Chapter: 83
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The first thing I needed to take care of was Tara. She was under the false impression that Bennett was dead. Watching her sit there, hugging his severed arm and staring blankly into space, made my heart ache.
I needed to clear up the misunderstanding and confirm that both Bennett and Niolle were still alive.
Direct connections to the past and future were possible. Since the Outer God could manipulate time and space, I didn’t have to worry about any inconsistencies. I planned to use the window as a medium to continuously reflect and collaborate with one another.
It seemed the pesky Evil God had vaguely caught on to my plan.
The Evil God plastered a bunch of illusions over the window, trying to mess with me. Scenes of Bennett and Niolle cursing Tara from hell, images of them kissing and having a wedding, and so on.
> Input Setting: She adored humans so much that she had prepared various human forms as avatars to hold her own fashion show in front of a mirror. Once in her emo phase, she embodied a character named 『Bringer of the Abyss and Darkness』…
Although I swiftly suppressed it, the Evil God had already driven a wedge between us.
“⋯⋯This is just an illusion. Crappy tricks like this won’t fool me⋯⋯.”
Tara bit her lip and shattered the window. She looked genuinely wounded.
With this, it seemed not only was Tara getting mentally traumatized⋯⋯ but the Evil God was also trying to sabotage my plan. It decorated every image reflected in the window to invoke as much despair as possible in Tara, leaving her doubting the very existence of Bennett and Niolle.
A crafty move indeed, but it wasn’t without ways to tackle it. Here, perhaps a dash of comedy would lighten the mood. First, let’s calm her down a bit.
I raised the perceived temperature slightly to create a warmth that could be felt and adjusted the surrounding scenery a tad. Let’s place a flower, completely out of place, blooming from a crack in the asphalt where it couldn’t be seen.
It would make a striking contrast against the dismal landscape littered with corpses. What if I also positioned the dressing table mirror as if it had been abandoned? It would be a familiar object for women, surely drawing their gaze.
I also thought of adding some decorations that could remind them of happier times, so I brought a tea set resource used in Abraham’s mansion and tossed it to the Tower Master.
“Could you break this and toss it into a trash bag? Make sure the pieces are facing up, so even with a cursory glance, they go, ‘Oh, this looks just like the teacup Abraham used.’”
“Uh, eung⋯⋯!”
She quickly crafted and placed it.
Wasn’t this also the place where their journey began, and where they first met Abraham? Right, so I should put a streetlight next to it. Nice, this isn’t bad at all.
Now, it’s time to direct the other side⋯⋯ towards Bennett and Niolle. With their numbers, they’d be mentally stable, and thanks to his experience as a Black Wizard, Bennett was still maintaining his sanity. Let’s pump up the atmosphere here to hit Tara with that lovely domino effect.
100 years into the future⋯⋯.
For Bennett and Niolle, it must’ve felt like they were dropped into a wasteland. I needed to let them know, according to the setup, that this was 100 years later. In fact, that’s pretty simple. Just place similar buildings together and make them slightly worn out.
Then, I’ll leave clues and hints for Niolle to pick up on.
They would assume it was a wasteland, but upon closer inspection, they’d find traces of humanity. Contextually, it would suggest that despite the Evil God’s catastrophic descent, people were still surviving──! It had to feel more peaceful than anticipated.
I also erased all traces of threatening monsters around, relocating the dangerous foes to that snowy mountain over there. They could breathe easy, removing tension from their shoulders.
Let’s blend in some signs of livestock farming. Tossing in a random thing to lighten the atmosphere can’t be a bad idea either. How about some panties?
I scattered panties in front of Bennett’s path.
“⋯⋯I can’t follow your thought process.”
“Tower Master, there’s no time for chit-chat. Here’s this, and this, and also this. Not sure if we’ll use them but let’s include this as well.”
“Eugyaaa⋯⋯!”
I piled an endless workload onto the meddlesome Tower Master. Bennett looked at the handmade wool panties and probably guessed, 1) They must be raising sheep. 2) They can gather wool to make clothing.
Now it was time to land a decisive blow to uplift their spirits⋯⋯.
“Oooh.”
“⋯⋯What is it?”
“Let’s make a statue to honor Bennett, Tara, and Niolle.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯??”
“Model it.”
The Tower Master, drenched in sweat, started carving the statue.
===============================================================
Niolle deduced from the topography, geography, and remaining structures that this area was approximately 100 years into the future. The once soft soil had turned crumbly, and remnants of civilization were cut in half—but it was less severe than she had initially thought.
She had expected everything to be swallowed up by the void—a hellscape of monsters torturing the living. But that wasn’t the case.
In the future, had the Evil God retreated?
Traces of people appeared. The very fact that life persisted despite the horrific being’s descent stirred some strange emotions within her.
Niolle had her abdomen wrapped in cloth. Initially, it was a grave injury that could not be treated with just that. Had the residual power from the Goddess’s Crystal provided a final healing effect?
Although her wounds weren’t healed completely, simple first aid allowed her to move around.
In the future, did the Evil God’s influence not extend here? She no longer heard the whispers. Just that made Niolle feel relief. She slowly surveyed her surroundings.
[Could it be… that humanity hasn’t perished?]
“It looks like they’re still surviving. Some buildings seem to still be in use⋯⋯ Hmm?”
Bennett picked up a woolen fabric rolling on the cracked asphalt. As he unfolded it, he discovered it was a piece of women’s underwear made within the last ten years.
Moreover, the faint scent of detergent brushed against Bennett’s sensitive nose. It seemed not long had passed since it was last washed.
[Looks like there’s a place where people live not far from here…?]
“Keep your guard up. There’s a chance this could be a monster leaving human-like traces to lure in prey.”
Although the first aid had been completed, Bennett’s arm was severed, and Niolle had a gaping wound in her abdomen. They needed vigilance, even in perfect condition. Now with their injuries, extra caution was vital.
Niolle scanned her surroundings carefully, then wrote with her finger on Bennett’s broad back.
[Still, I don’t see any signs… of violence.]
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
They proceeded cautiously.
The weather was lovely, with a bright blue sky invoking a refreshing feeling. While it was a dire situation—with them getting separated from Tara due to the Cult Leader’s last spell—the sky was so blue that it almost seemed callous.
It was a silly thought, but they wondered what it would have been like if Tara had also been caught up in it.
Then, they finally met the mirror. The storefront window had somehow maintained its shape until now. The image reflected cracked violently, and as they focused, it showcased an entirely different view.
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Bennett and Niolle tensed up, glaring at the window like monsters might leap out. Beyond the glass, it reflected nothing but the past: a pitch-black city where stars mocked them, teeming with crawling monsters.
[⋯⋯I can see the past, could it be an illusion?]
“I see it too. Unfortunately, the likelihood of it being an illusion is high⋯⋯ Is that?”
[Tara?]
In the distance, beyond the window, a bloodied Tara was slashing zealots with an unfamiliar thorn vine. Given her signature outfit and the demonic sword she wielded, it was undeniably her.
Her expression twisted with extreme pain and regret. Bennett frowned unconsciously. That expression doesn’t suit her.
[Wait, Bennett. Look over there.]
While Bennett concentrated on the reflected image in the glass, Niolle urgently tapped his shoulder, nudging him to turn.
“⋯⋯What… is… that?”
A bizarre phenomenon was unfolding here. The neighboring building crackled with noise, and the substantial fissure that had been there moments ago vanished. Flowers bloomed, and shattered glass began to repair itself.
It was in the very next moment that they received a clue regarding this mysterious phenomenon.
When Tara in the reflection threw the demonic sword, piercing a fanatic to the outer wall of the building, a scratch— almost identical to the sword mark— appeared on the same building’s wall.
“⋯⋯Is the future altering in real-time based on past events?”
[Could the vanishing of the cracks result from Tara slaying the fanatic? If so, we need to tell her!]
“If she can see us from there, we might be able to communicate. This phenomenon seems to be mediated by the window, so let’s find the closest glass to her.”
Bennett and Niolle sprinted. It was just a strange hunch— but if they managed to use this phenomenon right, there might just be something they could do.
After wandering through the city, they finally found Tara at an old dressing table.
===============================================================
As Tara turned a corner, slaying yet another fanatic, an incongruous flower caught her eye. A nameless white flower swayed in the breeze.
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Shifting her gaze to search for her next prey, she spotted a half-collapsed trash bag leaning against the wall. A broken teacup sparkled inside. It was the kind Abraham used to brew his cocoa. Could it be from the same brand?
Finally, her gaze landed on the abandoned dressing table. Tara grimaced as she looked at the mirror. It was too late to turn away. Once again, she came face-to-face with her reflection.
Again.
Again and again, these damned illusions.
Bennett and Niolle were peering through the dressing table. Tara clenched her fists. What kind of resentful words would she scream out this time? What manner of heartache were they about to inflict on her now?
Even though all she had to do was shatter the glass before the voices reached her.
Just as she considered this, Tara hesitated, wanting to capture their faces and voices in her eyes one last time. Even if the hallucinations only regurgitated sharp words, she still longed to see them.
But this time, it felt a little different.
– Tara, can you hear me? We’re alive. It seems like⋯⋯ we got caught up in the Cult Leader’s last-gasp spell and were sent 100 years into the future.
“⋯⋯⋯⋯Hah.”
From beyond the mirror, Bennett spoke calmly. The sight of his severed arm twisted Tara’s heart painfully.
The Evil God’s illusions seemed intricately designed to disturb her mind in a more subtle yet cruel way. Was the goal to instill hope that they were still alive, only to shatter it painfully later?
“I won’t fall for it. Damned⋯⋯ God. I know you’re just an illusion.”
– ⋯⋯⋯⋯.
“Just go away. Just, disappear. Please. Even if it’s just a reflection in the mirror, I don’t want to destroy it⋯⋯!”
For a moment, Bennett appeared perplexed, then he exchanged quick words with Niolle. Their actions and alterations were extremely detailed, unlike anything they’d done previously.
Tara needed to pull herself together. Could they be real? Perhaps they are actually alive. All the hopes she had subconsciously nurtured needed to be denied; she must erase her futile hope.
If she allowed herself to believe it, surely just like the family in the dream shown by the Crazy Wizard⋯⋯ that illusion too would smile before vanishing like it never existed.
– It seems like⋯⋯ she must’ve witnessed illusions several times before. Is this a state in which she cannot discern whether we’re real or not?
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
– Then, there’s no method here to prove ourselves. All we can do is ask her to believe… Huh?
Niolle was about to scribble on Bennett’s back but paused when she noted Tara’s gaze. She picked up a flat board nearby and wrote on it using magic so Tara could read it as well.
[What if we say something that an illusion would never say?]
– What kind of words?
[The Evil God must have displayed illusions to break Tara’s spirit. Thus, it likely filled her mind with words that jab at her dark feelings. So let’s do the complete opposite! How about we compliment her?]
“⋯⋯⋯⋯?”
The conversation was taking a strange turn. Had the Evil God’s illusions ever said something like that before?
– Um… So, Tara, you’re good at using your fists. Of course, there are parts where you could improve, but considering you’re not a vanguard, that’s pretty impressive, right? Why are you hitting me, Niolle?
[Compliment her.]
– Then why don’t you show me how?
[Um… Okay, Tara has⋯⋯ a beautiful figure! So, your sideboob peeking through those holes in your clothes is, um, as pretty as water droplets. Mine are needlessly oversized, so I envy your well-shaped boost⋯⋯.]
– ⋯⋯Isn’t that sexual harassment?
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Is this real?
Wasn’t that more of a subtle brag… than a compliment?
Tara started to feel confused. If this was indeed an illusion manifested by the Evil God, its cleverness made her feel guilty for even considering a concession.
– Um, so… the side slits in your outfit are definitely over the top. Last time, it didn’t seem like you were enjoying the attention of others. Wouldn’t it be better to dress more conservatively?
[Compliment her.]
– So, um. Tara, your⋯⋯ butt is… rather big.
[I told you, compliment her! Not sexually harass her!]
– What on earth do you want from me…?!
[Just be honest about what you remember.]
It really feels like it.
The Bennett looking at her from the other side of the mirror was a young man who had wasted his youth as a Black Wizard. He groaned for a while before finally managing to find some words. If he remembered anything, it was when Tara kicked him⋯⋯.
– You have a mole on the inside of your thigh. I thought it suited you well. And—
“⋯⋯S-stop! Okay, okay, I understand!”
Tara flailed her hands and slammed on the emergency brakes. For the first time in ages, her face turned bright red, not from anger but embarrassment.
Tara desperately fanned her hands to cool her heated face, then relaxed her shoulders. She didn’t think the Evil God could weave such intricate tricks.
It felt like the rope constricting her neck had finally unraveled. Tara placed her hand over her heart and let out a deep sigh of relief, offering thanks to fate as a faint smile tugged at her lips.
“⋯⋯So you guys are still alive.”
– Did we make you worry?
“Yes, a lot.”
– I’m sorry for making you worry. Can you forgive us?
Tara burst into laughter at his awkward apology. Why on earth is he asking for forgiveness when all he did was lose the fight valiantly?
The tears that were threatening to spill from her laughter began to shimmer in her eyes. As she wiped a tear away with her fingers, she stuck out her tongue playfully.
“I won’t forgive you. You idiot.”
– ⋯⋯⋯⋯.
Knock knock.
[Ahem. Tara, sorry to interrupt, but we have plenty to discuss and tasks to attend to, so…?]
With that, they concluded their reunion.
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