Is That My Alter Ego - Chapter 114



Chapter 114 – The Final Chapter

“You were my hope. You acted in harmony with the other ‘Venises,’ and though the outcomes were always tragic, the hope of saving you grew ever stronger.”

When there were only three Venises, no matter what she did, she could not save them.

The Venises met their fates, whether through unfortunate or unjust deaths, or by sheer luck, ultimately succumbing to the gaze of the Eye.

“In that moment you wove, the bond with her—the seed of hope—grew stronger than ever before. Of course, so did her potential.”

Even before the emergence of the new Venises, it was fate that she and they would meet.

Yet never before had they possessed such fierce will and might as they did now.

“In the first cycle you appeared, they could not reach the Eye. I merely watched, and the actions taken in surrender to fate were insufficient to awaken all of their potential.”

But the mere possibility of reaching was enough. It meant that with a slight twist of fate, their potential could be fully drawn out, and the Venises could be saved.

“Surely not…”

“And so…”

“……”

To twist fate. The expressions of the three women grew vacant upon hearing those words. Upon reflection, it made sense.

Unbeknownst to them, the cause of their separation from the Venises lay in the existence of that woman who had acted.

A smile crept onto Royu’s face as she observed their expressions.

“Indeed. I… merely avoided the gaze of that Eye, which looks down upon all, and offered you a ‘little help’ to twist your fates.”

To escape the mocking gaze of the Eye, which viewed the world directly from the perspective of the Venises, she approached only them.

She provided only the most trivial and minor causes, ensuring the Eye could not perceive the oddities.

Who could have anticipated it? The book handed over by a small street vendor, the slight advice from the academy’s dormitory head, and the suspiciously generous goodwill of a wealthy man.

These were but stepping stones toward achieving this grand goal.

Yet, that small twist was enough. The waters flowing from the upper reaches of the river swell and merge, becoming an uncontrollable torrent in the lower reaches.

“Truly… I have toiled for so long. Countless hours have passed, and I have had to witness your deaths more times than I can count.”

Royu’s gaze was shrouded in darkness. What had once seemed a mysterious black gaze now revealed an endless void within.

She had become wretched and despairing in the face of witnessing the death of her beloved, yet she had walked through an unfathomable expanse of time, driven by the singular thought of saving him.

“Ro…yu…”

“…Do not worry. Thanks to you… I have reached this end.”

As she gazed at the tearful Venises, Royu offered a wistful smile.

And in that moment, the once-dormant Eye began to regain its vitality.

[W-What in the world is happening…! What is this realm… and who are you… and what are you all…?]

The Eye appeared confused and fearful, a stark contrast to its usual demeanor. In response, Royu’s gaze burned with fierce determination.

“Such things no longer matter. I will erase you from this place, and I will revive my love.”

[Do not speak nonsense…! How can you erase me, the one who shall never die…?]

“Indeed. I cannot kill you, of course. That is the ‘rule’ set in this world.”

The Dark Lord who devoured the three strongest champions in the world. And the only means to sever the Dark Lord who would consume the world was the ‘Hero.’

Crackle—crackle.

Yet again, the errors of the world began to sizzle from Royu’s hand. A gaze filled with the singular intent to shatter the rules, to break the very definition of this world.

That gaze turned toward the women who lay prostrate or crouched, and they quietly met Royu’s eyes.

“Listen well. This is… an error that should not exist in this world. A ‘bug’… as it is called.”

“What on earth…?”

“…..I can’t even begin to grasp what it is.”

“Ugh….”

They stared at the error resting upon Royu’s hand. From the rift that seemed to tear through dimensions, all the colors and languages of the world, along with patterns, danced chaotically.

An unknown intuition screamed within them. They must not touch that entity. If they did, they could never live as they had before.

[That… throw that away…! What in the world is that….!]

Crackle—!

The eyes, as if in a fit of panic, shot red lightning once more at Royu. Yet, Royu’s body merely crackled, untouched, unscathed.

[This… this can’t be…]

“I told you. You and I cannot have a direct connection. However… a ‘slight assistance’ that is not direct is possible.”

Swoosh—!

The entity in Royu’s hand, the world’s error known as a ‘bug,’ surged toward the three women, vanishing as it absorbed into their bodies.

“What is… this?!”

“This is absurd…. The amount of magical power is….?”

“….I feel no pain at all. No, it’s a strength beyond comparison to before…”

Just moments ago, they could barely move a finger, yet now they rose from their places on their own.

Their bodies, healed beyond measure, felt stronger than ever, and an unfathomable well of magical energy surged within them.

And.

“Right now, even without the ‘Holy Sword’… we can take down that b*stard, the boss of the inevitable defeat event.”

“I’m not sure how, but… I feel we can surpass that wall now.”

“The Holy Sword… the inevitable defeat event, the boss… I don’t understand any of it, but right now, we can inflict wounds on that creature?”

“….Ha, you fucking b*tch… just try me….!”

For the first time, they felt a certainty that their attacks would reach those eyes, which had previously taken no damage beyond a certain threshold.

Leaving behind the crackling body of Royu, the gazes of the three women ignited fiercely once more.

This time, without fail. With the sole conviction to kill you, the very source of all evil and the cause of their misfortune.

The resolve of three women, bound by the same belief, begins to converge in a singular point. Their hands, swords, and nails still bear the crackling remnants of what has transpired.

[Don’t come… don’t come…!]

Creeeak-!

Eyes, drenched in terror, unleash a storm of lightning. With no room left to retreat, only the fiercest of attacks can be exhaled.

[…….!]

Yet, where the lightning struck, no human form remained. Only the crackling afterimage lingered, as if torn from another dimension.

“Doesn’t this situation feel familiar?!”

“….This time will be different!”

“You’re dead….!”

The eyes, once wavering, now fixate on the three women who stand before them. Their stance mirrors that of moments before.

But unlike the earlier bravado, fueled by an unwavering belief in their invincibility, now a genuine fear of death grips them.

[No… no…!]

Me… dying? To the creatures of this world…?

I, who must dominate and consume this realm…?

A bitter smile curls upon the lips of the three women as they hear the voice steeped in dread.

“””You will.”””

Rustle-! Crackle-!

[Ahhh-!!!]

A voice, writhing in genuine agony, reverberates throughout the fortress.

With that cry, blood begins to flow from the eyes, cascading down, and as they witness the wounds left behind, the women’s assault intensifies.

No longer were they hindered by walls, unable to inflict harm or draw blood as before.

Now, they could. They could kill this wretch-!

“Uwaaah-!!”

“Die…!”

“You b*stard!!!”

[Save me… please… don’t let me die…! I don’t want to die….!]

Now, the eyes, having abandoned their solemnity, begin to plead pitifully for mercy.

The tears of blood and desperate cries evoke a sense of pity, yet how could they spare the one who was the root of all their suffering?

“You are….!”

“When we cried out in anguish…!”

“Did you ever spare a thought when you prayed so desperately?!”

[Ah… Aah… aaah…!]

The eyes, trembling like a leaf in a storm, fixate on the final, most powerful strike hurtling toward them.

A crackling energy within the colossal blow. And the attack, tearing through dimensions, converges into a singular force.

If that strike lands, I will perish.

Who was I? The Dark Lord destined to engulf this world…? A status window? Just a pair of ordinary eyes…?

The attack, ripping through the fabric of reality. I gaze upon the immense form glimpsed through the rift.

A being with a single eye missing… a colossal entity. And even those entities, seemingly godlike, appear to look down upon me.

[Ha… Haha…]

Only at the end do the eyes grasp the truth of this world. The truth that an NPC, a final boss, must never come to realize.

[All of this… was merely a game to them.]

“….Farewell. You were… nothing but a puppet in the end.”

With Royu’s parting words.

Swoosh-!

The strike, a force that should not exist in this world, cleaves the eyes in two.

Thud. Fssss…!

The eyes, once alight in the air, fall helplessly to the ground, igniting and slowly turning to dust, carried away by the wind.

“….Is it… over?”

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“Is it really… ending like this?”

“………Huh.”

The three women gaze in despair at the vanishing black fortress.

As if it had never existed, the fortress dissolves, and the land and sky, once drained of color by death, begin to regain their brilliant hues.

“Ugh…!”

And as the master of the cage disappears, so too does the cage. Venice begins to fall from a great height, squeezing her eyes shut.

Thud.

Yet, contrary to her expectations, the impact is not as fierce as she anticipated. Six arms hold Venice tightly.

“Master…!”

“Venice….!”

“Dear Master….”

The three women embrace Venice, tears streaming down their faces.

Finally. Now, having dealt with the root of all evil, the reunion is at last complete.

“Thank… you…”

“Ugh… Huh… Captain… Captain…!”

“Venice… I truly… missed you…”

“Master… Master! MasterMasterMaster….!”

In the present, where the shadows that had drawn away color have vanished, a brilliant light shines upon them. The sunlight falls warmly, as if blessing their future.

Sizzle—sizzle…

And as the tearful reunion unfolds, Royu’s form crackles and slowly begins to fade. Yet her face, devoid of any lingering regret, radiates happiness.