I Became a Genius Mechanic at the Academy

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– *Paaat!*

Ed’s figure, slowly closing his eyes inside the Doom Buster, faded away and a new screen lit up.

On the screen, Ed was sitting in front of a desk, neatly dressed in a suit.

He was adjusting his clothes and hair, as if he were an announcer preparing before the camera turned on, glancing at the script.

“Aah— Aah—” He read a few sentences to check if his voice was coming through properly.

[Brother, are you ready?]

At that moment, Eve’s voice was heard.

As Ed took a deep breath and nodded, a faint blue light began to glow on the screen.

He put down the script and fixed his eyes straight ahead.

Finally, he opened his mouth.

[Greetings. I am Edgar Fix.]

At that first line, the hearts of his lovers crumbled.

Isabella and Enya. And Charlotte and Adella, too.

They had a feeling that this video left by Ed could possibly be the last farewell.

[I come from the future.]

Then, Ed shockingly brought up a topic.

A person from the future.

In other words, he was introducing himself as a time traveler.

Upon hearing this shocking announcement, the world buzzed, and people stared blankly at each other.

[The miracles I’ve shown you all so far… They’re not because I’m an incredibly great person. It’s because I’ve endured a vast span of time.]

But soon enough, the world began to comprehend Ed’s words.

If it were not for a miracle crossing from time, the miracles he had shown were indeed nonsensical.

Some people nodded, as if they finally understood.

It made sense; unless one could leap through time and return from the future, it was impossible for a single person to achieve so many miracles.

[I have witnessed the destruction of countless worlds. The enemy beyond destruction, the Lords of Hell, were powerful, and I could not stand against them.]

– *Paaat!*

A new video began to play.

The screen displayed the ruined world.

Ed’s experience of the ‘first world.’

In his first run, Ed held a broken sword, surrounded by countless corpses.

Those weak of stomach even felt sick at the gruesome sight.

The state of the defeated world was brutal.

[This screen that you are seeing… Originally, this horrific sight was our predetermined future. But I could not accept this future, and I turned back time with the powers granted to me.]

As soon as Ed finished explaining, the screen began to rewind.

Ed’s broken blade reattached, blood and flesh from all around formed into one, and the twisted formations of the demon and human armies retreated to their respective sides, as the crumbled buildings reassembled…

The Academy entrance ceremony.

They returned to the day the Empire Academy was held.

It was a demonstration of Ed’s ability to ‘regress’ before the world.

– *No, amazing… To think such a thing is possible.*

– *How is something like that even possible?*

– *Time-crossing magic, who could have imagined?*

– *If it’s Lord Edgar Fix, there’s nothing he can’t do. He’s a descendant of Heavenly Beings, isn’t he?*

The crowd was astonished, but soon they came to understand what Ed had shown.

Heavenly Being.

If Ed, the heir of the superhumans who founded this world, could display such miracles, it was no surprise.

According to myths passed down since creation, Heavenly Beings were said to be akin to gods.

[However, despite turning back time, the enemy was far too powerful. No matter how many times I challenged them, I could not overcome them.]

The screen quickly changed.

The footage reconstructed from Ed’s memories showed the end of every defeated run.

With every horrific sight that passed, the people began to gasp in shock.

How could one person bear all of that?

How could he face such a powerful enemy and not give up?

That journey, which was so brutal and desperate that it wouldn’t be surprising for one to go mad, why did he continue on?

“Ah…….”

However, Ed’s lovers understood.

Even knowing he would lose, even knowing hope was almost nonexistent, the reason he could move on to the next world line was…

It was due to his sense of responsibility.

To protect the countless bonds he had formed throughout the regression.

To reach an ending where everyone was happy, even knowing despair would only lead to more despair, he pushed forward.

“…I didn’t know such a thing.”

Lucas’s shoulders trembled.

At first, he couldn’t understand Ed’s actions concerning his mother.

Ed had been a trusted friend and a respected mentor; it felt like a betrayal when that person took his mother as a ‘woman.’

He could not comprehend his mother’s actions of giving her heart to Ed, leaving him behind.

“It’s not like Ed just wished for a happy ending for everyone.”

But now, watching the video, he felt he understood.

Ed felt a sense of responsibility for every ‘world line’ he had passed through.

Enya, Isabella, Elena, Charlotte, Sephilia, and even his mother.

Ed’s heart was to take responsibility for their lives, which he could not save in previous runs.

He had continued this hellish regression race not for himself, but for everyone.

[…Thus, I have gone through hundreds of regressions… and have finally arrived here. I have finally been able to push the Lords of Hell this far.]

Ed took a moment to breathe.

He did this to emphasize the next words he would say.

At last, Ed opened his mouth.

[So, I have given up the ability to go back to the past. I am betting everything on this run. My current self and all of you are the ‘best’ this world has to offer.]

The hearts of the crowd resonated.

The statement that they were the ‘best’ in this world meant they were the best among the hundreds of world lines.

They were chosen by Edgar Fix, the amazing descendant of the Heavenly Beings.

[So please, survive. I will now entrust the future of this world to you. You are the strongest, the wisest, and the most cooperative individuals among all the runs I have witnessed. I believe in you.]

The eyes of the world gleamed with determination.

People, who had been in constant conflict through various factions, vested interests, duchies, nations, and races, united as one.

It was for the singular purpose of ‘survival.’

They engraved into their hearts the grand request of the man who had endured hell for thousands of years.

[Then it seems my role here is coming to an end. If my plan goes accordingly, I will be sealed alongside the Lords of Hell. There will be no one left to break the barrier I have set.]

The world sighed a breath of relief.

When they had seen the Lord of Hell reflect on the screen, how terrified they felt back then.

It seemed so powerful that they thought even a hundred swordmasters wouldn’t defeat it.

A sense of deep despair, like an ant looking up at a golem.

Yet, the idea that Ed would seal away such a transcendent calamity brought them comfort.

– *So then… we’ll again be placing a tough burden on Lord Ed…*

– *To be sealed alongside the Demon King… how painful that decision must be…*

But on the other hand, thinking about Ed, who would hold back the Lords of Hell, broke their hearts.

He had endured hundreds and thousands of years of suffering to reach this moment, and now, to be joined with Hell itself…

It felt as if an enormous burden had been placed upon one person, causing them to suffer from guilt.

[…So while the Lords of Hell are sealed, please grow stronger. So that one day, when they are released, you will be able to respond. How this world line that I have staked everything on will end is up to all of you.]

Inside the screen, Ed took a moment to catch his breath.

Though he had conveyed all he needed to say, something still felt left unsaid.

Yes, it was a heartfelt farewell.

He wanted to leave those three words to his beloved lovers.

[……].

Yet somehow, it felt like it would be the last farewell.

So, Ed left one last remark.

[I believe you all can do it. Survive.]

– *Paaat!*

Thus, Ed’s video came to an end.

The world, blankly staring at the video that ended, saw another one appear.

In the video was a grotesque structure formed from the melted flesh of the Grand Duke and the wreckage of Ed’s armored troops.

Inside that gigantic, bizarre building, Ed and the Grand Duke were sealed.

“It’s not over yet.”

The screen switched to show Eve.

Eve stood atop a gigantic platform, with Sephilia at the center of it.

Eve spoke.

“Lord Edgar Fix will return someday. To save us once again.”

“…….”

The world blankly etched Eve’s words into their minds.

So, Lord Edgar Fix, who was sealed, will someday return?

Since Eve Fix, who was called a close relative of Lord Fix, said so, it must surely be the truth.

As everyone focused on Eve, she opened her mouth once more.

“Then, from now on, I will convey Lord Edgar Fix’s last will. First of all, we must discuss the matter concerning the distribution of his assets.”

The matter concerning the distribution of assets.

In other words, it meant announcing how all powers, shares, properties, and weapons owned by Ed would be allocated.

And that meant revealing who would take over the power of this world in the absence of Ed.