Why is my journey to the world of anime a strange tale of rules?

The very foundation that sustained this place has been destroyed, and Lord Urian's core obsession has finally been fulfilled, truly witnessing the union of human and supernatural power, the birth of such a being, and the great miracle it created that transcends time.

Indeed, only a miracle can describe such an existence, and the things it ultimately accomplished.

Therefore, my regrets no longer exist.

He can now leave in peace and find rest.

But we can't leave.

Even though the regret has been resolved, even though the eerie state has been broken and humanity has been restored, there is still no way to leave this place.

why?

It wasn't until then, when Urian was regaining consciousness, that he saw a huge clock, seemingly larger than a planet, with hands covered in countless rays of light, cracks on the dial, and eyes peering at him from within those cracks.

Those were illusions revealed by something beyond the limits of cognition, something that didn't even qualify to be observed.

The reason he is qualified to meet such a great being here, and to be able to glimpse even the smallest speck of dust of such a being, is because he is about to face his judgment.

Yes, his obsession has been fulfilled, so he can be free from the rules of the instance.

But this being wouldn't let him leave.

This great being, which he could not comprehend, decided to keep him by following the rules it had set for itself.

Because he is a sinner who needs to be judged and punished eternally.

"How could this be... how could this be... no... no no no no no! Stop! Stop! I'm not a sinner, I'm a scholar, I'm a scientist, I'm not a sinner, I shouldn't receive this punishment! No no no no no no I don't want this ahh ...

No matter what pleas or struggles Urian made in the end, his fate remained unchanged.

Just like those he had hurt and destroyed, he never gave those he had tormented a choice, so when he found himself in the same situation, he was not entitled to any forgiveness.

The crack in the black watch had silently disappeared. At this moment, Gao Hai, who was meeting up with his teammates to give instructions on the next move, was completely unaware that a criminal who had intended to escape judgment had silently returned to the sea of ​​fire beneath the blood-red city.

However, for Miko Yotsuya, who was at the Baydos Research Institute, she truly witnessed the entire scene from beginning to end. Even... when the crack on that enormous black watch, which appeared to be the size of a planet in the darkness, disappeared, she felt as if the eye within the crack had glanced in her direction.

It must be an illusion, right?

Ultimately, with the complete disappearance of Urian, this instance will also be irreversibly destroyed.

The reason why the Bydos Research Institute, which had two core obsessions, was destroyed because of the death of Urian is simple: the last wish of the other core obsession, Dean Jonathan, was also fulfilled.

Yes, this person ultimately upheld the bottom line of being human. Even after transforming into a monster, he used his own rules to create a safe zone that allowed players to move normally (but his core obsession was taken away). His last wish was to let Urian receive the punishment he deserved and to let the innocent souls rest in peace.

Therefore, even though his core object of obsession had been taken away and he had left this instance, he returned here after his last wish was fulfilled and found peace.

Yes, that's right. Players who took his artifact will find that their Red Moon-level core artifact is gone when they return to the real world. As for why it can still be used during the dungeon, this involves the dungeon's time mechanism. Just think of it as follows: in the dungeon where the "Sacrifice Game" has officially started, no matter how long a player stayed before leaving the dungeon, the time they return to reality is the same.

It's finally over...

The old man let out a long sigh, gazing in the direction where Urian had disappeared, his expression a mix of joy and sorrow.

Then, he turned to look at Hayasaka, who was approaching cautiously. He first smiled and nodded at her, then turned and walked down the dilapidated corridor.

Don't be nervous, Ms. Hayasaka and Ms. Yotsuya, you can call me Jonathan.

The old man spoke to the two of them in a very calm manner.

If you want to get out of this place, you need to go this way. Follow me.

Amidst the constant rumbling and collapse of the research institute, the old man who called himself Jonathan's voice remained remarkably clear. And while the surrounding area was rapidly crumbling, only the corridor where he stood retained its basic shape.

After a brief hesitation, Hayasaka stepped into the place where the old man was.

Then, in the blink of an eye, the old man's figure disappeared from the spot and reappeared in a more distant place.

Hayasaka started running, continuing to move through the increasingly broken passageways, heading towards the old man. Various facilities within the surrounding research institute collapsed one after another, and the surging pool of blood seemed to be pulled by some force, struggling and being dragged into the darkness.

Then came a faint light, which gradually brightened, and slowly, the sounds of young people laughing and joking could be heard.

Hayasaka saw the classroom.

I saw an elderly man smiling as he taught a class, and young men and women sitting attentively listening to the lesson.

Under the shade of green trees in the corridor, a couple was secretly meeting.

Around the exquisitely crafted fountain, a student who was reading a book while walking accidentally bumped into a street lamp, rubbing his head and complaining.

In the library, a professor and several students are discussing the subject matter together.

And the old man, the old man named Jonathan, stood not far away, quietly watching everything in the school, watching the school he had given up his own dreams to protect for the rest of his life, and these radiant young people.

I once dreamed of scaling uncharted territories and conquering the strange beings once considered gods or demons.

With a soft sigh, the old man slowly turned around and looked at Hayasaka who was walking forward.

But ultimately, I changed my mind. I realized that with the current level of human technology, my ideal would require the sacrifice of many innocent people, and even if sacrifices were made, it would be difficult to gain any real benefits, and it might even lead to a tragic disaster.

Therefore, I decided to place my hopes on the future and cultivate more talented people. I believe that as we pass on knowledge and morality from generation to generation, one day in the future, people will be able to decipher the mysterious forces without sacrificing any lives, turning this hellish nightmare into a true treasure that can benefit society.

Unfortunately, Urian couldn't understand all of this. He was too greedy and too impatient. He longed to see the results in his lifetime, so he created countless tragedies, and even now, he has never regretted it.

The students' laughter stopped.

As the sunlight gradually dimmed, barbed wire and cages replaced the original structures, and the once well-dressed old man was now dressed in prison garb, his body stained with blood and looking utterly wretched.

But he was still smiling, with a relieved expression of finally being free, as he made way for Hayasaka who was walking forward.

Whether it's me or Ulian, our story belongs to the past, and it should now come to an end.

Go forth, children, and embrace your future!

After the last sound faded, Dean Jonathan and the school's phantom vanished without a trace.

What reappeared in the girl's eyes was the hole in Zone 3 of the research institute, which Gao Hai had discovered in the dormitory area and which was said to lead to the ground.

At this moment, a faint light is emanating from the opening, clearly indicating that this is the exit after the collapse of the Baidos region.

Hayasaka crawled into the cave entrance and headed towards the faint light.

And Miko heard the voices again, the voices of people who had echoed here in the past.

That was the voice of someone who had been heard many times in band 4, and the voice of some people who had come here under his guidance.

I know I'm not a good person, I've done many wrong things, and I can't deny that.

But at least in the end, I hope I'm not just following orders, but making choices based on my own will.

"Alright, let's go. This way we should be able to escape this research institute. This is the only thing I can do for you."

Is that person named Sora Smit?

Jianzi couldn't quite remember the name of this person who hadn't left much of a trace.

In the end, she simply turned her gaze, just like Hayasaka, and looked ahead at the bright and warm light that was gradually approaching and could already be clearly felt.

Rumbling--

The Baydos Research Institute collapsed and was destroyed, plunging into an endless abyss of darkness.

However, the souls of the researchers, soldiers, and others who committed these sins were all bound by a dark chain, unable to truly escape. But this was something neither Hayasaka Miko nor anyone else could see, because they had already left.

Meanwhile, at the now completely collapsed Yoruyama Middle School, Miko and Hayasaka awoke at the same time and regained consciousness.

"Well, senior, the situation on the Bydos side... has been confirmed as destroyed, and both core obsessions have been completely resolved."

Having just regained consciousness, and still somewhat disoriented, Jianzi immediately called out, and then felt a large hand touch her head.

"Good job. Now let's leave."

As Gao Hai said this, he gently touched Jianzi's head with one hand and wiped the blood off his face with the other.

The corpses of several fanatical players lay nearby. The outcome for the three Red Moon level players, facing an ambush by Gao Hai's team of over ten players, was undeniable. They had killed them before Hayasaka and Miko even regained consciousness.

"Huh? Hey, senior?"

Before she could even process what was happening here, Miko was thrown by Gao Hai into the glowing blood pool area that had now become the dungeon exit.

Then, Kaguya, supporting Hayasaka, nodded gently to Takami along with Maki, Chika, and the others, before quickly passing through the exit and leaving the instance.

Even now, Kenta Hayashibe and Ren Nanakawa still feel like they're dreaming, but with reminders from Kuma and the others, they still manage to pass through the exit in a daze.

After seeing that Xiong Mi clearly intended to say something, Jianbing said goodbye to Gao Hai first and then left through the exit.

Rumbling--

As players left one by one, the collapse of the dungeon gradually entered its final stage. Whether it was the school, the forest, or the underground base, all the facilities had essentially collapsed and fallen into an endless abyss.

Darkness had enveloped everything, but because the exit was located in an underground base area with few monsters, Gao Hai surprisingly didn't experience being chased by all the monsters in the instance. He simply stood there safely and waited for everyone to arrive and meet up with him. The fanatical players who were trying to escape in a panic arrived. Xiong Mi even had time to coordinate the story with all the players, requiring everyone to say that it took them "more than ten days" to solve the instance, so as not to be discovered.

Well, if the Keeper (KP) was also responsible for arranging this exit, then he really should thank that clown. No, he should thank him for everything that the KP might modify in the dungeon so far.

"Aren't you leaving yet?"

Xiong Mi looked at Aoyama Nanami and Goto Ichiri, who hadn't left yet, and asked.

"...I have some more questions to ask."

Aoyama Nanami shook her head, her gaze towards Takahashi seeming somewhat tense.

"..."

Goto Ichiri didn't speak because of Kumami's imposing gaze, but simply moved away from Takami.

Hmm, it seems Aoyama Nanami really does want to talk to Takami, but this Goto Ichiri… something feels off. Has this kid hooked up with another one? Wow, so fast? Is he some kind of succubus who specializes in attacking Japanese high school girls?

Although Xiong Mi really wanted to complain, she held back in the end. She just looked at Gao Hai, coughed twice, and asked:

"Are you going to stay and run errands again?"

She was alluding to the fact that Gao Hai stayed behind during his time at Fujika Middle School.

"Yes, there's still a little something to wrap up. You understand, after all, this is the original purpose of entering this instance, isn't it?"

Gao Hai nodded slightly in reply. He had not forgotten his mission to save the veteran players. Of course, what he wanted to do was not just save people.

"Okay, I've covered most of the things to be careful about. Keep an eye on things yourself, be careful, and don't crash at this time. Goodbye."

Without further hesitation, Xiong Mi turned around and stepped into the exit, thus leaving the instance and returning to the real world.

The only ones who still refuse to leave are Nanami and Ichiri.

Takahashi was well aware of why Goto Ichiri stayed, but as for Aoyama Nanami, to be honest, he had never really understood her. Compared to the part-time warrior in the original work, the Aoyama Nanami in this world was more gloomy and more unpredictable, so even now Takahashi still didn't quite understand her situation.

"How...how did you do that?"

After a brief hesitation, Nanami took a step closer and asked Takahashi earnestly.