The End

Clang!

The greatswords collided. The black sun shook violently. The remnants of the shattered sky fell into the void, and the barely maintained form of the earth distorted.

Even so, we rushed towards each other without regard.

[End]’s sword was swung. Steel rose from the ground. Ominous dark clouds spewed lightning. Hellfire soared from the empty air, and purple flames formed on her greatsword.

Again, it was swung. Repeatedly, or perhaps it seemed as if it were frozen in time. But behind it, hundreds, thousands of [Sword-force] filled the space.

The [Sword-force] blazed. Frost formed. Bloodlust erupted. Lightning struck, and shadows loomed.

A disaster that no human could withstand.

Within it, I too swung my sword. My sword did not possess the unique abilities of various beings, nor thousands of [Sword-force] to fill the space. Nevertheless, I swung it. I did not doubt. I trusted my sword, I trusted myself.

Because that was the best I could do right now.

One sword.

The one sword I swung shattered the disaster pouring down on me. It smashed [End]’s attack. Furthermore, it cut off the hem of [End]’s cloak. It split the carapace around her arm and wounded her skin.

[End] no longer smiled. Just like when she was arguing with me, she frowned and swung her greatsword.

I met it with my greatsword. A terrible impact erupted. A violent vibration traveled through the greatsword. But I didn’t bounce back. I didn’t get pushed back. I endured.

In the precarious struggle, I gathered the oxygen hanging in the air. I swallowed it. Crunch- The force pushing against [End]’s greatsword intensified.

[End], gritting her teeth, stomped her foot. The earth that sprang up obscured my vision. I closed my eyes and felt with my [Ki sense]. I envisioned [End]’s next action. A prediction close to precognition hammered an image into my mind.

I moved my body accordingly. I tilted my head and relaxed the hand holding the greatsword.

Whoosh! [End]’s fiercely drawn greatsword created a shallow wound on my cheek. Following that, an extended fist grazed my pelvis. The [Aura] emanating from that point sent my body flying sideways.

I plunged the greatsword into the ground and grabbed hold of my retreating body. Crack- I put strength into my hind foot, ready to dash forward, and slung the greatsword behind my shoulder.

I caught my breath. Then, the scenery here came into view.

It was a mess. It was so ruined that there was no way to explain it.

It was fortunate, at least. Because the battle took place here, where no one lived. If it had been Cartiana Ursphear, where people lived, or the capital of the Empire, it would have taken a tremendous amount of time to rebuild the civilization there.

Anyway. If everything ends, will this place be restored to its original state? As I was thinking about that, crack. [End]’s greatsword was plunged into the ground.

Countless flowers bloomed in the desolate ruins. A giant tree rose in the center of the brilliant flower garden. An ash tree. The World Tree.

The World Tree, as if rooted to the other side of the world, shook, flaunting its steadfast appearance. Leaves fell. Petals soared. They filled my vision.

A dreamlike landscape. A landscape so beautiful that I stared blankly. I knew this landscape.

Laila’s instant death skill, which I had seen countless times in the game.

I immediately kicked off and ran.

One step. The dreamlike landscape reversed. Each and every petal and leaf that emitted iridescent light became a sharper blade than anything else.

As if that wasn’t enough, black feathers imbued with demonic energy fluttered in between. A red moon rose. Valoran’s instant death skill.

Two steps. Hellfire soared. The hellfire that reached the end of the sky gathered. It took shape. The shape of a giant arrow. Brunhilde’s instant death skill.

A blizzard raged, incongruous with it. A huge mountain of corpses was instantly dyed white. A huge mountain reminiscent of the Karahan Mountains. The natural disasters gathered on that mountain converged. Tylant’s instant death skill.

Three steps. An avalanche that seemed to swallow the world poured down. An arrow of fire that seemed to melt the eyeballs just by looking at it was fired. Black feathers, imbued with the blood shed by the red moon, exploded. Petals and leaves with a sharp blue light became waves and surged.

Crack- I unleashed [Aura]. I slammed the greatsword slung over my shoulder down. From above, to below.

The avalanche split. The arrow exploded in the air. The feathers evaporated with the explosion of demonic energy. The petals and leaves were torn to pieces.

As a result, at the end of the clear view, [End] raised her greatsword. The black sun shook once.

Woo woo woo woo―

Following that, an eerie wail descended.

The red sky was covered in darkness. The red earth, the terrible mountain of corpses and blood, were all covered in darkness, leaving only a world of darkness.

[End]’s golden eyes gleamed.

I don’t know exactly what that attack is, what kind of power it holds. But I know that it is an attack containing all of [End]’s power.

Therefore, I know what I have to do. I also know what I can do.

Destroy it.

Just destroy everything that blocks me, ‘me’, us. Smash it. Crush it. Mangle it.

Smash it without a trace.

For what?

For me, ‘me’, us.

For Rubia.

For everyone.

―Thump! The throbbing inside my body intensified.

―Thump! A violent explosion occurred.

―Thump! The light spread to the tips of my fingers and toes, triggering.

I don’t control this power. I don’t suppress it.

I accept it. I use it.

Like the weight of the heavy greatsword, I use it.

I put strength into my legs. I stepped firmly as if grabbing the ground. I tilted my waist. I raised the greatsword behind me. The right hand was close to the guard, the left hand was at the end of the hilt.

The greatsword is heavy. The body is heavy. My head feels like it’s about to explode. Blood flows from my eyes. Blood flows from my nose. Blood gushes from my throat. My body trembles as if it will collapse at any moment due to the unbearable power.

But I don’t fall. I don’t collapse.

I don’t let go of the greatsword. I swing it.

Once.

That’s enough.

Crack!

I took a heavy step.

[End] took a step.

I twisted my waist, imbued with elasticity.

[End] twisted her waist.

I slammed down the greatsword raised high.

[End] slammed down her greatsword.

―――.

Light and darkness intertwined.

And the world broke.

“Hoo… Ugh… Ugh…”

I spat out the thickly pooled blood.

I tidied my disheveled hair and staggered to my feet.

The greatsword in my hand had disappeared. My [Ki sense] did not spread. Nevertheless, I could see. I could see dimly.

As expected. My thoughts were correct.

I didn’t summon the greatsword. I wanted to look around this world with my own eyes, even if only for a moment. I clutched my throbbing heart and looked around.

My vision was still blurry. I couldn’t see properly.

Blink, blink- I repeatedly closed and opened my eyes, and rubbed them with trembling hands.

I peeled off the encrusted blood scab and opened my eyes.

It was still blurry.

And I realized.

…It wasn’t that my vision was blurry, but that the world had become blurry.

“…What, what is this…”

The voice I had just uttered from my mouth was heard from somewhere else. I couldn’t distinguish between the sky and the ground. For now, I was standing on something, so this must be the ground…

Tap, tap- I carefully stretched out my foot and tapped it.

It was hard, so it was definitely the ground.

But, it looked like… the sky.

No, rather than the sky, it was just like a bucket of paint with various colors mixed together.

Was it okay to walk? Thinking that, I carefully moved my steps. Then, I heard the same sound from the opposite side of me. Shuffle- Shuffle-

[End]’s footsteps.

When I narrowed my eyelids, the blurry shape became a little clearer.

[End], like me, was carefully tapping the ground as she walked. Then, she stopped- as if she had noticed my gaze, she rubbed her eyes hard and looked at me.

I also looked at [End].

[End]’s face was horribly distorted.

Then, she huffed and puffed and walked towards me, then, splat- she fell over.

Pfft- The laughter that burst out, unable to bear it, echoed.

[End], her face flushed red, mumbled her lips and jumped up from her seat.

Then, she staggered for a long time and again, moved her steps towards me.

[End], like me, seemed to be in terrible condition. The cloak that had been spread out so beautifully had also disappeared, and only traces remained of the scale-like carapace that had been wrapped around her hand.

She wasn’t holding a greatsword either.

But both fists were clenched ferociously.

“…Hey.”

Finally, [End], who had arrived in front of me, said, panting roughly.

“Why didn’t you kill me?”

A growling voice.

But, growling with all the strength gone, it wasn’t scary at all.

“Why, did you go easy on me.”

Because of that, I responded a little confidently.

“…I’m going to save you. And… you went easy on me too.”

“I, don’t talk nonsense, I told you… didn’t I.”

[End]’s tightly clenched fist trembled.

“Even if it’s not Rubia, I can’t save the [End] that I’ve already become. Because this is the result of sacrificing myself as the price for restarting the world… I can never, save you.”

“No, I can. I can.”

There was no basis, but I thought I could.

I was so sure.

If it was the realm I had reached.

I can do it. Absolutely.

“Stop being so stubborn!”

“It’s not stubbornness…!”

Crunch- A rough sound was heard from between [End]’s teeth.

[End], who had been grinding her teeth several times, crunch, crunch, finally sighed deeply.

She slowly opened her mouth.

“Hey.”

“…Why?”

“I wasn’t going to say this.”

“What, what…?”

I had never harbored murderous intent towards [End].

Because I was trying to save her. Because I wanted to see her alive, laughing with Rubia.

But.

“I, in Ursphear, went to a lingerie store with Rubia, you know.”

Right now, at this moment.

“At that time. I saw Rubia in her underwear before you?”

The murderous intent towards [End] soared like crazy.

“Wh, what… did you say?”

“Is that all? Rubia even prepared a fireworks festival for me. How about it.”

Heh- [End] sneered at me.

And she raised her head slightly, looked down at me, and continued.

“Aren’t you jealous?”

Huff. I was suffocating. I was so, so, so angry. The extremely soaring anger strangled my breath.

Heat was boiling inside. That heat completely covered my face and heated my body.

Okay. So that’s how you’re going to come out, huh.

Hoo. Hoo. I calmed my overwhelming breath, and I also opened my mouth. I couldn’t lose to [End] like this.

“I… also cooked soybean paste stew for ‘Rubia’. And, also… I held hands and went on a school uniform date at the amusement park, and I watched the fireworks festival…!”

At that moment.

“Jeal… Ugh!”

Slap- [End]’s palm slapped my cheek.