The final light and darkness collided in mid-air.
The light I gathered and shot, the ‘will of the world’.
And the Outer Gods’ final resistance blocking it. That dense darkness.
Gooooo…!
Surrounded by the torrent of light, I gritted my teeth while pouring out the ‘will of the world’.
Within this ‘will’ was not only the will of the suicide squad here with me in the spirit realm.
Not only the will of my comrades who set out for the final battle in the human world.
But also the will of all those living ordinary lives in the world.
For everyone to become the true master of their own destiny.
For everyone to break free from puppet bondage and gain true freedom.They gave up the foundations of civilization that make up our world, gave up the warmth of magic, and followed my flag into the cold wilderness.
The fate of this entire world that believes in and follows me hangs on my flag, on my fingertips.
Do you think I’ll lose…!
“Just a little more…”
Tuduk, tududuk…
Unable to withstand the fierce battle, cracks began to appear on the [Imperial Seal Ring].
“Just, a little, more…!”
And very slowly, the light… the ‘will of the world’ began to be pushed back.
I gritted my teeth.
We’ve already gathered all the will we can from our world. This is the maximum output.
Is even this not enough to overcome the oppression of the Outer Gods?
‘Someone…’
I desperately prayed.
‘If someone, even just a little… could lend me their will…!’
That’s when it happened.
Whaaaak…!
A faint but clear current of will blew from behind me.
That current joined the ‘will of the world’, and the light I was emitting gradually grew stronger. Conversely, the darkness of the Outer Gods, their final resistance, proportionally weakened.
Surprised, I looked for the source of the newly joined will.
Those who lent me this will were none other than…
“…!”
Beyond that sky.
Some of the countless Outer Gods.
Among those fierce eyes glaring at me with malice as if to kill me, a few eyes were sending me supportive gazes. They had added their will to mine.
‘Ah.’
And I realized, just now, that those gazes.
Were very familiar and old.
In this absurdly named game called ‘Apocalypse Play’.
Giving far more top-grade rewards than the standard.
Providing tools, set equipment, and hints exactly needed for the situation.
Quietly watching over me, this world, with goodwill among other Outer Gods who poured out malice saying die, perish, explode.
Within the limits of the system, they tried their best to help me somehow…
They were the very Outer Gods who had been cheering me on all this long time.
『What…?!』
The other astonished Outer Gods shouted.
『What are you doing, you lot!』
『Why are you helping the ants’ rebellion?!』
『Their misfortune is our joy! Their tragedy is our nourishment! Why?!』
The rest of the Outer Gods were enraged but.
The moment those few Outer Gods lent their will, the tide turned.
The collision of light and darkness that had been in equilibrium was now gradually changing to the advantage of light — the ‘will of the world’ was pushing back.
“Aaaaaaah-!”
I squeezed out my last strength and thrust my fist forward.
Flash-!
The light completely pushed back the darkness.
The ‘will of the world’ completely dyed white the passage connecting to the otherworld.
Finally, all the Outer Gods couldn’t withstand and retreated, and the next moment.
Kuguuuguuung…!
The sky closed.
Above the completely closed sky, I applied the final process.
Like melting wax to seal a letter with a seal.
Gathering the last of my will power, I sealed the closed passage… and stamped the [Imperial Seal Ring].
Kung-!
As the insignia of the ‘World Guardian Front’ was stamped on the sky, the completely shattered [Imperial Seal Ring] scattered into golden fragments.
The sky was completely closed, and the passage was shut.
Beyond the closed sky, countless hands that the Outer Gods belatedly poured out struck down wildly. Fists and palms full of anger swung beyond the glass-like barrier. But it’s no use anymore.
『…!』
『…!』
『…!』
Far in the sky, the Outer Gods’ furious roars echoed.
Among those gazes filled with boiling anger, dejection, and a hint of admiration…
Were the gazes that had just helped me, no.
The gazes that had helped me throughout this long defense game.
Those gazes that had been with me through those long days and long nights.
“…”
Though I tried to break the rules, stand above the rules, and see the world without prejudice.
It seems I was still trapped inside my shell.
I thought the world outside the shell was full of malice. I believed no one was on my side, that everyone was my enemy.
But that wasn’t true.
“…Thank you.”
There was goodwill everywhere.
Even in those I considered my most terrible enemies, there were hearts that helped and cared for me.
That fact made me tearfully happy.
“Really, thank you…”
To all those who watched and cheered for me until the end, for all my life up to now.
I said, with all my heart.
“Thank you for not giving up on me and watching over me.”
They whispered something to me.
Perhaps because the passage is blocked. I can no longer hear their voices.
But I can clearly feel what they want to say.
All this time, the other Outer Gods whispered with malice. They prayed for my game over like this.
Die, perish, explode.
But those cheering for me were saying this.
Live.
Grow.
Bloom.
Hope.
Love.
Rejoice.
Let new buds sprout.
Throw yourself into life without fear!
“…”
Wiping away my tears.
After smiling brightly at them.
I stood facing all the remaining Outer Gods.
Proudly meeting all their gazes, mixed with hostility, anger, admiration, and affection-
“…The next time we knock on this door.”
I said emphatically.
“I hope we’ll treat each other as equals, not looking down on one side as a lower being.”
I grinned.
“I hope we’ll be mature enough to respect each other.”
If such a day comes someday.
We’ll open the door with joy, and the moment will come when we can look into each other’s eyes and talk.
“I sincerely pray for the moment when we can talk for each other’s sake.”
Though we faced each other with death today.
We also proved that we can share our hearts, not just fight with hostility.
Someday, we might be able to stand side by side, looking in the same direction.
Believing so, I raised my hand to my neck.
I grasped the choker-style necklace that had been around my neck since the tutorial stage.
The ‘Traitor’s Necklace’.
I coolly unfastened and removed that necklace… my streaming equipment.
And after stroking my neck, exposed for the first time in 3 years.
“Hoo!”
Taking a deep breath.
Bowing politely, lowering my head, with all my heart… I paid my respects to the sky.
It was a greeting after a dance had ended.
Like an actor announcing farewell as the curtain falls on a long play.
After finishing my heartfelt greeting, I straightened up again.
And whispered to the many gazes looking at me, gradually fading.
“Thank you for playing.”
Thank you for playing.
My long adventure, together…
Aurora spread like a curtain over the sky.
I stood there until the sky of the spirit realm was completely covered with aurora, and even the last gaze of the Outer Gods disappeared from view.
“…”
Like an actor standing at the end of a long play, with reddened eyes, I wiped my eyes several times.
Then, slowly turned around.
The stage is over.
Now it’s time to return to life.
At the bottom of the spirit realm.
Below the roots of Everblack.
“…”
The terribly shattered Demon King lay there.
With his very soul torn to shreds, the Demon King was dying. He felt his end was near.
Kung! Kuguuuguuung!
That’s when it happened.
The entire spirit realm began to collapse with violent tremors. Ash had succeeded in completely sealing the gate to the otherworld.
With the success of the rebellion, this artificial space — the spirit realm — created by the Outer Gods to interfere with this world was naturally in the process of disappearing.
“…”
Fragments of the shattered Everblack rained down on the Demon King’s head. The Demon King quietly gazed at the collapsing world with blurry eyes.
That’s when.
Sabak. Sabak.
A faint sound of footsteps was heard.
Surprise flashed across the Demon King’s face as he painfully turned his head.
“…”
There, a woman.
So familiar yet so strange. Such a missed woman was approaching with an emotionless face.
“…Are you satisfied with this?”
The woman, once called a goddess but now an ordinary being, asked.
“By sacrificing your entire life, destroying a world like this… are you satisfied?”
“Of course.”
A satisfied smile spread across the Demon King’s mouth like a white crack.
“I couldn’t be more satisfied.”
The woman’s body no longer had any divine radiance or transcendent holiness.
The thorn bush that had been wrapped around her body, the unquenchable flames, the wounds from stoning, all had disappeared.
She had become just an ordinary soul.
“In the end, I succeeded.”
The Demon King raised his broken hand to point at the woman.
“You… have fallen to me…”
The woman shook her head with a bitter smile.
“…You fool.”
Kung, kuguuuguuung…!
Once again, the world made the sound of collapsing.
The ground forming the spirit realm began to sink and the sky started to fall. The white sand beach shot up like a fountain and the transparent sea surged high, sweeping over the shore.
The black thorn bush, having lost its magical light, shattered and rained down like rain.
Receiving that rain, the woman quietly sat down next to the fallen Demon King.
The two gazed at the perishing world side by side.
“What will happen to you now?”
“I’ll go to the afterlife.”
The woman answered calmly.
“And I’ll be reborn again and die again, and live countless lives like that, reincarnating.”
“I see…”
“And you.”
The woman whispered, examining the Demon King’s shattered face.
“Since you’re not originally a soul of this world, you’ll probably disappear like this.”
“…”
“Even in the unlikely event that your soul doesn’t disappear and reincarnates here, because you’ve committed so many evil deeds… it would take nearly an eternity to pay for all your sins.”
“I don’t mind if I disappear. I don’t mind if I’m punished for eternity.”
The Demon King smiled again.
“I found the purpose of my life and achieved it. That’s enough.”
“…”
After a moment of silence.
“If you don’t disappear, if you pay for all your sins for nearly an eternity.”
The woman spoke in a gentle voice.
“And if in that distant future, if there comes a moment when we meet again. Then… I’ll greet you with a smile.”
The Demon King, staring blankly at the woman, asked.
“Is that pity?”
“No.”
The woman smiled faintly.
“It’s just a promise.”
The Demon King smiled faintly too.
“Is that so.”
“That’s right.”
Under the collapsing world, the woman reached out and held the Demon King’s shadow-like hand.
At the end of their long ill-fated relationship, the two gazed at each other like that for a long time.
Above their heads, the thorn bush that had lost its light endlessly rained down.
–TL Notes–
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