You watch him collapse, rendered inert. His voice is gone.

He is gone.

You carefully bring out the glass crowbar, that you kept...and in a mirror of what came before, you get wrench the circle upwards.

You have defeated The Orchestrator behind it all.

All that is left is to return to [0,0].

So you do. You take the letters off their plinths, and fly.

You can do it now. You are no longer bound by tower rules.

And you find her there. Waiting. In chains.

Are you here to gloat?

Or to kill me?

That's what I would do.

There is much you want to say. Want to do, to her.

"You lied to me. You controlled me. You nearly killed me."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Yes. For my survival. To make them FEEL what I felt. HEAR what I heard. SEE what I saw.

Whatever you planned, I'll take it. But you won't see me cry.

You've never been in a position of power over her before.

And yet...

No.

You remember the threat they held over you.

But you also met the threat of the one you just killed.

For the sake of [never becoming like them], to never continue a cycle of endless growth or character development...

You will end the cycle of conflict HERE.

And so, with one bite, you break her chains.

I forgive you. I do not forget. I do not regret. But I choose to forgive you, despite my pain, out of...spite? And tiredness.

What? I'm free now. You could kill me. I could kill you now.

She staggers and falls to her knees, wincing from the exhaustion.

And do you remember what happened the last time?

Both sides lose if we fight. He wins if we fight.

And I won't let him win.

So I'll end it here and now.

You...no. Shark-chan offers her hand out.

And after much hesitation, Story-chan takes it.

And the space around them fades to white.