Chapter 49: After the Demon Lord’s Defeat

"Heavenrend Blade: Lightning Flash Severance — Thousand Hands!"

Kazuya unleashed a secret technique I had never seen before.

If the name was to be taken literally, it was an ultimate technique that unleashed a thousand strikes of lightning-fast slashes. It was nothing short of a supreme secret art.

I couldn’t follow Kazuya’s blade at all. All I could see were flashes of lightning and hear the roaring thunder—then the Demon Lord’s body was shredded in an instant.

Right after Kazuya used the technique to mince the Demon Lord, the collapse began. He had destroyed the Demon Lord’s core!

The Demon Lord’s body started to crumble away.

And just as the collapse began, Kazuya’s movement halted—as if a battery had run out—and he began to fall.

I used the teleportation bracelet again, just like before, and summoned Kazuya to my side.

Catching his body, which had gone limp and powerless, I gently held him.

Then, I laid him down with his head in my lap.

“Kazuya. Hey, Kazuya?”

Unlike before, he didn’t respond no matter how many times I called.

In fact, from the moment I caught him until now, there hadn't been a single sign of life from his body.

A chill of dread crawled down my spine.

“Hey!! Kazuya!! Come on!! Say something!!”

I shook him, slapped his cheeks lightly, and cast healing magic.

But he didn’t react at all.

The magic activated, but I couldn’t tell whether it had any effect.

He wasn’t moving. He wasn’t waking up. No way—

No, no, no!

“Come on! You’re kidding, right!? Wake up!”

Tears began to fall. I didn’t know what to do—I just clung to Kazuya.

He had called it his trump card—his final awakening. If that was his last resort… and if it had come at the cost of his life…

“No!! You said we’d be together!! And once we defeated the Demon Lord—!”

At that moment, I felt it.

A faint heartbeat. Small and weak… but it was there. Proof of life.

I laid him down again and pressed my ear to his chest.

I could hear it—thump… thump…—though weak, and the intervals between beats were growing longer.

Kazuya’s still alive!!

There’s still time. Calm down. Stay composed. I’ll use ancient recovery magic.

I chanted the spell and kissed him.

Unlike modern healing magic, this ancient recovery spell rapidly heals the body, but it consumes a tremendous amount of mana and requires direct contact, which makes it difficult to use in battle.

But right now, that was perfect. Just touching him wouldn’t be enough for me.

I pulled my lips away and pressed my ear to his chest again.

His heartbeat was stronger than before. It seemed the magic worked. Thank goodness… truly, thank goodness.

The moment relief washed over me, tears streamed down my face—this time from joy.

I gently returned him to my lap pillow and placed my hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat as I waited for him to wake up.

---

The Demon Lord’s body had completely disintegrated.

All that remained was a quiet pile of ash-like dust.

Thanks to that, I could clearly feel Kazuya’s heartbeat.

I stroked Kazuya’s hair.

His complexion seemed to have improved, at least a little.

I kissed him again. This time, it was just a kiss—nothing more.

And then, Kazuya responded.

Slowly, he opened his eyes. Only his eyes moved, darting around to scan his surroundings.

Then he looked at my face, and I could see awareness returning to his gaze.

Only his eyelids and eyes were moving, as if he were trying to tell me something.

He probably still couldn’t move his body at all—barely able to move even his eyelids and eyes.

I wanted to use the ancient recovery magic again, but I had almost no mana left.

Still, just seeing Kazuya open his eyes made me happy.

I stroked his hair, touched his cheek, and kissed his lips.

Then, his lips moved slightly.

He still couldn’t speak, but they definitely moved.

“Kazuya, I’ll wait. There’s no need to rush. I’ll be right here.”

His lips moved again—it looked like he was saying “Okay.”

And then Kazuya closed his eyes, seeming to fall into a peaceful rest.

Silence returned.

Not that it had ever been noisy—only I had been fussing, crying, rejoicing, and making a scene.

---

After a little while, Kazuya opened his eyes again.

And then he spoke.

“Miki… thank you… I somehow… made it back…”

“Yeah. Welcome back, Kazuya.”

He still couldn’t move his neck, but he gestured with his eyes toward where the Demon Lord had been.

“It’s okay. The Demon Lord Devidangarm is gone. You defeated him. As expected… of my brave hero.”

My voice caught a little at the end.

Not as a joke—seriously. When I actually tried to say it aloud, it was more embarrassing than I’d imagined.

“Yeah… I’m glad… I was able to… defeat the Demon Lord… Did I manage to… look cool… for you?”

“You did. You looked so cool. I fell for you all over again.”

Kazuya looked visibly relieved.

“…Miki… I know I’m in this state, but… I can’t hold it back anymore. Let me say it.”

“Hm? What is it?”

Kazuya swallowed. I saw his Adam’s apple bob as he gulped.

What was going on? Did something happen?

“Miki… I love you! I want you!! So I’ll say it again—please spend your life with me!! Miki!!”

!?

You’ve got to be kidding me.

A confession… now?

To anyone watching, it must look so clumsy—a man who can’t even move, confessing from a lap pillow.

Normally, I’d tell him to read the room a bit—but this wasn’t “normal.”

I was just… happy.

There was no question about how I’d answer. Of course I’d say yes.

But even so, having him say it from the heart, truly desiring me—it made me happy.

“Hiragi Kazuya has been your best friend since your previous life. I still think of you as my best friend now. But at the same time, I love you deeply—as a woman. Both of those feelings are my honest truth. It might sound selfish, but to me, you’re my best friend and the person I love. I don’t need another best friend. I don’t see any other women. Be mine, Miki!”

……

A silence fell.

I knew I needed to respond quickly. I wanted to respond—but when it came down to it, I couldn’t find the words.

Say something—anything!

Yeah, start with “yes.” Just say “yes.”

“Yes. To me too, Hidaka Miki is my best friend… and the woman I love. I love you, too. So yes—I’ll spend my life with you. Please take care of me.”

Once I said that one word, “yes,” the rest came easily.

All I had to do was return his feelings and express my own.

Looking back, it was simple.

“Yeah. Same here—please take care of me. Let’s be happy together.”

Before I knew it, Kazuya was speaking fluently again. But neither of us noticed that detail. We were just… finally, truly, lovers at last.

Though Kazuya could now speak, he still couldn’t move his body.

It felt a little anticlimactic, sure—but I leaned down and shared a long, long kiss with him.

---

“Ahhh—!! You two are flirting again!!”

A voice called out, and we hastily pulled our lips apart. Turning to look, we saw Roy and the others standing there.

“Roy, huh? Sorry we couldn’t help you guys. I still couldn’t move back then,” Kazuya said, calling out to him.

But still… If they’re here, that must mean—they defeated Ashler.

Wyndham and Joseph were barely able to walk, leaning on Erin, Corin, and Claudia for support. But not a single party member was missing.

That alone told me Roy and the others had done something incredible.

“You beat Ashler, right? Wasn’t that tough?”

When I asked, Roy answered with pride.

“Yeah, it was seriously rough. I thought I was gonna die more times than I can count. Actually came close, too. But we gave it everything we had, worked together, and somehow managed to take him down. I’m just grateful to everyone. They’re the best team ever.”

“Oh please, what best team? Everyone pushed themselves so hard because you kept whining, ‘I’m gonna die! I’m gonna die~!’ Honestly, I thought we were doomed without us there to babysit you. My dear hero is just hopeless,” Claudia said with a mix of scolding and affection.

Roy, hyped up, kept rambling on, but he wasn’t really making sense anymore. Still, I got the gist—it had been a hell of a battle, and everyone had worked together to overcome it.

“Congrats, Roy. You’re amazing. You’ve got a different kind of strength than I do. Maybe if it were you, you could’ve defeated the Demon King in a different way than I did.”

“No way, that’s giving me too much credit. You and I are on totally different levels. Seeing you now, I know there’s no way I could’ve done it. Only you could’ve pulled it off, Kazuya.”

Kazuya acknowledged Roy, and Roy acknowledged Kazuya.

The way they showed respect was different, but they were clearly good rivals. I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous.

“That’s right! Kazuya and Miki defeated the Demon King, you know? You two really need to understand just how incredible that is!” Claudia scolded.

“I-I guess so…”

Even Claudia was saying that.

“Just looking at Kazuya now, it’s obvious there was a fierce battle. Can’t wait to hear all the stories!” Joseph chimed in.

“Even you, Joseph-san… Alright then, I’ll share everything—but I expect to hear your side of the story too.”

Kazuya responded, and the group burst into laughter. The mood turned warm and light.

It really hit me then—Kazuya had defeated the Demon King.

That’s no small feat. That Kazuya, he actually did it.

It’ll probably spark a kingdom-wide celebration... Honestly, I’m not great with that kind of thing.

---

After that, Kazuya made a full recovery, and together with Roy and the others, triumphantly returned from the Demon King’s castle to the front-line city of Spilling.

The moment they reported the Demon King’s defeat at the guild reception, the place erupted into chaos.

After giving a detailed report to the Guildmaster, they came out of the room to a hero’s welcome from the other adventurers.

Everyone praised Kazuya, cheering, “Glory to Hero Kazuya! Thank you!”

He gave a short speech, which got the crowd even more excited.

That day, the city partied well into the night—and the celebrations lasted for several days.

Roy and the others departed for the royal capital the very next day.

As for us, we were ordered to wait for an escort from the capital.

One week later, the royal carriage finally arrived.

Upon returning to the capital, Roy and the others were already waiting for us at the gates, and we all joined a parade together.

The streets overflowed with people—more than I ever thought lived here. Everyone praised Kazuya’s achievements.

Especially Kazuya and I—we were the center of everyone’s attention.

At first, we were nervous, but soon enough, the energy swept us up, and both Kazuya and I found ourselves having a great time.

After that, we were granted an audience with the king.

We were dressed up properly and brought before him to pay our respects.

Apparently there’s a proper way to perform court etiquette, but since we were adventurers, they let us slide on the formalities.

The king offered his gratitude and asked Kazuya what kind of reward he desired.

Kazuya had many options—territory, political power, and so on—but he chose to ask for enough gold and treasure to live comfortably for the rest of his life.

Some were disappointed, others relieved by his choice.

But this had been discussed beforehand between Kazuya and me.

After greetings were done, we planned to leave on a journey to search for a way to extend Kazuya’s lifespan.

And to focus on that goal, we needed gold and treasure. Not just money—treasure.

Coins could become worthless if the kingdom fell. But gold and treasure would always hold value. That’s what Kazuya passionately argued.

It made perfect sense to me—in fact, it was just common sense.

Currency only holds value as long as the system behind it exists. Unless it's made of actual gold or silver, it could become worthless overnight.

No one knows if this kingdom will even exist in fifty, let alone a hundred years.

Kazuya left the castle beaming, carrying his treasure reward.

Well—technically, it’s all stored inside my magical pouch. Fufufu. Kazuya, I’ve got control of the purse strings now.

Until we left the capital, countless nobles tried to recruit us into service.

Well, it makes sense—they wouldn’t want to let the kingdom’s top assets go so easily.

Since Kazuya had requested treasure from the king, many nobles assumed he was money-hungry and tried to lure him with gold.

Naturally, there were some who tried to win him over with women too.

But Kazuya would always say:

“Is she more attractive than Miki? If she is, please bring her here.”

That line usually made the nobles change tactics. And if they did bring someone, he’d just say, “Not even close,” and shut them down.

I once asked him, “What if they actually bring someone really stunning?”

He replied without hesitation, “There’s no one more beautiful or better than Miki.”

…There was nothing I could say to that.

And for the record, this isn’t me bragging.

I’m not grinning like an idiot while thinking back on all this or anything. Seriously.

---

“Yo, Zack! Long time no see! How’ve you been?!”

After stopping by the city of Cylindarl, we dropped in at the guild, then made our way to the blacksmith.

Zack was the dwarf blacksmith who forged Takemikazuchi for us.

At first, we didn’t get along well—him being a dwarf and me being an elf—but thanks to our adventures together and Kazuya's help, we’d become good friends.

“Oh! Kazuya!—Oops, pardon me. Congratulations, Hero Kazuya, on your defeat of the Demon King! What brings you here today?”

“C’mon, cut that out, Zack. I’m already sick of people treating me like that.”

“Fuhaha! Just messing with you. It’s good to see you again, Kazuya. Takemikazuchi served you well, didn’t it? The sword I forged.”

Kazuya held out Takemikazuchi in front of Zack.

“Takemikazuchi is the best. I can say with confidence there’s no finer sword out there. Thanks again, Zack.”

“Right? I knew it. Here—let me take a look at it later.”

Zack took the blade, drew it from the sheath, and inspected it carefully.

“Hello~! Wait—Kazuya-san?! What are you doing here?! Master! It’s Kazuya-san and the others!”

As we chatted with Zack, Fabio and Clara appeared.

Fabio and Clara ran a weapon and armor shop Zack had introduced us to. Fabio was the shop owner, and Clara his apprentice.

Fabio specialized in leatherwork—my cloak, for example, was one of his handmade pieces. Clara, back then, had also been a C-rank adventurer.

We had a good relationship with both of them.

“Hey, Fabio! Clara, too. I was planning to drop by later, so this is perfect.”

“So it’s true, Kazuya—you really defeated the Demon King. Now I can proudly say I make the same kind of gear worn by the Hero Kazuya!”

“Go ahead, advertise all you like—just don’t stretch the truth too far.”

“Heh, don’t worry. I’d never tarnish the Kazuya name.”

After making our rounds and greetings, we left the city of Cylindarl behind.

We also stopped by Kazuya’s hometown, where he was immediately swarmed by the villagers.

As an elf, I drew a lot of attention too. In cities, people try not to show it—but here, everyone openly talked about it, which made the difference stand out.

Later, I met Kazuya’s mother. When we told her we were getting married, she looked a little conflicted at first, but she gave us her blessing right away. Kazuya apologized to me afterward, but well... considering he’s marrying an elf, it’s understandable.

---

And so, after leaving Kazuya’s hometown, we set out on our journey—

To find a way to extend Kazuya’s lifespan.

Honestly, it was a hopeless dream. If it were possible to find so easily, someone would’ve done it long ago.

But I was happy—truly happy.

He was willing to give up his life, just to be with me. That meant everything.

I figure… five years. That should be enough. If we can’t find a way in that time, I’ll make him give up, and we’ll live a normal life.

We’ll get married. It’s said elves and humans have difficulty having children, but we’ll try. A boy and a girl—two if possible. Then, in the end, I’ll be the one to see Kazuya off.

Just like this—

“I’m sorry, Miki… for dragging you into my life…”

And then I’ll say—

“What are you talking about? I told you, didn’t I? I’d stay with you forever. So yeah… I was happy.”

That’s what I’ll tell him as I let him go.

…Wait, why am I crying?

It’s too soon for this. We still have decades. It’s still too early…

Alright! However many decades I get with Kazuya, I’ll make sure we have no regrets!

“Alright, shall we go? Miki.”

“Yeah.”

Kazuya stood up and reached out his hand, helping me to my feet.

Someday, when we’re old, I’ll be the one pulling him along. But no matter what, I’ll never let go of this hand.

And just like that, our journey to defeat the Demon King came to an end—

And a new journey began.