The scent of char filled the air.
As I stepped on the crumbled debris on the ground, a strange feeling arose within me.
"Why am I here?"
I scowled, glancing around.
This place is the future.
Memories of the actions of my future self surface in my mind.
Everyone in this world is dead.
From those I was close to like Luna, Rie, and Astina, to Professors Robert, Cromwell, and Gracie.
Everyone in the academy is dead.
However, those outside the academy survived.
We won the battle.
But, can this truly be called victory?
Tap... Tap...
I gaze up at the sky.
"It’s raining."
Raindrops fall, touching my head.
With the rain, amidst the ruined buildings, I stand alone at the center.
It was a pitiful sight.
I can’t imagine what it would feel like for my future self.
If after defeating the enemy, all that remains are ruins...
If everyone is dead and you are left alone,
Even without experiencing it, my heart aches just thinking about it.
“Why... did it end up like this?”
It’s confusing.
The scenes play in my head, but what I was thinking while fighting doesn’t come to mind.
Just vague emotion surfaces.
Hatred.
A hot fury surges in my chest.
A colossal rage towards Aryandor, the leader of the Rebels, filled my heart.
Of course, this emotion is merely felt indirectly.
It’s like reading a book.
It doesn’t strongly resonate with me.
I know Aryandor must be eliminated, but when asked if he’s the object of hatred, I can only tilt my head.
However, as I process information about my future self, hatred gradually emerges.
How did this happen?
Where did it start to go wrong?
All the situations draw themselves in my head.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})“Astina...?”
Astina's death.
She died a year before this fight, this final battle, by Aryandor’s hand.
That's what the memories inside me showed.
My future self walked a path almost identical to mine.
From the time I possessed this body to now, the path is nearly identical.
But, after Astina’s death, my future self became completely different from my current self.
During my second year winter break, Astina was killed by Aryandor.
That's the timeline of this world.
After Astina died, my future self resolved,
I must become stronger.
I must become stronger to protect everyone.
Although it might seem like a similar thought to my current self, it was a vow of a slightly different shape.
In the future, I began to grow stronger by any means necessary.
After Astina's death, the future me directly went to the Astria family.
And I pushed Ian out.
I ousted Ian without hesitation, took over the family, and not only that, I began to seize all the powers around me.
In this process, the people around me were neglected.
I moved forward no matter what others did.
I thought it would be fine as long as I protected everyone.
However, the result of doing so turned out like this.
While I was dealing with other people... while defeating other enemies... everyone died.
The people at the academy couldn’t hold out.
It was an absurd result.
No matter how strong I became, there was nothing I could do when multiple enemies appeared in different places.
And after everything ended.
The future me decided.
To go back.
To forget all this and return to my original life, where I should be.
"......I'm going back."
As I mumbled to myself, a voice came.
"You're going back in the end, huh."
"Ah...... Priscilla?"
A silver wolf revealed itself behind me.
It was Priscilla.
"It's been a long time since we've had a conversation like this."
Priscilla spoke to me in a somewhat bitter tone.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})Now, I knew why Priscilla reacted that way.
The abilities I had when Astina died were not much different from now.
Of course, they were a little more developed, but the range of the abilities were the same.
When Astina was in danger, I entrusted Astina to Priscilla and went to fight Aryandor.
Of course, the result was defeat.
There was no way I could beat Aryandor.
The result not only gave me a sense of defeat.
The defeat took Astina away from me.
Seeing Astina's death like that, I couldn't stand still.
I felt a feeling of revulsion towards myself who had barely survived.
My mind was nowhere near sane.
Eventually, all arrows of resentment pointed at Priscilla, and it seemed like Priscilla and I became estranged.
Priscilla stared at me intently and quietly opened her mouth.
"What on earth happened earlier?"
The fight with Aryandor.
Priscilla couldn't understand what happened.
But I also questioned the surprisingly calm demeanor of Priscilla.
In the memories of my future self...
It felt like I said something I shouldn’t have.
Priscilla appeared nonchalant, gazing at me without concern.
Well, it was easier for me if Priscilla came out with this attitude.
It was much better than awkwardness.
"Hmm..."
I gazed intently at Priscilla, pondering.
Where should I begin explaining...
As I was thinking, Priscilla spoke first.
“It's fine. It's not the first time I've failed to understand your actions."
With that, Priscilla looked straight at me.
“You look better than I thought, though. Have you come to some realization… or… Sigh... Whatever. If you're going to go back, go back quickly.”
I tilted my head slightly at Priscilla’s words.
“Go back where?”
“Didn’t you say you would go back once everything is done? To the world you were living in.”
“…What?”
What did the me in this world… do, exactly?
To be honest, even though various memories existed in my head, it felt as if they were pages in a book, so I couldn't know everything.
I could only read down through the parts I wanted.
I pondered over the phrase ‘going back.’
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})Then, a particular magic came to mind.
A space magic that the future me could use.
This wasn't just a simple teleportation spell.
That's what my future knowledge told me.
“Could it be…”
I began to channel mana.
Brushing my damp hair, soaked from the rain, aside, I reached my hand forward.
“Portal... create...”
Then, a small vortex began to form in front of me.
The black swirl gradually widened, and a small gap began to emerge.
The dark space, dim from the rain, began to brighten with the light emanating from the small gap.
“Ah…”
Beyond the portal, a familiar scenery peeked through.
Tall, modern buildings.
A clear sky.
Numerous cars moving along the roads.
...It was Earth.
"...I can actually go back?"
I stared at the landscape in disbelief.
Priscilla, watching me, spoke.
“Yeah, so go on. I pray you never experience such events again."
“Priscilla?”
I turned my head and looked at Priscilla.
Priscilla bowed her head to me.
"On behalf of the world, I thank you. You were a hero."
I blankly stared at her solemn farewell.
Clearly, the future me had saved the world.
But I hadn't saved the people of the academy.
How would I have felt receiving this gratitude here, in the future?
With my friends and teachers dead, and nothing left, I return to Earth after a farewell from the one I fought with.
I hear the words that I am a hero.
How would it feel?
I felt like being in this place might not be a good thing for my future self.
I couldn't say anything as I looked at Priscilla, who was still bowing her head.
"Priscilla......"
Still, I thought that the remaining person needed as much consideration as possible.
"You really worked hard too. I’m going to leave now, so take care."
Saying so, I headed towards the portal.
As I stepped towards the portal, a bright light enveloped me.
"Huh?"
"Rudy......?"
Upon opening my eyes, Rie, Yuni, and the saint, Haruna, were in front of me.
The student council room of the Academy.
It seemed like I had returned to reality.
“Ugh......”
Suddenly, dizziness struck me, and I vomited.
“Rudy!”
Rie rushed toward me with a startled expression.
Then, Haruna laughed.
Rie, supporting me, looked at Haruna.
"Hey! What's happening...!"
“You may feel dizzy for a moment. It will pass soon, so don’t worry.”
Haruna cut off Rie’s words, as if she knew she would say that.
I regained some of my senses and lifted my head.
And, surveying the surroundings, I spoke.
"......What happened?"
“Uh…… I want to ask that.”
Rie, while supporting me, who was about to collapse, seated me in a chair.
Seated, I looked at everyone.
"Yuni......? Are you...... okay?"
Yuni, who was surely injured before, was perfectly fine in front of me.
Yuni, folding her arms and looking at me indifferently, said,
".....You seem to be in a worse condition than me.”
That was true.
I felt nauseous and dizzy, and my mind wasn’t fully clear.
Still, I could manage a conversation.
"Time has gone back."
Haruna uttered abruptly.
It was brief, but no further explanation was needed.
"Ti......me."
It was roughly as I expected.
I had had a rough idea since Aryandor mentioned Time Back.
I nodded and threw out a question.
"So, why did I go there?"
"Aryandor only turned back time, and you went back to the future because you were inside your future self."
"So your eyes. Time has gone back, so why are your eyes in that condition."
“I didn’t merely lose my sight. I violated a taboo, and so I received that punishment.”
"......Wait a minute."
Rie interrupted my conversation with Haruna.
"......I can’t follow the conversation, what’s going on?”
Rie spoke, placing a hand on her temple as if asking what on earth we were talking about.
Also, Yuni next to us looked at Rie with a bright smile.
"Oh, me too. I thought I was the only one who didn’t know, but it seems not."
“No, that...... sigh......”
Rie glared at me.
I awkwardly smiled back at her gaze.
“Why......”
"You, I ask only one question."
Rie, placed her hand on the desk and leaned close, opening her mouth.
"You had time to explain to me, and you didn't, or you couldn't."
"I couldn't... I just heard about this situation too..."
Rie stared at me intently.
I gave her the most pitiful, unjustly accused expression I could muster.
"......Really?"
"Really."
Rie stared at me hard and then sighed.
"Ha... okay, I got it. Then explain everything when this is over."
"Of course."
I smiled at Rie and turned my gaze back to Haruna.
There was something I was most curious about.
"How much have you interfered in my life?"
Haruna knows everything.
From the fact that I am a possessor, to the events of the future.
She was the one who knew all of it.
So, has that person been playing with the world and me from the start to the end?
Then Haruna quietly opened her mouth.
"I've done exactly two things."
Haruna smiled as she spoke.
"One was telling Astina about your future, and the other is what I just did. It applies to the present, the future, and any time."
Haruna spat out meaningful words and laughed.
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