Published at 26th of December 2025 7:44 am

Epilogue: The Path Continues Beyond That

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Whoa have you gotten a bit heavier?

Ed, you idiot!

Tia said this as she hugged me tightly. When I caught her, she swatted me on the head with a smack. Ah, this exchange its been so long. Its so nostalgic. Yeah, this feels just right.

Still, you got back faster than I expected. Honestly, I thought itd take you way longer.

Huh? But it took us um, about 80 years to get back here, you know?

Yeah, I suppose youre right. But, yknow time feels strange here.

It wasnt that time in this shell flowed differently from the outside world. Its just that when youre here serving as a replacement for someone whos gone, you have no time to be conscious of time. A second doesnt feel like a second anymore. Ugh, this is the kind of thing you can only understand if you experience it yourself.

Whats wrong, Ed? Dont tell me youre not happy to see me again?

Dont be ridiculous. That being said, weve got things to take care of before we can relax.

Teasing me, Tia puffed out her cheeks. Poking her cheek lightly with my finger, I stepped back from her and turned my attention to the other guest in the room.

This one was frozen in shock at first, but the moment he came to his senses, he immediately drew the sword at his waist and pointed it at me.

What the!? Where am I!? Who the hell are you!? And why do you have the same face as me? Wait, dont tell me youre my deadbeat dad who abandoned me or something! If you think showing up now is gonna change anything, youre dead wrong. Ill never accept you!

Whoa Tia, why has this guy grown up to be such an amusing handful?

Haha well, you know, a lot happened during our travels. I wasnt sure how much of the truth I could tell him, so I kinda just improvised here and there.

Ah, I see. Well, no big deal. I can fix this itll only take a moment.

Rolling my shoulders, I began to move toward him. He stood ready, gripping a finely crafted sword. It was probably forged by some skilled artisan who blended various metals together just right. But even so

That thing isnt going to touch me.

What!?

I reached into the [Strangers Box], pulling out the [Duskbreaker] that Tia had taken with her. He froze for a moment in shock at the sight of it but quickly adjusted, aligning his blade with mine.

Thats Tia nee-sans sword! Give it back!

Nope, this sword belongs to me. My master forged it for me for the future of the world.

Dont lie! Someone as pathetic-looking as you couldnt possibly have such an amazing master!

Pathetic-looking?

I held back my retort. After all, there was no point in telling him he has the same face as me. And on top of that, this guy was strong. In terms of pure swordsmanship, he was only slightly below my level.

Haha! Youre good, kid!

Im not kidmy name is Allen!

Alright, Allen! Is that all the strength youve got?

Not even close! Take thisBegone!

Allens sword became enveloped in black light as the Power of the End surged toward me. But I simply caught it with one hand. Even as a proxy for the god, my essence was still that of the Demon Lord of End. Theres no way Id let myself be ended with my own borrowed power.

What the hell!?

Sorry, but that wont work on me. Still, this is convenient. Lets settle this quickly. Here, have it back.

Wh-what!? Gaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!?

I grabbed Allens face, reclaiming my power from him before returning his to him. Screaming, he fell to the ground and writhed in pain. But within thirty seconds, he stood back up, his face expressionless yet his eyes blazing with anger as he glared at me.

What is the meaning of this, Demon King?

Oh, youre finally awake. Hows it feel, God?

I asked you a question! What are you trying to do!?

Calm down. You were the one who said you wanted to experience life as one of the small, fragile beings. I just made that possible for you.

After serving as a proxy for God, I understood one thing clearly: the power of a god was overwhelming, far too vast. With such immense power, its no wonder they couldnt understand the feelings of ordinary humans.

I remembered what Sheena told me and that got me thinking. If I can exchange power with you, then it might be possible to transfer it to someone else as well. And if thats the case, then the target of the Looping World mechanism wouldnt be me as a personits more likely tied to the Power of the End that I possess. If it were otherwise, in the unlikely event that the power of the end was transferred to someone else, theyd be free to wreak havoc, leaving me powerless and trapped alone forever in the White World. Thatd be a pretty ridiculous situation, dont you think?

I shrugged as I spoke, and the god remained silent. That silence was an acknowledgmentbegrudging, but undeniable. Satisfied, I continued.

And my guess turned out to be right. When you died after taking in my power, it stripped you of your strength and memories before sending you to the White World in my place. The rest well, you know how it went. The mechanism you created yourselfdesigned with all your divine powerwas capable of even robbing you of your memories and strength. Thats why I was finally able to turn you into a mere mortal. Though, Ill admit, it wasnt easy on my end.

Thinking back to the days I spent serving as a proxy, a shiver ran down my spine. Calling it difficult would be an understatementit had been excruciating.

After all, the power I had to deal with belonged to a god. I couldnt fully control it, but doing nothing would have plunged the world into darkness. Yet if I applied too much force, the shell housing the power might have shattered. And if that happened, as someone who wasnt its rightful owner, I wouldnt have been able to stop the power from scatteringresulting in a catastrophe beyond repair.

All I could manage was the bare minimum. I adjusted the output and the direction of the power so that the light would slowly and gently seep out of the hole I had created. Sure, it sounds simple enough when you explain it like that, but in reality, it required the kind of precision thats harder than threading a daikon radish through the eye of a needle.

Ugh I never want to do that again. If I werent a Demon King, Id probably look more bald than old man Gonzo by now.

Oh, by the way, if youre wondering why Tia didnt lose her memories like Allen, its because I overlaid her soul with an exact duplicate created by the [Copy & Fake]. When the copy faded, the transition disguised the process. Normally, overlaying a soul with another soul would drive someone insane, but because the duplicate was perfectly identical and only temporary, it somehow worked out.

So, how was it? Living as a human?

It wasnt bad.

Come on! Say it properly! Right, Tia?

Thats right. Allen seemed to enjoy the journey quite a bit. Or did you not have fun traveling with me?

Thats not!

Smiling by my side, Tia caught Allen off guard, leaving him at a loss for words. He lowered his gaze in silence for a moment then raised it again, letting out a weary sigh.

Hah I get it. I give up. Ill admit it. Right now, I feel regretregret that this world might end. Fine then, Ill destroy this shell and become a god again to illuminate the world once more. Is that what you wanted?

That would certainly be the best outcome for us. But Allen, is that really what you want?

It doesnt matter what I want. I am a god

No, youre wrong. Im asking Allen.

Looking directly at him, I made my point clear. Allen, speechless once more, clenched his fists tightly as his emotions finally boiled over.

Of course I dont wnt this! How could I possibly erase these feelings after experiencing them firsthand? But with my power back, theres nothing I can do! Is this what you wanted, Demon King!? To have me taste a happiness I can never reattain, leaving me to suffer endlessly from the memories? Was that your plan all along!?

I see. Thats all I needed to hear.

Standing firm, I gripped the [Duskbreaker] tightly and focused my power into it. I had failed before to imbue it with the Power of the End, but that was because I had been using it the wrong way. Not this time. This time, Ill deliver my final blow!

Sever it! [Nothing Beyond This PointThe End!]

With a single swing of my blade, I cleaved the invisible connection that bound Allen to his divine power. Allen, realizing what I had done, began to tremble violently before grabbing me by the collar.

Do you do you understand what youve just done!? That divine connection you severed is now nothing more than a lump of raw power!

Yeah, I know. But if its just to shine on the world, thats more than enough, isnt it? Sure, it cant create new worlds or anything like that.

The problem is far greater than that! By severing it from me, youve ensured that it will eventually run out! What youve done is give this worldand nearly infinite, countless other worldsa lifespan, an end!

I figured as much. But you know, endings arent necessarily a bad thing. Everything that begins eventually ends. And because things end, new things can begin. Theres no need for youAllento sacrifice yourself for something as unnatural as eternity. After all, Im a selfish and self-centered Demon King!

!

The happy ending I strive for isnt some grand future beyond comprehension. Its bringing happiness to the people around me, right here, right now. Thats what Ive been working toward, and now, Ive finally reached it.

Sure, the people of the worlds Ive doomed to eventual endings might curse my name as the Demon King who brought about their demise. And honestly, theyd be right. I wouldnt have much of a rebuttal for that.

Well, anyway here.

What is it?

Allen, who had been stunned into silence, looked at me with suspicion as I offered him my hand. Just then, Tia jumped in, grabbing Allens hand with hers.

It means were going together! Theres no reason for you to stay cooped up here anymore, is there?

Tia nee-san I meanugh

Hehe, I dont mind being called Tia nee-san. Or would you prefer to go back to calling me onee-chan, like before?

Wait, Allen, you used to call Tia onee-chan? Seriously?

S-shut up! That was when I had only just become human! My sense of self wasnt fully developed yet! And you didnt you spend your early days after being reverted to a wimpy mess!?

Thats because I was thrown completely on my own into a heros party right away! You had Tia with youits totally different!

Its not different! Considering the sheer power I lost, my situation was far more unfair!

Alright, alright, both of you, thats enough of that. Ed, so whats next?

Ah, right. Id like to retrieve the fragments of power I lost, but whats the process for that?

Hmph. Something as trivial as that? Easy.

Snorting dismissively, Allen snapped his fingers. Instantly, the scenery shifted, and we found ourselves back in the familiar

Wait, are you serious!? Allen, didnt I just take your godhood away!?

You did, you idiot! I cant create anything new, but I can still use the systems that are already in place.

Well, excuse me, Mr. Former God.

Oh, theres only one door open this time, Tia said, looking around before turning to me with a curious smile.

Looks like its a fresh restart. Guess were starting over from the beginning.

Sounds good! Lets go, Allen!

Ugh f-fine, lets go

With Tia laughing joyfully and Allen tagging along reluctantly, we approached the lone door. Every time, the first world was always the same. Which means beyond this door lies the Demon King-less World 001.

Oh, by the way, when we came to this world

Wait, Tia! No spoilers! I want to take it all in myself!

Alright, alright. But I will say one thing they sell Prince Manju there.

Pfft!

Tias bombshell declaration sent me into a fit of laughter. If I still had divine power, Im pretty sure I wouldve accidentally blown up a few worlds just now.

Manju haha, so they sell it, huh?

Wow, Eds making such a villainous face right now.

Your deplorable nature is showing, oh great Demon King. Do us all a favor and control yourself.

Shut up! Arent you the one walking around with that same look all the time? Change it up a bit, will ya?

Why dont you change instead? I like my face as it is!

Alright, alright. Ed is the Onii-chan, Allens the little brother!

Wait, then what does that make you, Tia?

Obviously, Im the onee-chan!

Of course you are haha. Alright, lets really go now!

Suppressing the excitement bubbling inside me, I opened the door to World 001. My vision was swallowed by light.

What kind of journey awaits us this time? It seems the fun is far from over. Well then time for another loop, another adventure, and to dominate all over again!

(T/N: Finally, at long last, its over. Thanks to everyone for reading this until the end and hope you enjoyed it. If you have any new fantasy or isekai novels you want me to translate, leave a comment or shoot me a DM on discord, My Discord name is Hachi)

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