Chapter 251: Sacrifice (2)

I have a lot to ask you. There’s a lot I want to hear. There are many things I want to receive. I have a lot I want to give. I have wanted to be with you for a long time.

However…

It seems that loving someone isn’t enough to be rewarded with love. Am I only aware of that too late? Or maybe I just didn’t want to know.

…Deculein is still killing himself. Because I was too greedy, he’s experiencing the pain and suffering of giving up on himself every day. Watching him die and die thousands of times, my heart breaks. It was because of me.

All because of me…

“No.”

Suddenly, a comforting voice wrapped around Sylvia. Sylvia turned to Sierra.

“Deculein told you. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

She smiled and wiped the tears from Sylvia’s cheeks. However, even at this moment, Sylvia was suspicious.

“Sierra.”

“Yeah?”

“…Are you really real?”

Sierra once said that she was real. She wasn’t a fake Sylvia made; she was real.

“Yeah. Of course. I’m real.”

Sierra chuckled. Sylvia narrowed her eyes.

“Lies.”

“I am~. You don’t believe what your mom says now?”

“…It’s okay. I’m not running away.”

“Sylvia. Mommy won’t run away either.”

“…”

Sierra wore a sly smile. Then, a small wave rippled through Sylvia’s mind.

—Sylvia.

The voice of the demon is trapped in her body. The voice that somehow resembled Deculein, spreading like a ripple over a calm lake. But Sylvia suppressed him.

—Sylvia.

‘You are too late, stupid demon bastard.’

—…

The voice went silent. Sylvia looked at Sierra again. Sierra opened her arms, welcoming Sylvia into her embrace. Holding her tight, she looked out the window.

“…It’s clear.”

The island’s landscape had changed quite a bit. It was spring now. Flowers bloomed, and bees were buzzing. New plants appeared, and birds crossed across the sky. Sylvia had never created such creatures. In other words, the Voice was slowly opening up.

“He will be here soon.”

Sierra said. Sylvia replied with a soft smile.

“Then, this is a farewell.”

“…!”

Surprise flickered across Sierra’s face for only a moment before being replaced by a look of pride. She hugged her daughter tighter.

“Yeah. It’s a really good farewell…”

* * *

Swoosh…

The warm sandy beach with peaceful waves crashing against the sand.

“…Hey, Idnik. When is he coming?”

Arlos, Zukaken, and Idnik stood waiting. Beyond that sea, the real Deculein was coming.

“Soon. It hasn’t been long since the Voice was fully opened.”

Idnik muttered bluntly. Arlos glanced at her.

“By the way, Idnik. Why did Deculein hide from us that he was killing himself?”

“So it would be dramatic.”

“…Dramatic? Does he think he’s playing a role in a play?”

Zukaken tilted his head at Idnik’s words. Idnik shrugged.

“Yes. He was planning to get caught anyway. Getting caught was part of the plan. After all, his purpose was to convince Sylvia.”

“…Indeed.”

Arlos nodded. Deculein drew the magic circle, but without Sylvia’s cooperation, its implementation would be impossible.

“To be caught after a few dozen deaths, or to be caught after a thousand deaths. The latter is far more persuasive. With that, he forced Sylvia’s hand.”

“…”

Forced. Arlos and Zukaken knew the meaning of that word. They heard it from Idnik.

“It’s a problem, a real problem.”

To kill the Voice, Sylvia’s sacrifice was essential. It was because Sylva had already become one with the Voice. Besides, even if he managed to successfully kill the Voice without harming her, Sylvia wouldn’t be able to escape from the island. She couldn’t leave.

For quite a long time. Maybe, not for a lifetime.

“Anyway, you mean Sylvia has to manage this island, right? Like… a lighthouse keeper.”

While muttering, Zukaken looked up at the long lighthouse in the island’s center, to Sylvia’s residence.

“Right. Sylvia won’t die, but she has to spend her years here until she harvests the Voice, which has already spread across the continent. Until she completely rips out the Voice that’s clinging to her.”

Now Sylvia was the walking Voice. It was her karma for swallowing the demon out of her lonely desire. Demonic powers were quite vile, and even if the magic circle worked successfully to kill the demon, its powers would remain to haunt her for at least a decade.

“Deculein already knows all that, and he forced Sylvia to sacrifice herself. He will have no choice but to kill Sylvia unless she sacrifices herself.”

It was a kind of threat. If you don’t accept it, I will continue to kill myself.

“…It was the best he could do.”

Zukaken nodded, and Arlos looked over the sea again.

“Oh, hey. There. Sylvia is over there.”

Then, Zukaken pointed towards the breakwater on the beach. Sylvia was sitting quietly, looking their way. Facing that gaze, Zukaken flinched.

“What the, what if she eavesdropped? Won’t she go crazy again?”

“…”

Sylvia frowned as Idnik slapped Zukaken over the back of the head.

“Ouch! This son of a bitch…”

“Do you think she would? Sylvia is ten times smarter than you. She already knows that. She’s just waiting for Deculein to come. To keep Gerek in check, too.”

“…Ahem.”

Zukaken coughed. As Idnik said, Gerek was hiding somewhere to kill the original Deculein.

“There!”

Arlos pointed, drawing their attention. On the distant horizon, water was splashing…

“Wow. What’s that? What is that, a whale?”

It was swimming at a breakneck speed.

Splaaaaash-!

The waves grew rougher as they neared.

“…”

The three watched the fish-like professor without a word. He approached the waves roiling and soon stepped atop the shore, landing on the sand like a mermaid. There was no fatigue in his eyes.

“…”

Under the setting sun, he adjusted his clothes. He dried off the water with Cleansing as his blue eyes scanned the audience. Arlos felt suddenly nervous as she remembered the words of the previous Deculein. She was there with her main body because she didn’t have time to make a replacement puppet…

“Arlos.”

Deculein met her eyes, and Arlos nodded. Her heart was pounding, but she didn’t run away. Was this the right choice? He quietly nodded.

“Let’s start.”

“Right away?”

Idnik raised an eyebrow.

“There is no need to rest. After all, the mana of my existence seems to be scattered here.”

“No.”

Idnik pointed to the breakwater.

“Don’t you need to meet her?”

Deculein looked over to Sylvia. Embarrassed and shy, only her face was visible from behind the brush.

“It’s okay. Do I need to meet her?”

“What? Ha.”

At Deculein’s words, Idnik laughed, and Sylvia hid her face sullenly.

“Let’s activate the Giant Magic.“

Deculein put his hand on the ground. Recognizing its owner’s presence, the traces of his existence deep underground wriggled.

“Blasting proceeds in three stages. First, the souls of the dead will be returned to the underworld, and those who have forgotten themselves will be restored.”

“Yeah, well. You know better than us about the magic circle…”

Even though she agreed with Deculein, Arlos’s mind suddenly grew hot with a certain thought.

“…Wait. How do you know that? I didn’t even give you the magic theory yet.”

Deculein didn’t say anything. Instead, he quietly activated the first magic.

“Professor.”

“…”

“Professor.”

Arlos called Deculein, and Zukaken and Idnik felt unsure as they watched him.

“Hey. This. The magic theory.”

Arlos shook the box in her arms.

Booooooom─!

A roar echoed across the island, drowning them out. The first process of the Giant Magic that Deculein activated had begun.

“All the imperfect me died without knowing it, but I have their memories.”

Deculein explained calmly.

“Every moment of my imperfect selves were transmitted to me alone. I went through the same things; I experienced the same things.”

Idnik shook her head and placed her hand on her forehead.

“You died 1,533 times.”

The waves splashed a little violently as the wind kicked up around them. Arlos swallowed.

“…Why? Do you need to remember?”

“What do you mean why?”

Deculein reached out to Arlos. She flinched.

“It was worth it.”

However, his fingers were surprisingly gentle. He brushed the dust and sand from her hair. One by one, gently.

“It would be disrespectful to forget about her.”

“Sigh~.”

Idnik let out a long sigh, and Zukaken turned away.

“The person you met was not the perfect me, but I have your memories of the imperfect me.”

He glanced over to where Sylva was. Now she was gone, but this was his message to her.

“I won’t forget.”

This might be enough.

Whooosh…

The veil of time covering the island was lifted. However, the echoes and waves of the Voice were still there. The power of the demon had already spread throughout the continent. Of course, there was nothing to worry about.

Sylvia Von Yosssepin Iliade. She would stay on this island, take responsibility, and make sure to retrieve it. No matter how long it took, no matter what sacrifices it required.

…Just like Deculein did.

* * *

Rose Rio’s ship and dozens of airships from the Adventurer’s Guild landed on the Voice’s Island, sending out thousands of adventurers.

Now, everyone was ready to leave.

“…Thank God.”

Sylvia watched those sights from her lighthouse, acting carefully so as not to let anything happen. With this, they could escape safely from the island.

Her crystal ball necklace – an accessory made from Deculein’s crystal ball – suddenly crackled around her neck. Sylvia looked at it and blinked.

—Can you hear me?

Sylvia smiled brightly, but she quickly calmed her face and answered.

“…Yes. Professor.”

—Is Sierra there?

“No.”

Sylvia shook her head. Her expression turned gloomy.

“She left.”

When Deculein arrived, Sierra left. She didn’t even say goodbye, but Sylvia had no complaints. Her mother kept their promise.

“But…”

She asked, fiddling with the crystal ball.

“I am curious. Was Sierra real? She must have been-“

—She was real.

“…”

Deculein cut down her doubts. With confidence, he confirmed Sierra was real. Sylvia, on the other hand, stood still. Her mouth was half-open, but she was speechless.

—Sierra was not a fake. I’m not saying this to comfort you.

“…”

—Sometimes things happen on this continent that even I can’t understand. I don’t know if it’s a human obsession or a ghost. Perhaps the best way to explain it is through characteristics.

The system of the game is called characteristics, just like Deculein’s mental powers. Just like Sylvia’s three primary colors.

—Sierra had the same thing, so she might not have lost her memory, and she might have waited in the underworld for the day she would meet you.

“…”

—Because she loved you that much.

Tears welled up in Sylvia’s eyes as Deculein spoke softly.

—There’s a need for a detailed explanation of the mechanism in the first place. Whether it was magic or a miracle that transcended magic.

Sylvia looked around her own house, recalling the nine years spent with her mother. This time filled her lost childhood. It seemed empty now that Sierra was gone, but her traces were everywhere.

As if they were left on purpose.

—Sylvia. You spent time with Sierra.

Food recipes left in the kitchen, the fairy tales they wrote together, the sweater she made for her on a winter day… she could see them all. No, she couldn’t see them. Her vision was clouded by tears.

—But you didn’t even give me time to express my regret.

Deculein’s words were somewhat regretful, apologetic. But Sylvia shook her head.

“No. It’s okay.”

She smiled, tasting salt as tears rolled down her cheeks.

“My mother said it too. That it wasn’t your fault.”

—…

“You also told me that it’s not my fault.”

Deculein went silent.

“…That much is enough.”

To him, as he contemplated what to say, Sylvia spoke first.

“Then, I’ll be going.”

Still, she had one thing left to do. It was the last that she had to handle, that she could handle…