ocean-life Chapter 359.1
Chapter 359.1
A quiet world. A room made entirely of obsidian, with ceilings and floors crafted from the same material. Condensation dripped from the ceiling, forming droplets that fell with a soft sound, accumulating slightly on the floor.
The room was illuminated by the worn-out magical light crystals installed along the walls, and besides the boy sleeping on the rectangular altar at the center, no one else was present.
In the spacious hall dominated by silence, as if to shatter the stillness, the rough sound of leather shoes echoed from somewhere.
The footsteps gradually grew louder, revealing a figure as they approached the illuminated area. The owner of the footsteps, revealed by the light, was a man wearing a mask. He wore a tightly fitting long coat, and underneath, armor with the gleam of magical metal peeking through.
As if expressing frustration, the man deliberately made noise with his footsteps, stopping before the boy sleeping on the altar. Then, to calm himself, he took a shallow breath.
“What on earth is this? It’s quite different from the story. I should have followed your instructions, shouldn’t I?”
“The prediction was that the roles would have changed, but the outcome would have remained the same.”
A calm female voice responded as if no one was there except the man and the sleeping boy.
“It’s not a prediction. This is a dead end.”
Turning around, the man turns his gaze as if he could see into the darkness, and his voice becomes raspy.
“Excuse me, Ymir. No, Kanna Yamato.”
A woman appeared in the darkness, wearing a pure white robe, as if she were a priestess. Her hood was long, and her face showed only a crimson mouth.
“It was not a prediction. Let me rephrase. That’s the original fate. The fate determined by the modified destiny.”
“Her actions did not consider people as people but propelled only towards her purpose. Even if tens of thousands, even billions, were to die, she didn’t care—or so I expected. But, something happened.”
“What is that something? What changed her actions?”
“... I don’t know. It’s something even I couldn’t predict. The threads of fate were supposed to be fine, and Ashtaroth was destroyed. By the time I realized, it was over. I’m impressed that she managed to defeat it in such a short time, though I was a bit slow to notice.”
Amused by something she couldn’t predict, Spatial Witch grinned with interest. Combing the hair of the sleeping boy with a hand comb, she turned her face towards Kanna Yamato.
“Originally, I planned to intervene in the battle with Ashtaroth, sacrifice Aguni Masatoshi, and an even stronger person, you. I have to change the plan a bit.”
“... What? You were planning to sacrifice me?”
In a conversation that seemed casual, Kanna Yamato raised an eyebrow slightly, becoming wary as he reached for the sword at his waist.
“... It’s different from what we discussed. Originally, the plan was to defeat Ashtaroth, obtain its knowledge, and with Aguni Masatoshi as a sacrifice, you and I would gain eternal life. I was supposed to become the eternal Emperor. Wasn’t that the deal?”
“Even after gathering 9 souls to attain power beyond humans, what’s the point? Fufufu.”
With a mocking laugh directed at the space witch, Kanna Yamato, with increased vigilance, reaches for the sword at his waist.
“You helped me in the loops before, didn’t you? It was supposed to be according to our deal. As far as I remember.”
“Fufufufu, ahahaha. Yes, that’s right. Your memory serves you well. It used to be that way. I assisted you in countless loops, killing powerful individuals within the Kanna Dukedom and creating Shin with the 9 souls, including your own.”
Breaking the usual calm atmosphere, Spatial Witch laughs as if she has gone mad. Her laughter echoes in the hall like an eerie reverberation, creating a disturbing atmosphere.