Apocalypse Dark Elf Style -Magical Tribes Reincarnated in the Modern World - 38 - Chapter 5 Epilogue

†

A few days had passed since then.

On TV and the internet, only information about “a new type of giant radiant beast appearing in the mountains near Shinjin City, involving students from a knight academy during an off-campus field trip, but the situation was resolved quickly by the Drive Knights’ prompt response” has been circulating.

That’s probably the natural course of events for the public. After all, tax money is used for radiant beast countermeasures, so concepts like “scandal,” “unknown identity,” or “no results” are kept as secret as possible from the public. They can’t afford to have their budget cut due to bad publicity.

On the other hand, it’s likely that there’s quite a bit of commotion among the involved parties.

I hope that the recording cameras used by the Drive Knights who approached at that time captured something else, because Sheena used a jamming-like magic, so her figure wasn’t captured. However, the figure of Aguyanuba was probably visible even on satellite photos. Researchers are probably going crazy trying to analyze it as an unidentified giant radiant beast. As for how adults are judging the panic caused by Sheena and the magic—well, that’s not something I can know. Since I don’t think there’s anyone who can give the right answer, I don’t need to worry about it.

Rensuke’s knight body crash was recorded with proper pre-check records, so it was treated as an unknown machine failure. It was officially recorded as a major incident regarding the RV tool. Since the knight body couldn’t be properly recovered (it had been swallowed by Aguyanuba along with Yuika), it’s convenient that further detailed investigations aren’t possible. However, I think that the demands on the maintenance team have definitely increased. I’m really sorry about that.

As for the culprit, Yuika, it’s interpreted as her encountering the new type of radiant beast while searching for Rensuke, and in the end, she had to abandon the knight body to escape.

Right after the incident, both Rensuke and Yuika were subjected to oral reports that felt like interrogations by various relevant parties, so they coordinated their stories and spoke about the situation in a way that didn’t cause any trouble. Regarding the radiant beast, they said they knew nothing, but they did see something big, and they just felt like they had been wandering in the forest all along.

Both Rensuke and Yuika are good at acting. I don’t think they were suspected.

Thus, leaving behind many mysteries, the giant radiant beast suddenly disappeared, and the two students who had been involved in the accident miraculously survived, albeit with their clothes in tatters. What an incredible stroke of luck. And so, back to daily life.

“Phew… I can’t believe they never got tired of it either.”

Rensuke sighed as he walked up the school building stairs. It was just the beginning of lunch break.

Even though the news has been resolved, the curiosity of teenagers still can’t be stopped. Especially when the targets are two top students who have maintained an unblemished record and a serious class committee member. Students came to listen for various reasons, such as for the sake of learning or just out of curiosity, and it was really tiring. So, to at least get some peace during lunch break, he decided to go to the rooftop of the building where few people go.

He pushed open the heavy door leading to the rooftop with a loud “gong.”

A refreshing wind gently swayed Rensuke’s hair. He let out a small sigh at the comfort of it before looking around the rooftop. As expected, it was deserted… no, there was one person, a girl student sitting on a chair made of a concrete block along the fence, slowly bringing bread to her mouth.

Well, it’s okay if there’s just one person. At least it’s better than the noisy classroom—

At that moment, the face of the previous visitor came into view, and their eyes met.

“…”

“…”

It was Yuika.

I felt that getting too far away was also somewhat awkward, so I sat at a subtle distance of several meters—not close enough to be next to her, but not so far that we couldn’t converse. I got the feeling like wild animals measuring the distance between them, as if the air itself was tense with restraint.

(Do you get it…?)

I pursed my lips slightly and took out my lunch, starting to eat.

Surprisingly, she spoke first.

“Always bringing a bento, huh?”

Trying to appear calm, Rensuke responded.

“Uh… yeah. Well, it’s just along with breakfast.”

“So, this is a homemade appeal? Yeah, it’s only natural that a model student has housewife skills, too.”

Her attitude hadn’t softened at all. Her voice remained as cold as ever, and she didn’t even look him in the eye. Rensuke was unsure how to respond.

Well, then, he lifted his bento box slightly and said,

“If you’re interested, how about some tamagoyaki? It’s pretty much a confidence dish.”

“Hmm. Are you trying to tease me, who’s sitting here lonely with a store-bought egg roll? You’re saying I should just keep eating eggs, then?”

No good. Not a single hint of rising goodwill was heard.

“How would I know what kind of bread you’re eating…?”

“Oh, sorry. I should have eaten something more obvious. Like a scorpion.”

Ugh. Although the amount of conversation had clearly increased compared to before, the dialogue didn’t feel at all lively. In fact, it felt like the sharpness was being directly thrown at him.

At a loss for how to handle the situation, Rensuke glanced sideways at Yuika.

She looked fine on the surface. But even so, she was still a “slime.” Slimes were the attendants of the original, possessing special properties such as being a backup, a reserve unit, or another stomach.

When Agunyaba, the original, separated from Yuika, it had taken most of the source magic with it. After that, it had tried to transfer the rest remotely through the connection of the soul, but it had died before completing the transfer—leaving a portion of the source magic still inside her. With that remaining power, she continued to exist as an attendant. In other words, even though she had lost most of her strength, she was now the sole existing slime magic race.

Of course, the magic race was a target that neither Shiena nor Rensuke could ignore. But—

Thanks to a contract Rensuke had made with her, she was still here.

That contract was about continuing a certain behavior as much as possible.

That behavior was generally considered bad. It could even be seen as a form of bullying, something that was never recommended. An evil act.

But if there was someone who could only be saved by that act—

—Could that evil be considered good?

†

In the now-quiet forest, her wish upon waking remained unchanged.
Had she sensed through instinct that Aguyanuba had cast her into a diminutive mass? She exhaled a soft breath through her nose,
“It’s over. I can never be part of ‘everyone’ again. If I can’t be with everyone, then dying would be better. So what I say won’t change.”
“……”
“Why did you do this? I wanted everything to end while I was asleep.”
As Rensuke remained silent, Yuika, feeling dismissed, raised her voice.
“You’re probably going to kill me anyway. Go ahead, do it. After all, I’m already dead. I’m a monster. Come on, just kill me and end this!”
A cry driven by resignation and recklessness. But that was indeed her wish.
Shaking her head, tossing her hair wildly, she cast aside all self-respect and pride, and with her entire being, she asserted with childlike purity that she wanted this.
“Kill me! Kill me! Kill me! I’m already beyond saving. I was already different from the start, and now I’ve become something other than human. You’ve found out about it! ‘Different’ is not allowed in this world. If I can’t be with ‘everyone,’ then I should just not be here anymore! Do you understand? I mean, you should understand, right!?”
──Ah.
──Maybe I do.
“It’s because you’re different from ‘everyone’ that it’s scary! Being watched, pointed at, ignored, excluded, and bullied—it’s all terrible! That’s all I ever wanted, so why won’t you grant it? Why, why, why!?”
But she was wrong.
“That’s—because you’re trying to fulfill your wish the wrong way, Class President.”
“……Eh?”
Rensuke understood her feelings painfully well. Because he was in the same position, having made the same choice. Yet, precisely because of that, he now realized there was another way.
“Oh, being out of step with the world, being different—it’s scary, right? I understand. In truth, it should be said that it’s not something you should know. In truth, it’s okay to be different. We want to be different. So—please stop trying to disappear because of that. That’s where you’re wrong.”
As a reaction to the dark spirit magic of terror, he felt his own framework creaking from within. A variety of unpleasant sensations. It was hard to put into words since he had no body. A sense of disorientation, nausea from a distorted balance, headaches from fractured thoughts, and an irregular heartbeat. Yet, these were counterbalanced by the sense of accomplishment from having completed a great task with Sheena, producing a dreamlike, muddled consciousness.
That’s probably why words that were only meddling slipped out.
“I want to exist as myself. I only want people to see that as normal. I only wish for someone who can see me that way. That’s all I wanted—never from the start did I want to disappear. Right?”
“…………”
“No, I didn’t understand either. What I understood was—”
That “reason” was right here.
With a brown complexion, pointed ears, loving joy, and not denying the joy Rensuke found in it, accepting it with her.
The reincarnated being from another world, closer to anyone than anyone else.
“……Because someone who sees me as me actually appeared before me.”
There was no need to look toward Sheena.
Since becoming this form, Rensuke had always felt her presence nearby. He had touched the supple elasticity of her skin, his lungs rejoiced in the scent of sunlight and grass, felt embarrassment from her heartbeat, and felt genuine happiness in being with her.
Yes—she had saved him.
Sheena had saved him.
He would never forget that.
It was true. And if he had been saved by that truth, then those similar to him could not be saved by a similar truth.
“So, Class President. If you do nothing, then from now on—”
This. This had to be right.
Her wish. Our wish.
Their compromise.

“I’ll ignore the president.”

“──huh…?”

“Once I realized the president was different from everyone else, I still chose to see her exactly as she was. So I’ll see you as you are, and I’ll ignore the fact that you’re different. Even though you’re clearly out of sync with the world, I’ll just accept that it’s just how things are.”

It’s not about not speaking or avoiding eye contact. She might choose to do that if she wanted, but that’s not the point. After knowing her truth and seeing her, I still let her be as she is. That’s what I mean.

What those who are hopelessly out of sync with the world need isn’t correction or adjustment at all.

They simply seek the gentle silence of accepting things as they are.

I understand now. I understand that we can’t coexist. I understand that you’re out of sync. Just let those who want to see you look, and for the rest, please leave us alone.

Even so, Yuika is clearly out of sync with the world and hides an unimaginable secret.

But ignoring that and being in the same classroom together isn’t impossible. Because that’s exactly what Rensuke has always done.

“So, what do you think? Even if the president has any differences, if I just ignore them and pretend not to see them, wouldn’t that make the president one of the ‘everyone’?”

“E… a…”

She opened her mouth slightly before shaking her head again. This time, it was a weak, fragile motion unlike before.

“This is a promise, a contract. I promise to uphold this so that I can be in the same world as the president.”

“No… that’s not possible. You’re lying. I can’t believe it. Look at me… yet you’re pretending not to see me. I don’t understand… I don’t understand anything anymore…! I’m scared, I don’t know what I want, or what I want to be done to me… I don’t know…!”

Her voice trembled, her whole body shook, and droplets of water scattered with every head shake. Everything was unstable.

At that moment──”Haaah…”, a deliberately loud sigh was heard.

To untangle these complex, meaningless problems that resemble a human-made society, simple strength is needed.

That strength was definitely here. It was in her hands.

“Human beings are such a hassle if they just keep quiet. If you want someone to look at you, say it. If you don’t want to be looked at, say that too. Just state clearly what’s most important. Everything else comes from there! In the end, what do you want, anyway!?”

Shina’s strong words felt like a shock treatment.

After shivering slightly, Yuika slowly lifted her head, looking pitifully weak.

What became visible was her crumpled face.

Large tears rolled down from both eyes.

“Don’t hate me…”

That was Yuika’s wish.
And Rensuke’s wish.
Wishes that had naturally been severed from the world, wishes that had come to an end.
“I won’t hate you. I won’t hate you.”
“I never even knew you in the first place. There’s nothing to hate.”
A sniffle echoed.
A whisper of “please” was heard.
To whom was the plea directed? To whom was the insistence made? Whether it was a meaningful statement or merely an accidental slip of words, not even she herself could know, and Rensuke’s consciousness began an abrupt and turbulent fluctuation—
The memories afterward were fragmented.
…I won’t interfere. But let me have you make amends.
Hmm? Well, I guess it’s fine. Then, come along—
The voices of the two who had been severed from the world intertwined, merged, and gently caressed the ear of a fantasy. It was an experience he had never felt before, yet surprisingly, it comforted Rensuke’s consciousness, trying to carry him away to somewhere not here.
He would not resist. After all, he was already tired.

—And so, Rensuke fell into a sleep like a funeral.

†

Though in a dreamlike state, I hadn’t forgotten the words exchanged with Yuika in that forest. By allowing her to evade capture, refraining from direct confrontation, and ignoring her—by upholding that agreement, she had come to school today just as she always did, showing her usual life. Carrying a secret others could never understand and would frown at if revealed, desperately concealing it—just like Rensuke.

If I had kept staring at that thin side profile of hers, she would have looked back at me with a “What?” expression. Deciding to steel myself, I took a small step forward.

“Um…president, what are you going to do next?”

“I don’t know. I understand that my position is special. But that doesn’t mean I have any intention of doing anything about it. Even if a little of that monster’s power from another world still lingers, I’m just a normal Biwatani Yuika. I don’t know anything about the revival of the slime race. So I’ll just do whatever I want.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Are you worried? Don’t be. I won’t let anything slip. My human disguise is perfect. Unless they do an autopsy, I can easily pass any health check. You’d agree, right?”

Rensuke nodded in agreement. After returning from the accident, he had been taken to the hospital for various examinations. In truth, he had been quite worried, but as Sheena had slightly mentioned, as a Treant, a passive illusion-like effect is usually active in normal conditions. By the skin of his teeth, he had managed to keep his body’s secret hidden.

Exactly then, an impulse caused by his constitution came over him. Rensuke gulped down the water he had in his bottle. He should have always carried it with him.

“Hey…I have a question too, if that’s okay?”

An unexpected, proactive approach from the other side. There was no reason to refuse.

He consciously made a gentle expression to make her feel comfortable, preparing himself mentally for whatever she might say.

But—

“Do you know? If you’re going to talk about the future, what’s important is you, not me. If my guess is right, your position…in the future—”

That was something Rensuke had faintly realized, but had deliberately avoided thinking about.

A truly important future, something that made him instinctively go serious.

Yet, that future did not mean an answer had not yet been found.

In fact, the answer had already been found long ago.

So he said without hesitation, still smiling.

“I’m ready.”

“—So. I knew that, but…you’re still such an idiot.”

Sighing in exasperation, Yuika shrugged her shoulders dramatically and showed Rensuke her sigh.

“Just as a side note, did you say anything about the radiant beast?”

That was her second question, and of course, he accepted it without saying anything.

“That…was about Sheena, wasn’t it? No, nothing. Why?”

“When Aguyanuba ate that, even the person who ate it couldn’t have imagined it would turn out like that. That abnormal reaction—maybe there’s another reason besides the energy concentration of the radiant beast.”

“Another reason?”

“That’s what I thought. Only that dark elf would know. If you don’t say anything, that’s fine. Forget it.”

“Hmm,” Rensuke nodded, becoming aware of the existence of his mobile phone in his pocket.

“Even the radiant beast…using EF in mobile phones like it’s nothing. Thinking about it, we actually know almost nothing. It’s like we’re surrounded by these ‘unexplainable things.’ It’s kind of creepy.”

“I agree. Well, probably because we ourselves have become ‘unexplainable things,’ that’s the perspective.”

At that moment, it seemed she had just finished eating bread. She stood up, rolled the bag into a ball, and stuffed it into her pocket before strolling off. There was no hint of reluctance in her movements.

“I’ll go back now.”

“Busy as usual. You’ll just play Tetris in the classroom anyway.”

“Is that bad?”

“Not bad, but I’ve always wondered why you’re always playing Tetris.”

Yuika answered with a twisted expression on her lips—ferociously, amusingly, and filled with self-derision.

“If I said something like, ‘It’s incredibly satisfying to line up things that don’t belong in a row and watch them all disappear together as one,’ would that help with counseling?”

Rensuke raised both hands slightly, showing a gesture of surrender.

“Nothing that deep, really. If you like it, there’s no need for any particular reason.”

“Exactly.”

Seeming to conclude the conversation, Yuika walked decisively toward the door of the tower room on the rooftop.

But—no matter what—no matter how much—

“Hey.”

“…Is there something else?”

Yuika turned around with just her face.

What should I do? Is it okay? Maybe it’s not pure, but following this flow feels natural. It’s a matter of definition. Since that definition doesn’t exist within me, I have no choice but to ask. It seems like this is the only chance I have to confirm.

“I said I’d ignore you, president…but like now, is it okay if I talk to you normally? I mean, we’re similar, and maybe we could help each other out if something happened, and it might be fun just to talk normally.”

Yuika’s face turned back toward him.

The answer came as she walked away, in a small voice, as if it might reach him or not.

“…Of course it’s fine.”

“Wait, what?”

She spoke quickly.

“It’s necessary for a peaceful life. It’s unnatural not to talk at all even though we’re in the same class.”

“Ah, right. That’s true. Thank you.”

She didn’t answer any more. She walked away. It seemed like she had picked up her pace slightly.

The door to the rooftop opened, and then—shut violently.

As if being chased, Biwatani Yuika rushed down the stairs. With a furrowed brow and a light blush on her cheeks, she pouted slightly and muttered, “…idiot.” There was no one to hear those words.

Phew, when I exhaled into the empty rooftop, that’s when it happened.

“You’re cheating…”

“Whoa!”

I was startled.

She had been there all along, peering from the top of the tower, her upper face visible from the location where the water tank was placed, staring intently at me with a fixed gaze.

“No, that’s not cheating. I was talking to the president to confirm the situation, to check the necessary information. I didn’t think there was any danger, anyway.”

“Huh? Danger? Well, if it were you now, I guess even that slime-like creature wouldn’t be able to take you down so quickly.”

After confirming there was no one else around, Sheena lightly jumped down.

Then—she slowly leaned in toward Rensuke.

“Alright. I hate unnecessary hassle. Just take a look at this.”

“This?”

From beneath her stomach, Sheena smoothly pulled out a thin book. The cover depicted a woman wearing a brown, revealing armor, showing off a well-defined, healthy abdominal area, but unlike Sheena, she had horns—

“WHAAAAAAT!?”

Why was that here?! I was sure it was kept securely in the treasure area!

Panicking, Rensuke dodged the hand stretching toward the book, while Sheena continued with a half-lidded gaze.

“I was rummaging through your room and found this. The title is… ‘Oga Lady’s Reliance on Her Power: The Area Below Her Abs is Always Lonely’? So, you’re not actually a dark elf, but more of a musclehead like this guy—”

“That’s not true. That’s not true at all.”

It’s absolutely not true. My preference for dark elves has always remained the same, past and present. But recently, I had bought one of these muscle-themed ones as a side purchase from a catalog, and surprisingly, it was quite good, so I just happened to keep it. I admit that it’s related to the same series and falls under similar tastes, but it’s more of an extension. I don’t want people to misunderstand where the roots lie. It’s important not to be misunderstood.

Rensuke turned his most serious gaze directly toward Sheena, facing her without flinching, and grabbed both of her shoulders with his hands. As if his sincerity had reached her, she didn’t pull away this time.

“Sheena. There’s something important I need to say about that. I’ve said something similar before, so I think you’ll believe me.”

“…What is it?”

He indicated the book’s cover with his gaze. Waiting for her to confirm it once again.

Taking a deep breath—slowly—

In my mind, that… is a horned dark elf.

A few minutes later.

After rolling around on the rooftop clutching her stomach for a while, Sheena finally stood up, trembling slightly. “Ugh, my stomach…” she muttered, wiping away tears from her eyes with her fingers.

“Seriously. I don’t think it’s very polite to pry into someone’s private matters.”

While tucking the book he had taken from Sheena into his uniform, Rensuke said. He didn’t want to take it back to the classroom. Maybe he should hide it somewhere for now.

“Hehe, sorry, sorry, I just… Did I make you angry?”

“Not really. If it made it even clearer to Sheena that I like dark elves, then maybe it was actually a good opportunity.”

“Phew… Please stop saying funny things with such a straight face! I’m still weak right now!”

“It’s the truth.”

“Kukuku… damn it…”

Sheena burst into laughter again. Rensuke smiled as he watched her.

Seeing her happy, carefree expression was really good for his mental stability. It made him feel happy without any conditions.

If this was enough, then no matter what kind of future lay ahead, it would all be worth it.

—The future to come.

—The question that Yuika had asked just now.

Of course, it was something Rensuke had also been thinking about.

She had come to this world to fight in order to revive her race, the dark elves, which had been wiped out in the other world. That rule had been given to her by something that seemed like a god. But what if, hypothetically, she kept winning in her battles and eventually gained all the primal magic power, and the gods recognized her as the victor?

Where would the dark elves race be revived?

—Obviously, the most likely possibility is this Earth. That’s why she came here in the first place.

For example, if not just Yuika, but the entire race of dark elves appeared on Earth, they could establish a kingdom or scatter across the world. Either way, they would clearly become enemies to this world.

Soulbound Sorcery, as Sheena had said in the forest. Even if the most advanced technology was used to create an RV, there was absolutely no preparation for something like this. People were far too unprepared for this new concept of magic. A war might break out, many people might die, and in the worst case, extinction could occur. There was no denying the possibility that this Earth could be taken over by the dark elves race.

That’s why Yuika had asked the question. Was it okay?

“────”

Rensuke’s answer didn’t change.

While looking at Sheena’s face, he silently resolved himself in his heart.

“Ugh, laughing made my throat dry.”

“Want some water?”

“That’s your job, Rensuke. There’s this Posnikilo egg drink… no, wait, tapioca milk tea? I don’t think it’s sold here. Let’s go buy it outside!”

“Let’s go, okay?” she pleaded in a surprisingly cute way.

Rensuke slightly relaxed his cheeks.

He had never done this before, but maybe now was the time.

“Okay. Then, let’s skip afternoon class and go out.”

“Seriously?! We can talk?!”

“To be honest, one of the reasons I don’t want to carry this book to school is that I want to just drop it off at home and throw it in the mailbox.”

That was right.

As long as he was with her, anything that came up would be fine.

Even if they eventually became enemies of the world.

Even if he could never return to the normal world again.

As long as there were those eyes that reflected the true self of Asakura Rensuke, and that smile that made him happy just by looking at it.

I can definitely go anywhere.

To walk the path of evil together as one.

I imagined the future. I dreamed of the story that begins here.

A man who fell from a normal world, simply because he liked her, destroys his original world and helps create a new place for those who had been oppressed.

This is such a hopelessly selfish tale.

If I were to say it grandly, it’s a grand myth—an apocalypse.

“Then let’s go already,” Sheena said, flipping her body with joy.

Her hair bounced lightly, reflecting the midday sunlight and shimmering, making Rensuke’s eyes narrow.

For some reason, tears threatened to spill.