Chapter 102 – Gathering and Parting

The demons were utterly defeated. Their home, Hell, had for a time, completely vanished.

Yet, gates still sprung open, without Sealstone influence, and from beyond them, monsters poured forth as always.

Nothing had changed. This world still struggled to survive.

And on the very front lines of that world, those who received both gift and duty stepped forward, willingly, once again.

“Gate emergence warning! Awakened individuals, prepare for immediate deployment—”

“Mid-level hazard gate detected. Awakened personnel in the vicinity are…”

Though not as intense as before, it was still a dangerous battlefield. A moment of carelessness could lead to severe injury.

No. It would be almost fortunate if it ended with injury. There was a very real possibility of losing one’s life.

It might even be fortunate if only they themselves died. If comrades died because of them, that *itself* was Hell.

But, even so. The awakened swept aside those dark possibilities in an instant.

Better to be injured today for the sake of tomorrow, than to hesitate today and ruin tomorrow, they believed.

“*Seonbae*-nims! Reinforcements have arrived!”

And today, the Cradle’s dispatched team was also present alongside the awakened.

“Oh! You’ve arrived. Your Highness, the Princess!”

“I told you not to call me that!”

A direct descendant of the noble Imperial family, yet also one of them, an awakened.

Facing the same enemies, enduring the same hardships, suffering the same injuries. And yet, fighting for the same duty, there was something beyond words that connected them.

And that held true whether for the Princess. Or even the Duchess.

“Hmph. You only look after *Luciel seonbae*-nim, and not me?”

“Ehey. How could that be? Student Council President. Ah, or should I say, *former* Student Council President?”

“The position will be passed on to another *hoobae*-nim starting next year. But not yet.”

“I see. But, I don’t think I’ve seen that *hoobae*-nim before?”

The Imperial awakened pointed towards a figure standing off to the side, none other than Yurishia.

Fidgeting and glancing around, she rushed over with a bright ‘Yes, sir!’ when Nefertiti called her name, resembling a pink puppy.

“Introduce yourself, *hoobae*-nim. These are the *seonbae*-nims you’ll be working with.”

“N-nice to meet you! I’m Yurishia!”

“Pleased to meet you. Perhaps, a hybrid? Your ears seem a bit… different.”

“I am a hybrid!!”

In the past, she hated recalling her past, even hiding that fact.

But not anymore. More confident than before, Yurishia didn’t conceal herself.

“Say, I don’t recall seeing you last semester.”

“That’s right. What happened to Deus, our *hoobae*? And where’d this cute *hoobae* come from?”

“Well, *Deus-hoobae* is…tied up with some business at the moment.”

“Hmm. A shame. That *hoobae* was a real pillar of strength, you know?”

It wasn’t just his prowess or combat ability that they were talking about. It was how the monsters themselves seemed to shrink back in fear at the very sight of Deus.

Did that even make sense? These were monsters, creatures that would fight tooth and nail even with their limbs torn off. And those things were cowering, trying to escape!

Thanks to Deus, everything was perfect when he was around.

Victory was assured, and the monsters never showed even half of their true potential. It was the perfect kind of win.

They knew it wasn’t healthy to rely on one person so much, but that didn’t make him miss him any less.

“Hmph. So, should we just head back then?”

“Ehhh, it’s not like that. It’s just that *Deus-hoobae* was…exceptionally outside the norm.”

“…Feels a bit unfair, but I can’t exactly argue with the truth.”

More than anyone, Luciel and Nefertiti knew this well. (Yurishia was an exception, having always thought Deus was better than herself.)

Being around him constantly led to subtle comparisons, but the fact that they were being compared at all was something to be thankful for.

After all, no one else received as much recognition or training from Deus as they did.

“Alright, alright. Enough chatter. The gate’s opening.”

“Hopefully, this time it’ll be something manageable.”

“Wasn’t the last one a high-risk rating? I thought I was going to die of pain then.”

“Let’s grab a *soju* after we get back.”

Loud and boisterous.

Someone might look at this scene and wonder if they felt any tension at all.

They might even question whether these were truly the kind of people tasked with saving the world.

To those questions, these heroes, heading out to risk their lives again today, would say this:

They wished they could have this ridiculous conversation again at the end of the day.

That by continuing to chatter like this, they could confirm that they weren’t alone in this lonely fight.

Since they could die at any moment, there was no point in pretending. They were all just ordinary people, after all.

“Gate manifesting! Monster reaction levels rising!”

“I’d like to tell the *hoobaes* to stay back, but you’re not going to listen, are you?”

“Of course not. We’re veterans who’ve fought demons, you know.”

“Hehehe. So it seems like I’m getting called *sunbae*, but a *sunbae* that is worse than *hoobae*.”

Let’s go. With those words, the espers donned their abilities, their strength, and their duty.

*

—*Nyaang*

“What is it, Jojo?”

—*Nyaaang*

Something was different today. The usually prickly feline was acting uncharacteristically clingy.

Deus let out a small sigh, astonished by the display of affection he never thought he’d see.

“The sun must be rising in the west tomorrow. Seeing you act so sweet.”

—*Nyaang*

“Why didn’t I follow? I told you. Constantly lending a hand just won’t do. I taught them how to throw a punch, but if I step into the ring for them, all that teaching goes to waste.”

Though still students of the Cradle, the three had already surpassed the level of most other ability users.

Their next goal was to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the strongest in the Empire, like Shabel or the Guardians.

—*Nyaaang*

The cat raised a paw and tapped Deus’ knee.

Its gesture seemed to say, ‘Forget about that. Are *you* alright?’

“…Heh. Seriously. That’s why cats are scary.”

Deus picked up the cat and placed it between his legs. Unlike usual, the creature didn’t struggle, but quietly surrendered to his touch.

“Yeah. It stings. Regret, too. And guilt. That I spent too much time there. That I could have saved them all, but arrived too late. That’s the thought nagging at me.”

The place they called Hell, was surely the original world Deus remembered.

Even though it had vanished long ago, honestly, who knew how much time he spent in the void.

The thought kept clawing at his heart. Could I have saved them? What on earth was I doing?

—*Nyaaang*

“Maybe it’s a foolish thought. Yes. Maybe it’s an impossible possibility. But… even so, how can I be okay with it? It was a world I truly loved.”

As Deus’ monologue continued, the cat in his arms slowly rose.

Then, with a soft step, it moved to sit beside him and called out, *Nyaang,* to Deus.

“…What?”

When he answered, the cat, instead of meowing, slowly turned its head forward.

As if telling him to look, Deus also directed his gaze toward the same spot.

“… “

The Cradle came into view. There, students were working hard today just as they had yesterday.

Beyond them lay their families, their friends. The world they needed to protect.

It looked like a peaceful world, but only recently had it been locked in a deathmatch with oblivion.

—*Nyaaang*

The cat looked back at Deus, meowing repeatedly.

As if saying, ‘Then isn’t *it* you who protected all that?’

“… “

Deus blankly took in the scene of the Cradle. The people here. The sky. The land. And this world that was still alive, all of it imprinting on his eyes.

Yes. This place was still here, not vanished or broken. He had done it. That was an undeniable truth.

He had fallen here with the most ridiculous delusion, coupled with powers just as absurd.

Later, he was embarrassed to learn the truth, but he hadn’t turned back.

Not because of the covenant, but because of a promise he made to his past self, the one who had made that covenant.

Let’s salvage it. Let’s save it. Let’s keep it alive. Let me watch over it so it doesn’t break.

What if I was deluded? What if things got twisted? Looking back now, wasn’t that path exactly the journey he had desired?

It wasn’t bad. It was good. So, just keep doing it like this. That was all.

“Jojo.”

The bitter expression gradually faded, replaced by a faint smile playing on his lips.

Deus spoke to the cat, who sat beside him wagging its tail.

“That doesn’t mean I’m increasing your daily Churu ration, you know.”

“—Nyaaang!!”

If it sounds like someone’s screaming, “You goddamn human! Isn’t this a bit much!” maybe it’s just my imagination.

But alas, Jojo was once again hissing and throwing tiny kitty punches.

Of course, he was still worlds away from reaching Deus.