MC POV
Seeing who was standing in front of me made me freeze for a moment.
Even though I had prepared myself, I was still a little nervous. I needed to get used to this—quickly.
I had even teleported here in a hurry without changing my clothes. Well, my appearance wasn't bad at least. I was still wearing my jacket, shirt, and long pants from before I transmigrated.
"Uh… excuse me."
Awkward.
Painfully awkward.
Seeing her tremble and frozen in place with a helpless expression made me realize something.
I hadn't fully restricted the pressure leaking from my existence yet. Even the tiny portion she was feeling was enough to drive her instincts into madness. She was probably sensing death approaching her—literally.
I immediately suppressed my presence completely and limited my power to the first gate.
With this, most people would see me as no different from a normal human being. Of course, those with extremely sharp perception would still be able to tell that I am anything but ordinary—but that was fine. Even if they knew what I was, it wasn't like they could stop me.
The moment my pressure vanished, her tense shoulders relaxed. She let out a small breath and looked straight at me.
"…Who are you?"
A name.
Right—this was a new life. I should use a new name.
Speaking of names, didn't this girl change hers too? She had countless aliases—Alice, Hapti, No Face, Shalltear, and many others. Considering the current timeline, she was using Shalltear, wasn't she?
That reminded me of an NPC from a certain light novel and anime.
Pushing that thought aside, I refocused my attention on Shalltear.
She was wearing assassin-style clothing. Her face really was beautiful. Who would have thought that a doll-like girl like her was the second strongest among the Six Kings?
Shalltear possesses an ability that, at its core, allows her to use the powers of others who have formed a bond with herself. However, this is limited to those who are not stronger than Shalltear. Not only was Shalltear strong, she was also the perfect wife candidate: an all-rounder who mastered nearly every common type of skill.
Honestly, back when I read the novel, there were moments when I felt a bit jealous of the protagonist.
I let out a relieved sigh internally.
At last… I had this chance.
Ah—I've been thinking too long.
Fortunately, ever since becoming [The End], my thinking process had improved. No—more accurately, it continued to evolve endlessly. No matter how long I spent thinking, time in the outside world didn't move at all.
Extremely useful.
"My name is Arthur. Arthur Twilight. And you?"(Arthur)
I thought it was a decent name.
I extended my hand, offering a handshake to show that I meant no harm.
She was definitely wary of me. Understandable—if you encountered something that could literally end you, fear would be the natural response. If not fear, then the urge to run away immediately.
Seeing my offered hand, she hesitated before slowly taking it.
"I'm called Shalltear."(Shalltear)
Her hand was incredibly soft—
Wait, why am I thinking like a pervert?! Seriously, men's instincts are terrifying.
"Nice to meet you. And I apologize for teleporting into your place without permission."(Arthur)
After releasing her hand, I slightly bowed my head. It was better to clear up any misunderstandings early. Who knew—she might start thinking of ways to forcibly drive me out of this world later. Not that it would be a problem, but it would be troublesome.
After all, it was my fault. I was the one who chose to teleport here.
"Who exactly are you? Someone from another world? No… more importantly, what are you?"(Shalltear)
Her attempt to investigate me made me chuckle inwardly.
I answered with a wry smile.
"To put it simply, you can think of me as [Death]. But more accurately… I am [The End]."(Arthur)
"[The End]… [Death], like Isis-san…? But that's impossible. The pressure I felt isn't something that can even be comprehended."(Shalltear)
She muttered to herself, clearly unconvinced.
I continued calmly.
"I don't know who you're referring to—but I do know that you're mistaken. You can think of me as the embodiment of the end itself. I'm not someone who possesses the power of death. I am the conceptualization of the end."(Arthur)
"…"(Shalltear)
She was left speechless. I could see cold sweat trickling down her cheek.
Isis possessed a fragment of an Evil God and wielded death magic. From the perspective of others, it might seem similar—but in truth, it was completely different. The death she caused could still be reversed.
If I did it… that would be the absolute end.
"There's no need to worry. I understand that suddenly appearing like this would put you on guard. But I truly have no ill intentions toward you."(Arthur)
I clarified calmly. For now, she would probably remain cautious—and that was fine.
After all, there was no way I would harbor malicious intent toward one of my harem candidates.
"Well… it's not like anyone can fight against the end anyway."(Shalltear)
She shrugged helplessly. Though she seemed to have accepted it, I could tell she was still wary and uneasy.
"Then why did you come here—more specifically, to this world?"(Shalltear)
"I want to start a new life. A peaceful, quiet life."(Arthur)
"You… a peaceful life?"(Shalltear)
She looked at me as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Just because I'm [The End], do you think I have to destroy all realities?"(Arthur)
"Uh… isn't that how it's supposed to be?"(Shalltear)
Her awkward question caught me off guard.
"May I sit?"(Arthur)
"Go ahead."(Shalltear)
With her permission, I sat down on the sofa in the room and continued.
"I'm not the person meant to bring things to an end. I am the embodiment of the end. Everything will eventually return to me. No matter what it is, I will remain—because I am the end itself. Do you understand?"(Arthur)
I paused briefly to let it sink in.
"There's no need to overthink it. Just understand that I'm not some cold-blooded being who will erase the world on a whim. In fact… I think I quite like this world."(Arthur)
I shrugged lightly.
"I just want to enjoy a slow life. So you don't need to worry."(Arthur)
So paranoid.
She reminded me of a shameless bald man with one eye—and another man wearing a bat costume with his underwear on the outside.
Heh. I snorted just thinking about it.
"I want to propose a partnership with you."(Arthur)
"…What kind of partnership?"(Shalltear)
She asked cautiously, her voice filled with uncertainty.