Two weeks ago, the "Darkness" on the horizon was still far away, but now it has closed in to less than half that distance. There is almost no time left for humanity, or rather, for the world. The woman gently reached out her hand toward the land outside the barrier—and with a deep sigh, lowered it.
"You were here, Princess."
She turned at the voice from behind, seeing a tall and slender man. His golden hair, which should have glittered in the sunlight, was dull and faded, and a shadow of fatigue could be seen in his beautiful blue eyes. His eyesight had deteriorated from long years of research, and while glasses compensated for it, a replacement lens could no longer be found anywhere in the world. It was a sight that evoked pity.
However, the woman herself was likely the same. Her silver hair, once compared to the Moon Goddess's, no longer had its peak brilliance, and the body rumored to possess fragile beauty had changed into a merely thin and unattractive form. Still, she smiled gently, delivering the best beauty she could muster for the one she loved.
"Prince, what about you? Is your research finished?"
"That hits a sore spot. ...There were so many times you scolded me for getting too engrossed."
"Yes. Even though I knew it was for the sake of the world, a woman truly desires the one she loves to look only at her—we are such intractable creatures."
"Princess."
He drew her into his thin arms—the arms of a man who, like the woman, had not had enough to eat. A passionate kiss. When their lips parted, feeling the flush of their bodies, he, too, looked at her with a wistful expression. A life pushed to the very limit. She had seen naked men countless times. It was not difficult to imagine the state of that part of him. How wonderful it would be if they could touch, desire, and give in to their impulses. But they could not break the vow they had exchanged. Moreover, even if they sought each other now, there was no time left to conceive and give birth to a child.
"...I wish you would call me by my name at a time like this."
"We do not need names. In this world, we are the only 'Princess' and 'Prince' remaining. And even these titles will be unnecessary for the saviors who will eventually come."
"The heroes of salvation, whom we will not even be able to meet. We are forcing a cruel burden upon them."
"It cannot be helped. We had neither time nor options remaining."
The Prince, having fully separated from her, lowered his gaze to the stone floor. There were no walls; dozens of pillars along the perimeter supported the stone ceiling. There were stairs on all four sides—a measure to limit the enemy's intrusion routes and simultaneously allow this place to function as a temple.
A Temple. Yes. This was a temple. The final place built by those who could only pray, wish, and seek salvation.
"We must at least convey that this perishing world once existed here."
"Yes. ...And, I pray that a new world will be built here."
-----------------
The Third Prince of the Great Nation of Knowledge, which possessed the world's greatest academic city.
The Second Princess of the Holy Kingdom, which had a Great Temple in its royal capital, and an incomplete Great Saint.
After the attack by the demonic forces reached the royal capital, the two were evacuated with a minimal entourage to a small country located in the center of the continent. Although they had not yet reached adulthood, their talent was already recognized, and they were expected to have a bright future. The two devised every possible strategy for the survival of humanity in the small country that took them in. New tactics. New weapons. New magic. Crops that required less labor to grow.
Through numerous strategies, the days of humanity's survival were indeed extended. However, even the dragon that destroyed the Holy Royal Capital by itself was merely a pawn to the demonic forces. The difference in power was evident. Even the few heroes who possessed the power to fight back were defeated one by one by the enemy's preemptive attacks before they could gather their strength.
It was clear that the new Demon Lord was aiming for true destruction.
Based on the Great Sage's declaration of "the end of the world" at the academic city and the Princess's own divine revelation about the "approaching Darkness," the two concluded that the world's destruction was inevitable. Their strategy shifted from one for the survival of humanity to one for "the world's continuation, even if humanity perishes."
They built a Temple. A magical fortress that maximized the efficiency of Holy Magic using the principles of sorcery and borrowed the power of the benevolent Goddess, who was the counterpart to the Evil God worshiped by the Demon Lord. Construction was successful. They had overworked precious sorcerers, scholars, and architects to achieve it, but it was worth the cost.
However, even the temple built at such a cost was not spacious. The fortress, capable of preventing external enemies with a barrier, would house the Prince and Princess, the initiators of the plan, and their collaborators.
—Despite the fact that the royal family of the small country, which had protected the royalty of other nations amid the chaos, was left behind.
Their protests were not heeded. The King, the Queen, and even the Prince and Princess who had become their friends smiled and relinquished the means of prolonging life, saying, "You two are the most suitable." They led the few remaining soldiers and scattered, buying as much time as possible. Not only their belongings but even a lock of their hair could not be retrieved.
In their place, this temple, which housed the carefully selected sorcerers and Miko (shrine maidens), repelled every approaching threat. And then, they faced it.
True destruction. The sight of a deep Darkness, the symbol of nothingness—or rather, nothingness itself—approaching from the distance.
Neither the Demon Lord nor the Evil God appeared at this temple.
Perhaps they had exhausted their power or chose to perish earlier. The "Darkness" was not the power of the Evil God. It was the destiny of destruction induced by the Evil God's power. Even the gods cannot resist destiny. The Goddess was on humanity's side, but while she could nullify the Evil God's power, it was difficult for her to drive away the "Darkness."
However,
"There is a way to turn the world's contraction to our advantage."
The world was, so to speak, a large vessel. The power of the gods was immense, but it could not fill the entire world. But what if the world became smaller? If the world was only the size of a single temple, the Goddess's power could sufficiently fill it.
Theoretically, if they could draw out enough of the Goddess's power, they could permanently maintain the temple against the approaching darkness.
With this, a single "proof that the world existed" would remain in the perished world.
"We will grasp the possibility that the world did not perish, and we will recreate the world."
An enemy that the people of this world could not defeat. A threat that could not be completely averted. A destruction that could not be avoided. They would give trials to the warriors who could oppose these forces, train them while collecting "World Fragments," and create a new world. The "Darkness" was the lifespan of the world itself and could not destroy a new world.
It was a plan that was not just a tightrope walk but a mere pipe dream. It was a concept so innovative, astounding, childish, and hopeful that even the world's greatest intellects might scoff at it, but the Prince and Princess never gave up until the end.
"It is not us who will recreate the world."
"We, who failed to prevent destruction and had no choice but to accept it, do not have that qualification."
They would summon warriors from another world. Those who knew infinite possibilities and possessed infinite potential. Not just one, but many. Not just once, but many times. And they would have them recreate the world.
More than ten years after their escape. A desperate operation awaited them at the end of a long war.
-----------------
"The construction of the trials is complete. ...All that remains is to activate the 'World Barrier'."
"Understood. ...The time has finally come."
The Princess nodded, staring intently at the "Darkness" in the distance. The destruction was slowly drawing closer even at this very moment. There was almost no time left. It would be better to activate it sooner rather than later.
She turned her heel from the outside to the inside, and just as she was about to take a step—her arm was pulled back. She looked up into the Prince's sincere eyes. An expression more heartbroken than she had ever seen.
"We have fought hard enough. Perhaps it is alright for it to end here."
"Prince."
"There is no need for you to sacrifice yourself for the world. ...No, I cannot bear to lose you."
The current barrier was primarily magical. While it could destroy external enemies, it could not oppose the "Darkness." To protect the temple from destruction, the Goddess's power had to be drawn out as strongly as possible. This required someone with the power of a Saint to sacrifice her own soul to summon the divine authority.
The Princess was the only one who could be the core of the ritual. There were twelve virgin Miko remaining in the temple to go with her. The Princess's soul, along with theirs, would be shattered, becoming nourishment for the Goddess and weaving the barrier that would protect the world. The dead would gain the right to reincarnation, but those whose souls were shattered would achieve true death.
However, the Princess smiled and answered,
"If the world perishes, death will come even to the gods. If that happens, all life will lose the chance for reincarnation. Either way, destruction awaits us."
"But!"
"Prince. ...I love you. More than anyone else. That is why I want to believe in the 'hope' we built together."
"Princess."
A streak of blood flowed from the Prince's lips. He had bitten down too hard, tearing his lip. The Prince stood firm, clenching his fist to endure, and then gently released her arm.
"I apologize; I lost my composure. You are correct."
"Prince."
"I am alright now. We will do what we can until the very end—"
It was at that moment. A sound like something trembling or cracking came from the barrier. Upon checking, a goat-like monster walking on two legs, leading dozens of other monsters, was approaching the temple. To think that there were still so many monsters left. Had they been waiting for this moment to attack now? Or had they stubbornly survived and realized that the end was near?
"Is that, could it be one of the Four Heavenly Kings...!?"
"Is that why the barrier issued a warning?"
"Probably."
One of the Four Heavenly Kings. A two-legged, goat-shaped evil high priest. He was rumored to possess a selfish nature and terrifying magical power. If a Heavenly King-class monster directly attacked, the barrier would surely be in danger. It was fragile from repeated battles, and with the ritual imminent, they had no magic power left to reinforce it.
"It seems there was no other path, regardless."
"Prince!"
Smiling, the man took a step forward. Into the interior of the temple. To give orders to the few soldiers and sorcerers waiting there. To die protecting the temple. The ritual required only the Miko and the Princess. The food remaining in the storage was also scarce. After the ritual, there was little difference between surviving in a world where nothing remained but the temple and dying here and now.
And yet,
"Prince!"
The Princess pulled the Prince's arm, clinging to him this time. The man gently whispered to the woman whose back was wet with her tears.
"If the world survives and reincarnation is permitted—then, we shall meet again."
"!"
The Princess released him, murmuring, "Promise me."
They kissed one last time. By the time they wiped each other's tears with their fingers, they had regained their faces as the last leaders left in the world.
"Soldiers and sorcerers, gather here! We are under attack! To protect the barrier and the temple, we will now engage in the final battle!"
"All Miko, begin preparations for the ritual! You may use all remaining water and wine for purification! ...We will dedicate the souls and purity we have protected until today and have the Goddess descend!"
It was a battle premise on everyone's death. Once the ritual was complete, the entire interior of the temple was to be sealed. All remnants of human life here would vanish, leaving only the temple as humanity's greatest magical and divine apparatus.
However, if only that remained, then hope would surely be connected. The two exchanged glances one last time in the suddenly bustling world—.
That day.
A great light enveloped the world.
-----------------
"The transfer seems to have succeeded."
"Yeah. Honestly, it's nothing but annoying darkness. It really feels like the end of the world, and I hate it."
"There's an enemy over there! ...Ah, but it's one of the Four Heavenly Kings. I could handle that much on my own."
"It's a nuisance, so let's just burn it down quickly. It's a shame we won't get any drops for defeating it."
"Everyone. This is not a dungeon, so perhaps we should refrain from rash actions."
"It doesn't matter either way. You couldn't handle this unless you were overflowing with energy. ...To clear away this darkness with just us, you know."
Was it a dream or an illusion?
After the light subsided, several girls descended from the heavens. With hair of various colors, they looked around the world with an air of ease and naturalness, then gracefully descended toward the temple.
The woman who emerged from the group—no, the woman—the Princess, who saw the Miko who looked like the oldest in the group, recalled the figure of the 'Saint' who had died after a mutual strike with a dragon.
"We apologize for the delay. I am El. The one who was granted the title of Saint by the Saint-sama of the Great Temple. ...I have brought heroes from another world from far across time. Now that we have arrived, no one will be killed, and nothing will be destroyed."
"...From far across time? Could it be!?"
"Yes. ...I believe that is the case."
Tears overflowed. They had been prepared to die. They had intended to entrust the future to others and never expected to be saved themselves.
Yet.
The warriors from another world, whom they had burdened with all their difficulties, had successfully accomplished the task. Not only that, but they had crossed even time itself using methods the Princess and Prince could never have imagined, coming here not just to recreate the world after it perished, but to save the world as it was about to perish.
Could such a miracle truly happen?
"It is all thanks to all of you never giving up until the very end. ...Now! Let's quickly defeat those monsters and this darkness!"
The darkness was annihilated, literally as if the world was being recreated. The Princess, witnessing the heroes' feats, simply etched the sight into her memory alongside the Prince standing by her side.
A new myth. There was no doubt that this was the very first page of it.
============
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