In the deep silence, I slowly relaxed.
I smiled broadly.
“Do you rember ?”
Even though I greeted her, no response ca, so I tried speaking again.
As expected, no reply. Dorothy was just watching with her many eyes. Her starlight mana blocked from reading her psychology.
I knew Dorothy didn’t recognize . According to the records she left behind, she had already lost her reason.
The Dorothy before was a transcendent being. The mana she effortlessly radiated was at least on par with the Nether King.
Soone like wouldn’t stand a chance against her.
Especially since my mana was nearly depleted. She could probably kill with just a wave of her hand.
Would it be better to just die by her hand?
That ridiculous thought I had during the Trial of Frost suddenly ca to mind, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“You asked , didn’t you? Whether Dorothy and I… what was it, love each other?”
I pretended to be embarrassed, speaking lightly as if chatting with a friend.
“I think so. At least, I do, and Dorothy seems to like too. I could be wrong, or it could just be wishful thinking, but that’s how it is. I don’t know if you can guess the situation.”
I took a short breath.
“You were the sa. You were actually the first Dorothy I t. You probably didn’t particularly like , so this might feel awkward, but if I had to say… I really liked you. Truly.”
I spoke in a sweet voice, the kind Dorothy would most like to hear, conveying my sincerity.
“You’re beautiful, like a celebrity… Even after losing everything, even facing death, the way you fought to live… I admired that so much.”
You healed and painted a world full of possibilities.
That’s why I wanted to do the sa.
The way you lived to shine saved , and now I want to save you so that your life can shine even brighter.
“I missed you. Even as a god, you’re still dazzlingly beautiful.”
Standing in front of Dorothy, as I shared the feelings I had never been able to express, I realized sothing.
There was a lot of unresolved emotion inside .
The more I imprinted Dorothy’s image on my eyes, the more the emotions I had been suppressing stirred and slowly consud my entire being.
As the cool air brushed my blood-stained cheek, my emotions seed to heighten even more.
I’m powerless and unwise… that’s why I couldn’t save you.
The feeling of helplessness and loss gnawed at my heart like a rat.
Clang.
With a clear sound, a swarm of stars rose around .
My body beca weightless and floated through the air, reaching Dorothy.
“Dorothy…?”
The only trace of Dorothy’s old face left was around one of her eyes.
Even that remaining eye showed no life. It rely emitted a quiet, lonely, and mysterious starlight.
Dorothy placed her hand on my chest. I felt nothing but coldness.
Hiss.
Soon, brilliant starlight mana flowed gently from Dorothy’s hand into .
Each of my cells felt like they were popping, as an overwhelming and heavy mana began to envelop my mana circuits.
It didn’t hurt. In fact, it felt warm.
And yet, I had a terrible premonition.
“What are you doing…? Dorothy?”
When I tried to push Dorothy’s hand away, the swarm of stars rose up and bound my entire body.
I couldn’t move.
“Dorothy!! Hey!!”
As I shouted with wide eyes, my vision suddenly turned completely white.
I couldn’t see anything.
If I still had mana left, I might have been able to dispel this kind of magic, but right now, my body wasn’t in a condition to do that.
“Dorothy!! What are you doing!! Answer !!”
[Hello?]
An all-too-familiar voice ca from behind .
I quickly turned my head, and there she was, Dorothy in white clothes, standing before .
[You must be really surprised, right?]
It was Dorothy from the first tiline that I had seen before.
I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.
Why?
[This is the final ssage I’m leaving for you. First of all, congratulations on making it this far! It was an impossible task, so you must have… suffered a lot.] 𝖗𝓪𐌽ọBÊš
A ssage.
It seed like a ssage Dorothy made before she lost her reason.
I couldn’t approach her, as if my feet were glued to the ground. I was paralyzed.
It must have been Dorothy’s magic binding , pulling my consciousness into this ssage.
[Sorry that I don’t rember your na. But I hope you know that I missed you.]
When Dorothy turned her head, the sky beca a brilliant, starry night, and the ground turned into the desolate land once swept by the Floating Island.
Before I knew it, Dorothy had transford into a little girl wearing a yellow dress. It was her childhood self.
[You were probably a bit surprised when I gave you mana right? Sorry for not telling you in advance. I knew you liked , so I thought it might cause so trouble if I told you beforehand.]
“You… What are you doing right now? Why are you giving mana?”
Even though I knew it was a ssage, I couldn’t help but ask since there was no way to speak directly to Dorothy.
[This is for you. Please, defeat Ozma.]
What?
[You probably don’t know that na. She is the god within you. The one I ntioned before, the one helping you but shouldn’t be trusted. I don’t know what her goal is, but I’ve heard that if she achieves it, you will die.]
“…”
[Moreover, Ozma harbors deep resentnt toward Stella… If she fulfills her objective, sothing terrible will undoubtedly happen.]
If Ozma succeeded in taking over my body, it wouldn’t defeat the Evil God. Instead, it would bring about disaster.
[In fact, Ozma was once a princess of a distant country, destined to seal Nephid as a hero.]
It was the first ti I’d heard such a story.
[Back then, Nephid was a Demon Lord instead of an Evil God. Ozma eventually beca a servant of the stars and succeeded in sealing Demon Lord Nephid. On that day, she used too much starlight mana to seal her, which turned her into a deity. But that caused a great catastrophe in the world, and her appearance beca hideous. Deeply scarred, she began secretly wandering the world where you live.]
Dorothy continued her story, as if reciting a fairy tale.
[anwhile, Nephid awakened the Authority of Godslaying in the abyss and ascended to the level of an Evil God. It was an unforeseen event. Even though Nephid remained in the abyss, the Authority of Godslaying affected your world.]
Dorothy made a light gesture.
[When gods intervene in that world, they beco Nephid’s prey. But Ozma was an exception. She had beco a transcendent before the Authority of Godslaying activated, and she hid within the essence of many beings. If Nephid had awakened her divinity right after being sealed, Ozma would have been absorbed as well. She was lucky.]
Ozma beca a god first and secretly wandered the world.
Then, Demon Lord Nephid beca an Evil God and awakened the Authority of Godslaying.
[Therefore, to oppose the Evil God, Ozma was necessary. When the Evil God attempted to awaken the Authority of Godslaying, Stella approached Ozma and made a deal so that Ozma could help you.]
In other words, the fact that I was caught up in this journey with a fake Status Window to defeat the Evil God was planned long ago.
[And I as well.]
“Huh?”
[Stella foresaw my birth back then, and she planned to use to defeat the Evil God. She bestowed the blessing of starlight on my distant ancestors, and that’s how I awakened my starlight magic.]
Just as the Elfieto royal family received the blessing of the Night Fairy, and White, deeply influenced by that blessing, awakened the power of the fairy.
Dorothy had undergone the sa process.
So, rescuing Dorothy from the Floating Island was…
[I also found out later. The reason I was able to escape from the Land of Oz was because I had awakened starlight mana. The Stella I saw back then was a remnant she had left for , another Stella passed down through my blood.]
The Stella who saved the young Dorothy from the Floating Island was like an AI programd into Dorothy’s ancestor long ago.
Now I understood why Stella, a transcendent being, had not fallen to the Authority of Godslaying.
[So, I also beca part of the plan Stella had laid out, leading to the situation we’re in now.]
I knew that Dorothy from the first tiline had lost her life according to Stella’s plan.
But I hadn’t realized that plan had been made so long ago.
[You know, your Dorothy won’t end up like . I’ll make sure of it.]
My shoulders trembled slightly.
[I will give you my power.]
“No, don’t…”
I furrowed my brow and shook my head, but my plea wouldn’t reach Dorothy.
[I will give you the power ant solely for battle, so you can beco stronger than anyone. I will drive Ozma out of you. Even though you’re not a suitable wielder of starlight mana, thanks to the remnants of Ozma, you’ll be able to use starlight mana temporarily. Use that power to defeat Ozma and take all of her strength. Then, after you escape the Icy Lake, you’ll be transported back to the rift. Once there, I’ll open it for you so you can leave safely.]
The young girl, Dorothy Gale, clasped her hands behind her back and smiled softly.
[That is the wish I have for you.]
“…”
[Even though I can’t rember you, I still feel like I would have liked you. If we had continued staying together, I’m certain I would have liked you more than anyone… It’s a little embarrassing.]
Dorothy blushed and let out her characteristic laugh.
[So, I hope you live a happy life.]
“Dorothy, please…”
A deep darkness began to spread, and the image of young Dorothy started to fade away.
[Did you know? The Wizard of Oz is said to be soone who grants all wishes.]
As if saying her final farewell, the young girl smiled brightly, like a fully blossod flower.
[Please, be my Wizard of Oz.]
Silence.
I closed my eyes and opened them again, and my vision showed the dark scenery of the Icy Lake.
From where Dorothy had been, brilliant starlight particles scattered.
Even the sparkling remnants of her remaining life disappeared like dust.
Swallowing the emptiness, it felt as though sothing was rcilessly carving out all my insides, dragging them deep down, and bringing forth an unbearable silence.
As I stared into the void in silence for a while, the cluster of stars that had been rising around completely faded away.
My body slowly began to fall.
Fwoooosh!!
Just before hitting the Icy Lake, I released a strong burst of cold air, reducing the impact of my fall.
A strange sensation swirled inside my body. It was different from what I usually felt.
It felt as though sothing important had left , and sothing new had filled its place.
[────────.]
An unintelligible tone pierced my ears.
I slowly lifted my head.
Blood-red clouds swirled, and at so point, even the beautiful aurora that filled the sky began to whirl.
Beneath it, a being with the grandeur of a vast, brilliant universe sat still, as if ditating.
Wrapped around its body were two rings imbued with an astronomical amount of mana. It was the stature of a transcendent being.
Countless eyes covering its entire body all glared at simultaneously.
“…So it’s you, Ozma.”
Mana filled with anger, resentnt, and hatred weighed down heavily. It was Ozma’s power.
I walked forward in silence. There was an unbearable weight in each step.
I couldn’t calm myself, my expression becoming increasingly rigid.
“Let’s end this Status Window ga.”
I extended my right hand.
Chararang!
A white cluster of stars blood above it.
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