I emerge a few steps from Y. She is surrounded by the coral network at the base of the tornado. The soft light of the corals gives a sacred air to the place, reminding me of the sanctuary where I met her for the first time.
There, she was unlit, subject to her own seal to protect the Underwasteland from its inhabitants.
She is playing chess with Fulzo. The distraction must have worked. He is sitting on the back of a dune, concentrated and facing in my direction. If he raised his head, he would notice me.
The [Yellow Queen] hums a wordless melody, sad and sweet. Music similar to the string pieces played by Sylviette.
I waver for a moment, unprepared to hear her sing. She often speaks by setting the words to music, but on this occasion, she is singing.
Stay focus, stay focus, N.
The poison had no effect; she does not appear weakened or worried. After all, she had told me in the past that she was not meant to function at the levels like most creatures.
I am amazed at her fighting skills. I imagined she was powerful, I but did not think she could actually escape a fight.
I have to be cautious, act in the coldest most similar way. I must not leave room for my feelings, or everything will fail.
Ci-cin.
I take two steps forward.
“Oh, hi N.” Fulzo raises his head and nods in greeting.
The [Yellow Queen] turns around. She stares at me motionless, and her six tails point at me, jawing.
“Well, there's no point in pretending not to know. I judged Leviathan.”
“So, you came back to finish with me?”
“I can't make you reset these last hours. It's not the right solution.”
“Right, wrong... I'm interested in protecting the System. Preserve it. I can't, I don't want to, measure myself on your scale of values.”
I bite my lower lip.
Isn't there a way to solve this differently?
I must not hesitate, I must not. There's no way.
I have to—I have to take advantage of it while she's sitting at the board. It will be a one-move checkmate.
[Dungeon path]
I emerge from shadow and drag Fulzo into the black pool. “N!? What!?”
[Dungeon path]
Putting distance between us and Y, I feel goosebumps. I am ready to finish the game. I raise my arms, point towards the dune on which she sits.
Y looks at me without saying anything, she raised her head, perfectly sensing where I would appear.
But it doesn't matter, Y is far from the mass of major errors; it will not trigger a rewind at this distance.
[Red sprite]
The tentacled lightning storm rains down on the [Yellow Queen].
The entire area explodes in a mixture of black ash and luminescent corals.
The structure mixes, destroys, and corrupts with the error front. Making the dirty attack even more dangerous.
A cloud of ash and lapilli has risen and covers the landscape.
I put my feet back on the ground. I agree with the strength with which I am shaking Fulzo's hand.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
I sweat.
I gasp.
I tremble.
He looks at me without saying anything. His eyes are wide open. Maybe he too is afraid, he doesn't understand. The self-control of a mercenary allows him to be intact even in the face of this absurdity.
He couldn't have known that I would disintegrate Y on the first shot. [Cosmic Regeration] might be enough to replenish it, but I'm sure it will take time.
I feel tired and let [Immortality] run its course. I lean on Fulzo's shoulder and feel my head lolling. Not—
Countless bright screens appear in the area. They are white tables on which arcane and incomprehensible signs flow.
A pillar of light emerges from the depths of the earth. A quasar that crumbles an entire coral dome and projects into space, also erasing part of the error front.
A black silhouette contrasts in that absolute white.
A shape holding a scythe with a very long and thin blade, which curls into three increasingly smaller rings and which culminates in the twisted tip like a hook.
A scythe made of diamonds, emeralds, and gold.
The long handle of skeletons and vertebrae, held by a pale arm. Tails and hair that fluctuate, adorning that figure that puts its foot back on the ground. Distant from me, but with her gaze fixed on me.
From the top of my ashen peak, I look into the chasm of dark sand from which the [Yellow Queen] watches me.
Raising the scythe towards me, Y unfolds her six tails which begin to crack, emitting an infernal roar.
“Empress, in all this time I have not prepared the reset. Was this what you wanted; didn't you want this? I did something else; I prepared a great solution. I changed the values of your Red Sprite; I prepared the resolution of this story. I have prepared countermeasures to your madness.”
Ci-cin!
“What are you talking about!? Have you set up measures against my attacks? And what would that weapon be? Hm? It's difficult, Y. Don't think I'm having fun, but it's the only solution!”
“Right, it's the only solution.”
I—
“HA!”
A thrust pierces my back. Green blood stains clothes and splatters. Arms surround me and squeeze me in order to immobilize me.
“Fu-Fulzo!? W-what!?”
Is he cheating on me!? I have to act like I have to—
[Dungeon path]
…
Nothing is happening. I am still on the rocky peak.
I start to kick with my legs, but the mercenary's grip is superior. He must have been empowered, there's no way he can resist me!
The [Yellow Queen] has disappeared and the sword piercing me feels like it's draining my concentration, preventing me from focusing on the magic.
“N, stop that! You're completely crazy. Y has a plan!”
“What!? Leave me! Leave me!”
Floating, Y manifests from the darkness. She wields a scythe slash.
By planting my feet and pushing, biting Fulzo with my tail, I manage to make him lose his balance and we fall in time.
The trail of air freezes into a streak of seething prisms; it must be a weapon with particular effects. Forged specifically to eliminate me, or already available as a last resort for the [Yellow Queen].
Ah, what I think about, it does not matter now!
“Great dodge, N. I thought I'd end it right away to be honest. Just like you said. A draw in failure seems legitimate to me.”
Fulzo gets up. He pulls me roughly, holding me by the cap and leveraging the hilt of the sword stuck in my back.
“Damn! Stop!”
“This one, to which I gave the appearance of a scythe, is an object of the System. Its purpose is to guarantee me access to the data of the objects present in this universe. System keys if desired. It allows you to bypass all procedures with respect to a given object. You specifically. Allowing you to overwrite your data with mine.”
“What do you say!?”
“N, it’s a drastic solution but, since you're not in the right conditions to save the System, I think it's right to replace you with me. As a nonliving person, an Empress composed of my data will always be efficient and unshakable. Please, surrender.”
I wiggle my body as hard as I can, I kick, I get another bite from the tail and a blow with that barbed one.
Fulzo is quick to change his grip, throwing me on my stomach and blocking my limbs. Pushing the sword, so that it sticks into the ground.
“Fulzo, why!? Why!?”
“Just forget it. Until the next restart, Fulzo will not be Fulzo. At the moment he is an undead puppet. Reading his data I deduced your intentions. But don't worry, from the next loop he will be back to normal. Not you, but that should be satisfying to you, right? Isn't that an exciting prospect? Eternal oblivion.”
“Y, you are making a mistake. You're doing it all wrong! That's not the way it is—”
“We have already discussed this. But it's clear that you don't want to accept reality. There are two choices: the universe ends and the God of Wisdom is reborn, or I can create a closed, infinite universe in which these last hours will repeat themselves forever. The System will be safe and we will be able to spend time together. Me, me, substitute for you, Fulzo and Dal-Dazzer. Obviously.”
“Dal?”
Y plants the scythe handle in the ground. “Yes, Dal. He took on Gron's features. I thought you understood that.”
No. I did not understand that.
Although many oddities are now explained, I did not understand it at all.
It is illuminated how the tiles fit together now.
But the sword hurts. The uncomfortable position hurts. The anxiety of disappearing hurts.
My blood immediately oxidizes and a smoky stain permeates the sand. I try to collect a handful, even if Fulzo's knee blocks me.
I don't want to disappear, or leave my home, my world and everything I love. I will not accept that what I fight for ends up like this.
“You're wrong, Y, I can beat the God of Wisdom. I can beat it because it’s a dead and I judge the dead.”
“Hahahaha, nice try~♪♫! Haha, but you can't judge a dead person who doesn't even exist in this System!”
“Believe what you want. I judged the Leviathan that was beyond the System!”
“But always within its area of influence.”
I grit my teeth and push with all my strength.
Y raises her scythe, ready to guillotine me.
“Farewell, friend.”