“And that is how it all began.”
The apostle’s words brought us back to our senses.
The experience had been otherworldly. The words “virtual reality” didn’t even begin to describe whatever that had been. My five senses, my memories, and even my emotions had been fully in sync with what I saw. The apostle hadn’t been kidding when they said they’d let us experience everything from the beginning.
“This all…happened to Rae and me?” Claire muttered in disbelief. She likely didn’t understand much of what she had seen, but what she did understand was shocking enough.
“I understand it is hard to believe, but everything you just saw is the truth,” the apostle said flatly.
At this point, I was half-certain of something. Hoping to confirm, I said, “Then, apostle, you must be—”
“Yes. I am TAIM, the Loop System’s control unit.”
Figured.
“Let me run something by you too,” Manaria said. “That Rei Ohashi just now was Rae from a past life, right? And that Claire François was our Claire from a past life? I take it this quanta-whatever business is being used to reincarnate them?”
“Almost correct,” the apostle—er, TAIM replied. “You are right about Claire François, but the Rae Taylor with us now is a separate individual from the Rei Ohashi that became the Demon Queen.”
“Huh?” How could that be? I remembered being Rei Ohashi.
“Rae Taylor, you may have memories from your time as an office worker, but you don’t have any memories from being the Rei that became the administrator, correct?” TAIM said.
“Oh, yeah.” Of course. If I were the one who’d made the Loop System, then I would have remembered it. In the past TAIM showed us just now, Rei had erased her memories as an administrator and lived a normal life; but if my memories had been erased, how could I remember my life as a corporate drone?
“That is because you are a pawn I prepared. You’re a second Rei Ohashi created from the quantum data of her soul.”
“Huh?” I wasn’t the real Rei Ohashi?
“As you’ve just seen,” TAIM continued, “the real Rei Ohashi has abandoned her duty as administrator and is trying to bring an end to humanity as the Demon Queen. I am trying to stop her, but unfortunately, I am but a tool meant to be used by humans. Without an administrator, I cannot function. That is why I created you, a Rei Ohashi who can replace the old one as administrator.
“I predicted the occurrence of this development beforehand, and in prior loops, I tested creating powerful individuals to fight the Demon Queen many times. Those who have lived in this world with your identical appearance are the remnants of those failures.”
In other words, individuals like Elie and the pope.
“I finally succeeded in creating a powerful individual in the science-based civilization just prior to this one: you.”
“Then the time I spent with Misaki and the rest was real?”
“Yes, those were without a doubt your own experiences.”
Thank goodness… In that case, I was fine with all these developments. I didn’t mind not being the real Rei Ohashi as long as the days I had spent with my friends were real in their own respect.
“I recovered your soul from the science-based civilization, gave you as much ability as I could, and implanted you in this world. But due to the capacity of your soul, all your memories past a certain point in your prior life were lost. Recovering those memories would take too long, so I ultimately had to transfer you over with an unnatural cut-off in your recollection.”
So that was why it felt like I had suddenly appeared in that classroom right when I was playing games after work. Now that I thought about it, Misha had said it was like I’d become a completely different person, so obviously there had been a Rae Taylor before me in this world. It couldn’t have all been fake. That being said…
“Excuse me, TAIM, but you could do to phrase things with a little more tact,” Claire scolded her sharply. “I don’t care if Rae is your pawn, creation, or replacement. She’s a living person and deserves to be treated with more respect!”
Claire was angry for my sake, which I appreciated. Listening to TAIM was honestly putting me on the verge of an identity crisis.
“Forgive me,” TAIM said. “Even after millions of years, I still do not fully comprehend the inner workings of human emotion.”
“I can tell,” Claire snapped. “Listen carefully, okay? The Rae here isn’t anybody’s replacement. She’s my one and only irreplaceable partner.”
“Miss Claire…” I said, my eyes tearing up. I was truly lucky to have her as my partner. Even if I was a pawn fashioned to suit TAIM’s goals, the love I shared with Claire was real. As long as she needed me, I could still live on as Rae Taylor.
“Hmm… Allow me to get things straight,” Dole said. “TAIM, correct me if I’m wrong. First, a long time ago, a version of humanity advanced in science neared its demise.”
“Yes,” TAIM said.
If I recalled correctly, it was humanity’s own treatment of the environment that had brought about their end.
“Then two scientists named Rei Ohashi and Claire François conducted research to find a way to allow humanity to survive, creating the Loop System?”
“On the surface, yes, but Rei’s true hope was to find a way to love Claire François eternally,” TAIM said.
Which was pretty extreme, even for (strictly speaking, not exactly) me.
“After its creation, the Loop System was activated and all of humanity has been cycling through science-based and magic-based civilizations with Rei overseeing everything as the administrator?”
“While also enjoying her time with Claire François, yes,” TAIM replied.
But we all knew that hadn’t lasted.