The final battle with the 'Darkness' was extremely fierce.
The Darkness, which had closed in to the point of nearly enveloping the world, was in its strongest possible state. It materialized in the form of multiple dragons, the Demon Lord itself, and countless subordinates, challenging Ren and the others to battle. It was an all-or-nothing fight: be swallowed or drive it back.
Ten years after being transferred, and five years after returning to Japan using the developed transfer device. After reaching the 100th floor, and following several months of trial and error and a few retreats, Ren and her group finally won the battle against the 'Darkness'.
Ren, Huri, Iris, Mei, Shion, and Meteor. The sisters and El. The friend party and Shou's party. Iris's mother and Mei's mother. The cosplay shop owner, other townspeople, and veteran explorers. Furthermore, even the 13-year-old Sage and Kent were brought over from Japan, resulting in a victory with zero casualties, fought by every member who was able and willing to fight.
It turned out that one could participate in the battle against the 'Darkness' even without fully conquering up to the 75th floor. They discovered this while experimenting to conquer the 100th floor. When Ren's group entered the stairs, thinking of training on the 80th floor, a young transfer student accidentally followed them. After severely scolding him, they thought, "I wonder what will happen now?" and tried entering the dungeon as they were, and they were able to go straight to the 80th floor.
Of course, they immediately left and sent the young transfer student back, but this realization was huge. The battle against the 'Darkness' required not just conventional combat strength but a strong will to never abandon hope. Those who had gained children and something to protect—the town's elders—surpassed Ren's group in this regard. Their strikes pulverized the darkness-formed orcs, stripped the scales off the dragons, and blew away goblins and orcs in groups.
After the victory, the world was filled with light—and no down-stairs appeared.
"Is it over?"
"Yes. It's over. ...With this, we've cleared the dungeon."
What appeared instead of stairs was a divine artifact in the shape of a key. The dropped item was an immense amount of World Fragments.
Analysis revealed that the key had the effect of opening a gate to Japan. The moment it was opened, the summon to the other world—the mass disappearance—would also cease, and all those belonging to Japan would lose their 'Blessings'. The artifact could be used only once. Those like Ren, who had fixed their race, would remain as they were, but those who hadn't would lose their skills and levels, and "return to the state they were in when summoned."
They could start over again in Japan.
"But, the people who died won't come back to life."
"Naturally, wouldn't they? Even the gods can't resurrect someone who is completely dead. Just as you can't go back in time."
Meteor replied to Huri's murmur, but Ren was also a bit dissatisfied with the ending. Shouldn't there have been an ending where everything worked out after clearing the dungeon?
"...I wonder if we could do something if we could turn back time?"
When she muttered this idea, Mei tilted her head with a slightly amused expression.
"Master. After traveling to another world, are you attempting time travel now?"
"Yeah. If we could do that, maybe we could save the destroyed world and the people who died."
"...It's a theoretical possibility, but if it were possible, there's a chance they could be saved."
In the battle on the 100th floor, Ren and the others met the Prince and Princess of the perished kingdom—the ones who created the temple and preserved the world's remnants. They invited them to come along, but they refused. They had witnessed a miracle and received salvation, and desired nothing more. They were smiling even as they parted, but Ren's group felt complicated about it.
"I want to save them if I can! The Saint-sama, the Royalty, everyone!"
"El-chan... Of course, I feel the same way, but I don't think we can guarantee we can save them even if we go back in time. The time paradox can't be solved."
The bookish Iris became more knowledgeable after spending a month constantly at a Japanese library and stuffing her storage with as many books as possible when she returned. (Mei did something similar, but it didn't seem to affect her words or actions much. Mei is Mei.) Her statement, based on her newfound knowledge, was persuasive.
If they altered the past, it would affect Ren and the others' present. For example, if the summoning itself never happened, Ren and the others would never have come here, and the fact that they intervened in the past would also disappear. The theories explaining this involve parallel worlds or the branching of worlds.
One theory suggests that even if you go back and save something in the past, a "saved world" is simply created separately, and your own future doesn't change. If this were true, changing the past wouldn't bring the dead back to Ren and her group's present.
"That's fine! If everyone is saved in a different world!"
"That's right. I agree with El."
"So, Ren. You're going to research time travel next?"
"My status as a Succubus is fixed, after all. And El will help me, won't you?"
"Absolutely!"
The children born in this world would not lose their powers even if the gate was opened. They might lose any additional blessings they received, but even without them, they could still use swords and magic. Since many of her daughters would likely remain in the other world, one mother was necessary.
"I'll stay here and work hard. That suits my personality better."
It wasn't that she couldn't return to Japan permanently. The gate could only be used once, but they had their own means of inter-world transfer. She could return sometimes, so it wouldn't be a final farewell.
"Since we'll meet again, everyone can decide easily. Of course, if someone remarries over there, that's fine too—"
"You can't help it, can you? Then I'll stay with you too."
"Huri."
"There's no way I can abandon such a cute girl, and I told you before, didn't I? I can't forget Ren that easily."
"Even though you can start over?"
"I might have considered it if we could both be high school students again."
She laughed and hugged Ren from the front. The arms wrapped around Ren's neck were incredibly comforting. Ren deeply felt that she wanted her to stay.
"Or maybe you don't need someone like me?"
"Of course not. ...I want you to stay with me. Huri, and everyone else."
"Right? Then you should have said so from the start."
"See?" Huri looked back, and the Half-Elf girl and the Dark Elf Princess smiled.
"My homeland was originally here."
"I don't have a marriage partner other than you. Did you forget?"
"Iris. Meteor too."
Next, the Golem girl nodded.
"The internet and games over there are very interesting, and I am tempted by the idea of being pampered as a maid robot. I also think the daughter I bore could manage alone."
"Hmm. Mei-chan, why don't you go?"
"I'll refrain. I doubt I'll find a Master better than my current Master."
"Thank you, Mei."
Finally, Shion. As everyone's eyes gathered on her, the girl paused for a moment with a hesitant expression.
"I will return to Japan."
"...I see."
"Yes. My daughter wants to go there, and I also have things I want to do there."
When Shion returned before, she had been contacted by the Oinari-sama (Inari deity) of Japan. Not in the sense of a shrine, but in the sense of a Fox-Youkai. Everyone made a big deal of the 'sitting Fox-Youkai', but it seems there were descendants quietly existing. They had asked for her help, so she would likely enjoy herself there. Shion smiled apologetically.
"So, would it be alright if I returned after my task is complete? I will return in about five or ten years, that's all."
"Shion-chan. Are you sure?"
"Yes. My daughter will be quite grown up by then. That time will pass in the blink of an eye for a Fox-Youkai."
They could choose the timing to open the gate. They needed the transferees in Japan to return once to check if the loss of abilities would affect them, and if they fixed their race before using it, they could retain their abilities. Shion chose to return as a Fox-Youkai and then come back to the other world.
"I, too, miss being in Ren-sama's arms. Do you understand?"
"Of course. ...We'll be waiting for you."
"Yes!"
The population of the other world is starting to increase again. Now that the future is less uncertain, it will likely continue to grow rapidly. The problem then becomes the temple.
"The temple won't disappear, will it?"
"No. But it seems the barrier that protected this world will be gone."
The Prince and Princess said that the Darkness could not encroach on the new world. However, it's not absolute, and if they interfere, the Darkness might retaliate. Even if it can't swallow the world, it might not be harmless to people.
"The temple seems to have become a type of divine artifact, too. Maybe we can analyze it and try to control it."
They might need to seal the dungeon once they've gathered enough fragments. Alternatively, they could create a dungeon in this world. If they create a cave with World Fragments, monsters might spawn there. This should be discussed thoroughly with everyone.
Also, they could try to change the function of the Blessings. A feature like the "granting of skills at a certain age" often seen in stories would surely make life easier.
"We have so much to do."
"We might not finish before Shion-chan returns."
"It would be a problem if you finished everything! In fact, please call me when you plan to travel to the past."
"Yes. Having Shion would give us a hundred times the strength."
Their policy was set. All that was left was to work hard on everything: raising children, training successors, developing the town, analyzing the divine artifact, and searching for a way to time travel. Ren's role was far from over, but the fighting was paused here for now. She would continue to refine her skills in preparation for the battle in the past.
"Let's work hard together, El."
Finally, when Ren asked El, who had become a respectable Saint, she offered her left hand with a smile.
"Yes. Please take me. To the future, forever."
The day they could truly save the Prince and Princess might not be too far off, after all.
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