The moment my foot stepped onto the void, my body shot forward at a speed surpassing the very concept of speed itself, and with a single step I was only a few meters away from Libby.
And the first thing I saw was Azathoth in his chaotic form, trying to defend Libby from another End Writer.
The End Writer seized time itself and shaped it into a spear, thrusting it toward Azathoth.
The spear didn't move—it simply skipped the launch point and appeared directly against Azathoth's body, but it shattered instantly upon contact.
"How?!" the End Writer shouted, but he had no time for shock. From his back, Azathoth manifested two arms that grasped reality itself across five kilometers and twisted it into a ball.
At the same time, from his shadow appeared a massive bat, launching the ball toward the writer like a falling star.
The End Writer opened his mouth, unleashing a beam of Outer energy.
[Enough.]
My voice shook existence itself, and everything around us froze, awaiting my next command.
[What are you doing here, Grand Writer?]
The End Writer caught his breath, still panting. "Just– just what did you give yours?"
yours or mine—that was what End Writers called entities like Azathoth, and each End Writer possessed one.
The nature of these beings was savage, yet they submitted out of fear of the Great Writer's power… unlike Azathoth, who submitted out of fear of mine.
"It doesn't matter what his name is—what kind of powers did you give him?"
[Not much. Just the Authority of Solidity and the Authority of Imagination… oh, and I also gave him the Authority of Absurdity, because playing with him is fun and he uses it well.]
"…That explains how he withstood my attacks… But let's return to the real issue—why did you bring that human girl here?"
[I didn't bring her. Humans summoned me with some technology… and as for her, she is my companion.]
I glanced at Libby and smiled.
She smiled back at the same time, stepping hesitantly toward us. "Ah– hello… I hope the misunderstanding has been resolved."
"Dispose of her."
The aura above my head shook and ignited into black flames as I stood in her defense.
[Grand Writer, I am ready to fulfill all your requests… except this one.]
"Humans should not be here."
I felt Libby clutch the back of my coat, her terrified breath against my back.
[Then I will send her back to the world. Nothing is solved by killing!]
"Take this seriously, it's importa—" Before he could finish, I chained his mouth shut, preventing him from leaking any crucial information.
[I hold full Authority over this very world, while you hold Authority over the lesser one… We both know what happens when two Authorities clash.]
[Then the matter goes to the higher ones.]
A great being cast its shadow upon us—the strongest free existence in the Abyss.
With his arrival, Libby's terror vanished.
"Hero, is that your fath—" I quickly placed my hand over her mouth before she could finish.
My face flushed red and my thoughts tangled as I whispered to her [Not my father… I only consider him as such.]
Turning back toward the Great Writer with embarrassment clear on my face, I greeted [Hello, sir.]
[Hello, boy… I've heard the whole matter from the start, so there's no need to explain.]
The Great Writer began walking toward Libby with his usual smile.
[Hello, Libby. How are you?]
"I-I'm fine…"
[Good. Then wait here a bit, while I speak with your companion.]
Libby's eyes turned to me. I nodded to her. "Ah… alright."
[Thank you. I promise we won't take long.]
The Great Writer and the Grand Writer walked away, while Libby spread her wings, flew, and perched upon Azathoth's body—now shaped like a giant cat.
[Now, each of you explain your perspective.]
"Great Writer, sir, we cannot allow that girl to live—she will pose a threat to the mission."
[And what threat would that be? And why would she attack the one protecting her?]
"She'll surely join those people and try to kill him."
That was when I asked [And how do you know she even knows about them?]
[A fair point. She knows nothing of the mission.]
[In fact, she doesn't even know what we are. To her, we're just another race dwelling between worlds… which, honestly, we are.]
"But why must we spare her?"
I answered [Because she is one of the most important members of my team, and her death would cause more problems than it solves. She has placed her trust in me, and I do not intend to betray that trust, even at the cost of my life.]
The Grand Writer stared into my face for a long time. "…Hah. Very well, I'll respect your wish."
[Thank you, Grand Writer.]
[Good. I'm glad this has been settled… Boy, go back now. Don't keep Libby waiting.]
[Thank you, Great Writer.] I shot a glance at the Grand Writer. [Congratulations on reaching Level 7 in the Outer.]
"Thank you… Forgive me, I'll take my leave."
[Great Writer, didn't you tell the End Writers about the Origin?]
[I already know of its existence—and everything about it.]
[Then why didn't you teach us earlier?]
[…Because starting strong would spoil the beauty of the journey. You wouldn't gain new values.]
I didn't understand… Why was the Great Writer trying to teach us values? Why was he trying to make us enjoy the journey?… There were too many things beyond my comprehension.
I brushed those questions aside, turning my back on the Great Writer, but he stopped me
[Don't you have somewhere else to go, since you're here in the Abyss?]
[…Yes, I think that's a good idea.]
In the next instant, I was standing before Libby.
"Ah! You startled me."
I chuckled at her reaction. […Anyway, before we return to the world, I want to go somewhere.]
Darkness coiled around us, and when it dispersed, seven people stood in the place.
"What?!"
"Khalid, where are we?"
[Welcome, my friends,] I greeted my companions, whom I had transported from the world into this place. It would have been disgraceful not to let them experience it.
Noah looked at me in confusion. "Hero? Where are we?"
[This is my world, my home—the world beyond worlds… It is called the Abyss.]
"Ah, what is that voice! It feels like it pierces my consciousness," said Nier with his childlike gaze.
Meanwhile, Mary wiped her eyes as she studied me. "You look… brighter. And what's with that black aura above your head? Are you trying to look cool?"
Libby replied on my behalf "This is his world. Here, he is at his full potential. Aldrick Failehart brought us here thinking we'd be helpless."
Khalid shouted, "Hero, send us back—we were in the middle of a battle!"
I laughed a little, reassuring him [Don't worry. I've frozen time. Everything outside a one-kilometer radius is locked in stasis.]
"Hah, really? Just how strong are you here?"
[I didn't bring you here to annoy me with questions,] I said, pointing toward the breathtaking view before us.
Their eyes turned in awe. No matter how long one stared, the sight never lost its wonder: countless worlds gathered below us, resembling a starry night sky.
A mixture of blue, red, and sometimes even white—colors adorning the darkness.
Suddenly a question surfaced in my mind [Libby, how did you know that person was the one I consider my father?]
"Well… both of you make everyone feel safe just by being there."
Those words hurt me more than they brought comfort. How could a mere weapon of destruction make anyone feel safe?
Lucy cut through my thoughts. "So, Libby, you met his father?"
"Yes."
"And how was he?"
"He was… majestic."
Then Nier surprised me "Hold on—let me process this. Are you some sort of transcendent beings living between worlds, seeing yourselves as above the creatures within them?"
[…You will die, and we will die… so is anyone truly above another, when we all share the same end? No one achieves immortality—not us, not humans.]
Mary scoffed. "Ever the optimist… Why do you keep saying 'humans'? There are plenty of other races in the world."
[To us, any intelligent being dwelling within the worlds is human.]
Libby suddenly grew uneasy. "Let's leave before another of your kind comes and tries to kill us."
I smiled. [Don't worry. I hold the highest Authority here, second only to the Great Writer.]
"Then why did you obey that so-called Grand Writer?"
[Because the lesser always obeys the greater… and by lesser, I mean in power, not in status.]
I stood before that breathtaking panorama no one dared look away from. My companions' wounds reopened, causing pain—yet soon closed again, as if they had never been.
…Well, not healing in the literal sense. I merely reverted their bodies to the time before they were injured.
Darkness wrapped around us once more. [Don't forget—if you face danger, never hesitate to flee… To me, your lives are worth more than any material gain.]
In that moment, only Libby and I remained in the Abyss, standing before the Great World.
"Before we enter… can't we bring Azathoth? He'd definitely be useful."
[He would lose his power inside the worlds—they rely entirely on the Outer.]
"…Then can't he help from the outside?"
[…Wait. That's brilliant… Azathoth, are you hungry!?]
I called Azathoth, and in the same instant, he appeared before me. Into his mind, I planted the plan I wished to execute.
I stood upon the glass-like surface surrounding the world… though calling it glass was shameful, for this transparent material was the hardest of all.
"Wait, Hero—this isn't normal… the world is expanding."
[Yes. Everything suffers from a disease called greed… believing that growth means gaining more Authority.]
I began striking the shell with my fists, each blow carving cracks wider and wider.
Once I finished, Azathoth extended massive tendrils, piercing into the world.
[Let's go in too—this gap will only stay open for an hour.]
We stepped inside together, braving the torrent of winds. Libby glanced at me—what she saw was my form, wrapped in its physical body.
[We're back." At that moment, my voice returned, and with the loss of the Outer, my Authority vanished as well.