Chaos will always be beautiful.
Why? Because in it begins the beginning of something new.
But, the new will always be terrifying.
And the old things will always hurt.
Only the brave can face the new things that chaos brings.
And whoever doesn't, dies.
_
"Sir, I would like to talk with you."
A week had passed since the Walpurgis Night incident.
All the sects have been relatively busy investigating that strange woman, a woman that not even I, as the creator of this world and its inhabitants, knew.
It wasn't until today that I was able to sneak out of the house to come and see Randy Bornman and ask about that dream I had.
If it's a 'dream'...
"Sir?" Randy chuckled as he sat down on a red sofa. In front of him were a teapot and a cup of tea. "Jeon, you're too formal even though it should be me showing respect to you, hahaha."
I sighed…
Yes, he was right...maybe he's the first character to realize he doesn't exist and...well, it's comforting that it's him who knows and not someone dangerous.
If I had been Anser, I wouldn't be alive now.
"I wanted to ask you something," I said, sitting down on the sofa that was in front of Randy. "Anser gave you the report about when Raum took over my body, right?"
Randy nodded, taking a sip from his cup. "Oh, you need Mandeleine to exorcise you again? You know, in this timeline, Frederick is a good exorcist, even if he doesn't want to admit it yet. Trust in his abilities."
What did he…
"Timeline?" I never wrote anything like that. "What are you talking about?"
Randy noticed my surprise, and then he took two cookies.
"It's my skill, Jeon, have you forgotten?" He ate half a cookie, then left it in the middle of the table, and broke the other cookie. "I can reincarnate, but it will always be in the same world, but in different timelines," He said, pointing to the 'whole' cookie, then dragged one half to the other half of the cookie. "This part is my consciousness, a change of body, but I remain aware that I have reincarnated."
"Oh, yeah…" I almost forgot that Randy isn't human. He's an archangel. Something he must already know, of course. "So...that's how you found out you weren't real...right?"
Randy nodded, eating the cookies I used as an example, maintaining that smile that if I saw it too much...it started to give me chills.
I never thought a character could be aware of their own existence.
Perhaps that's what those writers meant when they said: 'my character is starting to act off-script'?
Well, maybe I always tried to make them do what I wanted, maybe if I had been freer, they could have had their own thoughts and ideas, and not just mine.
"So, what did you want to tell me, Jeon?" He brought up the subject again, curious. "I know you don't want Mandeleine's service, right?"
I sighed, then smiled slightly. "That's correct..." Then, I cleared my throat, preparing to explain the whole 'dream'.
"When Raum possessed my body, I saw a...dream."
"A dream?"
I nodded. "Someone named...Moon Ji Hael, and I was living in the consciousness of another person who..." What was his name? "I think his name was..."
It's impossible, that time I couldn't even hear his name.
"No...I couldn't hear his name, it was like a splash of ink on a page. Even if I tried to read it, I wouldn't be able to tell what it said."
Randy thought for a moment, something serious.
"Well, that was a rather strange dream..." Then, he opened his eyes to look at me. "What else happenend?"
What else happened...
"That boy made me cook for him, but soon..." Ah, right, he—"I saw him commit suicide."
Randy seemed somewhat surprised, then sighed, and stood up.
"Anything else? Any other details?"
I got up and started following him.
"Tentacles," Randy froze halfway through. "I saw a man with tentacles…And he said something like, 'You haven't gotten to this part of the story yet.'.."
Soon, Randy turned to look at me, and grabbed my wrist.
"Close your eyes."
Surprised, I nodded, obeying.
Soon, I felt a cold breeze, and after taking a few steps, I felt Randy put his hands on my shoulders.
"Open them."
Upon opening them, our surroundings changed; several trees and a sun that illuminated a scroll held by several tree branches.
That was Lahn's parchment, hidden in The Wisdom and Redemption Sect. The scriptures of the exorcist, savior of this world.
It was supposed to contain the basic rules of exorcism and demonology, but, in addition to that...
Also everything about this world.
Cursed scriptures, for any mortal who wanted wisdom, but not for an archangel like Randy.
"What are we doing here?" I asked, curious, as I watched Randy open the parchment, which glowed, and the letters soon began to shoot out of the parchment, becoming embedded in the trees, and making them grow even more.
"Millennia ago, Lahn wrote something similar to what you dreamed of," Soon, it stopped on a page, and soon, the letters fell to the floor, lifeless. "…He mentioned the curse of his younger half-brother..."
Did Lahn have half-siblings?
How come I didn't know?
"That one is conjured to frighten spiteful demons; 'You, eight-limbed demon…" He began to narrate, and soon the letters on the ground began to tremble. "May the poison of the tentacles cease, and may the wine be the river of blood before you, and may you finally rest'…"
Soon, the letters returned to the parchment, which was immediately closed.
"You mean, that dream I had could have been caused by Lahn's half-brother?" I asked, and soon Randy nodded.
"There may be a possibility that he is still alive," what? "Before you arrived, and when I reincarnated into this world again, I noticed that there were too many changes…"
Then Randy grabbed my wrist and floated with me to a tree branch, moving the leaves aside to show me the scenery of all of Anarxie.
"Aria should be extinct, but it's being rebuilt. Anser should never have been raised by me, nor by Sherly; he should only have been trained by Sherly. The demons should never have been allowed to get so close to the city, and above all..." Then, he turned to look at me. "Elmetron should never have arrived in Anarxie so soon."
That was very true...
Perhaps the fact that the 'canon' event that should have happened but never did directly caused these changes?
"Maybe this time..." Randy turned his gaze back, this time to the sky. Perhaps for the first time, I can describe that he is worried. "I don't know what will happen in the future, Jeon."
I frowned, somewhat worried.
Perhaps now, the need to find an end is more urgent than I thought it was. Whether it's good or bad, right now we have to deal with Lahn's half-brother.
But where is he? What is his power? And how can we defeat him?
I don't know, and yet, still...
What about Marie and that boy who committed suicide?
How is this related to this world? Especially Marie...
…How could I hear his voice? I'm not crazy, am I?
"You should talk to Anser about it," Randy said suddenly. "If the protagonist dies because he wasn't warned about all these new dangers, it's like the end of the world."
And that...was also true.
"I'll tell Liam…" Right now, I need to plan something with her to keep our newest member, Gene, safe. She's the last witch, and the only one who can stand up to a demon like Lanh's half-brother. "And I'll take care of Anser, I know that in this timeline... he and Sherly must be like family to you, right?"
"…" Randy looked at me, somewhat surprised.
And I could even see him blush a little.
So, Sherly was right, huh?
Randy felt like the father of the family, after all.
"I'll go first, now you have more research to do, right?" I said, climbing down from the branch. "I will take care of your child, you take care of your wife."
Randy laughed, not caring about the mocking tone I used.
"Thank you, Jeon."
Then he snapped his fingers, sending me back to his office, while he...well, I don't see him anywhere, I guess he stayed over there.
That doesn't matter, now I need to create a contingency plan with everyone else.
I can't help but feel some anguish, perhaps because of what's to come; more so because we'll have to face a demon more powerful than Raum, and one that will be impossible to seal away…
But if we're together, we can do it, right?
***
「'That time I saw my younger brother, he was unwell…」
「…his mother thought he had fallen ill, so, at the insistence of the town, my brother was quarantined in his house. Having been unable to see him for fear of being infected, limiting herself to leaving him food, that day she wanted to check on his health.」
「 To her surprise, what she saw ceased to be human. Tentacles swallowing my brother alive, and amidst the 'what is happening to my son' she grabbed an axe and began to cut the tentacles.」
「 Hearing my brother's cries of pain and suffering, she stopped.」
「She was saving him, wasn't she?」
「She thought so. But it wasn't so.」
「Those tentacles were now part of my brother; all this time she had been torturing her son by cutting off his limbs.」
「She couldn't stand it. Had her son become a monster? And was she the first person to make him suffer? What kind of mother was she?」
「She grabbed the axe, and with tears in her eyes, murmured for the last time; 'My son, I hope you find a place somewhere in this vast universe.' And he proceeded to cut her throat.」
「All my brother could do was hate her for leaving him alone.」
「He was barely four years old when it happened, and from that day on, he ran away and became a demon.」
「When I was finally able to find him and defeat him…He confessed this story to me, while begging me to cut off their tentacles and end all the harm they caused him. I obeyed, but I still grieve his death, and his name will be written at the end of this spell.」
「As well as the names of the other people I saw die at my hands for the cleansing of this world.」
「This is my redemption, and salvation. Something my dear brother could never achieve, and I think—the exorcist's curse fell upon him, and soon, will fall upon me.」
「For the good, and true end of this world, I hope that whoever next makes use of this scroll could release all these souls to eternal peace and glory…」
「In memory of my dearest half-brother, son of my father's third wife.」
「Yumiko Enver.'」
***
Sir…" One of the men from the Ace Sect, carrying some papers with him. Meanwhile, Sherly was focused on some photos on his desk, photographing them with his Identifier. "Frederick already reported to us that they have found DNA evidence of the woman who confronted Mandeleine and Ji Noo…"
"DNA?" He said, suddenly raising his gaze. "I thought the body had disappeared."
The man nodded, then placed a document on Sherly's desk.
He took it and read it carefully.
"Apparently, someone stole the body, but they left blood evidence belonging to the woman next to the monster's body that we found."
Steal…
That made Sherly very suspicious.
"How did someone manage to do it without our people noticing? Joakim's people and mine were supposed to be watching the whole area. Above all, Frederick was there with our vice leader, wasn't he?"
The man nodded, understanding how suspicious he looked.
"Yes sir, but neither they, nor Karmen, the vice leader of the Third Round Sect noticed someone approaching…" Then, he left a photograph on the desk, in which a green flame could be seen in the background of the photos that were taken of the bodies. "Perhaps what we're dealing with isn't human, sir."
Sherly took the photograph, squinting, and after managing to see that flame...
"Take this photo to Randy," He ordered it, returning it to the man. "He may know who it is this flame."
"Yes sir."
He took the photograph, and quickly left his office.
As he left, Sherly sighed, then took out a cigarette and lit it up.
He put it to his lips, then removed the documents in front of him; revealing underneath some photos of an albino baby—Anser.
He couldn't help but worry…
Most of his threats were brutish and savage demons, but he had never before faced a threat where the demons were used by humans.
Based on Ji Noo and Mandeleine's statements, and on what he saw before his eyes that day on Walpurgis Night; a witch turning into a demon—no, a monster. And to be used by a human woman...
Perhaps, right now, the demons were becoming a threat that they should worry about a little more.
"Ciro…" And he couldn't help but feel that they would go after Ji Noo, and knowing that his son would be stupid enough to defend him even with his bare hands... "…You stupid little brat."
Ji Noo didn't worry him; for some reason, he didn't fully trust him, but if he was able to pull his son out of the depths of depression…he knew he shouldn't judge him too harshly without knowing him.
But Anser, a boy still too fragile with his feelings, would be devastated if anything happened to him or his three members.
Even worse, if it was to the people of Anarxie.
He knew that Anser changed suddenly, when he decided to leave Sherly's sect and form his own sect without any singular goal in mind…
When Randy told him about his birth, which Sherly strongly disagreed with...he knew that Anser was acting out of mere revenge, and that was what he didn't want.
Although, well, Sherly was always a carefree person.
He wasn't happy, but he didn't hate anyone in his life either.
However, he always believed that living peacefully ensured him a peaceful death. And seeing Anser so devastated from wanting to kill all the evil in this world with his own hands... just because his family was murdered by them...
He knew it would be endless pain.
And he loves Anser too much to allow him to hurt himself like that.
「"If you want to let all that past out…come and have a drink with me, I'm not asking much of you."」
He always prayed to any God in this world that he could send a sign, even a small one...
「"Someday someone will change your mind, and yet you will still tell them to leave?"」
To save his son.
Perhaps Ji Noo was, but that wasn't enough.
"Damn…" He always believed that the world they lived in was like a fantasy and horror novel...maybe if he had been born in another world, like Randy, it would be different? "You're a very…idiot brat."
Even so, if he were to die now, he wouldn't worry about anything bad happening to Anser.
He can take that pain, so that Anser will never be sad, never be hurt, and be happy once again in this short human life.
He looked at Anser's baby pictures again. All those pictures sent to Liam. He never thought he would worry like a father about Anser.
Perhaps that was...love?
"Leader, I'm sorry to interrupt you…" Someone entered the office without knocking, a strange voice. "Do you have a moment?"
Sherly looked up, then stood up from his desk; the man was wearing a suit, something unusual for men in his sect.
Tall, dark-skinned, and with long hair...
"Who are you? And who let you in?" He said, with a serious face, as he moved his fingers under his desk to activate the security alarm and call his subordinates for an intruder attack. "Do you belong to a sect?"
The man smiled, then bowed.
"Please excuse this humble Hyung for interrupting..." Then, he pulled a sword from behind him and threw it at Sherly. Without even touching him, the sword broke before Sherly's shield, the pieces falling to the ground. "Hmm, what I would expect from the leader of the second most powerful sect of all..."
Sherly frowned, no matter how much he pressed the button...no one came.
"Since you will die today, let me explain..." Then the man walked towards Sherly. "My alias is Hyung...and since your ability is problematic...we have to get rid of you."
And with a smile, he brought his hand in front of Sherly, the shield activating and protecting itself, but Hyung's hand remained intact.
Sherly frowned, then managed to grab his Identifier, baby Anser photos falling to the ground.
He quickly pressed a red button on the device, setting off an alarm throughout the room. He waited for his men to flee, before—
"That won't do any good, Sherly," Soon, Hyung's hand pierced Sherly's shield, causing Sherly to stumble back. "They are already dead."
Hyung snatched the Identifier, and broke it in his hand.
Sherly frowned, incredulous, but after looking Hyung up and down and noticing a small bloodstain on his shoes, he slowly looked towards the half-open door…
And his heart stopped beating in his chest.
He recognized the hand of the man who had come to see him no more than five minutes ago, still holding the photo he had asked Randy to send...dead.
"Who the hell are you?!" Soon, Sherly regenerated a shield, then created a mana sword in his hand, squeezing it tighter than he should.
On the other hand, Hyung smiled, giving a clap.
"Oh, finally we're going to get serious!" Then, he moved his arm to his own face. "I am the one capable of standing against your shields..."
The only one, in fact.
Sherly frowned, then lunged at him.
"Diamond Magic; Perfect Skin."
Sherly opened his eyes, diamond magic?
Before he could stop, Hyung's skin turned into diamond, shining brightly throughout the room, and blinding him for a moment.
The sword struck Hyung's arm, tearing the sleeve of his jacket, but breaking upon contact with his skin.
Sherly quickly moved back, shielding his eyes with his forearm from the diamond's brilliance.
"First time?" Hyung mocked, then pulled a bottle out of his jacket pocket. "Perhaps the last time."
Sherly clenched his teeth until his jaw ached.
"Whatever you want from me..." Sherly said, closing his eyes, and then raising his hand, concentrating his mana there for a few seconds. "YOU WON'T GET OUT OF HERE!"
Hyung smiled. As he watched a mana arrow hurtle toward him, destroying everything around it...
The arrow soon collided with the bottle Hyung was carrying, but he stopped the attack with his hand, sending the arrow flying to the side. Now, the ceiling and a wall were destroyed.
"It doesn't matter how much time you want to spend waiting for your friends to arrive…" Thick purple smoke began to come out of the bottle. "Do you remember that incident on Walpurgis Night with those magical devices of yours?"
Sherly frowned…
He hadn't remembered that...
"The signal is being stolen; the only thing that can save you is that loud alarm, but I doubt anyone can hear it from here to Anarxie."
"That doesn't matter..." The shield protecting him from the smoke, soon he walked towards him, lighting another cigarette. "I will stay here day and night fighting if necessary…"
Hyung looked at him, surprised, and then smiled at him.
"Aww…a hero or an idiot?" And then, he raised his hand towards Sherly. "Diamond Magic; Sky-Cutting Lance."
Diamonds began to form in the palm of his hand, but Sherly didn't seem terrified.
"Leadership Skill…" He took a long leap using Hyung's diamond spear for support, for the first time, surprising the man. "…Vanguard of a New Life!"
Sherly's shield shone like the sun, but he could barely move; something pierced his chest.
Blood trickled from Sherly's mouth, then he fell to the ground next to Hyung, who stared in front of him... "Was it necessary to duplicate my magic, Marco?"
The other man laughed, standing behind Sherly's fallen body, who tried to get up, but Hyung stepped on him, piercing his shield and breaking his back with the force of the stomp.
"I saw you in trouble; this human has dangerous magic, after all..."
Hyung snorted, watching the smoke fill more of the space.
"Get lost, I'll take care of killing him…"
Marco sighed, but smiled, and disappeared into the smoke.
Then, Hyung turned his gaze back to the collapsed Sherly on the floor.
"And you, why aren't you activating your shield? Don't tell me you've already given up…" He snorted, leaning towards him.
However, Sherly said nothing, while panting, and concentrating some mana in his hands. Hyung noticed it immediately, moving his foot to step on his hands and stop him, but a small shield formed, stronger than the previous one, preventing him from interrupting the charge.
"Oh…" He frowned, stepping on Sherly's back again. "So you're playing hard to get..."
He smiled, sadistically.
"Perfect."