Desolate landscapes with dark gray clouds swirling in the sky, molten-red Lightnings raining down onto the fleeing soldiers, and the ominous black Sun hanging overhead looked more like a massive eye.

However, I wasn't focusing on the black sun, nor was I even bothering to try and dodge the Lightnings that continuously struck me. Instead, my gaze rested on my most beloved, whose life had just faded away right before me.

Slowly walking toward and staring down at her corpse which was lying on the rough ground, I tried my best to ignore the throbbing pain caused by the Blessed arrows firmly lodged in my flesh that coursed through my entire being.

As I reached her, I slowly knelt down and deflected the Lightning that was striking at my position, daring to sully what remained of the one who I dedicated my life to.

My dull gray eyes quivered as I stared into her light-blue eyes which where staring back at me not with sadness or regret, but with happiness; Happiness that stemmed from the satisfaction of having been able to protect me, even at the cost of her life.

My eyes then drifted towards her waist-long hair, the vibrant color of it was lost, stained sickly red with her blood.

"Wh- Why...", I muttered, voice shaking as the first tears I'd shed in decades went down my cheeks and onto her pale face. "...Why are you staring at me like that even when you know I'm the one who caused all this?"

Of course, she didn't answer. But I continued anyway.

"Wh- Why? Why still love me? That 'thing' I killed, you still believed her to be her daughter!"

A lack of trust, a necessary betrayal, one more wedge that should have driven us apart. Yet she'd still been with me in the end.

"WHY? HOW COULD YOU SACRIFICE YOURSELF FOR ME? I WAS JUST AN ASSHOLE WHO BETRAYED YOUR TRUST UNTIL THE END!"

"WH—"

|Ah, guess we're back to this point again...|

I snapped my head in the direction of the sudden voice. With bloodshot eyes, I glared at the so-called 'God' who was floating right beside me.

"Prostor..."

|That's me!|, Prostor chuckled. |Though, I don't think you should stare at the friend you haven't seen in decades with eyes like that|

"Friend my ass! Why do you 'Gods' have to pull us mortals into your meaningless war!?"

|If it wasn't for the fact that Chronzeit is still not dead, I would have killed you for blasphemy a long time ago|, Prostor scowled. |And for your information, it isn't us Gods that pulled you into this war, it's Fate. We already had this conversation a long time ago, why can't you just trust me?|

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"...", I stayed silent as I glared at him with more hatred than before.

Seeing this, Prostor sighed. |Look, I'm here to tell you that this Iteration has failed|

"No shit! Look at the wasteland around you!", I screamed in anger.

'Did that fucker come here just to annoy me?', I thought.

After all, I didn't need a God to tell me that this Iteration has gone to utter shit.

|No—|, Prostor spoke. No doubt he was reading my mind again. |—I'm actually here to give you some comfort before the next one begins|

"So what?", I gritted my teeth in anger as Prostor's words just came off as mocking to me. "I don't fucking need comfort from the one who put me in this shithole in the first place!"

|...|

"AND IF YOU REALLY WANTED TO GIVE ME COMFORT, YOU SHOULD HAVE CHANGED MY FATE! YOU'RE A SURPREME GOD FOR FUCK'S SAKE! IS CHANGING THE FATE OF ONE SINGLE MORTAL THAT HARD?"

|Actually, I'm here to do just that|

"Huh?", I stared at him in confusion, my earlier anger was nowhere to be seen.

Staring at my face, amused, Prostor chuckled before speaking up again. |Next time, I'll make sure to alter your Fate. We can't defeat Chronzeit if things stay this way every time anyways"

He then took out a silver pocket watch from thin air and threw it towards me.

Catching the watch, I once again stared at Prostor in confusion.

|Kill yourself while holding it|, he said, noticing my confusion. |The past me will know what to do if he notices the watch in your possession|

"Are you fucking with me?", I glared at him. "Objects can't be carried through Iterations!"

|They indeed can't. That's why you have to sacrifice something|

"Sacrifice...?"

|Yes|, he grinned at me. |I will take away some of you innate talents permanently at the start of the next Iteration to make this work|

"And why do you think I'd agree to that?"

Prostor's grin widened at my question. |Ah, and here I thought you'd be overjoyed at the chance to change your lover's Fate|

"Wh- What!?", I stared at him in disbelief. "What did you say?"

|Oh, it looks like you have hearing loss, how unfortunate. No wonder you couldn't do anything right for the past 4 rounds. I guess I shouldn't waste this chance on you. What a shame though, you'll have to watch her die again next tim—|

"I GET IT! I'LL DO IT!", I screamed in desperation.

|Great!|, he smirked at me. |Guess you'll have to trust me from now on then!|

Not giving me any more chances to say anything, Prostor dematerialized, leaving me alone on the battlefield.

"Bastard... he knows all of my weaknesses...", I muttered under my breath.

Sighing, I tightened my grip on the watch and moved closer to my lover's body. I then gently caressed her pale and cold face with my burnt hands and closed her stiff eyelids down for her.

"Even if you're dead, you shouldn't watch me do this..."

Giving myself a self-deprecating chuckle, I materialized a dagger from my own blood and pointed its tip at my heart. I stared at the dagger for a few seconds before taking a deep breath and thrusted.

Spurt—!

'It doesn't hurt... how strange...'

Falling to the ground with a thud, I gazed in the direction of my lover once more with eyes that were becoming increasingly blurry. I then slowly moved my hand through the rough ground, trying to find her body.

"Ah, here you are...", I smiled as I could finally felt the skin of her hand, which was strangely warm.

Now holding hands with her and staring at the massive eye in the sky with my blurry vision, I let out a final mutter as I waited for my inevitable death.

"You'll definitely find happiness next time, Syl. Whether with, or without me."