Epilogue

Meisatsu and Ayame had wrapped up their business at the Guild and were on their way home. The evening was calm, the sky brushed with the warm hues of fading light

It went without saying that the Gun Hero had a very long day, and he was more than a little exhausted from the ordeal. The fact that he had slept through an entire day was proof enough.

Walking down the path, Meisatsu reflected on the conversation he’d had outside Master Toshiko’s shop...

They had just finished explaining why he was forced to fight to the death, yet some of his questions remained unanswered.

"Earlier, you said the other half of the Anti-Gun Front where people. What happened to them?" Meisatsu asked.

A small grin tugged Saki's lips before she replied, "Yeah, so they, like, kinda snapped out of it once that Hermit croaked. They had no clue why they were even following him after that."

"And the demon half? What even are demons?"

"Easy. I turned them all to, like, minced meat and tossed their pieces out the barrier." There was an unsettling coldness in her voice, despite the smile still fixed her face. "And um, like demons are—"

"Just think of them like higher, intelligent monsters," Master Toshiko yawned, answering before Saki could find the words. "They are a higher order within the Demon King’s hierarchy of kin." 

With an even louder yawn, Master Toshiko added, "Well, I'll see ya tomorrow! Go get some sleep."

His elderly—but toned—body turned as he strode into his shop.

That fight with the demon before... He shouldn't have had that level of power at his level. Too much wasted movement! I'll have to teach the boy the basics... Pondering his next course of action, Master Toshiko slipped through the store's doors.

"Well, I guess I better be going too!" Saki hollered, standing and stretching up from a barrel she'd been sitting on. "Gotta run back and guard the King!"

As she tucked the Magi-Cell back under her chest, a—well timed—gust brushed past her legs, almost revealing whatever secrets her skirt—short as it was—hid underneath.

"Are you literally running back to the capital?" Meisatsu let out chuckle, still doubting the words of the female Knight.

To put it in perspective, Asturia was a massive continent—truly vast. The closest way to visualize its size was to compare it to the equator.

From the center of the capital stretching outward to the barrier, the radius measured a little over forty thousand seventy-five kilometers.

And Meisatsu was expected to believe she would just run all the way back to the castle. "You're kidding, right?"

"I'm, like, totes serious—LOL!" Saki dropped into a sprinting crouch, giggling. "Umare—Hero, later, K!"

BOOM!!!

A massive blast of air sent Meisatsu tumbling onto his rear, leaving only Umare standing—and laughing.

"She did push back a swarm of fifty wyverns when she was just sixteen..." Umare said, helping Meisatsu to his feet. "Best not to underestimate her."

"Satsuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!"

Both of their heads whipped around as Ayame came barreling toward them at full speed—

CRASH!!!

"I'm so glad you're alright, Satsu!!!" Ayame began violently snuggling him, occasionally throwing sharp glances at Umare as she squeezed him tight

Inside the Explorers Guild, a Priest girl—Lysa—made up her mind. I’ll tell him! I’ll tell him I want to join his party… Though his sister is a little scary…

She clapped her hands to her cheeks, banishing any lingering doubt. I'll definitely do it!!!

And before Meisatsu departed, Gō had called him aside, explaining that he planned to head to Moonlit Sonat to broaden his horizons—or something like that...

✦✦✦

The siblings had just gotten home, right at the doorsteps—

"My babyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!"

That was the last thing Ayame heard. In the fraction of a second, the door flew open, Meisatsu was whisked away, and the door slammed shut.

Leina had used her—godly—motherly speed to grab her son before he even realized what had happened.

"I heard from Umare! He said you fought well!! I'm so proud son!!!" Ragan's booming voice seemed to go up a notch with each sentence, shaking the house to its core.

While Meisatsu was recovering, Umare had dropped by to tell the family everything that had transpired.

And, as if drawn by the commotion, Simuru came bouncing faster than ever and plopped onto Meisatsu’s head—he really loved it up there.

WOBBLE!

Meisatsu understood what the rhythmic shake from his pet slime meant and gave him a gentle pat. "Thanks, bud."

The door suddenly swung open—Ayame had just recovered from her mother’s freakish display of affection, though she couldn’t help but admire it.

"Don't forget about me!!!" she cried, running to join in the family's loving embrace loving embrace.

Surrounded by the warmth of everyone who cared for him, Meisatsu felt a lingering sense of how close he had come to losing something truly precious…

Meanwhile, back at the Guild...

To celebrate the Gun Hero’s victory, most of the Guild’s members had gone out for drinks, ready to party the night away.

Akane was the only person left in the hall, seated behind her desk—

A message came in, glowing on the desk's surface. She leaned in to read it—

Are you free, Ms, Akane?

Akane tapped the desk a few times, typing her reply on the blue interface that projected and hovered above it.

Yes, I am.

Immediately, a pale blue projection of a man shot up from the desk, hovering above its surface.

"Hello, Conrad," Akane  greeted, staring at him from for a bit before continuing, "Any new developments in Moonlit Sonat?"

"Yes, there have been many strange fluctuations in the distribution of money there—ever since the appearance of the Hero," he replied, sighing and shaking his head. "And missing person reports have gone up, too."

"What about The Fourth, and The Third?"

"They haven't turned anything up yet... But if I may...?"

"No, It's to soon. You can't use him as bait—don't even bother."

"Pardon my blunder..." Conrad bowed. "I'll inform you of anything else that comes up in the future."

The projection flickered out of view, leaving Akane alone in the hall once more. She let out an exhausted sigh, and thought, For crying out loud... he just finished fighting for his life.

At the same time, in the heart of Sheo, loomed a towering castle. Its walls were so dark they seemed to swallow the light, and its steep gabled roofs and conical turrets pierced the black storm swirling above. The air around it smelled felt like death.

A small demon-like creature, wearing nothing but a brownish loincloth, knelt in the vast throne room. Its face was almost human, but the skin was a bright shade of red.

It had no hair. Instead, two stubby black horns jutted from its head.

The demon said, "My Lord, two of the Middle Demons you sent to test the Hero have been defeated."

From the area where the throne should have been, a youthful—almost teenage—male voice boomed, "Really?! That’s wonderful! Even after I got my hands on such a despicable scene from his home world?!"

The voice continued, "How’s the latest member of my Fraternity of Five doing?"

"She is adapting very well to the environment, my Lord," the demon replied.

"And Project Goblin?!"

"It is going well, my Lord. We are amassing all the energy needed for it to succeed."  

"You may go!"

As the demon departed, the voice mused, It seems I'll get to have lots of fun with you, Meisatsu...or should I say... 

Sousha.

Blazing through the roads in Beetho, with the wind whipping past his face on his V2 and clad in The Dark Night, Meisatsu would never imagine where his life as the Gun Hero...

Would lead him next!