Chapter 98 [Vol 1 Epilogue]: So Long As They Need Me 7

Hiro found himself in a black space, nothing but darkness surrounded him no matter where he looked. There came neither sound nor any wind. The silence made the darkness unbearable. If not for the beating of his own heart Hiro wasn't sure if he was alive or not.

"Where am I? What is this? I died right? This doesn't look like heaven or hell, isn't anyone going to welcome me or something? HELLLOOO! IS ANYONE THERE!!!!"

No one responded, Hiro tried to keep busy by thinking about his circumstances. Ultimately the string of events in his the last three days overwhelmed his thirty years on earth. He spent time with his wives, left on the hunt, and met Rilu.

Then they journeyed towards the peak where patches resided. He got betrayed by Rhyne's devoted and got dropped into the dragsaurians. After an intense battle, they turned out to be Patches' army that was created to protect him. The devoted showed up and Patches took him into the desert, they then chatted and eventually battled Rhyne's harem.

After a series of battles Patches died and the devoted then betrayed Rilu. He then saved Rilu and fought the devoted. Only for him to lose his mind and became the herald of the forsaken. He then fought Gideon who turned out to be a Hiro from an alternate reality.

Alter Hiro then ripped his legs and left arm and left him for dead. Alter Hiro took his place as the Herald and vanished. Rilu then arrived only to be taken over by Rhyne, who like a typical villain explained her entire plan out of boredom. Rilu then regained her body and killed him after confessing and apologizing.

Hiro who got so swept up in the events finally could acclimate himself in this space, the pain of losing patches, his wives, and even Rilu made him weep pitifully. Then anger and frustration at Rhyne and her master blazed in his heart.

(Darling! We are fine! Not now! I know how you feel! We will get him back for that. But not now. Please! Come back!)

(Hiro-sama, you will not die! You are going to come home just like always! I refuse to believe anything else! So Please! Please calm down!)

(Husband. Curb anger. His words meaningless. Focus on goal. Stop being childish.)

Chuckling at how even now, they help him. His anger cooled as he remembered them. The transmigrator picked himself up and resolved to return to Valorious. The time for bitching and whining is over. Next came action.

Time passed, and without anything to see, Hiro counted internally to keep his sanity as he searched for an exit. Unlike an onion-haired scientist, he lost patience after reaching 100,000.

"100,000 seconds is I think a day right? I've been here for a day do I spend eternity in here?"

- Why do you even want to leave? -

At the interruption of a young boy's frail voice, Hiro immediately started to reply in earnest.

"Who? It doesn't matter I need to leave I have things I need to do."

- What will you be doing? -

"I will go find my wives and stop Rhyne and her master. So people who suffer like Rilu are no longer created."

- But didn't your wives hurt you? It hurt so much you wanted to die. Why go through that again? -

"That was because I lost them, they are not the ones who hurt me. They give me so much love and happiness. "

- But they will die. You cannot stop it. And you guys argue. They may betray you, disappoint you, or even kill you. Isn't staying here safer? Here no one can hurt you. You can remain happy, there is no pain, no suffering, and no sorrow. -

Suddenly Hiro's voice echoed in the space like a recording.

(Is this all there is to life? A slow monotonous repeat of mundane tasks from birth to death?)

(I… I am so tired… I didn't want any of this. Is this all there is to life? Just suffering endlessly till you stop existing?)

- You see no value in life, there is nothing but pain. -

"But that there is something worth living for, my girls, I live for them."

- Then what happens when they die? -

"…"

- You cannot stop them from dying, whether by murder, disease, or old age. They will die. You will then feel a gaping hole of misery and sorrow due to the loss. Staying here spares you from all that. Here there is no pain, you can live out your days in solitude. -

"… You are right. Staying here means you will never get hurt and no pain is good."

- Then just -

"But it also means you never get to live. Knowing pain is what grants pleasure. Not knowing sadness also means never experiencing happiness. Sorrow-Joy, Rejection-Acceptance, Hardship-Triumph. You cannot only have one without the other."

- Why live when all you have to endure is suffering and pain? Why fight? Why go out to seek hardship? Your enemies are strong and merciless, and winning is almost an impossibility. -

"You are right, but I have to try."

- Why? -

"Because this is what it means to live."

-... But it's scary... Aren't you afraid? -

"I am."

- Yet you will go anyway? -

"Yes."

- ... -

"To live is to suffer, but life has meaning when you know why you choose to do so."

Seeing as the voice no longer answered, Hiro attempted to explain.

"Life is the pursuit of purpose, your purpose is what makes the suffering bearable. I see that now. For me, it's my wives. It can be as complicated as ending world hunger, or something as mundane as the next season of anime. Suffering will always be present. But life is choosing to withstand that suffering for a purpose. Your purpose."

- But they will die too. Then your purpose disappears, doesn't it? -

"Indeed, but so what? maybe by then, my kids become my purpose, I don't know. What I do know is that they are alive now. And they need me. So I am going. "

- You will need to bear hardship greater than most men can endure. You will feel pain enough to drive even the strongest warriors insane. It will require withstanding suffering no living being had ever triumphed against. Are you still certain? -

"I am."

- You face an ancient being you cannot even comprehend, one that made light of even the nine saviors. Saving your wives puts you in direct confrontation with it. There will be no escape, no guarantee of victory, and no one to save you. You either fight and win or your women die. Will you go even still? -

"I am going."

- Unlike the last time, you can no longer blame anyone else as this time you made the choice yourself. Hiroyuki Mitsurugi, do you accept the burden and responsibilities of fighting the [Forsaken]? -

"No fucker is going to stand between me and my wives. I am going to strip my girls nude and make love to them non-stop for a week. Let me out already."

At that point, the childish voice changed to three melodic female voices that sounded like angels. They spoke their next words in reverence and respect.

- Then by the power we have been entrusted with, we grant you the title [Heavenly Sword] the blade forged to annihilate the [Forsaken]. Arise our chosen, the future awaits! -

At the voice's words the darkness all around Hiro started to crack. Intense light illuminated the space with each opening that came about. Like the shell of an egg, the sounds of cracking reverberated as more of the light seeped in.

Soon the entire world fell apart, and Hiro covered his eyes from the blinding light.

As he opened his eyes, a heavenly garden appeared in his vision. Then in front of Hiro were three of the most beautiful women he ever laid eyes on. Rhyne looked like shit in comparison. Their perfect figures, captivating beauty, and graceful movements took his breath away. Their dazzling features left the man spellbound into silence.

"Ara ara, how cute, I told you we should have worn veils." Said one of them.

The three women wore what could only be described as wedding dresses, yet the beautiful garments looked built for combat at the same time. A woman had long red hair slowly approached Hiro as she spoke.

"Hiroyuki, you have passed our little trial. This space is a land out of time. So barely any has passed since your death on Valorious. Set your heart at ease."

Hiro's face grew flushed as he stammered in awe of their beauty. He even bit his tongue in his haste to reply.

"Ttthank yu bely mach. Wlo al yu?"

Another with long blonde hair quipped in amusement. "Ah, he bit his tongue, didn't he? Haha. He is like his father in many ways."

"Hush, here put on the veils, this is going nowhere." The last woman with light brown hair rebuked the other two.

At her words, their faces suddenly had white veils covering them, similar to eastern princesses.

"We go by many names across eons, we used to be called Urdr, Verdandi, and Skuld." Said the redhead.

"I like Nona, Decima, and Morta better." murmured the blonde.

"I think anything is better than Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos" expounded the last.

Hiro found the names familiar but couldn't remember what the groups had in common.

The light brown-haired woman then stood up from her seat and spoke.

"We are not particular with names as we had so many over the course of time. In Valorious we would be known as Hymeno, Rosse, and Bianca."

The three names allowed the man to jog memories to remember something. He then blurted out.

"Hymeno Yuvaika, Rosse Keisara, Bianca Ceile, The Eternity sisters or The Fairy Saviors."

"Indeed. Hymeno was the name I used in Valorious." spoke the Redhead.

"We were going to give you a choice but Hymeno said it would be a waste of time." Explained the blonde.

"Well for finalities sake. Let me tell him anyway, Bianca." Said the brown-haired one.

"Hiroyuki Mitsurugi, The Eternities grant you a choice.

"One. Reincarnate to earth as the son of a wealthy businessman, there you will live a fulfilling life. The hand of fate or [Malice] that plagued you, will bother you no longer. Your death will be in your sleep surrounded by a loving family at 75 years of age."

The blonde one cajoled her to hurry up. "Move on to the next one Rosse, he won't choose that one anyway." The woman nodded and continued to the second option.

"Two. Reincarnate once more to Valorious and bear the fate of the Heavenly Sword. You will experience more pain than entire worlds combined. Endure pressure and hardship greater than any other who came before you.

"The Responsibility of saving this entire universe would rest in your hands. Your every action brings the universe closer to either destroying or saving it. Your failure is almost a certainty with winning naught but a fleeting possibility. But you will be able to live and die with your treasured wives and save them should you succeed. Which do you desire for your last life?"

Without missing a bit Hiro answered, "Send me to Valorious."

Rosse verified his choice one last time. "Are you sure? Your soul cannot endure another life. This will be your last chance to live a happy one. There will be no do-overs if you die prematurely once more."

"I am, I will go so long as my wives need me," answered Hiro.

Hymeno made a breathtaking smile as she answered. "Then no further words are needed. May the Gospel protect you Hiroyuki Mitsurugi. And I thank you for your choice."

Hiro suddenly disappeared in an explosion of light leaving only the Eternity sisters in their garden.

"There he goes, he reminds me so much of Effrin." Murmured Rosse.

"Really? He reminds me a lot of Tian instead." Contrasted Hymeno.

"How is that even possible? If anyone Reisen should be the one who taught him growing up right?" expounded Bianca.

She then praised in awe. "Effrin is amazing, when I heard of her plan all those years ago I thought it was impossible to do. Yet here we are 5000 years later about to begin the final phase."

Rosse then further added. "What do you expect from a person having over 400 million in INT, she is like second only to the [Creator]."

The two noticed Hymeno silently staring into the skies, specifically the place Hiro went to.

"Something on your mind Hymeno?" asked her sisters.

The Redhead turned towards her sisters and explained. "I find it magnificent that such a soul exists. The term Bloodline of steel is extremely apt. A being born solely for the purpose of ending the war."

Bianca similarly added. "Indeed, to temper a will to be capable of any hardship. Yet retain enough love to bend and not break."

"Our part in this tale is now over, with his return, the war for the Forsaken begins," Rosse interjected.

"And our hope lies in the transmigrator from Earth," commented Bianca. Not to be outdone her sisters also added other titles for the one who returned to Valorious.

"Wielder of the Eternity's Legacy."

"Adopted Son in law of the Alabarda."

"Champion of the Dragonblood's heir"

"Demonic Butcher of Demons"

"Beloved of the Forgotten Lance"

"Husband to the Rose of Grace and Honor"

"Darling to the Scion of Valor and Glory"

"Blade to Sever the Forsaken"

"The Final Savior: Heavenly Sword " x3

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Epilogue end: So Long as they Need Me.

Hiro and His Battle Harem return in Volume two: The Flag of Three Swords