kscans

Chapter 258 - Final Chapter: Epilogue, Part One

Final Chapter: Epilogue, Part One

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"Ahh, it's wonderful to be alive."

A few days after the 'Guivre Subjugation Operation.'

The world was abuzz with news that 'the SDF's Otherworld Dispatch was a success, and an increase in dungeons due to ley line manipulation is now expected to be preventable.'

As for the defeat of the two dragons, only the half-true information that the Self-Defense Force had subjugated them was circulating.

The records of the adventurers who fought that day would not be released to the public for many years to come.

But some records would never be made public, no matter how many years passed. Like the battle of these very girls.

"You can say that again. I thought we were done for back there..."

"Who would've thought healing magic would be the deciding factor?"

In a certain family restaurant in Tokyo.

In one corner, three girls were leisurely chatting like ordinary high school students, enjoying their juice and fries.

Another girl joined their circle.

"So this is where you were. A family restaurant right after being discharged from the hospital. You never change."

"Ah, Class Rep."

"It was more like counseling and questioning than a hospital stay. And stuff about keeping quiet, you know."

"More importantly, you."

The girl with twintails grinned and waved her right hand, while the elf-eared girl gave a wry smile, her hand on her cheek.

The girl with gray hair in a ponytail pointed at the newcomer's face.

"Your art style has changed again."

"Hold on a sec."

After a series of crack, pop, snap sounds that seemed impossible to come from a human body echoed from the restroom...

Akasaka Yuune returned to the table where the three were sitting, looking as if nothing had happened.

"Sorry for the wait."

"You had the face of the world's greatest assassin."

"I thought I'd get kicked if I stood behind you."

"You looked like you were about to make an outrageous demand of a gunsmith."

"Well, I've been running around so much I kind of lost myself."

"Ah, the follies of youth."

Definitely not, thought a passing waitress, but after hearing the sounds from the restroom earlier, she decided it was too scary to get involved. Two and a half years after the Day of Awakening, this kind of crisis-avoidance skill was essential in the service industry. Work was tough.

"Anyway, I heard. You guys fought cyborgs this time?"

"Hmm? Well, if you put it that way... maybe cyborgs?"

At Yuune's words, the girl with twintails put her right index finger to her lips in a thinking pose.

"I suppose so. It was a big old ruckus with American-made cyborgs."

The elf-eared girl glanced around for a moment.

Thanks to Yuune's bizarre behavior, no one was nearby. They were being given a wide berth. Unless they shouted, no one would hear them.

"...Well, whatever. Pa—My father told me there were 'zero fatalities.'"

Yuune sat down next to the gray-haired girl and gave a small shrug.

"Honestly, I was worried one of you would mess up."

"Yeah. Actually, I had already 'prepared myself,' you know."

Yuune's face twisted as if she had just chewed on a hundred bitter bugs at the twintailed girl's lighthearted laugh.

This girl had been prepared to die. She knew that the moment she killed a human, she would become a monster worse than a beast.

Her plan had been to commit suicide immediately after defeating the enemy, or if she was too broken to even do that, to have one of her friends help her.

What saved her from that was...

"Thanks to me!"

The elf-eared girl puffed out her ample chest, a smug look on her face.

"It's true! Thank you so much!"

"I never thought recovery magic would 'heal' their modifications. Every time I cast it, something that had been embedded in them would just fall to the ground. It was honestly pretty gross."

"Ah... so that's what happened."

The face of a certain former ambassador to Japan flashed through Yuune's mind.

He had learned of his home country's atrocities and was nearly killed to silence him. To avoid that, he had an underground doctor perform plastic surgery and went into hiding.

But when he was caught in a dungeon outbreak, he received treatment with a magic potion, and his face reverted to its pre-surgery state.

"So, you're saying that by spamming recovery magic, your opponent turned back into a normal human... a non-Awakened old guy."

"That's right. Well, some of the modifications remained, and we ran out of stamina and mana, so we couldn't finish him off."

The trio laughed, but the traces of their battle were immense.

The scale of the damage was as if the area had been bombed. The official story was that an unexploded ordnance near a gas pipe had detonated, but it went without saying that many people had to scramble to cover it up.

Yuune was one of those who had scrambled. In fact, she had just pulled two all-nighters.

Still, the fact that she seemed fine physically was a testament to her being an 'adventurer.'

"So, even with that recovery magic... your arm can't be healed?"

Her brow furrowed, Yuune looked at the twintailed girl's left arm.

Hidden by her long sleeve, there was nothing there. From the middle of her upper arm down, it was completely gone.

She didn't seem to mind, however, as she smiled.

"Yeah. It seems like it was under a pretty nasty curse. If I hadn't amputated it on the spot, I probably would've died."

"...It's this kind of world, so maybe it can be fixed? Through my father's connections, a 'Holy Grail' or a 'Philosopher's Stone'—"

Before she could finish, the girl placed her index finger on Yuune's lips.

The girl, smaller than others her age, wore a calm smile that seemed beyond her years.

"It's fine. I'm fine with this."

"Why..."

"Hmm. It's hard to put into words, but..."

The twintailed girl stroked the empty space where her left arm used to be.

"The me that almost fell into being a monster that day died with this. That's how I feel... I guess?"

"...I see."

At her calm smile, Yuune decided not to press the matter further, shrugging and leaning back against her seat.

"Well, if you're fine with it, then I am too."

"Oh, but I do want a prosthetic arm! One with a hidden weapon!"

"A beam cannon! Let's add a beam cannon!"

"You're so naive. This calls for a blade. One that goes 'shing!' from the inside of the forearm. The elbow is also acceptable."

"Are you guys middle school boys?"

Yuune looked on, exasperated, at the trio's soaring excitement.

"Actually, I've already decided where to request the prosthetic from."

"Hmph. Is that so."

"What a weak reaction!? You know, in the town I used to live in for a little while, there's a famous dwarven craftsman these days!"

"Ah, the one where you made a high school or middle school girl cry in the park."

"You lost a card game and resorted to a real fight..."

"I was in elementary school back then! W-Well, I do feel bad for that older girl... She was so pretty, but such a hopeless person."

"Being called hopeless by you must mean she was really something."

"What's that supposed to mean, Class Rep!?"

Five minutes later, a waitress had to muster her courage to scold the noisy group of four.

They apologized in unison and headed for the drink bar.

The time they could spend as just high school girls was surely not long.

And yet, these four spent today with smiles on their faces.

*

Washington, D.C., America.

In the Oval Office of the White House, Fudge Valentine stared at his own palm, a deep furrow in his brow.

"Mr. President. Are you feeling alright?"

"Director. Yes, I'm fine."

The President looked up at the CIA Director standing across the desk.

"More importantly, are the preparations for the press conference complete?"

"They are. Security was just confirmed a moment ago."

"Excellent. From now on, we... must tell the world of America's sins."

Fudge Valentine clenched his fist, tears welling in his eyes.

"We may tarnish America's authority with our own hands. But, even so... it is a necessary act to protect this world."

"To once again inform the entire world of the danger of Awakened Persons... is that it?"

"Yes. At the same time, we will disclose our knowledge concerning the gates. Humanity must join hands to face the threat from the other world."

"—I understand."

The Director nodded deeply, as if moved by those words.

"Let us walk into hell together, Mr. President."

"Yes. Thank you... I am truly grateful that a man like you has sworn his loyalty."

"That is unnecessary. I swore my loyalty to America long before you became president."

"Hah, so you did..."

The President nodded sentimentally and rose from his chair.

"Then, let us go."

"Yes. But before that, a final confirmation. The magic item remaining on your person is 'just the one,' correct?"

"Yes. It enhances my physical body, but with my current mana, I'm only about on par with an average Awakened Person—a demon. I am far from a match for those who should be called Demon Lords, like the 'A-Rank Candidates.' In fact, even against a 'C-Rank' opponent..."

"Understood. I will inform the security detail with that in mind."

"Haha. This technology will also need to be made public, I suppose."

"Yes. Indeed. For the sake of all humanity."

"Yes. For humanity."

And with that, they left the room.

The President parted ways with the Director and joined his secretaries, heading for the front of the United States Capitol.

Amidst a large crowd, President Fudge Valentine, dressed impeccably in a suit, ascended the podium.

And then—.

A red flower bloomed, followed a moment later by the sound of a gunshot and screams.

*

"Heart shot, hit. He's on his knees. Stationary. Headshot, aim."

About 1.5 kilometers from the Capitol, inside a building under construction.

"Fire."

At the dispassionate command, another gunshot rang out.

Former Ambassador Chris Mackenzie, holding a pair of binoculars engraved with a magic circle, murmured quietly.

"Hit. Target is not getting up. No mana signature."

"...Excellent. Then, begin preparations to withdraw."

"Yes, sir."

Former Ambassador Chris lowered the binoculars and headed toward a nearby dolly.

He placed the binoculars in a container meant for cement, and over his turtleneck sweater and jeans, he put on a construction worker's vest.

With a helmet in hand, he turned to the person behind him.

"A splendid job, Director. It seems your skills haven't dulled."

"Hmph. I've done nothing worthy of praise."

The person who had just finished disassembling an anti-materiel rifle, the CIA Director, snorted.

He then glanced at the empty casing in his hand.

"Still, this anti-Awakened ammunition... a terrifying destructive power."

"Indeed. I acquired it in Japan."

"You seem to have made some good connections."

The Director, still in his black coat, gestured with his chin at the rifle case Chris was holding.

"I'm entrusting you with the disposal of this. I'll be busy from now on."

"...What do you intend to do now?"

"Before asking others, you should state your own plans. You are currently resting peacefully in a cemetery."

At the hawk-like gaze, Chris gave a small shrug.

"For now, I plan to reveal that I'm alive. With the dungeon disasters in Japan, it's easy to fabricate a story for that."

"And after that, will you work at the embassy again?"

"Yes. But in a few years, I plan to run for office."

"...You're going to become a politician?"

At the Director's surprised expression, his eyes widening behind his glasses, Chris let out a small laugh, as if seeing something rare.

"Yes. I plan to become president in twenty years."

"...You're aiming rather high."

"I intend to use my experience, my connections, and what I gained in Japan. For the sake of America."

"...I see. Well, unlike me, you are a resourceful man. It is likely not just a pipe dream."

With only those words, the Director began to walk away.

"I still haven't heard your plans."

"...I told you. I'm busy. I've already sealed away everything related to that 'insane research' and made it 'never have happened.' But I must also ensure it can be unsealed in case of an emergency."

"So you won't erase it completely."

"You never know what might happen in this world. I pray that technology will never see the light of day in the future."

"...And after that?"

"You are quite persistent. I've confirmed there are no listening devices, but we cannot stay here long."

"Then, let me ask just this. Will you continue to remain in your position?"

Former Ambassador Chris stared intently at his former superior, a man he considered a mentor.

In response, he let out a small sigh.

"For whatever reason, a democratically elected president has been assassinated. We have a drug-addicted former Green Beret set up as the culprit, but I have a duty to take responsibility."

"But you've made too many enemies. If you resign as Director of the CIA..."

"I'll be targeted, no doubt. But one cannot take this job without being prepared to fall into limbo."

At the Director's nonchalant declaration, Chris gritted his teeth.

"...You've already made your peace with it, then."

"I told that young man lying over there as well."

The Director turned his back on his former subordinate, a man he considered a disciple, and began to walk away.

"I swore my loyalty to this country long ago."

After this, Chris and the Director left the building separately.

They would never meet face-to-face again.

Six months later, after finishing the cleanup and handover, the 'former' CIA Director was killed by a mugger.

Why was he in a deserted alley in the middle of the night? Why did the culprit, a broke drug addict who couldn't afford food or drugs, have a brand-new submachine gun?

Coming so soon after the presidential assassination, this incident, along with the case of President Fudge Valentine, would be passed down as a mystery on par with the assassination of President Kennedy.

But the most inexplicable mystery of all...

...was that the deceased former Director was found with a peaceful smile on his face.