Extra in a Romance Fantasy

201 – The End

Watching the massive beam of light falling toward the ground.

I realized.

What would happen if it fell to the earth like this.

If it fell as it was, every human on the continent would perish.

The power to annihilate humanity was contained within that beam of light.

An absurd, overwhelming force encapsulated in light.

Truly, the arrival of the end.

Yet.

Faced with that despairing light, I did not despair.

Instead.

With a grip—

I clenched my sword and began to focus.

I concentrated my mind.

With a mental strength and focus that reached their extremes, I looked within myself.

And then, I felt it.

Deep, deep within the realm of my consciousness.

A ‘door.’

I carefully opened that door.

And saw.

What lay beyond that door.

Something so vast and immense, holding that ‘thing.’

Its true identity was the ‘Center.’

Not the center of ‘me,’ but the center of ‘the world.’

In other words, the ‘Source.’

I was standing before the Source.

I learned through Sheryl.

Of the existence of the ‘Connected Ones’ linked to the Source.

—

—

However, this was different from that, from them.

They were born with a connection to the source from the very beginning, but I faced that source artificially, through sheer will.

I came to know through the cry of my soul.

The true power of my realm.

The realm of ‘resonance’ and ‘harmony.’

It was the state of becoming a part of the world.

At first, I thought it was merely the development of an idea, but it was not.

Becoming a part of the world meant that I could borrow the power of the world.

The power of the world, the state of touching the ‘source,’ the true value of its ‘harmony.’

Realizing this, I became aware of the existence of a ‘door’ deep within the world of my consciousness, and thus I was able to confront the source.

As I gazed quietly at the brilliantly shining light, I soon reached out my hand toward the source.

That outstretched hand, passing through a moment in time, finally touched the source.

And when I closed my eyes and opened them again, I was once more watching the red beam of light falling toward me.

Gazing at that beam of light, I swung my sword.

*

──────────!!

A deafening roar pierced my ears, no, my head.

In an instant, I recognized the source of that roar.

It was the scream of a man, the ‘king.’

The pain of being cut by my sword had him, the ‘king,’ writhing in agony.

As if he were a living being experiencing pain for the very first time.

No, it might not just be a metaphor.

That being, the ‘king,’ is an absurd existence.

Born as the king of the world, in his own realm, he is truly a god-like being.

Such an existence would never engage in battle with someone in his world, nor would he ever be wounded.

In the case of that being, the ‘king of the demon realm,’ there was a past where he invaded this world and fought against the hero Ferdion and his companions, but he had claimed that his true form did not move at that time.

So, perhaps that wound is indeed the first he has ever experienced since his birth.

If so, it is understandable that he would react in such a way.

Pain is like that.

Any creature, upon feeling pain for the first time, would react in such a manner.

– Perdiiooon…!!

The voice of the creature echoed.

In that voice, there was a vivid tremor of emotion that had never been felt before.

It was angry.

Angry at me, who had wounded its true form.

Angry at me, who had first brought it pain.

That anger.

The atmosphere quivered.

The world trembled.

Such is the wrath of a transcendent being, of a god.

Just the movement of emotion can shake nature and instill fear in the living beings of the earth.

Yet.

I was not afraid of that anger.

Instead, I laughed.

– You…!!

My laughter seemed to provoke its ire, and its voice grew even harsher.

– How dare you wield that power…! The source…!!

It was both furious and astonished.

– How can a mere human handle the power of the source…!

It seemed to realize that I had borrowed the power of the source, and it shouted with an agitated voice.

But.

– …Huh.

As if a switch had been flipped, that anger rapidly cooled.

– Well, fine.

In a tone that had regained its calm, it spoke.

– I don’t know what’s going on, but it doesn’t matter. You can’t maintain that state for long anyway.

At those words.

“……”

I could not muster a rebuttal.

Because it was exactly as it said.

Though I borrowed the power of the source to achieve a state of harmony, there were limits to it.

Even if I stepped into the realm of transcendence, I am still human, and the ‘source’ is the world itself.

I can temporarily borrow that power and accept it, but I cannot wield it continuously.

Beyond the fact that it goes against providence, my body and soul cannot endure it.

– If you leave it as it is, you will eventually hit a limit. When that time comes, you can execute the end once more.

Thus, his plan was fatal to me.

– Maintaining my true form like this will also incur great losses, but those losses can be compensated later by reclaiming the source.

So.

– It is my victory, Ferdion.

At that declaration.

“……”

I quietly bit my lip.

Once again, I raised my sword.

– Are you determined to struggle until the end?

Toward me, his calm voice flew.

– Stop it. Your soul cannot endure any more than this.

“……”

– No matter how much your soul has stepped into the realm of transcendence, it is still a human soul. If you recklessly use the power of the source, your soul will burst apart. That means you will never be able to reincarnate again.

It was not a simple threat.

Connected to the source, even temporarily, I could understand.

That those words were true.

Yet.

Even knowing that.

I gripped the sword once more.

– Foolish.

He deemed me foolish, but I could not stop.

If I continued like this, I would surely lose.

This world would become his.

Everyone would die.

That much I had to prevent.

Even if the possibility is low.

Even if it means my soul will shatter.

There was only one way to resolve this situation, one way to protect this world.

‘To kill him.’

Nothing else.

To kill one who is akin to a god.

It was a weighty statement for a mere human, born of mortal fate, to utter.

Yet, I dared to speak it.

I resolved to kill him.

And to do so, I needed to accept the power of the Source more fully.

I closed my eyes once more.

And once again, I faced the Source.

A brilliant light filled my vision.

I was connected to a force that was nothing less than the world itself.

I reached out my hand toward that light again.

I began to move deeper, to advance.

But my attempts were soon forced to a halt.

Something blocked my path.

Instinctively, I sensed its identity.

It was the will of the Source.

It was saying.

That no further was permitted.

A realm not allowed for anyone.

That will was as solid as if it would never allow a crack.

Yet, I continued to push my hand in.

Laws and rules.

Regulations and whatnot.

I didn’t care.

I needed power.

Power to protect this world.

To achieve that, I could defy Providence or whatever it was.

“You know what will happen if you keep going like this.”

As I pushed my hand in, I spoke to the Source.

It was clear what would happen if I left that thing alone.

Every human would die, and this world would belong to it.

And then what?

“It would devour you too.”

Only when that was over would this world finally be its own, so it was obvious it would commit such an act.

“You don’t want to be devoured, do you?”

So.

“Just stay quiet and lend me your strength.”

– …….

There was no response.

The Source said nothing.

However, I soon realized.

The Source had accepted my will.

“……!”

A surge of power began to fill my entire being.

A vast and intense force.

That power offered me a sense of fulfillment I had never known, but at the same time, it brought an unbearable agony.

“Ugh…!”

My body was screaming.

My soul was screaming.

I was writhing under a force I could not bear.

My instincts, my senses cried out.

To stop immediately.

That I could not endure any longer.

Yet.

I ignored that warning.

I stubbornly continued to accept the power of the Source.

—

It was still not enough.

With this, I could not kill that monster.

To slay a creature akin to the world itself, I had to contain the world within me.

I had to embrace the source in its entirety.

Thus, I did not cease to accept power.

However, it could not continue indefinitely.

At some point, the influx of power stopped.

I hadn’t even paused.

I soon realized.

This was my limit.

I would soon cross a river from which there was no return.

“…….”

I hesitated for a moment.

Yet, that hesitation did not last long.

I began to accept the power of the source once more.

For a while, endless strength poured into my body.

Again, the influx of power ceased.

But this time, it was not for the same reason as before.

The reason the flow of power stopped this time was that there was nothing left to accept.

I had fully embraced the source within me.

– What…!!

A voice filled with confusion and horror echoed.

– How can a mere human…! The source…!!

As if unable to comprehend what was unfolding before its eyes, as if unable to accept it, it shouted.

I wanted to throw a few words at the trembling creature, but this time, I could not.

I had no room for that in my current state.

I lifted my sword.

And infused it with power.

──.

With a violent tremor that felt as if the sword would shatter at any moment, light blossomed from the blade.

A light so radiant, so immense it seemed to touch the sky, unlike anything I had ever seen.

I swung that sword, from which the light blossomed.

Swoosh—

Everything in the path of the sword, of the light, was cleaved apart.

Sound, air, light, space.

Cutting through all of it, my sword, my light, began to advance toward him.

– Do you think I’ll go down without a fight…!!

With a scream that echoed like a wail from him.

Crack—

The sky was split open once more.

And from there, beams of light began to pour forth.

How many beams, each capable of annihilating humanity, began to cascade down simultaneously.

At last, the beams he unleashed met my sword.

────!

With a sound so immense it was hard to put into words, everything began to twist and shatter.

The very aftermath shook the world, causing it to crumble.

I gritted my teeth.

My body, my soul, was rapidly reaching its limits due to the backlash from clashing with the power of the one who accepted the source.

A feeling washed over me.

The sensation that if I took just one step forward, it would all be over.

That this was truly the final line I must not cross.

Yet.

I did not stop.

With all my strength, I infused it into the sword, into my body, and swung the blade.

In that moment, the tenuous balance of power collapsed—

– Perdiiooon…!!

With a scream that resembled a wail from him.

Slash—

Everything was cleaved apart.

*

““…….””

The people were left speechless.

Even with a number of people so vast it was hard to count, no one dared to speak.

They simply stared blankly, looking up at the sky.

Before them unfolded an unbelievable sight.

The beams of light that had seemed ready to annihilate the world were scattering and fading away.

However, the gaze of the people was not directed there.

They were looking behind it.

At the black sky that loomed above.

The black sky that had enveloped the world, darkening it.

It was split in two.

*

– I… am… to a mere human…?

A voice filled with disbelief echoed.

– That can’t be… It can’t be…

The voice, the creature, denied this reality.

It could not accept the fact that it had ultimately been defeated.

Yet, regardless of its reaction, the outcome had been decided.

It had lost.

– Nonsense…

With that unfinished thought, the voice fell silent, never to return.

At that, I let out a sigh of relief.

I sensed that everything had come to an end.

However, there was no time to bask in that joy.

“Wait…?”

My body began to sway uncontrollably, slipping from my control.

As soon as I realized this, I tried desperately to regain my balance.

Thud—

I found myself collapsing to the ground.

*

No matter how hard I tried to lift my body, I simply couldn’t muster any strength.

I quickly realized the cause of this phenomenon.

It was the backlash.

Due to the excessive use of the source’s power, my body was left with not a single ounce of strength.

It wasn’t a trivial backlash that could be easily laughed off, but considering what I had done, it felt like I was lucky to be alive.

After all, I had contained a world within this mere human body and had killed a being that was as good as a world itself, yet this was all I had to show for it.

To be honest, I was prepared for death.

I was ready for the annihilation of my soul.

However, fortunately, my soul was intact, and I was not dead.

Thinking about that, the backlash felt light enough to accept with a smile.

Even if I had to lie here for a few days, I could gladly accept it.

But.

“Wade…!!”

At the sudden voice, my smile vanished in an instant.

Only then did I recall the presence I had forgotten.

The existence of the cult leader who had been here from the beginning to the end.

“How dare you touch my master…! My wish…!!”

With bloodshot eyes, the cult leader glared at me.

From those eyes, an undeniable malice and rage dripped like venom.

“You alone…! You who have ruined my grand ambition…!!”

Soon, the cult leader began to emit a sinister aura.

Seeing that, I was thrown into a panic.

Due to the backlash from drawing the source’s power to its limit, I was in no condition to even lift a finger.

Naturally, there was no way I could muster the strength to oppose the cult leader.

At this rate, I would truly be left helpless and die.

“Die, Wade Hebron…!!”

It was the moment the cult leader charged at me, unable to respond in any way.

Bang!

A barrier materialized in the air, bouncing the cult leader back.

“No…!”

The cult leader, shocked by the unexpected outcome, and in my ears, wide open with surprise, a familiar voice echoed.

“Wade…!!”

A voice I could never forget.

I slowly turned my head in the direction of that voice.

And I saw it.

A familiar face, golden hair fluttering in the wind like honey, flying towards me.

And those who followed behind.

It was then that I realized.

The true nature of the barrier that had blocked the leader’s attack.

It was created by Mary.

A barrier formed by folding space.

“Don’t interfere…!”

The leader immediately launched another attack, shattering Mary’s barrier, but by then, our group had already stepped in front of him.

“Looks like that guy is something we need to deal with. There’s a debt to repay, so this works out perfectly.”

A man took a step forward.

It was Ethan.

Ethan’s condition was far from normal, even as a mere expression, but his eyes, his spirit, were fiercely intense.

The reactions of the others were no different.

Mary, Rachel, Aira, and Estelle and Beluid, Ethan.

Everyone present stood there, glaring at the leader.

“You…!”

The leader gritted his teeth at their gazes.

However, that moment did not last long.

“Fine, then…! Since it’s come to this, I’ll wipe you all out…!!”

The leader’s resolve ignited.

At the same time, his power surged.

With an ominous intensity, tension spread among our group.

Even the superhumans, Ethan and Beluid, were no exception.

The ferocity emanating from the leader was enough to intimidate even them.

However, in the end, that tension proved to be unnecessary.

The energy of the priest, which had swelled as if to pierce the sky, began to scatter rapidly.

“W-why is this happening…?!”

The priest, in great confusion, tried desperately to hold onto the energy that was slipping away.

However, he could not achieve that goal.

Despite the priest’s efforts, the energy not only failed to recover but only scattered faster.

And it did not stop there; now, even the priest’s body began to disperse.

“…So, the priest’s body, sustained by the power of the ‘king,’ is also scattering now that the ‘king’ has vanished.”

Beluid spoke in a calm voice as he watched the priest disintegrate.

“It can’t be…! It can’t…!!”

The priest struggled in desperation.

But no matter what he did, his body continued to fade away.

“This can’t be happening…!”

The priest shouted.

In that voice, on his face, in his eyes.

There was an unmistakable sense of injustice and anger.

“This shouldn’t be…! This shouldn’t……!!”

With that scream, almost a wail, the priest completely scattered and vanished.

In the place where the priest had disappeared, leaving nothing behind.

“…….”

I stood silently, watching.

If one were to argue, the priest was nothing less than the source of all calamities.

For it was the ‘Connected One,’ the priest, who had begun everything by offering his soul to the king of monsters.

Yet, I still did not know what the cause or the trigger was.

What could have led the priest to curse humanity?

What made him want to destroy humanity to the extent of selling his own soul?

That, I still did not know.

And perhaps, I would never know.

As I felt a twinge of complex emotions at that thought, a voice reached my ears.

“…Huh? The sky….”

Following that voice, I lifted my head.

And immediately, I squinted my eyes.

Light was shining through.

The black sky was splitting apart, thick dark clouds were dispersing, and light was streaming through the gaps.

Seeing that light, I felt it deeply.

“…It’s over.”

The long battle had finally come to an end.

The world had, at last, escaped from its crisis.

Everyone gathered in the crater looked up at the sky.

They gazed at the dispersing black sky, the light beginning to shine through the cracks.

And beyond that, the blue sky that was visible.

It was a blue sky I had seen countless times throughout my life, but today, that sight appeared more special and beautiful than any landscape in the world.

Was it truly more beautiful than the sky I had seen all this time, or was it because it was a sky I had obtained after enduring difficult times and darkness?

I didn’t know what the answer was.

Nor did I feel the need to search for it.

At that moment, lost in an indescribable sentiment while gazing at the sky.

“Now everything is finally over.”

The voice came again.

It was a beautiful and intense voice that I could not possibly ignore.

Naturally, I turned my head toward the direction from which the voice came.

Not just me, but everyone present.

What stood there was a woman as beautiful as that voice.

An unrealistically beautiful woman was looking at me with her mysterious violet eyes.

The woman, Estelle, opened her mouth.

“I know this isn’t the time to say such things right after a tough battle, but I felt it deeply that the world can change in ways we can’t predict.”

In a situation where all eyes were focused on her, she spoke with a confident voice, as if she didn’t care about the attention at all.

“Wade, the time for choice has come.”

“……?”

What did she mean by the time for choice? I looked at her with a puzzled expression, but she paid no mind to my reaction.

“Since the main parties are all gathered here, the situation is quite fitting.”

Choice, and the Lead Role.

I couldn’t understand what she was saying at all.

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

The others, it seemed, were different somehow.

The expressions of the three changed.

Rachel, Aira, and Mary’s faces.

As they listened to Estelle, it was as if they realized something, and in an instant, their expressions shifted.

Watching their transformation and the incomprehensible words spilling from Estelle’s lips, I looked at her with questioning eyes.

“Isn’t it about time you stopped pretending not to notice?”

Estelle said, looking directly at me.

At that somewhat unexpected remark, I immediately opened my mouth to express my confusion, but—

“What do you—”

The meaning never came to fruition.

Estelle cut me off.

“How long do you plan to keep pretending you don’t know?”

“…….”

At that question, I fell silent.

And I quietly gazed into Estelle’s eyes.

As I looked into her unwavering purple gaze, I turned my head away.

I noticed those who were looking at me.

Rachel’s eyes, resembling roses.

Aira’s deep blue eyes.

And Mary’s eyes, reminiscent of the sky.

As I slowly took in those eyes, I let out a small sigh.

…The truth was, I knew what Estelle was saying.

And I also knew how they felt about me.

All this time, I had been pretending not to know their hearts.

It was a cowardly act, but there was a reason for it.

I thought I was not a person of this world.

I believed I was a person of Earth.

Because of that, I had been thinking that someday I would find a way to return to my original world, Earth.

For that reason, I ignored the kindness of the women towards me.

Not just those here, but the kindness of everyone I had met throughout my life.

I thought it was the right thing to do.

Since I was not a person of this world, and would someday return to Earth, I believed I should not accept their feelings.

I thought their kindness should not be directed at me.

However, to put it simply, that was an illusion.

I was not a person of Earth.

I had always been a person of this world.

There was no hometown to return to.

The land I stood on, this world, was my hometown.

Estelle was speaking to me.

Telling me not to run away anymore.

It was a reasonable statement.

Now that I knew this place was my hometown, the reason to go back had vanished.

And so had the excuses.

I lifted my head.

And once again met the eyes of the women.

Estelle, Rachel, Aira, and Mary.

The eyes of the first three women were steady, but Mary’s eyes were different.

Mary’s eyes were shaking violently.

As she looked at me with a mix of various emotions, Mary soon squeezed her eyes shut and opened her mouth with a look of determination.

“…Wade! The truth is…!”

And so, the words filled with Mary’s resolve to step into the world

“I know.”

I cut it off calmly.

“Uh…?”

Mary looked at me with a bewildered expression.

Facing those innocent eyes, I said,

“I know. So you don’t have to say it.”

Mary’s heart had known for a long time.

How she felt about me.

There was no way I could be unaware.

Mary and I were closer than anyone else, and I knew her better than anyone.

I had sensed long ago that Mary harbored special feelings for me.

I had simply pretended not to know.

I thought this was a world from a novel.

I believed Mary was the heroine of this world.

To maintain the flow of the original story, I had just acted oblivious.

And now, I had to face that feeling.

“I’m sorry. For pretending not to know all this time.”

I apologized to Mary.

The wounds she must have endured because I had turned away from her heart were not trivial.

It wasn’t something that could be resolved with a simple apology, but I truly felt sorry for Mary.

After hearing my apology, Mary…

“……”

After looking at me with trembling eyes for a while, she closed her mouth.

After sending my gaze into her clear sky-blue eyes, I closed my own.

It was somewhat sudden, but as Estelle said,

I could no longer postpone it.

It wouldn’t be courteous to them.

Now, it was time to make a decision.

With that resolve, I opened my eyes.

And, with great effort, I lifted my body from the seat.

Even rising was a struggle, and it felt like I might collapse again at any moment, but I gritted my teeth and forced myself to stand.

—

Then, she opened her mouth again.

“I…”

It was just as I was about to wrap everything up.

“Wait a moment.”

A soft voice interrupted.

I immediately turned my head toward the direction of the voice, and my eyes widened in surprise.

Because someone I never expected was standing there.

“Lunia-senpai…?”

The president of the club I belonged to, the ‘History Research Society,’ Lunia-senpai was standing there.

“…What are you doing here…?”

Why was Lunia-senpai here?

No, more than that.

“What were you going to say…?”

Did she pause the gathering to say something?

I looked at her with eyes demanding an answer.

However, Lunia-senpai did not respond to my question.

She simply walked toward me with long strides.

Before I could even react to that.

Lunia-senpai suddenly threw herself into my arms.

“……?!”

I was taken aback by the completely unexpected situation.

“…I missed you.”

Ignoring my bewildered reaction, she buried her face in my embrace and spoke in a voice thick with unshed tears, saying something I couldn’t comprehend.

“Lunia-senpai…? What is this all of a sudden…?”

As I was greatly flustered by her sudden actions, familiar voices reached my ears.

“…Oh.”

“Wade-san…?”

“…Wade.”

“Wade…?”

Familiar voices echoed around me.

—

…No, should I call it a familiar voice?

The voice itself was certainly familiar, but its temperature and pitch were different.

Those voices were colder and more rigid than any I had heard before.

I slowly turned my head, creaking as I did.

And then, I saw.

Four women with eyes colder than the polar blizzards.

As I gazed into those eyes.

“…No, I can’t make sense of this either…”

I tried to make excuses to survive.

““““…….””””

Their eyes gave me no room for excuses.

Soon, they began to approach me slowly.

Feeling a chill from their gait and their gaze, I wanted to flee from my seat immediately, but I could not fulfill that desire.

Senior Lunia wouldn’t let me go, and I didn’t have the strength to shake off her arm.

In the end, I gave up everything and lifted my head.

There, a clear blue sky, completely out of place for this situation, finally revealed itself in its entirety.

As I looked at that clear and beautiful sky.

“……Ha.”

I let out a deep sigh.

The Extra of the Fantasy Novel – The End –