And so, seven years passed in the blink of an eye.
For many, those years would have seemed like a long stretch of time.
But for those who lived through the events of that era, everything felt as though it had happened in one continuous flow, like a river running silently while the world changed around it.
During those years, New Uruk developed in extraordinary ways.
Not only economically or militarily,
but also in terms of population.
The city that had once been viewed with curiosity—or even suspicion—had transformed into one of the greatest centers of power on the continent.
As Arthur had promised, he gave Yuuki Kagurazaka his full support.
And thanks to that support...
Yuuki's dream had finally taken shape.
The social inequality that once seemed impossible to reduce had diminished so much that, if one did not pay close attention, it was almost impossible to notice anymore.
Differences still existed, and always would.
But the crushing weight that once divided people had decreased drastically.
Furthermore, in recent years, the relationship between humans and monsters had improved in surprising ways.
After all...
Many wars are born not from malice, but from a lack of communication.
With New Uruk serving as the central stage of this new world, dialogue between different races increased every day.
And little by little, something once unthinkable began to happen.
Unions between races started to emerge.
Marriages between humans and demi-humans were no longer rare.
New Uruk had become something even greater than a mere city.
For many, it had become almost a sacred place for all races.
Shortly after dealing with Yuuki years ago, Arthur and Shizue, along with her students, finally managed to find the Dwelling of Spirits.
With Ramiris's help, they were able to save the children's lives.
After that, the entire group officially decided to join New Uruk.
And in that same year, Arthur finally accomplished something he had pursued for a long time.
He succeeded in creating a stable dimensional portal connected to A2's world.
Thanks to that, he was able to witness something he would never forget.
The birth of his first child.
A small, adorable baby boy with white hair, just like A2's.
Arthur decided to name him Vergil.
After all, the child reminded him of a character from a game he had played in his childhood.
Let's just say that the birth of his firstborn caused an enormous uproar in New Uruk.
Some especially enthusiastic citizens even suggested creating an annual festival to celebrate the child's birth.
But while many were happy about the news...
Some girls were not quite as pleased.
Namely:
2B, White, Shion, Shuna, Felicia, and the succubus sisters.
None of them gave our boy much rest after that.
Shizu, on the other hand, was out of the question.
Because exactly as Arthur had expected...
It did not take long before she, too, was pregnant with his second child.
That news caused another frenzy, perhaps even more chaotic than the first, among the other women.
Eventually, even Luminous Valentine joined that group.
To everyone's surprise—including Arthur's own—Shizu ended up giving birth to twins.
A girl and a boy.
The older one was named Akari.
And the younger one was given the name Taiyō.
Some time later, Arthur achieved another impressive feat.
He managed to connect the dimensional portal to his own home.
That allowed Gwen, Jean, and Natasha to come to that world.
It should be mentioned that Gwen was more upset by the fact that Arthur already had three children than by the revelation that he slept with half of New Uruk's most important women, a woman worshiped as a goddess by millions, and even an ice dragoness who was not honest about her feelings.
Jean, on the other hand...
Seemed to accept all of it with surprising naturalness.
She became friends with Shizu remarkably quickly, to the point that she almost became a second mother to Akari and Taiyō.
Unfortunately, because of their own responsibilities on Earth, the two could not remain in that world for long periods.
They only appeared a few times a week.
Mainly because of the difference in the flow of time between the two worlds.
The following year, after an extensive adventure in another world, Arthur returned to New Uruk and, with Ramiris's help, created something that looked like it had come straight out of an RPG game.
A living dungeon.
At the same time, he founded an institute in New Uruk called the Adventurers' Academy.
At that Academy, various disciplines were taught:
Swordsmanship,
Magic,
Strategy,
And general knowledge.
All taught by carefully selected instructors.
Completing one's training at that Academy not only guaranteed a special identification based on the student's performance...
But also granted something far more interesting.
The freedom to explore the dungeon.
And that dungeon quickly became a new center of trade and exploration.
To keep the city lively, Arthur also created an annual tournament.
The one who won would receive not only gold.
The victor would also be allowed to choose unique weapons or equipment.
In addition, Arthur created a ranking system for swordsmen.
The idea had originally been proposed by Hakurou, who believed it was important to establish a clear standard for measuring swordsmanship skill.
Some time ago, something curious also happened.
Angélica appeared suddenly.
With absolute conviction, she declared that she had finally discovered her cosmic reason for existing in that world.
After that, she disappeared for several weeks.
And when she returned...
She claimed she had finally managed to return to the future, but that she would now visit New Uruk frequently.
Something rather curious, because Arthur knew she had sent Slime Rimuru to her future, but how she herself had managed to return at last remained a complete mystery to him.
Meanwhile, Demon Lord Leon Cromwell, having received word somehow, finally arrived in New Uruk.
After centuries of relentless searching...
He had finally found what he sought.
There, Leon was finally reunited with his younger sister, Chloe Aubert.
Leon Cromwell's long search for his sister had finally come to an end.
Arthur still laughed whenever he remembered Leon's face that day.
Especially the moment he also met the future Chloe.
The girl had completely lost the innocent, childlike appearance she once had.
In its place stood an extraordinarily beautiful woman.
However...
What displeased Leon Cromwell most during that meeting was not the change in either of them.
It was something else.
Something far harder to swallow.
The affection both Chloes showed Arthur seemed to far surpass what they showed him, their own older brother.
That caused Leon a strange discomfort.
A feeling difficult to explain.
But there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.
Meanwhile, Shizue finally managed to resolve the issues of her past involving Leon.
And after carrying that pain for so long...
She was finally able to say goodbye to that painful past.
---
Now.
A gentle breeze crossed the fields surrounding New Uruk.
The green grass swayed like a tranquil sea, forming waves of deep, mesmerizing green beneath the sunlight.
It was an incredibly peaceful landscape.
Arthur lay on the grass, completely relaxed, enjoying the warmth of the sun on his face.
His appearance had barely changed over the years.
Around him were his firstborn, Vergil, Akari, and Taiyō—an adorable blonde little girl, a red-haired little girl, and a red-haired boy.
That world had become a home for Arthur.
Even more than Earth itself.
For the first time in a long while, he felt that he had found something that had once escaped him.
A true purpose.
His children were there.
His wives were there.
His city was there.
Everything he had built... existed in that world.
Although not legally recognized on Earth, Arthur had also married Gwen, Jean, and Natasha.
Curing Natasha's condition had not been especially difficult, and she had nearly cried with joy when she learned that, immediately demanding an heir.
Naturally, he had also brought Gwen's parents to see that world.
Well...
George's murderous glare when he discovered all of Arthur's relationships was still something that made Arthur break into a cold sweat to this day.
Eventually, George accepted the situation.
But he still seemed to harbor a certain silent resentment.
As time passed, some other people also began arriving in that world.
Some mutants from Earth, especially those who had already lost all hope in humanity in their own world, decided to move there and begin new lives.
Something Arthur accepted without hesitation.
Some of them even became teachers at the Adventurers' Academy.
Of course...
Most still preferred to remain on Earth.
And that was perfectly understandable.
It was a choice no one could force.
"So this is where you were?"
A soft voice sounded nearby.
Arthur slowly opened his eyes.
Above him, several strands of blonde hair swayed gently in the wind.
He smiled.
"What brings you here, Artie?"
He asked while looking at her.
"Nothing much," she replied naturally. "I just came to bring some important news."
She knelt on the grass and, as naturally as breathing, placed Arthur's head in her lap.
"Well... Milim destroyed the southern part of the city during a fight with Natsu."
Arthur's eyes widened.
"Seriously?"
She let out a small laugh.
"Completely. But they were stopped before they destroyed any more of the city."
Arthur sighed deeply.
"...Tell that guild of idiot mages to fix the city. I'll scold that idiot afterward."
He closed his eyes again.
"By the way, you've been letting work pile up lately," she said.
"You know I don't want to die from overwork, right?" Arthur mocked.
"Ara~ Ara~ My favorite workaholic saying he doesn't want to work?" she laughed.
"Why does it feel like all of you picked up Akeno's habit of talking like that?" Arthur asked.
"I think it's just more fun this way," she replied.
Arthur opened one eye and gave Artoria a tired look.
"You all enjoy yourselves too much at my expense."
"Naturally," she replied with a serene smile. "It is one of our privileges as your wives."
Before Arthur could respond, an energetic voice echoed in the distance.
"Arthur!"
Both of them slightly turned their heads.
A young woman was running toward them at considerable speed, waving her arms as though afraid he would disappear if she did not arrive in time.
Red hair streamed behind her while a radiant smile dominated her face.
"Ah..." Arthur murmured. "Here comes the problem girl."
The next instant, Ritsuka Fujimaru threw herself onto him without any ceremony.
"Found you!"
She hugged him tightly, burying his face in her chest and rubbing against him in a spoiled, needy manner, almost like a cat reunited with its owner after hours apart.
Arthur let out a muffled grunt.
"Ritsuka... you're going to suffocate me."
"You're being dramatic," she replied without letting go. "I spent way too long looking for you."
Artoria delicately covered her mouth while laughing at the scene.
"She's exactly the same as ever."
"I heard that!" Ritsuka lifted her face and pouted for a second before smiling again. "But that doesn't matter right now."
She finally pulled back a little, still clinging to Arthur's arm.
"I found it!"
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"Found what?"
"A perfect world for a trip just for us!"
She proudly pointed at herself.
"Me, you, and our adorable Alex."
Arthur blinked slowly.
"...Explain."
Ritsuka took a deep breath, like someone about to reveal the greatest discovery in history.
"It's a world where children travel around alone, capture cute and dangerous monsters inside tiny magical balls, challenge leaders scattered across various cities, take down criminal organizations in their spare time, and apparently nobody thinks that's strange!"
She paused dramatically.
"On top of that, there are super cute electric rats, flying dragons, mischievous ghosts, turtles with cannons on their backs, and creatures that can accidentally set forests on fire."
Artoria tilted her head slightly.
"That sounds... like a rather chaotic world."
"Exactly!" Ritsuka declared, eyes sparkling. "It's perfect!"
Arthur could not help but laugh.
Even after becoming a mother, Ritsuka still behaved like a child whenever something caught her interest.
He shook his head.
"Even after everything... you really haven't changed at all."
Artoria laughed beside him.
"I completely agree."
Ritsuka crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks.
"You two are cruel."
"No, we're just being honest, my troublesome girl," Arthur replied, laughing as he patted her head.
She stayed silent for a few seconds, enjoying the touch, then smiled again.
"So?"
Arthur looked at the sky for a moment.
Then at Ritsuka.
Then at Artoria, who was simply watching the situation with a calm smile.
He sighed.
"...Alright."
Ritsuka's eyes immediately lit up.
"Really!?"
"I promised you that trip, didn't I?" Arthur replied. "So it would be shameful to back out now."
Ritsuka let out an excited cry and threw herself at him again.
"I knew you loved me!"
"You're going to suffocate me."
Artoria simply laughed as she watched the two of them playing around as always.
Deep down, she knew.
Arthur had already decided to accept the moment he saw the sparkle in her eyes.
(End of Chapter)
A/N: Just like I said in the note, I made a major change to this ending, while also leaving a hook for the Pokémon fic.