"It’s over. What are you going to do now?"
"……"
With the battle finished and the aftermath left to the Security Force, Yugo turned to Skull. The horse had finally struck down his sworn enemy.
As Yugo inquired about the future of the companion who had helped him exact his revenge, Melt stepped forward with a bright suggestion.
"If you don't have anywhere to go, you should come to Luminous Academy! It wouldn't be so bad to stay with us, right?"
"I'm a little worried about bringing a monster like Skull into the city, but if we explain the situation, I'm sure they'll understand... probably," Anhel added.
"That’s the offer, anyway. But what do you want to do, Skull?"
Yugo narrowed his eyes, waiting for the horse to make his own choice. Skull stared back at him intently for a moment before letting out a soft huff.
He closed his eyes and quietly shook his head from side to side, signaling his refusal to Yugo and the others.
"I see. Somehow, I had a feeling you'd say that."
"Whaaat!? Why? Don't you like us?" Melt cried.
"It's not that, Melt. It's just that Skull needs time right now. He died once and was brought back as something similar but entirely different. Until now, he's been charging ahead because he had his revenge to focus on... but now that it's over, I think he needs space to sort out his feelings. Right?"
"……"
Skull gave a small, firm nod in response to Yugo’s words.
Yugo leaned his face close to the horse's ear and whispered in a voice too low for the others to hear.
"I know exactly how you feel. To be honest, I'm in the same boat as you."
"…!?"
Yugo gave a wink to the startled Skull and offered a small smile.
Having shared the secret that he, too, was a soul who had died and been reborn, Yugo spoke with a deep understanding of the horse's internal struggle.
"Go find your answers, Skull. Figure out who you are now and what you want to do with your life. Once you’ve found those answers, if you ever feel like seeing us again… come find us at Luminous Academy. I’ll be waiting to welcome you as a buddy."
Yugo gently pressed his loosely clenched fist against Skull's forehead, giving him a supportive nod as if to push him toward his new future.
Skull bowed his head in gratitude, acknowledging the only person who truly understood him. Then, he struck his front hoof against the earth and spat out a small fireball.
"Whoa!? W-What’s this!?"
The object bounced across the ground toward Yugo’s face before dropping toward his hands.
Yugo caught it reflexively. It wasn't a scorching heat, but a gentle, pulsing warmth. As he peered into the strange flame, a redly glowing crystal revealed itself within the flickering light.
"Is that... a Magic Crystal!?" Anhel shouted, her eyes wide with excitement. "And it’s a rare Flame Attribute one! You don't see quality crystals like that every day!"
"Are you giving this to me?"
As Yugo asked the question, Skull kept his eyes closed and nodded.
It was a gift for the friend who had helped him achieve his vengeance, a token of the bond they had forged through this ordeal. Yugo took the Flame Attribute Magic Crystal and nodded back solemnly.
"Thanks, Skull. I'll make sure your gift is put to good use."
"…Guh."
With a short, final whinny, Skull turned away from the group and broke into a gallop.
As they watched him go, the rising sun finally crested the horizon, bathing the plains and the fleeing horse in morning light.
"Oh…!?"
For a fleeting second, the sunlight revealed Skull's form as a Skeleton Horse, but it vanished instantly. He regained his living appearance as a magnificent black horse and continued to run vigorously, basking in the sun’s rays without issue.
Until just moments ago, strong light would have forced him to reveal his monstrous, skeletal form. As Yugo wondered at the change, Fee stepped up beside him to explain.
"I think Skull was finally released from his negative emotions—his anger and hatred—by completing his revenge. Skeletons are monsters born when malice and negative feelings take root in a corpse. If Skull had kept fighting for revenge forever, his remaining sanity would have eventually vanished, and he would have become a true monster. But because he met you, Brother, achieved his goal, and found someone he could call a friend… I think he finally felt he could let go of the past and move on."
"I see... So I really did change his destiny of destruction."
If Skull had continued his cycle of violence against the Bull Golems, the malice within him would have eventually consumed his mind entirely.
Before he could fully transform from a rational black horse into a mindless Skeleton Horse, he had found closure. Meeting a new friend had given him the emotional strength to seek out a new way to live.
Yugo had been plagued by the worry that his presence as a reincarnated person—an invasive species in this world—would only bring chaos. Knowing that someone had been saved by meeting him provided a profound sense of salvation for his own heart.
Watching his friend gallop toward the dawn, Yugo spoke quietly to the horse's retreating back.
"See ya, buddy. Let’s ride together again someday."
Skull’s future would surely be bright. Certain of this, Yugo watched his friend's new beginning alongside his companions. A smile played on his lips as he looked forward to the day of their eventual reunion.
He watched until the horse was a mere speck on the horizon, his expression shining with a light that rivaled the rising sun.