Branching Point

Ilia, who usually kept an eye on Ellie at Roel’s request, noticed the unusual atmosphere between Ross and Ellie and secretly called Roel out.

A vacant classroom window overlooking the backyard. Ilia glanced at Roel, who had been watching the entire conversation from there, and cautiously asked,

,Are you okay?

Ilia usually didn’t like her babyish voice and was too shy to open her mouth. Roel gave a gentle smile at her voice, which he hadn’t heard in a long time.

,Of course I am.

When Ilia stared at him as if trying to see through his sincerity, Roel chuckled and said in a soft voice,

,I’m serious. I knew from the start what Ellie’s feelings were. Ellie is greedy like me.

When Ilia gave him a look of utter incomprehension, Roel wordlessly approached and hugged her tightly. Ilia leaned her face against his shoulder, feeling Roel’s warm embrace.

,It’s okay, I just love all of your flaws, because I’m greedy.

Ellie’s sobs could be heard through the window. Roel stretched the corners of his mouth, gave a pure white smile, and kissed Ilia’s small lips.

,There’s no need to worry. I’m really okay. Rather, Ellie will have learned a great lesson from this. Sometimes, you have to break everything to rebuild it.

When Roel said that with a sincere voice, Ilia didn’t understand, but reluctantly nodded.

,…Maybe she’ll like Ross even more now.

However, Ilia never understood the meaning of that murmur.

■■▣

The second basement floor of the Transcendence Academy in ‘Kalavhem,’ the ruined capital of the Empire. The last survivors of this world, which has been struck by disaster, are hiding in none other than the Messiah Club’s room. The walls have collapsed and the lockers no longer function because the club room was moved through the rifts to escape the disaster, but the magic installed here hides us from the disaster’s gaze.

The familiar message of the status window appears in my shaking vision.

,Synchronization rate 7%…….

,Warning! The synchronization rate is continuously dropping.

I sighed, feeling a tightness in my chest, and sat down on a chair. My comrades are running around busily preparing for the final battle, but right now, all I can do is sit and wait. I raised my hand and swept my black hair back, away from my eyes.

I want to ask someone how things got to this point, but there is no one left who can give me a clear explanation. Is everything a predetermined necessity, or a coincidence created by probability? I couldn’t find the answer in the end.

With a faint sigh, I stroked the spear that was resting on my shoulder. It’s a habitual action. The [World Tree Spear] was made using the roots of the withered World Tree. At the end of it, there was an acorn that Luna had carved on it someday.

She carved it as a reminder not to lose my way. Luna, who used to guide me like a compass whenever I lost my direction, is no longer in this world. In the end, I failed to protect her as I had vowed. I am bitterly aware of how worthless my words are after losing Luna.

The person who should have died lived, and the person who should not have died died. Perhaps this is the oldest truth in the world that I realized only at the very end.

I still don’t even know why God possessed me, Ross, a lump of inferiority complex. The God I glimpsed between dimensions only ever asks me the same empty question of realizing my essence, as always.

As I stroked the acorn carved on the spear for a moment and thought of Luna, Lacar approached with heavy footsteps. Lacar, whose body was more than half corrupted by chaos, had replaced one side of his body with magitech machinery.

,Boss, Aria says she’s ready.

At those words, I snapped out of my reverie. I got out of the chair and followed Lacar to where Aria was. Aria, who had installed hundreds of thousands of magic scrolls that Luna had left behind on the wall, was looking up and checking the spell formation on the ceiling.

,How is it?

At my question, Aria, who had lost her emotions, stared at me blankly over her shoulder. Aria’s eyes had been lifeless ever since Kane’s death.

,…So far, it’s going according to plan.

It was Eunice who answered my question, using a box in the corner as a desk. Aria no longer answers. Even knowing that, I never gave up talking to her. She was a doll who had lost her ego, but she was clearly Aria.

Eunice was placing cubes on the box and still checking the variables in the plan. She is our proud strategist, reading the situation without giving up until the end. If it weren’t for her plan, it would have been impossible to even survive like this.

Recruiting Eunice as a strategist. Perhaps that was the best thing I did while being possessed.

Helping Eunice, who is narrowing her brow in an effort to grasp the clue to the winning strategy, is Navier’s father, Raelan. His body is now quite light, with only his head on a bowl.

,The odds are still the same. A desperate situation with only a slight chance.

Raelan, who said that pessimistically, turned his eyes and looked at me. He is bound by his soul and pays allegiance to me, but there is still a clear madness in his eyes.

,In the end, our plan depends only on you, the variable. Heh heh heh. I don’t know if you can even call this a plan.

No one disagreed with Raelan’s words. Perhaps everyone is thinking the same thing in their heads. But we don’t give up. We have long since been deprived of the freedom to choose to give up.

,We’ll do it. For everyone who has been waiting for this day… We have to do it.

I spat it out as if shaking something off. There have been so many sacrifices. Precious comrades and countless nameless students and soldiers who sacrificed themselves to protect us. I have engraved their deaths on my soul.

Lacar smiled bitterly and took off his top. The tattoos densely drawn on his remaining upper body were glowing red in response to the magic power. Aria, standing next to Lacar, stared at me blankly and then took out her staff. I gave a faint smile and nodded.

Eunice took a deep breath and picked up the bowl containing Raelan’s head.

,Okay, there’s no point in putting it off any longer. Everyone, get ready.

At Eunice’s words, I took off the robe that was covering my body. Hundreds of artifacts hidden by the robe are revealed. I raised my left arm, withered by curses, and playfully waved at Aria, who was staring at me blankly. As expected, there was no reaction.

I took a deep breath and said,

,Okay, let’s summon it.

I unconsciously stroked the Ring of Covenant, thinking it was the last time.

===

[Ring of Covenant]

―A ring imbued with the power of the covenant ‘Geas’.

It is a magical constraint and a curse, but the airtight Geas gives powerful power.

◆ Current Oath

– To repay Ellie’s faith.

– To never change my love for Luna.

– To keep my promise to the Saintess.

– To kill the Calamity.

◇ Current Restrictions

– Loss of most abilities while failing to repay Ellie’s faith.

– Death if my love for Luna changes.

– Promise to the Saintess / Death if a method is not found within 4 years. / Time Remaining: 01:02:11.

– Cannot attack anything other than the Calamity.

===

I waved my hand to erase the message. Aria, who received the signal, waved her staff and pulled out the stake that was stuck in my heart. I feel as if the torrent of emotions that had been blocked is bursting out along with the intense pain.

A parasite that had been living on me all my life sensed its host. Just that alone made me feel like the surrounding air had changed.

,It’s coming.

Raelan on the bowl said briefly. His voice was mixed with a faint fear.

I feel a huge presence above my head. The Calamity that destroyed this world has now descended on this place.

What appeared in the club room, breaking through the ceiling, was the Calamity wearing priest-like white clothes. The pure white wings on his back made his existence even more sacred. The mere presence of him distorts the surrounding space. Those who call him God have become one, and everyone here who calls him Calamity was the last.

The light that reveals everything hidden in the shadows of darkness has finally revealed itself.

,What, you were in a place like this. I’ve been looking for you for a while.

At the sight of the Calamity giving a gentle smile as if he was glad to see me, all my emotions exploded and I roared violently. The old anger and inferiority complex, and the desire for revenge for everyone I couldn’t protect, become limitless power.

,Roel―――!!!!!

I will kill you, and we will survive.

The World Tree Spear emits a dark light of destruction. Hundreds of artifacts move the stopped heart with enormous magic power. Lacar’s twin swords burst into flames, and Aria uses great magic. Eunice and Raelan pour magic power into the magic scrolls on the wall.

Roel, who cannot feel any emotion in this place where a huge amount of magic power that could destroy the world several times is gathered, just smiles brightly as if he is enjoying it. That smile was always a bright smile full of sincerity.

Roel’s obsidian-like eyes gleam. Golden magic power overflows and gushes out around him.

,Everyone, let’s become one with me.

In the great collision, the world screams violently for the last time. Everything that exists reacts to that scream.

Finally―――.

Only light exists in the destroyed world.

□□□

A girl whose whole body is bound by iron chains engraved with various runes moves the only body allowed to her.

,You’ve worked hard… Now, get some rest.

It’s a deep underground space where no one can hear her voice, but the girl sincerely comforted someone. And she vowed to the world.

,I found the branching point. The probability has increased again. I’m going to try a different direction this time. To find the right ending… We will never give up.

Waiting for the moment when it will be her turn someday, the girl only closes her eyes again and examines the records left by her many selves.

Because that was the fate given to her.