Regressor, Possessor, Reincarnator

“I suppose it can’t be helped. Well then.” Julius shook his head from side to side. “Time to die.”

“I’m familiar with your attacks now.”

Linbelle closed her eyes. A circle of pure black began to expand under her feet.

‘No, it's not anything black.’

The night sky. It was as clear as the sky of that night.

She remembered the beginning of her time after having fallen there. She couldn't understand back then why she’d come there.

But she could now.

Your trial shows you what it is that you want.

At first, she thought it might've been prana.

'But, right now,'

She took a step through the lightning raining down. She expressed her genuine intent in her first step. Her desire in her second step. Her dreams in her third. Wishes in the fourth. Hopes in the fifth. Her prayers in the sixth. Aspirations in the seventh.

Her resolution in the eighth step.

"You're struggling, aren’t you!"

She stopped, pausing her final step. Before eyes, a dragon straight from her dreams appeared with its fangs bared through its gaping mouth.

"That's funny. You can't even control your emotions. Where’s all that strength gone?"

She forgot everything she had just recited.

"I guess in the end, it’s just me who sets the limits."

Linbelle’s emotions had been aimed at only one person since the beginning.

Nothing could taint that. As the Milky Way unfurled across the night sky, she took the last step.

She made the final promise.

Those nine steps contained everything she’d realized. Everything about her hard work and her ability to wield Pure Black, about how to end her trial. She directed her dozens of emotions toward one goal.

The night sky appeared at her feet, as the stars twinkled above.

"No, how did you avoid—!”

"Goodbye, sir."

The stars flashed their light. The night sky rose and overtook the possessor.

‘I really did it.’

Dozens of holes pierced Julius's body, emitting electricity-entwined light. The thundercloud that had covered the sky dispersed, as the noble body rolled on the ground.

"Did you see it, sir? I can do it.”

She saw him, jaw dropped absentmindedly.

Allen Reinhart.

He wasn’t quite as perfect, nor quite as relaxed as the person she’d served. He couldn't sleep without medication. He couldn’t shake the alcohol or tobacco, even though his body was in ruin. He scolded her to give up, but actually worried for her in his heart.

“What? You don't believe it?” Linbelle limped over toward Allen.

He could see her body gushing out rivers of red all over. "How… How did you… You… Julius…”

"Hmm… because I believed I could?"

"Ahem, sure."

There was no more confusion clouding Allen's eyes. He burst out in laughter, laughing so hard that he couldn’t breathe.

"Unfortunately, I couldn't save Julius.”

“That's fine.”

"Why?"

"You made it, didn’t you? Since you reached your goal, that means that I can, too."

"But I thought it was impossible to change the past."

As if Linbelle’s grumbling amused him, Allen responded, "Ah, whatever. Oh, do you have a name for that last technique?"

"No, not yet."

"Then is it okay for me to have a go at it?”

She nodded.

"Tezcatlipoca."

"What does that mean?"

Allen replied with a smile. "It means ‘smoking mirror’."

"Huh… What?"”

"Well, rather than that meaning, it's more commonly known as the name of a god who fell in ancient times."

"Which god?"

"The god of war and the night.”

It was a name that matched her neck-harvesting skill, backgrounded by the night sky.

"…Well, it's not bad."

"That’s so ambiguous?" Allen burst out laughing, and she laughed along.

"I mean…" Linbelle whispered in a calm tone. "You're not going to give up now, are you?"”

"No." Giving up was a luxury. Allen realized how stupid he had been.

"You won't cry alone anymore."

"No."

"And you’ll eat well, too."

"Yes."

The world began to break into pieces. The end of their trial was near.

"You're not going to drink or smoke, are you?"

This time, his answer came after a little pause. "Well…"

"Hurry up."

"I'll try."

He thought back to the first time he saw her. At first, he had planned on kicking her out once she got too rowdy.

"And…" The world around them began to disappear. "The work I did for you here…" Her voice wobbled. "Did you like it?"”

Allen smiled. "Yes, it was the best treatment I've ever received."

"How good was it?"

"Too good for me to have received it."

She was relieved.

"What a relief. Thank you. I’m glad I got to help you."

Allen answered with sincerity, "Thank you very much."

"It was nice meeting you."

"Say hello to the real ‘Allen’ for me."

"I'll make sure to."

"…Because it's still me."

She seemed to drift further and further away until a cloud of light filled his view.

"What a relief."

Truly.

A cold breeze touched Allen's face.

A drizzle of sleet from the sky saw her off.

Linbelle’s trial had come to an end.

* * *

* * * 

I had a dream.

A very long dream.

“───────.”

But when I woke up, I couldn't remember what I dreamed about.

I definitely saw something important.

There was something there that I shouldn't forget.

"He—!"

"I—!"

All I can think of are those distant feelings I felt through the fragments of a broken dream.

Dozens of faint and fuzzy emotions tangled together and scattered across my mind.

The first emotion that crossed my mind was joy, like the full-fledged happiness of finally reuniting with long-lost family.

"—us!"

Until such joy quickly dissipated, and sadness began to pour in.

Depression, pain, distress….

Just as I was about to be devoured by that sinking, heavy feeling of a rock weighing down my chest, my heart restarted—pounding hard—as if it had found hope once again.

"—an —em! —!!”

I found within myself a certain resolution along with a certain feeling of joy. And at that same time, I heard the sound of something breaking. That’s when my eyes opened.

"Ah."

* * *

When Allen opened his eyes and looked around, all the other soldiers were also looking around as if they had just been dreaming.

"…What’s going on?"

He felt dizzy.

There was work to be done. There were memories that he shouldn't forget.

And—

"…My little brother."

He had heard Julius's voice.

A calm voice rang in his ears as Allen stood absentmindedly with a confused face. “Sir.”

As he turned his head, he saw Linbelle looking up at him with a calm look on her face. There was a certain impression of depth behind her eyes paired with a curiously calm air about her.

"…Linbelle?" For a moment, Allen looked at her, wondering if something had changed. 

"What are you doing, sir?”

"…What?"

Linbelle smiled and pointed at the soldiers. "I think you should comfort the soldiers."

When he looked in the direction she was pointing, he saw soldiers sprawled defenselessly about. Some were talking to themselves in confusion; some shivering with fear, as if they’d seen something; others still with blank eyes, still yet to escape their fantasy.

Clarity gradually began to return to Allen's eyes as he watched them.

"…Yes, I should."

He stole a glance, looking at Linbelle. Different from her previous foolishness, she sat behind him with a practiced posture.

'…Something must have happened.’

Allen realized that it must've been related to the trial.

Perhaps, within it, if there were anything to do with Julius…

‘No.’

He shook his head. Now was not the time to ask such a question.

He took a deep breath.

"Everyone, get a hold of yourself!"

Allen woke up from his dream.

* * *

They began to resolve the incident swiftly.

"We won't make the same mistake this time."

Perhaps due to being helplessly defeated by the god’s ability, the Knight Commander took the lead with a solemn face. After that, the knights and soldiers dispersed into the forest to deal with what remained of the situation.

"How is the god doing?"

"He’s not in good condition, there are still traces of black magic!"

As soon as the elves came to their senses, they rushed to the god.

Whether it was the aftermath of an excessive use of his powers or a side effect of the forced corruption, the god was being eaten away by the contaminated energy of the black magic. He was left in a state of somnolence, deeply sunken and unable to wake.

With a flash of memory, Natasha turned away from examining the god’s figure and hurriedly approached Julius.

“Sir Julius, I apologize for what happened before. I need your help."

"…Yes— What?"

Shaking off the mindless expression he’d been wearing until then, Julius began to purify the body at her request.

His powers were at odds with black magic, so they were perfect for this kind of work.

Taking advantage of the moment when the soldiers, knights, and elves were all busy working, Allen headed over to the clearing where he fought the giant.

There lay the fallen giant's corpse and a ruined clearing. He felt a little strange being there, even though he had been in that place only a few hours ago.

"…It hasn't been that long, but it seems like years have passed.”

⟬Do you have any idea how surprised I was? Everyone just collapsed all of a sudden!⟭

Perhaps she took Allen's dull appreciation as a complaint, speaking despite the several soldiers following them.

⟬Thank god you came to your senses so quickly. What would you have done if I’d just been left there for years! Your guard was down!⟭

"…I'm sorry about that, but you really didn’t go through any of the god’s trials?”

⟬Do you not get it? I protected you in case someone attacked you, but you can't even say thank you!⟭

"…Thank you very much.”

⟬Ahem. I suppose I was the only one left, right?⟭

Allen smiled bitterly, listening to Vestla’s shouts.

‘I can’t believe she didn’t go through a trial.’

Do inanimate objects—no—ego swords not fall within the target range?

Or, instead, maybe she was able to avoid the god’s trials because…

'There's nothing she wants?’

Since the god’s power dealt with trials and rewards, someone might be able to avoid said trials if they didn’t want anything in the first place.

However, as soon as the concept took form in his mind, Allen denied it.

‘That can't be true.’

⟬Hurry up! I've been so curious about this place.⟭

It wouldn’t make sense to assume that there wasn’t anything she wanted. He just had to recall the reaction she’d had to the giant earlier.

Rather, it was more plausible that her mental strength was more powerful than the god, so his ability didn’t work on her.

"Okay, let's go slowly. We don't know what's there."

Allen had been on high alert since falling into the dark sorcerers’ trap and being swept away by the god’s trial.

However, the building was empty, rendering his anxiety useless.

"…There's nothing here.”

Passing by a collapsed wall, he could see the messy interior. Bodies of monsters piled up in heaps, and various materials were left scattered around. The room had a rotten stench, and all of the internal structure appeared to have collapsed. Looking at the remains of the broken walls and the once-straight passageway, he concluded that the now deceased giant had run through here.

‘Could it have been a chimera?’

There had been something wrong with the monster’s regeneration and strength. Perhaps its appearance was close to that of a real giant, but its abilities were only half-baked.

Allen scanned the room with his senses and called in the soldiers waiting outside the building to conduct a search.

Even so, he didn't expect to find anything useful.

Given the soot and traces of burn marks lining the floor and walls, it would’ve been strange to assume that any form of important information would’ve survived intact.

"Did you find anything?"”

Vestla answered Allen's question in a disappointed voice, ⟬…No. I thought I'd feel something once we got inside, but I can't find anything.⟭

"I'm sorry."

⟬No, it’s okay. I've achieved my goal anyway.⟭ She muttered in a relaxed tone before shouting again in a cheerful tone. ⟬Now that we're done here, let’s go out there! I think the god is awake!⟭

Allen ordered those searching to collect whatever remaining information they could—just in case—and headed toward the chorus of murmuring voices.

"It’s a real god, huh…”

"It’s not going to attack us again, is it?"

When he arrived after passing by the soldiers, he saw the god handing Julius a small egg.