Ein appeared without warning.
However, Akumo merely maintained his smile as if he had expected her arrival, offering her a calm look.
"The power between Akumo and Akuo was equal."
Ein, sensing Akumo's thoughts, continued her explanation.
"You didn't lose because of them. It was simply a pure lack of capability."
Just as she said, Dionysus's defeat wasn't solely due to the clash between Akumo and Akuo.
Even if Akumo had slain three of the six pillars, the remaining Demi-Spirits would have continued the Great Magic, and the hidden trump card, Nidhogg, still remained.
"But, Ein...!"
"Are you asking if it's because Akumo saved the adventurers?"
Dionysus raised his voice to protest, but Ein cut him off immediately.
"You are still trapped in your delusions..."
In her eyes, the blind devotion she once held for Dionysus was gone.
Having realized he was merely another living being struggling to obtain what he desired—just like herself—she now felt only pity for him.
"Even if Akumo hadn't been here, do you truly believe you could have won?"
The thought filled Dionysus's mind: What if they hadn't been there?
Without Akumo, there would have been no one to stop the Great Magic.
Since the Spirits wouldn't have been killed, the casualties would have mounted. He would have unleashed Nidhogg once all the heroes had gathered, just as planned, and then...
"And then...?"
Even if he had unleashed it, could Dionysus have truly emerged victorious?
"Shall I tell you more specifically why you lost?"
The answer was a definitive no.
"For the sake of your 'own' frenzy, you intended to kill everyone."
That was why he abandoned Evilus, Thanatos, his own Familia, and even Ein.
To achieve the frenzy he craved, that was the price.
"Your greed was simply too great."
To achieve his vision of perfect madness, Dionysus had moved while deceiving even himself, prepared to discard even the power he possessed.
A thin smile played on her lips.
However, those words didn't apply only to Dionysus.
"Of course, I was no different."
Even though she had been saved by Dionysus and accepted a life as a tool, she still wanted to affirm her own existence.
She had become captivated by the radiant being standing before her.
For her, that path was far too sweet and full of happiness to ignore.
"Everyone simply desired their own greed and fought to achieve it."
"In that process, it is only natural for failure and sacrifice to occur."
Such was the case for a certain elf who fell into monstrosity after choosing to protect her pride.
And such was the case for a certain adventurer who ignored his own greed and focused on pure pioneering to save everyone.
"You are just the same as them."
He had simply failed in the process of trying to perfectly realize his own desire.
'However.'
"There's a difference, aye~"
At that moment, Loki's voice drifted out from Akumo's face, sounding innocent yet sharp.
"This lad realized somethin' from that failure. He saw his own contradiction."
She grinned.
"He accepted that contradiction and made himself grow."
But what about Dionysus?
"Ye didn't accept yer contradiction; ye wouldn't even look at it in the first place."
He had merely forced his own truth upon others.
"And that right there is the worst mistake ye could've made, isn't it?"
"....."
At those words, Dionysus fell into a long silence, his head bowed low.
"Well, I've said everything I needed to say."
Having said her farewell to the God she once revered enough to offer her life, Filvis looked at Akumo with a refreshed expression.
"Thank you for waiting."
Filvis approached Akumo with a smile.
Seeing her like this, Akumo looked somewhat bewildered and asked with a concerned face.
"Do you not resent me?"
It's complicated, but in the end, I...
"I'm the one who... killed Akuo."
But Filvis simply placed a hand on his shoulder, her gaze filled with affection.
"Still so considerate of others."
She already knew. Akumo was Akuo, and Akuo was Akumo.
He hadn't died; they were simply one soul.
"....Thank you."
Akumo, who had thought Filvis might view Akumo and Akuo as separate entities, expressed his gratitude for her understanding.
I didn't think she'd recognize it...
"I'm only this considerate because it's you, Ein."
Just as Filvis thought, Akumo gave her the same bright smile that Akuo once had.
It was a smile of joy, knowing that she recognized him despite the changes he had undergone through their deep bond.
Suddenly, he was pulled into a tight embrace.
"...."
"Loki...?"
The Goddess, clearly displeased, hugged Akumo tightly and broke the mood.
"Get away from him this instant, ye cheeky lass!!!"
Apparently hating the affectionate gaze and touch, Loki shouted like a hissing cat and forced the two apart.
"Where do ye think ye're goin', tryin' to steal someone else's lad!"
"I thought sharing a little wouldn't be so bad?"
"Shut yer mouth!!! There's only one Akumo for me!!"
Loki continued to block Filvis from getting near him, clinging to Akumo.
"Ahaha.... This is troublesome..."
Akumo worried that things would only get more complicated from here, but he soon decided that such worries were also a form of enjoyment.
Vwooom!
"....!"
Akumo felt a certain energy. It was a resonance coming from the weapons in his hands, as if they were calling to him.
"Loki, I need to go somewhere for a moment."
"Eeeh!? Are ye tryin' to run away now! We need to settle this right here and now, laddie!"
"It's not like that, so don't worry. Filvis, you should hide yourself now."
Loki looked at him with dissatisfaction as he tried to set her down, but she stopped when she saw the spark in his eyes.
"If that is your wish."
"Hmph, fine, fine. I get it."
"Thanks, both of you."
At that look, Filvis quietly vanished into the darkness, and Loki reluctantly hopped down from Akumo's head.
Crack! Pop!
"Aha~! Tonight really is a great night~"
I've had a very, very enjoyable adventure with so many people...!
After letting Loki go, Akumo stretched his body and looked back on today's adventure—his pioneering.
He began to walk, heading toward the massive hole blasted open by his battle.
"That's a nice, clean hole!"
"This will be perfect."
As Akumo ascended to the surface through the opening, the beautiful night sky and moonlight greeted him.
It was as if the world was embracing him for showing it such a magnificent battle.
"It's a perfect day... for a farewell."
Then, Akumo let go of the staff and the sword in his hands.
The two weapons, containing immense power, fell from the Pioneer's hands.
They did not hit the ground; instead, they remained suspended in the air, floating before Akumo.
"The Black Dragon and... Excalibur... right?"
As if responding to his question, the black staff emitted a violent aura, while the divine sword radiated a sharp, keen edge.
As if saying their final goodbyes, they slowly faded away—one into darkness, the other into light.
—It was fun.
—Not bad at all.
He thought that was the end.
Wait, that voice...?
A man's voice suddenly echoed in his ear, sounding remarkably similar to Akumo's own.
Surprised, Akumo quickly looked up and saw it.
There was a certain world.
A world where good and evil, chaos, and countless factions mixed and fought for their own ends.
There were truly countless battles.
Sometimes between nations, sometimes between individuals, and sometimes across time itself.
A world where everyone used martial prowess, intellect, wealth, luck, and even betrayal without hesitation to win.
That was the world.
The most radiant world among the memories engraved in Akumo's soul.
In such a world, there were Pioneers.
"You are....?"
Standing before Akumo were two Pioneers—two Kings.
They were symbols of an entire era, kings who had become rulers of the world...
No, they were kings who had reached the level of Gods.
Even without words...
There was one who held a divine sword in one hand, a being who had poured his everything into it despite having a human body.
A king who had reached the limits of strength, agility, endurance, magic, and technique, wielding the divine sword entirely as his own power.
I can tell...!
There was another who he thought would shine more brilliantly than anyone else.
However, he had accepted the power of an outlaw destined to throw the world into chaos.
Furthermore, he had willingly grasped the power of a dragon that would destroy the world.
Yet he still shone brilliantly, a king who stood at the pinnacle as an Emperor.
They stood before Akumo, wearing the benevolent yet mischievous smiles of adventurers.
It was an encouragement for another pioneering journey that a great soul would write, and a bright smile worn as a spectator.
Behind them stood the sources of their great power, the beings who had shared in their pioneering.
A dragon of destruction with overwhelming power spread its black wings wide, looking at Akumo.
Conversely, a purple-haired Goddess with a benevolent smile spread her white wings, gazing at Akumo.
They were so different, yet they shared a clear commonality.
They were the Great Power of the kings before him.
The Black Dragon grinned fiercely at the master who had perfectly controlled it and provided the ultimate battle.
The Goddess smiled toward her king, holding a green bandana that appeared to belong to him.
"I see..."
The battle I fought... was the pioneering path they walked.
A meeting of mythological beings that should have been impossible.
"That's why it was so much fun...!!"
He was satisfied to have recreated their pioneering and brought about the clash between the Divine Sword and the Black Dragon—a memory he never thought would be realized.
For allowing me to build such memories...
"Thank you so much..."
Tears began to fall.
For giving me such a great gift...
That satisfaction filled him with peerless joy, even bringing him to tears.
He once again laid the powers of Excalibur and the Black Dragon to rest within the memories of his soul.
With that, the battle of the Pioneers reached its conclusion.
"Next time... no, I will remember you until the very end."
Akumo offered his farewell to the beings in his memories who were smiling back at him, watching as they faded away.
"Phew...."
It's finally over....
Thinking this, Akumo wiped his tears and took a deep breath.
To let everyone know this incident was over, and to signal that the long night had ended and it was time to welcome the heroes.
"I WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
'Sword Oratoria.'
It was a story that would not be recorded in history, and thus, it would become a fairy tale passed down for eternity.
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