At Suigintou’s ceaseless calling, Souseiseki finally opened her eyes slowly. Though her vacant gaze had lost its former vitality, it remained devastatingly beautiful, the glimmer of one red and one blue light flickering within, akin to the most exquisite scenery in the world. Then, she painstakingly stretched out her hand, gently stroking Suigintou’s tear-streaked cheek. On her own face, dampened by Suigintou’s tears, a rare, faint smile appeared as she spoke softly.

Whether it was tears of joy at Souseiseki waking, or the dawning realization that Souseiseki’s time was short, the tears streaming from Suigintou’s eyes fell relentlessly. She gripped Souseiseki’s hand tightly, crying out loudly, “That’s right, because Souseiseki never listens to big sister, making big sister cry again and again! Souseiseki is such a naughty child!”

“Suigintou… you already possess the strength to walk on your own… I must be nearing my end; I can feel it… within you there is a power greater than mine, greater than anyone’s. So… stop crying, Suigintou.” Souseiseki’s gaze, growing increasingly blurry, fixed upon Suigintou as gentle words escaped her lips.

“I don’t want any powerful strength; I only want Souseiseki to live… Let’s go home together, Souseiseki…”

“Together?”

“Yes, together!”

Seeing the unwavering certainty in Suigintou’s expression, a hint of solace seemed to cross Souseiseki’s eyes. She then smiled and closed her eyes, “To not have to fight you, Suigintou, truly… is a blessing…”

With a soft thud, Souseiseki’s hand slipped from Suigintou’s grasp, falling still forever.

“Suigintou! Are you truly so pleased by hurting others like this?!” Because of Souseiseki’s death, Shinku finally erupted in fury. She had always hoped that the other doll could be reasoned with, that they could achieve the perfect Alice not through mutual slaughter, but through some other peaceful coexistence. They could all meet Father together. But now, she finally understood: Suigintou was not someone who could be swayed by words. Her belligerence, her love for Father, had reached such an extreme that… there was absolutely no room for negotiation.

Thus, Shinku finally cast aside the hesitation in her heart. Countless rose petals swirled around her, faster than the wind, sharper than any blade, more vividly beautiful than anything else. Filled with rage and sorrow, she roared and launched a fierce attack toward Suigintou.

“Finally getting serious, are we? I couldn’t ask for more, Shinku!” Dropping the previously gentle, malicious tone, Suigintou let out an equally powerful roar. The two black wings on her back instantly transformed into two ferocious shadow tendrils, howling, entwining, and unleashing endless killing intent as they lunged to tear Shinku apart.

However, the dark dragon—a force capable of instantly destroying Souseiseki—was somehow repelled by Shinku’s full-force assault, shattering the defenses of the rose petals. Seizing the opening, Shinku instantly closed the distance, ignoring the cutting wind that stung her skin, and slammed a fist into Suigintou’s abdomen, wrenching her collar and slamming her heavily onto the ground.

Then, Shinku spun around, forcibly locking her grip around Suigintou’s neck, twisting her head so that her gaze fell upon the deceased Souseiseki, upon Suigintou weeping beside her, and further in the distance, upon Canary and Hinaichigo, who stood tentatively, their faces etched with fear, sorrow, and hesitation to approach. Shinku roared, “Open your eyes and look properly! They didn't want to fight! As sisters, as fellow dolls, they didn't want to hate or hurt each other. But why… why did you do this? Answer me!”

“That’s because… we are the Rozen Maidens!” Suigintou violently flung Shinku away, then accelerated with even greater speed, gritting her teeth. “Since you have no desire to become Alice, no will to fight, having completely abandoned the mission and pride of a Rozen Maiden, then you might as well disappear!”

Under the ceaseless volley of black feather arrows, Shinku’s movements became clumsy. Seizing this opportunity, Suigintou suddenly materialized behind Shinku via the N-Field, a sharp Mercury Sword now in her hand, which she brought down heavily upon Shinku.

The sudden attack caused a change in Shinku’s expression, a hint of panic flickering, but as a veteran combatant, one of the strongest among the Rozen Maidens, she instantly calmed down, maintaining composure in the face of danger. With lightning speed, she drew her concealed Candy Cane, blocking Suigintou’s strike with a resounding clang.

“Shinku!”

“Suigintou!”

Their powers met in a stalemate, their eyes locked in mutual fury. Then, suspended in mid-air, they commenced a fierce, close-quarters exchange of blows and defenses.

While Shinku and Suigintou battled, far from their fierce engagement, a magnificent castle was nestled within dense foliage. Inside this castle, a peculiar creature—clad in a black suit, humanoid in body but bearing the head of a rabbit—observed their fight through a window, an expression of deep fascination on its face.

This was none other than the Laplace’s Demon, a being intimately connected to the Rozen Maidens.

Laplace’s Demon was an enigmatic creature; no one knew what classification it held, where it came from, or what its true purpose was. Even the Rozen Maidens knew very little about it. They knew only that Laplace’s Demon served as the announcer for the Alice Game and apparently held the authority to manage it, functioning something like an organizer. However, the feeling it gave the Rozen Maidens was closer to that of a spectator gleefully watching their struggle for amusement.

Nearly all the Rozen Maidens, including Shinku and Suigintou, held no affection for it, with Shinku in particular displaying clear disgust. Despite this, they were bound by Laplace’s Demon’s rules, for in terms of sheer power, the Demon was virtually omnipotent.

Not just one Rozen Maiden, but all of them combined would stand no chance against it.

Beside Laplace’s Demon was a lounge chair occupied by a deep-faced, blond young man who, just like the Demon, stared unblinkingly at the fight between Shinku and Suigintou. Yet, his composed and serene countenance revealed nothing of the mindset with which he viewed the battle.

“Aren’t you going to act?” Laplace’s Demon suddenly spoke, strangely without moving its mouth.

“Are you not going to intervene?” the blond youth countered.

“Why would I? The outcome is already determined. I wouldn’t object to adding a bit of entertainment to the game,” Laplace’s Demon stated calmly.

The blond youth remained as placid as ever, not even blinking an eyelid. “I will not lose. I am destined to surpass my Master… correct, my daughter, Rose Crystal.”

As he uttered this name, a girl about the same size as Suigintou stepped out of the darkness. Unquestionably, she too was a doll. The girl possessed beautiful, silvery-white long hair and wore a pale lavender tulip-bud dress, appearing to be around fifteen years old. Her expression was blank, suggesting a reserved and silent nature. What was truly distinct was that her right eye was amber, while the socket of her left eye was covered by a purple rosebud, creating an oddly dissonant appearance.

“Yes, Father. I will certainly fulfill your wish and become a doll even better than the Rozen Maidens,” the girl replied in a soft voice filled with reverence and tenderness, before melting back into the shadows.

...

Meanwhile, Canary and Hinaichigo had reached Souseiseki’s side. Though they knew their strength was unlikely to aid Shinku much, they felt they could at least offer comfort during Souseiseki’s deepest sorrow. This was certainly their intention, but upon seeing the continuous tears and expressions of profound agony on Souseiseki’s face, the words of comfort they intended to speak simply refused to emerge.

They feared that saying the wrong thing might plunge Souseiseki into deeper grief.

“Li-little Kan… Little Kan will go help Shinku defeat Suigintou. Hinaichigo will stay here with Souseiseki,” after a moment of hesitation, Canary finally mustered the courage to speak. Though she disliked fighting, she could not bear to see someone she cared for in pain. Since she couldn't comfort Souseiseki, the only thing she could do now was join everyone else in defeating Suigintou and ending this heartbreaking battle.

“Eh, but Little Hina…” Hinaichigo wore a pitiful expression, as if she had something to say, but Canary didn't pause to listen. After speaking, she ran toward the location where Suigintou and Shinku were fighting.

Hinaichigo had no choice but to remain. She glanced at the fierce combat between Shinku and Suigintou, her face showing fear, and instinctively averted her gaze. She looked at Souseiseki clutching her fists, her small body trembling slightly, and whispered weakly, “Sou-Souseiseki, I’m sorry. Little Hina couldn't help anyone, not even Souseiseki… Little Hina was too scared to come over. But… but please pull yourself together, Souseiseki! If you can smile, Little Hina will share half of her strawberry daifuku with you every day from now on, okay?”

Though the words were terribly childish, for a six-year-old girl, this was perhaps the best comfort she could offer.

“You silly little berry…” Souseiseki lifted her head, looking at the youngest sister beside her, the one she so often teased. The dazed look in her eyes gradually cleared. She raised a hand, wiping the tears from her face, and broke into a smile through her tears, “What a… useless little thing you are.”

Souseiseki smiled. It wasn't a craving for food that moved her; looking at Hinaichigo, she suddenly understood what she needed to do in this moment. It wasn't to sink into solitary grief, nor was it about avenging Souseiseki. It was about settling the score for Souseiseki’s sake as well—to protect those who remained alive and prevent more deaths.

This was her duty, as a Rozen Maiden, and as Souseiseki herself.

There was nothing left to fear.

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