"It's over… Earth is finished. Humanity is finished."
Yuzare stared at the image of the prehistoric colossus displayed on the screen, murmuring to herself.
In the ancient texts she had once studied, there were records of such a time.
Before the rise of the new civilization, before the current era—
There had existed an even older age.
An age ruled entirely by darkness.
In that distant era, darkness covered the Earth. All beings who lived upon it—regardless of where they came from—were reduced to slaves of darkness.
And now, this new era, this new civilization, seemed to be walking down the very same path.
The blooming of Gijera had driven humanity into madness. People were completely unable to escape, indulging themselves in a false paradise of ultimate bliss.
When the terrifying darkness descended, black fog devoured everything in its path. Those whose minds had already been ensnared by Gijera had no power to resist at all—they died peacefully, smiling, within their pleasure.
Yuzare knew very well—
At this level of darkness, without the power of Giants, Earth had no chance of salvation.
Across the sky, airships returned from all corners of the world.
Humans who possessed Hearts of Light, protected by that light, were not deceived by Gijera. After hearing the rescue broadcasts from the airships, they hurried toward evacuation points one after another.
As a result, every airship returning now was filled to capacity.
They were, for the moment, the so-called "survivors."
Yuzare did not allow the ships to land fully. Instead, she ordered those still on the ground to board the airships already stationed at the plaza.
If they delayed any longer, the black fog would reach them.
"Hurry! Get on board!"
"There are enough ships at the plaza. Split up as much as possible—take as many ships as you can!"
Yuzare issued commands while constantly monitoring the distance of the encroaching black fog.
Soon, those who knew how to pilot airships took off, carrying those who did not.
A large number of ships lifted into the sky. Both Yuzare and Cain piloted ships of their own.
Naturally, Cain took Guardie with him.
Once everyone had left the ground, the black fog finally engulfed the entire plaza.
"…It's gone."
Staring down at the dense darkness below, no one felt hopeful.
Their homes were gone.
Earth was gone.
Where could they possibly go next?
"Sister… what should we do now?"
Inside his airship, Cain asked Yuzare through the communication channel.
"Cain, now only you can lead everyone out of this darkness. Don't ask everything of your Yuzare-jiejie anymore."
Suddenly, a woman's voice came through the communicator.
Cain froze in shock—then immediately recognized it.
"Easo-jiejie… it's you!"
Easo, the former eldest princess of the kingdom, elder sister to both Cain and Yuzare.
She had once travelled the world, using her light to heal the sick and wounded. But after Gijera bloomed and humanity descended into madness, even she could not cure such an unnatural condition.
Unaffected herself, she had nonetheless been powerless—
Until the rescue airships arrived at the royal city.
"Cain, did you understand what I said?"
Easo ignored his surprise and continued calmly.
"I understand, Sister."
Cain nodded solemnly inside the cockpit.
At this moment, it truly seemed that only he could lead everyone forward.
"Easo is right," Yuzare added with a firm nod. "Cain, it's time for you to shoulder this responsibility."
The survivors were few, but every one of them carried light in their hearts.
As the former prince, Cain now had to bear the burden—to lead humanity through fire and ruin.
"Then… everyone, we head for the Moon first!"
"Earth can no longer be stayed on."
"We'll temporarily regroup on the Moon. After stabilizing, we'll search for new land and continue living!"
After a long moment of thought, Cain gave the order with steady resolve.
"Understood!"
All the airships responded in unison.
Among the survivors, a leader was needed.
And the most suitable choice was Prince Cain.
Most people did not know that those who had survived all possessed Hearts of Light. They only felt that, amid the apocalypse, interactions between one another were unusually harmonious.
One by one, the airships broke through the darkness shrouding the sky and headed toward the Moon.
On the Moon.
Airships descended and docked one after another.
With the technology of the Super Ancient Civilization, several lunar bases had long been established.
The ships landed at the base hangars, and the survivors disembarked.
Though the lunar base was large, its supplies were typically transported from Earth. The Moon itself lacked sufficient resources.
Long-term habitation was simply unrealistic.
Those stationed at the Moon base had naturally survived.
Earth's situation had already been reported here, yet there was nothing the Moon personnel could do.
As for returning to Earth—
That was nothing short of suicide.
No one even considered it.
"Hm? Mr. Keshiva?!"
As the group entered the Moon base under the guidance of the stationed personnel, a familiar figure appeared before them.
"So… you've arrived."
Keshiva looked over the crowd, his gaze briefly passing over Yuzare and Cain.
"Mr. Keshiva, why did you dismantle the Light Particle Converter?!"
Cain stepped forward emotionally and confronted him.
"Your Highness," Keshiva replied calmly, "don't you think all these disasters stem from the Light Particle Converter?"
"Humanity was never meant to wield power it cannot control."
"Mr. Keshiva, I understand how you feel," Yuzare interjected. "But Earth is already in crisis. Without the power of the Giants, it will be completely destroyed."
"No."
Keshiva shook his head.
"What will be destroyed is not Earth—but humanity without Hearts of Light."
"Then you'll just stand by and watch humanity go extinct?!"
Cain snapped angrily.
"The humans on Earth will sink into their paradise and die without pain," Keshiva replied. "But humanity's future now lies in your hands, Prince Cain."
"Mr. Keshiva… arguing now is meaningless."
Yuzare sighed softly.
"I only want to ask one thing—can you still create a Light Particle Converter?"
"I can," Keshiva said. "But haven't you noticed something?"
As he spoke, he pointed toward Orion.
Everyone looked up.
Amid the vast, glittering stars, Orion was still visible—
But it no longer shone as it once had.
"The light of Orion… is gone!"
Cain stared in disbelief, his lips trembling.
"How could this happen, Mr. Keshiva?"
Yuzare was equally confused as she turned to him.
Orion's light had been intact not long ago.
Its disappearance—
Might well be connected to Keshiva himself.