Sky of Destiny – Climax (3)

Before long, the development of the work called “Sky of Destiny” was approaching its final stages.

And even though the story’s development had nearly reached its final phase, viewers’ evaluation of the protagonist Yuri was ruthlessly harsh.

“Yuri? Wasn’t that guy just someone who mutters plausible things but is utterly incompetent, unable to do anything on his own?”

“I don’t know what to make of a guy who has so much to say after barely surviving by hiding behind women until now.”

“Huh, someone might think he single-handedly took down enemy heroes like Kai from ‘Machine God Chronicles’. When you look at his accomplishments so far, all he did was luckily block a cavalry surprise attack.”

Considering that both Kai, the protagonist of “Machine God Chronicles”, and Louis, the protagonist of “Book of Life and Death”, received considerable support from viewers despite some minor controversies, this was truly unexpected.

According to an unofficial popularity poll conducted on ‘My Struggle’, the protagonist Yuri’s popularity ranking was only 9th place.

It was a much lower ranking than not only main characters like the Knight King and Sein, but also Chris and Achaemenes, who were portrayed as villains in the early parts of the work.

And currently, the 3rd place in the popularity poll was the Hero King, who had gained tremendous popularity throughout the Empire despite only revealing his appearance in the latest episode.

And the highly anticipated 2nd place in the popularity poll was none other than-

“…It doesn’t matter if I end up in 2nd place, right?”

“Don’t forget. Always imagine yourself as the strongest. There’s no way the hero you chose in the popularity poll wouldn’t be 2nd place.”

It was none other than the unidentified archer summoned by Sein.

Not only did he act in a very likable manner from the first episode of “Sky of Destiny”.

Every line he uttered was a storm of charisma, a truly soul-stirring existence for men.

That’s why the unidentified archer very naturally took 2nd place in the popularity poll.

…Well, the 1st place in the popularity poll was the Knight King, but that was inevitable since she was the main heroine of this work.

In that sense, the result of this popularity poll could only be described as truly surprising.

Because the unidentified archer managed to achieve the feat of rising to 2nd place in the popularity poll, surpassing even Sein, who was a classmate of the Hero King.

Therefore, viewers who usually claimed to be his fans not only had their noses in the air, but eventually even went so far as to openly say things like this:

“The archer is the most excellent and well-developed character in the animation called ‘Sky of Destiny’, and this can be scientifically proven!”

“Wh-What did you say?”

“But after all, that archer’s gender is male, right? What’s the point of not simping for pretty female characters in an animation like this?”

Even though other fans looked at them as if they found it somewhat absurd, the archer’s fans spoke in a truly unwavering tone.

“Those who simp for the Knight King or Sein are just mindlessly supporting any pretty woman, they’re crazy about women.”

“Those who support Chris, the hero of the Federation, are like traitors who support a foreign hero, forgetting which country they were born in.”

“However, among the characters existing in ‘Sky of Destiny’, the most vicious one is none other than the protagonist Yuri.”

“The fact that he only managed to get 9th place in the popularity poll despite claiming to be the protagonist proves to everyone that this character is utterly useless, doesn’t it?”

“Therefore, publicly exposing and preserving the personal information of everyone who voted for Yuri in this popularity poll is what promises a bright tomorrow for the fans of ‘Sky of Destiny’!”

What a terrifying and dreadful thought this was.

But the archer faction, who had been feeling inferior after being overwhelmed by the Knight King faction and Sein faction until now, was giving crazy applause to such extreme claims after regaining their voice by coming in 2nd place in the popularity poll.

That’s why.

“What on earth are you thinking! Are you still trying to kill Yuri?”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

“With my own hands, I will kill the man called Yuri.”

“That is the last wish of me, who has fallen to something like a hero.”

“…Wh-What did you say…?”

After annihilating the great magician Psyche, as soon as the cooperation relationship was withdrawn, the unidentified archer tries to kill Yuri again as if it were very natural.

An attitude as if he had never been interested in the Full Moon Ritual from the beginning, and was only interested in killing Yuri.

And seeing the archer’s behavior like that, viewers couldn’t help but have one question.

“…By the way, why on earth is that archer trying to kill Yuri? No matter how I think about it, there’s no reason for it.”

One of the viewers who couldn’t take their eyes off the archer approaching Yuri with his favorite longsword in hand muttered like that.

“Well. Maybe he just disliked Yuri?”

Someone who had poured all their votes into the archer, not only their own but also mobilizing the names of their relatives, in this popularity poll promptly answered.

“The archer said it before, didn’t he? That he and Yuri are similar, but that’s why it annoys him even more. Moreover, the archer really hates hypocrites, so it’s not strange for him to despise Yuri, who only has a glib tongue.”

“But for a past hero to prioritize killing Yuri over his own wish? Does that make any sense?”

“Could the archer’s identity be Yuri’s adoptive father who was said to have died 10 years ago? If he was summoned back to this ritual after the adoptive father died, it might make some sense?”

“Is this bastard really crazy… Just because your mouth is open doesn’t mean you can say whatever you want.”

As people were discussing the archer’s identity like that, they turned their heads towards someone who was quietly watching the screen with a black hood pulled over their head, as if by agreement.

Kaiser.

The man who noticed that the identity of the hero Yuri summoned was the Knight King before anyone else and announced it to the world, but was rather ridiculed by others.

And shortly after, he obtained the title of ‘Prophet’ by proving to the world that his guess was correct.

A noble man who even mercifully forgave the ignorant ones who had ridiculed him in the past.

Noticing foreshadowing that others casually overlooked more sharply than anyone, and being more sincere about animation than anyone in the world, wouldn’t this person have already noticed what the identity of that archer is?

With some kind of expectation like that, people carefully open their mouths towards him.

“Um, Mr. Kaiser? What do you think?”

“…Huh? Were you asking me a question?”

Kaisel answers with a somewhat perplexed voice, as if he had been concentrating on the anime until now.

“Yes. We thought that Mr. Kaiser, who noticed the identity of the Knight King before anyone else in the past, might have already realized what the identity of that archer is.”

“So please tell us your esteemed opinion. What do you think the identity of that archer is, Mr. Kaiser?”

Meanwhile, for Kaisel, who had been appreciating the beautiful figure of the Knight King forcibly changed into a white dress by Psyche, it was nothing but nonsensical gibberish.

The true name of the unidentified archer?

How would I know that?

I was just thinking about what scene to put in the next doujinshi while looking at the Knight King’s dress outfit?

In the first place, the reason I was able to guess the Knight King’s identity was because I was friends with Ragna, the creator of this animation.

But he couldn’t ignore the pleas of people who were looking at him with eyes full of expectation.

In the end, Kaisel decided to just spout whatever words came out of his mouth according to the flow of consciousness.

“Well. In my personal opinion, I don’t think that unidentified archer is a hero from the past.”

“…Not a hero from the past?”

“What does that mean?”

“In other words, I’m saying that there was no person fitting that archer among the heroes I know anywhere in history books. If we can’t find that hero in the past, isn’t the identity of that hero someone who has their origin in the future?”

Kaisel blurted out nonsense full of incoherent talk without even knowing what he was saying.

“…Then, the identity of the archer is…?”

“There’s a good chance it could be the future appearance of someone we know well. For example, isn’t there a possibility that it’s the future appearance of the protagonist Yuri?”

To be honest, Kaisel thought it was complete nonsense even though he said it himself.

The unidentified archer is the appearance of the protagonist Yuri who became a hero in the future?

No way.

Where in the world does such a thing exist?

In the first place, Yuri and that archer had completely different facial features, height, build, and voice.

No, come to think of it, their facial features might be a little similar…?

Anyway, the idea that those two people were the same person was Kaisel’s delusion itself.

Such a thing was simply impossible to happen.

“The unidentified archer is… Yuri?”

“Even if it’s Mr. Kaiser’s words, that’s a bit…”

The people listening to his words around him also seemed to think Kaisel’s words were nonsense, trailing off their words.

Yeah, honestly, I spoke too carelessly, didn’t I?

Even I think that was going too far.

Sorry.

Just as Kaisel was about to open his mouth to cancel what he had just said.

“…I’ll show you. Why I’m trying to kill the man called Yuri.”

“What kind of ending your future self met!”

Saying that, the archer raises his hand upward and-

“…Ah.”

Fire ignites.

The burning flames create a boundary, and then repaint this world itself.

In the end, it completely changes the surrounding environment.

Raging flames, and countless swords stuck in the long-stretching ground.

The archer was standing alone at the center of that world.

“…This is.”

And the Knight King stares at it blankly.

She has memories of seeing this world.

After contracting with Yuri, she had entered Yuri’s deep consciousness in dreams a few times.

And each time, she had seen this scene that existed in Yuri’s heart.

The imaginary world that could only exist in Yuri’s heart is now being shown identically by the unidentified archer.

If so, what that means is-

“…Heroic Spirit Yuri. My future self.”

The true name of that man was the appearance of Yuri who had perfected his immature abilities and finally became a hero.

“…..”

“…..”

And at that unexpected development, everyone lost their words and opened their mouths wide.

But at this moment.

The person most surprised here was none other than Kaisel.

Huh…?

The identity of that archer was really the future Yuri?

Hmm.

I just said it off the top of my head?

This… Could it really be true?