Hero Stories: Echoes of Fading Starlight

Are you prepared to return to the eternal cycle?

O guide of the noble goddess, I beseech you, grant glory to the end of my life...

O Goddess, I, Hecate, Reaper and master of the Sigurd Scythe, beseech you.

Please lead this soul, whose destiny is fulfilled, back to the cycle of life.

Thank you... for bestowing... this blessing...

...

May you find peaceful rest.

We're all being deceived by the gods!! In other worlds, people live freely until they die!

The Reaper is killing us so only they can live forever!! We must shatter these absurd laws of death!!

We don't have to die...?

If we can live freely forever... then why shouldn't we...?!

Are you prepared to return to the eternal cycle?

O Reaper, the day of death has come... I suppose...

I must return to the cycle of life...?

Do you still have lingering attachments to life?

I met the love of my life, raised beautiful children...

I've lived a full life and achieved what I wanted, but even so...

It seems you fear death.

I can't help it...

To fear death is proof that you cherish the life you were given. I understand.

However, returning to the cycle of life is like a new beginning, so do not be afraid.

Indeed... Unlike those blasphemers, I believe in your words, Reaper.

Then, I shall begin guiding your soul.

O Goddess, please lead this poor soul, whose destiny is fulfilled, back to the cycle of life.

Oh... The embrace of the Goddess... is so warm...

...

May you find peaceful rest.

A holy ending, every time I see it.

Alfr priest?

Guide of the Goddess and Princess of Tartarus, Hecate. I, priest Morpheon offer my greetings.

Is the ritual complete?

I have just guided the soul to the cycle of life.

He must have been a faithful man.

Though the poor soul trembled in fear,

he possessed a soul clear and pure, incomparable to those of the blasphemers.

To be able to see people's souls... Your ability is always mysterious, Hecate.

It is merely a necessary ability to carry out the Goddess's will.

What brings you here, priest?

I have urgent news for you.

News for me...?

Yes, it concerns the blasphemers.

Let us head to the palace at once.

This is absurd...

You found a blasphemer hideout near the capital?

Yes. There was a revelation from the Sacred Tree.

A revelation from the Sacred Tree...?

It was a few days ago, while I was performing a ritual for the Sacred Tree at the temple.

O Sacred Tree, light of Tartarus and root of all life...

I have come again to hear your will.

My faithful follower, Morpheon.

An ominous energy gathers near the capital of Tartarus.

...What do you mean by "ominous energy"?

An energy that shakes... the absolute providence of Tartarus.

Following the Sacred Tree's revelation, I sent scouts to the location,

and the blasphemers' hideout was discovered.

To think those impious wretches have reached the capital... How could this happen...

Not only that, but the order of the world is increasingly falling into disarray.

The number of blasphemers tainted by twisted beliefs is growing. They band together to loot, assault, and even murder.

They will commit heinous acts if it means extending their lives.

Fools!!

How dare they disturb the cycle of life... I shall exterminate those impious wretches with my own hands immediately.

You personally, Hecate?

We know the location of their hideout. There is no reason to delay.

Then I will prepare the soldiers to accompany you.

There is no need.

I alone am enough to punish the impious who disturb the cycle of life.

And above all...

I cannot allow the people whose time has not yet come to perish because of the blasphemers.

...I understand, Hecate. I will inform the ministers to prevent confusion.

Then, I shall return.

Not only do you uphold the will of the Goddess, but you cherish the safety of the people so dearly...

You are indeed noble, Hecate.

That pure and noble conviction. I hope you keep it...

Is this the location the Sacred Tree mentioned...?

It... It's the Reaper!!! Our hideout's been found!!

Their lifespans are long past due... The color of their souls is a murky purple.

Seeing only those whose time for guidance has passed gathered here,

it is certain that this is indeed a blasphemers' hideout.

Dammit... E-Everyone, prepare for battle!

Don't be scared! She's just a pawn of the corrupt Goddess!!

I shall lead you all back to your cycle.

Ridiculous! Who are you to take our lives?!

We all have the right not to die!!

Right? Does this "right" you speak of...

mean you can commit countless atrocities to live forever?

Looting your neighbors, stealing homes, even killing people!

What's wrong with that? They're just going to die quietly when the Goddess says so anyway.

We just killed them before they lost their lives to your scythe!!

You plunge others into suffering to gain eternal life?

Eliminating you is my mission as a Reaper...

...and the justice of the cycle.

Urgh... Ugh... H-how could a single Reaper... defeat us all...

You lack the skill to harm me.

So she really is the immortal Reaper... who wields the Goddess's authority...?

But that's why you'll never... understand us... mortals...

I have never tried to understand blasphemers. Now, find your rest.

SWISH!

...

It seems I'm finished here.

...?

Eek!! I just had to hold out a little longer... Why did that stone have to roll...?

Someone is hiding behind the wall.

In that case...!

W-Whoa!! You broke the w-wall with a scythe?!

The Reaper really is as terrifying as the rumors say...!

Are you a blasphemer...?

Well, I've been caught, so I guess there's no helping it.

Yes, my name is Nestra.

But even you, Reaper... surely you'd find it hard to eliminate a delicate and lovely girl like me?!

...

A blasphemer is a blasphemer. There can be no exceptions.

Accept your fate.

Tsk, you look like a white-haired witch, I knew you wouldn't listen...

...

Ahem. I shall guide your soul.

Um... P-Please make it painless.

O Goddess, please lead this poor soul...

...!!

Strange. This girl's soul...

Her time of death has not yet come.

The color of her soul is clearly close to death, yet I cannot cut it...

The date recorded in the Tome of Life's End is...

Tomorrow?!

Um... I have my eyes closed, so...

Could you please hurry up? It's just making me more scared...

Even if she is a blasphemer, I cannot guide a soul...

whose time remains to the cycle of life.

Huh...?

Did you just lower your scythe?! I knew it...

Even the cold-blooded Reaper couldn't resist my charm! Hehe.

So...

Because I have one day left to live, you can't kill me, Reaper?

Correct.

So even if I go find other blasphemers, or run away, or even try to kill myself...

True, I cannot guide your soul. But I will stop you.

I have no intention of letting a blasphemer like you go free.

Then... what are you planning to do with me?

Accompany me for the day. Tomorrow, I will guide your soul.

That sounds like...

something a creepy kidnapper would say before killing their victim, doesn't it?

...

What must I do to make you stop spouting nonsense and follow quietly?

Eeh, I'm way too young to die! There's still so much I want to do...!

...Think carefully.

Ah, okay, okay. Stop glaring at me. It's terrifying...

Hmm...Oh, I thought of something!

There's a place I want to go.

A place you want to go?

Yes. I always told myself I'd go there once before I died. If you take me, I'll accept my fate quietly.

Very well. Lead the way.

Where could you possibly want to go... in ruins like these?

As you probably know, Reaper, this place wasn't always a ruin.

True. In the past, it was a thriving village of sculptors. Though it became this way after being swept up in the civil war with the blasphemers.

That's right.

I was born in this village. I've returned to my hometown.

Though there's no one here to welcome me...

Hometown... How did a child like you end up leaving your home and becoming a blasphemer?

I used to be a devout believer in the Goddess.

But after one incident... I came to hate the Goddess more than anyone.

Hate?

Kekeke... Of course.

How can one endure this cursed world without hating the Goddess?

!!

Oh my, it's blasphemers!! They must have been hiding in the ruins...!

How coincidental.

A group of blasphemers appearing on the path led by a blasphemer girl.

I-I didn't come here on purpose! I don't know these people!

Hmph...

What are you lot doing in these ruins?

People have to pass through here to get to the capital. It's a good spot to meet folks with valuable goods.

I wondered what kind of idiot would drag a kid around in these dangerous times...

only to find it is the notorious Reaper herself. Heh heh.

So you have turned to banditry. It must be the Goddess's will that I purge the impious.

Quite confident, aren't you? But what a shame.

You won't be able to bluff any longer. We're the biggest gang in the area.

The enemy is alone!! Surround her and attack all at once!!

N-No... Captain has fallen...!

Retreat! We have to tell the vice-captain! Tell him the Reaper is here!

Yes, sir!

...

Under normal circumstances, I would hunt them down and exact punishment...

But since the girl is with me, I must stop here.

You took care of all those blasphemers in an instant! As expected of the Reaper!

...I acknowledge that you didn't know them, but did you truly not know there were blasphemers here?

Goodness, Reaper! You really don't trust people, do you?!

I do not distrust people. I distrust blasphemers.

Mmgh...

If I came here on purpose, I would have run away while you were fighting!

...

Actually, I did think about running away for a second, but...

Anyway, I really came here because there's a place I want to visit.

I will trust your words for now.

Thank you! We're almost there. Let's go!

Is this the place you spoke of?

Yes. I wanted to come to the house I used to live in.

It's empty and there's nothing left, but...

You must have many good memories here.

Hehe, actually, bad memories come to mind more than good ones.

Bad memories?

My parents were so kind and loved me very much. And so...

They became the worst parents.

What do you mean?

If I hadn't known happiness... it wouldn't be this painful now.

My darling daughter, dinner is ready!

Just a minute, Mom! I have something to do!

You'd better hurry! There's lots of your favorites, Nestra.

I'm done too!

Ta-da! It's a drawing of you and Dad!!

This picture... is your Mom and me...?

Oh honey, stop it. Nestra draws so well. Anyone can see it's us...

Right? I'm the best at everything! Hehe.

Whoa, dinner looks amazing today!! So much meat!

Wait, Nestra. We must offer thanks to the Goddess before eating.

Yes, okay!

Goddess, thank you for the meat.

Thank you for the compliments on my drawing, and for not getting caught sleeping in school today.

And most of all, thank you for giving me Mom and Dad.

Please let me be happy with Mom and Dad every single day!!

Back then, when I opened my eyes in the morning, the world felt like it was sparkling.

My parents' voices, the warm scent of home, the chirping of birds... I believed it would all last forever.

But that happiness shattered much more easily than I expected.

Like starlight fading in the darkness.

Nestra needs to know eventually.

Isn't she still too young...?

She will understand. She takes after us, so her faith in the Goddess is stronger than anyone's.

True, she is more devout than other children her age.

Since we don't have much time left, I suppose we must tell her.

That the Goddess has granted us, as a couple...

...the blessing of dying on the same day.

D... Dad...?

What are you talking about?

M-My daughter... What are you doing here...?

I was playing by the stream, and I wanted to surprise you...

...Nestra, you heard everything.

Don't be shocked. The Goddess has simply given Mom and Dad a blessing.

So... you and Dad are going to die together soon...?

Sweetheart, you know, don't you?

The Goddess grants the people of Tartarus the blessing of death.

For Mom and Dad to receive that blessing on the same day... it's a great honor.

L-Lies... You're lying...

I... I pray to the Goddess...

Every day! I pray that I can live with Mom and Dad forever!!

Nestra, where are you running off to?!

Nestra!! Sweetheart!!!

After that, I tried everything to stop my parents' death.

But my devout parents... when the day came, they accepted the blessing.

A blessing of death... that was nothing but a curse to me.

It would have been better if my parents had been indifferent or mean to me.

Then... I wouldn't miss them this much...

You went through something difficult... too much for a child to bear.

I know what my parents told me. That when you return to the cycle of life, you get to live a new life...

So I came to say one last goodbye before I die.

To my parents I loved so much... and hated.

...

Death is unavoidable providence.

Souls that return to the cycle cleanse the karma of their past lives and prepare for the next.

In that process, lingering attachments, regrets, and even love...

are purified in the Goddess's embrace. So...

The feelings you wished to convey will surely reach them.

...Thank you.

Don't make me laugh.

Who would believe such empty words?

Y-You are... the bandits from earlier?!

Everything ends when you die! Only you, the Reaper, don't know that!!

What matters to people isn't some unknown next life, but this life, right now!

It seems there are still remnants of the blasphemers left.

That's right. Our captain, who you "guided to the cycle"... is my brother.

You damned immortal Reaper... I'll make you...!!

I'll make you understand even a little bit of what it feels like to lose someone precious!

Kyaaa!! Let go of me!!!

I don't know what your relationship with the Reaper is, but you're going to die here.

Take your filthy hands off the girl at once.

And if I refuse?

You will be held accountable for your actions!

Argh!!!

Ugh...! My arm...! I didn't even see the attack...!

The feeling of losing someone precious...

I guide the souls of the people every day. How could I not know that feeling?

Blasphemers with souls murky and foul... I decree thy merciless annihilation.

Thank you for saving me, Reaper.

Guiding the souls of blasphemers is merely my duty.

Still, you seemed pretty serious when you saved me.

When you said, "take your filthy hands off," and slashed the blasphemer... it was so cool.

...

Hehe, you're not angry right now, you're flustered, right?

You are full of mischief.

I guess I've gotten comfortable with you without realizing it.

Forgetting that you're the one who's going to kill me soon...

...

A day has already passed. Time flies.

If you wish, I can guide your soul as late as possible.

No, it's okay. I've said all the goodbyes I wanted to say.

But there is one thing I'm curious about...

Speak.

After my parents died, and I had to live with relatives who didn't care about me...

There was something I asked the night sky every day. If every death is the Goddess's will...

Is my misfortune also the Goddess's will?

...

Nestra. A mere human cannot comprehend the will of the Goddess.

Thus, humans may seem helpless before death...

But the experiences and emotions within a limited life are forged by human will alone, which even gods cannot touch.

I couldn't change anything with my will... That's why I became a blasphemer.

...Until now, I believed all blasphemers were corrupted by greed and malice.

But through you, I have learned. One can become a blasphemer for very human reasons.

Even if one has lost faith...

Forging one's destiny to escape misfortune is a noble human will worthy of respect.

Therefore, your soul, returning to the cycle, will remain a clear light.

...Thank you for saying that, Reaper. Come to think of it, it must be hard for you too.

You saved me according to a divine will we don't understand, and now you have to kill me...

It is simply my duty and creed as a Reaper.

Are you prepared to return to the cycle of life?

Yes. I'm looking forward to it.

Because death is a new beginning.

Now I can finally... escape my misfortune.

That is a relief. I shall begin guiding your soul.

O Goddess, I, Hecate, Reaper and master of the Sigurd Scythe, beseech you.

Please lead this poor soul, whose destiny is fulfilled, back to the cycle of life.

Reaper... thank you. And...

I'm... sorry...

...

Nestra, poor girl. May you find peaceful rest...

!!

What is this...?!

Nestra's soul...

It didn't return to the cycle of life...!

H-How could this happen...?!

Impossible...

The soul should have returned to the cycle of life... but instead, it scattered across the land...

And the girl's corpse remains intact.

This is just like... what happens when someone dies before their time.

The Reaper took the life of an innocent!!

?!

The body of the girl the Reaper killed didn't return to the cycle! It's still there!!

This is madness!!! She took the life of an innocent person!

We have to tell the world!! The Reaper committed murder!!!

Watch your tongues. How dare you utter such blasphemy.

The ritual just now was a normal guidance, with no issues whatsoever.

This phenomenon must have some other cause.

D-Don't give us excuses...! That girl's body proves everything!

Reaper? No... You're nothing but a murderer!!

You will not listen to reason. Impious ones, it is time to return to the cycle.

Kgh, ugh... Can the Reaper truly not be defeated...?

Such futile resistance. Heed the call of the underworld.

Hehehe... You didn't notice at all.

A small ember can spread and consume the whole world.

What do you mean?

People are already heading to the capital to tell everyone what you did.

In the end... the Reaper's honor will be dragged through the mud...

...

I see...

This incident will certainly serve as a good excuse for the blasphemers who wish to sow chaos.

I must return to the palace before it is too late.

Good.

Seeing the soldiers lined up, it seems the blasphemers have been suppressed.

Good work, everyone. Have you finished eliminating the blasphemers?

H-Hecate, please stop...!

...?

What is the meaning of this? Why do you raise your weapons against me?

W-We were waiting for you, Hecate.

There are testimonies among the people... that you took the life of someone whose time had not yet come.

!!

How dare you. You block my path based on such rumors?

I have never disobeyed the will of the Goddess.

I-I... believe that too, but...

Reveal the truth, you say...

Do you think mere humans can uncover the truth of an event where the order of the cycle was disturbed?

...

This situation is exactly what the blasphemers want.

If I stand trial, even if I clear my name, chaos will be unavoidable.

To avoid playing into their hands, I must find the clear reason why Nestra's soul did not return to the cycle.

I will investigate the truth myself. Stand aside.

Are you refusing my order?

Me standing trial will only amplify the chaos. You sound like a blasphemer.

Who gave the order to arrest me here?

Now that I think about it, it is strange.

I guided Nestra's soul and returned straight to the capital...

To block my path as if you were waiting for me...

Is there someone inside the palace conspiring with the blasphemers?

Fine. If you won't move, I have no choice.

Anyone who blocks my path from now on will be considered a traitor!

Now that I've made enemies of the palace soldiers, I don't have much time.

I must uncover the truth quickly. But how...?

...!

Right, he... might be able to help.

The Alfr priest, who can hear the knowledge of the Sacred Tree... might know the truth.

Hecate...?

Morpheon. Good, you're here.

You're safe. That is a relief.

Strange rumors about you are spreading all over Tartarus... I was so worried.

If you've heard the rumors, then I won't waste time explaining.

I came to find you to uncover the reason for the strange phenomenon I experienced.

Please tell me what happened. I will help however I can.

So...

You guided the soul according to the date in the Tome of Life's End...

But the girl's soul did not return to the cycle of life?

Correct. I've thought back on it countless times... but I made no mistake.

That is certainly... strange.

The record in the Tome of Life's End cannot be wrong.

It is an heirloom containing the will of the Goddess.

Then why did the soul not return to the cycle?

There is one... possibility.

Since you check the Tome of Life's End after seeing the soul...

Perhaps... you misidentified the girl's soul.

I have guided countless souls for hundreds of years. I would not make such a mistake.

It may not be your mistake, but a ploy by the blasphemers.

We recently found an item in a blasphemers' hideout. Please look at this.

Is this... a gem?

It is not just an ordinary gem. It is called...

...a Soul-Deceiving Gem.

It would be faster for you to see for yourself. If I hold this gem...

What do you see?

!!!

That's... Nestra's soul?!

To see the soul of the girl I guided on you, priest... How is this possible?

Isn't it fascinating?

This mysterious gem contains the blood of a blasphemer.

So if you possess this gem...

you see the blasphemer's soul contained within, not my own.

Then...

Because of this gem, I mistook Nestra's soul for that of another blasphemer...

and guided the soul of a girl whose time had not yet come.

That is highly likely.

How could this happen... But...

Why did you not tell me such an important fact?

You found this in a blasphemer hideout... What reason could you have for not reporting it?

...

Answer me, Alfr priest!

Do I really need to say it?

Creating this gem, and bringing the girl into the plan...

It was all my doing.

Morpheon... Have you betrayed me?

Was all the loyalty you showed as the palace priest a lie?

Do not call it betrayal.

I became a priest... for your downfall from the very beginning.

There was a revelation from the Sacred Tree a few years ago.

Morpheon... My faithful follower...

Destroy the absolute providence of Tartarus.

What do you mean?

The Goddess's false beliefs are tainting Tartarus...

You must destroy the laws of death and drag the Reaper's honor into the dirt.

Are you saying the laws of death in Tartarus are wrong?

Yes. The Goddess is tainted by darkness, driving the people to death with false beliefs.

...If that is your will, I will gladly dedicate my life to it.

Are you saying the Sacred Tree... ordered you to join forces with the blasphemers?

Haha, join forces? Not at all.

The Sacred Tree is the one who revealed the illusion of the absolute providence ruling Tartarus.

The ones who created the blasphemers... were none other than myself and the Alfrs who follow the Sacred Tree.

What...?

Spreading false beliefs... plotting this scheme...

It was all the work of your kind?

Correct. I went to great lengths by your side to find a way to defeat an immortal Reaper.

For neither overwhelming force nor potent poison could eliminate you.

However, the more noble the soul, the more easily it crumbles from the smallest crack.

The way to defeat the immortal Reaper...

...was to destroy the honor and conviction you had built up.

How dare you... use such dirty tricks against me!!

Admit it now, noble yet foolish Reaper.

Can the people entrust their deaths to a Reaper who guided the wrong soul?

Trust in you, and in the Goddess, has already collapsed.

Shut your mouth!!

What you have done is a grave blasphemy!

Well, I merely gave the people... a chance to escape the tyranny of a Goddess who controls death.

That is not "blasphemy," but "liberation".

Nonsense. Do you not know how much blood has been spilled because of the blasphemers?

You blindly followed the insane revelation of the Sacred Tree,

and used a dirty trick that sacrificed a poor girl!!

Haha, unlike the Goddess you believe in, the Sacred Tree is far more "rational".

The girl was given a reward, not a sacrifice.

What are you talking about?

We meet again, Reaper.

...Nestra?

I definitely guided your soul. How...?

The miracle of the Sacred Tree sometimes flows against the current of life.

The reward given to the girl for cooperating with the plan...

is the "revival" of herself and her parents.

!!!

I don't have any hard feelings toward you, Reaper.

I just wanted to go against the will of the high-and-mighty Goddess... who gave me nothing but misery and silence.

Nestra... A life gained by defying the cycle of life leads only to destruction...

I understand your pain, but you are not yourself.

Your eyes have no life, and your skin is blue like the dead... You are neither alive nor dead.

...What does that matter?

My life was already ruined because of that damn Goddess.

I just want a happy life... even if it's a lie.

...

See? The human heart is so simple.

There is no longer a place for you in Tartarus.

...

The Sigurd Scythe... has been tainted by the Alfr who follows the Sacred Tree's orders.

However, my conviction remains as pure as the Goddess's will.

I have a duty to reveal the truth to the people. Stand aside.

HUFF... HUFF...

Even though there were many of them... how could I be wounded?

The wound in my abdomen is deep... The bleeding won't stop.

But I cannot give up like this.

I must correct this situation where the people are swayed by the Sacred Tree's lies.

Thank goodness. My people.

Do you know where I might find the nearest healer...?

S-Stay back!!!

!!

We know you killed a girl who still had time left to live!

That is a lie...

How can you say that when you're covered in blood?!

Listen... to me...

The Reaper is here!! Covered in blood and threatening the people again!!

No... I fell into a trap... I guided the wrong girl's soul, but...

So you did kill the girl!!

The Reaper lived for hundreds of years and went mad! She really killed a little girl!!

Stop... Why does no one believe me?!

O-Of course we can't believe you!!

What... What must I do... to prove my innocence...?

Reaper... what's wrong?

Child... My people...

No!! Don't touch my son!!

Come here, son! Hurry!

...

Has it... has it truly all collapsed...? Everything I protected...

The way to defeat the immortal Reaper...

...was to destroy the honor and conviction you had built up.

There is no longer a place for you in Tartarus.

So that is it.

Even if it was a trick, the result does not change...

Because death is a new beginning.

Now I can finally... escape my misfortune.

Yes. I, who guided a girl with time remaining...

can no longer be trusted by the people.

Catch the Reaper!! Pay for your crimes!!

Execute the Reaper who killed an innocent!!

The order of the Goddess I upheld for centuries...

My honor and credibility as a Reaper... have all been shattered.

O Goddess... Is this truly my fate?

Drag the Reaper out!! Let her face justice!!!

...

Yes, sir!

Stop.

!!

I will accept my punishment of my own will.

I shall return to the Goddess's embrace... by my own choice...

The sinner Hecate...

shall be punished for defying the Goddess's will and taking the life of a girl whose time had not yet come.

This is the gravest taboo for a Reaper, and a felony that has disturbed the cycle of life.

The sinner was obligated to uphold the providence of death more than anyone...

Yet she abandoned that duty, inciting deep chaos and distrust among the people.

Therefore, in accordance with the laws of Tartarus, the court sentences the sinner Hecate to death by guillotine.

Executioner, bring the sinner to the platform.

...

Is this the end of my long life?

I have guided souls for ages... and witnessed countless deaths.

A time when death was regarded as a blessing and an honor.

Reaper... Thank you for bestowing this blessing...

From the people who smiled happily as they returned to the cycle...

I haven't... haven't told them how I feel yet...

I pray my child... may grow up brave...

I now forgive my parents... even though they abandoned me...

Moments of death filled with sorrow, regret, and forgiveness...

Reaper... thank you. And...

I'm... sorry...

Even the last girl, whose end was a mix of remorse and anger.

To them, I was always the Reaper who brought the end of life.

Even though I face an end without glory, filled only with condemnation...

I must reveal the truth to those who still believe in me.

Judge, I have a statement for the people before the sentence is carried out.

...Make it brief.

My people.

There is a truth you must know.

The Alfrs, who receive revelations from the Sacred Tree, are twisting the order of Tartarus.

They manipulated the cycle of life with false promises of salvation,

and I was deceived by their schemes into committing an irreversible error.

But... you must not be deceived.

Do not close your eyes in fear. Listen to the voice of truth that the soul speaks.

As I guided countless souls to the cycle... I remember every single pure soul that adorned the skies of Tartarus.

The duty of a Reaper was always heavy, but I could endure the long years thanks to your pure souls.

My beloved people...

Protect the order of our home, Tartarus, and do not forget the will of the Goddess.

This is my final request... and my confession.

...

R-Ridiculous!! Don't be fooled by the fallen Reaper insulting the Sacred Tree!

No... That doesn't look like someone who's lying.

It's true that the Reaper has sacrificed herself for Tartarus all this time...

...If you are done speaking, we shall carry out the sentence.

Are you ready?

I have fulfilled my long duty... Now, I shall welcome a peaceful eternal rest.

Very well. Executioner, carry out the sentence!

Finally... it is the end...?

I have lived a life without shame, so I can lay down this life's burden without regret...

The weary soul of the Reaper shall rise in silence and fade away like starlight.

...

Hecate... A holy end, befitting the embodiment of the Goddess. However...

According to Their will, your eternal rest will not be granted.

Anyway. Since fate brought us together, how about we introduce ourselves?

...

Ah. It seems I truly have fallen into a different world. This is the first time someone has failed to recognize me, the princess, and asked for my name.

My name is Hecate, the Reaper of Tartarus. I am the scion of the Tome of Life's End and the master of the Sigurd Scythe.