Chapter 98: Complete – The Sky of the Crescent Moon (1)

‘My mind feels a little dizzy. What on earth is happening? More importantly, my lower body feels a bit damp. And I have a strange, peculiar feeling….’
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It felt as if my body was floating.
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“Ugh, euk….”
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When I regained consciousness and got up, the sun was already high in the sky.
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‘The sun?’
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I had momentarily forgotten that I was underground.

A slight chill ran down my spine, and I looked around.
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“Huh?”
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It was the same everyday scenery I always saw.

The Bureau’s facilities, where the sun couldn’t be found even if I searched high and low.
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September 31st, 2000.

13:31.
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There was nothing unusual about the date or time either.

What on earth did I just see?

Drip, drip.
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Only after realizing I had wet the bed did I snap to attention.
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‘Wh-What on earth am I doing, something I didn’t even do much when I was Ianna! Did I drink too much water before bed?

No, more importantly, what did I do before bed? Why can’t I remember? Th-That Queen b*stard did something to me!’
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I was so flustered.

I quickly got out of bed and tidied it up.
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Ah, are you listening now?
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Suddenly, the radio crackled.

The Bureau’s radio wasn’t anything particularly important.

Given the era, it was just a matter of intricately tapping a tremendously large radio to receive a call.
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Along with crackling static, someone’s voice came through the radio.
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Do it… now. The chance is…… once.
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It was an incomprehensible message.
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‘Do what now? How many chances? What on earth happened to my head…… huh?’
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The date written on the calendar was strange.
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September 31st.

There’s no such date.
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And, at that moment.
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“Huh?”

“Ah, are you awake?”

“You, you… what are you doing here?”
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I woke up again.

Were all the things I had seen until just now a dream?
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My body was neatly laid out on the bed.

Very neatly.
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The Queen sat by my bedside, continuously fiddling with something.

Sometimes pulling it long, sometimes cutting it, or even fumbling with it.
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“…You, youuu.”
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I couldn’t even scream.
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“Yes?”

“Wh-Wh-What are you doing!!!”
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What the Queen held in her hand was none other than a pink, wrinkled mass.

That is to say.
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“I’m modifying the information.”

“D-Don’t say such things with that face!!! Get down immediately!!! What on earth are you doing!!!”

“You’re the one who broke the rules first. So I have to punish you, right?”

“Punishment, what on earth!!!”
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The Queen split my head open in an unspeakably horrific way.

Then, she was slowly cutting or stretching ‘that thing’ inside my skull.

For some reason, I felt no pain at all.

Nor were my thoughts or emotions affected.

Everything was the same as usual.
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‘Let’s calm down. Anyway, this body is as good as made by the Queen. Honestly, she can probably violate the laws of physics lightly. More importantly, I need to figure out what the Queen is aiming for… What does it mean that she’s modifying information?’
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“Q-Queen….”

“Yes?”

“Will you… hold me? I’m a little scared…….”

“Yes!”
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The Queen grinned broadly, then stopped fiddling with my brain and hugged me.

I felt her warm body temperature, but no matter how I thought about it, I could only conclude that the monster was mimicking a human.
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“It seems the modification is already done.”

“Modification…?”

“I was thinking of making your personality a little gentler. Similar to your name! More importantly, don’t approach Anna from now on. Understand?”

“Y-Yes.”
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‘As if I would? I’m just acting right now. Just you wait. I’m curious to see what happens when Ianna finds out the truth.’
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The Queen left the room with light steps.

And I was left alone.
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‘More importantly, why did I have such a dream? I have to find a clue.’
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Usually, I wasn’t the type to attach much meaning to dreams.

But this time was different.
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Something felt ominous.

And I was tense.

A sensation like scratching a chalkboard with fingernails.

I had also heard a voice that was somehow clear and familiar.
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‘What on earth could it be…….’
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I left the room to do my usual chores, no different from any other day.

Even if my common sense had been altered, it didn’t mean I could just play around.
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‘I have to diligently catch unidentified entities and maintain peace.’
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‘…However.’
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For some reason, the Queen would rush to wherever an unidentified entity appeared and diligently beat it up.

Even though they were her own kind.
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That sight was a little absurd, but, well.

She seemed like a creature devoid of blood and tears.
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The Queen usually partnered with Ianna, and their achievements were enough to write a new history for the Bureau.

I would occasionally encounter the two, offer a light greeting, and then withdraw.
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“Um…?”
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Each time, Ianna would show interest in me.

But because the Queen was beside her, I couldn’t approach.
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And.
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September 38th.

04:64.
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The intervals between having strange dreams became shorter.

I don’t know the reason. The same scenery repeats every time I dream.

A sky where a strong sun and a full moon coexist, blue clouds and thick fog filling the sky and land.
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Goosebumps rise all over my body when bizarrely grotesque shapes begin to appear one by one.
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And.
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You know the way, don’t you?

Every time I try to leave the room, someone’s voice comes from the radio.

Of course, I didn’t lightly ignore such a voice.
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Because the memory of this dream alone remained incredibly vivid, I always clearly remembered the voice from the radio.
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Not yet…

I’m waiting

…Only… is there.

It’s not over……
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The voice isn’t clearly audible.

But, I could tell one thing.
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‘It wants something from me. Is it an ally? Or an enemy? Come to think of it, when the Queen slept in my room, I didn’t hear any voices or have any dreams.

Can I consider it an ally? In this world, most things can’t be trusted. How should I act…….’
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“U-Um, Queen….”

“Yes?”

“I-I give up…….”

I decided to make a bold move.

The day I first ‘pretended to submit’ to the Queen, I experienced something I had never experienced before.

Since that day, I hadn’t seen or heard any dreams or voices at all.
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And after several months of diligently avoiding contact with the Queen.
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…Is it there?

Not yet.

Liv…….
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Again, I started dreaming and hearing voices.
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‘It’s certain. I can consider it an ally. Now the problem depends on how I interpret the content of the voice.’
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Day by day, my body is becoming more emaciated.

Ianna…
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​She nursed me with a worried expression, but my physical condition didn’t particularly improve.
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“Oh, that? You’re dying. It was fun while it lasted.”

“I-Is that so.”
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The Queen’s answer was quite shocking.

The time limit had already expired.

I had lost, and Ianna seemed destined to become the Queen’s plaything.
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Of course.
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‘Not yet. Not yet. There’s still hope.’
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Putting together the hints from the dreams I’ve had so far, it’s as follows:
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As you know, it’s not over.

If you want to know, tell me.

It’s something you need to know.

Yourself.

Begin.

It’s not too late to begin.

You must begin.

Before you can no longer begin.
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‘The content I heard in a familiar female voice mostly started with the word ‘know.’

All the words from the somewhat pale-sounding female voice started with ‘begin.’ If I connect these two letters.’
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Alsi.
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Al. Si.
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R.C
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Usually, I didn’t pay much attention to occult things, ghost stories, or spirits.

Because there were many other things to worry about.

However, I knew the term R.C. check.
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A way to confirm a lucid dream.
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‘…Now everything has become clear.’
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I don’t know who it was, but the external voice was telling me to do an R.C. check.

I immediately bent my fingers and went around shouting that it was a dream, among other bizarre behaviors.
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“Are you going crazy now that you’re about to die?”

All I got was an unnecessary scolding from the Queen.

My fingers wouldn’t bend, and others’ reactions were also indifferent.
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However.
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It finally became certain.
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The term R.C. check didn’t simply mean to check if it was a lucid dream.

It meant that this world itself was a lucid dream, a falsehood.
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No matter how powerful the Queen was, reversing time would be impossible.

Moreover, altering the common sense of this many people would be even more so.
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The creature’s arrogance left countless loopholes.

And I slipped through those loopholes.
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“…Ianna.”

“Uh, yes?”
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I immediately went to Ianna.
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‘The Ianna in front of me is likely the real one. Because that thing said it extracted Ianna’s personality. If so, there’s only one answer.’
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I will perish.

And revive Ianna.
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“Kill me.”

“What did you say?”

“There’s only one way out. The switch is probably me.”
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Ianna stared at me with an extremely bewildered face.
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“There’s no time. Hurry.”
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Ianna’s complexion turned pale, and her body froze.