chapter 285
Unless he made me to take down Janus.
If it’s to let me face the best happy ending I can think of.
“… … How’s the guy?”
What would happen to Oz now, who would have made all these plans?
If he wasn’t trying to use me, if he only had one wish.
What is he going to be like at the end of this?
The guy has already dried up.
Even if I could create the future he wanted, it would mean nothing to him. That’s why it’s a wish.
The guy has already decided that he can’t stand in this position.
so it was entrusted to me
“The last child… … .”
Thanatos called me ‘the successor of Ain’.
That sound is that I am not yet a child, but a being with the potential to become a child.
If Oz returned as a god, there is no way Thanatos, the first angel, would not have known about it.
Now, Shin’s seat must be vacant.
If so, the future Oz, which should have had a divinity, is… … .
“He is dead.”
It was short, but it couldn’t have been more certain than that. And just by hearing that, it made sense.
Because he forgot himself, Oz was drawing a picture of himself that he hadn’t forgotten.
It’s such a miserable word.
“Of course, you can wake up because you are not completely dead. You should be aware of that possibility.”
“… … Erosion too.”
Oz said that the more serious I am, the higher the degree of erosion… … .
To this day, there has never been a time when I wasn’t sincere. That was also the way, but there must have been another reason.
Otherwise, there is no reason why [Erosion Degree] should not be 100%.
What then?
In fact, it was enough to know if you look at the history so far.
“When I was simply out of strength compared to reality, or when I wanted to turn my eyes back to the harsh reality.”
[Erosion degree] increased.
It was not that the original Oz was eroding me, but that I was getting closer to the original Oz.
Just flipping the context changes the meaning so much.
[Erosion degree] is a force and a fetter at the same time. It is said that there is no power without cost.
And at the same time, it will also mean that I will give up this wish if I become so impoverished that I cannot stand it.
That’s not even funny.
“Am I going to disappear when I reach 100%?”
“I do not know. I’m not sure what, since I’m the last one to have such a device ready.”
“yes.”
“All I can say is that I wasn’t one of those people.”
“yes… … .”
If so, I can only hope that it doesn’t. No, I have no choice but to try not to fill 100 [Erosion].
[Erosion degree 95%]
The number soared so clearly that it was incomparable to the first one.
When it reaches 100%, the most reliable thing is that I disappear.
No, since I didn’t even exist in the first place, would it be right to return to the original Oz? Oz, who has returned like that, may repeat the return of the perfect meaning again and draw a wish.
… … No, I’m not sure.
nothing is certain
I can’t be sure what Oz is thinking.
By the way.
“It’s already too late for a happy ending.”
“is that so?”
Wouldn’t it be more likely that his wish had succeeded or failed?
If the people around me can’t be happy, I can’t be happy either.
There are people who died because of my mistakes. It was an irreparable mistake.
Can’t we accept Salem’s death as a success?
yes, so
“Still, I’ll have to try my best to have a good ending.”
I gave up on regression.
I decided to accept my failure and move forward.
I promised and swore.
Even if that doesn’t make it possible to obtain complete happiness.
As always, I’m just doing the best I can.
“Then may I ask you one last question?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Ain laughed softly.
As before. He seemed to be cheering me on in a timid manner.
Looking at it, I put the question I had in my mouth all the time.
“How are you now?”
Ain was murdered.
I must have said that.
Judging from the way he speaks, it is difficult to see that he has been resurrected.
If that was the case, there wouldn’t have been any reason to leave Thanatos alone, who was still plotting some kind of scheme.
“The body is gone and the soul is scattered. We are only the remnants of Ain’s actions. It’s natural for it to disappear naturally over time.”
“yes.”
The child in front of me doesn’t exist.
Just as God leaves footprints, the power of the being called Ain left traces.
And the one who left that mark was probably Oz, who became the last child.
“I’ve heard monsters say this before. In the end, did I choose this world too?”
He said there was a contract between himself and Oz. How surprised I was when the story about the coordinates of the earth came out of his mouth.
Didn’t Oz lose the world? There was such a suspicion.
And that suspicion was dispelled because of the existence of Janus.
It’s because I don’t think Oz will abandon the world. But well… … .
“Oz gave up everything once and ran away here.”
It is said that the incarnation of a key is born when the owner has a strong wish.
Janus must have been the same.
The return of Oz would not have been smooth. It must have been more than once or twice that you were betrayed by someone you trusted.
I hated lies, and I hated the deceitful world. After being driven that far, I finally ran away to this world.
I longed for the world where my parents lived.
But Oz eventually came back. Because the world would be the same wherever you go.
In such solitude and pain.
Janus was born.
Because I didn’t like the deceiving world.
Because I hate people who lie.
Because everything was disappointing.
“If I were his wish.”
“Yes, you weren’t just born to create another personality… … .”
“The wish that Oz drew.”
What would it be like to live in this world? Abandon magic, responsibilities, and missions.
What if you lived a normal life without knowing anything?
I was born that way.
Not to defeat Janus, not to save everyone, but to draw his own happiness.
The guy finally came back. After returning like that, he killed himself.
What remains now.
The ideal of a moment that he drew.
“yes.”
this made it clear
I am not a made-up being.
I am a being born of hope.
That’s why memories are made, the environment is made, and dreams are made.
It becomes the dream that Oz drew.
I was born from a human dream.
That’s it. That’s enough reason for me to move forward.
“It was also nice to see you.”
“I’m glad you can think of it that way.”
“Yes, you are right. Because I can think like that.”
It doesn’t change that I was originally a non-existent being. However, the attitude to work has changed.
“Then you will need this now.”
Ain stretched out his hand towards me.
Blue light was constantly pouring from those small hands that were clenched into fists.
And as the light intensified, the image of Ajin in front of him began to blur little by little.
“We have been waiting for you. Just for this.”
The object I received at random was too familiar to me.
Yes, it is a symbol of a daily routine that I diligently repeated while being chased by time.
<Prana Fragment>
However, it emits more intense light than any other sculpture.
“You may still have questions. It’s just a small fragment, that’s all we know.”
“yes?”
“Yes, so if you want to know other truths, it wouldn’t hurt to look for other fragments.”
“Other fragments… … .”
What is the Daily Dungeon, and how was <Prana Piece> created?
There are still a lot of doubts.
But for now, this is enough.
The most important things you already know.
I know what the skills given to me were for.
[Space Barrier Lv. 3 → Lv. 4]
Perhaps this will be the last phrase.
[Skills are partially changed.]
Following [Ruler of Mana], reinforce [Space Barrier] to the maximum.
[Space Barrier Lv. 4]
Exp : Max
When [Ruler of Mana] was developed, a new skill was opened.
I hadn’t used that skill yet, but I had a rough idea of what kind of effect it would have.
Then, what about [Space Barrier]?
[Spatial understanding increases.]
[Space Barrier] was a skill that temporarily disconnected space to grant absolute defense.
[A fragment of power that symbolizes space reveals itself]
What is the source of that power?
The answer to that came immediately.
[The Speaker’s Key]
Yes, it happened to me too.
The last fragment to catch up with Janus. Oz has taken away some of its overwhelming advantage over space.
[KP Another Savior]
Oz Quo Vadis
With this, they are now on an equal footing.
The rest is only the individual and the individual’s strength and ability.
Well, as of now, I won’t be able to catch up with Janus yet.
Still, the win rate, which was close to 0%, skyrocketed in an instant.
That’s it.
Let’s be content with being able to become this strong.
“thanks.”
I speak to Ain, who was watching me quietly.
Ain, who had been blurring, eventually became a piece of light and was scattered.
“The saintess is very worried. And you must have suffered a lot here too. so.”
Ain, surrounded by a halo of light, smiled softly and pointed in front of the desk and chair he was sitting on.
“Wouldn’t it be okay to leave some beautiful memories?”
“hahahaha.”
There were cards and bankbooks.
Amidst the mystery of having a conversation with God, the audience bursts into laughter at the sudden sense of reality.
“Thank you in many ways.”
“It was nothing.”
Ain seemed to be smiling, but for a moment he made an awkward expression.
It seemed like there was something I wanted to say but was too shy to say.
“say.”
“… … It looks too obvious.”
Ain smiled bitterly.
It doesn’t seem like something he was aiming for. What do you want to say to me? Given the circumstances, it seems highly likely that it is something unrelated to this incident.
And maybe that something… … .
“Is it okay if I ask for Thanatos?”
Ain’s Angel.
“I don’t know what Thanatos is thinking. I know that he has already repeated countless evil deeds, and that he is no longer worthy of being called an angel.”
Ain was holding onto the hem of his clothes. Yes, it will. An existence that symbolizes the vacancy of God. That’s why it was possible to fill the void.
The only understanding and companion.
“The last Thanatos I saw was crying. I cursed myself and cursed the world for not fulfilling my duty.”
“yes… … .”
I remember the guy who was obsessed with winning. I remember the guy who repeated countless evil deeds to confirm one fact.
It must have been tens of thousands of years. The one who spent the gap of those years in <Underworld>.
A being that endures the eons of loneliness that even a dragon cannot endure, and yet harbors an unknown aspiration.
“If you oppose me, I have no choice but to fight.”
“I know.”
Yes, Thanatos crossed the line for a long time. Looking at the scars he has carved into history, it is absurd to forgive him.
“There is only one thing I can do.”
All I had to do was defeat him and put a stop to his tricks and secret plans.
The guy is undeniably evil.
“That one is enough.”
“Can that really be enough?”
“… … Yeah.”
Probably not.
However, because he knew, knowing that he could not bring back an angel who had gone too far, Ain could only nod his head.
That’s because the only thing he can do for himself, who is already dead and has only traces of him, is that kind of request.
“That’s it.”
Hearing my confirmation, Ain disappeared in a halo of light with a forced smile.
It is the same as in the time of the Pope.
But there was no timid encouragement like that time.
Yeah, what’s behind it… … .
[See you next time!]
I was sure that I would see you again in the future.