The Smile's Oath

On a hill a short distance from the Demon King's castle.

What had once been flat ground was reshaped into a mound using DORECA terrain manipulation.

Not large enough to support a castle—just the size of a single house.

There, a single tomb had been built.

A lone tomb standing in the wide, flattened space.

The Tomb of Seiya.

The grave of Seiya, who died from the strike of the (true) Evil God at His descent.

I stood there, staring at the tombstone for a while.

Footsteps echoed in the solitary cemetery.

"Mr. Akihito."

"...You."

The Goddess arrived.

Still powerless, but having recovered her memories.

She stood beside me, in the same form she had when she first appeared during her transfer, and stared at Seiya's tomb just as I did.

"You were here."

"Yeah."

"It's over, then."

"Yeah. She won't be coming back."

"There's nothing left. Saint Night... this is as far as it goes. If I still had strength, I could have sent you back to your original world."

"Better not. Saint Night now... even if you returned, you wouldn't fit in. Too consumed by hatred. Hatred toward me."

"Do you regret what happened to Saint Night?"

"No. Not regret. I saw it coming. We became complete enemies. Pathetic."

"Pathetic... isn't it?"

"Once I treated Lisa that way."

Actually, I could say I'm trapped by hatred too.

Lisa was once a slave assigned by this goddess to Saint Night.

A fellow Eternal Slave like Risha, who came to me—part of a noble race that finds their greatest joy in serving their master, a gentle soul.

She endured years of torment under Saint Night's cruelty.

Still, Arisa said not a single word of complaint.

Because Saint Night was her master. Because Arisa was a slave.

She served her harsh, violent master with quiet dignity.

“Yet this one abandoned her. Didn’t even give her a command like ‘die for me.’”

“If he had… would you have forgiven him?”

“Yeah.”

No hesitation. A clear nod. A firm, unwavering answer.

An Eternal Slave obeys any order from her master. She delights in the very existence of a command.

After living with the twelve Eternal Slaves who serve me, I understand this well.

Even if she’s discarded, if only she’s told, *‘Die for me,’* the Eternal Slave will go to her death in joy.

Saint Night didn’t do that. He ran—only for himself.

That’s something I can’t forgive.

“I don’t understand your values, Akihito.”

“Normal, isn’t it?”

"Ordinary people don’t call themselves ordinary. Same as drunks."

“Mmph.”

I don’t really get it, but I think it’s been the same since the beginning.

Ah, nothing’s changed. I don’t change.

So I think she’s trustworthy. I think I can rely on her.

"Is that so?"

Yes. Can I ask you to continue revitalizing this world from now on?

Leave it to me.

Needless to say, really.

If we're this far, we might as well go all the way.

Smiling slaves, building towns, prospering the nation—step by step.

And rebirth the world.

What we've done so far, we'll keep doing from now on.

Not that. I stared at the Goddess and asked.

What’re you gonna do about it?

"Me?"

Can you get back there? To that space you came from?

“What should we do? Regaining our strength seems impossible. Looks like we’ll just have to live on the surface from now on.”

"Can you survive... like a human?"

"I don't know. Not yet."

"Is that so."

Not yet.

Only a few days have passed since we lost our strength.

"But I think we'll manage."

It sounded like I was trying to convince myself.

The future’s unclear—but it’ll be okay.

That’s what it sounded like.

So I said it. Denied the Goddess’s doubt.

"No. That’s wrong."

"Huh?"

"You’ll make it. I’ll make it happen."

"Kakushin-san?"

"If we can’t go back to how we were, then I’ll build an environment where I can live. Right here on the surface. One where you can smile too."

"I… can smile."

"Yeah."

The Goddess stares at me. Her eyes are weighing whether I’m serious or not.

I stare back. No lies. I mean it.

"You owe me. More than I could ever repay, even if it takes a lifetime."

"Did you become king?"

"You brought me to a world with Eternal Slaves."

That matters more than becoming king ever did.

Meeting an Eternal Slave matters more than that.

"I'll repay it. I'll repay it all. No matter what."

"...Just one thing, please?"

"What?"

She spoke hesitantly, head down, then lifted her face with sudden resolve, her eyes locking onto mine.

"Make Sistral smile too."

"Sistral?"

"The girl."

"...A demon god, then."

She nodded once, quietly.

I don’t know what happened between her and that demon god.

I can tell from the way she speaks—old friends, maybe—but the details? Lost.

I don’t know.

"Got it. I’ll make her smile too. Not like this cynical smirk. A real one. From deep inside."

"Thank you."

The Goddess smiled at my promise.

Still weak.

I decided then—this smile, too, must come from deep within. Not forced. Not hollow.