104 – Encounter – 2
Dite Chernobog.
The head of Avatar.
This is literally the final boss of the original.
The first appearance in his original work was when the name ‘Avatar’ began to be known in the work.
To be precise, it was when Sofia started traveling around the empire with Leon in order to receive the revelation of her as a saint.
Sophia stops by Reinus to thank her adoptive mother, Hecate, before leaving for her journey, where she meets a man who is in crisis because she has no money.
And Sophia and Leon helped the man as if it were natural.
‘My name is Linus Felt. Thanks.’
When the man says his destination is Bellion, the city of artists, Sophia and Leon suggest that they travel together since they have to stop by Bellion anyway.
The man says thank you and accepts the offer, and the three travel together for three months. After arriving in Bellion, Linus says goodbye and leaves.
‘It was a short but enjoyable trip. I hope we can meet again next time. I really want to pay off the debt you guys helped me with.’
Sophia and Leon also agree and break up with the man, meet Olivia and get her saint’s ring.
When I read the original work up to this point.
Most readers responded similarly.
The character named Linus will surely reappear later and show various performances.
Even in the middle, there was a description that seemed to hide his skills, so that’s for sure.
When Sophia and Leon are cornered, Linus will come and save them.
Of course, I was also one of the readers who thought so.
Since the chaos of the empire was depicted in a candid way, I naturally thought that the more the main character’s strength, the better.
And Linus is also the first episode in head-to-head confrontation with Avatar.
In other words, it reappears in the battle with Rex.
At the time, Leon didn’t have a holy sword, so there was no way to stop Rex’s super-fast regeneration.
Rex quickly regenerated even if his limbs were cut off by the pincer attack of the five senior knights, Sofia, and the crown prince, and literally drove them to the brink of death.
The one who suddenly appeared was Linus.
Every reader must have expected it.
You must have imagined a scene where a ray of light descends in despair.
But Linus shows up and points at Sophia and Leon.
‘Let these two go, Rex.’
He gives the command
And tells Sophia and Leon to go back.
The two of course say they can’t do that and show a willingness to continue fighting, but when the five knights say that now is the time to lay down their lives and plan for the future, they eventually gritting their teeth and backing down.
And Sophia and Leon ask him for his real name right before he runs away.
‘I am an avatar. His name is Diet Chernobog. He is your enemy.’
Dite answers that, and as the two turn their backs and leave, he speaks one last time.
‘Debt paid, Leon, Sophia.’
A lot of readers must have felt stabbed in the back of the head at that scene.
Because I never thought that the foreshadowing of the statement that I would pay off my debt would come back like this.
Of course, you would have believed that you would join us as an ally in the future and be helped.
I understood the contents, but I read it over and over again.
Of course, there was no such thing as a change in development.
Anyway, after that, Diet reappears in the final battle with Leon and Sofia, but of course he is defeated and dies, so the original story has a happy ending.
And the final boss, Diet Chernobog, is now….
“To be the same as me. What does that mean?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know, Ike. Because you guys have no talent for acting.”
For some reason, he was talking to me in the park in Akkad.
“In the first place, you should know that the situation that you know me right now doesn’t make sense.”
Similar.
It literally means that he and I are in the same situation.
There is only one thing that can mean in this situation.
“I bet you know that too. This world now is the past.”
… It was a little bit different from me.
If I’m possessed, then is that a regression?
But I don’t need to explain that.
“In other words, you and I are given a chance to change the future.”
“… I guess so.”
“Since when did you realize that this world is the past?”
I thought I’d give a truthful answer to Dite’s question.
If he really did a regression, he’ll definitely have some information to glean.
“Four years ago.”
“You are much older than me. It’s only been a few months at most since I’ve seen future memories.”
“… Then I will ask you this time. Why did you come to Akkad now? Is it okay to think of the meaning of the appearance of the head of Avatar in the current situation of the Empire as a kind of declaration of war?”
“It’s not like that. The reason I came to Akkad now is to talk with you. It has no purpose other than that. Even though my identity has now been revealed with that evidence, I am not taking any action. You know, if I start rampaging here now, this place will become hell.”
Date’s words were true.
He drove Sofia and Leon into a corner even in the final battle, and in a way he was more powerful than Rex.
“But now I am defenseless in front of you. Even alone None of Avatar brought them. I want you to know my truth.”
“… If you are alone, it means that if I hold you here, everything will be over.”
“Are you kidding me that you’re going to catch me by yourself? It’s ridiculous. Even if you catch me, don’t you think I’ll stay still in the meantime? It must be an innocent victim, but is that really okay?”
“Everyone will understand.”
“Don’t be a clumsy provocation, Ike. If you were a human who didn’t care about such damage, Avatar would have already perished. I don’t care about the problems of Elam and Cassis, and if I mobilize the Empire’s power, Avatar can’t win anyway.”
I couldn’t resist.
The reason I’m sitting still is because I don’t know what kind of damage will happen to my surroundings in the end.
I wouldn’t be able to beat him in the first place.
“Let’s talk comfortably.”
In the end, I quietly nodded at those words.
“At first, I thought it was just a dream. But at some point, I realized that this wasn’t a dream. And only then did I understand. How you guys have interfered with our plans.”
“… Did you come here to avenge that?”
“No. Again, I’m simply here to chat with you, Ike. Can’t you understand how I feel when I find out there’s someone just like me?”
I can understand.
In the first place, I’m not a regression, but a possession.
When I didn’t respond in any way, Diet let out a sigh of regret.
“Yes. You said it’s been 4 years already. If it’s that much, I might not think much of it.”
“Well, something like that.”
“Yes. Then let me ask another question. After I died in the original future, what happened to Astraia?”
Is this a question that needs to be asked?
I thought so, but Dite’s eyes looking at me were endlessly serious.
“The organization that brought chaos to the empire has disappeared, so of course it has become peaceful.”
“… Are you serious?”
Incomprehensible, Diet frowned at her.
However, the original work actually ended with the same feeling of Everyone Lived Happily.
The story after that has never been published separately.
At that thought, I quietly nodded.
“Is it that you don’t know how to see reality, or is it really like that….”
“Yes?”
“Nothing.”
Dite looks disappointed.
What kind of answer did he really want?
That said, I didn’t mean to say that I wasn’t actually regressing.
“Is it okay if I ask you a question this time?”
“Yes.”
“Avatar is defeated. Then when you returned to the past, couldn’t you just give up and end everything?”
Of course, it was already too late to turn around.
But I couldn’t help but ask this question.
Why do you dare to confront the Empire?
If you knew the future of Avatar’s destruction, wouldn’t you be able to let go of everything?
To my question with such an intention, Dite answered immediately without hesitation.
“Impossible. The significance of Avatar’s existence is the destruction of Astraia. And the revival of the empire. Even if you know that the future is doomed, you cannot give up. No, rather, since we have returned to the past, we should prepare more reliably and achieve our goal.”
“Knowing that we can create a future where no one gets hurt?”
“Yes.”
I couldn’t figure out why Avatar was so obsessed with the fall of the empire.
Even in the original novel, the reason why they wished for the empire’s destruction was not revealed until the very end.
I thought that if I could figure out what ‘Resurrection of an Empire’ meant, I could use it as an ingredient for negotiations, but Diet seemed unwilling to talk about it.
“Okay. So my last question. No, it’s a suggestion, Ike.”
Dait looked at me, then he slowly held out his hand.
“You too, come to Avatar.”
“… What is that?”
“I already know what you want.”
Then he held my shoulder with his outstretched hand and continued talking.
“This is probably why Reina Rogelia wanted you to go back in time. To save her, who was the most unjust victim in the battle between her Avatar and Astraia.”
“….”
“I will never fail this time. Astraia is destroyed, and the empire is revived. Eliminate all factors that would hinder it. And you and Reina Rogelia rank pretty high among those distractions.”
“You mean I want to enter Avatar for mutual purposes?”
“Yes. I will destroy Astraia. You save Reina Rogelia. And as long as you come to Avatar, Avatar will never lay her hands on Reina and Zelia. Then you and I, it’s a story where no one loses.”
It may be so.
No matter what happens in the end, my ultimate goal is to create a future where Reina doesn’t die.
If Reina were to die in the fight against Avatar, I might lose the will to live.
“Come into Avatar, Ike.”
But.
“I will decline.”
I couldn’t accept that offer.
“Why?”
“That may be the best way for me, but it is not the best way.”
“To give up your best for the best. An arrogant ideal.”
“Because my lord wants me to do so.”
At my answer, Diet fiercely raised the corner of her mouth.
Certainly, as he said, he may be more than arrogant.
“It’s unfortunate, but what I want is a future where everyone can smile. I don’t want to give it up.”
But I couldn’t give up the best for the sake of the best.
Because Reina Rogelia’s knights are stronger than anyone else.