Book 6: Epilogue [END]

Naruto Time Control

Across the boundless reaches of the universe, Yeruashi journeyed through the stars.

He had linked the world of Demon Slayer to those of Fairy Tail and Bleach. Throughout his travels in these realms, he had found a way to forge a soul of unbreakable strength.

Even now, his numerous incarnations simultaneously traversed the worlds of Demon Slayer, Bleach, and Fairy Tail, playing roles that ranged from simple mortals to all-powerful deities.

Each of these incarnations was Yeruashi himself, thanks to the tenth ability of the Illusory Clock, which allowed him to exist across infinite segments of the past and present at once.

While years flowed by in the Demon Slayer world, the realms of Fairy Tail and Bleach remained nearly unchanged. To many of his acquaintances, it might have seemed as though they had never been apart, yet for Yeruashi, untold ages had passed.

He preserved only the most precious memories from his myriad lives, sealing the rest away. It was these few chosen memories that helped him remain human.

On the endless road of stars...

Going against the current of the river of time in search of the past, he occasionally devoured stars to grow stronger, gradually attaining the power of thousands, even tens of thousands of stars.

However, this material strength did not accelerate his journey through the infinite river of time; it simply made the passage more comfortable.

He also met other unusual beings inhabiting the reaches of the universe.

Some even far surpassed him in might, essentially existing as independent galaxies that had consumed hundreds of millions or even billions of stars.

These terrifying world-eaters chased him across the cosmos, but even they were forced to retreat before the power of the Illusory Clock.

A few of these beings had grasped the basic laws of the universe, and their gaze could track Yeruashi through the river of time. However, that gaze was limited to the moment of his birth, whereas he could travel as far into the past as he desired.

The universe was home not only to horrifying world-eaters with billions of stars but also to entities that defied description, as if they existed in a different dimension entirely.

Furthermore, Yeruashi's journey attracted the attention of the mysterious inhabitants of the river of time, who even attempted to ensnare him in a temporal trap. But even they were not destined to seize the Illusory Clock...

After countless years had passed...

The XI mark on the dial emitted a brilliant radiance.

Yeruashi unlocked the eleventh ability of the Illusory Clock.

As had been predicted, he gained the ability to infinitely overlay all his powers from the past and present into a single moment.

In essence, he had achieved infinite strength. Every second could be divided into billions of smaller fragments, which could then be combined into one specific point in time.

What was even more astonishing was that after unlocking the eleventh ability, Yeruashi transcended to a different level of existence. From then on, every being he looked upon no longer existed in a fixed space and time; instead, they appeared as a line stretching from the moment of birth in the past to death in the future.

These lines were long or short, thick or thin...

However, his own life line stood apart, forming a closed ring without beginning or end. The past and present merged into a single whole, and every moment on that line represented infinity.

The unknown inhabitants of the river of time also appeared as closed rings, and now Yeruashi could see and describe their faces, for he had become a being like them.

Now, even the river of time felt a bit shallow to him.

So, he simply stepped out onto the bank.

Where previously he had struggled to swim upstream even to the nearest segment of the One Punch Man world, he now reached it in just a few leisurely steps along the shore.

*

One Punch Man World.

City D.

A crowded supermarket.

The numerous rows of shelves were suddenly drowned out by the deafening screams of people as a three-meter-tall cockroach emerged from a hole in the floor. It had a human face and razor-sharp sickles for limbs; with a single swipe, the supermarket floor was instantly soaked in blood.

"Aaaaah!"

"A... a monster!"

The terrified crowd surged toward the exit, screaming in panic.

"Mwahaha! I am a cockroach soldier! Our cockroach army has risen to the surface to rule over you, pathetic and weak humans!" the monster cackled arrogantly as they fled.

Meanwhile.

Outside, the asphalt cracked open as well, and numerous monsters crawled onto the surface one after another, beginning a massacre.

Cries of terror rang out everywhere as people ran blindly in every direction.

Right at that moment, an ethereal glow formed in an alleyway, and silhouettes in unusual clothing—completely out of place with modern fashion—stepped out one by one.

"Wow, so this is one of the worlds Master told us about... but what's going on?" Makomo wondered, seeing the chaos. Her gaze then sharpened as she saw a cockroach monster lunging at a woman and her child.

Without a moment's hesitation, she dashed forward and stood before them, summoning her blade into her hand.

"A... a human hero? You're quite different; your life force stands out. I might even become a commander if I devour you, hehehe!" the cockroach laughed excitedly at the sight of the girl.

But before the bloodthirsty monster could take another step, it was suddenly seized by a strange dizziness.

"Khaaah!" the cockroach hissed in confusion. Its head spun, and with every rotation, it saw the pavement getting closer, until it finally caught a glimpse of its own frozen body falling to pieces.

Had it been hacked to bits?

But when?

With those final thoughts, the cockroach's head thudded onto the asphalt as its vision slowly faded into darkness.

"Thank you, thank you... Hero, may I ask your name? We will definitely vote for you when we get home!" the mother said, slowly coming to her senses as she comforted her child.

Makomo had a striking appearance, but she certainly didn't look like one of the famous A-class or S-class heroes. She was likely just a B-class or C-class hero—the kind who also cared about public opinion and voting, which directly affected their salaries.

"I'm not a hero," Makomo said, shaking her head.

Meanwhile, the other silhouettes, gradually shifting from an illusory state to reality, watched her from the side.

"We haven't even finished arriving, and she's already jumped into a fight..." Shinobu sighed helplessly, looking around. She had learned a bit about this world before arriving, but she hadn't imagined the technological gap would be so vast.

"We should help too; so many people are in danger! Eek... a cockroach!" Wendy exclaimed, jumping in fright as she looked around, before hastily hiding behind Shinobu.

"I can't fathom how a powerful Dragon Slayer can be afraid of simple cockroaches," Yoruichi remarked, patting her head with a predatory grin. "Crushing little bugs—isn't that fun? Though these are a bit tougher than the average ones!"

"Fun, you say... we aren't cats, Miss Shihoin," Lucy countered reflexively.

"Let's do this; my hands are already itching for a fight!" Erza stepped forward boldly, equipping her armor with Requip magic.

"So noisy," Soi Fon muttered, slapping her forehead, while Unohana stood nearby, gazing around with a serene expression.

Suddenly, in the middle of their exchange, the ground beneath the street shuddered with newfound force. A giant cockroach, over ten meters tall, burst through the asphalt.

"Strong human females, you are the ones who dared to lay a hand on my subordinates? I am the cockroach commander, and I will personally tear you to shreds!" the giant monster hissed, radiating a foul aura.

Shivers ran down the spines of Wendy, Lucy, Levy, and the others at the sight.

"An army, soldiers, cockroach commanders... what kind of nonsense is this?" Lucy made a face of pure disgust. "I'm not part of this. Leave me out of it!"

The giant cockroach was already charging toward them. With a sharp flick of its sickles, it sent several shockwaves flying through the air.

But before they could reach their target...

The space in front of the girls suddenly froze, and then it was pierced by a myriad of razor-thin lines. It seemed as if the entire street had been sliced countless times in a single heartbeat.

"I don't like cockroaches either," Unohana said, returning her Zanpakuto to its sheath with a fluid motion.

"No... that's just overkill," Lucy complained, though she let out a sigh of relief.

Even though the worlds of Bleach, Demon Slayer, and Fairy Tail were now linked, they only traveled between them occasionally. They simply knew that the power level of the Bleach world far exceeded the others in that regard.

Only Eclair and Mavis, who had followed Yeruashi for many years, were comparable to some of the Captains of the Gotei 13.

Mitsuri raised her hand.

"Let the cockroach extermination begin!" Mavis shouted.

Whoosh!

At those words, Erza and the other girls who weren't as afraid of insects set about wiping out the swarming monsters.

Even Makomo, Mitsuri, and the others from the Demon Slayer world—technically the weakest of the group—exterminated monsters of this threat level without much effort, having spent considerable time at Yeruashi's side.

Thus, the cockroach horde was annihilated before everyone's eyes.

And in the meantime...

Many B-class and even A-class heroes from the Hero Association arrived on the scene. Some of them descended into the holes in search of the monsters' nest, and after most of the cockroaches were destroyed, a monster of a much higher threat level emerged.

Boom!!!

Several skyscrapers collapsed like houses of cards in an instant as a massive, gaping hole opened in the ground. From it emerged a colossal cockroach, no less than a kilometer high.

"How dare you?! I am the Cockroach Queen, and I will make you pay for everything!" the gargantuan monster hissed maliciously, slicing through several buildings with a casual flick of its sickle.

"This is bad; based on its size, that's a Dragon-level threat!" one of the A-class heroes said, turning as pale as a sheet.

While they could handle a Demon-level threat in a large group, only S-class heroes could deal with a Dragon-level one.

"Leave this overgrown pest to me!" Erza cried, soaring into the sky in a magnificent set of winged armor.

"A rather interesting world, isn't it? Monsters here can grow to such sizes..." Yoruichi mused, rubbing her chin as she hovered in the air without visible support. Nearby, Makomo, Shinobu, Mira, and the other girls were in no hurry to follow Scarlet into the fray.

Boom! Boom! Boom...

Meanwhile, Erza was already locked in combat with the Cockroach Queen.

After all these years, she had surpassed most members of the Ten Wizard Saints and could easily handle a monster of this Dragon-level caliber. The Cockroach Queen was stripped of most of its limbs in the blink of an eye.

However, a Dragon-level monster was no push-over. Sensing its impending doom, it summoned another horde to the surface and began devouring them frantically.

The Queen's wounds healed instantly as its strength gradually increased, presenting some difficulty for the mage.

'Erza's magic power is slightly unstable; otherwise, the battle would already be over,' Mavis analyzed from the roof of a nearby building. Although the laws of the One Punch Man world were very open, the transition still had a slight effect on their powers.

Still, Erza wasn't in a desperate situation, so the other girls didn't rush to help her just yet.

Meanwhile, the A-class heroes watched the battling girl with their mouths agape, wondering where on earth she had come from.

After a short while, the live broadcast of the battle in City D hit the breaking news.

Hero Association Headquarters.

On the top floor, in a spacious room, a petite girl with messy green hair was lounging on a sofa. Tatsumaki lay with her legs kicked up and a TV remote in her hand, having spent the last few minutes aimlessly flipping through channels.

Before long, the screen showed Erza's battle with the Dragon-level monster in City D. Just as the Cockroach Queen was gaining strength by devouring its kin, Erza was also gradually adapting to the open laws of the One Punch Man world.

'Ugh, disgusting cockroaches!' Tatsumaki made a face. She wouldn't have mind stomping those creatures herself if City D weren't so far away. And from the looks of the broadcast, that red-haired girl could handle the Cockroach Queen on her own.

'Wait, who is she? Definitely S-class level...'

As that thought crossed her mind, Tatsumaki suddenly tensed, feeling a warm touch on her back.

Someone had snuggled up behind her on the sofa!

She flew into a rage instantly and was about to erupt with psychokinetic power, but it suddenly vanished entirely, like a tiny drop in a boundless ocean.

Only one person could do that...

"Hmph, you promised to return the moment you left, but three whole months have passed!" Tatsumaki grumbled, relaxing as she realized who it was.

"The road was a bit long," Yeruashi said, pinching her cheek.

"How long?" she asked, turning sharply to face him and throwing her arms around his neck.

"A few million years," Yeruashi said dismissively.

"No way!" Tatsumaki gasped, her mouth falling open in disbelief.

"Why would I lie?" Yeruashi smiled.

"Then... weren't you lonely?" she asked, recovering quickly.

"Well... not exactly," Yeruashi replied, shifting his gaze to the television.

"Did you bring girls from another world back with you?" Tatsumaki followed his gaze, her eyes narrowing suspiciously as she ground her teeth.

"Yeah, that's a mage named Erza," Yeruashi nodded matter-of-factly.

At those words, Tatsumaki remained silent for a moment with her eyes closed, then suddenly flipped over and sat on top of Yeruashi with her cheeks puffed out, not saying a word.

"Heh, you're even cuter when you're angry," he chuckled, then added distantly as he stared at the ceiling, "It really has been a long time..."

"Aaaah, I'm going to bite you to death!" After staring into his lonely eyes for a moment, Tatsumaki suddenly leaned down and tried unsuccessfully to bite his shoulder. "Ow, that hurt!"

Yeruashi pulled the girl into an embrace, turned back toward the television, and continued watching the broadcast.

"Would you like to visit other worlds by any chance?" he asked softly after a while, noticing that Tatsumaki was still sulking.

"Hmph!" she snorted, burying her face in Yeruashi's chest.

*

"I'm going to settle the score for the past," Saitama said with an unusually grim expression, clenching his fist before his opponent. "Do you have any idea how much being in deep space contributes to hair loss? I was almost blown out of the solar system! Since then, I’ve trained relentlessly for three months—I even missed supermarket sales for this!"

"Well then, go ahead. Show me your progress," Yeruashi shrugged.

At those words, Saitama stepped forward with a firm stride, slowly drew back his clenched fist, and delivered a Serious Punch. The impact distorted space itself, and a monstrous gale roared past, seemingly capable of extinguishing the sun!

It would be no exaggeration to say that Saitama's strength had increased exponentially over those three months.

The sight stunned Yoruichi, Erza, and the other girls watching from the sidelines.

Even though they had traveled through several worlds with Yeruashi, Saitama's punch defied their imagination. It seemed as though it would leave nothing behind of even the Black Dragon Acnologia from the Fairy Tail world.

However, that punch of unimaginable power simply stopped without a sound upon making contact with Yeruashi's face. There was absolutely no effect; not a single hair on his head moved.

Saitama froze in place.

"Alright, let's eat!" Yeruashi patted his shoulder.

Saitama stood there for a few more moments, then scratched his bald head in confusion. He immediately threw all his worries aside as soon as he smelled the aroma of the barbecue. Calling out to Genos, he began to eat lightheartedly with everyone else.

*

One Piece World.

Wano Country.

Robin was silently watching the drifting clouds, sitting in the gently swaying grass, when Yeruashi suddenly appeared nearby.

He walked over slowly and sat down beside her.

"Oh, has something happened?" Robin asked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she sensed a subtle change in him.

"A lot, but it's all behind me now. I'll tell you about it later," Yeruashi said, taking a sip of wine from her glass.

"Alright," Robin replied with a soft smile.

She was more than happy to listen to any story he had to tell.

*

Naruto World.

Konoha.

Yeruashi stood on the roof of a house in silence for a moment as the flow of time resumed its course.

Kakashi, who had only moments ago been asking Yeruashi what he was teaching his child, and Kurenai, who was busy cooking, continued their business as if nothing had happened.

'I’m back!' Yeruashi felt a surge of nostalgia.

After so much time.

He had finally returned to the starting point of his journey.

'Do I really have to retell the whole story to Kakashi, Kurenai, and the others... maybe Mavis should handle it?' Yeruashi thought. He descended into the house and hugged Kurenai from behind as she stood at the stove.

"Dinner's almost ready," she said, her cheeks flushing. She only sensed something was amiss when he didn't respond after a long moment. Turning her head, she asked, "Is something wrong?"

"No, everything is right," Yeruashi came back to himself and added tenderly as he looked at the beautiful woman, "I'm just glad you're here."

"...What's gotten into you all of a sudden," Kurenai said, shaking her head, wondering if someone was pretending to be Yeruashi.

"Please set the table and call the others; we're going to have guests soon," Yeruashi requested, finally letting go of her.

"Hmm, guests, you say?"

"Yes, many guests," Yeruashi nodded, leaving a puzzled Kurenai alone by the stove.

*

Amidst the infinite river of time.

Yeruashi took a fleeting glance at the past and the future.

To be more precise, the concepts of past and future no longer existed for him; the boundary between them had blurred. If he wished, he could exist at any point in space and at any moment in time simultaneously.

It was much like transitioning from a two-dimensional space to a three-dimensional one, only in his case, it was from three-dimensional to four-dimensional.

And in this space dwelt many beings of a similar level. Along the entire bank of the river of time lay countless closed lines of life, just like his own.

One could even say that it was their very existence that had led to the formation of the bank.

'The final ability...' Yeruashi whispered to himself. He had become one with the Illusory Clock, and now only the last digit on its dial remained to be unlocked.

By now, he had already surpassed the previous owner and grasped the true origin of the Illusory Clock. The so-called sands of time were but a fragment of this four-dimensional space.

And in essence, a person would become that fragment themselves after fully mastering the power of the Illusory Clock.

In truth, it would be no trouble at all for him now to obtain another such fragment; it would be like prying a small piece from a wall. That was why the beings of the "time ring" level had only chased him for a bit at the beginning before stopping. They were simply curious about how Yeruashi had managed to obtain this piece of four-dimensional space before reaching the level of a time ring.

All the rings here possessed equal power and strove toward the next level of existence, toward becoming that very particle of four-dimensional space. Many had failed to achieve this even despite their unimaginable age.

'I might succeed if I can remain myself after infinite time has passed...' Yeruashi murmured to himself.

However, that would require unimaginably more time than he had already lived, so for now, he simply wanted to eat, relax, and rest with the girls.

With those thoughts, Yeruashi left the infinite river of time.

Only a myriad of rings remained on the shore. From time to time, the oldest ones crumbled, and new ones climbed out of the river.

The End.