NOVEL NEXT Book 2 Epilogue 1: Oath
As I ran carrying Kuu and Lucy my vision warped and wavered as my body couldn’t stop shaking.
The backlash from overusing 【Samsara Recursion】 was harsh.
At this rate…
「I’m sorry. I’m at my limits. Please take care of the rest.」
I squeezed out the last of my strength and put the girls down on the side of the road gently.
After that I couldn’t help but swoon, stumble two steps forward, and collapse against a nearby tree.
「Cyril!」
「Cyril-kun!」
They both panicked and ran over. I felt like their voices were coming from a great distance.
My consciousness was fading.
I had gained us quite some distance. We were only 50 km away from Erucy by now. The chances of encountering Imperial forces this far out were minuscule. It was close enough that at the very least Kuu and Lucy would be able to return.
「Hide, for one night…then if I don’t, wake up by then, run away by yourselves.」
I barely managed to speak before my mind sunk into blackness.
A vacant pure white room. My usual mental world.
I realized that I was within a dream.
However, it was strangely cold. I focused my senses and thought of my own body to materialize it. Then I hugged myself for warmth.
「What…is this?」
I was shivering and shaking. It wasn’t just that I felt cold, I was strangely exhausted.
Part of it was the rebound from 【Samsara Recursion】 but that was only a bit of it.
「Yaa, so we meet again.」
There was another existence besides me and the other 【me’s】.
It was a young black haired girl.
She had an impish smile on her face.
「Woow was a surprised. Not only did you kill me, but you went even further. You ended up eating every bit of my existence…really surprised me. You ate me and made my existence a part of yourself. If you go that far then even I can’t revive from that. Really I was shocked that there was someone in this world capable of actually killing me.」
「Why…do you still have awareness?」
「What a weird thing to ask. It’s because you ate me whole in one bite. Normal people would get digested and die, but I’m strong.」
The black haired girl’s smile deepened.
「That’s as far as you were able to devour me.」
The exhaustion in my body became stronger. My gaze warped and twisted. It feels bad. What is this?
「My soul and your own have become one. Then isn’t it obvious that the stronger personality and will takes the initiative? Plus…didn’t you find it too easy to devour me? I had already cast a secret art that protects my soul and consciousness. In short…I’m dead, but from now on I’ll live on as you. This body that killed me and your knowledge…I’ll take all of it. With this I’ll be able to earn even more.」
I desperately grasped onto my fading awareness. If I let go now then I’d never return to being Cyril. I don’t want this. I want to live as Cyril and be with Lucy.
「If you want to hate something then hate that you invited a strong soul with a vivid personality like mine inside yourself while not being strong enough to handle it. Goodbye.」
The girl announced her victory.
However……
『Ahahahahahahahahaha』
『To call such a shallow and petty technique a secret art』
『Strong soul? You call this tawdry imitation a soul?』
『Vivid Personality? Oioi that’s a joke right!? That faith without any passion…an empty existence? Ahh I laughed too much and now my stomach hurts.』
The room echoed from the sound of unseen and indifferent existences scorning her existence.
My body temperature returned to normal and the weariness in my soul disappeared.
「What, is, this, so weird…I’m disappearing, but…I should be on the taking side. Like always. From now on, as well, but, why is it, different now?」
The girl started panicking and it looked like she was doing a foolish dance as she fumbled around her body looking for something.
『Haa』
Suddenly I saw a large black hole appear around her feet and a huge lion sized dog emerged from it with mouth opened wide and began to swallow the girl whole.
『Bark bark』
The dog didn’t even need to chew. It simply continued to devour her body slowly and completely.
「No I don’t want to disappear! I don’t want to die! I wasn’t told about this. This is impossible. How is it possible for a soul to have two! No, there’s so many? All separate but one? Then why is this…there shouldn’t be a person like this.」
『There is one though. Un, for a toy it’s pretty well made. For an inherent magic…huh, unexpectedly simple in structure. If its at this degree then we can repurpose it for general use, but the idea is creative. To think that after coming here we’d make a new discovery…but what a shame. How lacking. What an uninteresting soul.』
「Please let me live, I’ll do…I’ll do anything so!」
『Nah don’t wanna. It’s gross. I don’t like other people staying in my room.』
Those words finished it and the girl was completely devoured. The dog finally revealed its full body from the hole.
Its jet black coat was beautiful. Looking more closely it had sharp features, sharp fangs, and looked more like a wolf than a dog.
It was just that identifying a creature that was more than 3 meters long as a wolf was a bit off.
The black wolf started licking and grooming itself.
The me unknown to myself. At the very least it was one of the 5 【me’s】 that I could not recall. One of them had shown their presence.
『Hey me, it’s been a while. You’re living it up I see.』
The gathering of personalities that had my full set of memories called out to me.
「Other than appearance you’re acting much more human-like than the last time I saw you.」
『Well I’ve been experiencing your emotions after all. Once you perceived my existence I’ve experienced more through your eyes and it’s been reminding me of my life and my emotions. Well right now I’m pushing it a bit and emulating how a normal person would act.』
【My】 voice sounded as though speaking like a normal person was tiring for them.
「Thanks. You saved me.」
『Well, after all it’s for my sake. The Cyril personality is really nice to experience so I don’t want anything to break it. You’ve gotta be more careful. Deet’s 【Soul Eater】 just gathers broken souls into you, but Gramdeal’s 【Predation】 eats things whole…It’s bad for our digestion.』
For my sake the other 【me】 pointed this out, but I didn’t understand.
「I know that. It’s about my other self after all.」
『No that’s not it. Gramdeal held a strong will and vivid personality so no matter who he eats he never wavered. You didn’t understand the inherent danger in using 【Predation】.』
That’s right…that’s why I used 【Predation】 without hesitation. If I’d thought a bit I would’ve discovered the risk, but Gramdeal’s memories didn’t include any aspect of danger from it so I simply ignored it and went with the flow.
「Sorry for being weak I guess.」
『But here’s the thing…it’s weird that though Cyril’s will and existence is still thin and weak you were able to force yourself to remain.』
「You said that you simply gave me some memories and experience right? You other 【Me’s】 didn’t mess with my personality or existence right?」
『You’re right. However, even without purposeful meddling the memories and experience I gave you would break down your personality. For example your preferences aren’t just of Elf Cyril…it’s closer to a Japanese man from Earth. You don’t hesitate when killing people. You easily embrace a girl who you see doing her best. These are all aspects that changed when you received experience and memories.』
I was at a loss for words. Certainly when it was brought up I realized my changes.
『Despite that…that’s as far as it went. Fundamentally you are Cyril and nothing else. There are exceptions but receiving all memories and experience would warp your existence and crush your individuality. You’d become an imitation of 【me】 or break. In that case 【I】 would move to the surface.』
In my innermost depths the black wolf form 【me】 stared at me with round eyes.
『If you had an overwhelming existence and personality like Gramdeal then I would understand. If you had a mulish or high minded spirit that set you apart from others I could also accept it. But I just can’t understand Cyril. Could you teach me why?』
I looked inside myself and easily found the answer.
「I…want to stay the ‘me’ that both Lucy and Kuu love. That other 【me】 wouldn’t be the same. That’s why I can’t be anything other than 【Myself】.」
Hearing that the black wolf looked dumbfounded before opening its mouth wide and laughing.
It looked as if it were howling.
『To think, such a reason would protect you. Thank you. There was worth in saving you. Well, do your best to enjoy our life 【me】.』
A large black hole reappeared beneath the wolf’s feet as it slowly sunk back into the ground.
『I’ll warn you though, it’s probably best if you fix your habit of choosing troublesome women. No wait…this might also be 【my】 influence….a beautiful elf, next is a golden fox, then that girl, and it may be inevitable……』
Its voice faded into the distance.
As always 【I】 faded away while murmuring something.
Because it was me I understood. Wanting to say something, yet also wanting to not voice it. That’s why it did things half-baked like that.
「I think my eye for women is better. At least better than 【mine】」
I retorted one last time before the dream ended.