It was not an explosion, nor burning, but a more fundamental, more complete disappearance.
It was as though someone had used an eraser to wipe his name from the canvas of the universe, stroke by stroke.
His shell, his blood, his energy, his consciousness.
Everything turned into specks of light, drifting slowly through Chaos Space before fading away.
Nothing remained.
Loren withdrew his hand and turned to face the women on the red platform.
Android 18 lay on the platform, dozens of wounds covering her body as azure energy seeped from them.
Eve sat beside her, the Necrosword resting against her shoulder. Her dark brown eyes were half-closed, and her breathing was weak.
2B lay sprawled on the ground, her Miao Saber embedded in the platform as the Eternal Flame flickered faintly along its blade.
Mai Shiranui lay beside 2B, her Iron Fans scattered on either side of her body as Hellfire burned weakly along their edges.
Wanda was cradled in Ikaros's arms. The red light in her eyes had completely gone out, but her lips were still moving as she silently chanted something.
Perhaps it was a healing spell, perhaps a spell to maintain Chaos Space, or perhaps it was merely an unconscious murmur.
Ikaros raised her head, her amber eyes fixed on Loren.
"Master, they're all alive."
Loren nodded, then waved his hand, sending a vast surge of energy into their bodies.
At once, Android 18's wounds healed at a visible rate.
She opened her blue eyes, looked at Loren, and nodded.
The Necrosword lit up in Eve's hand, silver-white light flowing across the blade once more.
Eve looked at Loren with her dark brown eyes, a faint, relaxed curve appearing at the corner of her lips.
The Eternal Flame reignited with crimson radiance upon 2B's Miao Saber.