kscans

Chapter 99 - The Showdown's End and the Doll Princess's Final Moments

The throne room was dominated by darkness. Mel Aria's cruel command echoed through the space.

"All of you, charge with your bombs. Become my shields and scatter the enemy. It's fine if you die, just protect me."

The expressionless human dolls silently cradled the bombs in their arms, like weapons without a will of their own.

The detonators fixed to their chests began to flash red.

"Countdown start. 3, 2, 1..."

A sudden roar shook the cavern.

The ground trembled, and a pillar of fire shot up into the air. The shockwave from the explosion blew the throne room to pieces, and the shattered dolls danced in the air like sparks of fire.

A vortex of fierce flames and black smoke swirled, turning the cavern into a vision of hell. Amidst it all, faint groans, like death cries, echoed through the air.

"Thank you, everyone..."

"...We're free now..."

Within the sea of roaring fire, the dolls collapsed and vanished one after another.

Witnessing the horrific sight, Tiris covered her face with her hands and let out a sob.

"This is unforgivable... It wasn't supposed to be like this..."

Amy, too, shed tears as she murmured in a trembling voice.

"They weren't just puppets anymore... They had regained their sense of self... and yet..."

Amidst the fire and smoke, a heavy sorrow and anger were etched into their hearts.

Meanwhile, Mel Aria coolly looked down upon the scene, acting as if it were all perfectly normal.

"Dolls are disposable pawns, so it's only natural. Their job is to protect me, and it's only natural for them to die."

The countless shadows floating in the flames quietly faded away.

Tiris gritted her teeth, clenching her fists as she muttered.

"I can't forgive this method. But right now, all we can do is reclaim their freedom..."

Amy nodded and quietly continued.

"We'll sever those puppet strings for good. We have to save them with our own hands."

At the signal for the explosion, some of the dolls launched a suicide attack, scattering sparks. The blast thundered through the cavern as flames and smoke billowed.

But in the midst of the inferno, a light gradually began to kindle in the eyes of the remaining dolls.

"We're... not being controlled anymore."

"We want to live... by our own will."

In the fiercely burning flames, they looked at the magic threads on each other's backs and, one by one, tore them off.

Tiris shouted.

"You won't be bound by anyone anymore. Be free."

Amy continued.

"Everyone, stand up. We're ending this here."

"We're not your tools anymore."

The rebellion of the rage-filled human dolls erupted, and they lunged at Mel Aria.

"What... You dare to defy me. I won't allow it."

But as Mel Aria tried to flee, the dolls surrounded her one after another, sinking her body into the sea of fire.

Explosions and screams echoed, and then silence fell.

In the roaring flames, before the last of the dolls burned away, tear-like splinters of wood danced in the air.

Mel Aria lost her life amidst that violent rebellion.

Her cold-hearted commands never changed, even to the very end.

"You're all going to die to protect me. It's only natural that you dieeeeeee."

Those words were deeply carved into the souls of the dolls who had burned away.

After the roaring flames subsided, silence fell upon the devastated throne room.

Tiris wiped away her tears and murmured.

"Mel Aria... only thought of herself until the very end. But those dolls... they stood up of their own free will."

Amy gave a small nod and said.

"Even though they were being controlled, they fought for their freedom. Their souls will not be in vain."

The two of them gazed at the charred remains of the dolls and took a deep breath.

"With this, this battle might be drawing to a close."

Reuniting with the surviving Defray and Koni-chan, Amy and Tiris hurried to reinforce Mamoru in his fight against Hero Ares.