Chapter 150: A Reassuring Aura
"This world should now be handed over to the races beneath the gods."
Her words carried an undeniable finality, each syllable weighted with the gravity of eons.
"Is this your final decision?"
"Yes."
If she had previously harbored any lingering thoughts about this world, believing that as long as the Divine Kingdom remained here and its Pool of Faith was full, she would one day be able to return, Kurtz's actions had dispelled that notion and helped her make a decision.
Ultimately, Ailia chose to let go completely.
She would take all her past and that deceased seed with her, departing to beyond the world.
"Ailia, my Lady…" Kraft wanted to say something more, but Kurtz raised a hand to stop him.
Kurtz looked at Ailia's retreating figure, at the goddess who had made the choice he wished to see. The weight of what was ending, and what was beginning, settled between them like dust motes in fading light.
The Age of Mythology did not need gods. Not now, and not ever again.
But for now, he would see her off one last time.
"Thank you for everything you have done for this world, and for me," Kurtz bowed slightly, the gesture holding more respect than any grand ceremony.
Ailia sensed the subtext in his words, and a faint smile seemed to curve at the corner of her lips. After all these centuries, this understanding felt like a gift.
It seemed this human had indeed noticed.
The so-called fated one was never a matter of coincidence or accident.
She said no more, simply standing there quietly, her figure growing increasingly transparent, like a reflection in water, gradually dissipating with the ripples. The morning breeze stirred where she had been, carrying away the last traces of divine presence.
The goddess who had once created the Skywing Clan, established the Divine Kingdom, and whose fate was intimately linked with the world, now departed silently.
She took all her secrets, all her past, and that seed that would never sprout again.
"It's all over, Kurtz," Kraft murmured, his voice filled with an indescribable emotion. The silence that followed felt different, not empty, but complete.
"Indeed! Congratulations, you are now the great hero who saved the world."
"I didn't do anything," Kraft shook his head, the title sitting uneasily on his shoulders. For a warrior, such honor was too heavy, almost suffocating him.
"No, you've done very well," Kurtz patted his shoulder, the touch grounding them both in this new reality. "This world needs a hero. The God-Slayer of old has departed, and people need a new hero to lead them onward. And you, Kraft, are that new hero."
"Is that so? What a heavy mission, but I understand." Kraft's voice carried the weight of acceptance.
"Mm. But for the next thousand years, you don't need to worry about the Demon Clan returning."
Demons could not be completely eradicated.
Although he had directly destroyed the entire Demon King's City along with all the demons inside this time, there were still many demons remaining in this world.
Perhaps a thousand years later, they would return, bringing catastrophe to this world once more.
But Kurtz didn't want to think about that now. He only wanted to see one person.
"I'll leave the rest to you. Someone is still waiting for me, and I can't let her wait too long."
Kraft paused, then realized: "Ah, Serie? Go quickly. Don't let the wait turn into another thirty years."
Kurtz nodded, saying no more.
He took one last look at the massive pit, then gazed in the direction where Ailia had vanished. The crater would heal with time, but the memory of this moment would not. Then, without hesitation, he turned and activated the return teleportation array.
A small teleportation array instantly lit up beneath his feet. With a flash of light, his figure vanished, leaving only Kraft alone, facing the ruins before him and the scattered sunlight filtering through the settling dust.
On the other side, beneath an ancient tree.
Serie leaned against the rough tree trunk, her fingers unconsciously twirling strands of her golden hair, a nervous habit she'd never quite outgrown despite her centuries.
Her gaze was fixed on the spot where Kurtz's teleportation array had vanished, her heart restless.
This short period was indeed brief compared to the decades that preceded it, but the taste of waiting had never changed. It still left her throat dry and her thoughts scattered.
Her mind kept replaying her last words, "Be careful! Don't make me wait too long!" She wondered if that fellow had even heard her, or if he'd been too focused on the battle ahead.
Time seemed to stretch; every second felt extraordinarily long.
How long had that fellow been gone?
An hour?
Or two hours?
The shadows had barely shifted, yet it felt like an eternity.
Just as she was about to give in and check if the teleportation array was stable again, the familiar magical glow lit up without warning.
Then Kurtz's figure appeared before her.
"Kurtz!"
Serie practically lunged forward instantly. Perhaps due to her overwhelming excitement, she lost her footing and stumbled directly into the man's embrace, all pretense of elven grace forgotten.
Realizing what just happened, Serie immediately tried to get up, but she was held tightly by a pair of strong hands.
Oh well, she would indulge this audacious fellow's little whim.
Serie didn't struggle; she simply allowed the man to hold her. His arms were held very tightly, as if to confirm her existence, or perhaps his own.
She looked up, his reflection clearly visible in her eyes.
"Aren't you holding me too tight?"
"Am I?" The petite body in his arms made Kurtz reluctant to let go. After facing the void of a goddess's departure, this warmth felt precious.
"Never mind. Is this the end? What about Eric? And Kraft and the Life Goddess? What happened to them?"
A barrage of questions rained down, each one tinged with barely contained worry.
Kurtz didn't answer immediately. He felt the elf miss's soft body in his arms, then reached out and gently brushed away the slightly messy strands of hair from her forehead. The simple gesture steadied them both.
"Mm," he responded softly. "It's resolved, everything is over. Eric has also found his rest."
Serie visibly sighed in relief, the tension she hadn't realized she was carrying finally leaving her shoulders.
Kurtz slowly recounted what he had just done.
He told the story of how he had Olivia teleport the entire Divine Kingdom above the Demon King's City, then used the power of faith within it to directly destroy the entire Demon King's City. The scale of destruction still felt surreal, even in retelling.
He also spoke of the Life Goddess's final choice, including the fact that she had chosen to leave this world completely.
"How did you create such a large-scale teleportation array?"
"It was not just me; it was only possible with the support of the Orger's scabbard and the Divine Kingdom's own magical power. Otherwise, even if I drained myself completely, it would be impossible."
"But the goddess actually left?" Serie was a little surprised, but then she understood that choice. "That's good too."
They were very close, so close that Serie only needed to lean in slightly to rest her cheek against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, feeling incredibly at ease. The rhythm was reassuring, proof that he had returned whole.
Everything of the past had truly receded with the goddess's departure.
"Oh, right," Serie suddenly looked up, a hint of vulnerability creeping into her voice. "Did you hear what I said at the end?"
Kurtz looked at her face, the curve of his lips deepening. He gently pinched her small nose: "I did! I heard every single word! Otherwise, how could I have rushed back so quickly? I must obey my elf master's commands."
"Nonsense! You audacious fellow has never obeyed me."
Serie grumbled a few words, but seeing that the man had rushed back so quickly, she didn't continue. The complaint held no real heat, just the comfortable banter of two people who had found their way back to each other.
She simply buried her head in his embrace, basking in this reassuring aura. Here, beneath the ancient tree where she had waited, the world felt right again.
[End of Chapter]
Man, it's such a good thing this is written by fans, because if it were any official anime.
I guarantee you, Serie would have been alone, sitting crying, while she waits eternity for Kurtz to return.
But thank god, here we have some semblance of a happy ending.