Deathblow!
Barbarian uppercut!
I thought with all that excitement earlier we’d taken the advantage, but now it doesn’t look that way at all!
It would be nice if we could open up just enough of a gap for me to make it through to the tower on my own…
I don’t think that will be easy. He has way too many heads!
If only the fluffetic was here! He can out-cheat anyone, no matter how many heads they have.
And I bet he’d love to get his scalpel into a creature as creepy as this!
The screen flashes red.
Aargh, he’s completely taken the upper hand — head, that is!
Help! Help us, Doctor Iwamineeeeeeeee!
Shuu
There is no need to shout. I am right behind you.
The King
Aah, aaaaaaah!
The Doctor, appearing out of nowhere, throws something chemical-looking at The King.
It smells extremely unhealthy.
I knew you’d come through, Doctor!
And with heroic timing, too!
…looks like you stole my thunder again.
Don’t act as if you could compare to Doctor Iwamine, mongrel.
…Doctor! We’ve awaited your arrival.
I… I think I’m going to sneeze… what was that, sir?
Something not unlike what I put in the tranquilizer gun I use for collecting live samples back home.
So… anesthetics?
It confuses the target’s gait and paralyzes the central nervous system for a few minutes.
Heretical indeed.
I’m going on ahead.
The King
Waa, waaaaaaa, waaaaaaaahhh…!
The screen flashes red.
You weren’t heretical enough, Doctor!
I really wish I knew what the actual Japanese was in this case, because maybe what she says is “heretic”, but that doesn’t make any sense.
It was developed with earthly creatures in mind.
It seems it is not so effective here.
Coooooooo!
(Okosan will use WING ATTACK!
Leave this to us!)
San’s right.
We’ll keep him occupied so Hiyoko and Nageki can head past the throne!
If what the migrant said was right, you’re the only one who can break us out of here.
Go on — do your stuff, and do it well
…right.
Thank you, everyone.
All right, let’s go! Come on, Nageki!
Through the door The King was so eager to stop us from getting to, there is… the lighthouse.
The huge, bright lighthouse we saw from the plaza.
But–
The… the bridge is broken?!
He must have destroyed it.
He really doesn’t want to let us leave, does he?
Wh-what do we do…?
I… don’t think I can jump that.
I can fly.
Oh! Of course!
Because you’re a pigeon!
I completely forgot about that!
I’ll go.
It is the lighthouse The King has tried to stop us from reaching at all costs… what could be waiting inside?
I don’t want to make Nageki go alone if I don’t have to, but…
The screen shakes, and there’s a rumbling sound.
What…?!
What should we do…?
Cooooo!
(The King has multiplied! This is a case of the grossest asexual division!)
No one told us he was capable of this!
!
Nageki, The King’s coming after us!
Go, quickly!
I’ll break some jawbones and be after you in a flash!
Alone?
But……right.
See you… later, Miss Tosaka.
There’s a fluttering of wings and the music stops.
This is… a false star.
The souls of lost birds are drawn in by this magic lantern, this lighthouse, and swallowed.
They swell up, and dream a happy dream.
This lighthouse…
It is a giant magic lantern.
Everything Miss Tosaka and I saw as we walked around this world was a fake. An illusion, projected by this lighthouse.
The King
Yes, a fake…
But it was fun, wasn’t it?
…
The King waited here for the dark, tangled souls which the river of heaven deposited at the foot of his jeweled throne.
The King was there when they arrived.
So it no surprise to find him here, in the lighthouse he had tried so hard to prevent us from reaching.
This King–
Were you drawn here by the light?
Or are you the first King?…I suppose it doesn’t make a difference either way.
You are one of The Kings, and The Kings are you.
The King said, and you will become The King as well.
…don’t you want to?
I’ll pass, thanks.
And not just me. Everyone who came here with me has already refused your offer.It was a little hard to deal with the big King throwing a tantrum back there.
I’m glad I can talk with you now.
Eep…!
S-stay away from me…
…sorry.
I didn’t mean to scare you.
You’re trying to build the dream kingdom I built, aren’t you?
That’s mean…
I suppose so.
Meeeeeaaan!
But you’ve tried to keep us shut in.
If you let us, and the others you’ve captured, out of here, we won’t break anything.
I don’t want to!
The King said, if The King did that, he would be all alone again.
Waah… -sniff-…
You are already alone, your majesty.
The music stops.
You were afraid of what the others might say to you, so you absorbed them into yourself.
And now you’re the only one here.
…I was always alone, too.
I didn’t know how to return to the sky.I think I should have gotten on the train, like you.
But I stayed on the earth.I spent a long time alone, burying myself in a fake world born of books.
I had no one to talk to.
Just like you.It was quiet, and peaceful.
I had no friends, so no one hurt me.But–
One day, I started making friends.
They’re a whole bunch of nutcases… I can never tell what they’ll say or do next.They’re all loud, and active.
Just being with them tires me out.…but, I like them.
I’m happy now.
The stars on the planisphere glitter.
I know what The King is afraid of.
That won’t do anything anymore…
That planisphere isn’t any good now…
…indeed.
You took one of the stars, after all.
The star you feared the most isn’t here.
That star is gone.
I already absorbed it… so, come on, just stop threatening me…
You can’t do anything…
Yes, I can.
Eep…!
The stars on this board are here to burn through the kings’ lies.
One of them is missing, but… all I have to do is replace it.
Birds’ souls shine like stars.
I should have at least one true gemstone with me.
Which one should I use?
This is awkward since I’m quite sure these are all semi-precious stones, but if you can remember how we got each one I bet we can guess which one is correct.
This is the end, your majesty.
Click.
…
…?
The King said…
Heeheeheehee! You fell for it!
I thought this might happen, so I gave you some fake stars!
F-fake…?
You were almost there, too… but it’s okay. You will be happy with The King…
!
Happily Ever After.
So that was the Lapis Lazuli end. 8) Lapis Lazuli is considered a semi-precious stone because it is very pretty, but it’s just a rock. The garnet and topaz are actually gems, but the answer here is easier than that. If you’ve been reading this all at once, I bet you can remember. The King gave Hiyoko and Nageki the Garnet and Lapis Lazuli for their work solving problems with Shuu and Yuuya, respectively. The Topaz came from somewhere else.
Hitori gave me this topaz.
The other two… I got from you.
B-be careful with that!
Don’t you realize what you’re doing?!
Thank you… Hitori.
This constellation is a version of Scorpio, so Hitori’s topaz is supposed to represent Antares.
I know! I know what happened!
You burned to death, didn’t you? Aren’t you scared of that? Why are you making yourself go through it all again?!
…”Dear Lord, I beg of you, look into my heart and hear my prayer.”
The fire grows.
No, stop! You’ll burn everything I’ve made!
“In my next life, don’t let me waste myself… let me use my body for the true happiness of everyone in the world.”
The glittering crystal forest, and the warm, friendly plaza! Everything will disappear!
“And then the scorpion burst into flame, a beautiful crimson glow.
And by the light of his burning body, he lit up the night forever.”
Nageki’s monologue here is from Night on the Galactic Railroad.
…I am that scorpion now.
I would burn a hundred times for my friends’ happiness.
I suppose The King’s favourite book when he was alive was the same as mine.
Antares, in the heavens.
The light of the scorpion’s flame guiding those lost in the dark towards dawn.
And so The King’s story comes to a close with the story he loved.
There’s nothing to fear.
I’ve already burned like this once.
The scorpion burns a bright crimson flame, and the dream ends.
The music fades.
…what will happen after I’ve burned again?
I hope the others get out of here safely.
You’re coming too, Nageki!
…!
Sorry I’m late!
I got delayed while I was climbing up!
Miss Tosaka, it’s dangerous here! Get back!
Oh, come on! I’ve fought beasts and climbed a lighthouse!
Come on, take my hand! Quickly!
We’re going home together!
The King
Aah… aah…
The King… stopped…?!
Watch out, kids, the building’s coming down!
Sure feels like the final scene now, huh?
No recognition whatsoever between these two.
I don’t know what exactly he did, but Nageki certainly hasn’t cut any corners.
So, what should we do?
I’d rather not get turned into a pancake underneath this castle after coming so far.
The room with the chair is all that was here, in the beginning.
It won’t collapse. We’re safe here.
Cooooooo?!
(Okosan is falling! Okosan is falling!)
Look, we’re heading for the Milky Way!
We’ll be out soon.
What of Tosaka and Fujishiro? Did they make it?
They’re probably fine.
Hiyoko’s hunter-gatherer instincts will guide her through whatever it takes to get Nageki out of there.
Merry Christmas!!
(It’s the Great Escaaaaaape!)
Stop clinging to me, you two. It is uncomfortably warm.
Which way is up? Which is down?
I feel so light–
Hitori?!
The King
Aah… aaaaah…
Oh… is that right?
The King
Aaah, uueeeeeeh…
I know, I know.
…but it’s still too soon.That’s right, I’ll be along soon.
I’ll catch up with you.Some day…
Let’s go, Hitori.
