~Congratulations, Jared. Neron succeeded.~
The dark mist parted right before my eyes, and I could no longer sense any aura of Nether around me.
Everything that existed, that I could feel and sense, in the vast expanse of space… was pure Aether.
"He really achieved it." I muttered.
The Nether was gone and the threat he could ever pose to this reality—and others—was removed completely.
"Neron… really did it."
I wanted to be the one to end the Nether, but after looking at all the conditions, I realized that it could have only been achieved by Neron. I was simply a cog in the machine—a piece in the puzzle to put all the necessary conditions in place.
Surprisingly, I wasn't frustrated.
A strange sense of satisfaction washed over me as I looked towards my world from the distance where I stood.
It looked so small, yet so vast.
Thanks to Spellcraft and Aether's presence within me, I could feel everything there. I could see my allies all safe, their faces displaying relief. Ciel had already been defeated as well.
My gaze trailed away from them and went in the direction of the Eastern Kingdom.
All the denizens were safely there, but my focus was more on one girl in particular.
"Maria…" I whispered in relief.
She didn't seem to be harmed in any way. That was more than enough to soothe my heart.
'However…'
It didn't change the fact that so many people had lost their lives. It was beyond tragic to see the aftereffects of the war on a global scale. As I took in everything at once, the satisfaction I once felt began to dissipate.
So much death.
So much carnage.
So much chaos.
"Aether… these people… is it possible to—"
~Their Souls aren't with me.~
My eyes widened in shock as I heard this.
"W-what are you talking about?"
All souls belonged to Aether. Once people died, they became one with her. Yet… ah, how could I forget the corrosive effects of Nether!
Were their Souls destroyed before they could make it to her?!
~No, that's not it.~ Aether's voice interrupted my thoughts, sending me into more confusion.
If it wasn't due to Aether or Nether, then what could have happened?!
"I can explain." A voice suddenly appeared behind me, as a warm touch tingled my shoulders.
I swiftly turned back and much to my relief, it was Neron.
"You're back! You did it. That's—"
"It was all part of the plan, Jared. I apologize for using you as a pawn. It is understandable if you despise me for deceiving you for so long. It was all to ensure that everything went according to plan."
Even though Neron was shrouded with such unfathomable power, one that dwarfed even the one I had access to, he was still the same person I remembered.
His gentle face never changed and a warm smile spread across his face.
"It's as you said before. I was necessary. That's all there was to it." I returned his words with mine.
I knew exactly what I would have done in his position. I knew what I would sacrifice for the greater good.
"It was well worth it, but… what did you mean by your earlier statement?"
Aether seemed to be aware of the current issue that plagued my thoughts and so did Neron. It had to do with those who had perished as a result of the chaos.
"I suppose it's time you received the memory that was taken from you, Jared. Once you remember, it'll all make sense." Neron spoke, coursing energy through my body.
In an instant, everything turned blank.
And then deep within the recesses of a seemingly endless pit, a new light emerged.
*
*
*
I saw it all.
The plan that I had devised with Neron… about how the war would play out and how we could achieve victory.
"Use your Time Immersion to flow upstream into the flow of time and see all the casualties. That way, we'll know the ones that will die and the ones that won't." I had said.
Since it was impossible to cater for the Souls of everyone in the Alliance and to form Soul Brands with everyone, this was the best I could have done.
"We'll use Soul Brands on them to siphon portions of their Souls. I'll preserve them in the Soul Container in my possession."
That way, even if their Souls were completely corroded by Nether, there would be backup Souls left to rely on.
"Afterwards, use [The Fool] to erase the memories of all the candidates whose souls we will be storing. That way, the future won't be changed."
I had even asked him to erase my memory, just in case.
Only Neron remembered this task, so that when the time came… we would return all of the dead back to life.
*
*
*
"That time has arrived, Jared. Would you like to do the honours?" Neron nodded in encouragement.
I understood what his gesture meant.
Even though I wasn't able to deal the final attack on the enemy, I could still help all the dead beings who required revival. With the power I currently possessed with Aether, it was possible.
'This will be the last thing we do together, won't it?' I smiled, preparing myself to unleash the swelling power within me.
~Indeed. This was only a temporary arrangement, after all.~
I couldn't deny how much I was going to miss the feeling that currently swirled within me. Being one with the world around me and being capable of so much power.
It was amazing beyond words.
"Very well. I'll do it."
Once I made up my mind, I summoned my Soul Container and poured out all the stored fragments back into the world.
Once I did, I initiated the process of [The Hanged] man, which was stored in my Great Sage's Memoir.
Back in the world, bodies began to form, and life swiftly became restored.
Thanks to Aether's help and Spellcraft, the process was swifter than I expected.
In no time at all, everyone was revived.
And so, as the world was renewed and a new aftermath greeted me, I felt Aether leaving my body while her final words soothed my heart.
~You did it, Jared. You saved the world.~
*
*
*
[A/N]
Another happy ending.
It seems all is well…
