22 - The End of the Dragon World

I wondered why.

How could this be possible?

I thought that Human God had always been on our side until that moment.

Or should I say, even then.

"Human God-sama... Why?"

I murmured softly.

My mind in turmoil, a whirlwind of emotions.

Perhaps because Dragon God-sama was about to invade the Human World?

So Human God-sama saw him as an enemy?

That said, even so.

He had always been our ally.

He advised us and helped us.

He even helped us avenge Lunaria-sama's death.

Human God always took care of the worlds' well‐being.

Then Human God turned to me.

Wearing a displeasing smile full of hatred.

"Ah, yes… Haha, that… hehe."

I believed that Human God would come up with something plausible, at first.

Something appropriate for his position that would not break character.

But he could not resist laughing.

He took great pleasure in the situation.

His entire plan went so well that he could not help but ridicule us.

"Hahaha ... Fufufu..."

A disgusting laugh.

It sticks in your ear and never disappears.

"No… everyone did a great job. Thanks to you, I achieved my goal…"

To us, still in shock, Human God said.

The only time I heard his truth…

After that, I found others deceived by him and, subsequently, led to ruin.

Apparently, he took great pleasure in sharing the plan in such situations.

Saying "well done," patting you on the shoulder.

"Thank you."

"What are you talking about...?"

I asked, like an idiot.

If I had just thought about it a little, I would have seen the truth in Dragon God-sama's words.

"What else? The war between gods and the destruction of the worlds."

Yes, he was the mastermind.

Everything was his doing.

The collapse of relationships, the murder of Lunaria-sama and other dignitaries of the worlds.

Perhaps even the teleportation incidents and magical beasts.

No, those were probably accidental.

But he certainly took advantage of them as well.

"In fact, I only planted the seeds little by little, because Dragon God was naturally prudent. I never expected it to turn out so well!"

"…"

"Especially Szilard. You really did your best! You never doubted a word I said, exactly as I expected!"

Szilard's eyes widened, his body trembling.

"Without your efforts, the Dragon World would never have destroyed the other worlds."

I only needed to say three magic words, "for Dragon God," and you conveniently believed every word of mine.

To think that you, loyal dogs, would go so far to help me rip the fangs out of Dragon God…

"Absurd! You said… that you wanted to help stop Dragon God-sama…"

"Hah, hahahaha!"

Human God laughed.

"In fact, wasn't my performance splendid? The best I could have hoped for was that Dragon God would invade the Human World alone, but fufu, fufufu, hahahahah!"

He laughed even more merrily, amused by Szilard's state.

"Thanks to your effort, Dragon God showed a critical flaw! I managed to kill that troublesome Dragon God, completely unscathed!

Preparing a large-scale attack against your own master? What idiocy!

What were you thinking? I only fanned the flame a little, and you went so far?

You are killing me with laughter with your so-called loyalty!

Oh, Dragon God, I pity you for having such loyal vassals!"

"Ahh ... ha... haa..."

Now that he mentioned it, Szilard's behavior had been strange.

It was a bit unnatural for Szilard to be the first to defend the war.

It was also Szilard who first suggested stopping Dragon God-sama.

A long time ago, it was also Szilard who killed the Demon King without a direct order from Dragon God-sama.

Szilard, the most resolute of the Five Dragon Generals.

He was deceived.

Dancing to the tune of Human God, he instigated the war between the worlds and brought Dragon God-sama to the brink of death.

Szilard shouted with that realization.

"Dragon God-sama…!"

With his remaining arm, he cut off both of his legs.

He tore out what remained of his fangs and ripped out his eyes.

And finally, he drove a fist into his chest and tore out his heart.

"Forgive me!"

Then he raised and squeezed.

With a loud crack, his heart exploded… and Szilard's arm fell lifelessly to the ground.

Szilard followed Crystal.

The second Dragon General to die.

The dragon general with green-silver scales and ephemeral eyes.

Who gained fame fighting against the demon race and was baptized as the Sacred Dragon Emperor.

To atone for his sins, he ended his life with his own hands.

As his final act of loyalty.

Having been deceived by the enemy and led Dragon God-sama to death.

He had no other way to atone.

"Oh, how miserable and stupid it is to choose suicide because you were deceived… Fufu, fufufu, Hahahhaha!"

Still, Human God mocked that loyalty.

Just remembering it makes me angry.

Oh, how he laughed.

At Szilard's loyalty to Dragon God-sama, the pride of the Five Dragon Generals.

But we could say nothing.

We were certainly stupid, miserable idiots.

Deceived by the lies of Human God and by Szilard's words, we led Dragon God-sama to death.

The reality was very harsh.

Too heavy to bear.

I was filled with frustration, yet unable to refute anything.

"Do not laugh!"

"Hmm?"

It was not a Dragon General who interrupted Human God's laughter.

"Szilard was a loyal vassal. Do not laugh at him."

"Oh, you're still alive? The lizards are really resilient, huh?"

It was Dragon God-sama.

Even with his divine jewel torn from his body, he somehow clung to life.

"How exactly do you plan to give me orders in this situation?"

"Szilard's judgment was correct, and I would have done the same in your situation. It's all my fault. Do not laugh at Szilard; laugh at me."

"What are you talking about? I've been laughing at you the whole time..."

Dragon God filled with murderous intent.

Even near death, Dragon God-sama still had an incredibly intimidating presence.

His rage had reached its peak.

In response, a cold sweat fell from Human God's brow.

"Human God. No, the thing in the form of Human God, answer this."

"Y-you are not in a position to ask me questions…"

"Who are you? Why did you want war? Why did you want to kill the gods… and why did you kill Lunaria?"

These were not just questions.

They were demands.

The Five Dragon Generals would have immediately straightened up and vomited everything we knew. Those were orders.

"…!"

But Human God did not answer.

Without any intention of obeying.

Instead, he gripped Dragon God-sama's divine jewel tightly.

And with a loud crack, the jewel shattered.

"Ugh!"

In the next moment, Dragon God-sama spat a large amount of blood from his mouth.

Every time he defeated a god, he also took their divine jewel.

It had the power to cross between worlds, but it was also the source of a god's divine power.

"Still acting so powerful! What a joke! You lost! You lost to me!"

Human God shouted and repeatedly stomped Dragon God-sama into the ground.

"Why kill Lunaria? Why the war?

You, it was meant to kill you!

More powerful than anyone, yet cautious about war!

So cautious and flawless!

Haa! You are in this state now because of me!"

There was no more power in Dragon God-sama's body.

But his breathing had not yet ceased.

On the contrary, that sense of intimidation only increased.

"Uh...! What the hell are you! Damn!"

Even Human God felt intimidated.

The fallen, dying Dragon God-sama still intimidated Human God.

Feeling the weight of anger and murderous intent.

Losing his beloved, deceived into fighting other gods, even having his own vassals turn against him.

All of Dragon God's fury now concentrated on him.

"Haa! It's useless to give me a dirty look. You are already dead! I am the one and true god!"

That said, Human God stepped back and floated into the sky.

With one arm raised, palm pointing upward.

A force converged in that palm, forming a tremendous ball of light.

"Destruction, Dragon World."

There was no time to stop him.

No, even if there were, he could not be stopped.

The ball of light shot from Human God's hand.

It soared high, as if to absorb the entire Dragon World…

Explosions, lights, and shockwaves burst through the earth.

When the light diminished, the world began to collapse.

The earth began to crack and darkness spread across the sky.

It was a bit different from the previous ones, but still a scene I had witnessed many times.

A scene of the end of a world.

"Haha, goodbye, Dragon God. May you perish here."

Human God flew slowly, mocking.

I could only watch.

If I had another chance, I would have attacked.

I could not forgive the violence of stomping on Dragon God-sama.

I could not forgive the insolence of insulting the Five Dragon Generals.

But I was too shocked to do anything.

I, Chaos, Maxwell.

What did we do?

What just happened?

Of the Five Dragon Generals, only the recently deceased Szilard fully understood the situation.

Only that something terrible and irreconcilable had occurred.

We knew.

"Laplace."

Dragon God-sama's voice brought me back to reality.

"Dragon God-sama… I'm here."

I staggered my trembling body to Dragon God-sama's side.

Dragon God-sama was still alive.

His divine jewel crushed, covered with scars and wounds from other gods, yet he still clung to life.

"Chaos, Maxwell."

"Dragon God-sama… We…"

"It's all right."

"We failed to obey Dragon God-sama's order… Please forgive us, no, it is unforgivable. Only death could atone for our sins, please command."

"I forgive you. Everything happened because I did not explain the situation to you."

Dragon God-sama forgave Chaos and Maxwell.

So easily.

Even though we had betrayed him.

"But I have one last mission for you."

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"The end of the Dragon World is near, and we are out of time… I need time to devise a plan to kill Human God. Earn that time for me with your lives."

Earning time—I did not know exactly what that meant.

I thought about it many times, but I never discovered exactly how one can delay the end of a world…

But they accepted his final order without hesitation.

"Yes..!"

Chaos and Maxwell took off, flying and circling above Dragon God-sama.

"Dora, where is Dora?"

Dragon God-sama called for Dora-sama.

But Dora-sama… was in a terrible state.

She could no longer move on her own.

"Laplace."

"Yes."

Without further instructions.

I went to Dora-sama's side to witness her final moments.

"Dora-sama."

"Ha... haa... that voice... Laplace... What happened? I can't see anything anymore."

Dora-sama was dying.

Probably in her final moments of consciousness.

But she still struggled to understand.

She probably realized that something terrible had happened.

Fading, but she desperately wanted to know.

"Human God…"

I explained everything I saw.

That it was all part of Human God's plan.

How he instigated the war, how Szilard took responsibility and committed suicide to atone.

That Dragon God-sama was near death at the hands of Human God.

That the Dragon World was collapsing.

Everything.

"Well… Then I can only atone with my life… but I am already near death."

Dora-sama told me, her empty eyes looking upward.

"Laplace… I have one request."

"Please, ask for whatever you want."

"It is not an order… it is a request… It is inevitable that I will be judged as a rebel, but my son… Perugius… please, help him escape... I beg you!"

"Escape? To where?"

"To the future… the method in the teleportation research laboratory… Please, Dragon God-sama…"

I did not understand the meaning of Dora-sama's words.

But I understand what she meant.

Leave her in peace.

"In the end, Dragon God-sama's words were true, and we were wrong… that… is great. Betraying Dragon God-sama was a mistake… that… is wonderful."

Those were Dora-sama's last words.

She had always had doubts.

Stopping Dragon God-sama by force.

She had always had her reservations about it.

That is why she was relieved in the end, knowing that Dragon God-sama was right.

Then she died.

The third to die after Szilard.

Even more important than her own son, her last thought was loyalty to Dragon God-sama.

She was loyal to Dragon God-sama until the end.

"…"

After witnessing Dora-sama, I returned to Dragon God-sama.

And I relayed her last words to him.

After pondering for a while, Dragon God-sama said.

"Laplace, take me to the teleportation laboratory."

"Yes."

I carried Dragon God-sama with one hand and flew.

Of course, I carried his son with my other hand.

■

A few minutes of flight while avoiding falling debris.

We arrived.

The secret place Dora-sama had once taken me to.

The Teleportation Research Laboratory.

"Dragon God-sama!"

"These terrible wounds…"

The elderly researchers remained.

Already near death and having made peace, they were not disturbed by the world collapsing around them.

Seeing Dragon God-sama gravely injured worried them more.

Dragon God-sama did not reply, but simply said, "The time has come."

Setting aside their worried expressions, they immediately took us to the innermost chamber of the laboratory.

At the end there was an altar and a monument.

The boundary of the world.

An altar that functions as a portal to another world.

The stone monument was engraved with sophisticated magic circles.

Three divine jewels were placed before the altar.

"Laplace, place my son here."

Following his instructions, I placed Dragon God-sama's son on the altar.

After I stepped away from the altar, Dragon God-sama stood before it.

While I wondered what would happen next, Dragon God-sama began drawing magic circles on the child.

Very sophisticated for me, but I understood that it was a technique written on the stone monument.

Dragon God-sama seemed to understand by simply looking at it for a few seconds.

"The collapse of the Dragon World cannot be stopped, I will die. We have lost."

Dragon God-sama said that simply, as if merely confirming the facts.

"Even so, he must be killed."

Human God killed Lunaria-sama.

He made us dance in the palm of his hand to destroy the other worlds.

He even made the Five Dragon Generals and Dragon God-sama battle each other to our mutual destruction.

Unforgivable.

"That was not Human God. Human God was not a man like that… Hitogami, let's call him that. I do not know why Hitogami pretended to be Human God, or where Human God went, but I am sure of his machinations to destroy us, that he truly has divine power."

"…"

"To defeat him, you will also need the power of a god."

Dragon God-sama looked at me intensely.

"After that, I will go to the Human World and challenge him to one final battle."

"Not in your current state!"

"I know. My death is inevitable. I have no chance to win, but I must have my revenge."

When Dragon God-sama finished, he took one of the divine jewels and pressed it to his chest.

Blood gushed, but Dragon God-sama's body began to shine.

A little power seemed to have returned to that dying body.

"Still, my revenge would probably end in failure, which is why—"

Dragon God-sama took one of the divine jewels and placed it on the child's chest… it sank inside.

"My son will reincarnate."

The blood of Dragon God-sama and Human God flows through his son.

A demigod with great potential.

The power of the gods.

"I will bestow upon my son all my techniques, and to him the ability to remain hidden until he can defeat Hitogami… but that will not be enough. He must discover what happened to Human God, and how Hitogami obtained divine power in the first place. Until then, defeat is inevitable."

Dragon God-sama looked at me, took the final divine jewel, and offered it to me.

"I give you a mission."

"Yes!"

I received it and offered the greatest reverence.

It was to Dragon God-sama that I learned the greatest reverence.

It was my final reverence to Dragon God-sama.

"I will send my son ten thousand years into the future. Meanwhile, I want you to discover the true identity of Hitogami, his whereabouts, his weaknesses… Find a way to defeat him and relay that to my son!"

"Yes!"

After Dragon God-sama granted me my final mission, he applied several techniques to the child.

Complex techniques.

I still do not understand what was applied.

Only that they are skills to combat "Human God."

At the very least, Hitogami was similar to Human God.

I waited for Dragon God-sama to finish, while the world collapsed outside.

He continuously inscribed magic circles around the child without stopping.

Dragon God-sama probably foresaw this end.

That it would end like this.

He probably realized what was happening when the Dragon Generals split up.

If you think about it, Dragon God-sama could have simply gone to the Human World and ignored us.

However, Dragon God-sama probably realized that he could not win, even if he did.

Hitogami likely already had traps ready for him if he left alone.

That is why he sought another way.

While the Dragon Generals made our preparations, he was probably thinking of a way the whole time.

"Finally, do you have any last questions?"

Dragon God-sama asked after finishing the final magic circles.

Slowly, I shook my head, but suddenly I thought of something.

A question I had to ask.

"A name."

"Name?"

"The name of your son."

This was the end.

There will be no other chance.

This was not something for me to decide.

It was Lunaria-sama's wish that Dragon God-sama give this child a name.

"…"

Dragon God-sama paused briefly.

However, it must have been decided long ago.

"Orsted."

Without any hesitation.

"The name of this child is Orsted."

Dragon God-sama pronounced.

■

Thus, the son of Dragon God-sama…

Orsted, was sent into the future.

Dragon God-sama and I flew out of the collapsing laboratory and headed to the Human World.

Dragon God-sama went ahead, leaving me behind.

Our last exchanged words were "May the luck of war be with you" and "everything will be left to fate."

That was the last time I saw Dragon God-sama.

I leaped onto Saleyakt, dodging falling rocks, and flew to the altar.

As I flew, I felt a great presence disappearing behind me.

Two.

They were Chaos and Maxwell.

Those two, who literally risked their lives to resist the collapse, had passed.

The fourth Dragon General, Chaos.

The last Dragon General, Maxwell.

Perhaps the order was reversed, but that is how I remembered them.

Thanks to their efforts, I managed to escape the collapsing Dragon World.

When I arrived in the Human World, the battle had already begun.

Due to the battle between gods, the Human World was ravaged by natural disasters.

Tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, thunder, and lightning.

Fear and aversion spread throughout the world…

Intimidated by the divine, all living beings in this world inherently began to fear the Dragon Race.

But more than that, I was shocked.

Because the Human World had transformed.

So much so that I no longer recognize it since the last time I was here…

The old Human World was endless grass and rivers.

But now there are rivers, mountains, oceans, wilderness areas, and deserts.

As if the Six Worlds had condensed into one.

Perhaps the collapse of each world caused its magical energy to disperse into the Human World.

Perhaps this imbalanced world, from my point of view, is what is objectively balanced.

I landed on one of the mountains, riding Saleyakt.

The highest peak in the world.

While I witnessed the end of the battle.

I did not know exactly where Dragon God-sama and Hitogami were fighting.

I could only pray for Dragon God-sama's victory.

It might be a remote possibility, but I hope that my wish can be fulfilled.

Eventually, the battle ended.

The thunder and tornado subsided, the roar disappeared.

Only the rain continued to fall silently.

For seven days and seven nights.

On the eighth day, the sky was blue and clear.

There was no wind, the sea was calm.

There was no longer the presence of any god.

Neither Dragon God-sama nor Hitogami.

However, I knew.

Dragon God-sama was no longer there.

Thus, the Dragon World was destroyed.