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Volume 5 Trouble File Epilogue Part 2

「I do not mind it. I also understand what you mean by bad timing. If you have told me that before when everyone was still having fun when the mood was festive, then everyone would have noticed the changes in my behavior and would be able to tell that something was wrong by the look on my face, so I appreciate that you kept quiet about it for the sake of everyone who was honoring the dead in their own merry way, but. . . but now there is a part of me that wished you just kept your mouth shut without saying anything so that I would never have learned about that. . . . but now that I know, there is nothing left for me to do but to drink for her.」

Saying that, Shuten Douji threw his cup away, took out an entirely new bottle of sake, put his mouth on it and drank the entire bottle all at once. Seeing that, Izayoi sighed heavily, closed his eyes and combed his hair back with his fingers in frustration. This is exactly what he meant by 「the timing not being good」and why he did not want to talk about it with Shuten Douji even after he asked him about Canaria’s death directly. If any of the guests present at the banquet today were to see him like that, then even with all the delicious food and exquisite drinks that have been brought forth today, the mood would have been spoiled beyond repair, so in a sense it was a blessing in disguise that he only learned about that now when everyone else was asleep or too drunk to comprehend what was going on around them.

Emptying the entire bottle of sake in almost an instant, Shuten Douji then narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance s if he wasted to see something that was far, far away from him.

「. . . .Hey, kid. Have you ever heard of a Demon Lord going by the name {Closed-off World} Dystopia?」

「I did. Baron La Croix told me a bit about him, that supposedly he was one of 「The Final Trials of Mankind」same as Azi-Dahaka?」

「Umu, he is one of them indeed. Once upon a time, there was a period in Little Garden’s history where it got almost completely destroyed after that Demon Lord suddenly appeared in it seemingly out of nowhere. In order to defeat him, an alliance that gathered together all kinds of the world’s most famous Gods, heroes and heroines was formed. They challenged him, fought him and ultimately won against him. . . . but that was a victory that was paid for with the loss of many of the Gods who participated in that gruesome battle. One of the God-Kings who was a part of the allied forces even lost his precious Vinama in that battle. He was arguably one of the most powerful Demon Lords in the entire history of Little Garden. However, the one who ultimately defeated that formidable Demon Lord was none of the Gods who came to fight him, but a human girl, the one who came from beyond 「the end of the world」.

「. . .」

「「There is no such thing as 「the end of the world」」. That is what that girl, who has emerged triumphantly from the world of Dystopia said while shedding tears. I am sure that the reason why Canaria too that Ishi girl under her wings was because she could see that her circumstances were similar to her own.」

And then there was Izayoi, a boy who defeated Azi-Dahaka and transcended the 「the end of the world」to emerge at the other side of the door of human potential.
Shuten Douji threw away the empty bottle and looked at the sky, upon which the dawn was almost breaking.

「I guess this can be called fate. It is not the heroes who are meant to overcome 「The Final Trials of Humanity」. The only ones who are qualified to do so are those who have come from beyond the ends of the world and exceeded the limitations placed upon human beings.」

「Hmm. . . . . That is probably just a coincidence.」

「Maybe, maybe not. I guess we have to wait and see in order to finally find out. Anyway, it was a really fun banquet! The next time when such a party is going to be thrown, we have to make sure to invite the lasses from The Onihime Alliance as well!」

「Sounds like a plan to me. I always welcome more alcohol and beautiful women in my life. And besides, there are many more stories that I would like to hear from you.」

「Took the words right out of my mouth, boy! G A H A H A H A H A! ! ! ! ! ! ! !」

Shuten Douji laughed vigorously and then made a ridiculously loud burp. So loud, in fact, that it managed to wake Kudou Asuka up from her drunken slumber.

「. . . .  What was that? An explosion?」

「No. It was just this old man’s burp. Anyway, there is not much night left, so you should go back to sleep and catch some more z’s while you still can, Miss Rich Lady.」

「. . . . . . . Okay, then I will do jusht that.」

And this time she leaned against Izayoi’s back. It looked like she was intending to spend the remainder of the night in such a way.

As Izayoi was stroking Asuka’s head, Shuten Douji looked at her mysteriously and went:

「By the way, girlie.」

「Yesh?」

「Have we met somewhere before?」

Asuka, who was on the verge of falling asleep again on Izayoi’s back due to her drunkenness Lifted her head only slightly and tilted it to look at him. Both she and Izayoi have never been acquainted with Shuten Douji before, and this was their first meeting ever.

「I am shorry to disappoint you, good shir, but thish ish the first time I have ever met you. . . . prolly?」

「Hmm, I see. If you say so then that is how it must be. After all, I would have never forget a girl like you if I have ever met you before. . . . but no matter. Now boy, do go on and take the ladies to their room post haste! It would be incredibly bad if they ended up getting all cold now. As for the rest of the drunken fools here, you can leave them all to me.」

Shuten Douji grabbed the sleeping You by the collar and placed her over Izayoi’s shoulder, so now he was stuck carrying both her and Asuka, so he made sure to make a mental note for himself to doodle all over their faces when he gets them to their rooms as payback for all that babysitting he was doing for them for the last half a day.

You looked like she was dead asleep and her breathing was calm and peaceful, so she is probably going to stay like that until well past noon, if not longer. In the end, she looked like she has taken quite a liking to alcohol. Normally it would have been dangerous for someone of her age to start drinking so early in her life, but as long as she remains the way she is, Izayoi felt that she was definitely going to be fine.

Along the way upstairs, Asuka suddenly raised her head.

「Hnnn, Izayoi?」

「Oh, did you wake up again, Miss Rich Lady? I will get you to your room soon, so try to fall back asleep until then, I promise it will not take long now.」

「But what about the sake drinking Game?」

「It is over already. And besides, it was only an extra to old man Douji’s story anyway.」

「Okay~~. You have such a warm back, Izayoi~~.」

Asuka then purred like a cat, which prompted You to raise her face as well as she sleep-talked.

「Hey, Izayoi?」

「Yeah?」

「Let us do our best together in the next Game as well, okay?」

「. . . . . . . Yeah, you can count on me.」

「After all. . . . . the three of us are much closer together. . . . . . than The Seven Great Sages could ever hope to be. . . . zzzzz. . . . zzzzzzzz. . . . . . . .」

When Asuka went back to sleep for the second time, Izayoi smiled bitterly at what she said.

It might be difficult for them to stay together forever, just like Kasukabe wanted it to be. They have already parted ways once in the past, and as the times change, they might be forced to do so again, because that is just the kind of place that Little Garden is, and it cannot be changed no matter how much they would have desired it.

「But even if that moment of parting arrives one day, it’s not that we will not be reunited again.」

Just like it was with Ishi and Sun Wukong, there will surely come a day when Izayoi, Asuka and You will have to say goodbye to each other, and then they will meet once more, part, and meet yet again.

Looking at the starry sky outside, Izayoi only hoped that when that day finally comes, the three of them would grow up to be proud of the way in which they have chosen to live their lives.