EP.99
In the heart of Nineveh, the academy festival was in full swing.
The atmosphere was filled with the lively energy of bustling people, with laughter echoing from every corner, and the weather was as bright as could be, perfectly aligned with the spirited afternoon.
In such a scene of sheer peace, devoid of any blemish, I was experiencing a strange sensation that I couldn’t quite place.
“Foreboding.”
Indeed, it felt ominous. Deep within the recesses of my heart, an inexplicable sense of unease was surging.
It was as if someone was gripping my heart tightly, a weight pressing down on me. Anxiety clawed at me like thousands of insects crawling across my skin.
All of it combined to drag my current state of mind into an endless abyss.
However, what was even more infuriating was that I had felt this dreadful feeling multiple times in the past.
This ominous energy was something I had sensed many times not in this cycle, but throughout the last nine cycles.
Even if I were to rewind not just nine times, but dozens or hundreds more, I would never be able to forget that chilling despair that froze my entire being.
What it was, precisely, was—
“…Jin?”
Meanwhile, perhaps finding my demeanor strange, Altina tilted her head as she looked at me.
Unfortunately, I had no leisure to concern myself with her at the moment.
No matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn’t fathom the cause of this situation, but if my predictions were correct, then I certainly had no time to leisurely chat with Altina.
– …Jin.
Erekaya seemed to catch on to something odd as well, letting out a groan in my direction.
– The quality of the atmosphere has shifted. It’s very slight, but the concentration of mana in the air is rising to significant levels. And… my synesthesia is warning me. What you’re feeling right now is definitely not just a simple illusion.
“I know.”
Erekaya seemed to have a rough sense of what this feeling was, much like I did.
In truth, she couldn’t help but know. After all, she had lost her physical body precisely because of this damned sensation, with only her spirit remaining to survive in my inner world.
And crucially, there was one more definitive piece of evidence that what I was experiencing wasn’t merely a matter of feeling.
[■lang and ■ality are as■■ming.]
[Please ■. The ■ is ■■■ in the ■■■.]
This status window had been fairly vocal about its presence since this cycle began, yet fundamentally, it would never reveal itself unless I called upon it.
The message window that had appeared when I joined the student council.
Although much of the text was fragmented, the intention behind the first message was quite clear.
‘The probability of facing the End is increasing.’
Since the message window had appeared when I joined the student council, it seemed that the very act of “joining” had triggered an event that ultimately meant I would confront the End.
“But why?”
Still, I couldn’t comprehend it, neither now nor before.
What kind of intricate web of causality was entwined that simply joining the student council would raise the odds of the End awakening?
After all, the first End, the “End Dragon,” was set to awaken a decade from now.
In the nine cycles I had experienced up until now, one of the unchanging historical truths was that the End would arrive in ten years.
Yet at this very moment, history had changed—into a direction I had never encountered before.
Of course, I was aware that in our world, concepts like quantum mechanics and the butterfly effect suggested that even the smallest of events could trigger massive occurrences.
But even so, could it really be said that my mere act of joining the student council, as just another student among many in Nineveh, would completely alter the future?
…My heart felt heavy. Over the past century, I had thought I had comprehended every detail related to the End, but that confidence was slipping away.
What did I really know, and was the path I was taking truly the right one?
Had I vowed to transcend the fate that the End promised—my death—only to now be swept away by that very fate?
– …Calm down. I understand the anxiety you’re feeling, but surrendering to your emotions won’t solve anything.
“But, I can’t just remain idle.”
If, by any chance, the End were to awaken from a distance beyond my reach, at the very least, Nineveh—and in the worst-case scenario, the Imperial Capital itself—could vanish.
Despite my efforts to enroll in Nineveh to stop the End, if I were to fail in preventing it and everyone ended up dead, wouldn’t that be the ultimate absurdity?
– Precisely for that reason, you need to remain calm. If all of this is indeed as that status window intends, and if you are following the correct path in history, then hints to resolve this situation will inevitably be presented to you. The fact that that status window has foretold your encounter with the End in the near future speaks volumes, doesn’t it?
‘…?’
Perhaps due to my spinning thoughts, I couldn’t fully grasp what Erekaya was saying. Yet, one thing I understood from her words was this…
‘So you’re saying I should just do nothing and sit still?’
– It would certainly be a far better choice than exhausting yourself by frantically running around trying to do something.
…I couldn’t believe it. No way something that fortunate could happen to me—
“Huh? Senior Serika?”
“It’s been a while, junior.”
And yet, it truly happened. Something completely nonsensical, but genuinely fortuitous for me.
“What brings you here? Are you perhaps patrolling the area for student council duties…?”
“No, that’s not it. There’s a rather urgent matter at hand, actually. I came to see you, junior.”
“…Eh?”
Ignoring Altina, who wore a somewhat dissatisfied expression, Serika politely greeted me.
Of course, given that Altina was right beside me, the words coming out of Serika’s mouth towards her were somewhat casual.
“…Junior, you’re aware of what’s going on, right?”
“Yes.”
As I nodded subtly while looking at Serika, she bit her lip, her expression somehow paling.
“Fortunately, it’s not too late yet. However, if we delay any longer, it might truly become irreversible. So we need to hurry.”
There was an undeniable anxiety shimmering in Serika’s eyes.
She likely had a sense of what “things” she had seen. If we failed to stop this situation in time, what kind of future awaited us?
“What on earth is the cause of all this? What led to this disaster?”
“I’ve already given you a hint. So discussing it further would be of no use. I want you to verify everything with your own eyes.”
…A hint? When? What Serika had mentioned to me was merely that in the future, numerous girls, including Kaya, would be around me, wasn’t it?
“And take Altina with you. She will indeed be a crucial key to this situation.”
Altina…? Certainly, as someone who has reached the level of a master, she would be quite helpful, but is it right to drag her into such a dangerous situation?
Even though she has attained mastery, Altina at this point is still just a teenager, severely lacking in experience.
Is it really justifiable to send a girl like her into the frontline simply because I need help?
In that fleeting moment, it was nothing other than Altina herself who snapped me out of my thoughts.
“I’ll help you.”
“…What?”
“Whatever is going on, to sum it up, you need my help, right? So I’ll help you—just like you helped me one day.”
“…But.”
“But what? Are you saying it’s dangerous?”
As if she had anticipated it all, Altina chuckled lightly.
“Well, if we put it that way, when have the times you helped me been completely safe? Was there ever a guarantee that you were entirely out of danger while helping me? I absolutely don’t think so.”
From the moment I faced an ogre in a state of incapacitation to when I accepted Count Serias’s challenge to a duel, there was never a moment when we weren’t in danger, and through it all, you helped me without a moment’s hesitation.
Thus, it’s my turn now. Regardless of what happens, I’ll be your strength this time, Altina silently declared to me.
“…Alright.”
…She was radiant. In that moment, Altina shone like a star that had descended upon the earth.
Just as she had once been the object of my admiration and love, now Altina appeared truly beautiful and dignified.
It was pointless to try to dissuade her now. Because now that she had said such words, attempting to deter her would only serve to insult her.
At that moment, as I nodded in acknowledgment of Altina’s resolve—
Thud—
“Uh?”
“Yeah?”
Every being in the continent instinctively shuddered.
In that moment, they realized that something had begun, something that would fundamentally change the world.
“What’s happening?”
As Altina glanced around, seeming startled by the sensation, Serika nodded towards Jin.
“…The seal has been broken.”
“If that’s the case, then that means…”
“Yes.”
With a demeanor suggesting some lamentation, Serika closed her eyes and quietly spoke.
“The End has begun.”
