Fled Without Realizing I Had Prevented the Apocalypse

“Glory to the Empire!!”
With a loud cheer, the army charges towards the Contaminants.
I slightly raised the corners of my mouth at this very familiar scene I had seen many times before.
It was because the preparations I had made arrived safely.
Before departing from the south to the center, after confirming that I could sense the power of an Outer God from Princess Arlea, I immediately contacted Scarlet.
I told her that I could sense the power of an Outer God from the princess.
I said it seemed like we would need to subjugate Contaminants, so she should prepare whatever superhumans she could in the southern region.
In fact, if we followed the normal procedure, I should have shared the information with Sergeant Lucas and Lieutenant Melen and gathered personnel through legal procedures, but…
‘That would be too late.’
The order to prepare an army because Contaminants might appear is not a level of command that a mere major, lieutenant, or sergeant can give.
If such an order is given and Contaminants don’t appear, the Empire would have to take responsibility for many things.
And individual officers don’t have enough power to take such responsibility.

Moreover, who would believe a complete stranger saying they predict Contaminants will appear soon, so please prepare superhumans?
Even if we succeeded in breaking through all those conditions, it would take at least two weeks.
In that sense, Scarlet was the optimal talent.
As the Empire’s second star on the surface, she could use her authority to recruit soldiers.
When I suddenly contacted her and told her to prepare an army to be ready for Contaminants, she simply said she would do so without any questions.
Although she often comes to me threatening to kill me, she’s a superhuman I can definitely trust in this aspect.
“So, now…”
After confirming that the army of superhumans was handling the Contaminants without difficulty, I turned my head to look at Princess Arlea.
The princess was blankly watching the Contaminants she had drawn being swept away, with her bow lowered.
“What do you plan to do now?”
“……”
At my question, the princess’s gaze turns towards me.
However, although her gaze turned, no answer to the question came.

It’s hard to believe this is the same superhuman who was shooting arrows at me without any hesitation just a moment ago.

It seemed she had received quite a shock.
Although I couldn’t know exactly what part shocked her, we couldn’t just stay like this, so I continued to ask questions.
“I asked what you plan to do now.”
“What I plan to do… I…”
“No, not you.”
As the princess tried to open her mouth with a trembling voice at the repeated question.
I opened my mouth, looking not at the princess but behind her.
“I’m asking those damn ghosts.”
At my words, Princess Arlea’s eyes widened.
“How… did you…?”
“How could I not notice when they’re advertising their presence all over the place?”
The sense of discomfort I felt from the moment I first saw her. The aura of the Outer God I felt at night. And the appearance of numerous vengeful spirits glimpsed when she took out the scepter.
All the things I had been unsure about became clear.
I stroked my body that had finished recovering and immediately drew up magic power.

At the same time, I dusted off my hands and picked up the scepter I had dropped from the princess.
Then the scepter fiercely resists being held by another’s hand.
It’s natural, as it’s taboo for someone who isn’t the contractor to hold a contractor’s item.
However, ignoring the scepter’s resistance, I looked at Princess Arlea.
More precisely, behind her.
[ Kyle Amillan. ]
[ Enemy of the kingdom. ]
[ Interferer of the great undertaking. ]
[ Damn Sword Demon. ]
Then what was faintly visible becomes clear. The souls that came into view from the moment I grabbed the scepter. The ghosts of the now-vanished kingdom, burning themselves to cling to this world.
The royal family of the Kingdom of Raziel shouted in unison.
[[ You interfere with our plans once again. ]]
At their shout, the ground vibrates all at once.
It wasn’t a vibration strong enough to make one stagger, but enough to be felt.
Originally, no matter how much a spiritual being settles in the present world, it can’t affect the world, but it seems that thanks to the help from beings outside the world, the influence they have is different.
Still.
“Dead things shouldn’t be so haughty.”
They probably can’t do much more from there.
I frowned as I let the ghosts’ words go in one ear and out the other.
No matter how much they influence the world by borrowing the power of an Outer God, that power has its limits.
Moreover, it’s impossible for those who were merely influenced, not directly affected by the gods of the outer sea, to break the rules of the world.
At best, they might be able to touch the rules with all their might.
Well, it seems they can’t even do that now.
[ …… ]
As if confirming my guess, despite my provocation, the kingdom’s ghosts take no action.
They just glare at me with bloodshot eyes.
I threw a question at such ghosts.
“What lingering attachment do you have to remain as souls, even containing the energy of an Outer God? The ritual is over and there’s nothing more to continue, right?”
The Outer God descent ritual performed on the entire Kingdom of Raziel.
The royal family’s plan to create a passage for a god of the outer sea to descend by splitting the boundary of the world in exchange for offering the souls of all the kingdom’s citizens and themselves – I had already completely blocked it.
[ Interferer of the ritual. ]
[ Movements as if seeing the future. ]
[ Actions that no one believed. ]
[ We were helplessly defeated without even a chance to respond. ]
“……”
The voices of the ghosts shouting as if they were one.
Considering what I did to block the Kingdom of Raziel’s ritual, it’s understandable for them to think that way from their perspective.
Unlike now, Raziel’s ritual was clearly incorporated as one of the main episodes, so I could block it according to a definite development.
As someone who had played the game for a long time, I hadn’t forgotten the game’s strategy even after time had passed and had steadily followed the strategy.
Those movements must have seemed unreasonable from their perspective.
[ However. ]
[ Now we know. ]
[ That unreasonableness. ]
[ Beyond our inexperienced response. ]
[ Was damn fate set in stone. ]
Damn fate, they say.
I have a lot to say about this too, but…
From what they’re saying, it seems they’ve roughly figured it out while being connected to the Outer God.
“So, what will you do if it was tied to fate? The fact that you failed the ritual remains unchanged.”
At my question, the souls resonate in unison.
[ Indeed. ]
[ We failed. ]
[ However. ]
[ That doesn’t mean it’s over. ]
[ As you said. ]
[ We are still alive. ]
As the souls resonate, the flames surrounding them grow larger.
Still, their influence doesn’t reach the world, but.
For some reason, a feeling swept through my mind that I shouldn’t leave them like this.
“What are you trying to do?”
[ We were caught in fate. ]
[ And escaped from fate. ]
[ Now. ]
[ It’s time to recreate fate. ]
At the same time, the Contaminants scattered all around began to burn all at once.
Not simple flames, but ones containing the power of an Outer God.
Flames that will never disappear.
The blackened flames keep approaching the superhumans who were handling the Contaminants.
“Keep your distance!”
Thanks to each commander quickly controlling the superhumans, there are no casualties yet, but.
Whoosh.
“Arghhhh-!”
“This can’t be crossed!”
“What on earth is this…!”
Even if they soar into the sky, the flames chase them to the end.
The ground is already too hot to enter due to the heat of the flames.
The army of superhumans is trapped by the Contaminants’ flames.
Watching this scene, I opened my mouth.
“Do you intend to proceed with the ritual again?”
The souls answered in unison.
[[ Yes. ]]
At their answer, I pondered for a moment.
We’ve already deviated from the game’s development.
There’s no predetermined development or strategy left here.
A situation without the unreasonable fate they speak of.
Then, Princess Arlea is…
“The princess is the vessel, right?”
[ That’s right. ]
[ Determined by the gods of the outer sea. ]
[ The most suitable vessel to receive souls. ]
[ Using that child’s soul as a medium. ]
[ The gods will descend. ]
Instead of the failed kingdom’s ritual, a living superhuman.
Moreover, if it’s Princess Arlea, who has partially resolved her seven severed meridians and proven her talent by gaining the title of Divine Archer, she should be able to withstand the descent of an Outer God somehow.

However, as a price, the princess will die.
The descent of an Outer God is not something a mere mortal can withstand, no matter how much of a superhuman they are.
Knowing this, the reason Arlea deliberately reached this point is…
“Karla.”
I clicked my tongue and called one person’s name.
“Yes.”

Then, as if she had been waiting, a woman appears in mid-air.
I stared at the woman sent by Scarlet for a moment before opening my mouth.
“Scarlet sent you, right?”
“Yes.”
“There should be something she told you to give me.”
“That’s correct.”

Scarlet Frausia’s aide. One who accurately understands and executes her superior’s intentions.
How many nobles had put in effort to gain her abilities?
Such a woman kneels before me and presents a sword.
A rusty, chipped iron sword, too old to be wielded anymore.
I lifted such an iron sword once.
Despite not having held it for a long time, the grip feels familiar as if I had been touching it until just now.
Seeing me grab that sword, Karla quietly muttered.
“It’s been a while.”
Ignoring her mutter, I swung the sword once towards the barrier of superhumans, and.
[ First stage seal release. Sequence initiated. ]
[ Reproducing the Sword Demon’s strike. ]
Boom-!
With a single strike, the barrier of black flames was completely blown away.