Boom! The overwhelming power that pushed everyone away was right in front of me now. If I were an ordinary person, I would have lost my mind in fear. But Hans was chewing over what Beatrice had said.
Beatrice played the role of an advisor to the protagonist in the original game. Of course, most of her advice was useless, but during serious moments, she provided very sharp advice.
If we assume that this is one of those moments, Beatrice’s advice could be the key to breaking this situation. But what could it possibly be? I couldn’t even begin to guess.
Tap tap. “I can hear you thinking from here.”
“…….”
“It’s fine, though. You’re my hero, so I can forgive you.”
Tch.
Hans attempted to use Time Stop but paused. After all, using powers in front of time wouldn’t work anyway. Huh? Wait a second. Something suddenly brushed past my mind.
Hans struggled to grasp what it was. Just a little more, and I felt like I might reach the answer. Ding! Time spoke to the pondering Hans.
“You cannot escape from me.”
“…Can I just ask one thing?”
“What is it?”
“The reason I can’t escape, is it due to a transaction?”
“That’s right.”
“I see.”
Hans nodded calmly. The words time had said at the very beginning and Beatrice’s advice. With those words, Hans became certain. He knew how to beat time.
“To gain, one must inevitably lose.”
“What are you planning to do?”
“Everything you’ve given me until now.”
Time, the absolute power. It could probably overwhelm everything in this world. That’s why I had used it so well until now. But it was time to let go.
“I don’t need to obsess over time anymore.”
I had been too focused on the overwhelming ability. I thought I was nothing without Time Stop. But in the end, I had come this far through my own efforts.
Time attempted to stop Hans. But, of course, time’s power didn’t work on him. However, the result was the same, only the reason was different. Earlier, it was the result of a covenant given to Hans by time.
Now, it meant that Hans had transcended even time. Casting away desire and obsession, he renounced the ability of time. Ironically, it was an ordinary human who could accomplish that.
“Stop it right now.”
“Why?”
“It’s an everlasting life. A crown so supreme that no one can harm you or touch you. With that power, you can do anything.”
“That’s true.”
“But how can you just give it up so easily?!”
Eternal immortality. That was the ultimate goal time desired. To become time itself and live forever together. So, time had taken Hans’s body, and he had become subservient to time.
Time’s power was transcendental. With this power, ruling the continent was not impossible. No, it would be more than possible. It was an astounding amount of power.
Yet, Hans said he would give it up. He didn’t just say it; he showed it through his actions. How was that even possible? How had the man who could stop the world decided to give up power?
“I’ve learned a lot.”
While being with the Royal Knights, laughing and crying over their problems, sometimes splitting apart, turning away, and ignoring each other. Yet, they managed to meet again, and seeing them smile made Hans wish to see that smile forever. If this power was a shackle to seeing that smile, Hans could willingly relinquish his strength. Finally, Hans reached out his hand.
It was directed toward the direction of his broken prosthetic. But something incredible happened. The prosthetic had surely been broken and unable to move properly, yet somehow, his hand was moving.
And it didn’t stop there. With that resurrected hand, Hans removed the eye patch he wore. Where there had once been nothing but an ugly hole, his eye reappeared.
“You…!!!”
“Royal Knights, pay attention!!!”
“……?!”
“How long are you going to lie there?!”
Time reflexively stepped back, startled by Hans’s shout. But the members reacted to that shout. Even while staggering, they somehow stood up and assumed their positions.
The command of the Commander.
It would be upheld, no matter what.
Even if it meant sacrificing their lives!
The momentum shifted. The time, which had been rampaging with fury, began to weaken. The body it had taken from me was not merely evidence of subservience but a kind of fuel for using its powers.
But that no longer mattered.
Feeling the pounding of his heart once again, Hans smiled. Was this feeling so delightful? Time, sensing the anxiety, was the first to move. But it was much slower than before.
So much so that Helia, who was behind him, could block time’s attack. Time gritted its teeth. It felt way slower than before. At this rate, I can’t kill them all!
But that wasn’t the end. In the very brief moment that Helia held time down, Ruby dove in. Her hammer, wrapped in flames, struck its side in an instant.
Boom?!
The shock beyond imagination made time scream and tumble to the ground. I couldn’t catch my breath properly. Why? This kind of attack shouldn’t mean anything to me. How did this happen?
But there was no time to think leisurely. The members began their attacks one by one. Unlike before, allowing an attack would cause tremendous pain this time.
Time gritted its teeth and avoided the subsequent attacks. Clara’s arrows, Yuren’s fists, Cluna’s sword, and so on. It could escape somehow, but was it due to fear of pain? It couldn’t attack.
However, merely evading wouldn’t change a thing. Instead, it would only lead to being cornered. The Royal Knights, having analyzed its habits and movements, expertly trapped time in a predicament.
“Why, how dare you bugs like you…!!!”
“You were too focused on just one thing.”
“What?!”
“You’ve handed over your body and mind completely to one person. So, if that person discards you, you won’t have a way out.”
That’s a valid point. She was once considered a goddess, but before joining the first hero, no one even remembered her as a forgotten deity. It’s no wonder even Cluna, an elf who lived as one with nature, had never heard of her.
But as she joined the first hero, her divine powers grew stronger. Strong enough to be called a god.
Yet, she never sought to expand her influence or create a religion to change the world. She was just fixated on finding the lost hero. And this was the price for that.
Time had made a covenant with itself. Its power was to be used wholly for the first hero. And that had been upheld until now, albeit with its meaning greatly distorted.
In battle, time began to falter little by little. Unlike the overwhelming power time had used to push forward, every single member of the Royal Knights was a battle master and veteran.
Naturally, under equal conditions, or even somewhat favorable conditions, time couldn’t help but be pushed back. Hans was also doing his utmost to fight against time.
In such circumstances, time couldn’t take strong action against Hans. Out of fear. It didn’t want to lose the hero again. That fleeting hesitation, determined the outcome. Time saw.
Hans’s sword piercing its abdomen. Time lifted its head again. The cold gaze from Hans was more chilling than anything else. Time smiled bitterly. Is this the price?
“…I’m glad I could see you at the end.”
Time reached out its hand. There was no longer any intent to attack left in her. Had she finally regained her senses? Or did she realize her mistakes upon seeing the contempt in Hans?
It no longer mattered. Time had ultimately caused countless people’s blood and tears to flow for a single person. Even if she was a god, she had committed an unforgivable sin.
Finally, the tiny outstretched hand of time touched Hans’s cheek. With that, time’s body began to crumble. Being denied even by the last remnants it had left, time was annihilated.
“Where did she really go?”
“I don’t know.”
The members couldn’t say a thing. How could they describe this feeling? A feeling they couldn’t accurately express tormented them all. Hans lifted his head. The sky was visible again.
“I’m going back.”
“What? But where to…?”
“Of course, there’s only one place.”
Was it because there were still remnants of the battle? Or perhaps they couldn’t grasp it right away? The members didn’t understand Hans’s words. Then, Hans smiled as he looked at them.
“Home.”
The long, long battle had finally come to an end.
