TN: Quick guide to understand who’s speaking, even if it might be obvious.
Elroy MC: “this”
Original Elroy: [this]
Isha: (this)
So, to describe how it feels to suddenly co face to face with soone who looks exactly like you…it’s like sitting on a tree stump, muttering to yourself, and then the ant climbing up the stump responds to your muttering. That’s how it feels.
“…What’s going on here?”
It’s just… extrely bewildering. No matter how fantastical this world, how surreal this realm is, I’ve never imagined a situation like this before.
[What’s going on? You just t .]
I – well, to put it more simply, the ‘original’ Elroy knelt and crouched in front of . His gaze was directed at the section where my arm had been severed.
[Quite a sight, isn’t it? It’s almost like watching myself die. Honestly, it’s interesting.
I furrowed my brow. Listening to Elroy speak, it was clear my personality remained faithful to the original. He looked at my disapproving expression, chuckled, and plopped down on the ground with a hearty laugh.
“Where on earth did you co from? Your voice… if what’s left of Isha said is true, you should have died back then.”
[You should’ve realized that was not the end by now.]
I looked at the Elroy from the original work. His face is pale. That was the first thing that struck , and the second was that his hair was much scruffier than I thought. And his deep turquoise eyes. He appeared much older than I had imagined.
[Isha left remnants, right? So, I left my own remnants within the Holy Sword. Haven’t you, as the Hero, ever heard strange voices?]
Another voice aside from the Holy Sword. I rember them vividly. When I defeated the Giant or underwent the trial of the Criwb, the mysterious voices resonated in my mind. It felt like encouragent at tis and a gentle push forward at others.
“Did you keep an eye on all this ti?”
[You fought pretty well. Different from . Your way of dealing with comrades, how you treat people, and your perspective on the world were all completely different from mine.]
The Elroy from the original work chuckled bitterly.
[I felt an indescribable emotion watching you achieve what I couldn’t. It was a feeling I couldn’t even call jealousy, just regret. What I thought I had lost could have been gradually found if enough ti had passed.]
Elroy stared blankly into the dark space montarily, and I turned to look at him.
“How did you regain your mories?”
[Death is a mysterious phenonon, Elroy, more than you might think. It’s like different roots that eventually separate, only to converge into one vast ocean. An absolute god and an ant end up in the sa place—the world.]
The Elroy from the original work patted my head lightly.
[The mories I had forgotten ca back to in that mont, the ones buried deep by Isha. Do you rember, Isha?]
(…I rember every mont.)
The voice seed reluctant to say more. He chuckled as if satisfied with the response.
[We were all failures. Isha, , and even my comrades from the previous world.]
Elroy’s hand rested on my unscathed shoulder.
[But you continued forward as if denying our failures and frustrations. You tried to create a better world, choosing the path where fewer people would die. You never looked for an easy way out; even when it was difficult and challenging, you tried not to turn away from responsibility. Even now, you’re moving forward just like that.]
Elroy once again lifted his head towards the darkness of the surreal space.
[Isn’t this what you wanted?]
(I…It is, but I wished that you, Elroy, wouldn’t be trapped by the obsession I planted.)
[No one forced . I’m doing this because I want to.]
[That goes for him too.]
Elroy went down on one knee.
[Isha, my determination to save you was not forced by anyone.]
I looked at the conversation between the voice and Elroy and let out a small sigh. Well, it’s good that the reinforcents have arrived. But sohow, I had a feeling that he would send away and walk into the darkness alone, pretending to be cool.
“Just so you know, don’t try to go in alone. This is my fight, not yours.”
[You talk a lot for soone missing an arm and leg.]
Elroy chuckled and reached out to . I reached out with my left hand, supporting myself awkwardly. It was amusing how my balance felt strangely stable.
[So, what was your original plan?]
Elroy asked, and I took a short breath and raised my head towards the distant, faint light.
“Go in there; either pull out Isha or fight together.”
[You really had nothing, huh? How on earth did you save the world?]
Soone really knows how to poke at soone’s temper. I can probably understand why Arjen was so irritated in the original. He must have made remarks that scratched at his temper gradually throughout the journey. I looked at the original Elroy with a bitter smile, and he responded while raising his eyebrows.
[All right, then. What can I do for you, who is missing a pair of arms and legs?]
“Either take there or do sothing to prevent Isha from interfering. If not that…”
Elroy lifted up and looked straight into my eyes. Only then could I genuinely look into Elroy’s – my own eyes. Co to think of it, I had never looked directly into my own eyes before.
Turquoise.
Once again, I thought it was a strange color. Elroy erased the mischief from his eyes and smiled. His gaze, imbued with a particular kindness, made it seem like he had beco a deity.
[Let’s make your arms and legs grow back.]
At Elroy’s words, I opened my eyes wide in surprise. This was no joke.
“…How?”
[By rging the two of us into one shared being.]
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
I asked with a deep frown, and the original Elroy chuckled softly.
[It ans I will be absorbed by you.]
“That’s like saying you’ll commit suicide.”
[It’s not dying but disappearing, you idiot. We’re the sa person anyway.]
The original Elroy spoke while lifting his hand. Like being erased with an eraser, the form at the tip of his hand began to blur.
[The end of the story is approaching, Elroy. The first world has crossed the line and interfered with the second world. I will genuinely disappear unless I beco a parasite to you.]
“The term ‘parasite’ doesn’t sit well with .”
[I’m not doing this because I like it.]
The original Elroy sighed.
[The reason I couldn’t disappear and stay in this world was…]
Elroy pointed to the sky.
[To save soone like , who wouldn’t disappear to protect the world.]
Elroy’s eyes were earnest.
[I wonder if the people who looked at then felt the sa as I do now.]
He chuckled bitterly. I just listened silently to what Elroy was saying.
[I hope you can save her. I hope you go beyond the path I couldn’t take, to beco what I couldn’t, to save what I couldn’t. Move forward.]
Slowly, Elroy’s fading form began to rge with .
[Go on,]
Elroy’s voice now began to resonate from within .
[I’ll disappear, taking with the irresponsible words I couldn’t fulfill.]
My left leg grew back. The right arm, once severed, now tightly held the scabbard. mories not originally mine stread into my mind.
(Your na is Elroy.)
Soone looked at , smiling as if creating that na. And hope. Why had I forgotten that mory until now? The emptiness in my head began to fill with light and warmth.
[Now, Elroy, raise your sword.]
I lifted the sword as instructed.
[It’s ti to return as a hero.]
***
“So, what do you think now?”
The road ahead appeared clear as if it had never blocked my path. ‘I’ looked down at my hand. It felt strangely odd that all the gaps in my mory had been filled. Though that voice and attitude were now a part of , they still held a peculiar weight.
“Will you be freed from this space if I bring Isha here?”
(I don’t know. Perhaps simply disappearing might be the best outco.)
I nodded and turned my gaze. The tiny crack that was once a faint light had now widened enough for a person to pass through, radiating light before .
(I’ve opened the way. I realized there’s no way to stop you from progressing here. Quite stubborn, aren’t you?)
I gazed at the path, took a deep breath, and exhaled.
(It’s going to be a long fight. It might take as long as the creation and disappearance of entire universes.)
“Even so, I’ll go.”
(Is it because you’re the Hero?)
Hero.
I chuckled at those words, contemplating them in my mind.
“I’m not doing it because I’m a Hero. I just want to save you because I want to.”
Calling a Hero is an overblown title for soone who wants to rescue one person.
(…Is that so?)
This ti, the voice sounded happier. When I turned around, Isha, with silver hair, looked at with a faint smile.
(I’ll be waiting, so please return.)
My eyes widened briefly, then my mouth turned into a smile, and I nodded.
“Yeah, I’ll rescue you and return.”
And with that, I stepped into the light.
Reviews
All reviews (0)