I plunged the Ore Tree, with my entire body weight behind it, deep into Aiwa’s divine core.
As a result, with a definite feeling of having killed her, Aiwa and I leaned on each other for support.
“…Ah, thank you.”
Exhausted and breathing heavily, the sense of finality barely kept my consciousness tethered.
Still, Aiwa, with a faint voice that seemed about to extinguish its last ember, tried to tell me something.
“Thank you for giving me an end in battle, I who was born as a god of war, became unneeded in peacetime, and was about to be buried without a fight.”
It was gratitude from the bottom of her heart.
Words that, considering Aiwa’s own circumstances, couldn’t be mistaken for lies.
“Ha, a thankful gesture that caused trouble for others.”
But considering what had happened, I couldn’t genuinely accept her gratitude.
That’s why my reply was tinged with a bit of sarcasm.
My words lacked energy, a sarcastic retort squeezed out by my own exhaustion.
“Yes, you’re right.”
“But, I’ll say this much.”
Receiving my sarcasm, I heard a dry chuckle in my ears as Aiwa accepted my words.
“Good work.”
Although Aiwa was under Isaliza’s banner and was assisting her, I didn’t harbor the same hatred or disgust towards Isaliza.
All I felt was a sense of sympathy for a fellow corporate slave.
Perhaps that’s why these words escaped me towards the opponent with whom I had just fought a death match.
“Yes, you worked hard too.”
I took a breath, and then I felt the strength leave Aiwa’s body.
Ah, so she had finally finished the job called battle.
Just like when I took down Isaliza, Aiwa’s body began to turn into golden particles.
That was the residue of divine power.
I had pierced her divine core and killed her.
Therefore, her divine power could only dissipate here.
“Human, warrior of humankind. Please, please, tell me your name before you go.”
It was Aiwa’s final wish, her existence fading, with only the future of annihilation ahead.
I had no obligation to answer, but.
Somehow, I wanted to answer.
“Tanaka, Jiro Tanaka. Just a humble corporate slave.”
“Ah, Jiro, a good name.”
Aiwa chuckled, my words, not entirely sincere, laced with sarcasm.
“In the name of the God of War ■■■■, I pray for your good fortune in battle.”
My body lost Aiwa’s support, and I fell to my knees, looking up at the light particles ascending into the dungeon’s sky.
The last thing I heard was Aiwa’s true name, or rather, what Susanoo-god called her past life’s name.
“Is this the reward for fighting and winning?”
Receiving this, I could hardly call it a blessing from a god, I could only laugh.
“Partner.”
Looking down at my hand, which had fallen from Aiwa’s body and now felt heavy in my current state, a heavy but important weight, I spoke to it.
“Good job.”
The Ore Tree, its blade shattered, which had fought as my blade until the very end, did not reply, and the strength I had been able to sense until just moments ago was gone.
As I sat there for a considerable time, realizing its meaning.
“Jiro-san!!”
“Jiro-kun!”
Along with the sound of approaching footsteps, the voices of the people I loved reached me, and I turned around, mustering my remaining strength.
I couldn’t stand; my whole body was creaking, and even turning my neck was a struggle.
My magic power was depleted.
Blood flowed from all over my body, and my consciousness began to blur.
“Suella, Keiri.”
My vision was starting to blur; my limit was near.
Seeing the two faces approaching with tearful expressions, I smiled, thinking there was one thing I had to say.
“I won.”
I reported.
“Jiro-san!!”
Listening to Suella’s scream, I lost consciousness.
And then, how much time had passed?
“…A familiar ceiling.”
Before I knew it, I woke up in a hospital room, sensing the usual white ceiling and the smell of rubbing alcohol.
“Jiro-san!?”
“Suella?”
As if questioning whether this thought was appropriate with my dazed mind, I heard something drop at my feet. Looking, I saw Suella with wide eyes, covering her mouth, tears streaming down her face.
“You’re awake!!”
“Ah, ah.”
With a burst of speed that seemed like she would rush into me, she approached me, then gently cupped my cheeks with both hands, peering into my face as if to confirm I was conscious.
Without wiping the tears from her eyes, they continued to fall.
“I’m so glad, I’m so glad. I thought you might never wake up.”
Unable to hold back any longer, she then burst into tears.
“I caused you worry.”
Feeling the need to apologize with my raspy throat, I couldn’t help but gently stroke Suella’s cheek with my right hand, seeing her worried expression.
“We were so worried. It’s already been three months since you collapsed.”
“Three months… Three months, huh.”
Her voice thick with tears, she told me how long I had been asleep.
Three months.
For such an intense battle, three months felt short.
Of course, I couldn’t say that to Suella, who had been worried, and kept it to myself.
“The Instructors, and the other Generals! What happened after that!?”
Perhaps sensing I was awake, or perhaps due to sleeping for three months, it took me time to remember the important things. I tried to sit up, but.
“Please calm down! You were seriously injured!”
She gently, softly, pressed me down, and my body became immobile as if fixed.
“I’ll explain everything, including your condition.”
I was bewildered that I, who hadn’t been physically overpowered by Suella due to a difference in status recently, was now unable to move.
Seeing my expression, Suella, with tears welling in her eyes, smiled resignedly and said she would explain.
Understanding the current situation was the priority, she calmed herself and began her explanation.
“All the Generals are safe.”
“Is that so? That’s good.”
First, she informed me that all the Generals who fought on that battlefield were safe, and I felt a deep sense of relief.
In my memory, some of the Generals had sustained injuries that put their lives in danger.
“The Tree King only sustained minor injuries and is currently in Isal with Kaido-san, the Machine King’s proxy, to restore order and for post-war reconstruction.”
The first person I heard about was the Tree King, who had the lightest injuries. Indeed, I remembered him having the least damage.
It was understandable that he would be called upon for post-war affairs.
“Next, the Dragon King recovered in about two weeks and has also gone to Isal to help restore order.”
“That must be a great deterrent.”
“Indeed, he is acting as a deterrent in cooperation with the Empire.”
Next up was the Dragon King. Thanks to his draconic toughness and recovery abilities, he probably recovered the fastest among those who fought fiercely on the front lines.
And now he’s become a symbol of deterrence for maintaining order… this must be what they mean by using one’s talents appropriately.
“The third, the Giant King, was unconscious for about a month, and his injuries are still taking some time to heal, so he is currently undergoing rehabilitation. He was impaled through the heart and was on the brink of death, but the Tree King’s treatment arrived in time. There are no after-effects, and he is recovering smoothly.”
“Is that so? That’s good.”
The third to appear was the Giant King. Given the appearance of his injuries, I thought he was as severely wounded as Instructor Fushio, but he was surprisingly third.
“Yes, we’ve received reports that he’s currently making building materials as part of his rehabilitation.”
“No, that’s strange.”
I had to point out that he was working as part of his rehabilitation.
Suella tilted her head, wondering what was strange, which was cute, but I decided to forcibly accept it, thinking that this company sometimes had strange dynamics.
“Sorry, please continue.”
“Yes.”
It took me a few seconds to process what she said, and after apologizing for interrupting the flow, I urged her to continue. Two Instructors remained.
Instructor Fushio and Instructor Kio.
Instructor Fushio’s upper and lower body were severed in that battle.
Instructor Kio had released something and had become as thin as a mummy.
“The Undead King is taking time to heal the wound inflicted by a god, and is currently living without his lower body. He uses the Machine King’s golem prosthesis to supplement it.”
“I don’t know where to even begin commenting. But well, as an Instructor, he wouldn’t give up with just this.”
“That’s right. In fact, I’ve heard he’s even modifying his lower body together with the Machine King?”
“He doesn’t do things by halves… truly admirable.”
I thought he wouldn’t perish easily as an undead, but I never expected to hear the phrase “without his lower body.”
Knowing him, he’ll probably revive his own lower body someday.
As I gave a wry smile mixed with exasperation and admiration, Suella smiled and added the last piece of information.
“The Oni King is recuperating in his territory to restore his lost magic power. I’ve heard there’s a prospect of recovery, but he’s refusing visitors other than his family, not wanting to show his pathetic state. So, I don’t have the details, but he asked me to give you a message when you woke up.”
“A message?”
“Yes. He said, ‘Let’s have a banquet with the one who overslept as the organizer.'”
“Ah, so in this situation, I’m the one who woke up last?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
With that, she informed me of everyone’s safety.
“…”
“…”
I expected her to then tell me what happened after the battle, but for some reason, Suella looked hesitant, as if unsure whether to speak or not.
“Ah, could it be that my condition is bad?”
If she was explaining the Generals’ injuries in order of severity, then I must have been the most severely injured.
What? As far as I remembered, my injury was the loss of my left arm, but I could still feel it connected and move it.
I was stabbed in the abdomen, but there was no pain.
The bleeding from being cut all over my body… they must have given me a blood transfusion, right?
My blood type isn’t particularly rare.
“Jiro-san, please listen calmly.”
“O-okay.”
My self-diagnosis indicated no particular abnormalities other than slightly reduced strength.
However, Suella had prefaced it by asking me to listen calmly.
Does this mean something really bad has happened to my body?
When told there’s something, people naturally become tense.
I want to face it calmly, but am I putting on a good act?
“Jiro-san, your soul…”
Ah, not my body, but my soul.
Not the hardware, but the software.
So, something bad has happened on that front.
“It has mixed with divine power.”
“Huh?”
I felt uneasy, wondering what was happening.
I imagined various malfunctions in my soul in an attempt to alleviate my anxiety, but all those thoughts were blown away by Suella’s words.
“Mixed with divine power? Huh? What will happen?”
“To summarize what I heard from the Priest, if things continue like this, you will be sublimated into a god.”
…Seriously?
You mean, I’m about to become a god because I defeated Aiwa, who had usurped the Sun God’s power, thus achieving God Slayer?
W-what?
“Seriously?”
“I wish I could say it’s a joke, but…”
“It’s true?”
“Yes.”
“It’s true!”
“Yes.”
I had always said I wouldn’t mind ceasing to be human.
But, but still.
“I never could have imagined this.”
“Me neither.”
I certainly never thought I would become a god.
Today’s Word:
I thought it was over, I really thought it was over!!!!!
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