Chapter 195

CHAPTER 115 The Ex–Demon Lord and the Next Move If she had no place to run, her grief would’ve lasted for an eternity. But Verda could go to her friends. So she rose. “…Okay. What am I supposed to do now?” Verda asked, wiping her swollen red eyes. There was no clear intention in her gaze. The currents of emotion carried her. I wanted her to find her way again, but I knew that was easier said than done. For now, supporting her was more than enough. “Verda… Would it be possible for you, with your knowledge and supernatural abilities, to fuse me and this man, Disaster Rogue, together?” Her gaze traveled to Rogue. Ordinarily, she would’ve been bursting with curiosity over this replica of me. “Ah… I assume you want to integrate your essences to increase your total power.” A look was all she needed to understand. Verda looked haggard—weakened beyond imagination. Ginny’s eyes filled with pity, but she kept quiet, knowing nothing she could do would help. “If I had to say whether it’s possible, it definitely is. Fusing two separate existences together is extremely risky, but it shouldn’t be a problem when the two are the same.” Verda turned toward her facility as she spoke calmly. We all followed after. As we walked, I ran through a few potential outcomes in my mind. I keep coming back to the same worry… What will happen after this is over? At the start of this battle, I thought everything would be neatly resolved once I passed Mephisto’s sick challenges. No unknown truth had been waiting for us. Unfortunately, the stakes were much higher than I’d first assumed. A higher being sought to bring about the end. Let’s say we defeat Mephisto… What next? This world would still be in unprecedented danger. A greater enemy would arrive before too long. This god was likely a thing of nightmares. We’d need everyone to fight this monster. All except Ard Meteor, anyway. I can’t help but hope it’s not too late to change our strategy when I consider what’s waiting ahead. Rogue’s voice echoed in my mind while I was lost in thought. “Unless we can avoid the end that’s staring us in the face, there will be no future.” Since we were the same person, he’d read my thoughts and sent his back to me. “Well, let’s say we do avoid the end that’s staring us in the face. The next threat will destroy literally everything. What then?” “You sound like someone carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders…” “That makes me sound arrogant, but I’m sure you understand what you said is a fact.” “What happened to trusting your friends and leaving the future to them?” “It’s precisely because I love my friends that I feel so driven to save the future.” Rogue and I were the same existence, yet our paths were very different. That’s likely why the little distinctions in our opinions stood out. “Your concern is nonsensical. There’s nothing you can do when wandering a maze with no exit.” Rogue followed up that particularly sharp jab with a twist of the knife. “I admit, I do believe a future where only one of us remains is ideal. However…” “I know…,” I replied. “Once we’ve fused together and combined our powers, we won’t be able to carry out the plan.” “Exactly. We’ll lose the privilege of choice. Without a counterproposal, your thoughts are just a waste of time.” Rogue spoke without hesitation. All I felt from him was a steeled resolve. “The path everyone is on ends only a few steps ahead. We’ll add a few more paces, then disappear. Beyond that, our friends will have to make their own way.” I, Ard Meteor, had a strong faith in my friends. “I know, but I can’t help but worry. About their future, about the lives of my friends who rescued me from my solitude.” Rogue probably deemed all my thoughts at this point trivial sentimentality. “Don’t be so weak, Ard Meteor.” Our conversation ended there. I don’t care if I’m being weak…I can’t stop myself from worrying. I have to find a way to reach the best possible outcome. Unfortunately, I never found a clue to the solution, even as the situation continued to unfold. “It’s ready.” The devices that would fuse Rogue and me together, two rings, sparkled in Verda’s hand. She gave a succinct explanation of how they worked. “You both put one on and press the gemstones together. Send your magic into them, and you’re good to go.” Following that quick briefing, she handed us the rings. Rogue put his on immediately, but it took me a moment. “Just give in already.” He broke into my thoughts again, without pretense this time. Rogue was right. Trusting my friends to see this through was our only choice. I knew that they’d be all right, even after I was gone. I collected myself and put on my ring… “Let’s do this, Rogue.” “Yeah.” We would fuse. For the future. For our blocked path. To give everyone another chance…no matter how small. My fist reached toward his. And sure enough, Rogue and I started to become one— “Cloverfield.” There was a third voice. One like a massive boulder. Just as it rang out… …I sensed an attack coming. My brain worked at supersonic speed when faced with the sudden interruption. In a second that lasted an eternity, I thought long and hard. “I’ve found it…the best way out.” Through sheer willpower, I suppressed my body’s instinct to react. Instead, I stared this new assailant in the face. Lizer Bellphoenix. The giant mace in his hand was flying toward me. Everyone else was frozen in panic at the perfect surprise attack. I was probably the only one among us who stared into Lizer’s eyes with a clear head. Sure enough, the moment his mace connected with my body, my consciousness fell into the darkness.