Beyond the Isekai Transfer

From his kneeling position, Teru turned his pain-twisted face toward Sei.

Sei exhaled and met his gaze head-on.

"… Are you satisfied now?"

"… How are you so damn strong?"

Using principle magic's appraisal, Teru must have seen Sei's disguised status. In response, Sei answered without particularly hiding anything.

"If you keep repeating training where death is normal and keep fighting enemies where death is normal, you naturally end up like this."

Sei pressed Teru's severed wrist back onto the cross-section and used restoration magic.

Teru no longer had any will to fight. The only one unharmed, Kobolt-san, placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Teru…"

The vampire walked over with heavy steps. Mako's spear was pointed at her back.

"Sorry, I couldn't win."

"No, you were just up against the wrong opponent…"

The two gazed at each other with dark expressions.

Teru's companions, having regained consciousness and healed their wounds, also gathered around. After being so thoroughly overwhelmed in battle, there didn't seem to be any battle maniacs among them willing to pick another fight.

"Teru, are you going back?"

Kobolt-san, who hadn't spoken until now, finally called out to him.

In response, Teru nodded weakly.

"… Yeah… Sorry, everyone."

Watching this scene, Sei's feelings became complicated. At the end of this journey, Sei would also have to part ways with everyone. Except for Mako.

It wasn't that Sei hadn't thought about this before. That's why Sei decided to give Teru a small bit of hope.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?"

It wouldn't be good if others overheard and ended up with false hope.

Moving a bit away, Sei whispered in Teru's ear.

"How about asking God to let you reincarnate into this world after you die on Earth?"

Teru's face filled with surprise.

When Sei was sent to this world, God had mentioned something about adjusting time.

Conversely, it might be possible to live out one's natural lifespan on Earth and then reincarnate into this world.

Since dying should sever one's connection to the world, this thinking should be correct.

Of course, there was no way to know how the flow of time would work out.

Apparently, while Sei was in Nears, time on Earth was adjusted so only one second passed, but how heroes were treated was unknown. It would depend on negotiations with God.

But even so, Teru showed eyes filled with determination.

 

*

 

The hero with the Ability Theft gift had returned home.

The women who had been in his party were crying, but with luck, the vampire and dark elf might be able to meet him again when he reincarnates.

Though that possibility was probably low…

 

*

 

Sei's group posted a lookout just in case, then returned to the inn and slept.

The next day, Teru's party was delving into the labyrinth. Confirming this on the Map, Sei left the post town behind.

"Ane-deshi, aren't we going into the labyrinth?"

Bungol asked in a somewhat dissatisfied voice, but Sei's group's role was finished.

If they were going to do anything, it would be power-leveling Bungol and Kukuri, but considering the time that would take, it was too much trouble.

Their combat strength was already sufficient.

 

*

 

Rocked by the train, the group left the labyrinth city behind.

Mako was next to Sei, glancing sideways at him from time to time.

She should have been the only one who could understand the words whispered to Teru at that time.

That's why she asked in a low voice.

"Sei, do you want to come here too after you die on Earth?"

That was a matter of decades away—-and thoughts could change.

"If possible, yeah. But first I need to live my life properly on Earth."

To that, Mako only said "Hmm."

 

*

 

After several days of transferring trains, the group's next destination was the Imperial Capital, Garhart.

Ria had specifically told them to meet the Empress who ruled the empire from this capital, even if it took some time.

The imperial capital was designed with planning in mind, with large roadways and sidewalks laid out alongside them.

There was a transfer gate that led close to the palace, but its use was restricted by permit.

Since it was a direct route to almost directly below the palace, the usage restrictions made sense.

And Sei had permission to use it. Being a noble of a friendly nation, after all.

 

*

 

The palace was simply massive.

It was less like a castle or palace and more like a fortress.

As the center of the world's largest nation, this level of grandeur was probably necessary.

They reported their visit to an administrative department and requested an audience with the Empress, but of course it couldn't happen same-day.

Still, led by a dark elf lady-in-waiting with refined movements, the group was guided to a guest house within the palace.

According to Sei's appraisal, the palace functioned as a fortress, but around the guest house there was a grove, and on the ceiling was a light source made to resemble the sun.

Here, Sei's group would wait until the Empress had time, but in truth, Sei hadn't been told why they were visiting.

"A halfling entering Garhart's palace is probably a first."

Kukuri was saying something similar again. True to the curious nature of halflings, he was examining the room's furnishings.

And then the group ended up waiting for three whole days.

 

*

 

Great Demon King Fernasa.

A human Demon King who had lived for three thousand years.

Her ideology was conservative, or rather, she had inherited the policies of the previous Great Demon King.

Constitutional monarchy. Respect for the autonomous territories of each race. Protection of the natural environment, advancement of civilization including science, and improvement of the citizens' lives.

Hearing just this, it sounded ideal, but in practice it was apparently difficult.

There had been times when the previous Great Demon King retired and a Demon King reigned, but they couldn't govern well, leading to periods of civil war.

Given that it was civil war in the world's largest nation, the scale was considerable.

In the end, it was only when Fernasa led the demons serving as elders and reigned as Great Demon King that the United Empire finally stabilized.

And now Sei's group was casually meeting with this Great Demon King in a reception room.

She was a woman with the air of a cross-dressing girl. Being immortal, she apparently hadn't aged either.

Secretly appraising her, her level was an incredible 307.

Based on her skills and Gifts, she was roughly equal to Carla, or perhaps slightly weaker.

Stronger than the Demon Kings and Demon Generals of the demon territories.

This woman sat facing Sei's group, drinking the prepared tea.

"I am opposed to waking that person from their slumber."

She said this out of nowhere, leaving Sei confused.

When Sei asked directly, it seemed Ria had said something between a request and an order.

Among the evil gods, there were four pillars with particularly great power.

Sealing or destroying them was impossible even with the Empress's power. It would require an army of dragons, or a Divine Dragon personally.

However, Garhart possessed a certain sealed weapon.

A supreme weapon used only during the Great Collapse three thousand years ago, one that hadn't been used even during the civil war.

Apparently, Ria had told her to use it to fight the evil gods.

 

*

 

That was the Machine God.

A fusion of science and magic—-a giant humanoid weapon.

 

*

 

"A robot?"

Sei said with surprise. Even if his body had been changed to female, his heart was still a boy's.

"We call it a Machine God."

Dressed in loose clothing, Fernasa gracefully brought the cup to her lips.

While the other women were busy eating the prepared sweets, Sei conversed with Ferna.

The Machine God ran on magic cores—-magic crystals that had been refined to even higher purity—-as its energy source.

Furthermore, the pilot needed to possess both magic power and physical fortitude.

But even with such restrictions, the Machine God was an immensely powerful existence. After all, a single one could fight an adult dragon.

"Though it wasn't actual combat, the Demon Lord Machine God once fought one-on-one against Reiana, who would later become the Dark Dragon."

Apparently Ria won that time, but in reality, the Great Demon King piloting it hadn't been fighting seriously.

"On par with a Divine Dragon…"

Sei was rendered speechless, reminded of the Golden Dragon Irina.

Despite being cornered to the edge of the Dragon Fang Continent, the Demon King's army and human mercenaries couldn't finish the fight.

That was due to the overwhelming power of a single god—-the God of Greed.

Yet even that god had lost to Irina.

To be roughly on par with that Divine Dragon…

"If you had such a weapon, why didn't you use it from the start? Not just for fighting the evil gods, but during the civil war too."

Sei's question was natural, but Ferna had an answer.

"The Machine God is ultimately a deterrent."

"Ah, so like nuclear weapons… its meaning lies in its existence."

There seemed to be various other reasons too, but the actual use of the Machine God was taboo.

Faced with a Divine Dragon telling her to use it, was the Great Demon King resisting or confused?

"Besides, only a handful of people in Garhart can pilot a Machine God powerful enough to fight gods. Considering that, what Ria is proposing is to disturb that person's sleep."

"Um, who is this 'that person' you keep mentioning?"

Ferna seemed to be talking as if they already knew, but no one in the group understood.

But Lavi realized.

"… The Great Demon King, Ars Garhart."

At the quiet whisper, Ferna nodded with a sigh.

 

*

 

Great Demon King Ars was a hero summoned from Earth.

Confusingly, this Earth was different from the Earth Sei and the others had been summoned from—-it was a parallel world's Earth. And it was Ars's homeland that no longer existed.

During the Great Collapse three thousand years ago, Ars himself had schemed and destroyed Earth.

Fewer than ten million humans had crossed from that Earth to Nears.

Ars had migrated those Earth people and demons to three continents where the human race had been nearly extinct.

And then for a thousand years, he continued to govern, providing political, economic, food, and technological support.

As a result, he had burned out.

For several hundred years he lived in a kind of retirement, but eventually even simply living became painful.

Even the immortal had ways to die. But he didn't wish for that.

Just in case his power was ever needed, he decided to enter a deep slumber.

And that place of sleep was supposedly deep beneath this royal castle.

 

*

 

Beyond the isekai transfer, he had tried to use his power for the world to the very end.

 

*

 

"Considering Ria's words as well, sealing gods is difficult for mortal races. However, if a hero were to carelessly kill a god, that power might become harmful to this world."

And then Ferna stood up. Determination filled her features.

"Let us awaken Ars-sama. And seal the gods."

 

*

 

The one truly called Great Demon King was singular in this world. A hero summoned from a vanished Earth, both hero and Demon King—-Ars Garhart.

A being of legend was about to appear on the stage of history once more.