I'll kill you after I finish this game!

At this moment, Mary bravely interjected, pleading with Fujii Ren, "Please let me go with you."

Even without knowing what to do, a woman's intuition is so irrational; subconsciously, Mary felt she couldn't abandon Lian.

"No......."

Fujii Ren refused Mary's request without hesitation, saying with a serious and earnest look:

"You stay here."

"but--"

Rejected, Mary looked dejected and hesitant to speak.

Mary wasn't a fool; at least Lian, who had watched her grow up, no longer thought of her as an ignorant child.

Mary must have noticed by now. Sorry, just pretend I'm a fool.

Who was the dumbest? Let's leave that aside for now.

"Let her go, Margaret. You should be able to sense who she's determined for, shouldn't you?"

"This is the final moment. You and she are of one mind and body, and unconditional trust is the foundation of your close relationship."

Mercury Serpent and Reiji spoke up to remind Mary, but Mary remained silent and could not say anything.

Fujii Ren's determination?

Mary could naturally sense that the largest part was for her, the rest was carrying the trust of her deceased companions, and the future of everyone she was protecting.

What else could Mary say? Her hesitant gaze lingered between Lotus, Mercury, and Reiji.

In short, it's three to one.

The fact that someone who disliked Mercury was among those who voted in favor made Ren very unhappy. Fortunately, there was another person who neither disliked nor liked her present, since she was also very uneasy about entrusting Mary to Mercury.

However, there was no other way.

Fujii Ren froze all his emotions, nodded to Mary, and said:

"Then I'm leaving."

"I......"

Mary wanted to say something, but Fujii Ren hardened his heart and ignored her, chasing after Reinhardt's retreating figure.

Even with her back to him, Fujii Ren could feel Mary's gaze, but she didn't turn around, not even once.

This place will become the source of a new world.

So only one person can remain, and everyone else is excluded.

Given this, the best choice is obvious without even thinking about it; there's no need to be confused.

"Farewell, Mary."

He spoke in a very low, almost inaudible voice, so soft that he could barely hear himself.

Fujii Ren bid farewell in a voice that could not be heard, and went alone to the final battlefield from which there was no turning back.

......

......

Meanwhile, on Earth where time has stopped.

At this moment, Earth can be described as an utterly desolate planet, devoid of any life or sound, frozen in an eternal moment.

This is not the world that Fujii Ren longed for.

However, at this moment, to the astonishment of countless viewers, a shower of light fell from the dark sky.

That light represented countless souls, who were now returning to where they belonged.

These souls were those that Fujii Ren had retrieved from Reinhard during the battle, and now she was returning them all to him.

However, those who are in a state of suspended animation cannot move, as they are under the legal freeze effect of Fujii Ren.

However, there was one exception.

At this moment, in a classroom at Suwahara Private Tsukinosawa Academy, a soul that had been under special protection has returned to where she belonged.

That was the soul of someone important that Fujii Ren had regained, the person he had sworn to protect.

She was the only one who could move freely in this still world.

Because those who spread the Dharma of cessation cherish and protect her.

In the classroom, Ayase Kasumi slowly opened her eyes; it seemed she had just had a very long dream.

"My...classroom?"

Kasumi Ayase slowly sat up, looking around at her familiar surroundings in a daze, wondering why she was in this place.

Her memory was somewhat hazy, but Xiangchun herself felt that she had never been here before, a fact she was aware of.

Was it taken away by someone? But if so, who was it?

"Uh......"

Xiangchun didn't know how long she had been unconscious, but when she got up, her whole body groaned and her joints creaked.

This proves that she had been unconscious for quite some time, because her body now resembles that of a bedridden patient after waking up... no, to put it more precisely, it's like a dead person coming back to life.

This feeling was disgusting, and Xiangchun tried even harder to find her memories.

I did indeed pass out, that's for sure... My last memory was...

"Ren, Silang, Reia-senpai..."

Muttering her friend's name, Xiangchun seemed to feel as if she had been pushed back to her senses by everyone when she woke up.

She thought about it, somewhat uncertain, because it was probably a dream, but the dream felt incredibly real...

However, no matter what, Xiangchun subconsciously glanced out the classroom window and her eyes widened immediately.

"What's going on here?"

Stunned and incredulous, Xiangchun saw a terrifyingly large hole in the sky as she looked out the window.

How big was that hole? We know it was enormous.

The pitch-black hole almost covered the entire sky.

We need to confirm this.

After reaching this conclusion, her actions were reasonable and not surprising.

"Oh right, the rooftop!"

Kasumi Ayase immediately pushed open the classroom door, staggered into the corridor, and ran towards the rooftop.

Where does that hole extend from? And what happened in the city below? Where did Ren and Skadi go?

To confirm those things, it would be better to climb to a higher place, so Kasumi went to the roof.

"Everyone, where have you all gone!?"

Xiangchun hated this feeling of loneliness, and hated being all alone even more. She was calling out to everyone.

She had a long dream, and she dreamt that everyone was dead.

But it was a dream, probably a dream, it must have been a dream.

As long as I go to that familiar place, I'm sure I'll see everyone again.

Come back, everyone please come back. If you get lost, just use her as a landmark.

Xiangchun had no idea that the city where she had lived since childhood had been shrouded in a deathly silence for quite some time.

As countless rays of light returned, the souls of those who had been sucked into the Demon City and were in a state of suspended animation began to slowly be released.

"You must come back!!!"

Arriving at the rooftop, facing the place where the rain of light falls from the sky, Ayase Kasumi subconsciously senses that the people she cares about are there, and shouts towards that place, hoping that her voice can reach them.

And what has become of the places where this hope was meant to reach?

.......

Along the divided sea route, Fujii Ren and Reinhardt now walk side by side toward deeper waters.

The two strolled leisurely towards the final battleground, like friends. Reinhardt gazed at the beautiful sunset ahead and softly asked:

"Qing, why did you come alone? You need her, and she needs you too."

"Hmm... I think all the idiots should leave the stage."

To bring everything to a close, Fujii Ren felt no confusion, yet still a sense of reluctance. She too gazed at the beautiful colors of the setting sun and said:

"Your and my principles of governing the world are not even as good as those of my senior and Matilda. My 'love' for you will only bring harm to others in the end."

Ren Fujii was aware of this. Skadi and Matilda were powerful, but their power was radiant and acceptable.

Both of them possessed greater qualities for governing than she and Reinhardt, but Skadi seemed to have given them up for Mary's sake or for other purposes.

Once you reach the point of exiting, as long as you can feel the domineering remnants left by Skadi, you can sense the loneliness of the other person.

Once she takes her seat, she will transcend everything in the true sense of the word and leave everyone far behind.

But there are some things that you can never let go of or overcome, no matter what.

Just as she cannot disregard the wishes of others and recklessly spread domineering behavior simply because of her own desires.

Everything stopped except for herself and the people she loved. The world shouldn't be like this.

"I'm truly sorry, but it's my nature. Even without the intention to harm others, my love is intertwined with a destructive spirit, so I will inevitably cause harm no matter what."

When Fujii Ren bluntly stated that he was not as good as the two people who had left the stage before, Reinhardt neither refuted nor agreed with anything. He simply stated in a matter-of-fact tone that this was the only way he could live.

Therefore, I cannot offer you the seat.

The creator of the new world flowing from here... must prevent Reinhard from becoming such a god, so he must be eliminated.

Even at the cost of their own lives, they would not hesitate.

"And then, is it the same for you?"

Reinhardt stopped and faced Fujii Ren with a smile, clearly sensing the latter's resolve.