I Decided to Abandon the Traitors Who Planned to Use and Dispose of Me, the Hero, at the Last Moment. - Final Chapter: In a Forever Peaceful World

Final Chapter: In a Forever Peaceful World

It had been fifty years since “Hero” Elliot and his companions defeated the Demon Lord and captured Netrik, the prince who had incited humanity against the world.

The world had enjoyed a long period of peace under the Human-Demon Federation. Occasionally, remnants of Netrik’s forces would stir up rebellion, but these were quickly quashed, and it had been a long time since anyone had seen any of the prince’s followers.

There was only one major conflict—a final one—when Netrik, after enduring countless executions, faced his “last death.” At that moment, he suddenly awakened to a mysterious power, crying out:

“I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!!”

Rambling incoherently about being the “Hellkaiser Netrik,” he merged with Marle, transforming into a monstrous “Converged Transcendent Demon Dragon.” With this new form, he launched a ferocious attack on the world, his single strike landing five brutal blows. However, by then, Elliot had grown into a seasoned warrior and led the Human-Demon Alliance to utterly crush Netrik.

The storm of attacks from Netrik, who screamed “Gworenndaa!” with each hit, was easily dismantled by the current Demon Lord’s Ten Generals. On top of that, the combined might of the world’s main forces pummeled him relentlessly. In the end, Netrik’s physical body was torn apart, and both he and Marle, whom he had absorbed, were beheaded together in a miserable and disgraceful end—a fitting conclusion for such a vile villain, suffering the karma of his actions.

And so, surrounded by his children and grandchildren, Elliot peacefully lived out the rest of his days. His wife, the Demon Lord, my own wife, and even my father-in-law all reached the end of their lives as well. Now, the only one left is me—Thorn.

Lately, I’ve felt my body growing weaker. My joints ache constantly, and there have been more bad days than good ones.

I’ve started to think that my time is coming soon. But today, for the first time in a while, I was feeling better. So, I decided to make the slow walk to the hill where Elliot’s grave overlooks the city. With my body worn down by age, I needed a cane to make the journey, taking my time along the path. But that’s just how it goes when you get old. You walk slower, but you accept it. 

When I finally reached Elliot’s grave, I found it had been well taken care of, probably by someone from the town. The stone was polished and clean.

I poured a cup of sake and placed it in front of the grave. Then, I sat down cross-legged beside it.

“Honestly, after all that talk about how it’d be lonely without me, telling me to live a long life, you’re the one who went and left first.”

I chuckled softly and poured some sake into my cup, raising it in a toast.

“I guess it’s about time I join you, buddy. Cheers.”

I downed the drink, but I couldn’t taste it anymore.

“Ah… Losing the taste for sake… Getting old really is rough, huh?”

Of course, there was no reply, but I felt the evening wind blow gently past me, as if in answer.

“Yeah… So much has happened.”

I said quietly as my heavy eyelids slowly lowered, and I let my eyes close.

—Thank you for all your hard work, Thorn—or should I say, Mr. Toru Shimokitazawa.

Startled by the voice from behind me, I opened my eyes and turned around. I was still in front of Elliot’s grave, but standing there were the same girl and her attendant from when I first came to this world.

“Hey, Jane. And John, it’s been a while.”

John gave a silent bow with a smile, while Jane looked at me with a slightly apologetic expression.

“Yes, it’s been just over fifty years… You’ve done so much. I know it’s no excuse, but I never thought things would turn out this way. This world didn’t fall into chaos because of your efforts. Thank you so much. …And you, say your thanks properly.”

Standing next to Jane was a beautiful girl with light blue hair wearing a white dress, holding a sign that read, ‘I’ve done sloppy work and messed up several times.’

“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry! I’ll do my job properly from now on!”

Ah, so she really was the goddess. I had a feeling that a ditzy goddess might have light blue hair, but I didn’t expect it to actually be true! Seems like that hair color really does suit a hopeless goddess. That’s pretty funny.

“This girl here is actually the goddess of this world… When Netrik had his final awakening, it was because she accidentally turned all of his ‘sins’ into power and poured it into him. She was multitasking and messed up, causing a huge problem for everyone in this world.”

“So it was you, goddess…?”

I had a feeling that Netrik’s sudden overpowered awakening had something to do with some mistake, and of course, it was your fault. Seriously, just give up being a goddess already and let Jane handle this world. Stop causing trouble, you clumsy idiot!

I gave her a sharp look, and the goddess slumped over, sitting down with a dejected expression. She seemed to be reflecting on her mistake, but… sigh.

“But why are you and Jane, who guides reincarnated souls, here?”

“Because you’ve lived a full life. You’ve done more than enough for this world—no, you’ve worked so hard that we owe you an enormous debt of gratitude. In fact, you’ve far exceeded all our expectations. We’ve come to offer you the life you desire in your next reincarnation. It’s the least we can do to repay you. Appearing in person is the only way we can properly express our thanks.”

“I see… Then I have one request.”

I said, remembering something from long ago—lives I couldn’t save.

“—About 50 years ago, there were children in this world who lost their lives because of Marle, Netrik, and their followers. They were treated horribly, used for ‘child organ harvesting.’ I want to know if those kids were able to reincarnate and live happy lives. And if any of them haven’t, could you bless them for me?”

Jane seemed momentarily surprised by my words but then smiled warmly, as if she understood. She nodded and replied gently.

“Don’t worry. All 631 children who lost their lives to Marle’s schemes have been reborn into peaceful families, living happy lives.”

“Is that so? That’s great news! If that’s the case, I don’t have any other wishes.”

“—Oh, and one of those children was quite remarkable. So now, I’ve arranged for that child to serve as a guardian to ensure this goddess doesn’t mess up again… This one right here.”

“Ta-da! Long time no see, Sir Thorn!!”

With that cheerful greeting, someone peeked out from behind Jane—Riyo.

“R-Riyo!?”

The memory of Riyo’s tragic end flashed through my mind, but seeing her now, looking healthy and lively, made my voice tremble. She responded with a cheerful smile, her eyes soft and kind.

“After I lost my life in this world, Lady Jane kindly arranged for me to assist the goddess. Thanks to that, I’ve been able to live a healthy, happy life every day. So, thank you for everything, Sir Thorn.”

“…I-I see? That’s good… That’s really good!”

Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked at Riyon, who seemed so full of life and happiness. I guess I really have gotten old.

“Ah, hahaha! Riyo is such a reliable helper, so she’s really been a big help to me! So, well… case closed! Everyone’s happy! Right?”

The goddess, still wearing her ‘I messed up’ sign around her neck and sitting in a formal pose, tried to laugh it off. But Jane, with her arms crossed, shot her a sharp glare.

“This was all caused by your mistakes, so you should be reflecting a lot more seriously on it… sigh… Anyway, since you don’t have any more requests, Mr. Thorn, I’ll make sure that in your next life, you’ll be reborn in a way that connects you with the people you’ve grown close to in this life. You’ll definitely reunite with your loved ones again someday.”

“Sounds good. I’m looking forward to that. Thanks.”

Before my consciousness faded, I took one last look at the city I had spent so many years in. Then, with thoughts of my next life, I let myself be guided into the darkness and closed my eyes.

…Yeah. All in all, it was a pretty good, interesting life!

Acknowledgements, Extras, and More

It’s been a little over a month since I posted this work, and I’m honestly surprised by how many people have read it—far beyond my expectations. To everyone who has taken the time to read it, thank you so much!

I’m sorry for the long silence without anything new to offer, but I’m glad that this story has been received so warmly. I truly appreciate all your support—thank you, thank you so much.

I started this story with the idea of creating something light and funny, with a lot of “karma” payback moments, without thinking too hard about it. It’s packed with my personal interests and filled with humor, so I’m incredibly grateful that so many of you stuck with it.

Also, I’ve been reading through the comments. Thank you for noticing all the little references and jokes… I really appreciate it!

As for what happens in the world after Thorn’s peaceful passing, or what will happen to the goddess who messed everything up and never faced any consequences, or how things turned out for certain characters… I have a general idea of how it all plays out. I’ve touched on some of it in updates, and I’ve been slowly writing about the world after the events in the background. I plan to post these stories soon, alongside my preparations for a longer series and the next contest (Kakukon). As always, these stories are driven by my personal interests.

(That said, the story is wrapped up with a happy ending here, so even if it ends at this point, there’s no problem at all…!)

Starting from the morning of August 10th, I plan to update the new story slowly, one chapter per day. It will move at a slower pace and be a bit longer than this one, so I hope you’ll take the time to read it whenever you have a chance.

With that, I hope we can meet again in another story someday. Thank you for reading all the way to the end!