Chapter 228: Mobius (12)

KWAANG!

With a heavy explosion, Mobius’s time rewound. The world remained the same, yet before Mobius’s eyes, a horrific past began to replay, accompanied by a clear blue light.

The time on Mobius’s room clock is 2:53 PM. A blue explosion occurs in the magic tower visible from the house window. You know it’s an explosion that happened in the laboratory where Merilda is helping with research. A man in a gown dangles from the railing before falling with a scream.

“Aaaaaaaah!”

Mages are casting protective spells to shield the pedestrians below.

The smoke, spewing a deep blue, then vomited red flames, dyeing the entire laboratory. Immediately, a wall made of magic power blocked the hole in the building, like a dragon breathing fire.

People stopped dead upon hearing the magnificent explosion. Their faces held endless questions demanding comprehension of the situation. Inside the barrier, falling stones and fireballs looked like mere parts of an entertaining show.

“Hah… Hah…!”

Mobius opened his eyes again. The world was still as it was. The ruined basement, the sturdy glass tube, the swirling dust clouds.

Nothing had changed.

Only their expressions had changed.

Mobius met the gaze of Petunia Titi, who was looking at him with pity.

Then, he met the eyes of women looking at him with puzzled faces and a certain man with a devilish smile. The moment their eyes met, Mobius felt a sense of unease and gritted his teeth.

“You bastard…!”

“Scared of the explosion?”

“Sh, shut up…!”

Mobius waved his arms, pretending to be fine, but it was no use. The magic he struggled to cast forward was blocked by one of the women’s barriers, and Petunia shot an arrow again, pushing Mobius back.

“Scared of the explosion, huh?”

As the man asked again, Mobius shouted.

“What, what am I supposed to be afraid of! I’m not afraid of anything!”

Mobius didn’t realize that saying you’re not afraid is something you say when you are afraid. He banged furiously on the glass tube and yelled.

“My granddaughter is in here! I haven’t lost anything! I have nothing to fear! Don’t think you can mess with me!”

“Mobius…”

But the shadow of fear cast upon his face only gave Evan more conviction. Petunia Titi’s hand trembled as she drew her bowstring, and Milia, with her sharp eyes, was preparing a counterattack.

“C-come on! Bring it on…!”

The cramped basement.

KWAANG!

Mobius couldn’t use powerful magic either, because of Sylvia in the glass tube.

KWAANG!

Titi and Milia also had to hold back, afraid of hitting Sylvia.

KWAANG!

In this place where everyone was being careful, only Evan was smashing the Imperius’s power core.

KWAANG!

“Ugh, ughhh…!”

Mobius’s face twitched. He aimed at Evan’s back and cast magic again.

“Do you think I’ll let you get away with this!”

Lightning gathered from all directions, taking the shape of a dragon at the tip of his staff.

Just as the giant lightning dragon filling the room was about to strike, Petunia Titi gritted her teeth and drew her bowstring, while Taffy gathered dark energy with both hands and fired a pitch-black sphere.

As the sphere and the entangled arrow met the dragon’s gaping maw,

A powerful wave encompassing the entire basement surged, scattering Milia’s clothes in the wind.

Petunia Titi’s robe, draped over her shoulder, was ripped away by the wind, and Taffy had to lie flat on the floor, folding his wings. Mobius’s hat flew off and was sucked into the hole, and his barrier cracked once more, showing an ominous sign.

And then.

KWAANG!

Evan was laughing, his eyes glowing blue. He infused his demonic energy and punched the power core. The Imperius, having been hit five times in total on its power core, shuddered and puffed steam like a wild boar, unable to withstand the impact any longer. Evan aimed the cannon barrel towards the wall.

KWAANG!

Smoke rose, and blue flames flashed before Mobius’s eyes.

“Grandpa. I’m going to the magic tower.”

Merilda’s voice echoed. Mobius had returned to the memory of the past without realizing it. Everything in the world was the same, but he was buried in the past.

Without waiting for Mobius’s reply, Merilda opened the door and ran out like a cute baby bird.

Baby bird.

One of Merilda’s childhood nicknames was Skylark. It was a nickname given because her voice was pretty and her toddling gait resembled that of a small bird.

With those same childhood steps, Merilda walked towards the tower, slow and cheerful, as if walking in a dream.

Mobius.

You too start running, reaching out your hand to stop Merilda as she heads towards the tower.

But you can never reach the tower.

When you run until exhausted and open your eyes again, you find yourself sitting on the bed, gazing at the tower beyond the window. The tower beyond the window stands tall and sturdy, but you know that it will crumble.

The nightmare you’ve always seen in your dreams and the visions you’ve had every time you heard an explosion repeat themselves.

The time on Mobius’s room clock is 2:53 PM. A blue explosion occurs in the magic tower visible from the house window. You know it’s an explosion that happened in the laboratory where Merilda is helping with research. A man in a gown dangles from the railing before falling with a scream.

“Aaaaaaaah!”

Mages are casting protective spells to shield the pedestrians below.

The smoke, spewing a deep blue, then vomited red flames, dyeing the entire laboratory. Immediately, a wall made of magic power blocked the hole in the building, like a dragon breathing fire.

People stopped dead upon hearing the magnificent explosion. Their faces held endless questions demanding comprehension of the situation. Inside the barrier, falling stones and fireballs looked like mere parts of an entertaining show.

And then, you find yourself standing at the epicenter. Amidst people falling, burned to death, only Merilda’s corpse lay peacefully. The doctor performing CPR on her shakes his head and says,

“There’s no hope. Give up.”

“Ugh, aaaaaaaah! Ughaaa! Merilda! Merildaaaa!”

Mobius tried to stand up again, staggering. But his mind kept shattering from the successive explosions. Petunia Titi said.

“Stop it, Mobius. Okay? Your granddaughter is dead. Just accept it and stop this nonsense. You know it too, right? That erasing memories is meaningless. That it’s just an incomplete game of dolls.”

Mobius, staggering and clutching his head, glared at Petunia Titi, his eyes flashing. She unconsciously took a step back from his murderous gaze.

“A, a game of dolls? You saw my struggle to escape the past as just a game of dolls? I’m not playing dolls! I want to reclaim my happiness! Didn’t you, too, dream of happiness with Wolf!”

Mobius was shedding tears. He backed away, touching Sylvia’s glass tube, and pleaded with Petunia.

“I can’t sleep anymore. Even if I hear an explosion I don’t know about somewhere, my body trembles. When I close my eyes, Merilda comes to mind. She keeps talking to me, asking why I couldn’t save her. Titi. What was I supposed to do! Should I have just gone mad and died like this! Should I have been thrown into this cruel reality, resigned, and died alone!”

Petunia Titi couldn’t answer. She could never say harsh words to the old man who was once her colleague.

“Everything’s fine and dandy, you crazy old bastard.”

And Evan, still smiling, said to Mobius. His hand was pointed towards the glass tube where Sylvia was trapped, and the other hand was firmly gripping the power core. Taffy was infusing demonic energy, and Evan’s hand was preparing to cause another explosion.

The barrier was practically broken already.

Milia was focused on defense with a sharp gaze, and Mobius shouted in a trembling voice.

“S-stop! I said stop! Don’t make me recall my past anymore! Please…!”

But Evan ignored Mobius’s desperate plea, tearing at the power core, and said.

“You fucker, she’s my woman.”

Sparks flew from the power core, and an intense red light gathered at the Imperius’s cannon barrel. The drill aimed at the wall spun furiously, and an explosion roared along with magic power.

KWAANG!

“Ah…!”

Mobius’s face contorted. Red smoke filled his vision, and a heavy roar deafened his ears.

The smoke, spewing red flames, dyed the entire laboratory. Immediately, a wall made of magic power blocked the hole in the building, like a dragon breathing fire.

People stopped dead upon hearing the magnificent explosion. Their faces held endless questions demanding comprehension of the situation. Inside the barrier, falling stones and fireballs looked like mere parts of an entertaining show.

And then, you find yourself standing at the epicenter. Amidst people falling, burned to death, only Merilda’s corpse lay peacefully. The doctor performing CPR on her shakes his head and says,

“There’s no hope. Give up.”

Then, Merilda’s corpse opens her eyes wide and asks you,

“Grandpa. Why couldn’t you save me?”

“N-no! That’s not it! Ughaaaaaaa!”

And the nightmare repeats.

Again and again.

The Imperius, still with residual magic power, roared, and blue light flickered before Mobius’s eyes.

Mobius had returned to the memory of the past without realizing it. Everything in the world was the same, but he was buried in the past.

Without waiting for Mobius’s reply, Merilda opened the door and ran out like a cute baby bird.

Baby bird.

One of Merilda’s childhood nicknames was Skylark. It was a nickname given because her voice was pretty and her toddling gait resembled that of a small bird.

With those same childhood steps, Merilda walked towards the tower, slow and cheerful, as if walking in a dream.

Mobius.

You too start running, reaching out your hand to stop Merilda as she heads towards the tower.

But you can never reach the tower.