Ch.121Ep.121 What I Must Lose, What I Can Gain

KWAAAANG!!

With a massive explosion, the judgment space that Radios had deployed shattered into pieces.

The Librarian took the full brunt of the damage but still rushed toward Radios without concern.

It was fine to damage Azathoth’s Akashic Records.

He had lived long enough that repairing damaged portions of his Akashic Records would be easy.

However, the cases of Kraud and Poseidon were different.

And Veichel’s case was even more so!

The cosmic data contained in the Akashic Records was already vast enough.

If the books recording the lives of those who lived in those fleeting moments were damaged…

The Akashic Records would never again maintain an orderly system.

In severe cases, the universe itself could collapse.

“You stupid fool! I told you the Akashic Records must never be damaged!”

“…How strange. Is it always like this?”

“What?”

“As soon as I tore the page, an enormous wave spread out and the page regenerated.”

“Re-regenerated, you say?”

The Librarian adjusted his glasses and snatched the three books from Radios.

He had clearly witnessed the last page being torn with his own eyes.

Yet somehow, it had perfectly returned to normal.

“This shouldn’t be possible… No! Never do something like this again! This is nothing short of a miracle!”

“Why shouldn’t I?”

“Are you trying to destroy both providence and truth?”

“If it means saving the people I care about, I’ll gladly eliminate such providence and truth.”

“Azathoth was also a monster born that way! Do you want to become the same?”

“…”

Radios frowned with displeasure when the Librarian mentioned Azathoth.

Only then did the Librarian realize his mistake and stammered an excuse.

“I-I don’t think that would happen. You’ve walked the right path until now.”

“Then where is the Akashic Record of my life?”

“The Akashic Records of the living are not revealed to anyone.”

“Azathoth could see his just fine.”

“He died and came back to life. Do you consider the pre-death Azathoth and post-death Azathoth the same person?”

“I suppose not.”

“Then you understand.”

According to the Librarian, Azathoth was able to live because he was resurrected through Subduing Dead.

This meant that Radios could see the book recording Azathoth’s life before death.

Conversely, it meant that beings resurrected through Subduing Dead leave no record in the Akashic Records.

In a way, they could be seen as those who resisted fate.

It would be correct to say that even pre-death Azathoth ultimately lived according to his fate until he escaped that chain of fate through Subduing Dead.

“Never damage the pages of the dead again. Even I cannot be certain what ripples it might cause.”

“Say, Librarian.”

“What is it?”

“You seem to know a lot. Would you mind sharing some of that knowledge?”

He seems to consider himself an agent from beyond truth.

Given that he even tested whether one could enter the Akashic Records…

He probably knows more about the Akashic Records than I do.

But the Librarian wasn’t so accommodating.

“I have no right to tell you anything.”

“I suppose that’s fair. Everyone has the right to remain silent.”

“Since you’ve come this far, the advice I can give you is…”

“Have you perhaps heard of this? The right to violence.”

“…Hmm?”

The Librarian felt a chill run down his spine.

What is this guy talking about?

Right to violence? I’ve heard of the right to remain silent, but what’s the right to violence?

Yet the Librarian couldn’t easily open his mouth.

A sense of foreboding washed over him, as if asking what it meant would result in something terrible.

The problem was that the Librarian was a being who felt immense pleasure in resolving his own questions.

Once a question arose, he had to ask about everything.

It was like an instinct he couldn’t resist, even if he didn’t want to.

The Librarian, knowing what future awaited him, still smiled brightly and asked:

“I’ve never heard of it. What is this ‘right to violence’?”

“It’s the right to beat someone up.”

“W-wait a sec— AAAAARGH!!”

Before the Librarian could finish saying “wait,” Radios quickly flew through the air and delivered a drop kick to his ribs.

KWAAAANG!

“Kuhak! L-let’s talk this out! This isn’t right! We’re civilized beings with intellect!”

“Sorry, but I’ve found that people respond better to beatings than words.”

“What twisted logic!”

“Honestly, I could verbally beat you down too, but this seemed faster.”

WHACK!

Radios pulled the Librarian back up after he was knocked away, then drove a knife hand strike into his solar plexus, infused with the Ascended Order of Judgment.

“Kuh… Kuuugh…”

The Librarian, having a form similar to a human body, apparently had similar vulnerable points as well.

His body, having received such a massive shock all at once, couldn’t breathe and rolled on the floor.

Radios looked down at him with a cold gaze.

“Will you talk, or not?”

“D-do you think you can return after doing thi— urk!”

“Don’t be mistaken, Librarian.”

Radios grabbed the Librarian by the hair and pulled him up again as he tried to show defiance to the end.

He couldn’t stand properly due to the pain coursing through his body.

But Radios’s Ascended Order fixed the space where he stood in its exact form, allowing them to meet eye to eye.

“I will never give up until I save the people I care about.”

“..!”

“Even if it takes 100 years? 1,000 years?”

RUMBLE!

As Radios planted his foot firmly, the Ascended Order of Judgment coursed through his body and surrounded the Akashic Records.

The Librarian gasped in shock when he realized what Radios had done.

“Y-you really…”

“I’ve used my Ascended Order to fix time in this space. Everything flows, yet doesn’t flow. Do you intend to endure until the end in such a place?”

“…”

The Librarian finally squeezed his eyes shut at Radios’s threat.

He was a being who could even stop time within the Akashic Records.

Of course, the records themselves would continue to be written.

In other words, the Librarian was trapped with Radios in an infinite loop.

And that meant if he didn’t talk, he would be beaten endlessly.

Finally, the Librarian surrendered completely.

“I’ll… answer honestly about what I know…”

“Tell me how to revive dead people, no—how to revive people whose fates have been suspended.”

“…I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“I’m merely a librarian who has managed the Akashic Records. I cannot possibly know how to rewrite fate.”

Radios stared into the Librarian’s eyes for a brief moment to test if he was lying.

Unfortunately, his words were the absolute truth without a hint of deception.

“Then I’ll change my question. Who determines the fate prescribed to people?”

“I don’t know that either. I’m—”

“If you continue to exercise your right to question by saying you don’t know, I’ll have no choice but to exercise my right to violence again, Librarian.”

“How can I say I know something I don’t know! I don’t fucking know!!”

The Librarian showed his agitated emotions to Radios, even cursing out of frustration.

Although he had only been hit with a drop kick and a knife hand strike…

For the Librarian, it was the worst pain he had ever experienced.

He was willing to answer questions about things he knew, but how could he answer what he didn’t know?

“Then I’ll change the question.”

If he kept pressuring him like this, the Librarian might start crying.

Thinking this, Radios moved on to the next question, not wanting to see such an unsightly scene.

“Where is the ‘real’ administrator of the Akashic Records?”

“..!”

“Think about it. If we assume the Akashic Records’ will determines people’s fates, could a mere librarian manage all that?”

“T-that’s…”

“Besides, you said you can’t see the records of those whose fates continue to unfold. Doesn’t that mean you can’t see them within your authority?”

“…”

The Librarian maintained his silence as if he had nothing to say.

To Radios, this was as good as an affirmative answer.

“Where is it? The door to the administrator.”

“…”

“If you won’t open it, I’ll burn every book here to force it op—”

[Please stop. I will open it for you.]

As Radios showed signs of truly intending to burn all the books,

A young voice echoed throughout the Akashic Records, stopping Radios’s actions.

Only then did Radios understand.

That the Akashic Records, called the core of this universe, belonged to the owner of this voice.

As evidence, the Librarian immediately bowed his head and closed his eyes when the voice was heard.

Given the circumstances, it was obvious that the voice belonged to either the Akashic Records itself or its administrator.

“So there’s another space besides this one?”

[Yes. I will open it for you, but please don’t inflict any more violence on the poor Librarian.]

“Then shut up and open it.”

[…Yes.]

Radios was already at the end of his patience.

It had started as a plan to save people by paying a price to the realm beyond truth.

But somehow, the deeper he went with talk of Akashic Records and such, the more complicated it became.

“I’d like to ask for this to finally end now.”

With those words, Radios…

Entered the space opened by the mysterious voice.

And after sensing that his presence had completely disappeared, the Librarian…

“That fucking bastard… that son of a bitch…”

Rubbed his chest, already turning dark blue with bruises, and shed bitter tears of indignation.