23 - Thus, Towards a New History [END]

"This is the end of my story."

Laplace said and took a deep breath.

Relaxing his tense shoulders, clenching his jaw.

However, his face remained pale and somber.

Anger, resentment, impatience had not disappeared.

Those terrible memories must have been painful to recall.

"So... what happened after that?"

Rostelina asked nervously.

"Hmm? After?"

"What happened after the Master reached the Human World? And the survivors?"

"There are many questions, Rostelina!"

Laplace laughed awkwardly and replied.

"The Dragon Race is nearly extinct. Sure, some managed to escape from the Dragon World. But since the collapse came faster than in other worlds, comparatively few were able to escape."

Rostelina felt somewhat relieved, but soon noticed something.

"But then... where are all the Dragon Races?"

"Everyone was killed..."

"F-f-why?"

"Don't you understand? Although Hitogami was the mastermind behind it all, it was our hands that destroyed the worlds."

Hatred, fear, and anger from the Dragon Race permanently marked the other races.

And what if the Dragon Race then came to the Human World?

Indeed, the fear of the Dragon Generals spread to this world as well.

"Well, there were few survivors."

"Did Laplace help any of them?"

"No... I did not help."

"Why?"

"Because I had something I needed to do."

Laplace received an important task.

A request from Dragon God-sama on his deathbed.

A mission more important than the survival of the Dragon Race.

"After Dragon God-sama's battle, I searched for Hitogami, but I could not find him.

Perhaps Dragon God-sama, with no chance of victory, struck him with a fatal blow or sealed him away."

"Don't you think it's possible that they destroyed each other?"

"There was a time when I thought that was a possibility.

But after a while, Hitogami began interfering with me indirectly.

It is proof that he is alive."

As the last surviving Dragon General, Laplace diligently carried out his mission in the Human World.

To search for Hitogami's whereabouts, his true identity, his weaknesses, and how to kill him, so that he could deliver this information to Dragon God-sama's son, Orsted, when he finally arrives in the future.

"What is Hitogami's true identity? For what purpose did he commit these terrible deeds..."

"Hmm, unfortunately, I still haven't discovered that. I can guess his objectives, but he remains an enigma... though I have a hypothesis."

"What is it?"

Laplace answered Rostelina.

"When I arrived in the Human World, it was a great shock.

What was once an endless flat plain became filled with forests, mountains, and trees.

Inhabitants from all the worlds live here.

It is as if all Six Worlds are intertwined... the world you are familiar with now...

Furthermore, Hitogami said: 'I am the only God,' as he delivered the fatal blow to Dragon God-sama."

Thus, Laplace reached a conclusion.

"I think he wants to become the only God, for the one world.

So he caused the destruction of each world, absorbed them, and killed their gods.

The remaining question is how Hitogami obtained the power of the gods in the first place..."

Laplace then placed his hand on his chin, thought for a moment, looking at Rostelina.

"I told you before.

In the beginning, there was a god... the Creator.

He died, but no one knew what happened after he died...

Dragon God-sama said that, and Lunaria-sama did too.

So where do you think the Creator died?"

"I have no idea."

"I suspect that he died in the Void World."

"Void World?"

"It is an empty space that you traverse when moving between worlds.

The Creator died at that center... so one day, someone found him and took his body for themselves.

Perhaps they used the divine power of that body to replace or capture Human God, the weakest among them...."

"Ahh..."

"Of course, that was mere speculation.

It is still not clear to me what his true purpose was."

For Laplace, the details of Hitogami's origin are irrelevant.

Whether he was Human God, or whether he had good reasons to murder Dragon God-sama.

He researched and theorized, but his purpose remained the same.

To kill the one who murdered Dragon God-sama and trampled on the pride of the Five Dragon Generals—Hitogami.

"... So where is Hitogami now?"

"Hmm? Of course, in the Void World."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I searched everywhere in the Human World…

Perhaps Hitogami has been sealed in the Nothingness World.

Or placed inside a barrier with the last power of Dragon God-sama.

Or maybe Hitogami placed himself there out of fear of Dragon God-sama….

Either way, something grand must have happened."

"Does that mean you cannot find Hitogami while the barrier remains?"

"I have already found a way to unlock it, but it requires enormous magical power and a significant amount of preparation. Even if I do it, Hitogami might be released. If I fail, it will ruin everything."

Laplace said bitterly.

Perhaps he wishes to break the seal and fight Hitogami.

Perhaps he wishes to avenge Dragon God-sama's death and the remorse of the Five Dragon Generals.

But he never did.

He continued, slowly and steadily.

Completing, one by one, the elements that guarantee Hitogami's death.

"Laplace-sama had difficulties, didn't he?"

"It is painful to remember the old days.

But to secure a future without Hitogami, it is necessary.

One day, Orsted-sama will arrive and fight Hitogami, with everything I have prepared for him. The martial arts, magics, techniques, weapons, and knowledge that I have created. No, not just Orsted. With the rest of the Dragon Race, with Perugius-sama, fighting together against Hitogami. My heart races just imagining that moment."

With a smile, Laplace said.

He is ready.

It was difficult at first.

Starting from scratch, except for the mission to defeat Hitogami.

But thousands of years made progress possible.

He worked on many things.

He passed on the magic and techniques of the Dragon Race to the rapidly growing Human Race and studied the secret techniques of Dragon God-sama and the Five Dragon Generals.

When the Human Race developed and refined their teachings, he learned from them and shared his new knowledge.

He prepared countermeasures for the side effects of the magic circles used on Orsted.

That was not all.

In case Hitogami's death had adverse effects, he prepared for that too.

For the descendants of the Five Dragon Generals, he hid treasures made from fragments of Dragon God-sama's divine jewel, and records of his research results, in ruins throughout the world.

Doing everything he could.

Not just now, but for the long term.

Preparing for every possibility.

It was no longer so painful.

Because the darkness has passed and the future is bright.

"…"

But Rostelina could feel it.

A sense of distance.

Laplace's war.

There is no place for her there between Hitogami and the Dragon Race.

That made Rostelina very sad.

"Laplace-sama!"

"What is it?"

"Is... there something I can do?"

Laplace was surprised by Rostelina's words.

But soon, with a gentle smile, he patted her head.

"You are always helping me, with the cleaning and the washing. Not only that, your presence calms my heart, which has been lonely since I arrived in the Human World. Everything is fine as long as you are here."

It was just a whim when Laplace picked her up.

Of course, there was also the possibility that something useful might come of it.

An enormous magical power was dormant in her body, hard to find.

However, he did not plan to use it.

Laplace is also a person.

After living together for so long, feelings developed.

She is the only one who can heal Laplace now.

"I don't like this! I also want to help Laplace!

I think we can't fight together, but isn't there something?

Something that will benefit that child in the future..."

Laplace never asked anything of Rostelina.

He hadn't done so until now.

Just hoping that he would return.

Surely she could do more than simply calm his heart?

Waiting can also be difficult.

"Hmm..."

Laplace knew firsthand how hard it can be to wait.

He waited a very long time for Orsted, the son of Dragon God-sama.

As the preparations dwindled, when there was nothing left to do but wait, he may have felt a little restless as well.

"Hmm, I understand. If you insist, I will have your help."

Thus, Laplace said.

"Is there something I can do!?"

"Oh, but it might be painful for you."

"What is it!? I will do anything!"

"I will need to remove those magic circles that I placed on you and restore the curse in your body."

"Ughh..."

Rostelina's face grew a little pale upon hearing that her curse would return.

To be plunged back into the darkness that she already carried.

There was an instinctive fear of that.

"Then I will use the demon's arcane technique to gradually reshape your body, so that you may become a reservoir of enormous magical powers that can be passed on to others."

"Others..?"

"Yes. Orsted-sama was endowed with a series of abilities to defeat Hitogami, so his magical power would be depleted as a result. If the consumption of magic is greater than expected, it may exceed Orsted-sama's capacity to recover."

"Ah! So my magical power would be useful there!"

"Exactly. It will take a long time for the arcane technique to change your body to an ideal state. Perhaps a century or two. You will not be able to live as you used to."

"If everything can be done in my sleep, I think I will be fine."

"The changes in your body will affect your mind in various ways. Over time, even your memories will become obscured."

"Do you mean, my personality… even my memory of the Master may be lost?"

"Yes. Of course, as long as I make periodic adjustments, your memories may be maintained."

"Then... I will entrust myself to the Master."

"So you will endure?"

"Yes."

Rostelina's response left Laplace a bit somber.

Realizing that his current way of life was over.

His voice would vanish from his home.

Rostelina, whose presence was a reminder of that cozy home back in the Dragon World, would disappear.

A feeling of melancholy.

However, Rostelina chose it because of Laplace, because of Dragon God-sama; Laplace could not refuse.

Because Laplace was a Dragon General.

He could not refuse someone who wished to work for Dragon God-sama.

"Well... then come. Let us prepare."

Laplace said, forcing a smile on his face.

■

An underground cave deep in the Dragon Roar Mountain.

A place that Laplace uses as one of his laboratories.

Within it were many giant stone-built magic circles.

The entire cave was a gigantic magical tool.

In its depths, there was a girl.

Her body immersed in water with a faint glow, her eyes closed, sleeping.

"...So the saint overthrew the Demon King and returned to his beloved."

Laplace was sitting in front of her and speaking softly.

A story from a long time ago.

A heroic tale from the Human World.

"Well, that is all for today."

When the story ended, Laplace slowly stood up.

"I am going to battle again.

You cannot say what Hitogami is thinking, but nothing good can happen.

I need to go now."

Laplace said, placing one hand on Rostelina, then slowly covering her sleeping pedestal with a transparent lid.

Laplace patted the lid as it became completely submerged in glowing water.

"Let us continue the story when I finish. Do not worry, for no story is as miserable as that of the Dragon World."

Laplace said this and turned on his heels.

"I am off, take care..."

His steps slowed with each step.

When Laplace left, the lights in the room began to dim.

Eventually, the footsteps disappeared and the room was enveloped in darkness.

Rostelina was unconscious.

But Laplace's story had certainly reached her, deep within her consciousness.

She would wait.

Waiting for the day when the arcane adjustments are finished and she can help Laplace.

In the darkness, waiting.

Always, waiting...

■■■■■■■

Warning: Everything from here on is just some canonical information mixed with other purely speculative information.

■■■

This is the end.

I am writing in case anyone is unclear about what happened after this.

At that time, everything was still one huge continent.

These events occurred just before the Second Human-Demon War. Led by Kishirika Kishirisu, the demons had a great advantage.

They had allied themselves with other races, and their onslaught was unstoppable.

Laplace realized that Hitogami was helping the demons, and to thwart their plans, he joined the humans disguised as the Golden Knight, Aldebaran.

He wore his newly created Armor of the Fighting God.

Single-handedly, he pushed the demons back, returning the advantage to the humans.

At this point, Hitogami was helping Badigadi; he guided him to an ancient draconic ruin, where there was a potion that would make him immune to the effects of the Demon Eyes.

Hitogami then advised Badigadi to steal the Armor of the Fighting God, and Badigadi, in order to protect his wife, did so.

After this, the Demon Dragon God Laplace and the Fighting God Badigadi fought, and the victory went to the Fighting God.

As a result of his defeat, Laplace attempted to use the reincarnation magic of the Dragon Race—the same one used on Perugius and Orsted—but, for some reason, he failed.

As a result of the failure, a huge explosion occurred, which opened a massive chasm between the continents, forming the Ringus Sea and separating the continents.

Furthermore, as a result of his failure, Laplace ended up splitting into the Demon God Laplace (Demon) and the Technique God Laplace (Dragon).

Badigadi didn't fare any better either. After the fight, he was still gripped by the madness of the Fighting God's armor and ended up killing his wife (Kishirika Kishirisu) in the process.

Basically, the war ended without a victor—everyone lost.

Due to all this, Laplace lost several memories, keeping only a few of them in each of the parts, it is assumed that he lost any memory of Rostelina.

Without Laplace making the adjustments to the technique he placed on Rostelina, she gradually lost all her memories, and was trapped in that mana crystal for thousands of years.

It is assumed that Rostelina is actually Elinalise.