Part 38: The Final Showdown?

Chapter 37: The Final Showdown?

Hello children, and welcome back! Today, I'll tell you of our final showdown with the dastardly Dark Prince Croix!
Yeah, yeah, you said that last time, but we all know you're full of it.
No, I'm serious.
How the hell does that work, then?
Just sit down and listen, it'll all make sense soon.

While Culotte and company were off being distracted by that mincing demon guy, the Dark Prince was attacking the church. Some would claim that I was sulking in my room during this time, but that's a damn lie perpetuated by villains. I was instead carefully planning my brutal counterattack. From my bed. Which was stained with tears.
......
......
Okay, I was crying in bed. Happy?!

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And then I will be able to wipe the human scum from the face of the earth!
You're wrong Croix.
This isn't the real you!
The real you was the person who went adventuring with us...
And the one who lived happily with Angelique.
You must not give into the darkness Croix!!
S-shut up! Don't call me Croix!!
Father Salade...
Sister Alouette. I mean Maiden of Light...
You must not let them kill you...
Leave this to me.



Enough talk!!
You will be the first to die!!!
Sister Alouette!!




Wh--------?!?!
Amazing!!
So the rumors about Father Salade defeating a demon lord with his bare hands were true...
I've been waiting for this day for fifty years...
Fifty years?



You don't mean you were that boy...?!
None other.
I spent the years since then training myself to be a demon hunter.
I even developed my own "Holy Punch" technique.
And then I created the Church of the Holy Maiden. All to help you defeat the Dark Prince.
Father Salade...
You've thrown away your entire life to help me...
I haven't thrown anything away. I couldn't be more satisfied with the way I've lived my life.
But I must admit that I was shocked when Croix showed up.
I never thought the Dark Prince would be working with the Maiden of Light...
But I said nothing, thinking that it was a part of Goddess Poitreene's plan.
But I can remain silent no longer.



Of course, as previous established I was sulking in my room.
That's a pretty lame thing to do when everyone else is fighting.
Oh, I agree. It's almost as lame as stealing from your employees and causing them to quit.
H-hey! That's totally different!





Maiden of Light Alouette...?
Poitreene: That's right. Look...



Poitreene: Come, Prier. You must fight.
No...
I can't fight Croix!!
Besides, what can someone like me do, anyway?
It was always my dream to become the Maiden of Light, but I've come to
realize something.
People like Alouette and Angelique should be the Maidens of Light, not me...
I'm not fit to be a Maiden of Light...
What can someone like me do?!?! Nothing!!
Poitreene: Then Alouette will die, and Croix will lose his soul to the darkness forever.
......
Poitreene: Is that what you want?
O-oh course not!
Poitreene: Then you must fight!
You have got a lot of nerve!
You may be a Goddess but you don't understand what I'm feeling!
Why don't you save Croix yourself?!
Poitreene: That I cannot do.
You can't do it?! What do you mean, you can't?!
Then what's the point of having a Goddess?!
I thought you were supposed to help people in need!
But all you do is order people around while you do nothing yourself!!
I don't need a Goddess like you!!
Why are you even here? What can you do for me?!
Poitreene: ......



Poitreene: People have come to worship this power as the Goddess Poitreene.
Darkness and light are both parts of nature. Neither is innately good or evil.
But if the two powers become unbalanced, the world will be thrown into
chaos.
Noir and the Church of the Divine Mother are working to disrupt the balance of power.
If the Dark Prince Croix awakens, the world will be covered in darkness.
And that's why you want me to fight?
For you? For the power of light? For the power of good?
Poitreene: ...No. You must fight for what you believe in.
Alouette, your brother Culotte, Eclair and Father Salade...
They are all fighting for what they believe in.
If they fail, and the balance between light and darkness is broken...
Then at least they will have done their best. That is fate.
But can you really stay here and do nothing as everything you care for
is lost?
......



Poitreene: Think about that and your heart will tell you what to do.
......
My heart says to think of Angelique, what she would do.
And how she would do it.

I realized I had to go out and fight to save everyone. I only hoped I wasn't too late...



Finished already, old man? You were so enthusiastic a minute ago...
Father Salade!
Stay back!!
(Hmm... I wonder what my wife will say when she hears of my death?)
(She's strong... She probally won't cry...)
(......)
(If I do make it home alive, maybe I'll tell her I love her. It's been
so long...)



Big Sister!
Ah... Finally woke up, did you?
Croix... The Dark Prince? Can you imagine how much that hurt? My shock?
I was so sad that I didn't know what to do.
And I'm too stupid to know how to save you.
But I do know that I'm not going to stand by and watch you hurt innocent people.
That's for damn sure.
And I will rid your heart of darkness!!
But you must fight the darkness too!!
Ughh.....!! S-silence...!!
He's distracted?!
This is our chance!
Croix! I believe in you!!



So we had no choice but to fight the Dark Prince. The Dark Prince was one of the most powerful foes we'd ever faced, but luckily he still hadn't recovered his full power. If he had, we'd have been doomed for sure. But with the combined power of yours truly, Father Salade, and Dark Eclair we cast him down and brought a premature end to his reign of terror.

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That is, we thought we'd brought things to an end. Oh how wrong we were...

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I didn't expect you to do so well against the Dark Prince, even in his weakened state.
Very impressive.
However...



Croix!!
Why did you do that?!
Thank you. You saved me a great deal of trouble.
Then your goal wasn't to resurrect the Dark Prince?
Hardly, Princess. My goal is and always has been the creation of my Utopia.
The revival of the Dark Prince was merely a means to that end.
... I think I'm beginning to understand the nature of your "Utopia."
You plan to summon the fallen angel Calamity, don't you?!
Ha ha ha...
You are indeed the Maiden of Light... Exactly right.
Harnessing the dark energy and reviving the Dark Prince were part of my
plan...



That's your Utopia?!
I will never let that happen!
......
You're quite a spirited young lady. Tell me your name.
It's Prier, creep!



Croix!!
Prier...
Prier...
I know. I'm OK. I won't hesitate any longer.
I will save Croix!!



The kingdom of Paprica will do everything it can to help.
And the Escargot will see this through to the very end! It's a
once-in-a-lifetime adventure!
It's time to go after them on their home turf!!

The stage was set. The time for our final battle was close at hand. We'd thought that defeating the Dark Prince would be the end of it, but we were in no such luck.
I've got to say he's got an excellent villainous plan.
Yeah, his plan is pretty sweet.
I don't see how you guys have any chance.
I have to agree.
Well, I guess you'll just have to wait until next time, when our march towards the dread leader of the Church of the Divine Mother begins!