Chapter 204 – Conversation (1)
In truth, if I look back at everything I’ve done so far, it was all to prevent the destruction.
But here I am, faced with the impending destruction.
“…..”
I sat on the edge of a rooftop railing, legs dangling in the air. While waiting for Stardus to arrive after calling her, I just gazed out into the distance.
In the clear view before , the world was collapsing vigorously. Everything humanity had built was crumbling.
But well, I didn’t really care.
After all, this would all beco a fleeting dream in an instant. Whatever I said or did here, it would all beco nothing.
So, the scenery before only provided a sense of “I need to work hard to avoid it ending up like this…”
In reality, I had initially tried to fall asleep. But then, Stardus suddenly appeared in front of .
As soone who rembered her struggles during this apocalyptic ti in the original, I just couldn’t leave her be.
That’s why I called her through the broadcast, telling her not to worry too much and to take a break. After all, it’s a ti-travelling dinsion, so she shouldn’t suffer too much.
…Actually, would she believe what I say? No, would she even co here in the first place? Still, I had to try.
And after such a wait…
“…Hmm.”
She ca.
“Egostic…”
“Welco, Stardus.”
The clear blue sky stretched out above us.
Black smoke rose between the gaps in the scenery.
Amidst the real-ti collapse of human civilization in the background, I smiled slightly and greeted Stardus as she looked at with slightly trembling eyes.
Floating in the air, she looked down at .
Under the continuous sound of bombings, I continued to speak in a calm voice.
“…Thank you for coming. To be honest, I was worried about what to do if you didn’t show up…”
“….”
“Anyway, since you’re here, let tell you the truth behind all this chaos.”
I remained seated on the railing in front of her and began to explain.
…I was worried she would be overwheld by the accumulated stress, but to my surprise, she didn’t rush toward in distress. Instead, she calmly nodded her head, and I felt relieved by her response.
With that assurance, I started to explain the situation.
In fact, to sum up everything I said, it’s just this…
“Stardus, this ti will be restored by another superpower users. It will beco nothing. You won’t rember anything that happened today.”
I explained it all in detail…
How it seems like so superpower holders caused all of this, and the ti manipulator in the United States will reset ti. Sothing like that.
“Perhaps both you and I won’t rember this conversation we’re having right now. It will all beco nothing, and this collapsing world will return to its original state in a few hours.”
So, until ti goes back, let’s just relax together.
I finished saying everything I wanted to say.
Thankfully, Stardus listened quietly to what I had to say without interrupting.
…But, would she believe ? Now that I think about it, it sounds like an extrely unreliable statent. It’s odd that I know all this information.
“Haha, well, even if you don’t believe -“
As I was speaking to her,
her voice ca from in front of .
“I’ll believe you.”
“Isn’t it hard to trust… ?”
In an instant, I raised my head at the voice that ca from right in front of .
There, before , Stardus was quietly smiling and looking into my eyes.
She softly laughed and said to
“It’s not anyone else. It’s you. I’ll believe you. Completely.”
At that mont, I unknowingly held my breath. Her appearance, with the bright blond hair fluttering in the air as she faced the sky, and the way she looked at with a gentle smile, was too beautiful.
…Or maybe it’s because, without a shred of doubt, she’s telling she trusts completely.
Whatever the reason…
“…Um, thank you?”
I couldn’t help but say that.
“Can I sit next to you?”
“Sure? Ah, yes.”
As I responded, she was already sitting next to on the railing.
She still had a faint smile.
While I struggled to catch up with what was happening, she was smiling and looking at .
As I continued to try to find the right words to say…
Close to , right by my side, she sat with her hands resting on the railing, looking at the sky in front of her as she spoke to .
“…So, you’re saying ti will reset anyway?”
“Yes. That’s right. Everything that’s happening now will beco nothing. We won’t rember any of it.”
“Hmm…”
In response to my words, she just gently swung her legs without giving any specific reply.
…At this point, I thought she might ask how I knew all this, but she didn’t ask such a question.
Instead, Stardus threw a different question at .
“But then, why are you and I not going crazy like everyone else? We’re both perfectly fine.”
Stardus asked out of curiosity.
And I answered.
“Because our source of power is different.”
“Our source of power is different?”
She seed genuinely curious, turning her head from looking at the sky to looking at with interest.
…Hmm, if I delve too much into the theological aspect, we’ll end up talking about it all day, starting from the three gods of the origin.
Considering the ti constraint, I provided a sowhat condensed answer.
“Yes. Unlike others, the source of our powers is different. Our powers have different origins from the start, so we aren’t affected by the powers of other gods.”
Yeah, let’s just explain it like this for now…
But it would be awkward if she asked who these gods were.
Thankfully, she asked sothing else after hearing my explanation.
“Then… the origin of our powers is the sa?”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
“Hmm… I see… I get it now.”
Satisfied with my response, she gave a soft smile.
And then turned her gaze back to the sky in front of us.
And so, a mont of calm returned.
‘…..’
Seizing the opportunity, I took a deep breath.
…Huh? Did Stardus ever appear this affectionate towards a villain in the original story? I don’t think so.
…I don’t know. Everything we’re doing right now will beco nothing, and we won’t rember any of it. What does it matter anyway? Overthinking will get you nowhere. Let’s just enjoy the mont.
So, I sat there next to Stardus, enjoying the breeze blowing on the rooftop. Despite the sirens wailing and smoke rising from sowhere, I couldn’t bring myself to think about the fake destruction. It felt like a surreal experience.
Stardus also remained quiet, watching the scenery by my side.
And then, after a while, as she silently gazed at the scenery, she turned her head to look at and spoke.
“You know… Egostic.”
In response, I turned my head as well and was taken aback by her face so close to mine.
She continued, her gaze fixed on as if she had been longing to ask this question for a long ti.
“Can I ask you one thing?”
“Oh… Go ahead.”
In response to my answer, Stardus looked into my eyes, filled with a desire for sothing, and asked a question.
As if she had wanted to ask this question for a long ti.
“Egostic.”
“Are you… really a villain?”
For a mont, it felt as if ti had stopped, such was the impact of her question. She looked into my eyes with her blue ones, asking if I was truly a bad person.
…And at that mont, as soone who used to be a fan of Stardus, I realized sothing.
It wasn’t a question about whether I was formally a villain or not. It was more than that.
It was about whether I was truly a bad person or not.
For a brief mont, I turned my head away from her question. And then she continued with her earnest voice, full of conviction.
“All the acts of terror you’ve committed so far… were they all just to tornt people? Only for your own personal gain?”
“…Or was there…”
“Another reason behind it?”
Looking at , she kept asking with a serious tone and a sense of certainty.
Listening to Stardus’s words, I paused and pondered for a mont.
Why would she ask such a question in the first place? Could it be that she has always been suspicious of ? …Nah, that couldn’t be it. Stardus hates villains so much. Maybe it’s because she knows I know everything about the conspiracy behind this destruction and called her here.
…Still.
Anyway, since all these mories will disappear, and everything happening now will vanish as if it were an illusion when ti goes back, maybe I can speak the truth for now.
With that thought in mind, I opened my mouth, deliberately putting on a playful smile to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
“Oh no, am I caught?”
“Hmm?”
“Well, the truth is I did everything to prevent the world’s destruction. I wanted to stop the future where things could end up like this. Haha.”
I said it as if joking, trying to lighten the mood.
“Ah hah, I thought so.”
“What?”
“Haha, sohow I had a feeling.”
In response to my words, she laughed and answered.
“Tell more in detail.”
“About everything that has happened so far.”
…And as I looked into her eyes, shining with anticipation,
I couldn’t refuse her question.
‘…Where should I start?’
It’s going to be quite a long story. But well, it should be enough to pass the ti.
So, I slowly began to speak.
***
“…It’s a bit chilly here, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is.”
Shin Haru. It had been quite so ti since she arrived on the rooftop where Egostic was sitting.
From the mont she arrived, she heard his words about how all these events would be resolved by turning back ti, and even though it was hard to believe, she trusted him without a shred of doubt. That’s how much she believed in Egostic.
Yes. In this mont of witnessing the destruction of the world, she realized.
“Haha.”
She had trusted Egostic so much, believing his story all at once and finding imdiate relief.
“It’s still chaotic. Gosh…”
“Yeah…”
After he had finished telling his story, they sat side by side, looking at the vast scenery beneath the open sky.
However, her attention wasn’t on the view in front of her; rather, it was on Egostic beside her.
Badum. Badum.
Ever since she heard the story he had done all this for her and that he wasn’t a villain, she felt her heart beating faster whenever she looked at him. And for so reason, she could feel her cheeks flushing a little, a smile unconsciously appearing on her face.
Yeah.
At the end of the world’s destruction.
After gaining the certainty that Egostic wasn’t a villain,
Sitting next to him, hearing the reason why he called her here, because he didn’t want to see her suffer,
Even though she thought it was all over, he said it wasn’t. Then he confidently claid that everything would be resolved.
Seeing his smiling face as they conversed, she vaguely realized sothing about her own feelings.
“Haha.”
“Why are you suddenly laughing?”
“Huh? Oh, it’s nothing.”
Smiling, she turned to him and gave that response. He looked a bit puzzled but smiled back at her in the sa way.
Seeing his smile, Shin Haru thought to herself.
That’s right…
For now, let’s just focus on this mont.
Even though it will disappear soon.
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