Chapter 13
A pain like every cell in my body was tearing apart ripped through me, and my vision blacked out for a moment before returning to normal.
"Ugh……."
Even after the loop ended, the agony lingered in my body.
At first, it hurt so much I couldn't even twitch a finger….
But as time passed, the pain ebbed, and I could finally move.
Only then did the scene around me come into focus.
This time, I'd landed in what looked like someone's living room.
But it seemed no one had lived here for a long time—no lights were on, and trash rolled around, scattered by the wind blowing through an open window.
Thinking back to my arrivals with the other loops, there should be a heroine nearby.
But no matter how I racked my brain, I couldn't think of any heroine who'd live in a dump like this.
…Who the hell is it?
I was sure I hadn't given any heroine a slob setting.
As my head grew tangled with those thoughts—
Creeeak.
The door to the room in the darkest corner of the house swung open, and someone stepped out.
…!!
Deep dark circles under her eyes like severe insomnia. Red pupils so empty they felt hollow, fangs with bits of food stuck to them.
And countless scars slashed across her wrists—too many to count.
The one who emerged from the room was definitely a heroine I knew.
But she looked nothing like the one I remembered.
"…Ah."
Sylperion's eyes locked onto me. Then, emotion began filling those vacant red irises.
It wasn't the longing I'd seen in Selphira's gaze.
Nor the love from Kartellis.
No, it was clearly—
"…Why are you here."
Rage.
"What right do you have to be in this place."
Sylperion strode to the kitchen and snatched up a kitchen knife nearby. Her eyes burned with immeasurable fury.
"S-Sylperion, put that down first and let's talk…."
"Our Creator has no business being here, at the very least."
Crack!
Sylperion's hand clamped down hard on my wrist.
Kartellis had always shown some tenderness even when dragging me somewhere….
But all I could sense from Sylperion gripping my wrist was pure rage and murderous intent.
"You birthed us into this world and then abandoned us. What nerve do you have showing up here?"
"Sylperion…."
"…Every single day was hell."
As if to prove it, her sleeve slipped down, revealing her arm covered in countless scars.
"To the point where cuts on my wrists don't even hurt anymore."
Scars that remained even after a loop reset.
How much pain must she have endured to leave marks like that before the loop even triggered? I couldn't even imagine.
"What was your time like without us, Creator? You look like you lived pretty well just by your face. Before the loop, you were happily flirting with Kartellis, even going on dates."
"I don't think we were flirting that much…."
Before I could finish—
Sylperion stabbed the kitchen knife into the glass window behind me and dragged it down, snarling in fury.
"Do I look like I'm joking with you right now?"
The blade had nearly grazed my neck if I'd shifted even a little. My breath caught, and I shook my head in response.
"Then you get it. Why I'm this angry."
"…It's because I didn't show my face for so long."
Sylperion gave a small nod at my answer.
"Yes. You vanished without a word, so long ago I can't even tell how much time has passed."
"……."
"And because of that, the world turned into this mess."
Screeech—!
Her grip tightened on the knife, scraping the blade against the glass with a piercing screech.
"That's why I resent you so much, Creator. If you were going to birth us into a world like this, you should've never made us at all. And…."
She drew closer, her red eyes filling my vision.
"If the world was going to hurt this much, you should've left us ignorant of any warmth."
Her words dredged up old memories.
- Creator! Take this before you go!
The Sylperion from back then had followed me second only to Kartellis. I'd showered her with affection in return.
But was even that just a fleeting memory before the infinity of time?
After repeating through countless loops, the Sylperion finally standing before me resented me. Destroying even herself in the torment.
"…I resent you so much."
Deep down, I'd half-expected something like this.
While heroines like Selphira and Kartellis still loved me, there had to be ones like Sylperion whose hearts had shattered into hatred.
But seeing it for real….
It hurt. So much.
This girl, brighter than anyone, broken like this because of my mistake.
Maybe that's why.
Even in a situation where one wrong move could get me stabbed dead, I wrapped my arms around Sylperion.
My heart moved before my head.
"I'm sorry."
Her shoulders trembled faintly at my words.
"…You think saying sorry now makes it all go away?"
No matter what I said, her wounds wouldn't vanish.
But turning away from this chance to ease her pain, even a little… wouldn't that just carve them deeper?
"I don't think a simple 'sorry' will erase your scars that easily."
"Then why apologize…."
"That's why I'll prove it with actions. For the remaining week."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"…You think a mere week can heal my wounds?"
"Of course not. But… if this week doesn't do it, then the next one we meet. If that's not enough, the one after. I'll keep showing you."
Silence fell for a moment.
Sylperion didn't hug me back, but she didn't shove me away either. We stayed at a distance where a fist could fit between us.
"…So typical of you, Creator."
She let out a low chuckle.
Not joyful—more like a scoff.
"Always acting like you'd take full responsibility, then vanishing without a single word when we needed you."
"…I'm sorry."
"Enough with the sorrys. I don't want to hear it."
She released her grip, and the kitchen knife clattered to the floor. The clang echoed long in the quiet house.
"A week, huh…."
Sylperion looked up at me directly. Anger still lingered on her face, but something else flickered there too.
"…What's to stop you from vanishing again in that week?"
"I won't this time."
"How can I believe that?"
I couldn't answer her question right away. Asking her to trust me would be too irresponsible now.
"…You don't have to believe me."
"What?"
"It's okay if you don't. Just watch."
I tightened my arms around her, pulling her closer.
To show her with actions, not words, that I wouldn't run.
"Even if you push me away, get angry, curse me… I won't leave this time."
"……."
"If that's the punishment you choose, I'll take it all."
Her brows furrowed faintly, as if she couldn't comprehend. As if I was saying it too easily.
"…For real?"
"Yes."
That ended our exchange. A moment later—
Sylperion pulled away from my embrace, as if she'd made up her mind. Her gaze drifted to the trashed living room.
"Then the first thing we do is decided."
"What?"
"Get out of my house first."
Her blunt words made me wonder if her heart was still closed, but her next ones proved otherwise.
"…It's too filthy to look at. No point sticking around when you've already seen it. And this was the place where I was falling apart… I don't want to show it to you for long."
The raw emotion in her voice was so clear that I nodded.
"Got it. Anywhere specific you want to go?"
"Hmm."
Sylperion pondered, then turned to me.
"At least for today… somewhere that doesn't smell like blood."
"…Got it."
As she headed to the entrance and paused, her fists clenched tight.
"…Don't get the wrong idea."
"Okay."
"This isn't a chance. It's a test."
Gripping the doorknob, she added—
"If you hurt me again this time… then really, I won't ever see you again."
The door opened, and outside light filtered in. I watched her back in that glow and answered carefully.
"…Yeah. I'll keep that in mind."