Farewell to a fantasy world

Chapter 38

“This is it.”

“This is it? This hole in the ground is the entrance to Merrowind’s Keep?”

“Yeah, look closer. You can see the throne room from here.”

“Wait really—AAAAAHHHHHHHHhhhhhhh…”

Lance’s scream slowly faded as Naoya, Greta, and Astrea pointed their fingers at him, pushing him into the hole on the mountain.

Ori came out of her crystal and looked at the Knights.

“That wasn’t very knightly, was it?”

“True, but it’s funny,” Greta said with a smile.

“Alright, he’s probably going to shit his pants on the minotaurs down there, so we gotta go.” Naoya held Hisora’s hands while carrying Ori like a bag in his arms, and all three followed Lance down the hole.

“There’s a minotaur down there? Can we fight it?” Clara asked.

“Can we explore the keep too? I’ll definitely find something interesting down there,” Tessa added, climbing onto her armor and walking toward the hole.

“Maybe let’s do our mission first, then we can check,” Greta told them before jumping.

The fall took a bit longer than expected, but their interest was still piqued as they passed through countless rooms and caverns that the Demon Lord had blasted through. As they neared the bottom of the keep, the weight of their current mission slowly crept into every one of them.

This was a mission that would change the course of history forever.

And their last moments with a friend.

A massive, dark cavern greeted them at the bottom, and everyone immediately raised their guard as four giant silhouettes of minotaurs surrounded them the moment they landed, their red glowing eyes standing out in the darkness.

“Ohhh, they’re bigger than I expected,” Clara smiled as she held her wand with both hands.

“We don’t have the time for this,” Naoya said as purple flames erupted in his chest, illuminating the area around them.

“Wait.”

The Archmage spoke, interrupting Naoya as he was about to ragdoll one of the monsters.

“Yes?”

“Maybe, just this once… we do have the time for this.”

Even through the dim light, everyone saw the sadness in Solenne’s eyes.

The purple flames in Naoya’s chest died down, and he took out his staff.

“Yeah… I think we have all the time in the world,” he replied, smiling at his best friend.

“LET’S GOOOOO!” Clara shouted as she jumped toward the minotaurs.

…

After a wild battle that shook the cavern itself, the intruders placed the minotaurs’ battleaxes into the ground, and bright lines ran through the floor beneath them, tracing out a massive glyph.

The newcomers watched in awe as the cavern disappeared, revealing the true grandeur of Merrowind’s Throne Room, its mural-filled walls and architecture lit by numerous eternal flames.

But the main thing that caught their eye was, of course, the throne at the end of the hall, and the man kneeling in front of it.

“Is that who I think it is?” Tessa asked as she climbed out of her suit.

Clara slowly walked forward, recognizing the blue scarf draped behind him and the simple silver chestplate he wore.

“…Uncle Cass?”

The rest of them approached the area of frozen time, with Solenne taking the lead to prevent them from getting trapped.

All except for two.

They held each other’s hands as they watched their friends examine the Sword Hero, cherishing each other’s presence.

“This is it, Hisora.”

“Call me Ari… just like before.”

“Of course, Ari.”

“…I feel sad already.”

“Why? We’re still here.”

“But… this is so unfair. I just had you back.”

Naoya pulled her closer and gently kissed her forehead.

“And I’ll never leave your side again.”

“Yeah, but I’ll be the one leaving this time.”

“Then I’ll do the same thing you did for me.”

“You’ll make a secret evil society to find me in the other world?”

“Well, no. I don’t think I can do that in Japan.”

They shared a brief laugh, despite their imminent farewell.

“I don’t want to forget you.”

“Don’t worry, Ari. Nothing will change.”

“That’s literally what’s about to happen.”

“No, I mean… you know what I mean. Nothing between us will change, alright?”

She looked up at him and smiled, giving him yet another memory to cherish.

“Just a quick reminder that we can start now.”

They suddenly heard Solenne’s voice in their ears, making them jump apart. They found the Archmage near the throne and speaking into her cupped hands, standing near the rest of their companions who were also watching them.

“Oh right, yeah, of course. We can definitely start now,” Naoya rolled his eyes as they walked to the center of the hall.

“Are you ready, Hisora?”

The fox faunite took a deep breath, her ears twitching and tail fluttering before she opened her eyes.

“Yes, I’m ready. And… please call me Ari.”

Solenne’s expression softened, and the two ladies exchanged a subtle smile.

The air stood still around them as the hour of the Demon Lady’s execution arrived.

“Hisora Syl Revndal, for your crimes against the kingdom of Valebryn, we, the Knights of Valebryn, shall now deliver your sentence.”

As Naoya spoke, their companions surrounded Hisora, and with a signal, Solenne started reciting a ritual—the same one from more than half a century ago.

All of them started glowing with the pure, prismatic light of aether.

In the middle of the ritual, as their gazes refused to stray from each other, Naoya broke formation and walked toward Hisora, unable to contain his feelings for the last time.

In one swift motion, he took her in his arms and kissed her, as the purple flames in his chest ignited once more.

After savoring the final taste of each other’s presence, they stared into each other’s eyes, finding countless memories they shared, and the tears that overflowed for their farewell.

“I’ll wait for you, okay?”

“I’ll see you later, my dark flame.”

A golden pillar of light engulfed them both, but as the miracle subsided, only Naoya remained—left behind with nothing but her wishes.

Despite the sudden emptiness in his arms and heart, he wiped away his tears, determined to finish what he came here for.

“I know you’re the Demon Lord, but giving her false hope like that is too harsh,” Solenne said.

“What do you mean ‘false hope’? My soul can survive the process. Trust me.”

She simply shook her head. “Alright. I’ll believe you.”

“Oh, and before I forget.”

Naoya takes off his special glove, and hands it to Ori.

“I think this should belong to the best travel companion ever.”

The fairy simply smiled, acting tough as she fought back tears, and Naoya gently pats her head.

They approached Merrowind’s throne, the place where the Demon Lord’s story began… and where Naoya’s story would end.

Solenne dropped to one knee beside the Sword Hero, and with a tap of her finger, the bubble of frozen time popped, and everything within started flowing once again.

After a while, the Sword Hero, who had been so focused on his sword on the ground as he continued to seal the throne, eventually noticed the people around him.

“What the… Solenne?!”

He shouted as he found his comrade beside him.

“Welcome back, Cass. We’re here to bring you home,” Solenne told him, fighting back tears.

“Bring me home? I literally just started… ooohhh…” He realized the situation as he noticed faint lines under Solenne’s eyes. “Oh, I get it now… so how long have I been here?”

“Around half a century now, Cass.”

“Really? Oh man, now it’s your turn to get frozen in time so I can explore the future.”

“That’s what I’m here for, Mr. Hero.”

Cassius turned to Naoya, immediately noticing the purple flames in his chest.

“…I know I haven’t gotten old after all this time, but haven’t we defeated you already?”

“I’ll tell you everything once we’re back, Cass. You can let him handle the throne now.”

“Really? So what, he’s gonna seal the throne’s power now or something?

“…oh wait, he is.” The Sword Hero chuckled in disbelief, only to be met with disappointed stares from everyone.

He turned to the Archmage, silently communicating with their eyes.

“Alright then. If you say so.”

He drew his sword from the ground, and with his power, as soon as he did, dark energy started seeping out of the throne.

Naoya approached the throne and sat down, his flames keeping the darkness contained.

Everyone watched as he composed himself and steeled his resolve, remembering someone’s words from earlier that day.

…

“So, did I meet your expectations, sir?”

The man, who was lounging on his chair, stood up and approached Naoya, eyeing him carefully.

“A noble character and an impressive talent. What can I say, boy? I told you my gut is never wrong… Maybe I’ll believe stories about you from now on.”

Sir Valiansteel gave him a proud smile.

“Good luck, boy. It’s time for your story to end.”

…

They had already said their farewells before, but he figured it’s never too late to say goodbye.

“Thank you all for being my friends. I had a lot of fun in this world.”

He imprinted each of their smiles in his memory, carrying it with him toward his future, whatever it might be.

“Make sure… to find her in another world,” Astrea told him, in her own gentle voice. The one he had always known.

“And don’t forget to talk to old ladies on the street.”

Solenne wore a teasing grin, but he could already see the tears forming.

The Sword Hero walked to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Looks like Solenne’s gamble worked after all. It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Demon Lord.”

“Thanks for believing in me, Hero.”

He looked at his companions one last time, and as the purple flames in his chest grew bigger and brighter, consuming him and the throne, his final smile of fulfillment remained on his lips.