“The imaginary plane…”
I vaguely realized that this place was not a space existing only in my ‘imagination.’ The wind blew in the silent darkness. The air brushed against my skin, and the swirling sound coming from behind me. I was standing by a cliff. I had returned to the place where the Crown had tested me.
“…I’ve arrived.”
I reached above my head. The Crown of Thorns, made of magical power, floated above my head. However, it was weaker than usual.
There wasn’t a hand pulling me over the edge this time.
I glanced behind. Then, taking a step towards the light, I moved forward. I didn’t know if the Holy Sword or something else was waiting for me at the end, but my intuition insisted that I walk towards that light.
So, I walked. I moved silently without saying a word. Even though I used the Crown’s power, the light didn’t get any closer. I didn’t expect to reach it quickly in the first place, so I kept advancing.
“…Still, it feels quite far.”
As I continued to move, there was a subtle change in my consciousness. It felt like my diligent footsteps and my constantly thinking mind were being separated. I walked with the sensation of moving my body in a dream. There was no effect, even if I tried to stop random thoughts and focus on my body.
I moved for a while and then stopped to look at my hand. Inverting the back of my hand and looking at the palm felt incredibly awkward.
『That is evidence that you have started shedding your sins.』
Then, out of nowhere, a voice echoed in the air. I was startled, raising my head. It was familiar. I couldn’t distinguish whether it belonged to a man or a woman. Was it the one within the Crown?
“…Who are you?”
『The remnant of the one who initially created this space. You might even consider me the heir of this realm. You seemed to think I was the former owner of the Crown, but well, it’s not entirely incorrect. Anyway, who I am doesn’t really matter in the end.』
The voice spoke with amusement. As I remained astonished without uttering a word, the voice continued.
『I never knew someone could exploit people’s faith like this. I’m still debating whether this is a sinister act or something truly for them.』
The voice circled around me as if observing every part of me, resonating with curiosity. I consciously turned my body toward where the voice was coming from, trying to perceive the unseen gaze. It wasn’t like a mark imprinted on the Crown; had it been here all along?
『Well, as long as that faith saves people, I believe it’s fine. What happens next is for later consideration. You’ve genuinely made the best choices and always achieved the best outcomes.』
The voice seemed to be waiting for me to speak.
“How much are you willing to answer?”
『Everything you’re curious about.』
I nodded. I decided to ask the first question that came to my mind. I briefly pondered whether to speak formally, but then I remembered I had never done so.
“Where is the Holy Sword now?”
『When you say the Holy Sword… you must be referring to that girl with white hair.』
The voice chuckled as if it was familiar with the human form of the Holy Sword.
『She is over there, beyond this isolated space. Wielding the sword, relentlessly cutting through the approaching shadows, darkness, and destruction.』
I became aware of the sheath on my waist. The Holy Sword wasn’t there, and in its place was Null. The consciousness of the sword was expanding alongside me. It couldn’t speak yet, but it might soon start a conversation with me.
『There’s no need to ask why you came here… I suppose.』
The voice said with a snicker.
『That one told you not to give up on human happiness and live, but you really are as stubborn as she is. It’s probably the nature of those burdened with the destiny of salvation.』
“…Salvation is too much. It’s just my stubbornness.”
『In this world, the concept of salvation doesn’t necessarily involve arrogance. If it helps you escape from an unwanted death, what else can you call it but salvation? It’s rather dumb not to acknowledge that as salvation.』
The tone was mocking yet sympathetic, and I decided to set aside discussions on topics that wouldn’t lead to agreement. I slowly began the question I needed to ask.
“What does it mean to start shedding one’s flaws?”
『It means you’ve cast aside the outer shell of a human and reached the realm of the divine. Didn’t you know?』
“I knew at least I should transcend… but I didn’t know anything beyond that.”
『….』
The voice remained silent, but I could sense the entity beyond the silence, contemplating.
『Don’t tell me you still don’t know what kind of existence you are.』
Who I am? I furrowed my brows. Before I could open my mouth to answer, the voice began throwing questions incessantly.
『Genuinely, do you not know who you are?』
The emphasis on ‘genuinely’ caused my furrowed brow to smooth out. At that moment, I felt a different meaning might be hidden within those words.
『Ha! This is amazing. Are you telling me that, to ensure you can live happily ‘this time,’ she didn’t even let you know such a fact? What an amusing girl.』
White-haired woman…Did it mean the Holy Sword? Was there more that she had to tell me? I began piecing together the words like a puzzle, but the voice wouldn’t leave me in peace.
『Do you have memories from before being chosen as the Hero?』
What?
『To be precise, do you have memories from before wielding the Holy Sword? Information about where you were born, your parents, and the life you lived before becoming an adventurer?』
Faced with the torrent of questions, I found myself deep in contemplation. Memories before being chosen as the Hero? Memories before wielding the Holy Sword? I couldn’t think of anything. What was the purpose of these questions? Was the voice trying to understand my essence? The fact that I am a vessel?
『No, it seems not. It was a mistake to ask in this manner.』
The voice sighed. Along with the sigh, a faint breeze brushed through, gently ruffling my hair.
『Tell me your name.』
Name. I spat out the words without any hesitation.
“Elroy. No surname. Just a commoner.”
『No surname, you say.』
The voice chuckled softly.
『Have you ever seen a person in this world without a surname?』
“Yes…”
『Exclude the Homunculus. I am talking about ‘humans.’ Well, in terms of being created, you two have something in common.』
For a while, I remained silent, and the voice asked again.
『And I wasn’t asking about that, Elroy.』
The voice suddenly became cautious and secretive, whispering in my ear. I couldn’t stop the icy chills that emerged in my heart. The discomfort and uneasiness became so heavy that it felt almost terrifying. Unconsciously, I stepped back, trying to distance myself from the voice.
『You probably think that you fell from an outside world and suddenly entered the body of the Hero. You might think that you experienced an unreasonable event due to an unimaginable force and that this world is entirely different from where you used to live.』
Time and space seemed to freeze. I found myself frozen in place, having taken a step back. Like a relentless besieger, the voice dropped a bomb on me with a question.
『Tell me your name, possessor.』
My name. The name I had before becoming Elroy.
I attempted to respond, but my voice wouldn’t come out, leaving me startled. The name…the name I had before entering Elroy’s body in this cursed world—.
“Ah…, ah….”
『Do you understand a little more now?』
Mocking laughter echoed in the voice. However, my ears heard nothing.
What was my name?
『Let me tell you something interesting, Elroy.』
Forcing air through my non-responsive lungs, I struggled to breathe. The voice clicked its tongue.
『How did a possessor who has never experienced a battle fight so well? How did you grasp the art of wielding a sword in a few months and comprehend the mysteries of the sword, capable of defeating giants that could bring about the end of the world? How could someone who has never stepped forward to save others bear such a sense of duty and noble sacrifice?』
I couldn’t maintain my balance. I staggered, struggling to stay upright while holding Null. The blade made a scraping sound as it touched the ground.
『’Possessor Elroy’ never existed in the first place. Haven’t you ever considered it this way? There was no concept of the ‘original work.’ The novel title, I Will Never Go Back, is quite interesting.』
Don’t say absurd things. If that’s the case, how did I make choices opposite to what Elroy did, and how have I been able to grow until now?
『It was possible because the ‘Holy Sword’ spoke to you. Then why didn’t the ‘original work’s’ Holy Sword speak to Elroy? Why couldn’t the ‘original’ Elroy awaken the Holy Sword?』
A sound echoed as if something had fallen to the ground. It was probably the noise of my body collapsing. I gasped for breath, unable to bear the sudden influx of information and its weight.
『If the ‘original work’ doesn’t exist, what in the world is it? If there’s no ‘original work,’ what is this world? And what kind of existence are you?』
『You are not the first ‘Hero.’』
The light, which seemed like a needle hole, was gradually expanding. No, it wasn’t that the light was getting brighter; I was getting closer to it. The light shone in an area barely big enough for one person to enter, and the darkness couldn’t invade it.
『The entity you call ‘Holy Sword’ wasn’t originally contained in the ‘Holy Sword.’』
And amid that light, a woman held a sword, standing tall and resisting.
『The first owner of the Holy Sword. The first Hero, the embodiment of light, the archenemy of the monsters.』
There was no focus in the woman’s red eyes.
『Forged to vanquish evil and witness to the beginning of myth,』
At that moment, the sound of the shadow being cleaved resonated particularly loudly.
『Isha.』
The Holy Sword’s blade never dulled. However, right now, the razor-sharp edge is not targeting evil.
『That is the name of the person you knew as the ‘Holy Sword.’』
Her sword moved.
『 Like the monsters left in her wake, she created something that could stand against the evil from the remnants of light.』
She fixed her grip on the sword.
『She called it Elroy, the one who shines the light.』
She cut through the darkness.
『And the ‘first story’ written by the protagonist she created became the ‘original work.’』
She swung her sword.
『The ending of the first story… Isha concluded it with an ending she hadn’t anticipated. Elroy died in the middle. The strongest human couldn’t resist the evils.』
She was forced to take a step back, blocking an attack.
『The world faces destruction. And after countless eons pass in chaos, Isha awakens once again.』
She pushes forward with the same lifelessness.
『The ruthless God of Light, to completely expel monsters, preserved Isha’s memories. And she recreated you once again. Full of regret and guilt.』
She looked around expressionlessly.
『The ‘original work’ is essentially your memories and Isha’s memories. I am, in a way, a lingering trace of that version of her.』
I Will Never Go Back
『That was what drove her.』
The Holy Sword…no, Isha swung the sword once again.
Translator’s Corner
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. First, I used italics and bold for the voice of the crown, but seeing that continuously is just a pain to read, so it’s just italics.
Second, sorry for taking so long for another chapter. I could’ve done one much earlier, but I wanted to take a proper break after all the school stuff. Now that I’ve run out of stuff to do, I’m back to translating. I’ll try increasing the pace as I have nothing better to do with my time.
-Ruminas
