Ariman, who copied everything Han Soo-young, including her face and voice, looked at Han Soo-young without a word, as if waiting for an answer.
It just stood there like a doll, without a series of movements such as breathing or blinking. I didn’t know that it was called the Unpleasant Valley, or that a feeling of displeasure and disgust, as if looking at a wax doll in the shape of himself, would cling to the nape of Han Soo-young’s neck.
‘… Nope.’
It wasn’t that kind of hatred and rejection.
It had something different from any seven evil species she had ever met.
This was the disgust and rejection by that ‘something’.
Han Soo-young didn’t know what it was.
There was only one thing she could know, and that would be more than enough to lead her to ruin.
In fact, a lot of things she had were warning about it.
The ring and shield he received from Yoo Ji-hyuk, the proof that he and he are colleagues.
A dagger handed to her by her teacher and parent, Nam Hyeon-hwa.
The lens that is showing the dull pain and strange ringing felt on the forehead that another self who has been blessed with the worst future has been blessed.
Even the mysterious book that Ariman mentioned.
Everything was warning her.
What the hell was the warning, she knew without asking anyone.
And, as if he had known about that fact before, Ariman spoke out with an insignificant attitude.
– In case you misunderstand me, as long as I am a Seven Evil Species, I may suggest anything, but humans, spirits, dragons, and undead… In any case, all objects, protection, and blessings of all beings, except for the same Seven Evil species, reject us.
– I recommend that you do not make your own decisions by others.
―It is your choice, and the price to be paid and the result that will come from that choice are also yours.
– Don’t forget it.
His words carried a strange magical power.
In fact, if it weren’t for a dagger that trembled faintly with a pounding, stabbing headache, he might have been seriously considering his words.
– One last question. Are you willing to accept the offer?
– You only need one help for me. Of course, I do not ask to kill the people around me, betray me, or the like. I ask for work that is limited to just me.
“… What the hell is that? You don’t have to know what to think or not to do.”
– I will tell you the details if you accept.
Ariman looked at Han Soo-young with an inorganic gaze.
Han Soo-young looked at him and looked just like him, so he was afraid for a moment, wondering if his eyes would be like that too.
― In return, I will tell you the truth of this world that I know of, and free you from the prophecy that you will kill Yoo Ji-hyuk.
would you accept it?
At that, Han Soo-young was silent.
There were only two options.
So, from the beginning, she had only one answer.
“no.”
In her head, another and a warning that she had uttered, who had lived in a future she never wanted to face, came to mind.
‘Avoid conversations with Ariman as much as possible.’
She said that even while she was dying of blood engulfed by the poison of the Seven Evils.
‘His appearance, his voice… Everything that makes up him breaks and destroys the minds of those who come in contact with it. A person with weak mental power or weak energy will melt their brain and die just by looking at it. It becomes even more dangerous if we talk or face each other.’
It was as she said.
What it means to literally melt your soul, Han Soo-young was only able to experience it today.
‘Especially if he suggests something to you, you should avoid it. His words go beyond oaths and have the same effect as a prohibition. If you accept it with a simple thought, you will surely be in big trouble. You must never say that you will do it, even as a joke or in empty words.’
‘It’s best to avoid it as much as possible, but there will definitely come a situation where we have no choice but to talk. In that case, decline firmly and clearly. Because that’s enough.’
‘… Yes, but it will probably be difficult. He knows what the other person wants and thinks. So, know what the person wants and stimulate it. Above all, he has the power to manipulate people’s memories.’
‘But, you and I… Yeah, we don’t have the power of him.’
‘… Why do you think?’
“I do not need.”
Han Soo-young rejected Ari-man’s offer and looked straight at it.
Ahriman just shrugged his shoulders as if he had no regrets at all.
It looked like he was making tea on purpose.
– I’m sorry.
– I make the same offer only once.
– I hope you don’t regret it.
It was just muttering like that.
Han Soo-young looked at Ari-man without slowing down, and asked a bit aggressively.
“Why are you offended because I rejected your offer? So you want me to kill you?”
– As I said at the beginning, I cannot do you any harm. whether it is intentional or intentional.
With those words, Ahriman waved his hand in the air.
Then, following his gestures, something began to gather in the air.
At the same time, the shattered pieces of glass stuck together and returned to their original shape.
Inside was Milited, who had just died.
— … Because of my actions earlier, you lost your way back to your original time and had to drift in this time zone. And I dare to use my power to make you go back.
– Do you have a little faith now?
“… … .”
Han Soo-young was barely able to swallow the horse that had filled up to the tip of her throat.
Because there was no need to tell him anything.
You can’t ruin everything for instant gratification.
―If I disappear, the distortion in this space will disappear soon. Then you just have to stand there and wait.
― If you use the revived Milited there, you will be able to return.
―The guy in the bottle is only alive, and all connections with the body have been cut off. Memories of the past will not be shared with the main body, so ask that man to devour the existence. Then Milited wouldn’t even know what you did.
Ariman said so and ran his hand over his face once.
Then, just like the ice cream at room temperature melts, the face that resembles Han Soo-young begins to swell and melt.
– One more thing to add.
It spoke in a terrifying voice as if it were melting as well.
―When you realize the truth of this world, or when you are forced to choose in front of a prophecy.
― Call my name if you feel like you will be eaten by a reality you can’t resist.
― I am only offering one proposal.
– But there are exceptions to every principle.
― At that time, please, I would expect you to give me a different answer.
With those words, Ariman disappeared as if he had not been there from the beginning.
Han Soo-young, who had been staring intently at him, only then let out a rough breath and sat down.
“haha… .”
Han Soo-young nodded and pressed her hand to the corner of her mouth, thinking that she would recall everything inside at any moment.
Even though we simply met face to face and talked a few words, I couldn’t keep my sanity.
My body trembled even more at the thought that if I had relaxed even a little, maybe I would have confessed to him everything that was inside without me knowing.
‘Another me, how the hell did I fight something like that… ?’
While holding onto her trembling body, Han Soo-young continued to breathe deeply as if she was trying to calm her breathing somehow. While reminding myself over and over again that I endured it well in my heart.
“Dog, child… !”
After calming down to some extent, Han Soo-young quietly spat out abusive language towards Ari-man.
The last words he said were a curse.
Realizing the truth of this world, he had no doubts that she would collapse and be frustrated in the face of the fate of having to kill Yoo Ji-hyeok.
That is why Han Soo-young was able to whisper to herself that she endured it well.
the truth of this world?
It wasn’t even funny.
“What do you see people as? !”
The truth of this world he was talking about.
The truth is that the world he lived in was just a world in a game.
I already knew about that.
And also what role he was assigned to.
“Damn… .”
Han Soo-young just quietly clenched her teeth, wiping away the dripping nosebleeds.
Suddenly, the thought that I don’t want to be alone came to my heart.
Right now, I just wanted to see Yoo Ji-hyuk’s face.
It was just that.
* * *
[…] So what are you going to do now?]
I waved my hand slightly at Sbangali’s question.
“Well. First of all, I think we need to clear things up a bit.”
[Well… That’s right. So many stories went by so quickly.]
But the first thing to do was decided.
I looked at Gina, who appeared to be in a deep sleep in the crystal.
The crystal that surrounds the child, as it appears in the letter, was from Yuno, the Seven Evil Servant.
In fact, when I put my hand on it, I could feel the unique energy of the Chilak sect, even faintly.
“… Minerva, you can’t break this, can you?”
[I don’t know if it was right after being covered in crystals, but it seems like it’s unreasonable since a long time has already passed. Above all, if you try to break it forcibly, it may damage the body inside.]
“I guess… .”
I didn’t even expect it in the first place, so I nodded and drew the world tree and smashed the periphery of the lens.
Even if the lens was unreasonable, the walls and floor that were in contact with the lens were irrelevant.
Soon after, it was time to put the huge crystal into the shadows.
[The energy of the Seven Evil Bells rejects Henir’s shadow!]
“Ugh!”
At the same time as the notification window popped up, an unidentified intangible force pushed me wildly.
To be precise, it had pushed back Henir’s shadow.
The force of the push was so strong that even though he pierced the floor with the branches of the World Tree and fixed his body, his momentum did not diminish at all.
“Suck!”
At that moment, Minerva jumped out of the shadows and grabbed me as if snatching me from behind.
Her wings and tail wrapped tightly around us, and shortly thereafter we were slammed rough to the floor.
“… Baby, are you okay?”
“Uh, thanks.”
Whoops, I could feel a much hotter breath than normal people right behind me.
Minerva, who had been hugging me tightly in response to my answer, gently let me go.
“Thank you for your help. just… I was just a little surprised.”
I got out of her arms and got up immediately.
And he didn’t forget to hide his half-burned finger so that she couldn’t see it.
Fortunately, other than that, it seemed that neither of us were seriously hurt.
“… It’s Yuno’s barrier.”
Minerva rose from her seat following me and muttered, retracting her wings and tail.
“He was one of the most skilled in shielding among us. Even so, I can’t believe that I put a barrier this strong along with the crystal… .”
As she brushed away the dust on her clothes, she looked at Gina, who was trapped in the crystal, with a new look.
“I think he’s your little sister… Hmm, hmm. So ah, ah… You seem to have considered Mr. a very threatening enemy.”
She nodded her head, muttering so as not to be heard along the way.
I asked her quietly.
“Do I have to kill Yuno to destroy that?”
“I can’t be sure, but it is.”
[No, I’m sure.]
Sbengali, who was interrupted along the way, said so.
[I’ve definitely heard that all the barriers he had spread here and there disappeared when Yuno was sealed. It’s just that in the case of your sister, it’s the remnants of Yuno and the barrier that the fragments have spread, so it hasn’t disappeared. However, all the fragments of Yuno are subordinate to Yuno. When he dies, they will all disappear.]
I quietly nodded my head at those words.
“Then you have one more reason to kill him.”
[…] So what now? Are you going to leave it alone for now? I think it will be fine in about 150 years anyway.]
If you think about it rationally, he was right.
Even if this place collapses, that lens will not be broken or damaged.
But why?
Something inside me was warning me fiercely that I should never do that.
If you do, with a warning that we will never meet again.
Sbengali murmured as if he had vaguely noticed my thoughts.
[Is it a barrier that responds according to the will of the person it comes into contact with? But with that kind of power, I wouldn’t even be able to touch it. However, it is impossible to leave such a thing anywhere for 150 years or just leave it alone… .]
“Wait a minute.”
His words reminded me of something I had forgotten for a moment.
black tube.
An item created by the blacksmith of Yado, only for me.
In addition, the clone that Milited had summoned was also imprisoned.
Taking it out of the shadows, I opened the lid of the coffin without hesitation.
I couldn’t help but mumble as if quietly admiring the scene unfolding.
“… You were right, Belluna.”
It was true that she said that if she refused the suggestion of the blacksmith of Yado, she would surely regret it.
I thought so as I watched the lens blankly sucked into the tube.
After a while, the black tube, which had absorbed the lens, closed by itself, and the lock was firmly locked with a clicking sound.
“yes?”
In the meantime, I could confirm that the color that was filled with the last time I put in an alter ego is now almost half filled. Only then did I realize that it was indicative of the capacity I could fit inside.
half in two.
So, does that mean that there are only two things that can be put in this now?
“… … .”
What came to mind at that time was about the alchemy-speaking ternity that I had shared with Milited a while ago.
He said that he could not revive someone who had become an alter ego by his own power, and if he wanted to revive him, he would need that person’s whole body and soul.
Then, the body and soul separated from one’s own body and soul can be combined into one, and if that is the case, theoretically, the person will be able to achieve a perfect resurrection.
There are Cass Lyle and Alice Blesbuck, who can be said to have inherited all of Milited’s knowledge of alchemy.
There, I obtained a body and an alter ego.
Then all that was left was the soul.
“… Ariman.”
The only thing that came to mind was the name.