An Unchanging Fixed Point
Battle preparations. The Outer God had begun to move. Orchestra of Mud and Flesh. It wasn't in the original story, so I had no idea who it was. Calmly piecing together the clues, the situation looked like this:
1. Laplace's forces had twisted causality. Things that should have existed vanished, and things that shouldn't have appeared.
2. My own existence had been thrown into the mix.
3. The butterfly effect. If a Laplace-faction Outer God had intervened, it was perfectly plausible for events to spiral in a completely different direction from the original plot.
The real question was how to handle it.
“……”
I made my decision. The paper would be published as planned. A mere Outer God wasn't going to derail my schemes.
Thud!
The moment I returned to the dormitory, Sonia greeted me with a dropkick.
“Where exactly have you been wandering, and only now do you deign to return?”
It hurt so much I couldn't even scream. Groaning, I clutched my waist as a dark shadow fell over me. Navy-blue bob cut. Monochromatic eyes. Sonia adjusted her katyusha headband and looked down at me.
“Take your punishment.”
“Ack— aaargh!”
Electric pain shot down my spine. After thoroughly beating her master like a dog on a hot summer day, Sonia hauled me to my feet and dragged me straight to the kitchen. A lavish feast was laid out on the neatly arranged table.
“Eat.”
“You just finished assaulting someone and that's the first thing you say…”
“Eat.”
Her ash-gray eyes flashed like she was ready to devour me. Intimidated, I quickly picked up my fork. I took a bite of the cooled karaage. It was cold, but still delicious. Her cooking really was top-tier.
“This Sonia went through the trouble of preparing a full meal and drawing your bath, yet you ran off without a word. How utterly shameless. From now on, you will inform This Sonia of your destination before leaving.”
“Y-yes, ma'am.”
“Don't just say 'yes, yes.' Apologize properly.”
“I'm sorry…”
Keeping secrets was proving incredibly difficult. Still, what could I do? A first-year high school student submitting a paper on the Graviton Bomb as lead author was bound to draw the Outer Gods' attention. The fact that I'd even tried to publish it had already caused one of those pests to throw a tantrum about watching me.
Look at that. A Trapezohedron had already appeared. The way it glowed yellow reminded me of Seti's eyes.
“……”
I'd resolved not to panic even if I was discovered. I stared straight back at the Trapezohedron. Thoughts of wanting to touch it, of wanting to assimilate with an Outer God, crept into my mind like smoke. Mental interference. Obviously, I wasn't going to touch it. I'd already fallen for that once. Fool me twice? No thanks.
The yellow Trapezohedron, which had been drawing closer as if sucking in space itself, froze instantly. Then it began to retreat, trying to hide behind the curtain.
Sonia spotted it and scowled, marching toward the Trapezohedron.
“It seems This Sonia failed to clean properly. This is a blunder of a lifetime.”
“Ah, wait—”
“Excuse me while I dispose of it out the window.”
Sonia picked up the object and hurled it outside. Normally it would have reappeared, but...
“……”
Several minutes passed, yet the golden Trapezohedron never showed itself again.
“...What the hell.”
Why had it come in the first place? Trapezohedrons usually only appeared before people they intended to possess. For it to flee like that was another deviation from the original story. At the very least, it was clear that my existence was creating massive changes.
Just as I'd promised Cartesia during our earlier conversation, knowledge of Outer God slaying was completely unnecessary. I decided to relax and think about the next paper topic instead.
“……”
Wait a second. I had a bad feeling about this.
I stood up mid-meal.
“Where are you going now?” Sonia rushed over like she was having a seizure.
“It's fine. I'm not going anywhere this time.”
“Have you finished eating?”
“No.”
“Then what is it?”
“I need to use the computer.”
I stuffed the remaining nuggets into my mouth and sat down in front of the screen. An email. I had to send an email. If my hunch was right, something absolutely terrible was going to happen during finals.
“Honey, a student sent an email.”
“Yeah?”
“Who is this?”
“No idea.”
Nayer frowned. How had her husband, supposedly an adult, reached the point where he couldn't even properly read work-related emails? She kicked Isaac in the rear.
“Stop slacking and sit down!”
“...Yes, ma'am.”
It had been roughly eight years since he'd married his wife right after graduating from the college. Isaac knelt, mourning the freedom that had been stolen from him.
“Look at this.”
Nayer projected the email onto the screen. Isaac's eyes widened.
“This is... the one from student Idel, right?”
“You know him?”
Isaac nodded. Both Isaac and Nayer were top-grade inspectors. Each had mentored Idel and Rustilla respectively.
“He's the top first-year. His swordsmanship is average at best, but the kid's got a seriously good head on his shoulders.”
“Why would that student email you?”
“We'll find out when we read it.”
After reading the email, the Clark couple nearly fell over in shock.
The message was blunt.
“He's asking for our help.”
Isaac recalled the student named Idel. The one he'd sparred with almost daily before and after midterms. The boy had no particular talent for swordplay, but his fundamentals were solid. And his endurance was monstrous. No matter how many times you knocked him down, he'd get right back up. His wounds healed quickly too. The more he got hit, the tougher his body seemed to become.
And on top of that...
“...This kid is scary, you know?”
Isaac's shoulders were trembling faintly.
The constellations were on edge.
When they'd first met, it had simply been strange. But every once in a while, just thinking about Idel made the constellations vibrate like crazy. It was an inexplicable phenomenon.
“What's wrong?”
“The constellations are shaking again.”
“Why?”
“I don't know. Let me take a few deep breaths.”
After steadying his breathing and organizing his thoughts, Isaac spoke.
“Idel isn't an ordinary student. He wouldn't send something like this as a joke.”
Considering the state of the Ether Belt, it made sense. The Ether Belt was still under repair and investigation. An Outer God could easily slip through the gaps if it wanted to cause trouble.
“We need to stay sharp.”
“You only just realized that?”
Nayer nudged Isaac's heel.
“Don't forget why we're here. It's to exterminate Outer Gods. We need to crush at least one monster before heading back, or we'll lose face.”
“...Hm.”
“What are you standing around for? Get ready.”
Late at night, the pair changed into their military uniforms, strapped on their swords, and left the quarters.
“Just what the hell is that guy...”
Far from the galaxy containing the Laniakea Federation, inside a nameless newborn black hole. The young Outer God that had just been born there squirmed, openly displaying its discomfort.
“Children.”
Shhhk!
Four Avatars gathered without needing to be summoned.
“Oligos, Meirem. Yodel, Ruzlaktia.”
They were the favored subordinates of Popurus, a newborn Outer God belonging to the Maxwell faction.
“I have a task for you.”
Popurus waved a hand, and space rippled as a clear mirror appeared. Reflected in it was a single lifeform—a Homo sapiens with black hair and golden eyes.
“Go to the galaxy I have designated and find this inferior lifeform. Kill him.”
“Will the main star not descend in person?”
“Expanding my territory in this region is already taking everything I have. There are too many enemies nearby.”
Outer Gods fought among themselves. To expand their domains. To mass-produce more forces as if from a factory. The place where Popurus had been born happened to be a wasteland surrounded by several black holes. Naturally, the Avatars couldn't understand.
Avatars had ranks. The four Popurus had called were small black holes directly connected to him by bloodline. They were on a completely different level from low-grade phenomenon entities that mindlessly destroyed everything. In other words, they were his greatest assets.
Sending all of them at once to a remote galaxy was absurd.
“Main star. What could possibly be in such a remote area?”
“I can gather quite a lot of enthalpy. Galaxies with life contain plenty of useful energy.”
“Even so, the distance is too great.”
At least several billion light-years. Even warping at full speed would take a week.
“You must still carry it out.”
Popurus waved his tentacles as he spoke.
“Graviton Bomb.”
“Graviton Bomb…?”
“That boy is trying to develop a weapon capable of annihilating us, despite his civilization's level.”
The Avatars fell silent. That was reason enough. Anything that could become a threat should be eliminated as quickly as possible.
“But main star. If we are at the mission site, who will protect you?”
“I will handle it myself.”
Popurus answered, his head rippling. It looked like a snail's tentacles waving.
“In any case, that galaxy is useful and has not yet been discovered by others. It's far, but an excellent location.”
“I see.”
Popurus's gaze returned to the mirror. The black-haired, golden-eyed boy. Idel von Rheinland.
“Another Outer God currently resides within this lifeform.”
“...!”
“But it is not strong. From what I can see of its abilities, it mostly relies on mental manipulation.”
“So its physical power is lacking.”
“Correct. I've also confirmed it doesn't communicate with other black holes. In short, it's an isolated main star.”
Sometimes Outer Gods would inhabit empty black holes in remote regions. If they didn't send separate notifications, they would simply sit in place and act like the local boss of that galaxy. In other words, they did not expand. It was proof of weakness.
The Avatars nodded and spoke in turn.
“Main star.”
“We shall kill that lifeform and erase the stigma of the fool who nested there first.”
“Once we drive it out, please move your residence there!”
“Ah, this place has too many vicious creatures. I think it would be better to finish the job quickly and flee...”
Popurus waved his hand. The Avatars vanished.
Alone inside the black hole, the Outer God fell into thought.
Get lost. This human is not one you can handle.
A laugh escaped. Was that supposed to be a warning? Rather than the local boss, Popurus was far more afraid of the black-haired, golden-eyed boy.
Popurus lifted a orb containing the flow of time. It stored the entropy that had accumulated over a certain period.
Popurus rewound, and rewound, and rewound again. Hundreds of billions of times.
“……”
He gave up.
It seemed an unchangeable fixed point had formed. This universe was, at minimum, a worldline where the boy had resolved to develop the Graviton Bomb.
Graviton Bomb. A single word terrifying enough to make even the main body sense death. Having felt that unfamiliar emotion so vividly, the Outer God Popurus soon formed a cunning smile.
It was a futile dream anyway. What could he possibly accomplish by making it?
“Heh, hehehe.”
He would be consumed by madness and cross a path from which he could never return. Popurus decided to at least offer a prayer for his repose.
“...Farewell, inferior being.”
Because he himself was a superior lifeform who understood what a funeral was.
“Oligos, are you there?”
Tzzt!
“You called?”
“Do you know why I summoned only you?”
“……”
“Because I trust you the most. Now then...”
A crystallized gem emerged from Popurus's hand. A golden Trapezohedron. It was a Maxwell-faction possession stone.
“If it proves difficult to kill the designated target directly, observe him carefully and use this on someone close to him.”
“...A possession stone. What do you intend to do with it?”
“I will parasitize that boy's brain myself.”
Popurus cackled.
Family, lover, or friend. If he lost someone close to him, even that arrogant brat would have his empty convictions shattered and collapse.