A long time ago.
Before the world and the Ark were separated.
“—Teacher.”
In a spacious laboratory, there was a boy. He had a well-featured face but a somewhat grumpy expression. The boy spoke to a man in the corner of the room who was intently staring at a terminal in his hands. The man, however, was so engrossed that he didn’t seem to notice being addressed. The boy frowned and spoke again.
“Israelia-sensei.”
Finally addressed directly, Israelia noticed the boy. He looked up, a somewhat vacant smile on his face, and responded happily.
“What is it? Greyre. Did you find something you don’t understand again?”
Greyre was an exceptionally intelligent boy.
He was a prodigy, possessing exceptional intelligence from birth. His talent was recognized, and he was permitted to join a research institution that gathered the most geniuses in the world.
When he first arrived, he was quite arrogant.
Everyone around him seemed less intelligent than himself. Naturally, his peers couldn’t compare, and most adults couldn’t either. He looked down on them as fools, and in fact, they were. So, he arrogantly assumed this research institution would be filled with the same.
It took him quite some time to acknowledge that the somewhat absent-minded man before him was a genius far surpassing his own. But eventually, he accepted it, and that’s why he calls him “Teacher.”
Having decided to look up to him as a mentor, he bombarded Israelia with various questions and engaged in numerous discussions, greedily trying to absorb even a small fraction of Israelia’s knowledge.
“What exactly is the Starstone?”
However, today’s question was slightly different.
“That’s unusual. For you, that’s a rather vague question.”
Israelia seemed to notice this as well. His expression relaxed slightly, as if amused.
Greyre snorted.
“I want to know your opinion.”
The unknown ore that fell from space, the Starstone.
Everything began when it fell, and the world revolves around it.
Of course, Greyre had investigated all the phenomena it caused. Not only that, but he had thoroughly researched and stored knowledge about its impact on the world. He was convinced that no one understood the Starstone and Mana (Substance) better than Israelia—but after such extensive research, a question unexpectedly arose.
What, after all, is this substance? The initial question that many had repeatedly pondered.
Of course, such a question seemed futile to ponder. In the end, no conclusion was reached, and the Starstone showed no properties beyond periodically releasing energy. Everyone had set aside the question, deeming it a waste of time and that there were far more important things to consider.
However, how would Israelia answer it? Thinking this, he asked as if testing him.
He then opened his mouth without any apparent hesitation.
“An extraterrestrial organism from space.”
That was a far cry from the logical and coherent answers he usually gave.
“…An alien?”
“Hahaha, aliens are amusing.”
Greyre frowned. He had indeed used words that a child his age might use, but Israelia himself had said it.
“Sorry, sorry. That’s right, I think it’s an alien.”
“It’s alive?”
“It’s probably different from how we perceive ‘living’.”
As he spoke, the terminal he had been gazing at displayed precisely that Starstone. Something unlike any object existing on this planet. A substance that became the center of this world, appearing in any shape and seemingly meaningless.
“A life form that provides energy to its depleted surroundings, creating a space it can adapt to.”
Many existences actively modify their environment to survive. Humanity is certainly among them. Israelia explained that the Starstone was doing the same.
It scatters Mana (Substance) into its surroundings, allowing surrounding life forms to utilize its energy, thereby efficiently altering the space and creating an environment conducive to its own existence. When he thought about it that way, humanity, now fiercely fighting over the fate of Mana (Substance), seemed foolish.
“…It’s practically an invasion.”
“Yes,” Greyre said bitterly, and Israelia shrugged.
“You don’t have to see it so negatively. You can think of it more simply.”
“Simply?”
“Yes—”
Then, with eyes far younger than his age, he traced the Starstone on the terminal with his finger.
“Perhaps it desires a symbiotic relationship of mutual give and take.”
“…You’re being too convenient.”
“Perhaps. But,”
Even to Greyre’s stern words, Israelia replied with a smile.
“I think accomplishing such a noble ideal is the job of all of us.”
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In the deepest layer of the Ark.
“We did it…!!”
From the results displayed on the instruments before him, Greyre understood everything that had happened on the surface. Even without visually confirming, all the circumstances indicated the release of the two Gods.
“Kuraran!! Can you control the collapsing body of the Giant God!!”
“I can!!”
“The Twin Gods, the Starstone, everything we need is ready!! We’ll do it all now, while the disposal hole is conveniently regenerating!”
Shouting, Greyre operated the device before him.
He was activating something that he—no, many people, and even Israelia himself—had conceived over a long period, faced setbacks, but continued to pursue.
Of course, due to the intense battle up to this point, many machines were broken, damaged, and malfunctioning. Even with the cooperation of the will of the successive Sky Devils, proceeding with the work while repairing everything was an incredibly difficult task.
However, Greyre continued his work without pause, smiling.
“Are you alright?”
Zain, who had been fighting countless eyeballs that continuously appeared until just a moment ago, bleeding from various places and in a battered state, asked. Greyre, perhaps lacking the energy to stand, knelt. Greyre smiled at him.
“Who do you think I am?”
“The sniveling brat who always followed Israelia.”
“Bringing up my childhood to try and be condescending is an old person’s bad habit, isn’t it?”
“Indeed! We are all over a thousand years old!! Ah, but…!”
Kuraran, while assisting Greyre’s work, gazed at the instruments displaying the situation on the surface and smiled affectionately.
“My beloved children have helped me fulfill my promise!! There is nothing happier than this!”
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—As you can see, I have a physically imperfect body. That’s why, if I can create wonderful people and help those who face similar limitations, I feel my life will be validated!
A long time ago, when asked why he worked at this research institution, Zain remembered being taken aback by the straightforward answer. Even from Zain’s perspective, Kuraran seemed to have many limitations. Yet, he was impressed that such a person could immerse himself in his dream so deeply that he forgot the darkness around him, and at the same time, found him a little difficult to approach.
Of course, at the time, he never imagined they would become such close companions.
“Even in this situation, you’re still dedicated. That’s your paternal affection for your children.”
And even in this situation, Zain couldn’t help but laugh at Kuraran’s unchanging demeanor. However, Kuraran turned his gaze to Zain and said, “What are you talking about!”
“Aren’t you happy too, Zain? Your students accomplished it!”
“Disciples? The only one who could be called that is Diz. Even before I taught her, her spirit was complete.”
Yuri, needless to say, was already complete, and as for those two girls, there was very little Zain could have done. It wasn’t something to be proud of.
“Those two consider you their master. And you raised young Ul, didn’t you?”
“Only for a short time. I didn’t teach him anything about fighting. I only taught him morals.”
“Even more wonderful.”
Kuraran nodded with a serious expression.
“He accomplished this through the morals you guided and cultivated. What could be more prideful than that?”
Hearing this, Zain tried to say something in rebuttal but couldn’t find the words. After a moment, he sighed, as if giving up, and let out a small laugh.
“Perhaps that’s true.”
It wasn’t intentional. It couldn’t have been intentional, but that was the result. He felt it was only right to be proud that he could even slightly assist in him walking his own “path.”
With that sense of accomplishment, Zain felt the tension that had been taut for so long begin to release. There was no longer any need to remain on guard. That relief eased something rigid within him.
“…It’s finally over.”
“Hey, hey, don’t make that face like you’re about to die!?”
But as if to blow away that drowsy impulse, Kuraran exclaimed, offering him a canteen. The contents were a simple Recovery Potion.
“There are children waiting for you!! You should rest after they’ve watched over you!”
“You’re demanding, really…”
“And don’t just casually talk as if it’s over! I’m still working!”
“Ugh, apologies!”
As they were talking, the Starstone, which had been controlled by Israelia, reappeared before the three of them. This time, it was once again enveloped by the “root” that Greyre had correctly manipulated.
“—What will the world become from here on?”
“It will be far from a utopia, unfortunately.”
Zain answered Kuraran’s sudden question.
The Ark, which could have become a utopia, was lost, and the world would become one again. The threat of depletion was gone, and the wonders of nature would arrive. Not just threats created by humanity, like Dragons, but unknown creatures and disasters would emerge. Perhaps new conflicts between humans would also arise.
“This is a world that those who didn’t want to burden individuals with everything aimed for. It’s bound to be harsh.”
A gentle, and very strict world. But even so,
“It’s a world with potential. I believe that.”
Greyre laughed heartily at Zain’s prayer-like words.
“Kahaha! If that’s the case, then we truly won’t have time to rest, will we? There’s still so much we need to investigate.”
“Mhm, mhm! Traveling the world together might be nice too!”
“You two are really energetic…”
Perhaps it was precisely because of them that they were able to accomplish this, unchanged, after a thousand years. He felt a flicker of pride in that fact, though he would never voice it, of course.
“Well then, shall we begin? Destruction and creation. And—”
Having finished all the work, Greyre dramatically declared, raising his palm,
“—Teacher, we are now fulfilling our role.”
As he slammed his palm down, the Starstone shone.
“Activating the Planetary Regeneration Plan Final Weapon.”
