Maken's body falls to the ground again. Confused, the swordsman opens his eyes, not understanding what just happened. Only then, he feels several strands of his hair falling over his head. He finally realizes that Vektor only cut his hair, intending to shorten it. Still in disbelief, he raises his head and looks at Vektor, who calmly says:

"Did you really think I was gonna kill you? I told you earlier, didn't I? I don't kill humans. I don't give a damn about what happens to you from now on, or if you'll come back to try and kill me in the future, but I wanted to make sure I didn't confuse you with Kder again. You two are complete opposites, you shouldn't have the right to be a literal alternate skin of him! If you want to return, do it as your own person!"

"...?"

"I have nothing else to worry about now. You can't beat me anymore. This duel is over."

Not knowing how to respond or even how to react, Maken succumbs to humiliation and once again lowers his head as he begins to cry. Vektor turns his back on his enemy as he says:

"I win."

As he takes his first steps out of the battlefield, Vektor is surprised by Maken's broken voice:

"F- For... Forgive me..."

"!!"

"Forgive me... Lord Vak..."

"Oh come on, you gave me hope for nothing!"

The sunlight finally condenses in the sky, forming the clear blue of morning. Vektor slowly walks towards the edge of the Dawn Plateau, feeling like he will lose consciousness at any moment. Sych then appears at the edge, expressing deep concern. Looking at his best friend from afar, Vektor lets out a soft laugh of relief, and finally faints, letting his body fall forward. Sych manages to use his power to catch his friend's unconscious body before it hits the ground.

Few minutes later, Sych reappears before Kder and Master Noogard, carrying Vektor's body on his back. With the duel concluded, Sych sends a telepathic message to Vektor's mother, who enters her portal to retrieve her son, and then reverses the portal to return home.

Unable to discover Hiroshi's true motives, Katsuo returns to his job as Kder, without losing the hope stored in his subconscious that all his doubts will be cleared and his fate will be determined. Sych carries Vektor's body to the Drenn Portal, and the two return to their homes after passing through the portal.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

The Slasher Platinum is left behind, entrusted to Kder for safekeeping. Vektor's mother closes the portal after returning home. And so, the adventure on Netern Island comes to an end. Vektor returns to his daily life after regaining consciousness and resting for 3 days straight.

Everything stabilizes in the lives of those involved in this journey, but a conversation between two people from the past generation indicates that this calm will not last forever. A conversation that took place before the portal closed...

"Hello..."

"It's been a while, mini-master!"

"...You're quite audacious to call me that when I'm only like this because of you."

"Haha, trust me, that was a blessing. You'll realize when you get old."

"...I won't argue with you about this."

"Yeah, I'm not here for that. Now, spill the beans. What happened to Vektor for him to end up like that?"

"He faced the one who cursed him in battle and won. His opponent was the swordsman Maken, who disappeared after the duel."

"Hold up, the legendary servant of an archangel?! Vektor defeated someone like that?! How is that possible?!"

"I don't know how the fight went in detail because I didn't actually watch it. But one thing I know, he went to his absolute limit in the battle. I was able to feel it."

"If you were able to feel it, that means..."

"Yes. He must have found his way to absorb dark energy. That's the only plausible explanation for why he came out unscathed."

"It would also explain the fainting... Seriously, why do these things never stop happening no matter how much time passes?!"

"I get you really well. As much as it pains me to admit it, it seems that certain things will repeat themselves..."

"Well, at least everything ended well. All that's left for us to do is get back home and then we won't have to worry about Vektor again."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that..."

"What do you mean?"

"I doubt that what happened today will not have any consequences. With each passing day, the closer we get to the fate that awaits all of us on this island. And I bet that Vektor will be a part of that, one way or another."

"...Well, even if you say that, there's nothing we can do now. If Vektor gets pulled into that fate, I'll notice, and then we can take action."

"I want to help. I know you have a lot of reasons not to trust me, but I want to do everything I can to make sure your son has a chance to survive."

"Look, I do trust you, but after all this, I doubt Vektor would want to return to this island."

"You're right... Is there nothing I can do...?"

"I actually know of a method to convince him to come back, but I think it's better if we schedule it for after his school year. That way, he can recover while you prepare everything."

"So, in a month? Sounds like a good idea. But may I ask what method that is?"

"Well, you probably won't find it that pleasant, but... My plan is to throw a party."

"Party?"

"Yes, let's use his gluttony to our advantage. I bet he'd come back if it was for free food."

"A party, huh..."

"So? Do you agree?"

"...Yes. It shouldn't be a problem. Leave it to me, I'll do my best to make it a really fun party, with lots of food!"

"Alright then. In that case, I think it's time to go..."

"Until next time. See you again in a month!"