-7-
IN A PURE WHITE SPACE…several tears in the dimension floated in air, showing glimpses of what had become of Locklore.
In the center was Naiarotop, sitting cross-legged in midair, floating as he checked each window, one after another.
His expression was blank, his left hand raised in the air. A huge number of windows showing Divinitter appeared around him.
“This is a serious fight against the machine!”
“lucifers a total wimp alls he got is some levels lololol”
“I wanted Lunaere to beat his ass by herself”
“I’m actually really starting to enjoy this.”
“They bigged up these three they were sending in and two were smashed in an instant. Bet Naiachans piiissed”
The gods’ messages flowed one after another. They said whatever they liked, as always, and it made Naiarotop sigh.
The gods were already buzzing about the fact that Naiarotop mobilized the Eternal Convicts in order to eliminate the abnormalities in Locklore.
It was just that this was the first time in the otherworld, even for the gods, to see such a blatant fight between the world and the managing faction. That left the gods talking, and of course, left Naiarotop the target of their jeers since he’d been made the fall guy.
“With things this bad, they’ll have to shut down Locklore, won’t they?”
“Huh? They’re ending it? Noooooo!”
“I mean, even if they get rid of Kanata, it’s no good. They’re just making things worse for no reason. They’re just trying to go viral.”
There were a lot of people on Divinitter saying Locklore’s management had already given up trying to control the world.
And they were right.
Before bringing in the Eternal Convicts, they had no reason to go off the rails in their attempts to eliminate Kanata, since everything was over if they took the entire world of Locklore out with him. And anyway, there was going to be no getting this entertainment back on track for a long-term run after they messed things up this much. It would be safer for them to shut down Locklore right now, rather than get desperate and face even more shame.
But Naiarotop’s master couldn’t do that for only one reason, and that was because you know who, the highest of the Higher Gods didn’t like seeing a show close with a half-assed ending. Without his interference, they would have already erased Locklore.
They would instead finish off this Kanata issue and end Locklore with a bang. That was the reason they called on the Eternal Convicts.
“My subject,” came his master’s voice from no one direction in particular.
“Yes, Master.”
“It appears that two out of the three Eternal Convicts, Reniement and Lucifer, have been defeated. The Unseen Hand of the Gods has also turned fully against us. They have recovered all the pawns in Locklore and backed us into a corner. The gods on Divinitter are certain of Kanata’s victory,” said the Higher God before continuing. “Well done, my subject. Everything is going exactly as we planned.”
That last statement made Naiarotop break into a grin evil to its very core.
“Yes, Master. Nothing unexpected has happened so far.”
“A story that unfolds without event is a tedious one indeed. Raise them up, then let them fall. That is the most basic of basics in entertainment. If you had sent the other one in first and ended it, it would have lacked the buildup…and we must deliver a satisfying last episode for you know who. I think that is enough for the opening acts, however.”
Naiarotop had suspected Kanata and the others would defeat the first two convicts, considering their power, or lack thereof.
“Soon, I will send in the third Eternal Convict. The evilest and most powerful man in Locklore—Zoras, the Cataclysm. That will be the end of Locklore…and it’ll also mean I won’t have to jump back and forth every time those lowly, other-dimensional people do something,” said Naiarotop.
“This should satisfy you know who. Shall we bring an end to everything?”
“Yes, Master, as you command,” replied Naiarotop courteously to the Higher God.
He then turned to look into one of the warps in the dimension. There, Kanata and all the others were celebrating that they turned back Lucifer’s attack. When he saw that, his expression cracked and he let out a laugh.
“At least you can get drunk on your false victory. Just you wait… Kanata! Your end is near. I will give Locklore the most tragic ending ever, then pull the curtain closed!”