Hikari Nohara was an ordinary office worker.
Like every other day, he dragged his weary body home after work.
The only thing that made him happy today was that his boss, who was as fat as a pig, didn't force him to stay for overtime.
It was rare for him to finish an early shift, but as a single guy, he had no idea how to spend this rare free time.
'Such a shit life.'
Although he used to finish work after 9 PM most days, he always had colleagues around to spend time with. They'd go to a pub, grab a few drinks, and vent about work.
But today, it was barely 5 PM, and the pub wasn't even open yet.
That's when three young boys passing by caught his attention.
"Of course, it's the mangaka! The artwork is amazing!!"
"It was worth the money to buy a copy and keep it as a collector's item!"
"If only the story was a little better..."
"No chance, no chance. A completely unheard-of new author—what good story can they write?"
"…"
As the boys walked away, their voices faded.
"Light novels, huh?" Hikari thought, watching their retreating figures.
He sighed, feeling nostalgic. "It must be nice to casually discuss these things out in the open."
Back in his day, even if he was interested in these things, he could only enjoy them alone in silence. He could only imagine discussing them with friends on the street.
"Speaking of which, I don't have time to read after work."
With that thought, he walked into a nearby bookstore.
Hikari wasn't interested in books with names like "Volume 3" or "Volume 4" of series he'd never heard of.
He wasn't the type to skip ahead to later volumes without reading the first ones.
Instead, he went straight to the new release section.
Soon, a particular book caught his eye. It wasn't the title that stood out, but the vibrant, detailed cover art.
It depicted a mature-looking man in what appeared to be a German-style military uniform, exuding a tough vibe.
But his dark, lifeless eyes added a melancholic touch, making him appear more somber.
Next to him stood the female protagonist.
She wore a large cloak, reminiscent of a fairy or mysterious traveler from European folklore.
Her bright eyes were filled with fragility and strength, and her delicate face conveyed both tension and unease.
It immediately made him want to know more about the story between these two.
'What are you doing at the end of the world? Are you free? Can you come and save us?'
These light novel titles are getting longer and longer!"
Hikari chuckled to himself. Back when he read light novels, titles were never that long.
Still, he picked up the book and began reading the blurb.
"It's a story set at the end of the world?" he muttered as he opened the first page.
The "Beasts" had wiped out humanity.
A young man named William awoke from centuries of sleep to become the last human alive.
Various races now lived in the skies, using human technology and power.
They fought the Beasts with the help of "Holy Swords" and fairy soldiers who wielded them.
After each battle, the exhausted fairy soldiers would fall, but the "Holy Sword" could be used again.
"At least, I hope I don't disappear. I want to be remembered. I want to leave behind a connection."
This was a story about fairy soldiers destined to die, sharing fleeting but brilliant days with their young commander.
Reading the summary, Hikari felt a pang in his heart.
"The end of the world..."
At first, the mere mention of these words made him feel an unexplainable sadness. But now, it stirred a deeper, more painful sensation.
The weight of these words hit him hard.
It was a concept so distant and abstract, yet somehow, it made him long for the "brief but brilliant days" the story promised.
He flipped through a few pages, and a sorrowful atmosphere swept over him, confirming what he had suspected—this story was bound to end in tragedy.
"But... because it's destined to wither, it's the beauty before that decay that makes us yearn for it so much. We want to grab hold of it with all our might!"
After reading more than 10 pages, Hikari was sure this was the kind of story he wanted to experience.
He closed the book and returned it to the shelf, only to pull out a brand-new, sealed copy.
He went to the counter.
"Hello, I'd like to pay for this."
For someone who had been working for a while now, a few hundred yen was nothing.
Back in his younger days, he might have hesitated, but not anymore.
Cradling the book, Hikari felt a wave of nostalgia for his younger years, when simple pleasures like this brought him joy.
Now, he just wanted to get home and finish reading this story.
That night, he followed the perspective of the protagonist, William, as he navigated a world where humanity had been wiped out by the Beasts.
The remaining races, stranded on floating islands in the sky, weren't entirely safe, as the Beasts still threatened them from the ground below.
Other strange races, salvage teams searching for relics of civilization, and fairy soldiers fighting with Holy Swords—the world came to life in a way that completely immersed him, filling him with awe.
What stood out most was the portrayal of William.
In a world where civilization and entire races had perished, there should have been nothing but despair.
Yet, despite everything, William still felt the vividness of life all around him.
It was a contradiction that resonated deeply, stirring an uncontrollable sadness.
He was an outsider—without a past, without any ties to the world he now inhabited.
There was no one for him to care about, no reason to feel connected to anything. Even memories of his homeland were nowhere to be found.
And yet, his past battles had shaped him into someone with a calm, detached mindset.
It was as though his heart, filled with anger and sorrow, had been trapped deep under the surface, unable to express itself.
This sense of quiet emotion echoed with readers, drawing them deeper into the story and evoking a sorrow that was almost unbearable.
"What a fantastic piece of work!" Hikari sighed.
Though the story was filled with sadness, the way it was told captivated him completely.
"I should follow up on this series."
Despite his busy work life, he couldn't afford to neglect such small joys.
Without them, life would be nothing but pain, wouldn't it?
If the end really did come, he would only regret not having taken the time to appreciate life's beauty in the here and now.
The book's popularity had already spiked, and discussions about it were flooding the internet.
"First, I must apologize to the author. I'm sorry!"
"I started following WorldEnd because I knew the illustrator, the Warrior of Love and Hope-sensei."
"This was their first illustration project, so I bought it out of support for them."
"I had no expectations since they were a complete newcomer, but after reading it, I realized how foolish I was."
"If this work could get the Warrior of Love and Hope to agree to illustrate it, then it must be an outstanding work."
"With their current fame, why would they do something like this otherwise?"
"I really hope that fans who bought this book with the same mindset as me will take the time to read it!
This is a truly outstanding work from every angle!
With the teacher's illustrations, it's an amazing collaboration!"
"It really is a great work! Thanks to the recommendation from the mangaka 'Warrior of Love and Hope,' I didn't miss out on such an incredible piece!"
"Maybe this is the magic of words – even though we know the inevitable ending is going to be like the ghostly faces of past characters fading away, we can't help but keep reading to experience that last bit of beauty before the end of the world arrives!"
"Even though the first volume hasn't fully unfolded, there's this unspeakable sadness that lingers in my heart."
"I don't know how to describe it, but the author's writing skills are incredible; they made me feel the pain at every moment."
"Honestly, when I first saw the long title, I thought it was just going to be a tragic story wrapped in a fancy package."
"But after reading, the sadness I couldn't express made me realize – this is a tragedy with no hope!"
"Strongly recommend this to every reader who likes this style!"
"Could it be that the 'Warrior of Love and Hope'-sensei agreed to illustrate this because from the start, this story was always meant to be a tragedy?"
"I wouldn't rule that out! But of course, I think the work's excellence is also a big reason for that!"
"For someone who enjoys tragedies like me, this was such a fulfilling experience!"
"Ugh, after reading your comments, I suddenly got scared. 'Madoka Magica,' 'Anohana,' those endings made me cry enough as it is. And now here comes another one, is this story really trying to make us cry?!"