The words exchanged seemed to have sunk in for Oru too.

[……So Tomohiro, that new Skill of yours…… is it that kind of ability? No way, that’s way too dangerous a Skill———-]

[Oru.]

Rinji laid a hand on Oru’s shoulder.

Oru turned to him.

Rinji met his gaze head-on, his eyes silently telling him of my current state.

Oru’s eyes flicked over to me, trembling with hesitation.

He must have already sensed something was wrong with me.

However, he hadn’t thought it was that bad——— or rather, he hadn’t wanted to think so.

[No way……]

[Either way, even if I retreated west with everyone, before we got very far…… I think I’d end up dropping out.]

I didn’t have much time left.

[Then…… for my last moments, I want to bet on protecting this world. With this new Skill…… I feel like I can do it. Somehow…… I don’t know why, but———]

I looked straight into Oru’s eyes.

[That’s what I feel.]

It was worth trying.

A silence fell.

Oru seemed to be mulling through his emotions.

Rinji had his eyes closed, as if he too was trying to settle something inside himself.

After a pause, Rinji finally spoke.

[……How much time do you have?]

[Until the last wave reaches us…… there’s still a little. If I don’t use the Skill yet, I think…… I’ll at least have enough time to say goodbye to everyone here.]

White mist was rising off my skin, hissing audibly.

The mist and sound were only growing stronger.

The heat burning along my skin was becoming unbearable.

I could tell.

———–The time limit was closing in.

At that moment, all of a sudden…..

Rinji threw an arm around my shoulder.

He beckoned Oru with his hand.

Oru stepped in close, throwing his own arm around me.

The three of us now stood like a huddle before a battle.

[Rinji, wha———]

Rinji’s arm tightened sharply around me.

[U- Umm——–]

Our bare skin pressed against each other in spots.

A faint…… smell of burning flesh drifted in the air.

[You’ll…… get burned———!]

I cried out, but Rinji only grinned through his sweat, his eyes almost mischievous.

[……It’s fine. This is how I want to send you off. Sorry…… just humor me a little, okay?]

[…………….]

Thereupon———-

Oru laughed too.

The same light tone as always——— though I could tell he was forcing it.

[If anything, getting a decent burn’ll give me bragging rights when I’m trying to charm a girl! I can say “This scar? Proof I fought alongside the guy who saved the world”……!]

[Oru-san……]

[Ah, and don’t worry about what comes after, alright!? I’ll make sure word gets out that you only awakened that Skill after beating that horned Sacrament! No one’ll think you were holding back from the start!]

[ ? ]

[……’Cause you know, this world ain’t full of saints. There’ll always be idiots saying “If he’d used that power from the start, this much damage wouldn’t have happened!”…… And when I hear that kind of crap…… hah, I’ll probably deck ’em before they even finish talking!]

My lips curved upward.

I realized…… this is what it felt like to smile, naturally, unconsciously.

Maybe…… this was the first time I was so fully aware of it.

[Thank you, Oru-san……]

[……——-Why……]

[Eh……?]

Oru’s eyes clenched shut tight.

Tears spilled down his face in heavy drops.

[Why…… Why the hell do you have to die!? You’ve been fighting tooth and nail at the front lines…… protecting everyone with everything you’ve got! And after all that, it ends like this!? That’s not fair! When this war was over, I was…… I was gonna take you places! You said it yourself, didn’t you!? You wanted to know more about this world, meet its people! There’s so many amazing sights, interesting folks…… and tons of d*mn good food too! That’s why…… when this war ended, I was…… I was gonna go with you, with Rinji-san, with everyone……………….. d*mn it! D*mn it all! hic——– d*mn iiiit!]

(……Oru-san.)

He sobbed, messy and unrestrained.

It caught me off guard———- but somehow……

More than sorrow, I felt…… joy.

It made me happy.

[Tomohiro.]

Rinji’s voice pulled us tighter together.

Our faces were close now.

[You’re not just our comrade anymore.]

[…………]

[You’re our family.]

The tears came naturally, just like before.

My face twisted from the emotions welling up inside——— again, just the same.

[……Yes.]

With tears in my eyes, I answered in a hoarse voice.

[I’m happy…… to hear you say that.]

Here and now.

Hearing those words from you.

The tears kept falling.

But———- I could still smile.

Purely.

Because I was happy.

[……………………]

For a moment, my thoughts drifted to my parents in my original world.

That lingering regret.

My family, from the world I left behind.

I wanted to talk to them again, about everything, as the person I had become now.

I wanted to apologize for so much.

And after that———- I wanted to thank them for everything.

If it were the me now, maybe I could have built a different kind of family with them.

Because the me from before…… I could never really have been called a [good son] to them.

———–I’m sorry.

For all that I did.

……And for the fact that I can never go back.

[Rinji…… it’s about time……]

[……………..Yeah.]

He let go of my shoulder, and the three of us stepped apart.

But before parting, Rinji hugged me and patted my back gently/

As if to encourage me.

Or maybe to say thank you.

[Tomohiro!]

The other members of the former Drunken Sword Party, who had been watching, called out.

Perhaps Oru’s tears had moved them as well.

Some of them were crying too.

They too were my comrades———– my family.

Even knowing my body radiated heat, they embraced me anyway.

Others grasped my hand with strong, firm shakes.

I, too, sincerely thanked them.

I was proud to have fought here with them.

(And in the end……)

I had gained another————

……wonderful family.

The knight who had come with the message was receiving an explanation about me from Oru.

His voice still trembled, but he seemed calmer than before.

I looked around.

If only I could ride a horse to move forward……

Even if the real battle would begin after I used my Skill, the time limit was pressing close.

If I could at least reach beyond the First Guardian Wall on horseback……

But borrowing one of the knights’ horses seemed like the only option.

When we’d deployed from the Final Guardian Wall, we hadn’t used horses.

So of course, there weren’t any nearby.

(And besides…… my skin’s gotten so hot now that even through cloth, it must be burning……)

That was why I hesitated. It might just be cruel.

It was while I was still hesitating over whether I should bring up the matter of the horse to the knight.

Just then, I saw a horse galloping toward me.

[Ah……]

It was the horse I’d been riding all the way here to Azziz.

Perhaps it had slipped through when the gates of the Final Guardian Wall had opened.

The horse came to a stop in front of me.

Then it turned around and looked back over its shoulder.

As if telling me to get on.

Its round black eyes fixed on me.

It was waiting for me——— clearly, unmistakably.

But I hesitated.

Wouldn’t the saddle burn it, even through the leather———?

[Do it.]

It was Rinji who spoke.

[In its own way…… it must have sensed something. That this is its moment to step forward…… or something like that.]

I remembered hearing once that cats, when they sense their time is near, disappear from their owners’ sight.

An omen of sorts.

Maybe this horse, too, had sensed my nearing end and came here.

As if guided by something unseen.

[Wait a second———- Tomohiro.]

Calling out to me was Oru.

He quickly gathered a few things scattered nearby.

He even asked the others for help.

The things he picked up were cloth and pieces of tanned leather.

Belongings left behind by those who had fought here.

He layered them over the saddle and strapped them down tight.

It was a measure to protect the horse from the heat of my body.

The horse stood quietly, accepting it without resistance.

[Ah…… thank you.]

[Even at a time like this, you’re worried about the horse. That’s just like you, Tomohiro.]

Hearing that, I couldn’t help but laugh at myself.

I mean, that’s totally unlike the me from before……

(Rather, back then, I was the one being worried about……)

There were people who naturally cared for me.

Like him…… like her……

The saddle felt a little awkward.

With barely one hand usable, I had to rely on Rinji and the others to help me mount the horse.

[Um, Rinji-san…… could you, well…… tell Yuuri-chan about me in a way that…… that won’t make her sad?]

“On top of worrying about the horse, you’re worrying about others again?”

Rinji put his hands on his hips and let out a sigh.

It was so gentle, yet it was an exasperated sigh.

[Alright, leave it to me.]

[Thank you. Well then……]

I gave my thanks and steered the horse toward the eastern gate.

[I’m off.]

At the very end, everyone was there, seeing me off like this.

I really am…… a fortunate man……

[……Tomohiro!]

Oru stepped forward and called out.

[It’s not…… It’s not like it’s decided you’re gonna die, right……!?]

His face twisted in pain again.

Rinji placed a hand on his shoulder, then looked up at me on the saddle.

Thereupon, he said,

[That’s why…… we’re not saying goodbye yet.]

I turned back, gave them a smile, and replied,

[———–Yes.]

Then I faced forward again, and urged my horse to run.

[Someday, for sure, we’ll meet again.]

□

————I’m sorry, Sogou-san.

It doesn’t seem like I’ll ever get the chance to apologize to you directly.

I’ve thought it over and over.

If only I had taken hold of your kindness——— your hand much sooner.

You must have been struggling too.

And yet, in that situation…… you still worried about everyone else.

I should have been supporting you with a situation like this……

I’m sorry.

…………………………………..

Hirooka-kun, Sakuma-kun…… I’m sorry to you too.

But———– I won’t make excuses.

Because if I start lining up excuses here,

It’ll only be me trying to win a little forgiveness for myself.

I wronged the two of you.

So all I can say is…… sorry.

To everyone who was part of my group as well.

I think we should have talked about more things.

I think…… I should have tried harder to know you.

I’m sorry.

…………………………………..

Mimori-kun.

Back in our original world……

If, at that time, I had just honestly taken your hand……

Maybe we could have become friends……?

It’s the same with Hirooka-kun and Sakuma-kun.

The regret just won’t disappear.

No…… with you, it’s even worse. Because back when we last met, I was just awful.

That makes me regret it all the more.

And I can’t even deliver an apology to you anymore.

……I don’t believe I could ever be forgiven.

I don’t even intend to ask for forgiveness.

I mustn’t.

So at the very least———- though it’s nothing close to atonement……

I want to save the people who should be saved.

Here.

Even if it costs me this life.

…………………………………..

There are just…… too many.

Too many people I want to say thank you to…… too many I want to apologize to.

Seras-san———– ……Belzegia-san.

If it were possible……

I would have wanted to meet them one more time, to thank them in person.

To tell them “It was because of you, I was able to meet them.”

“It was because of you I found them.”

▽

I passed through the gate of the Second Guardian Wall.

Most of the Sacraments had already melted so far beyond recognition that their original forms were lost.

Wings sprouting from eyes, hands reaching to clasp one another……

Many of them had dissolved to the point that such shapes could no longer be made out.

And the further outward I went, the more pronounced that trend became.

Which meant———- inevitably, that most of the corpses left behind were human.

In the eastern sector there were hardly any Beastkin or monster remains.

Their battlefield had been in the south.

So here, the majority were human.

[………………….]

My thoughts suddenly drifted toward life…… what it means to live.

Of course, I think living long is a wonderful thing.

But…… maybe the density of life matters just as much.

Even if short, how fully it was lived.

Among these corpses lie countless young soldiers.

Did their lives mean nothing, because they died so young?

If short lives hold no meaning……

Then wouldn’t that mean their deaths would also be meaningless?

———–No, that’s not it.

Even in the White Wolf King’s words of encouragement before the battle, this was touched upon.

They wagered their lives because they wanted to protect something.

The dead, lying along the roads I passed.

Almost none of them would have wanted to die.

And yet———– they fought.

They wanted to protect what was precious to them.

That was all there is to it.

In the end, I believe nobody truly wants to die.

Everyone must feel fear.

And yet they all fought with courage.

They stood their ground against the terror of death.

Stories often place a “hero” at the center.

But in truth, in reality, there is no such singular protagonist.

Or well, that’s what I believe.

Surely everyone who fought and fell here was a hero.

I may be called a “hero” myself, but———-

At the same time, I’m nothing more than one among countless warriors.

I too…… could be just another fallen soldier in this place.

Even with special powers———- my very existence is not special.

And it doesn’t need to be.

Because even if I’m not special, right now……

I have the same courage as those who fought here.

I received it from them———- their courage.

[…………]

The sound of hooves against bloodstained stone.

Somehow———- I found it strangely comforting.

When I fought in the Anti-Demon White Castle……

When a Golden-Eyed Monster severed my fingers, I was terrified.

I felt with every fiber of my being: I don’t want to die.

The reality of death.

It was truly terrifying.

…………………..And yet.

How strange.

I still carry regrets, and of course…… I still want to live.

But at the same time……

To burn my life away for someone else, to meet my end in that way.

To be able to carve out a path forward for the future of those I hold dear————

Right now, that fills me with joy beyond words.

▽

I passed through the First Guardian Wall.

From here on, it was outside the royal capital.

[Thank you———– this far is enough.]

I dismounted.

On the way here, I had spoken to this horse several times.

The horse lowered its head and looked at me with slightly moist eyes.

Then it tried to nuzzle my cheek———- but I stopped it.

Almost as if remembering the heat my body is emitting, it pulled its face back.

I smiled, said my farewell, and turned to leave.

But the horse bit my sleeve, trying to hold me back.

It made a gesture, asking me to climb back onto the saddle.

I gave a wry smile, crouched down in front of it, and said,

[Hope……]

That was the horse’s name.

I’d heard it was Rinji who named it.

Was it a word left behind by a past hero? Or just a coincidence?

[Your name, you know…… it carries the meaning of “aspirations”.]

(T/N: Horse’s name is in English written in katakana)

Hope tilted its head.

I smiled and continued,

[I want you to survive, and become one of the hopes that remain…… if possible…… as proof that I lived.]

Maybe that sounded a bit too cool, and I felt a little embarrassed.

But…… from here on, Hope might lose its life as well.

That’s why it would be better to send it back now.

We stared at each other for a while.

Somehow———— it felt like we were both acknowledging our farewell.

As if savoring it.

At last, I touched him through the thick cloth and gently sent Hope away.

Hope hung its head and looked back several times.

I answered each look with a smile,

[And someday, I’ll see you again too.]

I gave a small wave.

Then, as if shaking off its feelings, Hope dashed off.

I watched until Hope’s figure grew small in the distance.

Then, slowly, I rose to my feet.

As I stood——— I glanced back over my shoulder.

A cloud of dust was drawing closer.

That must be it.

The final wave of Sacraments.

I faced forward……

With the Royal Capital Azziz at my back, I stood alone against the white host in the far distance.

[……Fuuu.]

The Sacraments’ march was alarmingly fast.

No, considering the time limit……

It was better this way, for them to rush in and close the distance.

If they were to die during the march, before the battle even began———– it would all be meaningless.

[ < ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ >.]

I spoke the name of the Skill.

From several points, massive black pillars of fire erupted.

Flames like volcanic eruptions.

A roaring thunder.

The swirling fire pillars pierced the clouds, spewing high into the sky.

And then———- above my head.

Far, far above in the sky, a colossal black sword of flame was floating.

From that blazing black sword, “embers of flame” began to fall.

Like soft snowflakes———– no, like scattering petals.

……That flaming sword was shrinking bit by bit.

And when that burning blade finally vanished……

That would be the true……

……signal of the end.

Bearing down upon me———- the last, massive, white wave.

My……

Final battle.

I take a single step forward.

In that instant———- my body jerks, knees nearly buckling.

The limits of my strength are closing in.

…………………..

(This won’t do. I can’t even keep up appearances like this……)

I let a faint smile slip.

But maybe this too——— yeah, maybe this is exactly like me.

Around me, black flames erupt.

They form outward, shaping themselves into black giants of fire.

And beneath those giants, lifting them up from below, appear massive steeds wreathed in the same black blaze.

Drifting down———- swept and scattered by the wind…… in that snow of black ash.

The war steeds of black flame———- and the towering giants mounted upon them, line up behind me.

I steady my breath.

———-Fwoom———-

I swing my arm, cloaking myself in the black fire.

The black legion———- The first and last March of the Black Flames.

[………………………………………….Now then. Let’s go.]

This is———– the final Skill of the Black Flame Hero.

<Muspelheim’s Surtr>

(T/N: Black Realm Domain: Final Flame/Muspelheim’s Surtr)

■

Surtr——— the name of the fire Jotunn who fought against the Gods in Norse mythology.

In Old Norse, “Surtr” means “black” or “the black one”.

He is the guardian of the gate of the fiery realm Muspelheim, and the weapon said to have been wielded by him is called Laevateinn.

In Ragnarök, the final battle of the Gods, he led the giants of Muspel in war.

It is also said that he defeated Freyr of the Vanir, who wielded a weapon made from a stag’s antler.

In the prose “Snorri’s Edda”, there is a passage about the survivors of Ragnarök, yet among those survivors, the name of Surtr is not listed.

□

……………………………….

And so, what effect did this Sacred Eye Defense Battle have on the greater course of the war———–?

One thing is certain———- this was a battle fought on the timeline before the Goddess Vysis burst out of the King’s Chamber within the Genesis Labyrinth.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep