Ch.147Chapter 147. Final Chapter (3)_Can You Make Me Happy?

“Finally!”

As the magical vortex subsided, Rinasien trembled with joy.

“Finally, I have Lin! He’s mine, completely mine now!”

Her abdomen, now closed again, was visibly swollen.

Lovingly caressing her belly, Rinasien felt maternal affection.

“Ah, my Lin. You’re sleeping like a baby. When everything is over, we’ll live eternally as the only lovers in this world.”

No one could speak in the face of her pure madness.

Lucy and the rest of the hero party remained in shock, black blood flowing from their mouths like faucets.

“Tiana… is this what you wanted?”

The Abyss shook her head in disbelief.

“You claimed it was for Lin’s sake, but you’ve only caused him more pain.”

The Abyss regretted her actions.

She shouldn’t have left the Demon Lord alone for so long.

At the very least, she should have resisted the world line during those hundreds of millions of infinite regression cycles and gone to the Demon Lord’s side.

She regretted not doing so, even if her deviation wouldn’t have ended the regression.

Now she understood.

The Demon Lord had despaired and given up.

Like the hero-mages, she too had wanted to be with Lin.

But to escape the eons of regression, the one with the soul of her beloved had to join the hero party and kill her.

Seeing Lin endure loneliness and pain alone even during that process, the Demon Lord had despaired at a world where no one could find happiness.

So she abandoned everything and chose destruction without any greater cause or justification.

“Yustini!!!”

The Abyss shouted at the goddess.

“What are you doing?! Are you just going to watch the world end like this? This isn’t right! Will you let this world be destroyed by someone who’s neither the Demon God nor yourself?!”

The goddess silently listened to the Abyss’s rebuke with a pained expression.

“It’s useless.”

Rinasien mocked the Abyss as she drew up her power.

“You’ll all die by my hand!”

Gray magical energy shot up into the sky like a tornado. Having absorbed the Demon Lord, Demon God, and even all the demon race, Rinasien’s power now exceeded that of a deity.

The magical energy took human form, and Rinasien possessed the new body.

Chaos, now as enormous as the goddess, pointed at the goddess while suppressing laughter.

“I can feel it, your jealousy.”

The goddess’s eyes trembled greatly.

“The Demon God was able to kidnap the first hero because your eyes were clouded by a moment of jealousy.”

[That was truly just a moment, and Angria clouded my vision! I never intended to abandon Tiana!]

“Whatever the case, the Demon God exploited that opening. Selecting the second hero was also your greed, wasn’t it?”

[That’s wrong! I only realized after selecting her as a hero!]

“How could a god do such a thing? Weren’t you just turning a blind eye while having some inkling in a corner of your mind?”

Rinasien gently caressed her abdomen.

“Thank you, because of you, I was able to meet and embrace Lin.”

[I will… make things right.]

The goddess spoke, biting her lip.

[Regretting the past.]

The hero party was enveloped in light.

[I, who neglected the present.]

Maximum divine power restored them from the gray magical energy.

[Will pay for my sins to open a new future!]

“It’s already too late. This world belongs to Lin and me!”

Gray magical energy exploded from Rinasien.

The world was covered in ash-gray, and a gloomy sky spread out, making it impossible to distinguish front from back.

The goddess quickly pulled the hero party toward her and surrounded them with divine power to block the magical energy’s invasion.

“Let’s see how long you can hold out!”

Unlike Rinasien, who released magical energy without limit, the goddess was sweating due to the constraints of causality.

The hero party and Airan sat down blankly, feeling helpless.

[Wake up! The fate of the world depends on you!]

Yustini urged the hero party to come to their senses.

“But how…?”

Arsil mumbled blankly.

“Lin has already been devoured by that woman…”

Even Tigria, who had lost her Scroll of Knowledge, was distorted with despair.

“…….”

Lucy, who had lost Lin before her eyes, was staring into empty space with unfocused eyes.

Then, someone stood up before the goddess.

“Tell me how.”

Ravin asked the goddess.

“There is a way, right?”

[The possibility is slim, but it exists.]

“Tell me. If there’s any way to save Lin…!”

[If this plan is executed, that person won’t return alive.]

Everyone flinched at the goddess’s declaration.

“What do you mean by not returning alive…?”

[Exactly what I said. There is absolutely no hope of survival.]

This also meant that even if Lin was rescued, that person would not be able to be with him.

While everyone else fell silent again, only Ravin looked directly at the goddess.

“But we can save Lin, right?”

[It’s the only way.]

“Tell me.”

Despite being told it would mean certain death, Ravin didn’t hesitate.

The goddess decided to place her faith in Ravin’s unwavering attitude.

[It’s simple. Someone needs to tear into Chaos’s belly and pull Lin out. However, due to causality, blocking this magical energy is my limit. Moving forward from here is up to that person.]

“Pull Lin out?”

[Chaos’s only purpose was to absorb Lin’s power, not to kill him.]

“Just absorb Lin’s power…”

Pondering those words, Tigria realized something.

“If all his power has been absorbed, then Lin is human now. Since all his magical energy was taken. Is that why you’ve been holding back?”

Instead of answering, the goddess showed a bitter smile. It was a small comfort that someone understood her intentions, at least partially.

But that wouldn’t spare her from criticism for the sacrifice of Naidrian and the deaths of countless people.

“Saving Lin isn’t everything. We need to defeat Rinasien to prevent destruction.”

Arsil’s point was valid.

Even if they rescued Lin through that immense magical energy, it was obvious that Rinasien would go berserk after losing the object of her obsession.

Unless Chaos was ended, this tragedy would not conclude.

[I’ll handle what comes after.]

“Goddess?”

[Trust me. I’ve been storing power even within my constraints for this moment alone. We just need someone who can tear into Chaos’s belly and rescue Lin.]

Arsil fell silent.

She wanted to save Lin, but knew that as the weakest member of the hero party, she would only be uselessly consumed rather than breaking through. Her fists trembled with frustration.

Tigria also remained silent.

She wasn’t a physical fighter, and she had lost her specialized item, making it impossible for her.

Lucy had been silent all along.

“I’ll go.”

The person who stepped forward without hesitation was, of course, Ravin.

Fingering the last remaining potion in his pocket, Ravin made his resolve.

“I will go.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. There’s no way you can do it. All you’re good at is hiding your presence.”

The one who criticized Ravin was Lucy.

Ravin grabbed the hero’s collar, staring into her unfocused eyes.

“So what? So what! If there’s even a clue to saving Lin, I’ll do it no matter what! The rest of you can just watch from here while calculating probabilities!”

“Possibilities matter.”

“If you don’t try, the possibility itself is zero! Lucieana, I’m truly disappointed in you! I feel like a fool for thinking we could be together if you were truly devoted to Lin until the end!”

“Ravin, don’t get cocky. You can’t do it.”

“Whatever you say… gah!”

Before Ravin could finish speaking, Lucy struck him with her fist.

Hit in the stomach, Ravin released her collar and stepped back, clutching his abdomen.

“You… what are you…!”

“…can you give it?”

“…what?”

Ravin, about to glare at Lucy, paused when he saw the hero’s tears flowing steadily.

Thick tears were streaming down her contorted face.

“Can you make him happy?”

The hero asked, holding back her sobs.

She had already made her resolve.

All she was waiting for was Ravin’s confirmation.

“You’re different from me. Lin’s face hardens whenever he sees me, but he’s always smiling when he looks at you.”

“Lucy, you…”

“Stupid and foolish as I am, I only bring painful memories to Lin, but you’ve always been his hope.”

Swallowing her tears, she tried to persuade him as calmly as possible.

Just as Lin had always comforted and soothed her like that.

“If Lin wakes up and you’re not there, he’ll lose his smile forever. That would cause him lifelong pain. You couldn’t possibly do that.”

“Lucy…”

“Say it now! Say you can make Lin happy!”

It was a desperate, heartfelt request.

Unable to express himself in words, Ravin felt numb as he slowly nodded.

At that nod, Lucy was finally able to smile.

“Yes, I’ll believe you, so you believe in me too.”

With that, she downed the potion she had stolen from Ravin in one gulp.

She could feel her body’s functions abnormally enhancing along with the bitter taste.

The side effects would be significant.

But for someone who wouldn’t return, there was nothing to fear.

“I will go.”

There was no longer any regret or hesitation in the hero’s eyes.