The starry ground sparkled beneath us.
A space that felt like wandering somewhere in the universe.
At the center of this universe, I finally faced my worst enemy.
"…"
It was 'me.'
The Prophet slowly rose from his darkened form and walked forward, his long tail dragging on the ground, and his bat-like wings swaying.
We looked at each other.
"…"
"…"
And we each voiced our impressions of the other.
We were so different that it felt disturbingly dry.
"You look like a late-game self-insert villain—☆ Talking about darkness and death, while pretending to be cool. You're almost 30, isn’t it time to graduate from your chūnibyō phase♪"
"Is that really how Clara talks? Or is it a projection of some deep-seated desire to be loved by everyone after becoming a pretty girl? Either way, you should probably lose the manhood—though I guess it’s already gone."
And with that, we both clammed up, feeling uneasy.
We knew each other too well, and we were both good at hitting the other's weak spots.
"…"
"…"
With a sigh, we both guessed each other’s intentions.
We knew each other too well to miss the other's motives.
"You’re here to stop me, aren’t you?"
"You’re here to stop me, aren’t you?"
And then...
"…"
"…"
We were so different.
Our genders had changed, and our appearances were different.
We had lived different years, experienced different eras.
I had changed, but the Prophet had solidified.
But...
We were still thinking in mirror images of each other.
‘That’s probably because…’
We had made foolish mistakes,
regretted them so intensely that we reached a point where we couldn’t back down.
“It’s funny, we’ve changed so much… but when we finally recognize each other, the first thing we say is—☆”
Or so you’d think?
The surprise attack from the Pink Airhead comes with a talk—☆
It’s too late to pretend to be friendly now♪
I suddenly rushed forward and threw a punch. Ether steamed off my body as I accelerated.
The ground exploded under my feet as I stepped forward, shattering beneath me. Probably all they’d see was me appearing before them with a loud crash.
My eyes met the Prophet’s as I closed the distance in an instant.
I swung my fist toward him.
Whoosh—!!
A surprise jab, jab—☆
But the Prophet simply exposed a darkened part of his skin and stood still. It was as if his skin gleamed like that of a lizard.
Thunk—!!
My punch was blocked instantly. The rock-like durability of his skin made my hand throb with pain. It seemed he had inherited the power of the [Dragon Crouched in the Abyss].
Simultaneously, the Prophet’s fist, now resembling a dragon’s claw, swung toward me. The strength behind the punch was fierce, so I had no choice but to evade.
Whoosh—!!
I deflected the path of his punch, letting it pass by with a sound of air bursting from the misaligned force.
"…"
"…"
We ended up exchanging a blow each.
In that brief moment, the Prophet sealed the sapling holding the glass orb. Then, he muttered with a bitter tone.
“…This world is a joke. Do you know? This damn tree… it tries to build the Academy City by sacrificing the [Three Heroes] and the saintess… Ymir. That’s its fate.”
Then, he raised his darkened arm and slashed the air. Black energy spewed forth from the arc of his claw.
The thick energy of death emanated from it, an aura that seemed lethal to the touch.
Shhh—!
I countered the incoming claw-shaped energy with [Red Flower Darjeeling], nullifying it. Pink petals floated in the air, leaving a fragrant scent as they scattered.
The petals, cutting through the night sky, fluttered as the Prophet reached out through them.
“And do you know what’s even more ridiculous about this world? It has an expiration date. When a certain time passes, everything resets completely. It all ends in painful destruction.”
Then, from the outstretched arm, a massive wolf's maw appeared.
“If anything gets in its way, it immediately erases it from existence and memory…!”
The giant black maw opened greedily, tracking its prey like a massive vehicle in pursuit.
“It will make me forget the names of the people I loved—!!”
With a voice filled with anger,
countless black fangs emerged, cursing everything with the power of the seal.
“The only way to save this wretched world… was for someone to stop this insane tree, whose power even fate cannot reach!”
Even if someone was a [Unique Ether] user, they wouldn’t have the power to isolate themselves from fate.
Roar—!!
I kicked the approaching wolf’s maw with all my might.
Thud—!
A heavy impact sound echoed as the surrounding air was pushed upward, causing a gust of wind. The wolf’s maw stopped with a whimper.
In that gap, I created a wave with [Blue Sweet Macaron], and the sharp pink wave sliced through the maw, splitting it in two.
Then, I rushed forward. My fist, aimed at the Prophet, was charged with the power of a spiral.
"You’ve been yapping non-stop, you weak excuse for a man—☆"
The spiral intensified, charging with destructive force.
Vroooom…!
A massive spiral storm formed, with countless hearts swirling within. It was pure destructive power, ready to be unleashed.
Gripping it tightly, I shouted.
“What, did you think I’d just give up and say, ‘Oh, I see, you had such noble intentions!’ and run away? Not a chance—!!”
I thrust the shining pink column toward the chattering Prophet.
A radius of several meters shimmered and began to vaporize.
“I have something I can’t give up too—!!”
Boom—!!!
The space filled with starlight shattered as the ground split apart, breaking into pieces with a tremendous impact.
Amidst the destructive aftermath, the Prophet’s voice echoed.
“No.”
“…What?”
“I wasn’t trying to convince you.”
He spread his wings wide and quickly took to the sky. The dust cloud formed by the destruction dispersed in an instant with the flap of his wings.
Thoom—!
“I was just… reaffirming my resolve.”
In the darkness, countless colored ether gathered towards the Prophet. The many energies that existed within the World Tree blended together, creating an indescribable hue.
Rumble—!!
“I am.”
And beneath his wings, the power of all the beast gods that had ever existed converged. Every rule and power that governed the world merged into one, causing a powerful vibration.
“I will save this world.”
"…?!"
I hurried to block or defend—
but I was swept away by the wave of darkness that came faster.
It was like a vast ocean.
Like a vast universe.
A force so overwhelming it couldn’t be resisted.
An overwhelming… force.
Darkness,
Boom—!!!
My vision was filled with darkness.
…
…
…
When I finally began to see again,
I was in a state where I could barely move a finger.
Whether I’d been blown hundreds of meters…
or tens of meters…
anyway, I had been blasted far away, utterly disoriented.
My hair was discolored,
there were scratches on my chest and neck…
‘Oh, wait, those were always there.’
So I was always a twisted pink airhead?
I couldn’t get up.
“…Damn it☆”
Step…
Step…
And then, from far away, I heard the slow footsteps of someone approaching. They weren’t hurrying to finish me off; it was a heavy, deliberate approach to something that had to be done.
"…"
I should get up quickly.
Facing a guy who had the dragon’s and World Tree’s buffs was too much. But still, that guy with infinite MP cheats is the real bad guy.
Anyway, it’s all his fault.
Humph☆
"…"
Now I was facing the cause of all this…
and I was the only one left to deal with him…
‘…This is bad.’
My eyes began to close.
Blurred…
and then more…
Step—
"…!"
I sensed his presence right in front of me. But instead of attacking, he gently stroked my head.
"…?"
What, am I being treated like a female?
When I opened my eyes in confusion—
there stood a hazy figure of Kang Jinsoo.
-Hey, after all my devotion, you forget the most important thing in the final boss battle?
Devotion, my foot.
You were always making weird Three Kingdoms jokes…
When did you even prepare for this old cliché?
-Anyway… have you forgotten where you are?
A forgotten memory, Kang Jinsoo before me wasn’t dark.
He was smiling tiredly in a neat suit.
With a playful smile, he gestured with his chin toward a place where countless stars shimmered, twinkling as they reached out to me.
-To spoil a bit, those stars. They’re all fallen souls. I’m one of them.
"…?!"
-Now do you get it?
Unable to stand it, he gave me a hint, as if offering help.
Then he disappeared from sight like mist.
-Read the Three Kingdoms again. It’s fun.
You crazy bastard…☆
But you’ve got persistence…♪
"…"
I staggered to my feet.
Far away, the darkened Prophet was leading all the beast gods, advancing confidently towards victory. Behind him, countless stars twinkled more brightly than before.
‘They’re not just stars…’
Come to think of it.
Urd had also introduced herself as a ‘useless starlight.’
‘It’s not just a metaphor…’
When every soul in this world sincerely wishes,
they become starlight, watching over their loved ones.
Echoes are merely shadows cast beneath the starlight.
The most desperately shining starlights far away were… yellow and silver.
“Ah…”
Or perhaps crimson. The navy and orange were also glowing brightly. Countless colors vibrated and flowed.
Crack—
In response to that love.
I straightened my twisted knees and stood up with gritted teeth.
“Phew…!”
But the Prophet flew up again, preparing for a second attack.
The faces of the massive beast gods between the black sea began to surge.
“…Rest.”
"…"
No technique name,
no ether skill,
just the power of the World Tree itself…
It was a power that could only be described as divine.
But.
That power was borrowed from someone.
It wasn’t built upon the ones he truly loved.
It was power he had scraped together to sustain himself.
“Haha.”
Now I understood the Prophet’s true wish.
So even in my broken state, I could laugh.
“You don’t really want to save this world.”
“…What?”
“The one you want to save… isn’t it just yourself?”
"…"
The Prophet paused before replying.
“No.”
“Then why don’t you acknowledge that you’ve changed?”
“I haven’t changed. I preserved my memory with the draconic technique. For 1,500 years, I haven’t stopped refining my hatred…!”
-I will forget the names of those I loved—!
Remembering his words made me chuckle.
“Frida, Selma, Nina… those I loved, but who disappeared from this world.”
"…What?"
“I remember. Even now that two souls have become one again, I still remember.”
"…"
“The World Tree’s power of forgetting doesn’t work on us.”
I looked up at the Prophet, who was flying above.
“Because we’re from outside this universe…? Even if we could discard our souls.”
The World Tree couldn’t take them.
At those words,
the Prophet’s face twisted.
“…No. I… it can’t be…”
“You. Didn’t you throw away both your cherished memories and the memories of your past life, just because you wanted to be with the ones you loved again? You blamed the World Tree and the world itself for your troubles… You threw it all away, didn’t you?”
“…No, that’s not true!!”
He raged, but sweat beaded on his brow.
I threw a question at him, ignoring his anger.
“Then, I can’t remember, but let me ask you one thing—☆”
Three Kingdoms.
Does anything from it ring a bell?
The Prophet’s face contorted in confusion.
It was as if a crack had appeared in the beliefs he had held without doubt.
"…?!"
"…Yeah, you discarded it too."
The past.
You too.
Believing you wouldn’t change,
but in the end, you kept changing endlessly to sustain yourself.
“Just like this pink airhead Clara—☆”
We were…
mirror images after all.
Completely different, yet…
in the end, we were entirely similar.
But there was a decisive difference.
‘I… was not afraid to change…’
Snap—!
I clenched both fists and thrust them forward.
Straightened my creaking knees and stood tall.
‘I… never used others as an excuse…’
That’s why the stars look at me.
The history stored within the World Tree watches me.
It affirms that the three years I lived as Clara weren’t wrong.
“Huuu…!”
With the power of [Bifrost], I called out to the stars.
To lend me their strength.
To grant me the power to decide your fate.
Flash—!
Countless stars twinkled in response.
"…"
I closed my eyes, basking in that radiance.
You.
Me.
Us…
The Milky Way was flowing.
All the starlight gathered beneath my slightly faded pink.
All fate intertwined and filled my fists.
My hair slowly bleached white.
Flash—!!
-I’m so glad I met you!
After coming to Academy City.
Climbing the rainy hill.
Starting a fight while waiting for spring.
Wandering with memories all summer.
Realizing loss as autumn passed.
Enduring winter and overcoming loneliness.
I came to know love.
Being loved.
Loving.
Living within that love.
Eventually, I came to love this world itself.
And this world loved me back.
Yellow.
Silver.
Crimson.
Navy.
Orange.
…
…
…
Countless stars shone like a galaxy.
When the twinkling stars filled the sky,
I no longer needed to wield a weapon.
The universe was already complete.
I raised my fist.
Perfection.
The perfection of completing oneself.
I drew my fist to my chest.
Grand Perfection.
The perfection of discovering true names.
And the ultimate perfection I finally reached.
Imperial Perfection.
The center of the universe.
I stood at the center of the world I created.
I simply unleashed the universe.
All the starlight imbued in my fist resonated and shone.
Everything intertwined with dreams and love.
In spirals.
My life flowed in spirals.
My universe was completed with spirals upon spirals.
‘A spiral may turn, but it reaches the end more certainly than any straight line.’
The universe I sought to reach…
“Toward the future.”
I opened my eyes.
Urd and Verdandi raised their hands in blessing.
Alvitr thrust her sword into the heart of the weakened dragon.
Kara and Rota, with everyone’s help, supported them.
The place all Valkyries sought was not a dream.
“Toward tomorrow.”
I am the goddess of tomorrow, Skuld.
With the last power of the Norn, I command…
May we continue moving forward toward tomorrow.
“[Azure Sky Path]—!!”
The only path to the blue sky.
I threw my fist.
The galaxy of colliding spirals shot forward.
Boom—!!!
Like my shining white hair,
a white spiral was launched.
Compared to the black beam the Prophet had just fired, it seemed insignificant.
But…
Crackle!
Crackle!
The spiral cut through the darkness,
absorbing the light,
growing as it collided, and engulfing the blackness.
Boom—!!!
It shook the sky and shattered the earth. And it engulfed everything from the center of the World Tree, annihilating it.
Boom—!!!
There was nothing but light in my vision.
The entire world was bathed in white.
Black and white endlessly collided and clashed.
We both screamed until our voices gave out.
“……!!!”
“……!!!”
Soundless.
Colorless.
Mindless.
We clashed with everything we had.
And then…
When the storm had passed.
I was standing.
And the Prophet was lying down.
I raised my fist to strike him down.
At that moment.
The World Tree spoke to me.
‘O divinity that has arrived after the darkness, what world do you wish to create?’
All those who had fought the dragon witnessed the World Tree shining.
And the tomorrow that seemed like it would never come finally arrived.
Half a year passed.
Still, Clara did not return to Academy City.