Is That My Alter Ego - Chapter 111



Chapter 111 – Reunion

The walls of dead trees split apart, revealing the alien landscape they had concealed.

In the western empire, where it was said that no one lived, and everything had withered away, losing its color and becoming desolate.

Yet the scene before me could only be described as breathtaking.

As if another world unfolded, vibrant and whimsical villages cascaded down from the high cliffs.

And the horizon stretched endlessly, with the sun draped across it. Above, the beautiful stars sang their celestial melodies.

It was a sight that could steal anyone’s gaze, but for the women, reignited with new hope, something far more significant remained.

“It’s… the presence of the Master…!”

“….Venice! I can feel Venice’s magic…!”

“The scent… the scent of my Master…!”

The energy, the magic, the scent they had longed for every day, trying to conjure it in their minds.

And an undeniable warmth wafted from the edge of that cliff.

They ran. Had they ever run with such desperation, pouring every ounce of strength into their flight?

The hearts that had stopped began to beat once more. For after he had left, their hearts had ceased to function.

Recognizing the presence that would ignite them anew, their hearts raced with wild abandon.

Ahead, at the cliff’s edge, stood a small boy.

He was different from the Master. He was somewhat different from Venice. He was… different from their Lord.

Yet, the moment they laid eyes on him, tears began to flow, a cascade of hope at the thought of seeing a beloved one they had to part with.

These were not the tears of sorrow, anger, guilt, or hatred that had fallen daily. No, these were tears of boundless joy and happiness, flowing at the prospect of a new chance.

At last. They stood before the place where they thought the light had been lost. They halted and shouted.

“At last, I have found you… my Master…!”

“Venice…! I have come…!”

“Master…! I can smell you…!”

Was it their tear-soaked voices that reached him? The boy with black hair, standing at the cliff’s edge, slowly turned to look back.

His hair was darker than the night sky. His eyes, a deep crimson, seemed to hold the essence of blood. His face still bore the innocence of youth.

It was certain. Though he differed slightly from the ‘Venice’ they had known, the boy before them was undoubtedly their Master, their steward, and their Lord.

“Ma…ster…?”

“Venice…”

“Master….”

Yet, they could not smile. Their expressions twisted as they faced the light that had vanished, sinking into a tide of unease.

“How… did you… get here…?”

Their own light had shattered, as if on the brink of extinguishment. The boy’s face was an abyss, so hollow it seemed.

Eyes devoid of any spark, as if hope had fled entirely. The remnants of countless tears etched upon his cheeks.

And there he stood, precariously at the edge of the cliff, a sight that was undeniably abnormal to anyone who looked.

They despaired. The expression of love before them mirrored their own reflections, those they had seen each day in the mirror, where they had resolved to embrace death.

“Seris… Ariel… Kali…”

As they gazed at the faces that asked in vain, calling out his name with that youthful voice, their hearts raced wildly, yet at the same time, it ached as if it might stop at any moment.

“How did you… find your way here…?”

His voice trembled. And still, his eyes were void of light, standing at the precipice as if he might leap at any moment, leaving them in tears yet paralyzed, unable to act.

“Captain! Please calm down… come this way…!”

“Yes, Venice…! It’s too dangerous there. Hurry over here…!”

“Master… no! Please come this way…!”

Venice was tormented. The titles they called him—Captain, Butler, and Master.

Was it right for him, who had entered a false body that felt endlessly real, to hear such names?

Had he not deceived them? Was the reason for their suffering not because of him?

“…That was… not me. The Venice you saw was merely a projection.”

Venice spoke the truth. What you saw was not me, but merely my shadow.

It was nothing but a fabrication, and I had lived solely for myself. He spoke candidly.

In truth, if there exists a true self that summons a projection, shouldn’t the projection be akin to the true self? Why, despite possessing the ability of ‘shadow conjuration,’ was everything—height, personality, abilities—so different?

From the very beginning, it felt wrong. This was not a projection… was it not akin to possession?

What if I… had intruded upon someone’s life, a life once peaceful, and ruined everything? Was I not an unwelcome guest?

Each night, he wrestled with these thoughts. Yet, he could not shake off the means of escape that lay before him.

Thus, he could not live, burdened by guilt for ruining someone’s life and anxiety about reality. Venice spoke.

Tears flowed from his hollow red eyes.

You, who always offered us bright smiles, that warm embrace. You, who saved us…

Why could you not save yourself?

“So… I’m sorry… just forget me and…”

“….No! How… how could this happen….?!”

As she gazed at the trembling form of Venice, Seris interrupted, her voice rising in desperation.

“What difference does it make if the Master I saw was… a doppelgänger, a fake?! The fact that you saved my life, that warm presence was real—!”

She recalled the day you first came to my side. The way you reached out your hand to me. And how you had always been there, steadfast, supporting me through it all.

“….To me… huff… it doesn’t matter if the Master was real or fake—! Just… please stay by my side… I beg you….!”

“Seri…s…”

As she sobbed, her shoulders shaking, Venice felt his resolve begin to waver.

….Is it truly alright for me to be alive? How can I atone for all that I have ruined?

“But I… if I am alive….”

“What do you mean by that…!! I still remember… that smile you sent me, that voice echoing in my mind…”

I remember the day you saved me. Your smile, that warm voice. Every trace of you, all of it lingers in my memory.

“Ugh… so please… live on…. We’ve only just… only just been able to meet again…”

“Eriel…”

Venice looked down at his hands. Is it truly… permissible for me to exist?

Yet… someone who stood by me has surely perished. Just my existence alone has become a curse.

“…No… if I am alive… if you come near me, you will all be hurt….!”

Venice spoke through trembling breaths. The angels who had been by my side. Even they had departed because of me.

If you are near me, it will surely be the same.

…Why must you, kinder and gentler than anyone in this world, endure such suffering?

The women who had heard the story of Venice, one they had never known, crumbled under the weight of it. The light that had saved us all felt unbearably tragic.

A life bound to gaze only at darkness, unable to look upon the light, was too pitiful to bear.

Venice cried out, his voice strained and breaking, slowly weeping as he spoke.

“I… should not be alive…”

“Where is that written-!!!!”

“……….!”

“You… saved my life…! You lost yourself, guiding me, who didn’t even know where to go….!”

I remember the moment I, too, had given up on ‘myself.’ Every action of yours that had appeared in my hellish life. That warm, enchanting smile, the warmth of your hand as it stroked my head.

“Please… live on… ughhh…! I can no longer survive without you… please… my Master…!”

“Kal….ri…”

It was clear that they, who must have been hurt by my actions, desired me. They wished for me to live, to not perish.

—

Those burning tears, the desperate voice crying out to me, pierced my heart with unbearable pain.

“J-…I… ugh…”

– Is it… okay to be alive…?

Venice wandered. Is it permissible for me to exist? Would it not be an act of trampling upon their hearts once more?

Would they not be hurt because of me? Am I, a mere facade, allowed to stand so brilliantly beside you?

As I gazed upon Venice, clutching her head in torment, the eyes of the three women began to ignite.

Though the flowing tears did not cease, that will could not be forged even from cold tears.

“You… you have raised me from the depths, you have saved me…! Please, live… my dear Master!!!”

To you, who fulfilled my dreams and revealed to me the essence of hope, I vow to return that warmth named hope.

“You saved me, a monster…! No one deserves to die!! Especially not you…!”

You, who rescued me from being the emotionless beast they all called me, I will grant you the will to live.

“You, who guided the lost me and saved everything, have no reason to perish… my Lord!!!”

You, who warmly embraced me in my wandering, gave me a reason to live, I will give you a reason to endure.

Their will turned toward Venice. The heart, thought to be cold and lifeless, began to beat anew.

Into the life I had forsaken, a will was breathed back in. Once more… I wish to live.

“Y-…you all…”

Venice wept, hearing the voices of those who cried out to her.

Her body, once turned toward the cliff, now faced them. And step by step, she began to move slowly forward.

“…Is it… alright for someone like me…?”

Am I allowed another chance? Is it permissible for me to live? Venice asked.

A small smile began to rise on her tear-soaked, always downcast face.

“…Of course! So come here….!”

“Yes…! I will surely… make you happy…!”

“I will return everything you have given me….!”

The spark of life began to shine anew in Venice’s eyes. She started to limp toward them, running.

They too began to run toward Venice, shedding tears of joy.

Crack, crackle-crackle-!

[Ah~ it seems this tearful reunion must come to an end here, doesn’t it?]

But at that moment, when everyone was caught off guard, laughing and crying, the world began to twist, and a familiar voice echoed forth.

Crash… shatter-!

—

The world shatters. Like a mirror reflecting this beautiful yet small village, cracks begin to form.

“Uh…?”

Venice stares blankly at the reality that starts to break apart behind her.

The picturesque landscape of the village, her home, and the library, all crumbling and fading away.

As she gazes at the beautiful cliffs, now darkening into oblivion, a blue window appears before her, and she murmurs softly.

“Status… window?”

[Yes! That’s me! Your status window!]

The status window, thought to be broken, suddenly reappears intact. The lively voice she always heard accompanies it.

“….Captain! Come here quickly! Something’s wrong—!”

“What the hell…! Venice! Run!!!”

“Captain!!! Get away from there right now!!!!”

The blue window, clearly visible to them as well. The cause that had brought Venice here, an identity shrouded in mystery.

As it suddenly appears before her and the world continues to shatter, an overwhelming sense of dread begins to swell.

[And now, there’s no need to hide it.]

The blue status window starts to shift, turning a deep crimson. The once cheerful voice, reminiscent of a young girl, morphs into a grotesque amalgamation of all the voices in the world.

[I’ve waited a long time for this moment. Isn’t that right, ‘human of another world’?]

Crack—!

“Gah…!”

From the shattered rift of dimensions, a massive chain of red begins to emerge, ensnaring Venice’s entire body.

“Captain-!!!!”

“Let go of that…! You b*stard!!!”

“You filthy scoundrel…!”

From noble mtl dot com

[Hah… Hahaha—! Yes…! That’s the expression I wanted!!!]

Their faces twisted into a malevolent, grotesque grin, echoing throughout the sky.

Yet, their expressions turned to horror.

The cliff of the small village where they stood. Its visage shattered and transformed into the interior of some ancient castle.

A throne, painted in what seemed like blood against a black backdrop.

And above it, a colossal eye radiating an aura that could drive one mad just by looking at it.

Next to that eye, the chains binding Venice morphed into a small cage, and she found herself trapped within, staring blankly down at them.

[….It is time to meet the end. The strongest of this world.]

-Those who shall become my subordinates.