Final Chapter (6)
Year 6, September 27.
Six years had already passed since humanity stepped away from the Law of God.
That there had been no official wars since then was a miracle that would be recorded in human history.
Experts called it an obsession with purity.
"Who will commit the first crime? Which country will produce the first criminal? Those are the questions. No one wants the title of 'first villain.'"
A reporter asked, "So it's not that humanity has matured, but that people simply refuse to break perfection?"
"Humans are animals of desire. Crimes may already be happening out of sight. Some nations might be suppressing information. But I don't think it'll last. The moment the first evil appears officially, the second and third will follow, of course."
Three years ago, an official murder occurred.
The culprit was a thirty-two-year-old lawyer named Reaper, and what he told the judge in court was this:
- I wanted to be first.
Humankind is strange.
As the expert predicted, crimes were reported around the world, but the arrest rate was also fairly high.
And so the world continued.
Humanity had descended from a state of one-hundred-percent unified consciousness, but not all the way... back to ordinary life.
"I'm off!"
Amy, having taken off her uniform and dressed up in a gown for the first time in a while, stumbled at the front door.
"Ha ha ha!"
Ares burst out laughing.
"They say falling is a talent—you're perfect at it. Don't go calling that rosy-cheeked."
"Shut up. This dress is so uncomfortable."
"Just wear it sloppily. You're ugly anyway."
"Do you want to die? How long are you going to stay at home? Go out and work, work!"
"No thanks. Your allowance is more than enough."
"Is that what you say to your little sister? Ah, whatever. I'm going out, so make sure you eat."
Even in her hurry, Amy didn't forget to smooth her hair in the mirror.
Ares smiled bitterly.
"Good grief."
He understood his sister's heart.
Turning back to the paper, he read a full-page exclusive.
—Yahweh! Flying south toward Tormia! Attending the principal's wedding at his alma mater?!
'Shirone.'
Folding the paper, he looked up at the ceiling.
"At this rate Amy's going to cry."
Reporters from around the world had already gathered at the gates of Alpheas School of Magic.
"This is mortifying!"
Olivia, today's bride, huffed in a white wedding dress.
"Why? Isn't it nice to be congratulated?"
Alpheas, in a tuxedo, remained perfectly calm.
"Are you kidding? It's embarrassing to be getting married at my age, and nobody came here for me!"
"Heh heh. It's an honor. Our school produced the greatest talent of the age." Even Olivia couldn't deny it.
"It's not even certain. Even if he left the south yesterday—how many states are there on the central continent?"
It was estimated that Shirone had returned from the realm of true Nothingness three years ago.
It was an estimate because there were hardly any official invitations and only a few acquaintances had even met him.
Alpheas said, "We don't know what it means to return from Nothingness. It might be a vast void completely different from waking from a dream."
"Lost his heart? No. He's still working with the Twelve Apostles on rebuilding the world. Vincent said he's the same as always."
"That's why it's puzzling."
If rumors said he'd become a different person, people could understand. But instead...
'What did you see, Shirone?' — in true nonexistence.
Olina asked, "Will he stop by home?"
Ikael, Shirone's birth mother, was currently staying with Vincent and his wife.
"If he's coming to Tormia, I think so. He never misses a visit."
Vincent said, "Good grief. People are so unreasonable—talking as if our son has to take responsibility for the whole world."
Olina sighed. "I'm more worried about Amy. They acted like they couldn't live without each other."
"Maybe…" Ikael thought.
"Everything probably reverted to nothing. Dreams, delusions, even the heart. It takes time to refill all of that. But he'll reclaim them—the most important reason he belongs in this world."
Just as Gaffin sent Hexa for Ikael.
The South.
"Move those supplies to the empty lot. This warehouse is full—there's nowhere to put them."
Back in his homeland, Gangnan was helping rebuild southern civilization.
"Sir! You can't go over there!" Amid the busy construction site, a familiar face appeared.
"Huh?"
Sein approached with a smile.
"Wow! Long time no see! Has it been a year? Why did you suddenly come all the way south?"
"Work. I thought I'd at least see your face."
They moved to a quiet lot, sat on lumber, and drank.
Sein asked, "Shirone?"
"He left at night. Blitz is taking him, so he should make it in time."
"Has he decided?"
"I don't know. He's unreadable. But if he says he's going to the wedding, I guess that means he'll see her."
"I see."
Sein asked again, "How about you? Are you okay?"
Gangnan knew what he meant.
"I'm fine. Gaold's not sick, so I've got nothing to worry about. How about you? In contact with Miro?"
"No. Not avoiding, exactly. But Miro is living her own life for the first time—not as someone guarding another, but as a woman. At least for now, I don't want to burden her with any responsibilities."
"Yeah…" In the end, the watcher's heart remained the same.
"She's probably in a wonderful love," Sein smiled.
"Maybe."
Miro said, "Go."
Gaold said, "I won't go."
Miro said, "Go!"
Gaold said, "I said I'm not going, damn it! Why are there so many events? Now I understand Shirone."
As figures in world peace, the two traveled from country to country attending ceremonies.
"Well, they pay well this time. We haven't saved a penny!"
"Don't get too worldly."
"Worldly? Please. This is all because you've been causing trouble. What did you do to get refused by the Mage Association?" Gaold complained.
"You came to rescue me."
"Ugh, seriously!"
Annoyed, Miro swung her arms and jabbed Gaold's ribs repeatedly.
"Ow! Bone! You hit my bone…ah!" He collapsed on the bed, face contorted, and Miro sighed.
"Why are men such drama queens? Such a waste of a body. Why do you even work out?"
"Heh heh, you know why." Gaold rolled over, spread his arms, and winked.
"You still have room, don't you?" After a moment, Miro glanced at the clock. "Exactly thirty minutes."
"Amy!"
When they arrived at Alpheas School of Magic for the wedding, familiar faces surfaced.
"Tess! Seriel!"
Rian and Fermi followed behind.
Tess said, "Long time no see! Sorry—I've been busy with promotion exams. How are you?"
"Ha ha! Same here. Are you here for the wedding?"
Seriel and Fermi might not have ties to the school; Rian and Tess certainly did not.
"Of course! Shirone's coming! Just wait till he shows—I'll smack him."
"Ah, it's probably just a rumor." They pretended otherwise, but their anticipation showed.
As rehearsal began, reporters swarmed.
"There are so many."
Knowing who they waited for, Amy's heart started to race.
A shadow fell across the outdoor garden.
"Uh, that—"
A massive blue dragon glided through the sky and landed a short distance away.
A voice followed. "Thanks, Blitz."
Blitz bowed politely, flew up, and a hooded figure turned from behind.
Shirone smiled.
"Wow."
Reporters' flashes erupted, and tears welled in Nade's eyes.
"Shi—"
Friends ran at once.
"Shirone!"
"Ha ha! How've you been?"
"You bastard! What have you been so busy with? You could've at least written one letter."
"Sorry. Circumstances… huh?" Shirone's face brightened.
"Nade! You?"
"Yeah! How's it feel? I got here before you. Daisy, this is your Uncle Shirone."
"Hello."
Shirone lifted Daisy high and she grinned.
"Ha ha! Looks like she likes me. As expected, my daughter has a good eye for people."
Even as everyone talked, Amy watched from a distance.
"What? I thought something big was going to happen."
They were the same as ever.
Slightly hurt, Amy turned away. Tess went up to Shirone.
"What are you doing? Go to Amy—quick. Don't tell me you lost your memory in that Nothingness or something?" Shirone only offered a wry smile.
The school ushered the reporters out, delaying the wedding slightly.
At the remarks, Olivia spoke of Erina, who had parted from Alpheas.
Gratitude, regrets, responsibilities carried to the very end.
Alpheas added briefly, "That is the love of old age."
Guests laughed, and the wedding concluded amid people's blessings.
At the reception, Shirone met Amy for the first time in six years.
"Amy."
As if on cue, the hall hushed and every eye turned to them.
"Long time."
"Hmph. Now? Did you know this wedding felt longer than the six years I waited for you?"
"Sorry. I needed time to be certain. I had to know whether my thoughts—this feeling—were really right."
Amy asked with a pained expression, "What happened?"
"In the world of Nothingness…" Shirone fell silent for a long while; everyone waited without a breath.
"I did not exist. Because I did not exist, nothing existed, and there was no way to explain it. I remained nonexistent. No time, no space—nothing at all."
People shuddered.
"That must be a terrifying state. But if it's so terrifying that even the terror is absent, that would be a perfect Nothingness. Then… at some point I came to exist in this world."
"I see."
How did Shirone feel when, after existing, he realized he had been nothing?
"Even now I don't know. What happened there that led me to be here? I suppose it was to meet you, but I had to be certain. Otherwise I would be swallowed by the vast terror of nothingness and lose the meaning of my existence. So…"
"You traveled the world?" Someone asked.
Shirone nodded. "I finished the work of serving humanity, caring for my family, and realizing my ideals. One by one I completed them. To meet you."
That was how he spent his time.
"And now I can be certain. The reason I returned from the world of Nothingness…"
Shirone summoned his courage and said, "I love you."
Illusions that wandered an eternal world without time, space, or nations—
"You…"
In that moment, absolute certainty formed a smile on his face.
"You are my Infinity."
In a scene that felt as if the world stood still, Amy's sobs escaped.
"Sob… sob…"
Wiping tears with both hands, she nodded, and Tess watched her kindly.
"How fortunate you are, Amy."
As everyone watched with warm eyes, Nade clapped and said, "Alright, let's record this moment. After all, Iruki's wedding we'll attend next time won't come back."
"Ha ha ha!"
Friends gathered one by one, and the camera that had covered the wedding was set up.
Regaining her smile, Amy turned to Shirone and ran to her friends.
"I want to be in the photo too."
"Okay. You stand in the center. Fermi, you go over there. Shirone, what are you doing? Come on."
"All right."
Watching the baby laughing between her father and mother, Shirone thought, We will—
Someday we will travel among the stars.
"One, two, three—say 'Daisy' on the count."
They would come to understand what truly mattered in the secret of the stars.
"Got it. Ugh, it's cramped. Hurry up." The day they overcome discrimination and conflict and establish an integrated mental system.
"Alright, gather up. We're taking it."
Dreaming of another universe at the edge of the cosmos.
"Ready. One, two, three!"
And so we step into endless eternity—
"Dai—sy!"
Into Infinity.
Thank you for loving The Infinite Mage.