Chapter 174
Chapter 174
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 174
Chapter Title: Intermission – What She Saw Then
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***
Between life and death, Seti was a star.
A star in the night sky, far beyond distant sensations, filled with an incomprehensible void.
She suddenly came to her senses and looked around.
Stars like her twinkled here and there, and lost souls flowed by, forming the Milky Way.
After surveying such a distant place, Seti counted the stars closest to her.
The nearest ones were five stars huddled together, all staring downward without even glancing around.
I wonder if there's something fun happening down there?
As Seti tried to turn her head downward to follow their gaze, her eyes met those of a nightmare star stitched together from corpses.
It was glaring at her. Like someone who'd had something stolen.
What, you gonna do something about it if I stare back?
Seti reflexively glared back, and the corpse star departed unpleasantly.
Into the empty space left by the vanished star, a comet with a long tail peeked out.
A comet bearing a somehow familiar light.
But the moment the comet spotted her, it freaked out and fled. From its trailing tail came what sounded like "you damned—"
…A comet swearing? Must've been my imagination.
Seti stared at the fleeing comet in bewilderment. And she wasn't the only one watching its retreating form.
A long, round body, solar panels spread like wings, and a vividly emblazoned flag of stars and stripes.
What do you even call that? An American satellite? A spy satellite?
Seti tilted her head as the satellite turned its body toward her.
Just then, as her form entered the satellite's camera range—
A small star covered in sand wedged itself between Seti and the camera. As if to hide her from the satellite.
What the—? As Seti opened her mouth to speak, the sand star whispered to her first.
—You mustn't stay here now. You have to go down.
A terribly polite voice. Stars can talk? Seti asked in surprise.
"Go down? To where?"
—Please give my regards to the other five.
"Hey! What the hell does that—"
The sand star gave no reply. It didn't need to.
The next moment, she plummeted downward.
***
Seti fell from the star-filled night sky into the control room where time had stopped...
And opened her eyes while dead.
She knew it was an odd way to put it, but she couldn't think of a better one.
Her body, skewered through the window and dying, lay on the floor, while her spirit floated aimlessly in the air.
'What the heck is this.'
Seti tilted her head as she gazed at her own body cooling to ice.
Surprisingly, her body was still alive.
Well, from a medical standpoint, it was as good as dead.
Her veins were twisted, organs shattered, heart burst wide open.
If she were a doctor, she'd have already signed the death certificate. Cause: multiple organ failure and massive blood loss.
Yet it could still be called "alive" thanks to the saintess working a miracle of healing.
A miracle squeezing out every last drop of her mana, like pouring water into a sieve.
"…This girl."
Seti gave a wry smile at the saintess's face. Her pretty features were a mess of tear-soaked bandages and blood.
And that face wasn't much different from her little sister's.
Seeing her on the verge of tears was enough to stir a twinge of guilt.
Of course, no regrets. Throwing herself for the saintess had been the most rational choice.
As she turned her head with that thought, Seti caught sight of Yeo-myeong and her mouth fell slightly open.
He wasn't wailing like her sister or sobbing like the saintess.
He simply clenched his lips, swallowing the surging sorrow inside.
A quiet grief, like logs in a fire, self-destructive.
Seeing it, Seti felt sorrow and joy at once.
It hurt to see Yeo-myeong grieving, but knowing she'd be remembered as precious to him forever filled her with joy.
—Yeo-myeong…
The moment Seti unconsciously reached out to touch his cheek—
Yeo-myeong moved.
Was time starting to flow again? No, not that. Only Yeo-myeong was moving.
With a faint hope, Seti met his eyes.
Sadly, he couldn't see her.
Instead—or as consolation, perhaps—her eyes beheld something she'd never seen before.
Yeo-myeong's thoughts, or emotions.
It was an indescribably beautiful sight. His anguish and resolve sparkled like jewels, sorrow crashed like waves over his body.
Emotions or memories she didn't know swept by like comets with trailing tails, intertwining, merging, painting a single picture.
To repeat: his emotions were beautiful. Beautiful enough to be grateful for dying after seeing them.
And at the end of all that beauty…
—A bag?
Seti was baffled. Why was Yeo-myeong's emotions painting that bag?
If it had been some enlightenment or even the cleanup crew, she wouldn't have been so thrown.
—What the hell is that?
Yeo-myeong gave no answer. The black shadow blanketing the control room replied to her question.
『Be proud, First One. That is the future you changed.』
***
A voice so eerie it couldn't belong to this world.
Before Seti could whip her head around, her goddess slowly emerged from between the shadows.
『Did you enjoy the view of the night sky?』
—
Seti couldn't even reply, let alone question. Mignium's presence crushed her, sealing her lips.
『Not amusing? A pity. But don't be disappointed. Something even more entertaining is about to unfold.』
Mignium approached Seti as she spoke, then began spewing an enormous shadow from her palm.
Saaaa—
With an ominous sound, the spreading shadow unfurled like an umbrella or parasol, blanketing the control room.
Or was it simply spreading wide?
It looked almost like the darkness had opened its maw to swallow the space whole.
Whatever it was, an unreal spectacle beyond human comprehension.
Seeing it, Seti involuntarily recoiled, but Mignium stroked her cheek. The darkness touching her skin was chillingly cold.
『Fear not. This is merely bait to draw in the fool who hasn't paid the price.』
Seti barely managed a nod, and silence filled the stopped time.
Then, moments later.
Mignium turned her head and said,
『It's here.』
Seti's gaze followed.
There was Bikov, fleeing out the door.
An unremarkable sight, but her eyes—beyond human limits—perceived the entity behind him.
No, "perceived" was just a metaphor.
All she saw was a star blazing so bright it could burn out her eyes and a red giant.
"…What is that?"
The moment Seti swallowed, Bikov's eyes exploded.
Not a grand explosion, but the aftermath was far from trivial.
!
A hole punched through Mignium's spread darkness.
Just a mouse hole in a massive building, but enough to thrust an arm through.
Confirming the hole, the red giant literally shoved its arm into it.
The next instant, the veil between reality and unreality tore, and the giant's arm invaded reality.
A minuscule fraction of the giant's true power, by comparison...
But would it be so to Yeo-myeong, who had only just opened his eyes?
Forgetting fear, Seti clutched Mignium's arm tight.
She meant to say he needed help, that they had to block that arm right now.
But Mignium cut her off.
『First One, do you not trust the Chosen?』
An inscrutable tone—accusation or jest? Seti forced her mouth open to reply.
"I do. More than myself, but..."
『And still you want to help?』
Mignium smiled silently as the red arm bursting into reality clashed with Yeo-myeong.
The thing blabbered about pledges and scenarios, but to Seti, it was garbled radio static.
She could clearly see the arm overwhelming him, though.
Blood sprayed, the floor cracked. At this rate, it might be dangerous.
With desperate urgency, she tried pleading with Mignium again, but...
『First One, your heart touches me, but you are wrong.』
『Did not the Saintess of the Five Gods save you by throwing herself in harm's way? And now you seek my aid to save the Chosen?』
『Is the Saintess more important to you than the Chosen?』
At Mignium's pointed words, Seti tried to defend herself.
It wasn't like that; saving the saintess was the righteous path, so that's what she did.
But her mouth stayed shut like a locked door. Why?
As she fumbled, a fist descended on Yeo-myeong's head.
Bones cracked, body cratering into the ground. Seti bit her lip watching.
What should she do? Sacrifice herself like she did for the saintess?
But she was already dead, a spirit only. If life was her treasure, she was bankrupt.
Meanwhile, the fists hammering Yeo-myeong grew stronger.
Boom, boom, boom—!
Each quake filled Seti with helplessness. She could do nothing.
A familiar helplessness.
She'd felt it at the academy when Yeo-myeong went alone against the player, and over the city when he fought the skull dragon.
Seti looked up at Mignium.
"You're… testing me, right?"
Her goddess smiled.
『Correct. Useless slaves are discarded. Mere faith and waiting are not enough.』
A koan. And as the words ended, Yeo-myeong raised his sword and slashed the fist.
[!!!]
The red giant's ensuing scream.
Normally, she'd be certain of victory then, but Seti saw clearly.
The enraged giant widening the hole, shoving shoulder and torso into reality.
The agony and killing intent of the unjustly slain flooding through like a deluge.
Yeo-myeong seemed oblivious, but Seti held her breath.
He mustn't fight that. Not now, at least.
With that conviction, Seti forced her sealed mouth open.
"…Mignium."
A name she'd called so lightly. But now, just uttering it made her tremble.
Mignium smiled approvingly.
『Speak.』
"Give me power."
『Power demands a price. What will you offer?』
A price? I've already given everything to you and your Chosen. What more?
A sudden realization flashed through her mind. But Seti had no time to process it.
The red giant was already thrusting its head through the hole.
She squeezed her eyes shut and blurted whatever came.
"I've already given everything. So I'll take it as I please."
Punish me if you must! The afterthought never came.
Mignium's darkness swallowed her first.
『Right answer. Take it.』
***
Saaaa—
The shadows around the hole the red giant was forcing writhed.
Soon, following the girl's will, the hole began to narrow.
The giant belatedly tried to pull back in surprise, but couldn't outpace the filling shadows.
Space closed along the shadows, sealing the boundary between reality and unreality.
[Gahk!]
With left arm and half its head severed, the giant toppled beyond reality, its massive body flopping.
Behind the fallen giant stood a dripping star of blood. The giant bellowed something at it.
Not human speech, so the words were lost, but it was demanding something—and the star refused.
[To use me like this…! You're no different from the Five Gods!]
What else could explain the giant's roar?
Betrayed, the giant vanished into unreality's darkness in rage.
The bleeding star glanced between shadows and giant's back, then departed after an inscrutable mutter.
『』
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