Destroy

Towering before me as I stand on the snowfield is a mansion with an exterior that could only be described as, well, ‘strange’.

First off, the roof is bright red. Bright, bright red. Also, the window frames and other key spots are painted red too.

And the walls are slathered in bright yellow, with red polka dots painted here and there.

With pure white snow piled up all around it, the exterior stands out all the more bizarrely.

“Sorry, Emi. For leaving the cleanup to you, an outsider...... my apologies, and my thanks.”

Nare, standing beside me, said this with her hand on her chest and gave a quiet bow.

“......It's fine. I, want to get out too. So, I'll do it. That's all.”

I roll my neck, roll my shoulders, clench my fist, open it, clench it, open it......

<Are you, ready?>

Yeah, Omake-sama.

All set.

I begin to concentrate magic power into my clenched right fist.

Slowly, slowly and carefully, I condense my magic power.

A fist, stronger than anything.

A fist that breaks, and smashes, everything.

Wishing for that, I refine the magic power.

My total magic power now...... compared even to when I fought that chattering black lizard, has jumped several times over, I think.

I pour that massive amount of magic power, carefully, carefully, into my fist.

Mishi...... gishigishi...... gishi......

Space itself creaks, and a strange sound rings out.

“............Done.”

Several minutes of keeping at that work.

And the strongest right fist I can currently make, holding unprecedented destructive power within it, was complete.

“You...... really are something else. Hahaha, there's something like murky black smoke coming off that fist, is that okay?”

Apparently, when it's this concentrated, even someone like Nare, who doesn't have 【Magic Perception】, can see the magic power leaking from the fist.

“No problem.”

With that, I ready my fist toward the mansion.

Now then, I've prepared with a lot of fuss, but what I'm about to let fly is a fist packed with magic power to boost its destructive power, which is to say, nothing special: just the 【Magic Strike】 I've used plenty of times before.

I'm going to let it fly with everything I've got at the mansion.

Because, according to Nare.

She, while repeating the loop for so long, had apparently become able to somehow sense something like the ‘power’ used for the loops.

That ‘power’ means what Omake-sama called ‘the god's power that is the source of the loop’, right?

And so.

Apparently, the more things there are to restore, the bigger the ‘power’ needed to loop gets.

In other words, the more the mansion is broken, the more the ‘power’ required for the loop increases.

And by Nare's estimate, with what's left of the ‘power’ now, it's no longer possible to restore the mansion and loop.

There isn't that much ‘power’ left.

In other words, if I destroy the mansion completely, the loop will no longer occur.

That's how it seems.

<Actually, if the god's power has weakened that much, this small world itself, the one repeating this loop, might not withstand your blow.>

Meaning?

<If you punch it once with all your might, this world will be blown away and the loop phenomenon will end. We can safely return to the outside world. Everything is resolved.>

Somehow, we've come a really long way around, but once you know how, it's a really simple solution, isn't it?

<............In the end, it turned into a ‘solve it by punching’ development, didn't it......>

Hm? Omake-sama, did you say something?

<No, no, nothing, nothing......>

“......Now then, will you do it? Emi.”

Nare prompts me from the side.

“............”

Fine.

I don't mind.

As long as I can get out, that's fine.

I'll do it, whatever it is.

Me, as long as Omake-sama and I are okay, that's all I need.

But, you know, Omake-sama.

Say I destroy this small world.

......What happens to Nare after that?

<......Nare...... and not just Nare, the people of the mansion too...... the people of this small world have their existence forcibly kept going, small world and all, by the little of the god's power that remains...... they are something like phantoms with wills of their own. If this small world, is destroyed......>

......She'll disappear?

<Yes. She will cease to exist.>

“............”

In spite of myself, I look to the side and stare at Nare's face.

“Hm? What's the matter?”

Nare is smiling, as always.

A bold, sardonic, dry, tired, and yet somehow clear, smile.

“............”

“Ah...... could it be you were worried, about me?”

I give a small nod.

“Break the loop, and Nare disappears.”

“Probably, yes. I can sort of tell.”

“......Is that okay?”

“It's fine.”

Laughing, hahaha, Nare faced straight ahead.

“Sooner or later, it's the end we'll all reach. Even if we leave it as it is, this place...... won't last even a few years. If that's the case, I'd be happier if you did it sooner.”

“......I see.”

“That's right, that's right.”

“............”

“......Truly, thank you, Emi.”

“............”

I face the mansion once more, square up, and concentrate.

I close, my eyes.

Destroy.

I, destroy.

Destroy, this mansion.

Destroy, the loop.

Destroy, everything that has been repeated here.

Destroy, everything that has kept repeating this place.

Destroy.

Destroy!!!

I steeled myself, opened my eyes wide, and drew my fist back at the mansion...... and it was then!!

<<<STOP!!!>>>

That such a shout rang out!!

A mysterious voice suddenly rings out!

Next time, Arc 10 finally concludes!

But there's a bit of an epilogue too, so it won't be completely over......

Next time, Arc 10 mostly concludes! (That doesn't sound very snappy.)