Chapter 191

“Ginny, we’re in a hurry. I’ll explain everything to you on the way.” “A-all right. That should be fine.” Once she agreed, I called out to Elzard, who was still squabbling with Alvarto. “We’ve got to get moving again. Please return to dragon form.” “What?! I don’t take orders from yo—!” “Do you want to become friends with Ireena?” I interrupted. “—ouuu…” “Whether you do is entirely at my discretion. Take care not to forget that.” “—Yeah, I still hate you.” Although Elzard puffed up her face with anger, she reluctantly complied. A moment later, the beautiful girl had transformed into a dragon. This was Elzard, the Frenzied King of Dragons’ true form, and also an ultra-convenient mode of transport. “Hey. I know you had a disrespectful thought just now.” “Oh, I wouldn’t dare.” I checked my immediate surroundings as I climbed on Elzard’s back. “Is everybody onboard?” “You just used the phrase onboard, didn’t you? You said ‘onboard’! I knew it! You think I’m nothing more than a—” “Let’s take off, Elzard! Hop to it.” “You’ll pay for this later,” Elzard grumbled before spreading her three wings wide and soaring into the sky. “All right, Ginny, let me bring you up to speed.” Once we were in the air, I explained everything that had happened to Ginny. She quietly listened until I was finished, then replied, “I can’t believe it… We’re allies…with Elzard.” Ginny’s eyes betrayed her mistrust, but a bigger part of her wanted to believe me. And I think I knew why. “He’s…the ultimate persuader. Isn’t that right, Miss Ireena?” It was Ginny’s earnest adoration for her best friend, who wasn’t with us at the moment. Ireena had played a big part in creating the bond that we all shared. That made our efforts now all the more critical. “Let’s get her back, Ard.” “Yeah. I promise we will.” After reaffirming our commitment to our friend, Ginny looked at Rogue. “With two Ards in our group, we might as well be invincible.” I’d only told her two things about Rogue. One, that he was me from another world. And two, that he’d come here to save us. Nothing I said was false, although there was a lie by omission. Rogue had previously been our enemy. On our summer school trip, we’d been blasted into the past by someone who called themselves a god. It was there that we had faced off against Rogue… He’d lied about his true identity back then, so Ginny and Ireena didn’t know the truth. Had I explained it to her, it would only create needless worry, so I decided to keep it private. “I am Disaster Rogue, not Ard. Don’t call me by that name ever again.” “Eep?!” He was glaring at her with murder in his eyes. Ginny shrieked and cowered behind me. “W-well, I suppose if the world changes…so does a person’s personality…” She clearly saw Rogue as someone to be feared, but she was wrong. We were the same person, so I understood his psychology. He believed he no longer deserved to interact with Ginny as a friend. After failing to protect her in the past, he couldn’t bear to act as though he was close with her. To Rogue, this was all a way to correct his mistake, nothing more. That’s why he made no effort to be friends with anyone, including Ginny. He put up walls to distance himself. I knew that, deep down, he wanted to enjoy this reunion, though. “You sure are an awkward and self-centered man…,” I told him. “Yeah…I am. And so are you.” We exchanged a look and bitter words and tasted each other’s self-loathing. “You imbeciles,” Olivia said to us. As our surrogate sister, she must have felt conflicted. She looked unsure of what to say to make us feel better. Without particular interest, Alvarto remarked, “Enough chitchat. This isn’t a field trip.” That quick statement was all it took for him to seize control of the conversation. “We’re headed toward the old capital of Kingsglaive. Our objective—the capture of Verda Al-Hazard. Her powers are essential to our mission. Right, Ard Meteor?” I nodded. To rescue Ireena and save the world, we needed to defeat Mephisto. However, conventional means weren’t enough to damage him. Our victory depended on two things. We already had one—the Bangle. Its full name was the Bangle of Devouring. It was one of the items in the Armor of the Demon Lord that I’d used in the final confrontation against Mephisto in ancient times. When activated, the Bangle sapped away an enemy’s powers and made the wielder stronger in turn. Simply put, whoever wore the bangle became invincible. “The bangle alone isn’t enough,” Alvarto noted. “If you and Rogue fuse together, your powers will increase beyond measure. Then you can defeat Mephisto. That’s what you said, right?” “Yes,” I confirmed. “To do what you just described, we’ll need—” “We need Lady Verda’s powers?” Ginny concluded. I nodded, and she continued. “I like to think I have a rather firm grasp on spell crafting, but…I have no idea how one would go about fusing two people together. To be honest, I haven’t the faintest clue. So I’m not even certain it’s possible to use Lady Verda’s powers for this.” I was confident that Verda would find a way. However, that wasn’t the issue. “Her persona has likely been corrupted… Just like mine only a little while ago.” Olivia squeezed the words out bitterly. “Don’t worry. I’ll bring her back. Just like I did with you,” I declared. Olivia nodded meekly in reply. “And how are you going to do that?” Alvarto asked. “Give us your plan.” With a smile, I replied, “I have no plan.” “Um…what?” “I don’t have a plan. Not even part of one.” While everyone else sitting on the dragon stared at me blankly, Elzard laughed powerfully. “Nice! Just the right amount of stupid for me. That’s much better than standing around and racking our brains worrying.” Surprisingly, she wasn’t the only one who approved. “Hmph… You sound just as stupid as Lydia, you dumb baby brother.” Smiling, I said, “I can’t deny it. I think it’s about time we quit relying on our brains too much. That’s what she’d do.” That’s how I’d managed to rescue Olivia. Had I not held on to that fragment of wisdom, I never would’ve been able to bring her back. “You’ve changed a little, Ard,” Ginny said. “Are you scared now that I’m an idiot?” I asked. “No. If anything…you’ve become even more wonderful!” Ginny beamed. Meanwhile, Alvarto sighed deeply from beside her. “Rogue. What do you think?” “I’m a failure, and thus unworthy to pass judgment. However, I will say this…” Rogue looked me in the eye. “Ard Meteor, you accomplished what I couldn’t. And that means your judgment must be correct.” Alvarto shrugged at the rest of the group. “I’m surrounded by damn fools.” He sounded frustrated, but nothing about his expression suggested he objected. He surely understood. In this fight, the heart mattered more than the head. We needed to strike Verda wholeheartedly with our feelings and believe in our bonds with her. That was all we could do, and all that we should do. “If we stupidly hit her with our feelings, Verda’s corruption won’t stand a chance,” I said. Our hopes and feelings were woven together as one. But in the very next moment— The very object of our mission rejected that belief. “Um, you’re wrong. Dead wrong.” Verda Al-Hazard’s voice suddenly pounded in my brain. Then the next thing I knew— —beams of light sped toward us from somewhere ahead. And there were more than just a couple. The blindingly brilliant rays raced at us with tremendous speed. “Sorry, you missed me!” Elzard swerved hard. Up and down, left and right. She danced through the sky, dodging each hot blast as it came. And while she was able to evade, she couldn’t press forward. Perhaps with our help, she might have been able to. However… “Why are we wrong?” …I was so preoccupied with Verda’s comment that I wasn’t in a place to fight back. As we sat there, stunned, Verda’s voice came to us again. “My persona hasn’t been corrupted. I’m fighting you all because I want to.” I’d never once heard Verda speak so firmly. That was proof of her feelings, and why I felt so incredulous. “So you’ve betrayed us?” The words spilled out of me half-consciously. And Verda’s reply was prompt. “That’s right. I’ve decided to be with my master. That makes us enemies now.” I didn’t want to believe it. And I wasn’t the only one. “What the hell are you thinking, Verda Al-Hazard?” Alvarto demanded, voicing how we all felt. Why had she turned on us? Nobody could make sense of it. Was this just one of Mephisto’s tricks to disorient us and laugh from a distance? The feeble hope that it was proved short-lived. “Fine… I’ll tell you why.” The torrent of light beams abruptly stopped. “Ard, I’m sure you must have noticed many times since this latest incident began that Master is taking this awfully seriously.” “Yes…I have. It seemed strange that someone who always played around suddenly became so intense.” “Master meant every word he told you. Take, for instance, when he said that this is the farewell game. He means that literally and is acting accordingly. Master intends to close the book on his life. Not a word of that is a lie.” Verda’s words left me bewildered. Mephisto was synonymous with chaos. There wasn’t a bit of consistency to his actions. He was fickle. That’s what made him so difficult to read in a fight. To think that he might act in earnest, with intent and without lies, was dicey. Was there calculation to his actions? It was impossible to determine. “I don’t blame you for not understanding. I used to think the way you do, Ard, until I heard a certain piece of news… At first, I believed he was messing around as usual, but when Master revealed the truth…I changed my mind. Master made it clear that he’s dead serious now.” At last, Verda revealed the event that had set off this final battle, and her reason for betraying us. “In the near future, a higher existence known as the Dominator will destroy the world.” Heavy silence followed her words. It was too much to ask me to understand. And yet… “Dominator… The word sounds familiar to me,” I muttered. Glancing at Rogue, I saw he was also looking at me. “It’s a title given to gods. A faction of them are known as the Dominators.” The androgynous face of a child surfaced in my memory. Dominator had orchestrated our time-traveling adventure. Following our victory over Rogue, the child had appeared and said, “I hope…we don’t meet again. However…the next time…we come face-to-face…that would mean the gallery has abandoned you…and the Dominator—the one who records—will…destroy you.” “I see…,” I whispered. “So that’s what they meant. And that’s why Mephisto is so serious… His heart’s buried under a mountain of despair. That’s why…” “Not even Master can compare to this higher being. If he could, neither Master nor your compatriot there would have come to this world.” The Outer Ones, the beings called Evil Gods in this era, were not from this world. They had traversed the chasm between dimensions and arrived here. And Mephisto was no different. Why had they come to our world at all? The truth was dawning on me. “Their world was destroyed. Master told me of it with terrible sadness. “‘In that world, there was someone who could fulfill my heart’s needs. Thanks to him, I was never alone. That’s why I wanted to protect that world with him. But…we were completely powerless. I don’t want to ever experience that again. If the same thing happens here…then I will destroy this world. I love it that much—I don’t want anyone else to ruin it.’ “Master said that to me with a smile, yet he looked aggrieved. I saw no trace of his usual playful self anywhere.” “So, he’s making good on that promise right now, then,” Olivia replied. Rather than let some other god destroy the world, he would do it himself. Now I understand…all the pieces are falling into place. Still, something felt odd. If Mephisto was really that serious, why didn’t he settle things right away? Instead, he seemed to be testing us. I don’t understand… For now, I’ll have to let it go. I’ve got to focus on what’s most important. “Verda, I don’t see a connection between what you’ve told us and your betrayal,” I said. To Mephisto, this battle was the true farewell game. If he won, he would destroy the world, himself included. If he lost, we would make him disappear. Why had Verda turned against us when faced with that reality? “Ard… I was originally on Master’s side. He’s very important to me. Even after we parted ways, that never changed.” Sadness trailed from her words. However, it quickly evaporated. “I think his death is unavoidable. But…the idea of him dying alone makes me just feel sorry for him.” Verda’s voice grew hot, burning with passion. “I joined you all because I knew he’d never die. Everything was nothing but a fun little diversion for him and me. But this time, it’s different. It’s not a game anymore.” A burning-hot battle cry came hurtling to me from the distance. “He’s going to die. Whether he wins or loses doesn’t matter. He will disappear before my very eyes. So, if nothing else, I want to be with him when the end comes. I know what he’s like. But… “…Master is the only father I’ve ever had.” Verda’s barrage of projectiles returned, as though to declare, “This is where we part ways.” “Ack!” Elzard cried. “Hey, what’s the plan, Ard Meteor?!” This attack was more violent than the last. Elzard did her best to avoid the deadly beams, but she would be struck down if things continued much longer. I stared at the scene before me, clenching my fists in defeat. “We’ll…retreat for now.” No one objected. We hadn’t counted on this development, and it had left us shaken. We needed time to collect ourselves. Elzard must have gathered the intent behind my decision, because she offered no complaints about my weakhearted decision and did as I said. She flew away until we were out of Verda’s range. “We should be safe here…” Once Elzard determined the onslaught of light attacks had stopped, she began to descend. We glided over a flat plain, perfect for a landing. Once we were on the ground, everyone exchanged glances. “Guess that solves one mystery.” Alvarto broke the silence, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I always wondered how the spell that sealed Mephisto was broken.” I’d frequently asked myself the same question. Mephisto’s prison surpassed the level of any individual. It was an ultimate Sealing spell; its power derived from all living beings on the planet, and from the stars as well. Not even Mephisto could break free. That he’d established any sort of connection with the outside world was already unbelievable. And yet the seal had been undone. “It must be the handiwork of a god,” I said. Mephisto and the god had undoubtedly formed a covenant. The god had set him free on the condition that Mephisto destroy the world. “So that means…we’ll be up against a god soon.” Alvarto’s tone spoke of an impending defeat. I could hardly refute his resignation. It would be a fight we couldn’t win and one we couldn’t afford to lose. “For now…,” I began. “Let’s forget about this god and the future he’s trying to bring about.” Sighing, Alvarto replied “Indeed. As it stands now, we have to deal with Mephisto first if we have hope for anything else.” When no one dissented, I continued, “The news Verda gave us was…well…a little bewildering…but it doesn’t change our current objective.” We needed to defeat Mephisto and restore everyone’s corrupted personas to normal. Saving the world was impossible otherwise. That much was a foregone conclusion to all the ancient ones in our group, myself included. However… “Um, pardon me, but are you sure finding a peaceful reconciliation is impossible?” …Ginny had lived in an era without Mephisto. We must have seemed too aggressive. “I mean, are you sure fighting is our only option? If I understand right, Mephisto has given in to despair because of that god’s strength.” I nodded. “You’re right, Ginny.” “Then what if we just convinced him that—?” “Not happening,” Alvarto angrily snapped. “Even if the impossible happened and we were successful, I’d never join forces with that little bastard.” Where Alvarto showed anger, Olivia remained calm. She crossed her arms and spoke evenly and firmly. “As you say, convincing Mephisto that we’re right would be a considerable win for us, on the surface. It would resolve this conflict without wasting precious strength, and we’d have the strongest Evil God on our side. I couldn’t ask for a more reliable ally in a battle against this Dominator.” Oliva’s eyes narrowed to sharp slits. “But Mephisto is insane. There’s no telling what he’ll do. He’ll smile and shake your hand one moment, then three seconds later, he’ll kill you with that same grin. When you join forces with a madman like him, you’ll get a hundred losses for every victory. You’d be better off with a venomous spider in your stomach.” Rogue and I agreed. Were Mephisto’s personality even slightly less warped, winning him to our side would be best. However, at present, an alliance with him was out of the question. “I agree,” Elzard said. “I knew his deal the moment I laid eyes on him. I knew he was crazy, and not the sort molded and warped by trauma like me. He’s a born psycho. Nobody can form any kind of normal relationship with that monster.” Elzard was once our enemy. She’d tried to destroy the world as Mephisto was now. However, I understood her motives and even empathized with her. That’s why we were friends now. Mephisto was too far gone. Nobody could understand him. Nobody could empathize with him. “Sorry for repeating it, but defeating Mephisto has to be the first step,” I said. “The issue is that we can’t without Verda’s help.” Ginny lowered her head. “B-but Lady Verda said—” “Yeah. She betrayed us.” We were all quiet for a while, silenced by the harsh truth. Defeating Mephisto was impossible without Verda, and she’d allied herself with him. Okay…what in the world are we going to do? “It seems like…we’ll have to think outside the box to win,” I muttered, searching my mind for a solution… …I heaved a long, deep sigh.