Tick, my vision blurred. But even without seeing, I knew.
The Doppelganger didn’t bother to hide the bitterness and anger in its voice. It probably wore a desperate expression as it softly addressed Yuna.
“You speak so strangely. Do you think... I don’t want a happy ending? No, I do. I like happy endings too. That’s why we’re doing this, so we can all be happy together, right? By getting rid of the fake.”
“...It’s not a fake.”
“Can you really tell? The components are exactly the same... If anything, I have a higher percentage of the fragments. And, let’s be honest, the one holding that right now is him, not me. The one who's soaked in all that malice isn’t me—it’s him.”
In other words.
If we’re talking about impurities, and that’s why you’re calling me the fake, then the one mixed with that colossal piece of trash over there is more of a fake.
If that’s not the reason, then there’s no point in calling myself a fake, is there? That’s what the Doppelganger seemed to be implying.
But Yuna didn’t waver.
Though she remained silent, it was enough of an answer. The light from Yuna’s ‘Subtraction’ ability swelled, growing ever brighter. The Traitor Godling cautiously tugged on the Doppelganger’s sleeve.
“If you keep dragging this out, it’ll get dangerous. If we don’t convince the Tower Master, this place is enemy territory.”
“I see. Well then, I guess I don’t need you anymore. A heroine who can’t even recognize me because she’s bewitched by a fake is completely useless to me.”
“...Hey.”
“Let go, Godling. We’ve got all the time in the world. Right now, we’ve got an excellent hostage in our hands, so what’s there to worry about? Godling, defense.”
The Doppelganger tried to lift me up by the scruff of my neck, intending to use me as a shield, and Yuna immediately fired her ‘Subtraction.’ The silent force of death flew toward the Doppelganger, aiming to carve away at its very essence.
Click.
“‘Dragon Scales – Branch.’”
Bang!
From the arm of the Godling, who moved to block the attack, black scales grew and swelled, covering everything in front of them. The scales expanded in a fractal, geometric pattern.
A faint sound, like information being consumed, echoed through the air.
Though Yuna’s ‘Subtraction’ erased about 90% of the scales, it couldn’t break through entirely.
This was the first time I had seen such a powerful application of this force. The strength and precision of the Godling’s power were far beyond anything I’d encountered before. The fact that it endured Yuna’s ‘Subtraction’ proved this.
The Doppelganger held me from behind, using my body as a shield. Yuna’s attack paused.
Our bodies were identical in size, and since I had been struck by the ‘Wave of Despair,’ my limbs were limp and useless. Naturally, this didn’t hide me completely.
If it were me, I could’ve aimed around the human shield and struck the target, but Yuna was different.
Her precision was somewhat lacking, and above all, her ‘Subtraction’ was too powerful. With me as a hostage, she couldn’t risk friendly fire.
The Doppelganger must have realized it couldn’t win against Yuna. If I were in its place, I’d do the same. Once Yuna starts using her sublimation abilities, things would spiral out of control, so the Doppelganger would likely focus on escape. Just like this.
“Godling, open a dimensional gate.”
“...See, I told you. Only the person holding the leash has changed.”
“No, I’m different. When we escape, I’ll let you feast on as many souls as you want. You’ve been starving, haven’t you, Godling? I’ll allow it. I’ll forgive you. Now, hurry up.”
“...‘Gate to the Demon Realm.’”
Crack, rip.
A fissure began to form in the air. Though the Doppelganger called it a dimensional gate, it looked more like teleportation magic. It was trying to escape.
“Don’t... If you move...”
“If I move, what?”
Simultaneously, the Doppelganger spat venomous words, intending to shake Yuna’s resolve and buy time for the Godling’s casting.
“Yuna, you’ve always been a half-wit. You can’t even handle sessions properly, you can’t manage the Tower, and all you do is break things and make a mess. Do you really think you can save this fake bastard?”
“...”
“No, you can’t. I know because I’ve watched you all this time. Our Yuna... can’t save anyone. Just like back in the day at the Tower.”
“Stop... Don’t say that...”
Yuna’s face turned pale. Her lips dried, and her hands began to tremble.
“To be honest, you disgusted me. Look at what you did, trying to get rid of ‘that.’ You strutted around, acting all high and mighty, but you never had any real results. And just like I would, this fake you think is the real one would feel the same way.”
“No, no...”
“I love Yuri. But you? I just pitied you, so I stuck around for a while. Honestly, I wish you’d just bow out gracefully. What kind of man would be attracted to a childish woman like you? So let me make this request for both of us, okay?”
“...”
The cruel words, delivered in the guise of someone she loved, pierced Yuna’s heart. Tears began to flow from her large eyes, streaming down her cheeks.
The Doppelganger grabbed my arm and shook me like a puppet.
“Go ahead. Shoot your ‘Subtraction.’ You said you’d save him, right? Said you wouldn’t let me touch him. Go on, if you miss, you’ll kill him yourself. And if you hesitate, you’ll kill him anyway in the end.”
Crack, crash!
With the sound of something shattering, the dimensional gate opened. I had no idea where it led, but a cold wind blew from within. The Doppelganger planned to drag me along and escape.
Was this the end for me...?
Just then, Yuna, who had been silently sobbing and trembling, suddenly seemed to reach a decision—or perhaps something else entirely. With unshakable determination in her eyes, she spoke in a low, steady voice, almost like someone else entirely.
“Leave him behind. If you don’t put him down, I’ll kill you.”
“Yuna... If you use magic, the one you love so dearly will die. Can’t you see him hanging limp, acting as my shield—?”
“If you take him, he’ll die anyway. So I’d rather kill him with my own hands. And you... I’ll tear you apart, soul and all. If you have no soul, I’ll create one just so I can destroy it.”
“...”
Yes, Yuna, well done...!
Never negotiate with terrorists. Isn’t this the right attitude to have in a hostage crisis?
Putting aside any emotional considerations, it’s the correct judgment. If the Doppelganger drags me along, I’ll get absorbed and die in some unknown mountain. And this bastard has already made his intentions clear—he’s hostile toward Yuna.
That makes him our enemy.
So rather than leave future threats, it’s better to eliminate them now. I nodded, though my neck barely moved. Your judgment is right, Yuna.
There’s no way I’d let this piece of trash threaten the ones I love. I’m fine, so just shoot.
I’ll find a way to survive, somehow. Don’t hesitate or mourn.
My gaze seemed to reach her. The determination in Yuna’s eyes grew even stronger. The Doppelganger let out a hollow laugh, seeming to accept the situation.
It had realized that if it dragged out the hostage situation any longer, it would end up losing its head.
“Fine, in that case, you can have this fake. ‘Wave of Despair.’”
“...!!”
With a push, the Doppelganger threw me aside, and another blast of ‘Wave of Despair’ came flying toward my back. That damn bastard. One more hit, and it would probably hurt like hell...
I braced myself, filled with dread, but fortunately, the worst didn’t happen.
Yuna quickly reached out, halting the ‘Wave of Despair,’ and caught my collapsing body. In that moment, the Doppelganger, along with the Godling, vanished beyond the dimensional gate.
“Ugh, ngh...”
Yuna, however, didn’t have the strength to support me properly. We both wobbled and collapsed together, hitting the ground with a thud.
At least, thanks to Yuna’s quantum chest acting as a cushion, I wasn’t hurt. I just hope Yuna’s okay.
“Sob... Don’t hate me... Please, don’t hate me...”
Ah, the problem wasn’t her body.
Still clutching my head, Yuna cried bitterly. Apologizing for messing up the session, saying she was just trying her best, promising to eat well and grow into a curvy, beautiful woman so I wouldn’t abandon her.
It’s unnecessary. She did all of this for me, didn’t she? Besides, I had my own dark days when I played the role of a delinquent trying to create a simulated world. So even if there’s any fault, in the end she has nothing to feel guilty about. After all, in the grand scheme of things, we’re even.
I managed to move my mouth despite the sluggishness, and stammered out my words.
“I... I really like you, Yuna.”
“...Really?”
“I just really, really like you. Don’t worry.”
“...Really, really?”
Of course.
I tried to lift my hand to pat Yuna’s head, but my strength gave out and my hand accidentally landed on her rear instead.
A small, startled squeak escaped her, but oddly enough, it seemed to reassure her. The whining subsided, at least.
As the tension eased, I felt tears well up. I’m a tough guy, so I can usually control my tear ducts, but...
Getting hit with the ‘Wave of Despair,’ being in pain, unable to move—on top of all that, I had nearly been replaced by a crazed Doppelganger. Even I, as human as anyone, was shaken by how close it came.
“...Thanks for choosing me. I mean it.”
“...Thanks for not abandoning me, too...”
We held each other and cried. It was comforting.
To put it more poetically, we cried like crickets in the night. The amount of information in those tears might have been small, but it was more than enough to share our feelings.
We stayed like that for a while.
In the end, a whole load of crap happened.
Even though I’d scattered pieces of my soul across the world like shards of a sacred jewel, I had never worried that they’d turn evil and betray me. I believed in myself.
But now, I realize that was arrogance. What the hell did that piece of me get into to act this crazy?
This was the most dangerous situation I’d been in since reincarnating into this fantasy world.
The fact that 51% of my mental processing power, meant to suppress ‘that,’ had run off into the night.
And that fragment now had its sights set on my neck. On top of that...
Now that the shackles of the 『Golden Shackles of Control』 had been lifted, the Godling was free to draw on any power from the ‘Godling’s Toolbox,’ provided it had enough resources.
Once she starts devouring human souls en masse, she’ll become a threat even greater than the most powerful dark mages.
This needs to be dealt with. If ‘That 2.0’ emerges, things will spiral out of control.
And even if this weren’t such a critical situation, I would still throw myself into this fight more passionately than any other.
Whether something is real or fake doesn’t matter. Forget Theseus’s paradox—this bastard broke the unspoken rules.
The moment he scarred Yuna’s heart, he became my mortal enemy. He hurt someone I love. Even if I were the fake, this is unforgivable.
Doppelganger, I swear I’ll crush you. No matter what.
I vowed to myself while Yuna, seemingly pondering something, suddenly made a bombshell declaration.
“H-Hey... should I, um, give you a bath? You look like you can’t move, so...”
“...What?”
“W-Well, we haven’t bathed together in a while, you know? I-I’ve been, um, waiting for you to suggest it, but you never did... But you said you like me, so... If it’s not too much trouble...?”
Hold on.
Please reconsider.
I deleted the module that suppresses my sexual urges, Yuna! That’s why we haven’t bathed together!
When I was basically a walking saint, sure, we shared baths. But now? With the rules of propriety between a man and a woman?
But Yuna, still shaken by the lies the Doppelganger had planted, seemed desperate for some kind of reassurance. She just wanted to confirm that I still cared about her.
And so, in the end, we bathed together for the first time in a while.
Clip-clop, clip-clop. The carriage rattled along.
This was one of the carriages that regularly traveled between the nearby satellite city and the empire’s capital. Large enough to hold about thirty people, it was a popular and reasonably priced mode of transportation.
Today, the carriage was packed to the brim with passengers. And yet, it was quiet.
With thirty people crammed inside, you’d expect some commotion, but for some reason, only two voices could be heard. A girl’s voice. And a young man’s voice.
“What do you plan to do now?”
“What do you mean, ‘what’? Obviously, I need to take back my position.”
“...You couldn’t convince the Tower Master.”
“Don’t bring up that Y-whatever-his-name-is. Besides... he’s not the only person I know, is he? I’ve played in countless sessions, and I’ve got plenty of friends.”
The Doppelganger smirked slyly, as if plotting something. The Godling scratched her neck, which felt oddly bare after the 『Golden Shackles』 had been removed, and looked around.
All thirty-two passengers were slumped over, drooling with glazed eyes.
The fake Mima had done something. This was... a ‘packed lunch’ he’d prepared for the Godling. If she devoured them all, she’d gain a significant amount of resources.
Now that the 『Golden Shackles』 were gone, she could consume as many souls as she wanted, torture them, kill them brutally—nothing would stop her from gaining power.
This was the freedom she had long desired. Absolute freedom to treat the world like a playground, toying with everything as she pleased.
And yet... something felt off. The Godling propped her chin on her hand and stared out the window, disinterested. The fake Mima, noticing this, asked casually,
“Why aren’t you eating?”
“I don’t know... I’m just not hungry.”
“I went to all this trouble to prepare them for you. At least have a taste...”
“If I force myself to eat when I’m not hungry and get a stomach ache, will you take responsibility?”
Was she getting carriage sick? That couldn’t be it. Something felt strange.
The fake Mima put on an exaggerated expression of disappointment. Beneath that façade, however, a faint anxiety was creeping in.
The Tower Master’s ‘denial’ had clearly wounded Mima deeply. His heart, torn open, now sought comfort and found solace in the Godling.
He squeezed her hand tightly and asked,
“...Hey, Godling. You’re not going to leave me, right? Right?”
“For the last time, you’re the one holding the leash. How could I possibly run away?”
Right.
Between the two options, this one was better. Siding with the 51% fragment was more logical and a quicker way to reclaim her true form.
The added threat of the Violet Tower Master was a long-term issue, but not an insurmountable one.
Once she collected enough souls to summon the ‘Authority,’ everything would fall into place. The 『Heroine』 that the Succubus Queen had stolen, the various items other dark mages were after—all of it originally belonged to the Godling.
She could wield them with far more mastery than the Queen ever could. Even in her weakened state, this would allow her to challenge the Tower Master.
That meant she should devour all thirty-two of the passengers right now.
But still... her appetite was gone. She couldn’t bring herself to eat.
“I get it. Godling, you’re just in it for the thrill, right? You don’t want to recover all your power at once because it wouldn’t be fun, huh? If you did, you could wipe out the Tower and everything else in one go.”
“...”
“Fine. Just sit back and watch. I’ll show you how I’m going to turn this whole mess around.”
That look.
That look he always got when the insane magician found himself in a tight spot... Every time he wore that expression, he’d come up with a solution and—infuriatingly—dragged the story to a happy ending.
The Godling, with a faint glimmer of hope, looked at the Doppelganger expectantly. He began to explain his plan.
“I’ll head to Iride. I’ll ask for ‘help.’ I’ll tell them my Doppelganger showed up and that it’s causing all sorts of problems... and I’ll request a young knight to be dispatched. That’ll give us some solid backup, don’t you think?”
“What if the Tower gets in touch with them first?”
“Before I escaped, I planted an info-bomb in the Tower’s communication network. It’ll take a while for them to restore it. That Y-whatever-his-name-is will waste another turn doting on the fake.”
“But what if Iride doesn’t trust you?”
The fake Mima smirked as if this were a trivial matter and replied nonchalantly.
“If they don’t trust me, I’ll just brainwash them.”
“...”
“A powerful illusion mage can do a lot, can’t they, Godling? And, well... there are other means too. Like Centra, perhaps?”
I see.
You’re walking down a very dark path, aren’t you?
If you don’t care about the means, your chances of victory increase dramatically. The moment that insane mage lets go of his silly morality, conquering the empire will be a breeze.
But still... Iride...
Wasn’t Iride someone the insane mage had grown somewhat fond of? Even if you called him a family member, it seemed like he was already making plans to ‘discard’ him.
For some reason, the Godling didn’t like that fact.