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Zygos turned toward us, his voice wavering as he asked. Given it was just a young woman and a little girl standing there, his confusion made sense, but he was far too careless.

“Well, I can’t really deny that’s my current position.”
“Why would you destroy the world!?”

Since I hadn’t denied it, Zygos’ tone flared with righteous anger. Normally, I’d shoot back something like, “And which of us is really destroying the world?” but this time, I truly was the one bringing about its collapse. Not that I was doing it out of malice.

“Because it’s my job. And because I want to go home and sleep.”
“For that reason? You’re destroying an entire world? I won’t forgive you!”

Fueled by his outrage, the other ten companions behind him raised their voices, rallying with a kind of desperate courage. A few of them, who had clearly underestimated me because of my appearance, shouted things like, “You almost fooled me, you monster!” but I hadn’t tried to fool anyone.

“We’ll restore peace to this world! Everyone, attack!”

With that cry, Zygos lunged forward, sword flashing, his stance low, a perfect dash attack straight out of an action game. But his blade never reached me. The moment he moved, speed itself ended. And with that, his life drew near its end as well. Zygos and the others who charged ahead froze mid-motion, as if pinned to the spot, and in the next fraction of a second, they dissolved into fine particles, scattering into nothingness.

The arrows and spells unleashed from the rear met the same fate and vanished.
Only Zygos remained partially intact, his body trembling, his mind unable to process what had happened. I hadn’t even done anything yet. Well, nothing besides controlling my power so that neither the castle nor Via would be affected.

The rear guard broke down next, some collapsing onto their backsides and scrambling away on the floor, trying to drag themselves from me. Doesn’t that hurt? I wondered.

“M-Monster…”

Someone whispered in a trembling voice. I didn’t see who said it, because they too vanished. The only one left was Zygos, who dropped to his knees, the fear overwhelming him. Then he fainted. There was no point in dragging this out. I didn’t enjoy cruelty, after all. So I quietly ended him.

A classic case of someone suffering because they were too strong for their own good.

“Well, that was meaningless,” Via said.
“Well, their coming here probably extended the world’s lifespan by, what, a whole second?”
“May I have my reward now, Master?”
“Then brew some tea. While there’s still time to drink it.”

Via nodded and began to move.

◇◇◇

“So that’s what being a god of endings is like.”
“That’s right. I’m sort of like a detective.”
“A rather destructive kind of detective.”
“It’s not really my fault, though. It’s the other gods who keep sending me on errands.”

Via’s reward was simple. To talk with me until she was satisfied, to hear as much knowledge as she could before everything vanished. She couldn’t take anything material beyond this world, so words were all that mattered.

“So, many gods rely on you then, Finis?”
“Something like that. Even if I disappeared, it wouldn’t cause any major trouble in the long run. Some gods would be upset in the short term, though.”
“That sounds complicated.”
“It’s better if you don’t try to understand. There’s no real meaning in it.”
“You’re probably right.”

Even if she could comprehend a god’s perspective, a human who spoke of such things would only be met with suspicion.

“Isn’t there a world where I could just live out my natural lifespan?”
“Your reincarnation conditions make that unlikely. Still, there have been worlds that somehow stabilized at the brink of collapse. Maybe one of your future reincarnations could end up in a world like that, one that extends its life instead of ending it. No one knows why those worlds recover, though. It’s pure chance.”
“If you descended into a world like that, and it stabilized immediately… what would happen to you?”

Via asked, eyes bright with curiosity. From what I’d recall, Fumitsuki had been called to a similar world, but I didn’t really know what would happen if I’d been the one to go there.

“Well… I’d probably sleep.”
“Sleep?”
“I’d fall into slumber until the right conditions were met again.”
“Like being sealed away?”

That metaphor wasn’t that far off. And honestly, I wouldn’t mind that. I would be able to sleep, after all.

◇◇◇

“So, how does it feel, destroying a world?”
“Honestly? I don’t feel much of anything. If I had to say something, I just wish I’d been more practiced with my full power. It took longer than it should have.”
“You say that while trying to break my record for shortest lifetime.”
“Would you really want to keep living here?”

Viatrix looked around. The castle was in ruins, and outside the windows, nothing remained but a gray, sand-like wasteland.

“I suppose achieving my goal in a place like this doesn’t sound very satisfying.”
“Then shall we end it?”
“You really have no emotions, do you?”
“I’m a god, after all.”

I raised a hand toward her. She shook her head, smiling faintly in resignation.

“Well then, until next time.”
“Let’s hope we don’t meet again.”

I waved once, and Viatrix vanished. Moments later, so did the world.