The Possessor and the Returnee

Episode 99.

The white light that had split the world faded. The figures of the Clowns, too, receded beyond the radiance.

Only then did the reality sink in—we had finally escaped the Outer Dimension.

A time that felt both short and long, subjectively an eternity.

After such an arduous journey, we had at last stepped onto the shining path.

The warp back to Earth.

This time, I didn't act recklessly. I stayed still.

Because ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this light wasn't meant for me alone.

Because the Returnee, who had wanted to return to Earth with me all this time, was by my side.

The sight of just the two of us gazing at the end of the light...

...I had wanted to see this scene even before we reached the Obelisk.

After all the twists and turns, all the wandering, I had finally fulfilled that long-held wish.

"Cough..."

"Hack..."

Though, admittedly, it wasn't exactly a picturesque moment—both of us were on the verge of death, each missing an arm.

Still, we had survived. That alone was something.

『Using "Revert (⅓)" on Tirpe.』

I swiftly healed Tirpe, who was as good as dead.

At the same time, I looked down at my left hand.

Fwoosh—

The transparent flames that had enveloped my left hand were flickering out.

The translucent greatsword, forged from countless overlapping blades and connected to those flames, was also fading.

『???'s Sword』

A sword that defied comprehension—infinite, yet singular. A blade that made the impossible possible had fulfilled its purpose and was now returning to whence it came.

『Protagonist Synchronization Rate — 175%』

『The originally intended reward, "One Who Never Gives Up," begins to transform.』

『The "Ring of ■■" reveals itself to you.』

No matter how I thought about it, I couldn't possibly call the sword itself the 『Ring of ■■』.

It felt more like a power borrowed from the Overlord.

But to wield this sword just once and then let it go... Well. It would be a lie to say I wasn't reluctant.

As the one who had swung it myself, I knew just how absurd its power was.

A sword that, if one blade wasn't enough, became two. If two weren't enough, three. Four. More. And if even that wasn't enough—an infinite number. A sword forged from unyielding will, all converging into a single point.

Yet, in the end, I released it without hesitation.

It wasn't a power I could hold onto even if I tried.

Right. All I needed was to save Tirpe with this sword.

In that alone, I had already received more grace from the Overlord than I could ever repay.

To ask for more would be pure greed.

The secret behind the 175% Synchronization Rate, the mystery of the sword—none of it had been revealed. But at the very least, Tirpe was saved.

And that was enough for me.

The sword slipped from my grasp like an illusion, vanishing.

I flexed my left hand, now empty, testing its grip.

As expected, the sword wouldn't return to me.

It was as if it had never existed in the first place—nothing more than a fleeting mirage.

But it didn't matter.

"...I thought nothing could surprise me anymore. The Overlord's 'sword,' of all things."

Because Tirpe, revived in his stead, was here with me now.

Tirpe's head slumped against me, her body limp.

Her cheeks, forehead, earlobes, hair, torn wings, skin—everything was covered in wounds. More red than black now.

I carefully pulled her into my arms and exhaled slowly. It was hard to believe the warmth pressed against me was the real Tirpe.

"I was more... surprised than anything. What kind of nonsense is this?"

Even now, she was suffering for the sake of maintaining her persona as the Prophet.

"..."

Truthfully, I had already given up.

When Tirpe had stayed behind in my place, I had lashed out in sheer desperation.

But then, out of nowhere, the 『Overlord』 had emerged from the light.

He had lent me the sword. His power.

He had even goaded me into saving Tirpe myself.

It was utterly absurd.

But because of that absurdity—

Tirpe was here now, pressed against me, sharing my warmth.

Her bloodied hand tightened around my wrist.

"...I was certain I had died. With my current strength, I couldn't have survived a clash with the Clowns. But... the moment I was supposed to die disappeared. That's why I survived. The Obelisk of Origin lent me its power. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠The Overlord helped me. Everyone... tried to save me, even though I was fated to die. And yet, you too—"

"......"

Had that really happened?

Hatred for the Clowns flared up again, but the relief of knowing she was safe overshadowed it completely. No comparison could be made.

"That's a relief. So everyone tried to save you."

I said it with genuine relief.

"You've been through a lot."

But Tirpe only gripped my wrist harder.

"...Which is precisely why you didn't need to go that far."

"?"

"Did you think you could wield that kind of power without consequence? It will inevitably come at a great cost to you—"

"It's fine."

Tirpe fell silent, staring at me.

I met her gaze steadily.

"In the end, we both survived. That's all that matters."

Yeah. That was enough.

I had split the world with the Overlord's sword and saved Tirpe. That was enough.

Before that, Tirpe had also given up her entire lifespan to save me.

So this was merely returning what I'd received.

No—since my lifespan remained intact, I owed her far more than this. And as for the cost? Who cares.

The woman standing before me right now was what mattered most. Was there anything more important than this moment? No, there wasn't.

"Cost? If I'm supposed to weigh the pros and cons while calculating whether to throw away the woman I love, then I might as well crawl into a trash can."

A man—no, a human who turns his back on a woman who gave her life for him is nothing but garbage.

"So don't worry. I wanted you to live, and that's what happened. That's enough for me."

Cost...? More than any petty price, all I cared about was that the woman in front of me was alive.

But Tirpe's thoughts seemed to run in a different direction.

"...How can you be so calm about this? You... you could've died..."

Her lips trembled, teeth grinding together with a sharp click.

"Ah, well, I have Death Resistance, Semi-Spirit Form, and a bunch of other things, so—"

Tirpe whirled around and grabbed me by the collar. Her eyes were brimming with a bitter, crimson hue—tears of blood streaking down her face.

"...D-Don't joke around! How could you possibly have wielded that kind of power?! What do you even have left now?! You've blocked your own path, thrown away your future...! All for... for someone like me..."

Her tears grew paler, distorting her face further.

"...Why... why didn't you just abandon me...? I never wanted to be a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠burden to you... What kind of feelings do you think I had... when I sent you away...? You could've just left me as the sinner I was. So why... why did you go so far as to sacrifice yourself... just to save me?! What value do I even have...?!"

Her words sounded hollow, like the ramblings of a lost soul. Anyone else might not have understood, but to me, they were crystal clear—down to the depths of her heart.

The guilt of having tried to die with her child.

The guilt of knowing I sacrificed something to save her.

The self-loathing of believing she had ruined my brilliant future.

Even though everything had been resolved, that guilt still lingered within her.

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠placed a hand on her head as she wept.

"I'm fine."

"...N-No, no, I... I should've died... It's my fault... you..."

All she could see was an endless cycle of self-hatred. And I couldn't bear to watch.

So I pinched Tirpe's nipple.

"Ghk—?!"

Startled, Tirpe jerked her head up. Finally, her expression returned to something resembling a normal human face. Her dazed, wavering eyes locked onto mine.

"Hey. How many times do I have to say it? I'm fine. What the hell are you so worried about?"

"...W-Well, it's because of me... you..."

As Tirpe muttered, I gave her nipple another firm tug.

"Hng...!"

A mix of pain and pleasure flickered across her face, her expression turning slightly lewd. I spoke firmly.

"Let me make this clear one last time. I'm completely unharmed. So stop acting like I'm on death's door. And it's already in the past."

I took Tirpe's hand. Though we each only had one arm left, I still managed to intertwine our fingers.

"No matter how many times I relive that moment, I would've made the same choice. So I have no regrets."

"..."

She hesitated, unable to speak, so I pulled her into an embrace.

"And even if something is missing, so what? You can make up for it. And if you're missing something, I'll fill in the gaps. So stop worrying. Compared to saving you, I got off cheap."

I had no idea what kind of price I might have to pay someday.

But if that day ever came, I'd accept it willingly.

Because I had received that much kindness from her.

Tirpe, who had been staring at my face, furrowed her brows.

"...I-I'm... n-not enough... to fill in anything for you..."

"Doesn't matter. Just do what you can."

"...You'll get bored of me and leave first."

"If something like this happens again, maybe I will."

As the wounds faded, her beautiful face slowly returned. With that face, Tirpe sniffled.

I watched her and placed a hand on her stomach.

"So for this child's sake, don't do this again."

Tirpe froze, looking down at her belly—the child she had once been willing to die with.

"You're not alone anymore. From now on, do your best for this kid. If you mess up, just do better next time."

Next time. From now on.

Words that felt foreign to Tirpe.

"I'm... not a good mother... I'll definitely be hated..."

Finally, unable to hold back, I snapped.

"God, you idiot! You're the only mother this kid's got! Don't you know kids always look for their mom first?! If you screw up, just do better next time!"

Tirpe flinched slightly, her shoulders hunching. When I finally glared at her, she shrunk further, tears dripping down.

"...R-really... Is it... truly alright for someone like me...?"

"Yeah. Of course it's alright. And between us, this isn't about blaming others anymore."

I stepped slightly away from Tirpe and took her hand. Then I looked straight into her eyes.

"What you should probably say is... something like 'thank you,' I think."

The light drained from Tirpe's face.

"..."

She first bowed her head deeply, then pursed her lips, before finally meeting my gaze just as I was doing.

"...Yes..."

She sniffled as she spoke.

"...Thank you... for... saving me."

Her face looked relieved, finally at ease. None of her usual worries remained in this moment. This was the expression I'd been wanting to see.

"Ah, right. I'm thankful too. For you saving me."

The words we exchanged weren't about who had suffered more or anything like that.

No matter what hardships we'd endured, gratitude alone was enough.

"You've tried hard enough. So stop wallowing in self-pity and start caring about your own happiness. It's about time you smiled."

Yes. Even a regressor whom no one cared for deserved to be repaid now.

I stretched Tirpe's stiff lips upward with my index finger. The forced smile was awkward.

"Don't sacrifice yourself alone anymore. You don't have to do that now."

"..."

She was clearly trying to smile, but it still looked unnatural. Tears plopped onto my fingers.

"Ah, and just so you know—the only time my woman cries is when we're having sex, got it?"

I wiggled my finger against Tirpe's face more vigorously. An even more awkward expression formed on her features. Then, as if escaping my hand, she suddenly turned her head away and muttered under her breath.

"...N-not something a p-playboy should be saying..."

"!"

But on her face was a smile far more natural than the one I'd forced onto her.

"...Still... it wasn't an unpleasant thing to hear."

Tirpe leaned into me, resting against my body.

"...May I stay like this... just a little longer?"

"Sure."

She cradled her belly in my arms.

"The baby... seems happy... touching their father..."

Her eyes slowly closed. And I looked up.

"It's like... they're telling me... it's really... a relief..."

Occasional sniffles reached my ears. But I pretended not to hear or see them. The surroundings were already noisy with swirling light and sound.

"...Thank you."

Amidst it all, those faintly spoken words were the only ones I truly heard.

I committed their warmth to memory.

"Let's go back. To Earth."

"...Yes."

Tirpe took my hand first. Together, we looked toward where the lights were leading. The place where we truly belonged.

'It's been so long...'

We'd stayed far too long in a world beyond our level. One too heavy, too overwhelming for us to handle. But someday—the world we'd have to face.

The Outer Dimension.

We turned our backs on that place.

The shimmering lights grew brighter ahead, as if welcoming us.

In an instant, the light receded and vanished completely.

And in its wake, scenery unfurled like a scroll.

A sky blue without sunlight.

The familiar scent of a city.

Buildings on the verge of collapse.

Modern houses barely holding together.

Earth.

『4 hours and 14 minutes remain until Earth's Tower opens.』

We had finally returned.

#

In the Outer Dimension, where even up and down were uncertain, no end had ever been revealed.

Only a few pretentiously knowledgeable Wanderers spouted obvious nonsense about it being an endless, boundless expanse.

But the transparent light scattered by humans had unmistakably cast its glow upon the Outer Dimension.

Every Wanderer saw that light.

...A temple where none dared set foot.

At its round table, two women sat watching the ascending light from the Outer Dimension.

"Ah~ They're gone. Just like that. That man you saw in your dreams—the one you said was so handsome. Guess you didn't need to see him in person after all?"

"...Seeing him from afar was enough."

A girl with wine-colored twintails resting her chin on her elbow muttered at the round table.

The noble-looking woman beside her, with glowing golden hair styled in loose drills, glanced at her sideways before looking away.

With a flick, she opened her peacock-feather fan.

"You could've at least given them something to take along, no? The Tower's only just begun."

"Meddling carelessly would just invite the Tower's interference. Besides, this will likely be the last Tower. Even the Overlord has moved for the first time..."

"...Wait, wasn't the Overlord just a mindless phenomenon? I thought it was just a calamity that existed without will."

"Which means this time, an existence has appeared that could draw out its will for the first time."

"Oh? Now that's something to look forward to."

The seated members of the Turbid Throne turned their gazes skyward.

A light piercing relentlessly through the hazy Outer Dimension.

"Such a pretty light."

That transparent glow, now visible only to a select few, surged forward through the Outer Dimension.

"Yes. A light we can never possess."

The ignorant and ambiguous Finisher, Erkwi, watched the departing light with a faint smile.