༺ Truth (3) ༻
A voice was heard.
“All preparations must be complete. The seven souls, eight legacies, and nine powers.”
Renee didn’t respond.
‘It’s an illusion.’
She already knew this was one.
The reason she recognized this manner of speech directed at her was because her past self had prepared these words in advance for such a situation.
Everything leading up to this point must have been her plan.
Renee felt what could only be described as hope.
‘There’s a way.’
There was a way to save Vera.
A way to defeat Alaysia.
Clenching her fists tightly, Renee focused on the voice she heard.
However, reality never flowed as one wished.
“You’ve done well. Now, I will tell you what must be done next.”
The calm voice continued, conveying an answer completely different from what Renee had wished for.
“You must make him the Tenth.”
***
Once more, time began to flow.
The thunderous roar, the tremors, the screams. They all shook Renee’s entire body.
She trembled violently as she endured them.
Tears she couldn’t stop flowed down her cheeks.
The words left by her past self were far too cruel, leaving her unable to do anything but to sit helplessly.
The way she had shown Renee was this.
– Alaysia’s existence cannot be erased from Providence. The only way to erase her soul is through an existence outside of Providence.
Alaysia was immortal.
To damage that immortality required violating Providence itself.
– The Tenth. You must make him the Tenth, and have him pierce Alaysia’s heart.
Therefore, Vera had to become the Tenth.
– He must become the Tenth himself, bring an end to Alaysia, and then perish.
Vera had to accept that.
Clench—
Renee bit her lip.
It was a natural reaction to having to destroy the man she loved with her own hands.
However, she had no choice.
‘…I have to do it.’
If it meant being able to eradicate Alaysia after so many sacrifices, this had to be done. She could not let her personal feelings steer her in the wrong direction after coming this far.
Vera wouldn’t want that, either.
Renee clenched her hand around a pendant.
It was the legacy Orgus had passed onto her.
Wooooosh—
A pure white divinity was unleashed, enveloping Renee’s body and the pendant in her grip.
The battle ceased.
Alaysia, the Tenth cradled in her embrace, and the ones attacking them—
All froze and looked at Renee.
For the first time, Alaysia’s smile faded.
“Don’t do ittttttt—!!!”
Renee’s tears fell onto the pendant.
Right after, a blurry cluster of light arose around them.
– This must be undesirable. Yes, surely it is.
As she prayed, her thoughts repeated the final words she heard.
– So, I will tell you how to save him.
Renee activated what had been prepared as she was told.
– Fortunately, we have the power to save him, don’t we?
And prepared to part with Vera.
***
Vera stood straight, facing Ardain directly.
“Did you avoid it? Did you give up because you couldn’t stop her yourself?”
[I cannot make excuses.]
“Does that give you peace of mind?”
[What can I do even if I feel uneasy?]
“…Did you come this far only for that?”
Vera asked and awaited an answer.
Clearly, Ardain must have said something to Terdan, so this alone couldn’t fully reveal his reasons for doing all this. That was why Vera asked.
– When the Time of Promise comes, our era shall end. This land will truly be free from its shackles, leaving only pure possibilities and the unknown. Prepare yourselves. On that day, my siblings, you shall finally see the end of this long nightmare. Welcome the coming Shepherd, bearing only proof of my existence.
“You still haven’t told me everything.”
If the Shepherd mentioned in his words was Vera himself, then Ardain had to answer him.
Ardain observed Vera’s expression.
His deeply furrowed brows, the tears not yet dried, and amidst it all, the light blazing fiercely in his eyes.
Everything about him was different from Ardain.
As he had peeked into the future, Vera was a truly upright man.
So, Ardain spoke.
[…I wished for our era to end. I thought that this land has now bloomed so beautifully, so it should no longer be swayed by our will. I also believed that the remnants of the past should now step aside.]
He was revealing what he had been planning for a very long time.
[I wished for my siblings and I to finally close our eyes at the end of this long, long duty.]
Vera could finally grasp Ardain’s intentions.
“So you wished for me to become the sacrifice.”
[I’m sorry.]
“There’s no need to apologize. No matter what you say, I won’t accept it.”
Vera turned his head to the side.
There was a cluster of light approaching from afar.
Gazing at the light, Vera let out the words.
“Just be free. That was the revelation, surely.”
At that, Ardain raised his head.
Still gazing at the light, Vera continued.
“But, you don’t look free at all.”
The words criticized him.
Yet as he said them, Vera felt no regret.
As far as Vera knew, Ardain was the greatest creation.
He was someone who could grasp every possibility in his hands, and erase even his own karma with his power.
But the reason was that he didn’t.
Vera thought.
This all happened because Ardain is a coward.
“I don’t revere the Gods.”
The approaching cluster of light took shape.
It was an enormous door.
“I don’t believe in the faith they bestowed upon me, either.”
Vera instinctively knew.
If he opened this door and moved on, he could return to reality.
“So I won’t hesitate to do what I believe is right, no matter their common sense.”
Vera placed his hand on the door.
“As far as I know, this is more fitting for the word ‘freedom’ than what you imagined.”
He opened the door and walked through.
Ardain stared blankly at his fading back, repeating the words Vera left behind.
[Freedom…]
Had he ever truly been free?
Had he ever properly faced the Parent’s revelation?
At the questions arising, Ardain gave a belated answer.
[…Indeed.]
Perhaps he hadn’t really been free, Ardain thought.
***
A hazy cluster of light threaded through the space, an intense brightness that seemed to dye everything a pure white.
When it faded, those present held their breaths at the revealed form of the Tenth.
“Sir Vera…?”
As Albrecht muttered, the Tenth bore Vera’s appearance.
It wasn’t exactly the same as before.
Ten jagged horns still sprouted irregularly from his head, and the aura he emitted was unholy.
The six faces on his body were gone, but from where they had been, a black impurity had bloomed to cover him.
It was impossible to tell if this was the completed Tenth, or Vera who had broken free of the Tenth.
In that tense moment, the voice that flowed out fortunately brought them joy.
“Alaysia.”
The hostility-laced words revealed that this was indeed Vera.
Vera looked at Alaysia.
He regarded the evil with a look of disbelief.
Then he bent down and picked up the Holy Sword at his feet.
Buzzzz—
The Holy Sword cried.
Despite the corruption flowing from his body, the Holy Sword that knew the righteousness of his intent readily offered itself to Vera.
Vera smiled slightly.
“Yes, let’s end this.”
Whoosh—!
The unleashed divinity had a form that was reminiscent of black oil.
It enveloped Vera’s body and the Holy Sword.
Vera accepted it.
‘Beyond Providence.’
A power beyond the rules the Gods used to create this land.
The possibility they had engraved into this land.
Vera sensed this would be the blade that was forged to end Alaysia.
“Don’t make me laugh…!”
Vera raised his head.
What entered his vision was Alaysia, her face twisted grotesquely as she glared at him.
“Give back Aru.”
Tears of blood streamed down Alaysia’s face.
Her torn body exposing her organs now looked pristine again.
Furious that the plan she had spent ages preparing for had crumbled, Alaysia charged at Vera.
She reached out to grab his neck, but failed.
Swish—
With a clean slicing sound, Alaysia’s arm fell off.
As she then tried to strike out with her other arm, Alaysia halted, noticing something off.
“Huh…?”
Her body wasn’t regenerating.
The severed arm remained as it was when it should have regenerated during the time she extended her other arm.
The belated realization struck her.
That sword is dangerous.
“You rotten bitch.”
Vera uttered those words and swung his sword once more.
Alaysia’s legs were then chopped off.
Thud—
Her body collapsed onto the pool of blood.
Without stopping, Vera swung down again, bisecting Alaysia at the waist this time.
“Ah… Aaaah…”
Alaysia couldn’t comprehend what was happening.
It was only natural.
From the moment of her birth, she held immortality in her hands. She had an eternal existence that could never be threatened.
As such, she had never felt danger or pain.
The emotion welling up now was incomprehensible to her.
It constricted her breath, heated her head.
It was an emotion that shredded her thoughts to pieces.
What Alaysia felt was fear.
Swish—
Her remaining arm was sliced off.
“Aaaahh—!”
A wretched scream echoed across the room.
Clear tears formed in the corners of Alaysia’s eyes as she rolled about, dragging herself across the ground and trying to get away from Vera.
Vera watched her every move intently.
He slowly walked behind her.
Then, as if to observe her pathetic struggle until the end, he murmured.
“I will not pity you.”
The ones present could only watch the scene with chills running down their spines.
“With all the evils you have commited, I will never sympathize with you. Not even your longing for freedom, nor the desperation of your love, nor your endurance over that long period of time. In the end, you fulfilled all of that through evil, so I will curse you for eternity.”
Alaysia couldn’t hear his words over the unceasing pain and the terror of the looming shadow of death nearing.
Like a child, she cried out a single name.
“Aru…!”
“He’s gone. You tore him apart, you bitch, so he will never exist before you again.”
Vera knew.
The man he had unconsciously confronted was merely the lingering vestiges of a consciousness, now entirely powerless.
Now that he himself had awakened, Ardain was truly erased.
“Aru…!”
Alaysia’s wails echoed as she left a trail of scarlet behind and came to a stop.
She had run out of strength.
“Just die already.”
Vera held the Holy Sword that was stained black in reverse.
And thrust downwards.
Pierce—
The sword pierced through Alaysia’s skull, digging into the ground.
