(Zack)

Big S's temple now appears to be a mix of all nine of the Crystals' temples. The eight elemental ones are arranged akin to how the pillars are in the Temple of the Elements, and Big S's Crystal rests in the center.

This is the true Temple of the Elements. There's not a doubt in my mind about that.

All nine of them have taken on their avatars and are gathered in front of Big S's Crystal. Bryce is standing beside me as well, and both of us are wearing more modern clothes, rather than stuff from the Boundary. Jeans, tees, and sneakers. It fits us, too, despite our builds being different and both of us being a little bit taller than we were before we died.

A trick of Big S's, I'm sure. He's probably also the reason I'm back in my normal form.

"Zack," Big S says softly. "I'm sorry for misinterpreting seeing you open the passage as you joining him. I… you were right, we'd never considered that. It was as you said, that we were too afraid of such a powerful evil that we didn't consider the most obvious thing: that his victory would be his defeat."

"I always figured you'd steal the spotlight," Bryce claps me on the back, grinning. "Something in my gut told me that if we met up somewhere where you'd be waiting for me, you'd get to do just that, so I put that theory to the test."

"It worked," I grin back and give him a clap on the back. "Good to see you again, Bryce."

"Yeah," he says, then we give each other a bro-hug for a moment before stepping away and looking at Big S. "So what did you bring us here for?"

"We're about to release the Boundary," Big S tells us. "I know you might want to say goodbye, Zack, but-"

"It's okay," I hold up a hand. "I've accepted that it's time for them to move on. Us being there was just delaying death already."

He nods, then suddenly, I become aware of all of the Boundary. Every inch and corner of it, and by Bryce's gasp which mirrors my own, I know he's gained the same awareness. As we watch, every person within it, including my team and our friends, turn into motes of light, which then fade away, their souls passing on to the afterlife.

It's a beautiful sight, and once it finishes, the Boundary itself begins to fade away, turning to nothingness as the realm itself disappears. A single storage crystal from each of the nine Crystals turns dark, their energy spent.

"And that," Big S says. "Is the end of the Boundary and the end of a reality where only demigods have power. This is the true Temple of the Elements, as I'm sure the two of you have guessed. It exists outside of reality, but was not a part of the Boundary, merely connected to it. Once you two pass on to the afterlife, we'll release this realm as well. We wanted to say goodbye before then, since we'll cease to exist as well, as we aren't of reality."

"Big S," I say. "You have two Children of Existence here. We can work something out."

"We'd never ask that of you," Big Flame shakes his head. "We'd choose for reincarnation where we're completely wiped. The thing we want to do, we cannot, so that is the best option for us. It would be the same as being erased."

Right, the one thing all nine of them desired. The ability to give quests to adventurers, bestow knowledge, items, and power upon them. Something they did, back when the Boundary was new and their minds were not so stretched.

"Well," I step up and put a hand on Big S's maw. "Before you guys do that, can you do something for me?"

"What is it?" He asks.

"Can you guys give me all of that power in your remaining three crystals?" I ask. "It'll just be temporary, and since it's going to waste, I thought it'd be cool to feel what it's like to be you guys, only amped up."

"This isn't a good idea," Big S mutters. "But I say let's do it just to see what happens."

Bryce and I laugh, and we grin at each other as the other Crystals agree to it as well. Once all nine have agreed, the light from their storage crystals flows towards me, filling me up. My vast power becomes even greater, and it's like I'm the universe itself.

"PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWER!" I exclaim. "WITH AN INFINITE LIVING SPACE!"

Bryce cracks up laughing at my reference to the comedian, and I know I have to expel or expend this energy soon, or it'll rip apart my form.

"Now!" I exclaim. "I'm about to grant three wishes! No more, no less, and yet in the granting of those three wishes, many more shall be granted, but those are merely side-effects of me granting these three! However, none shall pick what they are but me myself! For I have already learned of the three wishes, and will grant them myself! Here we go!"

"What?" Big S asks in a panic, the other Crystals also seeming to panic as Bryce laughs. "No! This was a bad idea! Abort the idea! Don't do it!"

"Too late!" I exclaim.

With the full understanding of my powers I acquired a short bit ago by drawing into me that power from the temple, I already know how to do what I'm about to do. It's as simple as thinking of what I want to do, and the knowledge comes to me. Being a Child of Existence is awesome.

So I begin working my magic, using the power they gave me to locate a world which could have life on it, but doesn't. Then, I begin reshaping it, altering its terrain as I add life to it. Plants and beasts of many types. As a Child of Existence with his full powers available, I know what's necessary to do what I'm doing. Biology, geography, climates, chemistry – everything necessary.

All I need do is will it, and it happens.

"He's reshaping a world for some reason," Big S mutters. "He's just playing like he's a god to satisfy his own wishes."

While some of the wishes might be mine, it's not because of that I'm granting them.

I continue my altering of the world, turning it into a land which flourishes. A land which many can find themselves in, with adventures and dungeons and more. I weave together several rules, adding them into the universe itself to determine who gets transported to that world.

I also weave together an improved version of the System, fixing many of the flaws Big S's System had as a result of it being thrown together in a hurry, then patched over many times. Inconsistencies are removed, bugs fixed, flaws smoothed out, and more, preparing it to perfection before I implement it. A System which needs no one to draw upon for power and sustenance. This System only affects those living upon that world, and will fade from anyone who leaves it, their data stored in case they return.

Then, I locate a second world matching the same requirements as the first and do the same changes to it. The rules for entry are slightly different, and no System is implemented on it.

"For the first wish," I say. "I grant the fantasy of those who desire adventure, who wish they could be whisked away to another world and go on an adventure as heroes."

A world for those who would enjoy the System, and a world for those who would not. However, the chances of being whisked away are slim, and those who need the rescue the most are the ones with even the slightest chance of finding themselves there.

And there's a chance of a certain species of people forming on those worlds as well… I haven't forgotten the beastborn, after all! I'm sure Max's reincarnation will be fun.

"You… what?" Big S asks in shock as he uses his own powers to see what I did. "That's… a lot different than I was expecting."

"I'm a nice guy at heart," I smile at him. "Now for the second wish."

I assess how much power I'll need for the third wish, then I use all which I will have left after that to grant the second wish. All across the universe, every person is healed of all ailments. All diseases, scarring, missing limbs or bones or organs. Cancer is cured in everyone. If they had pins, plates, or other things inside of them to help them, those are removed as things are fixed or cured. Same with external aids such as prosthetics.

For awhile, I'd contemplated on what to do for the second wish I was granting, but after seeing that girl at the amusement park, I decided to grant happiness. I'm sure I just healed a lot of really nasty people, but I know I also just healed and restored far more pleasant people and people who truly needed it.

"For the second wish," I say. "I heal all people, on all worlds."

Big S sighs. He knows just how much of an issue that's going to cause to the people of the universe, and the weird religion that will probably arise from my actions.

"And now," I approach him again and put a hand on the side of him once more. "For the third and final wish."

This time, I make sure to craft the spell carefully, paying even more attention to this Knowledge of Existence I possess to ensure it's done properly.

"For the third wish," I say. "I grant the nine of you the ability to do the one thing you all want to do most: grant quests, knowledge, power, and items upon people once more. To interact among mortals as the great deities you truly are."

They can do so to either world I reshaped, temples created for each of them in them, along with a special one, my own version of their Temple of the Elements. They are no longer necessary for the System, so they do not need to worry about that ever again.

In addition, I've ensured they can choose to pass on to the afterlife, should they ever want to. I've also adjusted their powers a little bit so that they can choose their appearances. I've even restored Big S's ability to take on a human form, which he notices immediately and does. Rather than taking on the form of the little boy he really is, he takes on the form of someone the same age as the other Crystals, dressed in black pants and a violet tunic.

"Z-Zack," he says. "Y-you… that's why you were asking us what we could do, if the Boundary was no longer necessary and we were in reality and all that."

"It is," I nod.

"You've been planning this for months?" He asks.

"I have," I nod. "I knew you guys would give me the remaining power just to see what mischief I'd get up to."

He tackles me in a hug, then everyone else joins in, turning it into a massive group hug with nine sobbing kids. They're happy, I can sense that in their minds. They know that they'll be able to stop, should they ever want to. Over time, they'll discover other little things I've granted to them. Nothing nasty, just fun stuff I know they'll enjoy.

Once the group hug ends, I look at Bryce.

"We've only known each other a short time," I tell him. "And most of that was spent with us playing a game of sight-tag, but it was fun."

"Yeah," he grins. "So what should we do in the afterlife? Since that's where we're going once this realm is dismissed."

"First," I say. "I want to meet up with people who meant things to me, if possible. I hope Luca and Braden haven't reincarnated yet. They won't remember the Boundary, but I still want to apologize to Braden and see Luca again."

"Yeah," he nods. "I'll probably do the same. Tell you what – why don't we do our things, then opt for reincarnation? The moment we choose that, we'll enter a stasis until our father has more children, and you can bet that we'll be first in line for sons, since we already exist."

"And knowing him," I grin. "We'll be born near each other in time and space specifically for his enjoyment of watching the universe churn with our presences once again."

"That's a bad idea," Big S mutters. "But Father would definitely do that."

"Yeah," Bryce says. "Even if we won't remember this, Zack, let's meet up again in our next life and see what kind of chaos we can cause."

"Sounds like a plan to me!" I say, then turn to the Crystals. "I guess this is goodbye – until the day you guys see us in your temples in our next lives."

"Yeah," Big S nods. "Goodbye."

We bid our goodbyes to everyone, then Bryce and I bid each other goodbye. Only then does Big S release the Temple of Elements from existing, and Bryce and I move on to the afterlife.

This was one hell of an adventure.