Reborn as a Useless Noble with my SSS-Class Innate Talent

The fragments of the chief god's body shattered into countless motes of light, scattering across the collapsing divine palace.

Kyle lowered his blade, his chest heaving as he finally exhaled the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

Relief coursed through him; after everything—the battles, the endless trials, Crystal's sacrifice—the nightmare seemed finished at last.

But his reprieve lasted no more than a heartbeat.

The divine palace pulsed violently, its walls flashing with golden radiance, and a voice—familiar, cold, and filled with authority—echoed across the realm.

"You made a mistake, mortal."

Kyle froze. It was the chief god's voice, carried not by flesh but by the lingering system itself. The broken fragments of Arkenas's divinity glimmered like dying embers, yet his will refused to vanish completely.

"You thought ending me would grant salvation. But the divine system, flawed as it was, was not a cage—it was the world's last defense. Without it, demons and corruption will seep unchecked. The realms you sought to protect will drown in chaos."

Kyle's eyes widened. For the first time in a long while, doubt pricked at his heart.

"What… are you saying?"

The golden fragments shuddered, and Arkenas's fading consciousness rasped bitterly:

"The system ensured the evil stayed contained, bound to the single world they were allowed. By breaking it, you've torn apart the safety net. There will be no guarantee of safety now."

Before despair could settle, the fractured divine system itself came alive. Its voice, mechanical and absolute, thundered across the ruins:

[Correction measures activated.]

[The war against evil has begun.]

Symbols lit across the crumbling palace as the system overrode its creator's dying words. Arkenas's eyes—if they could be called that in his scattered form—widened in disbelief.

"No… what are you…? The system is acting on its own?"

His voice cracked, madness and despair entwined.

"Then… what was I for? What was the meaning of my existence if even the fight against evil did not require me?"

The system's reply was merciless.

[Your existence served its purpose. Without you, adjustments could not have been made. Your role was complete.]

The once-proud chief god let out a final, hollow laugh. The sound was broken, filled with bitterness and futility.

"So even I was just… another piece on the board. A god who dies… by his own creation."

His voice faltered, his fragments dimming.

With that, the remnants of Arkenas dissolved completely, leaving only silence.

Kyle stood amidst the fading light, his grip tightening on his sword. His heart was heavy.

The man who had tormented so many, who had played with lives, had in the end been nothing more than another victim of the system's relentless path.

Then the system turned its voice toward him.

[User Kyle Armstrong.]

[Price of salvation must be paid.]

[For being saved and reborn, for the destruction of the divine system, your mana shall be reclaimed.]

Kyle's jaw clenched.

"So this is the cost, huh?" A bitter smile tugged at his lips. He had always known—power never came freely. "If I refuse?"

The system's tone remained even, mechanical yet strangely final.

[Refusal will result in instability. Instability will endanger you and all you seek to protect.]

Kyle's instincts screamed at him that the words were true. If he resisted, it wouldn't be just his own downfall—his companions, his people, his world would be consumed.

He closed his eyes, exhaling slowly.

"…Fine."

[Reassurance: You will endure. Your companions will ensure your survival. Rest.]

A strange peace spread through Kyle's chest. The system's tug seized hold of his core, pulling at every thread of mana within him. He felt hollowed out, drained, but not destroyed.

"Guess… this is the end of my fight. I'll leave the rest… to them."

He muttered, voice low.

Light enveloped him, dragging him from the divine palace, and in the next heartbeat, he was thrown back into the mortal world.

–––

"KYLE!"

Voices rushed to him the moment he stumbled onto solid ground. Melissa was the first to grab his arm, her usually composed face pale with panic.

Bruce stood behind her, sword half-drawn as though expecting another god to descend at any second.

Nigel and Amana hovered close, relief and worry etched across their expressions. Even Silvy, usually sharp-tongued, looked shaken.

They swarmed him, pressing close as though to reassure themselves he was real.

"You're alive! We thought we lost you!"

Melissa's voice cracked.

Kyle's body swayed, the pull of mana gone, the emptiness gnawing at him.

"I'm here. I made it back."

He murmured, forcing a weak smile.

Then Nigel frowned, closing his eyes as if reaching for something in the air.

"…Wait. Do you feel that?"

Emily's hands shook.

"There's barely any mana in the air…I can hardly draw on it at all."

She looked at Kyle.

Kyle extended his senses. For the first time, the world around him felt muted, the vibrant current of mana he had always relied on now faded to a whisper.

He tried to summon his own power, but it was sluggish, almost nonexistent.

Melissa bit her lip, panic rising.

"Kyle, what happened? Why… why can't we use mana properly anymore?"

For a moment, silence hung over them. Kyle let out a soft laugh, not mocking but strangely serene.

"So it's true… The system wasn't lying."

"What do you mean?"

Amana asked quietly, stepping forward.

Kyle looked at them all, his gaze warm though his body trembled from exhaustion.

"It's over. The war against the gods, the divine system, all of it… it's finished."

Silvy shook her head.

"But without mana, how are we supposed to survive? What if the demons—"

Kyle raised a hand, cutting her off gently.

"No. Don't worry. This… this is how it's meant to be. Maybe we'll have to live differently now, maybe weaker than before. But…"

He glanced at each of them, his lips curving into a faint smile.

"…for the first time in my life, I feel at peace."

The words hung in the air, quiet but resolute. His companions, though shaken, slowly absorbed his certainty.

Kyle leaned back against Melissa's shoulder, closing his eyes.

"Our journey… it's over. We fought, we endured, we gave everything. Now… it's time to live."

And though fear still lingered in their hearts, his companions felt a spark of hope ignite.

If Kyle could find peace, perhaps they too could carve out a future beyond war, even in a world where mana no longer answered their call.

___

Note for the second book in this series.