The Black Ash storms of war vanished, and the long-missed sunlight shone upon this planet.
Ten covenants also appeared.
This world was the one Ren truly wanted to live in, not the one where even the air could not be touched.
"Lord Artosh has really been defeated." Jibril knelt down. This symbolized the end of the war.
The birth of the One True God represented the failure of the other gods. No matter how strong the other gods had been, now they were nothing more than transcendental race.
Jibril hurriedly used a spatial tunnel. She had witnessed all of this. She was desperate to know how he had ended the war.
From start to finish, she had not seen the presence of humans. The Dwarves, Elves, and Ex-Machina, Werebeasts—what role had he played among them?
Was it like the previous war simulation game? No matter what, she wanted to know the answer from Ren. She arrived at the cave where the two of them had temporarily stayed. Inside was a pair of glasses and a note written in Japanese characters.
Jibril picked up the glasses and the note. She put on the glasses and discovered a video. Without hesitation, she played it.
"Haha, Jibril, you found this place? Should I say long time no see?" The man in the video smiled at the camera.
"Where are you?" Jibril asked, her tone tinged with anger.
"Come to think of it, I didn't close my eyes for several days and nights during that war game…" The man in the video spoke freely about all the things they had experienced together, all the unpleasant moments, including every detail of their first meeting.
It was then that Jibril realized how much had happened between them. Even though it had only been a little over ten days, it had been the most important part of Ren's life.
After all, he had survived alone for nearly ten years. He longed for a companion to talk to and relieve his boredom.
Humans are naturally social creatures, and the only ones who had accompanied him for that time were her and the Ex-Machina units.
"So tell me, Ren, have you forgotten what I said before?" Jibril's voice trembled. She had collected the heads of so many races, but the one collection she had lost was Ren. She couldn't find it.
"Haha, I probably broke our previous promise. But who said it was a covenant that had to be kept? Goodbye, Jibril. Thank you for appearing in my world and changing me. If I hadn't met you, I might still be living a dull, aimless life. It wouldn't be as wonderful as it is now." Ren gave a thumbs-up, and the recorded video ended.
"Who allowed you to die." Jibril was furious. The feeling of betrayal burned inside her. She also wanted to know what method humans had used to disrupt this war. Ren had never told her about it.
Recalling the brief time she had spent with Ren, she realized that his days seemed filled with books. He read everything he could from every race.
In this era where war could not be fought, Jibril decided to move forward carefully. She wanted to understand the truths the humans had discovered from the books.
She then opened the note again. It was the writing that the man had taught her. She still could not fully read it but could understand enough. It described the events of that simulated war and the detailed methods he had used.
Ren was truly teaching her how the weak could fight the strong. Knowing he was weak, he never considered direct confrontation. Knowing his weakness, he never exposed himself.
Jibril carefully put the note away. It was her most treasured possession.
The Ex-Machina units had survived. Einzig's eyes grew distant. That had been the last time they met. What had his final words meant? Did he possess a heart?
The data of the Ex-Machina units was shared. Within five minutes, all of them held the same question.
Now, Ten Covenants have been set. Einzig spoke. "Next, we will play the game with the goal of understanding what a heart is."
"Yes." The Ex-Machina units replied. This time, they would not rely on data analysis to refute the idea. They would seriously search for the meaning of a heart.
Everything Einzig had seen and heard was still vivid in their memory.
Schwi had survived too but went into a sleep pod. She had been the first to have a heart and could not accept Riku's death. She had understood his thoughts, but her emotions could not bear it. She immediately fell asleep. The world was peaceful, but the one she longed for was gone.
Among humans, those who voluntarily became ghosts, the ghosts exposed to Black Ash, quietly awaited their deaths in the corners of this world. They had no regrets. Having humans like Riku in the world was truly wonderful.
"Big brother, can you hold on?" A man walked over to the man lying on the grass.
"Haha, I don't think so. The Black Ash has already reached my bones." The man lying down laughed. He looked up at the hard-won blue sky.
"Do you want to go back and see your family?" The standing man sighed.
"We are ghosts. What we've done must never be revealed. For the happiness of our family, we must never return." The man coughed up blood, his body slowly becoming immobile.
"This is my selfishness, big brother. I need to find a place to spend my final moments too." Another man slowly walked away.
"Take care." The man lying down sighed. The one leaving was only eighteen, yet he had to accept this fate.
All of them, these ghosts, were short-lived spirits, unable to see the light, yet not one of them hated Riku. Instead, they trusted him deeply.
After this, humans were the first to adapt to the new rules. They established the first nation, the Kingdom of Elkia. The queen, with her exceptional talent and game skills, gained control over most of the land.
The second to adapt was the one of the Flügel race, Jibril. She played games with every race, wagering knowledge and books. Each time she won, she would disappear for a while. The world remembered her as the strange Flügel with black-framed glasses who loved books.
The Ex-Machina race faced the new rules with equally strange wagers. They would never bet themselves or treat themselves as tools. Their only wager was the meaning of the heart.
This was a vague concept, because as long as someone honestly expressed their thoughts, they could not be wrong.
The rewards for winning were substantial, which made many races willing to play with the Ex-Machina race.
But soon, everyone began refusing to play with them. These Ex-Machinas were too skilled at games. Their precise calculations and predictions meant they never lost. Who wants to calculate every single move in chess?
Yet, Einzig did not give up. He believed that one day, they would meet someone who could beat them in their own field. Perhaps then, they would truly understand what the heart meant.
But without trying, they would never meet such a person. So they decided to keep playing games, until that day came.
The Werebeast race, however, deeply regretted their choices. They had abandoned the mainland and moved to the islands.
Land resources were mostly out of reach. After all, under the new rules, only humans adapted so quickly.
Each race gradually started engaging with the new covenants. They began to settle in this world, slowly accepting the games.
Everything was moving in a positive direction, except for those who had ended the wars—they quietly faded away.
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