snapped out of the ground and positioned itself beside Frost, the sharpened tip pointed directly at Elysia efflorescent heart. Frost could see everything so clearly now. No, it would be more accurate to say that she could feel it inside of her heart.

Two heartbeats throbbed in this garden.

Elysia, and the Icon of Judgement.

“… its meaning has been tainted in this world since the very start.”

The Second Apostle’s spear joined the first, fusing into an even larger spear. Frost’s hand clutched around its thick base. This time, she was not repulsed or devoured by its anomalous properties.

Rather, it welcomed her.

More blades of grass were flung from beneath her feet as her eyes wandered the garden, eventually locking onto Elysia’s eyes.

“Death, transformation, ascension…”

The Third Apostle’s spear attached itself to the first two.

“… It stopped making sense the moment people found a way to twist it into an excuse.”

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The Fourth joined in.

“They all believe they’re right. You, us, and I. Salvation can only be given by those who believe they have a mission.”

Frost recalled the Wandering Healers as the Fifth joined the rest.

“Blindly believing their cause.”

The Impuritas and the Beholders flashed before her eyes as the Sixth joined.

“Or want to extend a selfless hand to mask their selfishness.”

Then, her mind went to Elysia as the Seventh Apostle’s spear fused with the first six.

A low-pitched hum emitted from the spear as its presence caused a halo of air to form in the ground. For each spear that fused, a golden halo surrounded the tip of the spear, each one becoming larger than the last as it ran down along the shaft.

“… but rather than looking at it like that…”

The Seventh arrived.

“I’ll look it at it in my own way.”

And the Eighth.

“The real way.”

Ninth.

“Because Salvation at its core –!”

Tenth.

“– IS TO SAVE!”

< The Eleventh Apostle offers its spear to the one it must protect >

< It gives its life in exchange >

The Eleventh Apostle | HP: 0

Pale, gold, blue, and red particles fizzled from its body, fusing with the spear as did the eleventh spear. Eleven golden halos wrapped the length of the colossal spear. Golden streaks of light ran along the shaft, converging where Frost’s hand rested.

< The spear is complete >

< You may now Enact Salvation >

Elysia’s heart throbbed as if begging to be impaled. The empty slot of the spearhead where an apple was supposed to be yearned to claim her heart.

Suddenly, a pair of tiny hands joined her as she felt a presence shuffle behind her.

“… We’re all in pain.” The Princess began, the vibrations of her voice travelling up Frost’s spine. “I came here wanting to die. But you… came here to show me that it’s not the only way.”

The Princess moved in front of Frost, wrapping her hands around hers. And with a small tug, she began to pivot the spear elsewhere.

“That thing is in pain. But mother was in even greater pain. She kept apologizing to me even as a monster… maybe the reason why I was called here was not to be killed.”

And with a small tug, she began to pivot the spear elsewhere.

“The right way forward is not always the one that’s clearest.” Frost uttered, pointing the spear at the beating heart of the Icon of Judgement instead of Elysia. “Right… The one who wanted Salvation all along was the Arbiter. To make amends for what she did to us…”

“I don’t understand, but I think you’re right!”

< Is this the choice you’ll make? >

“Is this your meaning of Salvation?”

The prompt of the Voice and the uttering of Dark Memoria were surprised by Frost’s choice. Dark Memoria’s voice came from Elyisa, and the prompt appeared along the spear rather than in front of her.

This is the definition Frost believed in the most.

“Elysia has been killed enough!”

The golden eyes of Elysia flickered with light, like droplets of rain trickling down a projector.

“But the Arbiter has been waiting for Salvation from the hand of the Captured Star itself! What she was looking for wasn’t the Captured Star!”

The rings contracted all at once. The spear began to slip through their grip as it desperately sought to leave.

“She was waiting for us to judge her for what she did! Elysia is the same! Salvation…”

They could no longer stop it from flying free now.

“… IS GIVING SOMEONE WHAT THEY NEED THE MOST!”

The spear flew towards the heart of the Icon of Judgement.

“ENACT SALVATIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!”

The Princess had no way of telling where it was aimed, but Frost was able to see precisely where the golden light came from.

Like everyone else, the Arbiter carried a piece of the golden apple; and as the spear pierced through its side to impale the heart, it bled like all else. Red blood gushed from its side like rain, absolving it of its One Sin.

< The Icon of Judgement falls from where it once stood tall >

< Sunshine warms the flesh beneath the feathers >

< For the first time, it realizes that its Earthly Paradise was no better than hell >

< Amends needed to be made >

< Paradise was lost as quickly as it was found >

< Perhaps it was for the best >

< Your meaning of Salvation is to save >

< As it is to absolve or destroy >

< Truly, Salvation is a holistic approach >

< You spared Elysia and took down the Icon of Judgement that began it all >

< There is hope >

Icon of Judgement | HP : 0

< The Icon of Judgement Has Successfully Been Subjugated >

An enormous amount of One Sin gushed from the Icon of Judgement’s carcass. Its body burst like a broken dam. One by one, holes burst like giant warts along its body, flooding the world with blood.

The walls and ruins of Paradise returned soon after as the Corrupted Zone fizzled away.

“Hold on!”

“W-Waaaah!?”

A great, red flood consumed Paradise as Frost climbed the inner wall with the Princess in her arm. The streets were dyed red, and the Markers remained standing despite the immense force of the crashing tsunami.

“We… we did it…?”

“We did…”

Frost only barely managed to get her mind back after the events that transpired. Her hands shook as she held them out and repeated:

“We did it…”

Slowly, the realization settled in, and her eyes began to glow brightly as her Corrupted features disappeared.

“We did it!” Frost’s voice was louder this time. The excitement was palpable, and she took the girl into her arms again and began to twirl her around.

“WE DID IT!”

“W-Woaaah! D-Don’t drop me! I don’t wanna die!”

“A-Ahahaha! Ahaha…! Aha…” Frost laughter slowly faded away she gently placed the girl down and collapsed onto her bottom, watching the blood still gush from the colossal carcass of the Icon of Judgement.

All twelve wings fell, splitting distant mountains in half and creating gorges in the shape of its wings, where blood quickly drained into.

“… We did it.” Frost whispered one last time, laying down flat on her back, mentally exhausted from the ordeal.

A hand reached up to touch her hair. She brought a small bundle to her eyes, spotting strands of gold.

“I wonder if it’s permanent. Golden eyes. Now golden strands of hair. This is the ‘Her’ getting back the gold she used to have, huh.”

Frost muttered to herself as the Princess pointed at her face, tilting her head slightly.

“Well, it’s a long story. Aren’t you tired? Come. Plenty of space up here. How does it feel?”

“… Relieved, somehow. I think. Mother… probably wanted to be put out of her misery. Making all the city walls and homes from her tears.” The Princess uttered, staring intently at Frost’s hair. “The whole underside of your hair… it’s all gold. And some strands up in the front are gold too.”

“Really? Wow… My other eyes can’t see that yet.”

The girl tilted her head again, right before bursting into sudden laughter.

“A-Ahaha! Hahahahahaha! Ha… *hic* Aha… what’s happening to me…? I shouldn’t be… I don’t want to…”

But tears soon rolled down her face.

“It’s ok to cry. You don’t have to be strong. It’s over. So cry as much as you want.”

It all finally settled withing her.

“Ah… A… A… Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

She wept onto Frost’s chest, burying herself deeply.

The adrenaline and the excitement disappeared, leaving behind a void that was filled within nothing but sorrow.

The Princess had lost everything despite their success. Millions were dead. Millions more were displaced.

But amongst the forsaken soil of misery and grief grew a flower of hope. This was all just a memory, but even so, Frost could not help but share the same sentiments as the girl.

They sat there in each other’s comfort; two strangers with transcendental bonds surrounded by desolation.

The night eventually came to an end. No night was eternal. The sun had to rise one way or another. It peered over the horizon, banishing the darkness of the night. The warm sunshine cast over them, their shadows projecting onto the world underneath.

A new day dawned upon them.

Yesterday’s triumph became today’s grief.

But there was still a world to live in.

Frost knew that life always went on.

However, in the face of an existential nightmare like the Icon of Judgement, this was not always the case.

Frost savored the sunshine of a today they saved, and a tomorrow they guaranteed.

She held the tiny hand of the weeping Princess.

And went on a small stroll down the flooded streets of what was once Paradise.