Chapter 7: In which author-sama flips the bird to the god of probabilities and the story officially stops making sense.
(Little warning, it gets a bit bloody for MC-Chan...)
The scent was intolerable and the visibility highly reduced.
"Tch" I clicked my tongue in frustration. Underneath the eagle and I, I knew that a massive number of undead was swarming towards the place, slowly, mindlessly eroding the the super-teenagers' by throwing themselves at them, wearing their friends' faces. Moreover, some idiot got the great idea of setting them on fire, so I can't even see where I'm shooting at anymore. I spare a glance at my mana reserves, still enough to use an ultimate class spell, but little more. Mana exhaustion hurts, because the body forcefully expands your reserves to match the spells to survive, but only if you have the potential to grow that much. Otherwise it kills you outright.
"It does not look good. Why the squirrel would send you there? I do not know. Especially since he is not there, nor is this apprentice of his." Added the eagle helpfully.
...
Umu. The things are bad here, but I trust Himeko enough to let her to her own devices with the time manipulator when it's been obvious he's as deep in it that I am.
...
Yeah, right. I frown as the eagle dodges a stray beam and clutch his feathers harder.
"What would be the optimal course in this situation?"
"I sense the dragon, the cutting and the halflings' arrival here. The falcon and the tree are up north in chase of the rodent and the idiot. The optimal result depends on your objective. Will you save those people, or do you want to go chase after them?"
Do I want to finally get the truth on whatever game R is playing or let Y get her hands on Japan's remaining super-teens...
Uuuuuu... I don't want to have to choose, but... My spine straightens up.
"I'm not hero-ing. It's denying Y critical resources." I assert, blushing lightly at how my actions could be perceived. Why am I feeling so uneasy recently?
"Of course, my lady." Droned the eagle in his ever emotionless voice. Wait, was that sarcasm I heard?
"...It really is."
"Of course, my lady." I'm not sure I like his tone. Before I get to say anything else, he suddenly turns back into a human and puts a hideous yellow parka complete with hoodie over me. In mid air.... Hundreds of meters over the ground.
"EYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Too fast too fast too fast!
The ground ! I can feel it closing on!
And with a soft plop, we both landed on the ground.
...
You damn biiiiiiiiird! Is it a requirement of all of your damn species to be sadistic assholes ?!
The whistling wind is the only warning before I get yanked away by my current custodian. It is safe to say that my pride as an adult is nonexistent at this point, the question now being, will I ever get past puberty again?
"You ?"
I turn around and see... Lily.
God, that's weird. Well, a usual, she looks a bit too perfect and it's pretty unnerving, in full medieval battle gear without helmet and is surrounded by corpses of undead.
"So you've decided to come back after willingly dooming everyone, Mother of Monsters... Or do you prefer Sorano Lily?"
The deep voice of the eagle sounded almost amused as time around seemed to still. The superteens ( I really should find a better name for them) looked at us in mild horror. Eeeeh, looks like she was about to play hero.
Meh, who am I kidding, carrot in one hand, stick in the other, its a classic, of course she'd swoop in , save everyone and become the perfect pretty princess knight because of course, her word is law and everything should be set aside for her wishes! Innocent people are gonna die ? Oh, too bad, they'll reincarnate anyways!
"Goddamned megalomaniac trees..."
Ahem. I sound pretty bitter. Good thing nobody heard me right now. Ah, back to the 'divine standoff'
Proud as a peacock, eagle man walked leisurely while I shuffled behind him awkwardly. I should have known that his overexposure to V would have turned him into a drama queen.
The blonde tree-girl (curse her whole species, totally maxing the fire element next) frowned and glared at the redhead.
"Lily doesn't know what you're talking about."
You could almost hear the raised eyebrow. I decided to tune out the conversation to concentrate on my 'itch', so to speak, that has been present ever since I've used [Force of Nature]. Something about this whole situation isn't right and... I barely dodge a hit from N as Y and eagle man are still busy speaking.
"Light creation, light lance."
Let it be said that a preteen body isn't the best thing to fight against a dragon in human form.
Yeah, I got disarmed in ten seconds flat while the other two were chatting again, on my back with a blade under my neck. N's golden eyes were getting really scary and I had to repress a yelp as, ever so slowly, the tip of the sword ran across my skin, to finally cut through my hood. His slight widening of eyes and yell were followed by another gust of wind, as I was, once again, thrown into the air by my feathery attendant, Lily's gloved hand barely missing my face as she tried to catch me.
"EAGLE!"
I've never seen her so mad since she 'shrugged off' her primal state, but it confirms a little theory of mine. Once again, I was over the clouds, a yellow gaze piercing through me. I try to formulate some words, but am promptly derailed from my train of thoughts by an ice blade coming from under the smoke and clouds, aimed accurately at my 'mount'.
Strange
Strangestrangestange
What am I even doing here in the first place?
A searing pain pulses through my head and reaches towards the back of my skull, numbing me to any other sensation.
Confronting Lily N and their followers ? Why did I even choose that? I've essentially spent all of my time shut in my rooms researching magic, that's not the attitude of someone who would choose to fight in vain for strangers when there are bigger fish to fry.
Whywhywhy?
Red pain, once again. Something is leaking through my sleeve. I slowly, painfully take off the yellow coat and the smell of metal and the crimson color tainting the eagle's feathers is only made more real by the realization that this blood is mine.
Burning lacerations spread along my right arm, slowly, agonizingly, and I finally recognize what this is.
Soon enough, reality will catch back to me, and I repress an empty laugh. It looks like there is no saving me after all? Follow blindly and die, defy the hidden rules and die, find the truth and die, try to live and die.
Miracles always have a price after all, I almost forgot that. For one to be saved, another must be condemned.
Well done, R, what a great actor you are.
The pieces finally fit and anger replaces everything else.
-Skrzzwht-
The world tilts and buzzes, an almost familiar voice speaks out, almost bored
"Self realization achieved, retro-activation of the ascension protocol begins."
The fuzzy edges of consciousness and reality assert themselves back.
-Snap-
-Rewind-
Once again, I got betrayed.
To thank you for your performance, my dear cosmic jester, allow me to ruin your plans.
As the eagle flies and the scenery changes, I speak out, holding the arm that is slowly falling, ripped apart by unseen claws, pierced by invisible pikes, and whimsically announce my intentions.
"Once we get him, I'm killing him."
"So violent." Was the instant answer from the eagle, in his usual bland tone. " But yet again, that rodent is an expert in rousing people's lust for blood. From the blood, meat and bones fragments, I gather his spell finally failed. I will admit to feeling mild surprise for that thief and liar to manage to steal part of Y for that long to impede her."
"Hee hee. Extract the soul, replace it with someone else's , extract the divinity from me and stuff int into a ring of power. How ironic. What didn't I miss, I wonder?" I look mildly contemplative at the sky, ignoring the void where my right hand should be, the insistent gnawing feeling at my feet, and the red streaks starting to spread along my left hand.
Pieces of meat falling apart, squelching horribly, following the hypnotic beating of my own heart, each passing moment pulling me closer to an inexorable end.
"Your doubts about Nagito's identity were well founded."
I scowl darkly. Of course. And if he isn't here at this time and place, if she isn't here at this time and place, that means that they aren't anymore, and while he doesn't mention it, the eagle is doing what he does half out of spite, and the other because of our deal. But besides that? He's a bystander and a mercenary.
Aaaah, what am I reduced to I wonder? Welp, enough self pity. After all, I can't just keep complaining. The Yggdrasil interface was closed off, I was found out by Y, so I can only rely on my ability to feel to use that particular spell. As I watch in morbid fascination my left hand fall into shredded, pulsating, red meaty chunks, pain too high to even be registered by my mind anymore, anger steadily disappears leaving room only for a strange, light headed feeling of anticipation and giddiness.
I giggle and spread out the stubs that were steadily replacing my poor, poor members.
"Fufufu-n, ten seconds until the end, mister eagle..."
Ten seconds before Hour Zero.
Finally, this twisted tale was coming to its end...
***
*Tick – Tock*
*Snap*
*Tick – Tock*
*whizz*
*Tick – Tock*
*Rewind*
*Clack.*
*Tick- tock*
*Snap*
The world bends and the noise stops in for a still, infinite, yet nonexistant second.
"Now, you're late (Skrzzhwth)."
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A faint voice in a dark abyss. Yet, it feels right.
"Hm?"
Mild clicking noises, approaching footsteps
"You don't look too good."
Cold, dark, restrained.
"Oh, yes, you aren't there yet, sorry about that, (Skrzzhwth)"
Hint of pearl white and a sheepish smile.
But, the others... What others? This is so confusing...
"Stop that, you'll damage the... Nevermind, idiocy is incurable after all."
Warmth, light, free.
"Don't worry, when you'll wake up, you'll see another world entirely, that's why, for now, it's okay for you to sleep, (Skrzzhwth)."
The second ends, another replacing it, in the deep, dark edge between the abyss of non-existence and the arms of eternity.
Once again, I am alone.
I'll go back to sleeping for a little while after all.
*Tick – Tock*
*Snap*
*Tick – Tock*
*whizz*
*Tick – Tock*
*Rewind*
*Clack.*
Time moves, hither and fro, a square spiral dotted with inconsistencies.
Almost time to wake up.
***
The black haired young man had a very, VERY bad feeling about this, while his female/male companion was simply whistling, manipulating almost alien machinery.
"Well, here it is! The design's right out of the grimoire, so I'd expect it to work, Nacchan's such a hard worker after all."
Tasuku looked warily at the circle etched on the ground of the enormous chamber, glowing eerily.
"How are you even sure it will work?"
He did get the theory, the creature wearing a human face in front of him made sure of it, but there would always be the problem of powering the spell that it avoided, deflected, or simply ignored.
"Don't worry, Nacchan's currently coming over here, baiting all the little sacrifices..."
Once again, the Japanese boy's spine chilled upon seeing the fragmented, jagged, and very toothy smile R had at the thought of the little girl, yet, whether it noticed his disapproval was irrelevant as the creature cooed on how their little blond companion was such an adorable and obedient child. How he pitied the girl to have attracted that demon's attention, but he quickly reminded himself that he was in the same situation, only made it worse because everyone wanted to use his power to change history.
"A demented tree to become all mighty
A crazed rodent to live forever in a lie
A greedy bird to be united with its lover
And a hungry dragon to feast forever"
That was what the previous host of the squirrel told him , long before fading, back in that place near the demon country. He would have taken her more seriously if, after telling him, she didn't start comparing Yumeko's and Irina's breast sizes. He straightened himself and looked at the roof as it trembled and caved in around the circle .The squirrel was dancing, following its own maddened melody and laughing.
"Welcome, Brothers and Sisters, it's been so long!"
A chorus of golden eyes peered at them coldly, one of their owners opening their mouth to speak up.
"Where. Is. Yuri?"
The creature stopped its dancing and tilted its head curiously, before pouting and wagging its finger disapprovingly at the enraged incarnation of the tree.
'Now, now, love, my darling daughter has a name you know? C'mon it's easy to say, she's Fiona. Fioooo-naaaa! Speaking of which, Nacchan, go, do it like in the book says, you want to save everyone after all , riiight?"
Dau-whatnow? While everyone looked dumbfounded, light started gathering in the night sky, as if the stars themselves were congregating. The amount of magic was making the room hum with power and the circle come alive.
*Tick-Tock*
The dragon and eagle fell to the ground, panting, their magic seeping into the circle.
*Tick-Tock*
Next were the followers, now husks devoid of life.
*Tick Tock*
He could feel time bruising, moaning and shifting, the amount of pressure around him crushing him under the weight of the spell he was casting as a radiant pillar of light illuminated the sky.
Ultimate ranked time magic , Hour zero. The ability to teleport at any given point of the timeline while being protected from the Paradox.
The world around them blurred, twisted and blended in a chaotic mess before transposing itself with another image, a grey skinned, brown haired girl laughing maniacally above the unconscious form of a young, androgynous human.
And then, the world tilted again.
***
"One Second."
Grunted the giant bird, frenetically dodging attacks left and right and fighting off his rising exhaustion.
Closed blue-green eyes and a satisfied, albeit agonized smile.
"Reason why Primal entities never directly clash: Ultimate class spells don't mesh well together."
One second later, the world was bathed in light and an unstoppable spell, manipulating waves of energy to bring about annihilation, clashed with a spell whose existence was absolute.
And then the world tilted one last time, for a long, long time.
Broken, remade, changed but still the same.
*Tick – Tock*
*Snap*
*Tick – Tock*
*whizz*
*Tick – Tock*
*Rewind*
*Clack.*
"Ah, you're here again."
"..."
"Still not talking huh? Well, you can't sleep anymore, time to wake up!"
"..."
"Seriously, you're being lazy again!"
"..."
"Ah, finally woken up did you ? Well, I suppose introductions are in order. You may call me Kott, I will be your guide for a while."
Mischievous violet glinted in the darkness.
"You don't need to do much, just do whatever you want, you'll right yourself anyways, but you've always been the goody two shoes hm? Ah well doesn't matter, have fun!"
*Tick – Tock*
*Snap*
*Tick – Tock*
*Rewind*
*Tick – Tock*
*Crash*
***
A body squirmed under me and I open my eyes.
Huh, that's weird, shouldn't I be dead?
That place looks familiar.
"Y-Yuri? What the hell are you doing here?!"
Ah, yes, people used to call me that, how fun! I turn around and see a slightly wounded Nagito holding his right arm, looking shocked, and sliiiightly horrified.
Oooh, pretty colors.
I waved at him, he really needs to learn an relaaaa-ha?
Metallic, bronze-like appendages were there instead of my arms and legs and I was wearing an Alice styled dress with winding keys and gears seemingly swimming on the blue fabric. Bewildered, I looked up at him, and answered him honestly.
"I have no idea."
Then promptly broke down, wailing as loudly as I could while my panicked ex-past-future-companion was trying to calm me down.
***
Somewh%^# else, a beast-like hulking with jagged teeth and bloody fur was looking at teenagers, scrambling around for supplies on a deserted island, licking its paws ans selecting its victim, before a cold wind made its eyes narrow. Something was happening.
Somewh%^# else, A pair of siblings woke up in the middle of being taken hostages, seeing the stars ripple, before dismissing as their imagination.
Somewh%^# else, a weird looking knight was currently having a shouting match with a barrel, said item suddenly rolled and pushed the knight into the river.
----------------------------------------
RL sucks.
Exams suck.
Hospitals suck.
I hate blood ç_ç.
Hope it made even less sense for you that it did for me !
Well, it did make sense for me, MC-Chan is Miss Spanner in the works after all, fuck up the universe to get revenge against anyone who slighted her ? Why not! It's not as if she's owed a lot of karmic justice...
Operation Save Neko-kitty-cat and clockwork princess is on!
Muhahahaha!
I'll get my happy end gowdammit è_é!
Almost done with this one, almost done with this one *crazed mantra*
Spaaaaaaaaace!