Arifureta After III Brutal Hero Shia Arc Epilogue Desu!
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AN: Warning!
Today there is two chapters update. The chapter「Decisive Battle Desuu! Second Part」 is posted as the previous chapter.
For those who still haven’t read it, please start from there!
「Geez, what’s with that look. Didn’t I say that I won’t do anything like destroying Lutria-san?」
『……Eh?』
Something warm gently wrapped around her body. And those words. When she directed her consciousness to the outside world in her state of faint white light, she noticed that she was being gently wrapped on the palms of Shia’s hands.
『Why?』
「Actually, I only planned to hold you back while the words of Eric-san and others reached for you but……if I’m assaulted with the resolve to die honorable death while you made that kind of face, I couldn’t just leave you alone.」
While the star tree Lutria turned speechless, a voice called at her.
「Yo, looks like you’re safe.」
「Ah, Hajime-san!」
Hajime opened a gate and appeared. Shia smiled brightly at him, at the same time her lips slightly spasmed.
『Ah, stop it! Don’t rub me like that! Ah』
『Thi, this damn monster! Treating a divine spirit like me this roughly-』
『Mo, mother, are you safe!? I have no face to meet you with in this kind of state-』
『Nuguu……』
As though to say「Punishment for this cheeky girl who don’t know when to shut up」, Hajime’s right hand was thoroughly rubbing the divine spirit of flowing sky Enti. For some reason, the movement of Hajime-san’s right hand looked really obscene.
At the same time, slime Laila, Barahu, and Merees were getting juggled *pon pon* by the left hand.
「Hajime-san, the divine spirits and the spirit beasts are……」
「They are wallowing in pool of blood. Of course they’re safe.」
That was, absolutely not safe. Shia thought, but they were alive so let’s just say that they were alive.
『……So you cannot be stopped even by those children and an army of tens of thousands.』
An atmosphere of losing strength drifted from star tree Lutria. From the way she spoke she was relieved that there was no death, at the same time she was also ruled by resignation of having running out of plan.
Shia arrived at the root of the star tree accompanied by Lutria, Hajime, and others. There Eric and others ran toward them.
Every single one of them was wounded all over. It could be clearly seen that they were only barely surviving the situation just now.
Shia raised her guard toward Arogan and the others just in case. She pulled Lutria close to her chest in case the worst happened. Lutria focused her consciousness toward Shia and flickered. But before she could show her intention, Eric and others of the kingdom side came forward.
「Star tree Lutria-sam! Our deepest apologies. Human was foolish-」
The people of Balted simply bowed deeply without asking any forgiveness or wishing for the future of mankind.
『……I will accept that feeling.』
The feeling was received――however, there was no salvation. Those words of Lutria implicitly conveyed that.
Even with them exhausted to this point, the star tree and the divine spirits were enormous existence as far as human was concerned. If Shia and Hajime didn’t meddle further than this and returned home, then they would be able to destroy human after a bit of time passed.
There, Arogan moved. He didn’t react to the wary gaze of Shia and Eric and others. He kneeled in front of Lutria with a bitter expression.
And then, he rubbed his forehead on the ground.
A beat later, his underlings also simultaneously bent their knee and lowered their head.
「I believed that it’s the power to advance forward that is the power of human. But, it seems that without noticing it we became unable to look anywhere else but forward.」
The past where it was the demon race that was the existence nearest to spirit. The lamentation of the star tree Lutria who continued to get wounded. The fact that they kept getting loved even when the situation had become like this. All of those was a shock that pierced through Arogan’s heart.
He believed that human’s future should be created by nobody else but human. He thought that gods unreasonably controlled human’s future on their own convenience, that was why he considered them enemy that couldn’t be forgiven.
But, now that he had seen, had learned the feeling in her heart……
「Forgive us……is something that we can’t say even if you tear open our mouth. But, I beg you, please give us one more chance. Even our people, surely will be able to become like the people of Balted! Everything is the result of my leadership-, that’s why please at least give only the people a chance-. I don’t mind if you use my life as an example of the most foolish king in history!」
Those were words with ambition hidden behind them, said only to pull through this situation……was something that no one could possibly think of after hearing his yell.
The divine spirits who were making ruckus also fell silent. The place was filled with silence.
Amidst that, someone made a crunching sound from stepping on the ground and kneeled beside Arogan. It was Gruelle.
「Just as the demon king said, please hand down the divine punishment to my life. However, I’m begging you, please grant a future to my people-. I swear that we will absolutely, absolutely become the people who love the nature the most once more-. Therefore, please-」
The voice was covered in guilt without any trickery.
Both of them were unable to apologize without any regard about the future like Balted’s king. However, anyone was able to become convinced that their feeling of repentance was something definite.
『……I wanted, to hear those words sooner.』
The voice of star tree Lutria was shaking. The words that she really wanted to hear all this time from her beloved children made the emotion that was unclear whether it was a moved feeling or sadness to well up from inside. Her voice sounded like she was desperately pushing down that feeling.
No further word came out. Hesitation could be seen intermittently. Conflicted feeling was further driving her to the wall.
In exchange, unable to watch her mother in that state, the divine spirit of everlasting darkness Laila spoke.
『There is no way we can trust you.』
The equilibrium of the world couldn’t be taken back anymore with just the repentance of the people of a single country. If they were forgiven in this place, and the result was the people of demon kingdom and the beast kingdom were unable to reform themselves? If the people concluded that the change of heart of Arogan and Gruelle was a betrayal and the pushed on the path that was making light of nature?
This time for sure the spirit would become extinct, the equilibrium of the world crumbled, and the lives of every living thing would be threatened.
The situation now came to be because the heart of god that believed in the children of man was broken. There was no way they could pardon the danger of breaking the world with just words.
Arogan and Gruelle, along with their subordinates made an expression of despair together.
Eric and others also couldn’t say anything.
Their words of repentance reached.
Their heart also connected with each other.
Even so as expected, the decision of divine punishment was really the last way that couldn’t possibly be overturned. That fact was thrust before them.
That was the conclusion in regard to this world.
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And so, a man tried speaking out the conclusion of another world.
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「Oi, we’re pressed for time for dinner here. Stop being repetitive, just take the spirit element from human already and resolve this.」
The bewildered gaze of everyone including Shia stabbed at the voice’s owner――Hajime. Hajime seemed to get tired of it and tossed away the divine spirit slimes like they were trash while continuing his words.
「You guys are saying that the problem is the consumption of spirit element without giving any consideration to the world, and even if they said that they’re going to live green there ain’t no way they can be trusted, that’s it right? Then, you can just confiscate the spirit element from human, then god and spirit can just draw back to this island and completely sever relationship from each other.」
Like that,
「What kind of path human will walk in a world now that they have lost the thing that they have been given for free as though it’s only obvious until now. You gods can just become spectator of that.」
Noticing how important something was for the first time only after they lost it……such story was common.
Would they just forget it? Or would they be able to treasure what remained to them? That would depend on the person.
『……What are, what are you saying?』
The star tree Lutria asked in bewilderment.
That was only normal. In the first place the premise was strange. Spirit element existed within nature and also within people. It was impossible to separate them.
『There is no way such thing is――』
「What if it’s possible?」
Impossible……it was not? Was such absurd talk possible to be realized for this man of another world who dropped star down, and suppressed an army of tens of thousands without causing a single casualty?
Even a talk that sounded like a joke couldn’t be denied when it was said by the demon king of another world that was Hajime.
「Ha, Hajime-san?」
Shia was also bewildered. She found it a bit hard to believe that Hajime would lend a hand for the sake of a world that was unrelated with him, no, it wasn’t just unrelated, it was a world that kidnapped Shia and tried to harm her even.
Hajime shrugged while,
「It’s because it feels like there’ll be a lot of compensation for me, like spirit stone, or spirit armament, or spirit, or hell even the divine spirit itself.」
The divine spirits simultaneously twitched and jiggled. ‘No way, are we going to get sold to an evil god of another world?’, they snuggled close to each other while shaking from such thought.
But, looking at Hajime’s appearance, Shia immediately saw through that it was nothing more than an excuse on the surface.
「What is your true intention?」
「I want to take measure so that Shia won’t get summoned for the second time.」
That seemed to be the case.
If Shia was just teleported due to an accidental incident, then he could leave it alone. However, it was a summoning. And then, the reason why it was Shia was also unclear.
Actually Hajime wanted to bring Shia home and ensured her safety, after that he would go fully prepared to destroy everything and crushed the possibility of another summoning, but there was no way he could do that in consideration of Shia’s feeling.
And so, he guessed that it would be fine if he solved the problem of this world with a salvation plan or whatever to make any summoning became unnecessary. But this plan was also doubtful.
No one could guarantee that there wouldn’t be any more person in this world who wouldn’t perform the summoning ceremony again.
And so, the plan that Hajime thought up to sever the worry of the future after taking Shia’s feeling into consideration was the suggestion just now.
「Well, in reality I don’t know whether it’s possible or not. At the very least I’ll need Yue and Kaori’s cooperation. But, if it’s possible, that will be the best way to make you go home with a refreshed feeling right?」
「Hajime-san……」
Even though she didn’t have the intention to offer her life for the sake of this world, her personality wouldn’t allow her to be able to go home with a smile while knowing that people she knew were dying.
Because Hajime knew that, he suggested this in order for Shia to be able to talk about this other world summoning incident at dinner with a smile.
Realizing Hajime’s thinking, Shia’s feeling already became「Waaa――」 and without delay she leaped onto Hajime’s chest.
Hajime embraced Shia who was rubbing herself on him while asking 「So what’ll you do?」 with his gaze. His gaze was testing them, especially Eric and others.
In a manner of speaking, it was a way that was like telling the society of the present earth to not use electricity at all anymore. It was a deed that would cause unavoidable collapse of the current society.
「If that’s possible, then please do so. Rather than a future where the consumption amount of spirit element has to be regulated to the utmost minimum, the way of surviving to a future where we aren’t using it all will surely be preferable for mankind.」
It was Eric who answered without hesitation.
And then, the next one who opened his mouth with a resolved expression was,
「I don’t have the slightest idea what has to be done to achieve such thing but, if that’s possible then I have no objection. Here I swear that we will once more live together with nature.」
Unexpectedly it was Gruelle.
The last one, Arogan who had build a society that was the most dependent to spirit element strongly closed his eyes for a moment, imagining the collapse of the current society and the chaos that would result with a pale face before he,
「The demon race will also swear once more. We will show to the gods how the demon race is also a race that can wish for coexistence with the world in the world without spirit element.」
He agreed while opening both his eyes that were filled with strong resolve.
Hajime’s gaze turned toward the star tree Lutria.
『……Are you saying that you will change the way of this world?』
「If so then so what?」
He asked with his gaze, ‘will you destroy mankind once more?’. The star tree fell silent. But, that was only for a brief time.
『……If the children of man, doesn’t need to be destroyed with that then』
She said that and weakly flickered.
Hajime nodded.
「Is that so, glad that you all agree. After all in order to cut off the worry about the future, I intended to do it even without anyone’s agreement so, in that case, it would be necessary to make all you guys die once so no one will get in the way.」
He said such terrifying thing while giving a crisp laughter.
Seeing that, the star tree Lutria, the divine spirits, and then Eric and others too were,
『You aren’t really some kind of evil god aren’t you?』
「Another world……it’s really a terrifying place.」
They all raised a terrified voice. It was the moment when the heart of the god and human became one.
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After that, Hajime and Shia rose to the sky while snuggling close to each other. Hajime took out a magic crystal stone from his treasure warehouse.
「Now then, the gate can be opened for around ten minutes. We’ve got to ask Yue and Kaori to reform the world during that time.」
「Reforming the world in ten minutes. Those are really amazing words.」
Hajime-san would even change the world if it was for the sake of his wife. Shia made a dry smile to that.
「Is it really possible?」
「If it’s not possible then I also have plan B.」
Hajime was thoroughly prepared for everything, or rather he created ideas as though they were growing from tree. Even Shia who knew that this was exactly what Hajime’s strength was couldn’t help but felt bewildered.
By the way, that idea was to toss away――no, to migrate the people of this world to some random another world. The points that the star tree and company wouldn’t need to destroy mankind and the people would need to live in a place without the world’s blessing were the same.
Of course, in case the spirit element separation plan failed, Hajime had decided to send the people to another world whether they agreed or not.
「Well, we also have the cooperation of the star tree and the divine spirits. From my investigation, it seems that spirit element is like an energy that is produced from the soul of living thing, so if it’s Yue then she should manage somehow……perhaps, surely.」