The recovery operation for the warriors who had been battling the Giant God from Dragon Swallow Uuga, pushing themselves to the absolute limit, proceeded in the blink of an eye. Their movable mechanical armor transformed into a ship-like form, and they went around picking up the dying warriors one by one.
Among them were soldiers who had chosen to fight in this place, far from their homeland, the Demon Realm.
“Haaah… I thought I was going to die.”
“Speaking of which, I don’t even know how I’m alive.”
“To think I’d end up experiencing something like a movie protagonist.”
“I’ll brag about this to my kids.”
“They won’t believe me. Or maybe they will? The world’s gone nuts anyway…”
They leaned against their heavily damaged tanks, all of them utterly exhausted. It was only natural. Unlike the warriors who had been fighting for survival on the Ark, these soldiers had not received magical enhancements to their bodies. Their physical abilities were no different from ordinary people. In a way, they were the ones who had thrown themselves into the most reckless battle.
The tension and fear were beyond comparison. Everyone was now sitting, unable to think of anything else.
“…”
However, amidst them, only Kosuke, who had been forced to rush around with Ul for a short time, stood on top of a tank, gazing intently at the ever-growing Tree.
“Kosuke, what’s wrong?”
When Captain Shishido spoke to him, Kosuke turned around with a complex expression and said,
“Do you think we’ve atoned even a little bit to Shizuku?”
The moment they heard this, the other silent squad members shrugged their shoulders in exasperation or scratched their heads.
“What do you mean?”
Kosuke looked displeased, not that he was being laughed at. One of the squad members lightly slapped him on the back.
“You idiot, is that what you were thinking?”
“Because…”
“That’s the job for us adults, our responsibility.”
“I’m an adult here too.”
“The fact that you’re being so stubborn shows you’re still a kid.”
Now, everyone truly laughed heartily, and Kosuke’s displeased face only made them laugh more.
“Besides, you should be worried about what comes next.”
“What comes next?”
“No matter how you look at it, it’s going to be tough from now on.”
As they said this, all the soldiers gazed at the scenery visible from outside the “ship.” The radiant Great Tree was engulfing even the Ark’s land, instantly purifying the sky, sea, and earth. At first glance, it seemed beautiful and wonderful, but Kosuke knew it wasn’t that simple. The awakening of nature, sealed by black tears, was beginning. Even Ul and the others said they couldn’t fathom how arduous the battle to resist it would be. This was the world they would now live in.
“We need to get stronger too, or we’re finished…”
“Yeah, the soldiers too. We need to change our training content, or it’ll be bad… though if we brought out weapons without permission, we might not just be fired…”
They abandoned their mission, acted on their own initiative to bring weapons onto the Ark, and then spectacularly broke them. Furthermore, they leaked information about several weapons to enemy engineers. Being arrested and facing the death penalty would not be out of the question for their actions. Everyone who came here had come prepared to be unable to return to their homeland.
“Don’t worry. It’s recorded as a special mission. We’ll also use the confusion to sell a favor to our superiors and handle it smoothly.”
However, in response to their anxieties, Captain Shishido said it as if it were nothing.
“As expected, Captain…”
“You’re sharp, Captain… Honestly, it’s scary.”
“That’s why you’ll never get promoted, Captain.”
“Hush. Think about the future, Kosuke.”
Brushing aside the mixed feelings of respect and unease from his squad members, he turned the conversation back to Kosuke. Kosuke tilted his head, as if to say “Even so,” and the other squad members joined in.
“That’s right. You can return to the Dome, but since you’ve made connections here, use them well, okay?”
“Why don’t Kosuke become Ul’s disciple? You might become a superman like them.”
“Disciple…”
As Kosuke made a complex expression, suddenly, and all at once, the communication devices worn by the soldiers began to ring.
“Oh… a communication, huh? Did the signal reach?”
“Is it about the Ark returning to its original world…?”
The moment they entered the Ark, their usual communication tools from the Demon Realm became completely useless. A girl of the dwarf race had explained that it was due to spatial phase issues that required adjustment, but Kosuke and the others didn’t understand any of it. They didn’t understand, but the fact that communication was now possible meant something had gone well.
“Whoa, it’s the headquarters blowing up my phone. This is bad.”
“Don’t answer it yet. I’ll handle it.”
“Understood.”
“Hey, Kosuke, you should contact her properly too.”
“I told you she’s not my girlfriend—…”
While rambling, Kosuke also looked at his own terminal and froze.
“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” his colleagues peered at the terminal he was looking at. Like everyone else, Kosuke’s terminal had a large number of notification messages from the Self-Defense Force Headquarters—but far more notification messages had come in below them. He vaguely recalled that a girl named Misuzu was someone Kosuke was close with. He thought it was sweet to imagine she was worried and had contacted him repeatedly… However, seeing the number of notifications reach hundreds, it was understandable to feel “This is bad” rather than “sweet.”
“…Did you explain anything before you came here?”
“…”
Kosuke’s reply was silence. His colleagues put their hands on their faces and shook their heads, saying, “Ah, ah.” Then,
“…I’ve decided to become Ul’s disciple and stay here a bit longer!?”
Everyone slapped Kosuke on the head as he began to proclaim this.
“Shut up and go bow your head already!!”
“Before atoning for anyone else, you can’t even properly support your own girlfriend, you idiot!!”
“You’re a hundred years too early to talk about atonement, kid!!”
Receiving a barrage of insults from everyone, Kosuke was defeated.
◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆
Inside Dragon Swallow Uuga, in front of the Command Tower.
“Well, the retrieval is somehow finished, right?”
Jain, whose voice was hoarse from constantly shouting commands since the war began, looked around wearily. However, Jain could no longer keep track of all the warriors. Many knights, adventurers, and priests, and all sorts of races and positions had become mixed up along the way. He would need to gather information from the captains of each unit and reconfirm… but at least, according to the information currently gathered, there were no fatalities. The initial objective had been achieved. He could think of it that way. Perhaps due to this relief, a sudden wave of fatigue washed over him.
“Your overall command was brilliant, Jain.”
Ikaza, the Guild Master of the Adventurer’s Guild, who had been assisting Jain, chuckled as she tried to praise him. Of course, Jain knew her and even harbored a bit of admiration for her.
“It was tough commanding you, Lady Ikaza.”
He never imagined he would end up in a position where he had to give orders to her as his subordinate. If asked about the karma, it was undoubtedly the karma of becoming Ul’s companion. While not the type to cause a fuss, Jain felt he had the right to complain, perhaps even at length, once Ul returned.
“You were magnificent. I might have to give you a Gold-ranked ring.”
“Please, spare me. Anything but that. Honestly.”
“However, what will happen from now on…”
Victor, the Commander of the Knights, who had also been assisting, said this while clutching his Communication Tool, his brow furrowed in a complex expression.
“Lord Victor, did you manage to get in contact with them?”
“Somehow. We were able to contact the Seven Heavens… and confirmed Yuri’s safety.”
As he spoke, his expression softened for a moment, returning not to that of a Knight Commander, but to that of a father. Then, Karkara, who had been in charge of directing the overall operations of Uuga, also let out a deep sigh.
“We connected with Lady Echel too. Though the connection is still intermittent… it’s good…!”
At least, it seemed everyone was safe. Jain didn’t think they would die so easily, but hearing that was good news. If the supreme commander fighting on the front lines had died, it would have been too anticlimactic.
“What about the Babel shelter?”
“We received contact from the Hero’s retainer, Jena. As far as we can confirm, there’s no damage, but some areas are inaccessible.”
“Once things settle down, we’ll have to excavate.”
“How far will that Tree continue to grow…”
“Contact with the metropolitan countries?”
“We’re trying now—…”
However, it wasn’t just about feeling relieved. For Jain and the others, dealing with the aftermath would likely be an even bigger task. Sensing this, the information gathering among the top leaders had already begun. Of course, Jain had to participate in this—but—
“Rabbin.”
“Yes?”
—Jain called out to his trusted subordinate, standing a short distance away. As if he knew, Rabbin responded to Jain. Jain asked in a voice so low it could barely be heard.
“What happens now?”
“Are you scared?”
“Don’t be an idiot.”
He sighed, realizing his throat was trembling. Rabbin’s observation was spot on. He was genuinely scared, terrified. He was filled with anxiety about what would happen next. Besides, it was an absurd undertaking for someone as timid as himself to command such a large unit, especially when they were his superiors. His tough facade and confident demeanor, the way he barked orders, was reaching its limit.
“Answer me.”
“It’ll be alright, Brother Jain.”
And perhaps sensing Jain’s inner turmoil, Rabbin smiled and clasped his hand.
“We’ll be alright.”
“Is that so… Is that so.”
Jain sighed again. But this time, his throat did not tremble.
◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆
The Tree that appeared at the location where Babel once stood and continues to grow. A Great Tree extending like a giant mountain range, reaching beyond the Ark. On the edge of this tree, with a dragging sound, something was climbing.
“What am I doing, I wonder… Me?”
It was not human. It was an amorphous monster, a Slime Demon, strangely taking on a human form. However, its tattered, crumbling edges made it clear that it wouldn’t last much longer. Not many would realize it was Cultist Yogugu. Only a faint resemblance remained where its head would have been when it was human.
“Why do you want to go this way so badly, Haruz?”
Yogugu spoke to Haruz, who had also become a Slime Demon, as if pulling him with its hand. Haruz, whom Yogugu was dragging, was also on the verge of collapse.
“…”
His condition was far more tragic than Yogugu’s. After all, he had directly taken the attack from Israilia, their creator. It was inevitable that he would be in such a state. Even so, his body was not meant to last long. Even before becoming a Slime Demon, he had undergone repeated incomplete life-extending surgeries, and his limits had long been reached. Sooner or later, this was his destined end. Yet, Haruz was pleading to go somewhere. Perhaps it was the result of having merged once as Slime Demons. He could feel the will of his dying self. Following that impulse, Yogugu pulled him, dragging him as they climbed the Great Tree.
But why were they doing this? There was no point in going along with it. The impulse Haruz felt seemed meaningless. And Yogugu herself was the most surprised that she was complying with it. To think that she still had the capacity to fulfill her companion’s final wish—
“—No way.”
Yogugu, who had been doubting her own sensibilities, opened her eyes wide at the being that suddenly appeared before her.
“……”
“Mira? …Honestly, I’m surprised. How did you get here?”
Yogugu was truly surprised that Mikurina, the avenger who had killed her family, stood before them. Even at the brink of the world’s destruction… or rather, in a state where the world had already completely perished, Yogugu had never predicted such persistent obsession that pursued her.
“When I left, I put a [Mark] on you all. I knew you’d survive somehow.”
“What incredible… obsession…”
As she spoke, her body grew weaker. It seemed her legs had also started to crumble, and she could no longer climb the [Tree]. Yogugu laughed. It seemed a fitting end for a wicked person.
“Well, it can’t be helped, can it… Fine. Kill me—… Huh?”
She thought she would be killed. But for some reason, death did not come. Instead, Mikurina began to pull Yogugu and Haruz, dragging them. The direction she was heading was not an execution ground, but to the top of the Great Tree where Yogugu had been trying to go.
“What… are you doing?”
“Silence.”
With that, Mikurina completely ignored Yogugu and frantically climbed the tree. Even when spoken to, she offered no reply. Gradually, the view opened up. They climbed the countless interwoven trunks of the tree and proceeded further along branches that had split off midway. It was an incredibly high place. Undoubtedly, the tree had continued to grow as Mikurina pulled them along. From there, the entire Ark came into view, and beyond that, the landscape far outside. She could see beyond the horizon, which had not existed on the Ark.
Haruz, whose head was all that remained, witnessed it and let out a small sound.
“Ah…”
“Ahhhh…!”
Tears poured from where his eyes had been, and he let out a moaning sound. Staring at the outside world, which was instantly regenerating and regaining its blue sky, land, and sea thanks to the power of the [Tree], Haruz made a sound with his remaining throat and cried out.
“Waaah…! Ah! Waaaaaah…!!! Waaaaaah!!!”
Crying both happily and sadly, he continued to cry, and then—
“Ah…—”
Finally, with a gentle expression, he scattered with the wind.
“I see…”
Beside him, Yogugu whispered softly. The curses, sadness, and anger that had long been accumulated within her began to melt away. The twisted sense of duty to ruin everything disappeared.
“I was wrong…”
Then, regret pierced her heart. Regret that she had been wrong. Sorrow that she had made a mistake. Yogugu finally faced that sin. She had finally regained the heart of the gentle researcher she had been before coming here, a heart that had been ruined. Of course, it was all too late, unrecoverable, but still—
“—It’s good… it wasn’t ruined.”
Leaving behind only this one solace, Yogugu too crumbled into ash and disappeared. Only one person remained: Mikurina, the avenger whose family had been murdered by them. She opened her clenched fists, so tight they bled, and grabbing her chest, she screamed.
“How about that…!”
She repeatedly stomped on the spot where the two had been, crying profusely, and shouted.
“How about it! How about it! How about it…! Did you see!!!”
She crouched down, pounded her fist, and then looked up at the sky.
“Father, Mother, everyone, King Arnold…!”
She screamed with all her might, as if to reach her family who were now far away.
“We won…!”
She shouted that they had overcome the curse, overcome the world!
◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆
“See ya. Haruz, Yogugu. Thanks to you guys, it was super fun.”
The demon god Black, having witnessed the end of his companions, bid them farewell. Then, raising his hand, he conjured a gust of wind. The ashes of Haruz and Yogugu were carried far away—to the outside of the Ark, to their homeland.
“So, what are you going to do?”
Beside him, the indolent black dragon Sloth asked. Black smiled.
“What shall I do? Finally, the bothersome cage is broken. A new world filled with turmoil and chaos.”
Both had become irregularities, freed from the fetters of their respective existences as humans and dragons. And the world, too, had been reborn. The world expanded infinitely, and they were free. Black looked out at the world with genuine delight about this.
“There are so many things I want to do, both good and bad!! Where should I start?!!”
“I have to tease that Ul guy too!” Black said, making ridiculous plans and laughing heartily. Sloth sighed with a somewhat cold-hearted gaze.
“Troublesome.”
“Don’t say that, partner. Come with me.”
With that, Black extended his hand to his only partner, his wicked and terrible smile unchanged despite his altered form.
“It’s a hundred times more fun than locking yourself away and rotting, isn’t it?”
“…Well, alright.”
Sloth took Black’s hand. Before long, two black, shining shooting stars streaked across the sky at an uncatchable speed.
