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Chapter 83

～Intermission～

In the farthest reaches of the land known as the Polar Regions, I was about to engage in a solitary deathmatch.

This would never be recorded in the annals of history—a final battle of just one person.

Reborn into this world as a reincarnator, I ended up devoting myself to exterminating demons after receiving 50 cheat skills that I should have only gotten two of due to a mistake by the goddess.
Before I knew it, I rose to the position of the world’s strongest Sword Saint—and well, with 50 cheat skills, it was only natural, but I was unsurpassed by far..

Thus, I found myself in a position where I had no choice but to consider the peace and security of this world.

The repeated Great Calamities—caused by the great evolution of the demon races—continued to shrink the human survival areas.
A world heading towards collapse as it is consumed by demons.

In such a twilight world, how much meaning is there in being called the strongest in the world?

Even if I exterminate the demons overflowing in the borderlands or even if I manage the phenomenon itself through sheer power should a Great Calamity occur in my lifetime.

—The sporadic Great Calamities cannot be stopped.

My lifespan is not infinite.

So, scouring through books and gathering information from all over the world, I decided to venture outside the human survival areas.
Beyond the land called the demon world, through the wilderness known as the Polar Regions ruled by irrational rough gods, all the way to its very ends.

And so, I arrived at the ruins of an ancient civilization.

Decayed skyscrapers overrun by vegetation, everything turned green and gray—a space that used to be an athletic stadium.
There, I encountered a being known as the Demon Lord.

One of the 12 Demon Lords.
A legendary divine dragon…

I broke out in a cold sweat.

Or rather, for me, who possesses 50 cheat skills, to break out in a cold sweat… I shuddered at the thought itself.

「Young man… This is a tombstone for the race called humanity. You should leave soon.」

「It’s not that simple.」

「Why?」

「Isn’t this the cause of the Great Calamity?」

「Then let me change the question. Why did you come here?」

I chuckled and said to the Demon Lord.

「If you’re a man, wouldn’t you want to give it a try? Saving the world and all.」

The Demon Lord then sighed deeply from the bottom of his heart.

「So greedy. In that case, I shall fulfill my duty as the guardian of the tombstone.」

And then—
After three days and three nights of fierce battle, I successfully severed the divine dragon’s head.

「I’m… really tired.」

Covered in blood from head to toe, I muttered while applying regeneration magic to my torn-off left hand.

After confirming a certain degree of recovery, I stood up, thinking it was time to begin exploring this land, the source of all evils… but the ground collapsed beneath me.

I fell down a tunnel-like pit, several hundred meters deep.

「Flying Magic.」

Gracefully landing underground, I was left speechless.
Because what stretched before me was a domed underground space, filled with the ruins of a city and skyscrapers, just like before.

However, the ruined city I saw earlier didn’t belong to any civilization I knew of, but this sight… I felt dizzy.

「Where… is this?」

Furthermore, right before my eyes… though decaying, I recognized… the symbol of a dog.

「Shibuya?」

—And then, I explored the ruins… and encountered the goddess from my reincarnation.

Well, to be precise, it might have been her original form.
Through the capsules filled with life-preserving solution, she said to me:

「System error… with 50 skills. I see… the Guardian has been defeated. Do you realize? What you have done. You defeated the Demon Lord?」

「More importantly… what is this place?」

The goddess then wore a melancholic expression.

「Let me show you the records stored in the system.」

With her words, I lost consciousness and collapsed on the spot.
And a few seconds later, when I stood up, I turned my back on the goddess.

「Where to?」

「I have some plans behind the scenes.」

「And?」

「Meet the conditions for the liberation of the future-born hero… the profession: Demon Emperor. Sometimes it’s not enough just to meet the hero’s conditions. There’s a lot to do, like defeating the guardians who protect the human race or the guardians who oversee all life, and destroying the sacred dragon veins.」

「If those are achieved, what will happen?」

「All life on the surface will be eradicated and reset.」

「I see. That’s your conclusion, knowing everything.」

「That’s right.」

「It’s probably unnecessary to ask, but once in a while should be fine… what’s your motivation?」

With a smile from the depths of my heart, I replied:

「If you’re a man, wouldn’t you want to give it a try? Saving the world and all.」

Now… I nodded lightly.
This job is extensive. There’s no way I can finish it alone… in my lifetime.

「First, let’s gather the reincarnators— to start the beginning of the end.」