This chapter concludes here.
“I often said I’d quit being human, but now I’m a god, huh? A god…”
“It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?”
“Of course. So now my attributes are Human, Dragon race, and then… God? What is this?”
I found myself counting the things that had entered me on my fingers, unable to shake the facts Suella had told me.
While I still had the self-awareness of being human, I had become something other than human with dragon blood, and now with divine elements added to my soul, I wasn’t even sure if I could still classify myself as human.
“And then…”
“There’s more?”
“Yes. It seems the divine power mixed into Jiro-san’s soul… it doesn’t appear to be the Sun God’s power.”
“…”
Suella nervously added more information, as if apologizing for my current situation, which made me question if I could even be called human.
“Could it be… Aiwa?”
If it wasn’t the Sun God’s power, then it must be the power of another god. I did have some familiarity with that possibility.
“…Yes. This is Susanoo-god’s diagnosis, so I’m sure it’s correct.”
“Even in a different world, a god wouldn’t make a mistake, would they?”
The Sun God’s power had dispersed into the air at that time and scattered somewhere.
At first, I thought a small percentage of that scattered power had entered me, but after defeating it myself and recalling Aiwa’s blessing-like words then, it was clear that wasn’t the case.
“Was the reason I didn’t wake up… perhaps because of that?”
“Yes, the doctor and the priest held that view. In the worst-case scenario, Jiro-san might never have woken up.”
She then pointed out the reason why I had slept in longer than the other generals.
Perhaps sensing my concern, tears welled up in Suella’s eyes.
“Whoa there, sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.”
“N-no. It’s alright. You’ve woken up, after all.”
Watching Suella wipe her tears with her hand, I realized again how much I had worried her and felt apologetic.
“So, uh, can I ask about my body now? My health, and that sort of thing?”
“Ah, yes. I do need to tell you about that as well.”
However, it wasn’t going to end there.
With the divine power – or rather, the power of Aiwa’s past life’s battle goddess – mixed in, I couldn’t definitively say I was healthy.
“Your physical health is fine. Your left arm was reattached normally, and the nerves are connected. The damaged internal organs have also been repaired and are functioning normally.”
“Physical health… does that mean there are other aspects?”
“Yes, Jiro-san. Didn’t you feel like you don’t have as much strength as you expected?”
“Ah, now that you mention it, you’re right. I just thought it was some kind of after-effect, but with how you put it, it sounds different.”
If that was the case, I had to confirm it. As a result of the battle, after that fierce fight, my body had undergone changes.
I couldn’t go on with my life without knowing about it.
“Yes, at present, your body is undergoing a sealing process for your magic power.”
“A sealing process?”
“That’s right. It would be faster for you to see it than for me to explain why.”
To show me, Suella moved from above me and gently placed her hand on my back, helping me to sit up.
“Jiro-san, I will release the sealing process for a portion of it now. Please exert full control over your magic power at that time.”
“Just hearing you say that, I can sense what’s happening to my body…”
“Knowing and experiencing are different. Alright?”
“It’s been a while since you’ve been this forceful, Suella.”
She had me raise my right arm and gently covered my right hand with both of hers. Following Suella’s determined insistence, which left me no choice but to comply, I concentrated on my clenched right hand.
“Here I go.”
“Yeah.”
As if flowing, the moment the sealing process on my right arm was released.
I experienced my spine chilling for the first time due to my own magic power.
If I hadn’t been mentally prepared to earnestly control my magic power as Suella instructed, it would have led to a great disaster.
“This is… divine power.”
“It’s a part of it.”
The magic power, which was tens of times greater than my previous magic power, surged from my right hand as the sealing process was released. I was relieved that this room hadn’t become a high-concentration magic contamination zone, as I desperately held it back.
Looking at my right hand, I saw a mass of magic power gradually beginning to materialize. I remembered hearing from Instructor Fushio, who was skilled in magic, that materializing magic required an enormous amount of power, making it difficult even for him. I couldn’t help but give a wry smile at my own magic, which could achieve such a phenomenon simply by controlling it.
“Hahaha, seriously?”
“Yes, as you can see, Jiro-san’s magic power is currently at the pinnacle of the Demon Lord’s Army. It even surpasses the Demon Lord’s right now.”
“Whoa, if they knew that, I bet it would cause troublesome factional disputes and such.”
“Currently, we have implemented information control and are not allowing visitors under the guise of recuperation, so there’s no problem. However, we need to ensure this doesn’t happen moving forward.”
With the sealing process reapplied, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief, no longer needing to control my magic power, but the thought of the trouble awaiting me after my discharge made me want to groan.
“Moving forward, I wonder if the war ended after I slept for three months?”
While imagining those troublesome affairs, my post-sleep brain was becoming increasingly alert, and I wanted to grasp the current situation.
“It has ended.”
I was curious how it ended, but at least the war itself was over, which was a relief.
“Last month, an armistice agreement was signed between the Empire and the Demon Lord’s Army. This brought the war to a close, and we are now working to foster interaction between the Demon Race and the residents of Isal.”
“I see. But I imagine there will still be commotion. You mentioned earlier that the Lunaria and the Dragon King were involved in maintaining public order.”
“Yes. Currently, the biggest problem is the Angels who have ceased their activity.”
“Angels?”
However, dealing with the aftermath of such a large-scale war would likely take years, not just one or two, for reconstruction. The immense loss of life, the destruction of cities caused by the war, the scars left by the war waged by the Sun God and Aiwa—just counting them was enough to give me a headache.
But the problem Suella brought up went far beyond my imagination.
When I thought of Angels, I assumed they meant the ones who fought as soldiers, but…
“The Angels stopped their activity soon after you defeated Aiwa, but the issue is their numbers. Some higher-ranking, powerful Angels can act independently. Some of them have gone berserk and are causing destruction in groups. Ordinary soldiers cannot stand against them, so the Demon Lord’s Army and the Empire are leading the effort to recover the Angels, in parallel with dealing with the remnants of the old Kingdom and Tris.”
“Considering Himik, I just hope the Angels don’t become a symbol of disaster.”
“The Demon Lord’s Army is happy to frame it as protecting the people from disaster, as it creates a foundation for interaction.”
“Politicians are scary.”
The sheer number of Angels scattered across the world meant they couldn’t be fully recovered. Hearing stories about Angels who had become wives of farmers working in the fields, Angels used as the ultimate weapon by bandits, or even Angels simply existing as symbols in churches left me speechless with exasperation.
“However, our Demon Race’s long-cherished wish is undoubtedly about to be achieved.”
“That would be…”
“Yes, the integration of the continent and Isal. That is our Demon Race’s long-cherished wish. Luina has absorbed the authority of the Sun God and has become the God of Integration.”
The world had come to a time of transformation. Suella spoke this with conviction.
“It will take time, but the plan to gradually transfer the continent to Isal is progressing. Whether it’s ten, twenty, or even a hundred years from now, the fact that it will eventually happen is undeniable progress.”
She spoke with a happy, proud smile, looking forward to the future. With this smile, she rejoiced in the results of this war. There had been much sadness, much hardship. There had been unexpected events and things that made me furious. But if this smile lay beyond it all…
“I see. If that’s the case, then it was worth the effort.”
“Yes, but you tried too hard, Jiro-san. You fought until you were so battered, and you didn’t wake up for so long. Everyone was so worried! You’ll all get an earful when you’re discharged!”
It felt worth the effort, like rewarded work. While I didn’t know what I was working for in my past jobs, the realization that I could contribute to creating a world where these beloved people could smile made me happy enough to smile myself.
“M-more! Stop smiling! We were really worried!”
“My bad, my bad. No, it’s just… I suddenly realized how good it is to be alive. Being worried about like this is something to be happy about because I’m alive.”
Though I felt a bit embarrassed to say it and tried to brush it off, the overwhelming happiness couldn’t be hidden, and I ended up revealing about half of my true feelings. I would gladly accept the scolding from Suella, Memoria, Himik, Evia, and Keiri. But first, I gently took Suella’s hand.
“Honestly, I’ve had enough of that kind of killing for a while. Do you think the President would approve a leave of absence? I’d like to apply for about a month straight and relax with everyone.”
“Oh, you think you can fool me with that excuse again?”
She squeezed my hand back and leaned her body against mine. I could feel this warmth. This was the privilege of winning and surviving. Everything lay beyond giving up. The future I obtained was precisely because I didn’t give up.
“I’m serious. Haven’t I been overworked recently?”
“You were asleep for three months, so you haven’t been working! On the contrary, a lot of work has piled up. Keiri and Grandpa have been handling things in your stead, but there are still many things you need to approve. Considering the post-war processing and the exchange with Earth, a year-long leave request probably won’t be approved.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, Jiro-san. There are still many things you need to do.”
Suella’s gentle smile was beside me.
“I see. Since the war is over, I’d also like to have our wedding ceremony, Suella and everyone.”
“About that.”
After all we’ve gone through…
“There was a notification from Evia-sama. She said our wedding ceremony will serve as a venue to connect Isal and Earth. Since it would be dangerous to have the wedding ceremony while you’re still in this sealed state, you need to master thorough magic control as soon as possible.”
“Huh?”
I thought I deserved a little bit of good fortune from here on out. Specifically, I thought I should at least secure some time to relax with my family. But the world, not allowing this corporate slave any rest, continued to push.
“Jiro-san.”
“Yes.”
“I—no, Memoria, Himik, Evia-sama, and Keiri too—are all eagerly awaiting our marriage with you.”
“Yes.”
The smiles of the ones I loved were dazzling. And the man who fell for those beloved smiles could not resist.
“Let’s work hard on your job while also doing rehabilitation and training, okay?”
“Understood.”
And so, I plunged myself into the future.
A word for today:
You have to do it. There are times like that!!
First, I express my gratitude for your long-term readership. Nine years have already passed since I began writing, a long period of time. I believe that I have been able to continue writing this far thanks to the many readers who have read it. The next chapter will be the epilogue. Although there is only a little left until the end, I will see it through to completion, so please continue to support me.
Thank you as always for your comments and for pointing out any typos. If you find it interesting, please leave comments, ratings, bookmarks, etc.
I am currently serializing another work: “Pandora Pandemic Panic.” The box of Pandora has been opened again, but I’m fighting back with various things in a secret base and more!! Please check that out as well!!
