kscans

Chapter 139 - Epilogue. After the Battle and the Coach's Return

A quiet wind blew across the battlefield as the evening sun began to set. On the ground lay the shadow of the fallen human demon lord and the figures of the wounded heroes.

Lumiere sat down on some rubble, letting out a deep breath. Her slime body was still trembling slightly.

"Phew... looks like my body's at its limit too. But... I'm so glad we could win together♡."

She smiled, looking around at everyone.

Meanwhile, a short distance away, Robele was gracefully on one knee, a hand to his chest.

"Fufu, I'm just glad my dress is unharmed even after such a rough battle... Besides, my tea was still warm♡. Fighting with elegance truly is the greatest proof of victory. Ohohohoho."

His tone was a little pretentious, but his eyes were filled with relief.

La Muse sheathed his sword and quietly looked up at the sky.

"We beat a monster like that because we all became one. I've still got a long way to go... but this must be the 'answer'."

He smiled faintly.

And then there was Ares.

Traces of sweat and tears ran down her cheeks, but her face was filled with a powerful resolve.

"Everyone... thank you. I couldn't have done anything alone. It's only because I was with all of you that I could come this far."

She quietly tightened her grip on her sword.

"This is our light of victory."

They all looked at each other and shared quiet smiles. It was an unspoken, undeniable proof of their bond.

The wind blew, and the land stained by the setting sun was still covered in scars, but what was born there was hope for the future.

Her companions were in tatters. But their eyes certainly held the pride of having fought through to the end with others.

Slime Princess Lumiere made a toast with slime tea. Robele dabbed his tears with a hand-sewn handkerchief. La Muse nodded with a silent smile.

And Hero Ares looked up at the sky alone.

(Coach... were you watching?)

◆◆◆

Several months later.

In a deep mountain forest cave battered by the wind. Deep inside, in the very place the heroes had once visited for their first trial, a single shadow had returned.

"...I'm back again. Well, this place is the most comfortable, after all."

Mamoru the Hobgoblin sat down on the stone throne deep within the cave. He was remembering the growth of the female hero he had watched for so long.

The voice of the wind reached him from outside the cave.

"They say it was a single girl who saved the world. Her name is Ares Scarlet. The final hero of light, who never shows her tears..."

"I see... so you finally did it, crybaby hero Ares Scarlet..." Mamoru's eyes narrowed slightly as a smile touched his lips.

Then, he stood up quietly.

"Well then, it's about time for the game Legend of Brave Regalia to reset. I wonder... what kind of hero will come next."

His own body slowly became enveloped in light. He would once again return to being Mamoru the Hobgoblin, the one who was supposed to be defeated first. This would be his third go-round in this demon game life.

Even so, Mamoru could say it with pride.

"I'll be waiting on this throne, always. For the day I can meet a 'real hero' like her again..."

Silence returned to the throne room.

And once more, the sound of an adventurer's footsteps echoed from the depths of the cave, heralding the beginning of a new story.

Spin-off Novel. Second Playthrough: Me, a Hobgoblin, Making the Crybaby Heroine Independent.

─ The End ─