【The image on the Golden榜 changes.】
【To save Sōta, Suzume found Sōta’s grandfather and asked him about entering the Ever After.】
【But the old man didn’t tell Suzume. Instead, he sternly said that Sōta’s death had saved a million lives, and that was his glory.】
Kaisha: “It’s true that one life can save millions and be remembered.”
Red A: “What kind of righteous companion? Saving many by sacrificing one, what exactly is being saved?”
Piggy: “Is this old man confused?! Does he have no love for his family?!”
【Suzume looked at Sōta’s grandfather in disbelief, then declared firmly that she would definitely save Sōta, that she would open Tokyo’s “Gateway.”】
【The old man was so angered by Suzume’s words that he nearly choked.】
【After learning that the only thing that could provide Suzume with security in this world was Sōta, and that a world without Sōta was meaningless, the old man simply laughed.】
Rimuru: “The dragon slayer becomes the dragon. I didn’t think it would happen this quickly.”
Aki Hayakawa: “She’s being reckless! How many people will die if she pulls out the Gatekeeper stone again without a replacement?!”
Obito Uchiha: “That’s a familiar line… Rin… a world without Rin is meaningless!”
Li Jing: “Is someone upstairs having a breakdown?”
Shizuka Hiratsuka: “This old man is a schemer, testing his granddaughter-in-law.”
【The old man told Suzume that a person can only enter one “Gateway” in their lifetime, and they can only enter through the same one they entered through.】
【Learning this information, Suzume immediately recalled a long-buried memory: the beautiful, dazzling world she entered as a child, that was the Ever After!】
【Suzume immediately set off for her hometown in Kyushu to search for the “Gateway” there.】
【The old man lay in bed, turning to look out the window. “Old friend, all these years, you’ve been pulled out too… Go help them.”】
【The black cat outside the window nodded lightly.】
March 7th: “So Suzume went to the Ever After when she was a child! That explains it.”
Su: “All actions are impermanent, they are all cycles of cause and effect. Perhaps it is because he entered the Ever After that he is able to participate in this Gate-sealing journey.”
Satoshi: “Almost forgot, old man Munakata was also a Gatekeeper in his youth, and the big black cat was his partner, right?”
Dr. Higashi: “Wow!!! Such a big black cat! Bigger than Mr. Sakamoto!”
One-Ear: “Ah! This black cat is even more intimidating than the black cat from Black Cat Police!”
【On her way home, Suzume encountered the Minister again, as well as a huge black cat, the Gatekeeper stone that suppressed the dragon, the Left Minister.】
【Suzume flipped through her childhood sketchbook and successfully found the “Gateway” in Kyushu, entering the Ever After.】
【But unlike the beautiful scenery seen from the outside, a raging fire burned beneath the surface of the Ever After! Myriad Earthbound Spirits coiled across the land.】
【The Earthbound Spirits sensed the “Gateway” and began to climb up. At that moment, the Left Minister swelled!】
【The large black cat instantly transformed into a white, giant beast with long whiskers and a white beard!】
【The Left Minister smashed into the Earthbound Spirits, suppressing them and tangling with them.】
Gyutaro: “The Ever After… scarier than hell…”
Ryze: “As expected, it’s all illusory. This world is like it has been ravaged by World Runes.”
Konan: “I can’t breathe. In this world, even life won’t appear.”
Gintoki Sakata: “Did Suzume forget to close the door? Sigh.”
Kurome: “The Gatekeeper stone always has to be pulled out, closing or not closing is pointless.”
Aether: “Left Minister! Cool! So this is the Beastmaster?”
Tamamo-no-Mae: “It’s neither a demon nor a beast… Perhaps it’s the great god of their world.”
【Taking advantage of this moment, Suzume used her true feelings to awaken Sōta’s slumbering soul, completely pulling out the Gatekeeper stone, returning Sōta to his original form.】
【The Minister also learned of Suzume’s feelings throughout this journey.】
【It didn’t want to make Suzume sad, so it could only embrace the regret of not being able to visit Suzume’s home again, transforming back into the Gatekeeper stone.】
Douma: “Oh dear, what kind of malice could a little kitty have?”
Yelan: “Even though cats are cute, if their nature is harmful to the world, then they are evil beasts, monsters.”
Kaedehara Kazuha: “So some people in the human world have a lot of charm. Congratulations, Suzume. The evil beast that harmed the world has been defeated by you.”
Fate World: After saying this, Kaedehara Kazuha fell into deep thought.
“Could I also meet such a person and see such a sight?”
Just as he thought this, Kaedehara Kazuha felt a huge force on his rear. He was kicked down by Merlin.
【On the battlefield at this time, the Earthbound Spirits, freed from the Gatekeeper stone, were completely unleashed! The Left Minister could no longer suppress them and could only watch as they flew towards the “Gateway” in the sky.】
【Sōta, having returned to human form, seemed to have regained his backbone. He took Suzume to the top of a building and shouted loudly to the Left Minister:】
【“With utmost humility, I invoke the god of the unseen sun!”】
【“I invoke the tutelary deity of our ancestors!”】
【“This mountain, this river, have been graced for so long. My gratitude knows no bounds. With utmost humility, I return them!”】
【Sōta clasped his hands together, and the key on Suzume’s chest emitted a glow.】
【“I know that life is like a mayfly, and death follows like a shadow. But whether it’s a year, a day, or even a moment, I want to strive to live!”】
【“Oh great god! I beg you… I beg you… answer me!!!”】
Arthur Pendragon: “This battle is for survival. May your god acknowledge you.”
Undead: “Life… bittersweet like a song. Live with all your might.”
Agni: “Live, Sōta.”
Elysia: “May your god answer you, and my blessing, blessing you with good fortune in battle.”
Bronya Zaychik: “The will to protect! You who protect life deserve to be answered by the gods!”
Chainsaw Man World: Seeing this, Aki Hayakawa thought about the things he now possessed, and he had already begun to harbor thoughts of retreat.
He lost Himeno and lost a lot to kill the Gun Devil. But now he had a family he could call a brother and sister, and for them, should he just give up now?
Star Rail World, “Preservation” Klipper glanced at Sōta Munakata.
Sacrificing himself to protect life, the desire to survive is a manifestation of the Preservation path.
Both he and Suzume are worthy, they can walk the path of Preservation.
【“ROAR—————!!!”】
【The Left Minister responded to Sōta’s plea. Deciding without hesitation, it broke free from the entanglement with the Earthbound Spirits, taking the two of them into the air and transforming into the Gatekeeper stone.】
【Suzume and Sōta fell from the sky above the Earthbound Spirits’ head and body.】
【As if they were in sync, they both raised the Gatekeeper stone and thrust down!】
【“I return them! x2”】
【Whum——————!】
【The Ever After was purified! The Earthbound Spirits turned into sinking sand and were sealed deep within the Ever After, no longer moving.】
Inuyasha: “So the great god is the Left Minister. That’s all right then.”
Zhongli: “For thousands of years, he has suppressed the Earthbound Spirits in this purgatory of the Ever After, protecting the mortal realm. He is worthy of the name great god.”
Jibril: “The sights and things outside of the world are so… novel! I want to go, I want to go!”
Deadpool: “Don’t even think about it. Even I can only take a picture with Batman, don’t you even think about it.”
Sinon: “Speaking of… where’s that Miyazono Mitsuha from the preview? The Golden榜 mentioned her name, you know.”
Weathering With You World, Mitsuha, who was working, froze, and the smile on her face faltered.
“Oh no! I’m going to be publicly shamed!”