Chapter 250: Sacrifice (1)
Arlos ran through the snow, kicking up frost.
“What is it?!”
Zukaken asked from behind. He followed after her without knowing what was going on. Arlos replied.
“I overlapped the target map and the magic circle without much thought. And looking at it, I found the location where Deculein died a bit suspicious.”
Deculein’s mana was special. All those who had reached that state was all the same, but Deculein belonged to a fairly unique axis among them. Unique — that is, unique mana. Deculein’s mana was similar to his main body, so it never disappeared and never broke. It remained in a place for a long time, waiting only for its master to arrive.
“He is drawing a magic circuit with his corpse. So, I think I know where he will be next.”
Zukaken frowned.
“With his corpse?”
“Yeah. And Gerek is cooperating with him.”
“…Bullshit. Gerek, with Deculein?”
Arlos nodded. Deculein must have been in contact with Gerek for quite some time and asked for his cooperation. If not, there was no explanation.
“He’s the first to find Deculein, who resurrects on his own. He even told him what to do next. Gerek must be doing all that.”
Gerek with his super senses. The five senses, such as sight, hearing, and smell, as well as motor, cognitive, and perceptual abilities, none could be compared to humans on the continent. If it were him, it would be possible to deceive Sylvia’s eyes.
“Still-“
Zukaken, who was about to say that madman would never cooperate with Deculein, suddenly shut his mouth and thought. What if the price that Deculein offered was ‘the right to kill his countless selves?’
Zukaken murmured.
“…Is Idnik wrong?”
“No. It’s different. The magic theory Idnik read is different from the one I read.”
The magic theory that Idnik read was up to the seventh Deculein. However, the magic theory left behind to Arlos resulted from one last modification of the eighth Deculein, appearing out of nowhere just before being killed by Gerek.
“Anyway, follow me. Let’s see. Deculein, what that professor is doing…”
The two ran, trampling over the snow-covered ground and past white trees. And…
Rustle, rustle.
A single gust of wind engraved itself in the pure white world. A certain magical current moved as if chasing after them.
* * *
Stomp, stomp-
In deep darkness, the sound of running. This place where there was no light, the world lay stagnant, and the air didn’t flow. So, where Silvia and the eyes of the Voice didn’t reach.
I was walking down the basement to find the right place.
Stomp, stomp-
I didn’t know when this plan was established. I just heard it from Gerek the moment I raised myself, and I fully understood and willingly accepted.
Stomp, stomp-
My existence was fake, but I could achieve something with my death. I could reach my most ideal goal. I could kill a demon.
That was enough to be satisfied. It was enough to bear. Like the previous me did before.
Stomp, stomp-
Suddenly, another set of steps overlapped the sound of my own. A voice called out to me.
“Deculein.”
Before long, someone appeared to block the way. Looking at her, I was surprised, which wasn’t like me. She was an artistic human that made me feel that the space had brightened up in an instant.
“I’m Arlos. Long time no see.”
Arlos said so and gave me a small smile. Oddly enough, she seemed happy to see me, but I still didn’t know why.
“It was true!”
Next to her, the human pointing at me with wide eyes was Zukaken.
“…”
I stared at them silently. Arlos let out a small sigh. Then, she took a step closer and asked.
“Professor, have you been killing yourself until now?”
It was a voice full of pity and compassion, but it was a very little question to me.
“Yes.”
I nodded. Arlos frowned. Even her wrinkles were extremely beautiful.
“Why?”
Art asked. I answered briefly.
“I found a way.”
One of the great principles of magic was that mana resembled the magician. The uniqueness of my mana was mental power. Therefore, it didn’t break. The power that connected mana was stronger than anything else.
“…What way.”
“The way to save that child.”
Therefore, Sylvia and the power of the Voice created the current me, but the more I became myself, the more I realized myself and was able to take control. No one in this world could imitate me. As part of my very own property, I weaved my theory…
“…”
Arlos shut her mouth. Zukaken scratched the back of his neck. Time passed in that soft silence. The wind seeped in.
“…Will you be fine?”
There was some sympathy in her voice.
“I found it thanks to the order of the magic circuit you left behind. However, there are still many circuits left to fill in this magic circle. Hundreds of times… no, it could be thousands of times.”
I don’t know what number I was or how many times I had chosen death. Also, I didn’t know how many times I would continue to die. I didn’t know.
…But.
“Whatever it is, I have to choose.”
“…”
Arlos swallowed. She looked at me with her lips pressed shut. Her eyes grew wet.
“Even if I die a thousand times if I can save just one person…”
I looked into my heart. The Destruction of the Voice and the death of my existence. More than that, compassion for Sylvia. Those were Kim Woojin’s feelings.
“That’s the only way.”
This was my conclusion. No matter what happened, at least I couldn’t let Sylvia die.
…At that moment
“Why.”
A voice approached coldly, like a dagger driven through my skin. Arlos and Zukaken turned around in surprise, and a child appeared through the darkness of the basement. No, it was a woman who had matured before I knew it.
“…Why.”
Sylvia.
* * *
In the dark and long passage that served as part of the magic circle. In it, Sylvia stared at Deculein. Deculein met her eyes.
“…Why?”
But Sylvia didn’t understand. She had a hard time accepting it.
Why?
Why?
Why?
Couldn’t he just stay here with her? Why was he so willing to break the Voice, even sacrificing himself?
“We can live here together.”
“…”
Deculein said nothing. She was frustrated by that. Sylvia ran to Deculein and grabbed him by the collar.
“We can…”
“Sylvia.”
Deculein called her name. He looked down at her, muttering quietly as he groped for the past.
“I remember you when you were young.”
Memories from Deculein, not Kim Woojin. It was too blurry and faded, but even in Deculein’s distant memories, there was the child named Sylvia.
“The child who was holding Sierra’s hand. The child who hid behind Sierra’s back as if she was afraid and avoided my eyes.”
“…”
“That little kid got so big and is now looking at me.”
At that moment, Sylvia stopped breathing. She realized a bit late the current Deculein didn’t share the same time as her. As the years of the Voice flowed endlessly, he repeated only his death.
“Maybe back then, I was a little jealous of you.”
Looking at young Sylvia, the feelings that the original Deculein felt. The moment he found out that the girl was similar to him, and the size of her talent was so great that it was impossible to even compare, the frustration and jealousy he felt…
“And now, I might be regretting it.”
“…”
Sylvia looked up at Deculein silently.
“Sylvia. Not all of my choices are right.”
He looked down at her and placed a hand on her shoulder. It was warm.
“Even if you end up hating me for killing Sierra, I should’ve let you hate me by my side.”
“…”
“At that time, I should’ve taken you as my disciple.”
One day, Sylvia wanted to become Deculein’s apprentice, just like the present Epherene.
“I had a lot to teach you. I would have helped you not run away.”
However, Deculein refused. It wasn’t just for Sylvia, but because of Deculein’s personality flaws. The jealousy and envy that swelled at the bottom of his heart rejected Sylvia to some extent.
“It is the same for the past.”
Deculein continued.
“I should have rejected Glitheon’s request to kill Sierra.”
At that moment, Sylvia trembled. She rested her face on Deculein’s arm. Glitheon’s instigation to kill Sierra directly cut off her short life and ignited Sylvia’s ambition. It was vaguely expected but still sorrowful.
“But, Sylvia. Regret is a useless emotion. No matter what I regret now, my choices do not change, and living in regret is like dying. Like you now.”
“…”
“Let me give you one last piece of advice, Sylvia. Don’t run away. Whatever happens.”
Sylvia nodded. And then, she took a step away from Deculein.
“…”
Through the empty cavern where the wind wandered in vain. She put her hands to her chest. As Sylvia looked at him, she spoke almost as if in prayer.
“…I love you.”
Sylvia knew Deculein.
“I love you so much; it hurts my heart every time I see you.”
She knew the man who killed Sierra.
“I wish we could be together for the rest of our lives.”
She knew him, who tried to be hated by her for her own sake.
“Knowing that’s not going to happen, it hurts so much.”
She knew him, who tried to protect her from Glitheon and the intelligence agency.
“…The paradise for me.”
She knew the man who had died countless times for her.
“It was you.”
Only now, she knew for sure.
“But… there is no such thing as a paradise with only happiness.”
Sylvia smiled faintly. Deculein nodded.
“I am still beyond the sea.”
“Yeah. I know.”
Sylvia quietly responded. A slight smile appeared on Deculein’s lips as if in response. The two looked at each other for a little while…
“…”
“…”
Arlos and Zukaken watched from a distance. They couldn’t even dare to intervene. Suddenly, long hair fell from the basement ceiling. Zukaken and Arlos were startled but soon frowned. They pulled that hair tight.
“Ugh!”
Gerek fell. Zukaken asked with a whisper.
—Where have you been?
“I have been underground.”
—Only underground?
“Yeah~, how would you guys find me in this wide place in the first place~? You can’t see me if I hide. Oh. Zukaken, you passed under my head once. But you still didn’t know.”
—Fuck you. More importantly, did you collaborate with Deculein?
Gerek chuckled. He said, wiping his long hair.
“It’s not cooperation~ I killed him.”
—But why don’t you kill him now?
“I don’t feel like it~. Did I kill him 800 times? At the 800th, I got a bit sick of it, so I asked him how many more times I would have to do it.”
Arlos listened quietly to Gerek.
“But he said there were a thousand more left. He said there were a few things that needed to be corrected in the magic circle or something… so, well.”
Gerek shrugged.
“Right now, I’m killing out of a sense of duty~, taking turns with my family. I feel a bit bored~.”
Each of his family must have killed him about thirty times. Multipersonal Gerek laughed proudly.
“…Then, when the real Deculein comes, will you kill him?”
Arlos asked. There was a lot of hostility in that voice. Then, Gerek twisted the corners of his mouth into a smile.
“Oh, of course~ The real Deculein doesn’t have any memory of his death anyway. He must have felt no pain. That’s cheating; I have to kill him~ properly.”
“…”
Arlos looked beyond him stiffly to Sylvia and Deculein. The two seemed to be working things out to some extent, but if the real Deculein didn’t arrive, it would be a mess. The mana that drove this magic circle was Deculein’s mental power in the first place, but that mental power was something that only its owner could handle.
“…Huh? It’s Idnik. Hey, Arlos. The wrong person is coming over there.”
Then, Zukaken sarcastically pointed behind her. As she said, Idnik, wearing a robe, was approaching.
“Hey~, Idniiiiik~.”
As Zukaken giggled and asked for a high five, Idnik shook her head silently.
“What? You were wrong. Don’t you want to admit you’re wrong? You said Deculein wanted to kill Sylvia.”
“…”
Idnik bit her lip tightly. Arlos spoke to her.
“Idnik. Go to the guild room to see what I have sorted out. It will be a little different.”
“I know. I came after seeing that. I was only half wrong.”
“…Half?”
“Right.”
Idnik let out a small sigh.
“According to his theory, Sylvia won’t die. He doesn’t have to kill her. That’s true.”
Instead of Sylvia’s mana, the existence of Deculein possessed the Mana of Being. It was true that there was no need to kill Sylvia if he used that absurd mental power instead.
“However, this does not mean that Sylvia’s sacrifice is not necessary. And now Deculein…”
Idnik looked over. Sylvia was looking up at Deculein; Deculein was looking down at Sylvia. Looking at the two of them, Idnik continued to speak.
“…Let’s talk more about it later. What’s good is good, just like that saying. I am a desert wizard.”
Then she smiled and stretched.
“…What are you talking about?”
“Yeah. Arlos, it must have been a bit of a psychological shock for me to lose to you…”
On the other hand, Arlos and Zukaken looked at her with disconcertment.