Chapter 29: Gods and Humans -end of my dream- End

The End.

A meteor shower of sparkling, flowing light.

The two of us were falling downward, as if being sucked into a spectacle where the starry sky and the earth had been flipped upside down.

At the very center of that outer-space-like void, a massive, seemingly humanoid "Something," shaped by a swirling torrent of light, sat in solemn majesty.　

It looked like a woman, yet also like an amalgamation of all living things, emitting a solemn, somewhat divine radiance.　

That "Something" turned toward us.　

It was only a silhouette without eyes, but I definitely felt its gaze.　

An overwhelming, absolute, and profound sense of awe washed over me. It felt like a mother's presence reprimanding her young children.

My children, my sweet children.

Why do you stand before my magnificent presence?

Why do you defy the will of the one who gave birth to you?

A voice echoed, seemingly speaking directly into our minds.

So it's her. The root of everything.

"Yeah, that's right. This is the source that birthed us Aragami. The Will of the Planet, the origin of existence—the 'Primordial Mother'."

Falling through the torrent of light, the other 'me' narrowed his eyes against the glare.

If we defeat her, it all ends.

A world where Aragami have vanished. A world where Aragami don't exist.

"...Well, we're Aragami too, though."

The other 'me' sneered cynically.

Yeah, that's right. Us too.

We aren't beings that should exist.

A world like this belongs only in a game.

My children, my poor, sweet children.

Mother will devour you.

She will return you to your mother's womb.

And then, I shall birth you anew.

The humanoid of light gently opened her arms, full of affection and love.

Like a mother embracing her child.

Holding out those massive hands, spreading those wings.

Bands of light, extending in countless layers, closed in to envelop us.

We each readied our God Arcs and entered a combat stance.

─Now, the moment we've been waiting for. The long-awaited final boss battle.

That day, the world faced yet another crisis.

The Devouring Apocalypse.

The purification of life by the Will of the Planet.

A massive, pitch-black tree extending countless grotesque branches.

A terrifying calamity that devours and consumes everything.

Humans, animals, civilization, and even Aragami—all were being swallowed by the black waves.

The world, the Earth, the planet─────

────was ending.

The lush, green surface of the moon, blooming with colorful flowers.

A white-haired girl clad in a robe. Gazing at the Earth—once a blue planet, now encroached upon by black waves and dyed in darkness—she murmured.

"It won't end. Human will can defy even the 'Primordial Mother'. Yes... because they taught me that once, too."

At that moment, the waves blanketing the blackened Earth stopped.

──────In that instant,

──────Light burst forth.

A room in a certain Port.　

A white-haired man was writing in a journal.　　

The great black tree, the omen of the Devouring Apocalypse, suddenly stopped its movements.　

Its countless sprawling branches ceased their activity and moved no more.　

Then, in just a few days, it turned into crystal, changed to a pale blue color, and began to petrify and crumble.　

By some miracle, the people who failed to escape and were devoured were all saved without a single scratch.　

The animals were unharmed too. Though it was surprising that even the Aragami had survived.　

Ultimately, one could say the damage was kept to an absolute minimum. Most of the heavily damaged Ports just needed repairs.　

The biochemical corporation Echidna took the initiative to fund most of the reconstruction efforts for free.

Echidna. The mega-corporation taking over Fenrir's legacy.

Their response was so swift, it was almost as if they knew this would happen beforehand.

I requested Gleipnir to investigate, but some in the upper echelons are dragging their feet, so progress is slow.

As I thought, they must have a hand in this.　

Still, something bothers me.　

At that time, the man I met was undoubtedly Werner Gadolin himself. Go's report also confirmed his survival.　

And the girl who was with him.　

That girl's true identity and the whereabouts of those two remain unknown.

If they are somehow involved in this recent series of events──

"Director Ein. It is time for your meeting with the clients─"

Ein's pen halted at his secretary's reminder.

"...Is it that time already?"

He glanced out the window of his study at the crystallized giant tree visible on the distant horizon.　

A few months had passed since then without incident.

What changed was the extreme decrease in Aragami attack frequencies. That, and the confirmed greening of the vast area where the great tree had crystallized.

It was almost like a recreation of the miracle brought about by the Blood Unit back then.　

"...It couldn't be."

Ein threw on his hanging coat and left the room.

The crystallized branches of the great tree hardened into pale blue, eventually crumbling into sparkling grains of light that danced on the wind.

Flora grew in clusters all around, completely transforming the landscape.

A lone man looked up at the collapsing branches of the great tree.

He had a cross-shaped scar between his eyebrows.

He truly wanted to head to the main body of the tree, but Gleipnir had completely quarantined the area, making entry difficult.

The man muttered to himself toward a single fragment of a crystallized branch.

"Bell... are you really gone?"

Werner touched the branch with his palm.

Back then, he too had been devoured, his consciousness nearly scattering away.　

But suddenly, light flooded in, and within his hazy consciousness, he felt it clearly.　

She had taken his hand and guided him.

That was why he was saved.

Werner gritted his teeth in frustration.　

"...You saved me once again. I owe you nothing but gratitude... yet I haven't been able to repay you at all."

Feelings of regret kept welling up, one after another, refusing to stop.

What could he have done? Was there anything he could have done for her?

Even though she saved his life, he couldn't face her.

Those were the only thoughts filling his mind.

"...How pathetic. You'd laugh at me if you saw me like this."

Werner let out a self-deprecating laugh.

It wasn't just that. This faded world. A blank world without her was incredibly empty. Every day was ruled by sorrow and resignation.

The days they spent fighting together. But they would never return.

As he was about to turn on his heel, an exceptionally large branch of the tree caught his eye.

It was cracked and heavily degraded. It looked like it could shatter at any moment.

Werner broke into a sprint without thinking.　

Forgetting himself, he rushed over to the crystal.

A faint shadow could be seen inside the pale blue crystal.　

Then, with a trembling hand, he fearfully, gently touched the crystal────

The crystal shattered.

The fragments turned into fine grains and sparkled.

Inside the crystal was a naked girl, curled up like a fetus.

"...Ah, you were here all along..."

Werner softly and gently took the girl into his arms.

The girl's long eyelashes twitched, and her eyelids slowly opened.

"Welcome back, Bell."

Werner smiled, greeting the sleepyhead who had woken up so late.

At first, the girl stared blankly with wide eyes, but then she understood.

With a beaming smile, she returned the greeting to the person gently holding her.

"I'm home, Werner."

There is no end to this long, boundless journey, and humanity will likely continue to walk forward.

Together, matching paces, step by step.

Slowly, but surely─

(Author's Note: Thank you for bearing with my poor writing.)