"Danjin. Look at me."
"...!"
"Ragunna is finished. Even by looking around right now, you could see what remains in the foreseeable future. You are just that competent."
"So, I have a favor to ask of you. A very small one. I can guarantee you that it won't come with any form of setbacks or negatives... All you need to do is believe in me."
Katsuri brought the sword forward, hinting at Danjin to grab its hilt.
Danjin did so in a heartbeat.
The weight... was just perfect. It's heavy enough to deal damage, and it's also light enough to be wielded one handed.
A perfect long sword.
But... something in her brain clicked.
No, something in her mind was being overwritten.
She doesn't know what it was, or what is happening, but she remembers Katsuri's words.
'Believe in me.' She had said.
A face filled with determination, there's no way she would gamble everything away without a second thought.
Danjin doesn't know what she has in mind, but it seemed like she has a plan, and she appears to be quite confident in its success.
'...Perfect, she seems to really trust me.' Katsuri thought to herself after hearing the voice narrates Danjin's inner thoughts.
'Now, how much time is left before the whale attacks? While you're answering me, do tell me how much time is needed for you to overwrite Danjin's entire perspective on me too.'
[Approximately 13 minutes, approximately 10 minutes.]
'...that's good enough. I guess there's around 12 minutes of free time before everything goes up in flame.'
"Danjin, let's talk. Don't you feel like you don't really know me too well?" Katsuri suddenly brought up a topic in this entire catastrophe.
"...Yes?" Danjin replied, still confused. Weren't she just asking for her to do something? Was it really to just suddenly have an icebreaking talks?
If so then, what was the point of the sword?
"Heh, that's a new expression. Don't worry, if you trust me then just follow along with my pace at this time. Come on, you can start asking me questions about practically anything. In return, I'll also ask back some of my own questions about you." Katsuri explained.
"...I see. That's a very lax face you've got, there's no way I can stress about anything else if you're asking me of this. Fine, then." Danjin leaned the sword onto the railing and sat down on the rooftop.
Katsuri followed suit, sitting right across Danjin under this fake sky.
Danjin's face was no longer the panicking mess it was previously. Her heartbeat had calmed down and so did her emotion.
Since Katsuri had reassured her, she realized that having her back covered by someone else felt... nice.
There's nothing else to say, it's just a very nice feeling.
So as they sat down, Danjin began to ask questions.
"Hm, I'll start with an easy question. Katsuri, do you have a family name?"
"Yes. It's Havensith."
"Havensith? That's a beautiful name. So... is your name pronounced Katsuri Havensith?"
Katsuri stopped for moment to think of a response... No, she was thinking about whether or not to still keep on using her online persona instead of her real name.
But in the middle of her contemplation, Katsuri realized. It doesn't matter.
Danjin wouldn't remember anything from here on out.
Even if she did remember, it also wouldn't matter.
After all, she's no longer going to be in this world after a while.
The timeline is a mess, and all Katsuri did was existing. Now imagine what would've happened if she actively tried to make a change to the story?
Perhaps another Global Lament would activate, sending the world into another reset like the one that had caused the world to work based on frequencies 10000 years ago.
What if the Global Lament caused the world to be stuck in a perpetual loop of life and death? A never ending suffering that would go on for eternity.
What if the Global Lament caused the world to work based on smell? How uncomfortable would that be? How would it even work?
What if the Global Lament caused the world's texture to turn 2D? Now, they're stuck in a 2nd Dimensional space, only being interacted by omnipotent 3rd Dimensional being.
There are countless different ways the Lament could affect the world, none of them are beneficial to this world.
It is no wonder that Rover herself is working to death to find a way to put an end to the Lament.
If she herself had the capability to do so, she would also want to stop the Lament... But she doesn't.
She's a scaredy cat, only turning away at the most important moment and causing havoc wherever she goes.
...After thinking about the big stuff, it doesn't sound like her name was such a big deal at all. In the end, it's just her being stubborn.
"No, my name is Faith. It's Faith Havensith. I do apologize for never telling you my real name this whole time." With a slight bow, Katsuri apologized.
Danjin was stunned for a moment, but immediately tried to reassure Katsuri, "No, that's alright. We haven't known each other for long anyways. I do get the reason. It's just like you said, I don't know much about you at all."
"So, uh... Can I call you Faith? Or do you prefer Katsuri?" Danjin meekly asked.
"Just pick which one you feel most comfortable with. Anyways, I want to ask my own question... Danjin, why are you treating me with such kindness?"
Katsuri watched as Danjin's face turned into one that's surprised.
She really expected something to come out of that mouth, some reasons that are commonly used inside books and such.
Whether it be out of pity, curiosity, or just circumstances. Danjin can lie, but Katsuri would know in an instant.
After all, there's a certain voice that's currently narrating everything going on inside their head.
'There's one usage to having an omniscient voice inside your head, I guess.' She thought.
Now, Katsuri patiently waited for Danjin's response, although barely a few seconds had passed after she asked her own question.
"Hm... Well, I don't really need a reason, do I? I just found a girl inside a house one day, injured. Who in their right mind would suddenly think, 'Hey, taking care of her would be quite a pain. So I'll just leave her here.', that would be stupid. If you do find someone with that kind of mindset, do set up a meeting between me and them. I'd like to teach them something." Danjin said in quick succession.
As Katsuri listened, her eyes slowly turned softer and softer as she smiled slightly.
'...So it was also one of the cliché reasons. But that's alright. In this day and age, it's quite hard to be original.'
'That's alright, it is Danjin after all... So I'll let it slide.'
"Is that so... I'm grateful then. But that doesn't explain why you'd help me for so long. You even searched an accommodation for me."
"That was for the two of us, remember? I'm also a foreigner in this land, just so you remember."
"Ah, right. Sorry, there's just many things going on these days that just makes my head spins." For example, her loop.
"I get you. Like, what even is happening right now... Look, that pattern in the sky kinda looks like a cat, don't you think?" As Danjin pointed towards the sky, Katsuri followed.
The wavy lines had indeed accidentally created a cat-like shape in the dark sky.
"...Haha. I've never noticed."
Soft laughter filled the air as they began to just talk to themselves instead of question one another about each other.
After all, relationship doesn't require concrete knowledge about the other person.
As long as people enjoy the company of one another... then that's enough.
'...How much time until the Whale attacks?'
[2 minutes.]
'...it's unfortunate.'
A comfortable silence filled the air.
"I'm grateful, Danjin. Grateful to have met you, grateful to have been the one you find."
Danjin listened closely, turning her gaze back onto Katsuri who was still looking at the sky.
The people of Ragunna was still celebrating the play being orchestrated in the Plaza, unaware of the disaster about to befell them.
"The moon... Ah it isn't here. Oh well." Katsuri began talking but the volume went down as she realized her mistake.
"Grab that sword, Danjin. Remember, I am Katsuri."
As Katsuri stood up slowly, she spread her arm, "I am the Demon King."
"You are the Hero."
"And this is our story."
"There is no happy ending, so I have made one for us."
You won't remember, neither would you care.
Katsuri grabbed her gun and aimed it at the fake sky. A single pull of the trigger and a massive hole was now present at the top of this dome-like domain.
Everything shattered, surprising Katsuri at her own capability.
'You can overwrite it now. I think that was a long enough talk for a farewell.'
Suddenly Danjin's heartbeat quickened as she began to sweat.
Her soft blue eyes glowed red, making it obvious that her forte was reacting to her emotions.
...Fury and wrath consumed her brain at the thought of the name 'Katsuri'.