Gate Cleared
Your party has successfully cleared the gate.
Black incense.
Along with the voice of the Stigma, a transparent holographic window popped up. The gate clear. The end of the story.
"We did it."
Zien muttered in a voice drained of strength. It was a victory achieved thanks to regaining his third skill.
"Zi... Zien."
Yume called Zien's name with a sad expression. With Jeokhyeol's death, she had felt something. This world was just a virtual gate, but yesterday's Yume and today's Yume were different people.
"...Thank you. And I'm sorry."
Her lavender hair was soaked by the rainwater.
The corners of Yume's lips were slightly crumpled. Instead of answering, Zien looked at Jeokhyeol.
Sky Group... Rebellion.
Zien couldn't tell which side was right. The Sabers who entered the gate weren't saints. The reason they challenged gates was solely the conviction to save their world.
That's why I killed him.
To clear the gate, he had followed the quest compass and protected Yume. That was all there was to it—Zien had no reason to receive thanks from her.
"Yeah."
With that, one story came to a close. Now it was time to return to his own world. To eliminate greater threats, to end infinite tales, Zien had to protect the world.
To do that, Zien needed to grow even stronger. Stronger than in his previous life.
Lucia and Chris were in the lobby.
Your party has successfully cleared the gate.
Seeing the clear message, Chris jumped for joy and said to Lucia.
"We cleared it!"
You don't die in virtual gates, but the difficulty is the same. In other words, party leader Zien and the participants had become the first students in history to clear a 5th-rank gate. It was an achievement worth recording.
"We really pulled it off..."
Overwhelmed with emotion, Chris couldn't continue. Chris's year ranking had been in the three digits. His skill was bottom of the bottom tier. But teaming up with Zien had steadily improved him. First 96th place, then top number. And now, clearing a 5th-rank gate.
This was the result of everyone giving their all, even in a battle that seemed hopeless and predestined for defeat.
...This is the party you spoke of.
Lucia's thoughts were complicated.
Zien was stronger than anyone yet never intoxicated by his power; he taught and encouraged his party members. He was the core of this gate clear. It was a quality unique to Zien that Lucia still lacked.
"So now we can join real gates too?"
Clearing a 5th-rank gate meant at least a party of 5th-rank Sabers or higher. Though individual contributions varied, Zien's party was strong. They still fell short of 6th-rank Sabers like Bluma or Illusion, but they surpassed most active hunters.
"It should be possible."
"I see..."
As gate conquest became reality, fear suddenly washed over Chris. Unlike virtual gates, death inside a real gate was true death. The weight was different even at the same difficulty.
"But with Zien around."
Chris grinned faintly.
Lucia responded with a rare subtle smile.
"Indeed."
Rain City visible through the window looked strangely peaceful.
The Association and city guards were only now being deployed after everything had ended.
"They sure take their sweet time," Chris grumbled like a complainer.
Looking outside, Lucia murmured.
"...The rain has stopped."
As she said, the downpour over Rain City had ceased. The sky after the rain was clear and bright.
"Yeah, nice weather. We've got 10 minutes till return—wanna take a walk if you're bored?"
Since the train incident, things had been awkwardly tense between Chris and Lucia. Chris offered a handshake as a gesture of reconciliation.
Lucia glanced at his hand.
"No. I'm fine."
As Chris awkwardly withdrew his hand at her refusal,
"But a cafe should be okay."
Lucia grabbed Chris's hand, her black hair swaying.
Your party has successfully cleared the gate.
"Ahaha! Clear! We cleared it!"
Amy Rose, who had untied the fallen Demona and come down to the first floor, jumped around at the long-awaited gate clear news.
"I believed in you~ Party leader!"
Amy hadn't done much due to the mana penalty. But since the Battle Saber event, her steady regular and personal broadcasts had amassed a huge viewer base.
Of course, the number of viewers watching Amy was enormous. Criticism was inevitable.
"What? V-Villain? What are you talking about?"
Amy caught on but too late—inside the gate, her actions had already become comedic fodder for viewers.
Reading the chat, Amy clutched her neck in rising blood pressure.
"What the—number 4 is what?! I'm a real Saber!"
Amy protested her injustice.
Feeling at a disadvantage, she shifted her persuasion.
"No, if my mana had been fine, I'd have been super active! And~ embarrassing to say, but if I hadn't taken the penalty, the party leader might have. Yeah, so in a way, I sacrificed?"
Viewers freaked at Amy's claim that Zien might have taken the mana penalty.
Amy smugly wiped her nose. Demona was exhausted from the fierce battle with Iruka.
But Amy's vibe was worlds apart from hers. Demona felt unfairly sidelined, but Amy didn't even glance her way. Her focus was solely the camera.
"Heh heh, anyway, thanks to me taking the penalty instead of the party leader, the clear was easier. If he'd been stuck in that! Whew~ just imagining it is scary."
The viewers' reactions softened.
Amy laughed brightly, "Ahahaha~."
"Alright, he's on the roof, right? Shall we go meet the party leader before the portal opens?"
As she tried to leave Demona behind, Demona grabbed Amy's ankle tight.
"Wha—ack!"
Amy toppled over, unprepared for the surprise. Mana-less, she couldn't shake off Demona's grip.
"Wh-what is this?"
Amy panicked with her ankle caught.
Demona held firm, no intention of letting go. Viewers just found it hilarious.
Instead of words, Demona gestured with her chin toward the stairs.
Amy's face said no way as she asked back.
"You want me to carry you? Me? I have no mana?"
But.
Escaping Demona's grip without mana was impossible. Amy meekly piggybacked her.
"...This is ridiculous. Anyway! I'm off to the party leader!"
The gate incident was resolved for now.
Soon, the return portal would open, allowing participating Sabers to go back to reality. The issue was whether the bureau's bill would pass and if the examiners would recognize the gate's contents as valid.
And overseeing it all was the man called the strongest living Saber.
Gate Management Bureau
Even with Zien's party victorious, Metis was anxious. The most important exam criterion was indeed clearing the gate. But that was the bare minimum. If the strategy didn't please Dennis, it ended there.
"Truly... difficult."
After long deliberation, Dennis spoke.
"Students conquering a gate..."
This gate was merely virtual.
No skills or artifacts could be gained. But if it had been real, Zien's party would have grown even stronger. That gap could birth an unprecedented Saber.
As Metis said, it was worth investing in. But Dennis had reservations.
The exam is just virtual.
No one knew how students would act with real lives at stake. Above all, the exam's negative factor was 'dropouts.'
In a real gate, one would have died.
To protect Kua, Isabel had dropped out. That allowed securing the Blood Jade, but losing a talented Saber like Isabel would be humanity's greatest loss.
Difficult. A hard judgment.
Normally, Dennis would decisively reject. But Zien had a power that even made him expectant.
Just a first-year.
Leading a party to clear a 5th-rank gate at that age was impossible even for Dennis. He'd reached 5th-rank in his second year—and barely at the entry level.
Yet to Dennis's eyes, Zien as a first-year already seemed stronger and more seasoned than his own 5th-rank days.
If he grows in gates, he'll be an incredible hero.
Dennis pondered.
Metis grew tense with every passing second waiting. His lifeline hung on Dennis's decision.
If the bill fails...
As Metis thought, Dennis calculated complexly: judgment, delays, betrayals, battles—all elements he'd observed.
"Then, I'll announce."
Dennis took the mic.
The mic was set to echo through the entire bureau. Reporters and officials were surprised, but Dennis continued.
"The council... approves this bill."
Metis and the officials erupted in cheers.
My Previous Life was the Strongest Sword God