Chapter 127
Ten years have passed since then. Contrary to the future I saw in the game, countless people are now overflowing on this earth. I get off the plane at Shin-Osaka Airport, stretch my arms out wide, and start walking while dragging my suitcase.
「Orange, let’s hurry. We only have 10 minutes until the reservation time.」
「Hiniru, you’re too impatient. We have plenty of time for this distance.」
Hiniru walks briskly beside me, while ☆Star_Night☆ has an exasperated expression. Seeing us, the surrounding tourists freeze for a moment and point their devices at us.
「No way, it’s the ‘Orange’s Victim Association’!」
「They made it to the finals this year, right? That’s crazy.」
「Why is the perpetrator on the victim’s team…?」
We pass through the scene, used to it. It’s been ten years, and so many things have happened.
First, that day. To sum it up, ‘UYK’ died. According to the observation team, a blue bodily fluid suddenly scattered in the Sea of Okhotsk, and the reaction thought to be from ‘UYK’ disappeared. Hereafter Corporation’s observation confirmed that ‘UYK’ was not alive in 2060, and with that, ‘Hereafter Apollyon Online’ came to an end.
On that day, a small-scale tsunami and earthquake occurred. However, since the epicenter was in the Sea of Okhotsk, it did not greatly impact the land, and the warning only frightened people.
The next obvious trouble that occurred was the 1,000-yen unpaid issue. To prevent the misuse of inverse diving, Hereafter Corporation, which had erased memories and disappeared, did not have the ability to pay 1,000 yen to all players. I remember a man I didn’t even know being arrested for fraud after being made a representative. This solidified ‘HAO’ as a trashy game in every possible place.
But in the end, that was it. Although the bulletin boards were in chaos, nothing more surprising happened. To be precise, there was the annihilation of all Strains by Nakamoto, but he himself was so messed up that it wasn’t even surprising anymore. Apparently, the most troublesome part was when the Strains started fleeing the moment they saw the red Apollyon. They’re traumatized, what a monster.
With everything over, we went through our university life normally, but we didn’t become ordinary members of society.
Entering the restaurant Hiniru guides us to, Nakamoto and Urairo, who were waiting, raise their hands to signal us over. Thanks to the anti-aging technology, we all look largely the same as our student days, but everyone has gained a certain presence. The two in front of us wear matching, elegant rings on their ring fingers.
「It’s been a while since the match. Have you been doing well?」
That’s right, we are now active as a professional team in the team battle using mass-produced Apollyons, ‘Apollyon Battle’! The team members are Hiniru, ☆Star_Night☆, and myself, and we call ourselves the ‘Orange’s Victim Association’. Surprisingly, the combination of Hiniru as a striker, Star_Night as a sniper, and me as a close-range fighter has good compatibility. I’m also the only one who doubles as a mechanic. It’s been about five years since our debut, and I never thought I’d have a life so closely connected to giant robots. It’s the best. I can only keep bowing my head to our sponsors. Thank you so much, Kōmitsu Solutions.
We’ve formed a team by some twist of fate, but aside from Hiniru’s flaming and ☆Star_Night☆ getting cocky and exposed, it’s the best team. Well, relatively speaking, I can become a saint, so let’s consider it a merit. In fact, fans are strangely kind only to me. Hiniru glares at Nakamoto resentfully and says,
「I’ve been doing well except for losing to you.」
「Do your best next time. You were close this time, so you might have a chance.」
By the way, the final match refers to a battle between Nakamoto’s single unit versus our three units. As expected of the strongest man, there’s no chance of winning, and his participation in the tournament is treated as taking up three slots. Moreover, he has never conceded the championship. In fact, even in countries around the world, it’s a common understanding that Nakamoto is the strongest Apollyon pilot. He’s so strong that he even serves as an instructor in the Self-Defense Force. More than half of the people currently using mass-produced Apollyons look up to Nakamoto as their master.
Mass-produced Apollyons are ultimately being used in various places, from construction sites to battlefields, along with powered suits. It could be said that it’s completely my fault from Ver1.07 that battlefields were included, but fortunately, over the past five years, the mainstream in battlefields has been shifting to powered suits. Mass-produced Apollyons are being actively used in rescue activities at accident sites that require heavy lifting and in remote areas.
「Sorry to keep you waiting, Professor.」
「…It’s been a while. I’m glad to see you’re doing well as always.」
「I’m here too. I heard it’s an all-you-can-drink!」
As we’re talking, four people enter through the entrance. Greg, Kanata, and Teo. Greg had a complicated situation due to his special birth, but now he has obtained a family register and seems to be enjoying himself in the Self-Defense Force. Kanata is studying as the next company president while sulking after being rejected by me. Teo is too much of a free spirit to know what he’s up to, but he seems to be having fun.
Lastly, Hiniru straightens his back as Kana appears.
「The restaurant reservation is perfect! An all-you-can-eat and drink restaurant with an unlimited budget and a lively atmosphere, everything is set, and the taste has Mr. Tanaka’s seal of approval!」
「Well done, servant.」
「Haha, yes!」
Their relationship seems to have completely solidified into a master-servant dynamic. I look at my stepdaughter with a bit of exasperation. Kana, who has grown into a beauty just like in ‘HAO’, is currently serving as my bodyguard. She was late because she was handling my immigration procedures on my behalf. You see, I’m now considered an extremely dangerous individual.
After ‘HAO’ was shut down, Kōmitsu Solutions officially announced that the Prophet was a big lie and that Orange was just a foolish ordinary person. This confused the former ‘Reformists’ who had returned to their respective companies and countries.
From their perspective, everything was a lie, and they had been deceived by mere smooth talk. The reactions to this were divided into two.
One approach was to not acknowledge it at all, maintaining the view that the Prophet’s abilities were still intact and a threat.
The other view was that Orange, who somehow prevented the world’s destruction with lies, was terrifyingly dangerous.
In other words, either way, the danger level of the individual named Mishima Kanji reached the highest level. Certainly, considering that he manipulated the ‘Reformists’ and saved the world with lies and misunderstandings alone, it’s understandable to be labeled as a monster. That’s why, especially when traveling abroad, I bring Kana along as a bodyguard.
‘In today’s news, the world population has reached 8.2 billion. The benefits of space development by Space Ignition Industries are remarkable, and a new space nation is expected to be established in two years. This nation will be based on British law and advocate for non-armament. It is thought that various space nations will be established following this, but what are your thoughts, Coach Naga?’
‘The key points are non-armament and the fact that the Space President himself will live there.’
‘Why is it important that the Space President will live there?’
‘Of course, there’s the possibility of using the artificial planet itself as a mass projectile. If he lives there, that option is off the table unless he commits suicide.’
‘I can’t imagine anyone doing that.’
‘There have been eight cases of it, yes… and even with people on board…’
As if to block the monitor streaming in the restaurant, the last two people we were waiting for appear. The white and black duo. The two women, having grown tall and slender, enter the restaurant in a suit, looking like mature ladies.
「Hey everyone, it’s been a while!」
「It has been a while, it’s been a year already.」
Momiji is now the president of Kōmitsu Solutions, and Reina is active as her bodyguard. By the way, Kōmitsu Solutions has been partially dismantled to a certain extent. This is because it had too much fighting power with beastkin and cyborgs. There was no choice but to sell the cyborg department to an external company, and the beastkin were placed under the jurisdiction of the Japanese government to avoid trouble. Currently, they are the organizer and team sponsor of ‘Apollyon Battle’, specializing in Apollyons. In other words, I can never raise my head to them.
Although it’s said to be dismantled, many engineers have remained in Kōmitsu Solutions, and Reina conversely stayed in Kōmitsu Solutions using cyborg technology as a shield, so their influence remains strong in one way or another. Compared to when they formed the corporate alliance, their power has weakened, but with the expansion of mass-produced Apollyon’s market share and the presence of a monster who can kick a fighter jet with her bare body, they have no gaps in both economic and violent aspects, and their future looks bright. I remember spinning around four times when I heard their salaries. What’s with those amounts?
Momiji and Reina approach me with a smile. Seeing this, Kanata whispers to me sneakily.
「So, which one did you end up marrying? I heard rumors that you have a baby, but what’s the truth?」
Come to think of it, I haven’t mentioned it. As I’m about to answer while feeling the sensation of the ring on my ring finger, Hiniru’s poorly timed shout interrupts.
「Well then, everyone seems to be here! This year, I became a topic again as a source for music MADs, and Orange caused the 7th Orange Panic by saying random things, but first of all, good job everyone! And to celebrate 2050, the ‘HAO’ reunion, as well as our ‘Orange’s Victim Association’ winning second place in the world tournament and earning a prize of 100 million yen…」
That’s Hiniru for you. I look around in exasperation. Of course, life will continue from here, but it’s truly a disgustingly happy ending, as Reina once mentioned. Each of them has grown up straight, and all the problems depicted in the story leading up to this point have been resolved. The destruction did not come in 2050, and everything is now treated as a thing of the past.
That’s why I want to enjoy it to the fullest, even for the part of me that has become reference information. To show that their deaths were meaningful, I’ll live a life that they would endlessly envy. I have children and got a job involved with giant robots. Then, the next step is to cherish my children and beat the hell out of Nakamoto. So, I raise my glass with a smile, my voice louder than anyone else’s.
「Cheers!!!!」
A silly ending. That’s what it is.
Author’s note:
Q: Why did you leave the final heroine ambiguous?
A: Please re-read the second half of Chapter 1.
With that, 「Hereafter Apollyon Online」 comes to a conclusion. It’s thanks to you, the readers, that I was able to write this far. Thank you very much. I hope you enjoyed it. I may add short stories and such later on, and above all, there will be a comic adaptation, so I’d be happy if you could continue to support me.
Lastly, if you found it interesting, please consider rating it! At the same time, I’ll also accept questions in the comments about what this was all about in the end, so feel free to post.
Thank you very much for this past year!
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