"——"
It's dark…
I can't see anything…
I can't hear the others' voices, either…
I wonder what happened…
Did I… lose…?
Because I made the wrong choice, just like Elysium said…?
"…"
No, that can't be.
Although it's faint, I can feel my power flowing out of me.
Most likely, to the barriers I've spread all over the world.
They've gotten considerably weaker, but the barriers are still running.
I'm still protecting everyone.
That means I haven't lost yet.
My choice wasn't wrong, either.
I… I…
At that moment.
"…?"
A small light suddenly appeared in front of me, and I slowly reached out my right hand to it.
Then, I heard a woman's voice that made me feel slightly nostalgic.
『So it really is you, Exa-san. Thank you very much for protecting all of us in Hargay.』
"…Lisa-san?"
Yes, this gentle voice belonged to Lisa-san, the guild receptionist in the port town of Hargay whom I'd met when I'd taken a quest for the first time after I'd broken up with Elma.
If my memory served me right, she was a beautiful woman with a really nice smile.
But how could Lisa-san's voice be here… as I was stunned, another light appeared in front of me.
So I tried to reach out my hand to the light.
The next thing I heard was a girl's voice that also made me feel nostalgic,
『Thank you very much for driving away Mr. Turtle at that time. My mom and I are safe thanks to you, Exa-san. I hope we can meet again.』
"Tia-chan…"
Come to think of it, when I first visited Magrid, I drove away that ridiculously huge Adamantia for the sake of her and her mother, didn't I?
Since the Adamantia had almost caused the trip that apparently was a gift she'd got for her mother to get canceled, Tia-chan became overjoyed then.
She seems to be doing well, that's good… as I was deeply moved, more lights appeared around me, gradually lighting up the surroundings.
『Please visit my mom's shop again. Fio will always be waiting for you, Exa-san.』
『Seems like you're fighting an outrageously strong guy, but you can't lose. If you do, Fio will be sad.』
Fio-chan and Leia-san from the martial arts city of Leolinea.
『I have heard the situation from Magmell. May the fortunes of war be with all of you.』
Freyr-sama from the fortified city of Algren.
『I am leaving my daughter in your hands, Savior-dono.』
『All we can do is pray for your victory, please forgive us.』
『Exa-san, please take care of Onee-sama and the rest.』
King Zestgard, Queen Lifia, Iris and her sisters from the military city of Berqua.
『Everybody in the village is safe. Please drop by with Tirna when everything is over.』
Seleia-san, Tirna's mother, from the mermaid village of Norg.
『Eh, Exa-sama is losing?! Hey, if you lose, my goddesses will die too, won't they?! Please, you have to hold on, no matter what?! If you can't, then please swap Nazarie with Magmell-sama while you still ca, bueh?!』
『You scum pig fatty! Why don't you swap with Exa?!』
"Haha…"
Porco-san and Nazarie-san sure were still the same as usual…
But I was really glad that both of them were safe.
As I unknowingly broke into a smile, I could hear other people's voices from the other lights.
There were so many of them, from small children to the elderly, from humans to demi-humans, from people whom I had met before to people whom I hadn't, and they were all cheering for me.
"…Yeah. I wasn't wrong, after all. Because as long as I can still listen to everyone's voices, I can't afford to lose—no, 'I won't lose'."
I clenched my fist and looked forward again with a determined expression.
At that time.
『——Yes. Exa-sama was not wrong.』
"!"
I could hear Kaya's voice responding to my words.
—Tinkle.
"—?!"
No sooner had I heard the sound of a bell ringing than the light that had filled up the surroundings all rushed towards me, and power welled up from the depths of my body.
"This is…"
『The kindness and caring you have given everyone have returned to be of help to you. In the form of 'prayers' from all the people living in this world.』
"Oh, I see…"
So that was why I could hear everyone's voices.
They all lent us their strength.
"Thank you, Kaya-san. Thanks to you, I—no, we can rise up again. Thank you so much for fighting with us."
『No, you don't need to thank me. After all, I, too, am one of your wives, who love you.』
"Yes, that's true. Still, I want to say my thanks to you. Thanks, Kaya-san. I will definitely visit you once everything is over. So, please wait just a little bit longer."
『…Yes!』
After that, the space I was in was flooded with light.
◇
"It feels anticlimactic how it ended just like that." Elysium said to himself looking down at the condensed spherical 'filth'.
The injuries he had taken from Exa's flames had already regenerated, and the half-destroyed Genesis Tree had returned to its original form.
There was no longer anyone that could stand against Elysium in this world, and soon all humans and demi-humans would perish.
It was Elysium's complete victory.
—Crack!
"?!"
Or so he thought, but…
—Crash!
"Hm?!"
Suddenly, the 'filth' cage broke open, and at the same time, six colorful balls of light flew out from it.
Each ball was divided into six colors: red, blue, yellow, green, purple, and white. The five balls, other than the white ball, fused to form another white ball, then the two white balls flew back into the cage.
And in the next moment.
—SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!
"I-impossible…?! H-how did you get so much power…?!"
A dazzling golden glow instantly burned away the 'filth' cage along with the arms of the Genesis Tree.
Standing quietly in the place where the cage had been was the Savior Exa, who was now clad in golden from head to toe.