When the Final Seal Breaks

17th Entry

I gotta say, becoming a rocket myself wasn't something I was planning on doing at any point in my life. But, when needs must?

I wasn't sure how the 'Demon Lord' was jumping around high distances, but couldn't I have rocket shoes? So, I set up my glider with swords and cloak again, and uh, well, I just kind of flew over to Craftstown. It barely took more than a few hours. I fell a few times, but since I mostly just got scrapes, I treated them myself with my newfound mild healing fire and just kept trying until I got the hang of it.

Orleris had said that Hope wouldn't let just anyone find him in the forest, so before I entered, I made sure to yell at him that I was there to talk.

I thought I heard a reply, so I just went for it.

The ashen one was a great name for him. But why was even this divine being in a cloak? Just how all encompassing is this clothes trend?

I started with the basics.

-No, he couldn't just revoke the Demon Lord's power. The blessings of the previous Goddess were beyond him to revoke, even if he accepted this world as his own.

-No, he couldn't just close the pathways. Not unless he accepted this world as his own.

-No one else had come through my pathway, or the Demon Lord's, because each pathway only supported one guest. But any citizen of this world or guest could pass through them endlessly if they pleased.

As for why he didn't want to become this world's true god?

He didn't really know. The Goddess might come back any day. Or maybe she wouldn't. It was their time of need, and it was very exciting, so Hope thought she might show up and save the day. But I doubted that. Based on the story I heard from Orleris, she was around when the 'Demon Lord' was terrorizing the people who believed in her in the past and all she did was summon me. And in that way, the 'Demon Lord' was validated in his belief that she was behind his actions.

I told Hope to become this world's god. He had done more for this world than the old Goddess ever had just by reaching out to Orleris and putting him on the path to rescue me. Then, he could help me with my plan.

It was pretty simple, and I don't know what I'll do after but...

I'm going to challenge the 'Demon Lord' to a fight in the sealed forest and tell him I'll return to my world and leave him alone if he wins.

Then, I'm going to lure him through the pathway and Hope will close it.

This does mean that I'm not going to come back again. But I think that with Hope here, this world will be able to live that peaceful existence it had when the 'Demon Lord' and I weren't here.

If I'm lucky, he will age up quickly and die, but I think that's a pretty long shot.

Hope asked what I wanted in return for eliminating the threat in their world.

That's the big question, isn't it? Why have I been doing this all along? But I decided I would be the protagonist and hero now, so I came up with an answer off the top of my head that seemed like the kind of thing a quirky hero would ask for, instead of riches.

I told Hope about the earrings I used to have – the ruby seal stones – that reminded me that what happened here was real and that I was connected to another world. I said I'd like a pair of new earrings to replace them. This time, there will really be no returning, so something like that would be best.

He thought about it, then nodded. "If I Decide To Become The God Of This World For Your Plan, I Will Send You A Pair Of Earrings," he said. He was still thinking about it when I left.

I capitalised every letter because that just kind of seemed right. You'd have to hear his voice yourself to really know what I mean.