389 – Game Master

I killed the excavator, which had been whirring away inside the black dome. A tool I no longer needed.

To put it more plainly, that thing was a hacking tool, made to break the seal in case of emergency. Honestly, I never thought I’d actually use it. I just figured I’d win.

But who knew my own cleverness would backfire so spectacularly? The feeling when it hit me was like my computer monitor suddenly transforming into a robot and slapping me across the face.

The seal, the outside of the black dome, now open wide as I reclaimed my name. *Promise* spoke.

“I’m glad you’re out, Han-yul.”

“Thanks to Selvier.”

Yes. Her valiant fight was what allowed me to awaken. Even recover the name of my past life, something I’d almost completely forgotten. I rubbed my eyes with my sleeve. It was a humid day, for sure.

*Promise* noticed and asked.

“…Yeah. She’s always been a crucial help, one way or another. A strong and lovely kid. How about it, any regrets? Turning down her feelings.”

“No. I actually think it’s for the best. Accepting a confession when you don’t mean it is just an insult to love.”

“And now?”

“I’m smitten. I’m crushing on a new girl while already having two girlfriends, which is… maybe not the best look? But honestly, this feels like an unblockable move.”

I saw that spark. How could I *not* be captivated?

“You know the situation?”

“I do. Black Dragon Crown is giving our players a right hard time. Turning the citizens of Crown Hall into puppets, staging a tragedy on the grandest scale.”

“Then… you know how to deal with it?”

“Absolutely.”

Black Dragon Crown was turning the fantasies in his head into reality. Tormenting and testing people according to his desires, laughing at their cries.

What I needed to do, then, was the opposite.

“I’ll turn all the sad and boring parts of the real world into fantasy. Let tragedy, trials, and pain only happen inside that illusion. There’s no need to experience them in reality.”

Let suffering vanish like a midsummer night’s dream. Let people wake up and find that all that misfortune was just a dream, and feel relief.

Wipe away the cold sweat, then go out beyond the door where my family waits and tell them all about the really scary dream I had. And then soothe my startled heart with a cup of warm cocoa.

That’s all the use tragedy needs to have.

*Promise* moved his short legs busily, walking ahead. He seemed to be heading for the edge of this mental world, so I followed him.

The boy, strolling through his mindscape, spoke as if singing a song.

“You probably guessed, Han-yul. *I* have already reached an Epic. An Epic ability specifically for sealing away the Black Dragon. Its name is *Promise*.”

“No wonder I couldn’t crack that Epic, no matter what I did.”

“But now that the seal is broken, you have access to the memories of your past. To the Epic *Promise* as well. It’s a power you can take back right now, all you have to do is nod.”

“…Just out of curiosity, what does it do?”

*Tap.*

『The Promise』 placed a hand on the edge of the mindscape. Then, looking at me, it slowly blinked its crimson eyes.

“So, this is it?”

Figures. While everyone else was fussing about mental barriers and whatnot, I thought it strange to have an entire city stuck in my head. This whole mindscape was an allegory that *was* 『The Promise』, is what this means.

That’s why I couldn’t create an allegory until now. Because it already existed.

The boy grinned, striking an ending-scene pose.

“…Alright, then. I’ll return it now, Hanyul. Both your memories with Selvier, and your allegory. It’s been fun. One last thing I want to say is…”

I cut him off, cold.

“Not taking it.”

“…Huh?!”

『The Promise』’s eyes widened in shock. Feeling it anew, my younger self was quite bright and adorably charming, I must say.

He seemed to contemplate if I’d gone completely bonkers. But since a 100% Complete Liberation brain was unlikely to malfunction, 『The Promise』 asked me for my reason.

“S-so, umm… what’s the reason?”

There were two reasons.

Firstly, Selvier told me he would love the me of the *present*, not the me of the past. In that situation, wouldn’t it be… a bit cowardly to suddenly accept my past?

Besides, the person *I* love isn’t the Selvier of the past. It’s the Selvier of *now*, courageous and strong as a burning flame. So there was no need to dredge up the past.

And secondly.

“Because the same method will only produce the same results. Besides, the me of *now* has made enough… friends, so I don’t have to shoulder everything alone.”

“… … … …”

Right.

The way it was done before, crumpling up the black dragon Crown and shoving it into my head… I wasn’t keen on it. I thought we could come up with a better answer.

An allegory is a mysterious power manifested by imbuing one’s soul with a specific emotion, thereby extracting a special kind of mana.

And the emotion the past me must have poured into manifesting 『The Promise』 was probably…

“A sense of duty? Or self-sacrifice, something like that.”

“…Yeah. I wanted to protect people.”

“Sacrifice is impressive, sure. But it’s not a happy ending. I want to go down a different path.”

Not a pristine white path, nor a pitch-black one. I’m walking somewhere in between. Every moment brings a fork in the road, making me ponder, making me confused, but…

Don’t just look down. Lift your head and look up. Don’t just see the path I’m walking on, but be thrilled by the twinkle of the stars in the sky.

What was the name of that star again?

Undoubtedly, it’s 『Happiness』. I was struggling like this, all in order to love and be loved by the people I cherish, and to be happy for the rest of my life.

“So… if I had to infuse my soul with just one thing. It would be ‘Happiness.’ There isn’t a single person on this Earth who lives to be unhappy. And there shouldn’t be.”

I’ll pass on ‘Promises.’ It’s a power that doesn’t suit me as I am now. In the empty space left by letting that fable go, I will cultivate a new fable, along with new emotions.

“You’re saying you’ll recreate a fable from scratch… Hmm. Sounds like a good idea. So, what kind of ability will that be?”

Need I even say? Of course.

“The world is the world, after all. Since that lizard b*stard is grabbing and shaking the world, I’ll have to turn this world into my game board. Win or lose, die or not die, it doesn’t matter. In the end, only a faint sweetness remains—a game, that is.”

“A session?”

“How could I abandon TRPGs? Right?”

“Yeah. Those were fun…”

And besides, this is a perfectly sharpened blade, ideal for stabbing the Black Dragon. If that being, with their godlike omnipotence, wielding all sorts of authority, knows one thing less than I do, it would be the sessions that I know.

That lizard kid doesn’t know the stories I create. He knows nothing, not even a little, about the various tales born within the simulation.

That disparity in information will be the key to victory.

“Shall we begin?”

No incantation is needed. All I need to do is set my mind on the direction I want to go. That’s all.

Here, I declare. The emotion that will dye my soul is ‘Happiness,’ and that will not change. Therefore, to the fable ability that will manifest from this, I bestow the name ‘Happy Ending.’

Call it childish, call it lacking in romance, say whatever you want. I will crush all obstacles in my path, and I will see with my own eyes, everyone becoming happy, by any means necessary.

How many couples are planning to get married? I’m going to be doing a tour, making appearances as a wedding guest!

Now.

In my grasp, I hold a die. It could be a 20-sided die, a 100-sided die, or two 6-sided dice. But in whatever form, it will produce the best possible outcome. A ‘Critical Hit.’

This is, well, a bit of a personal aside.

TRPGs are games that run on rules and dice. That’s why sometimes, cruel moments arise. Like when the dice of the hero, delivering the final blow to a vile dragon, shows the worst possible outcome.

When that happens, I would, from time to time, secretly manipulate the die. Or I’d say, ‘The dragon happens to have only 1 HP left.’ Or I’d bring in an NPC, one with whom we’d forged a connection during our journey, to help out.

Unfair, I know. But I believe… that the game must be enjoyable. So I cheated. Players, please forgive me. But I won’t regret it.

Because, this time too, I’m going to cheat. Without anyone knowing.

Thump.

I rolled the dice.

Rattle, rattle, rattle….

—

Whoosh.

The dying embers reignited, and closed eyes opened. Selvier regained consciousness, feeling a warm heat throughout his body.

“…Oh, is it.”

Clearly. It felt like I’d died.

With awareness slowly sharpening, Selbier could feel the man’s body embracing her. The scent, the form. It seemed to be her beloved older brother.

Her last wish before dying had been ‘I wish I could hold him,’ so she wondered if the goddess was granting her wish, even if only in the afterlife, and felt a little bewildered.

“Hngh… hngh…”

“…Er, er…? Y-You’re crying?!”

The voice, practically bursting into unrestrained sobs, snapped her fully awake. Startled, she pulled back a little to see the face of the mad mage, now practically drowning in a downpour.

Honestly, it made her a little happy.

“D-Don’t cry, Oppa. No, Professor…”

“Y-You can call me Oppa. No, no. Please do. I beg you.”

“…………?”

“I’ll confess when we get back, so just wait a little…”

What is this? Is this truly the afterlife? Am I dreaming my final dream?

But the sensation is too vivid for that. She subtly, just a little, touched here and there, and he had more lean muscle than she expected. A dream wouldn’t feel quite so real.

Selbier, feeling her heart begin to pound, asked,

“What happened? I, I definitely… Um. Did I come back to life?”

“Strictly speaking, about 50%…?”

“Pardon?”

“I gathered all the scattered fragments of your information using the effects of my fable and reassembled you, but when the fable fades, you’ll probably lose your memory for a while. It was almost like pieces were torn apart, so restoring it, inevitably…”

What Selbier had crossed wasn’t a simple River Jordan.

It was like her very building blocks had been finely diced away by a swordsaint’s blade; akin to documents shredded in the world’s sharpest paper shredder. Practically dust.

He’d managed to put her back together for now, but there was bound to be a side effect or two. And the most likely one was amnesia.

“…For how long?”

“Hmm, according to estimated figures, three months to half a year…?”

“…Hmm.”

Selbier pondered for a moment. Judging from the current atmosphere, it seemed… the mad mage was smitten with her. Recognizing this fact, she felt a jolt of exhilarating delight, her body trembling.

But at the same time, she felt a little mischievous. After thinking hard, she lowered her eyes slightly, a blush creeping up her cheeks, and poked Oppa’s chest with her finger. *Tuk.*

“Then, try to… seduce me well then.”

“…………”

“It’s okay to be a little spiteful like this, right, Hanyul Oppa? Make me fall for you even when I’ve lost my memories. Unless you lack the confidence… then you don’t have to, I guess.”

“Prepare yourself, you little minx. You are about to witness an approach that encompasses all of my most impressive techniques.”

The Mad Mage swore an oath, his face a rigid mask.

That was the end of the fairytale. Selvier scrubbed at the Mad Mage’s face with his sleeve as he moved to finalize the remaining battle, asking, “So, what happens now? What’s the situation? And if it’s a fairytale, does that finally mean Oppa too?”

“Yes. Finally completed. The effect is… I’ll show you directly. Along with the plan for what’s next.”

The Mad Mage drew a finger across the air.

That single gesture was enough to send a dizzying amount of information surging forward, culminating in a screen formed by the interlocking of thousands upon thousands of magic circles. It resembled the interface of the simulation devices in the Academy.

Within the screen, the players in peril could be seen.

“…A Session? In reality?”

“You could call it a type of reality manipulation ability. More precisely, it feels like a simulation world overlaid on top of this one, similar to Yuna’s Ascendance. But to condense it, you’re right, Selvier.”

“Then, everyone will overcome their trials and achieve victory.”

“Exactly! That’s what I’m going to make happen.” The Mad Mage grinned, a hint of mischief in his confident smile. It was a little different from the radiant smile of the past, but somehow, it had become Selvier’s favorite.

The two of them didn’t even glance at the Sword Saint, his spirit broken and consumed by despair. They were too busy looking at each other, and they knew the Sword Saint was no longer a threat.

Beyond the screen, the story flowed.

The first up was Irid Crown. The crown prince, driven to the bell tower by hypnotized citizens, in a desperate situation.

“And appearing before him is…!”

—

He fled. He had fled.

Irid Crown had fled from many things. From the terrible events of the past, from his sister’s true feelings, from something that constantly pricked at his heart.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

“The crown prince is here! The dark ruler who will destroy the Empire is here!”

“Drive him that way! We have to catch him and kill him here!”

“That b*stard will lead the Empire to ruin!”

But now was different.

Although his body was being pursued, his heart was not running away. He wasn’t cowed or wounded by their shouts. Because. Because a passionate love still pulsed within his chest.

Because he had made a promise with that love.

“…I swore I would become a wise and benevolent ruler. That I would build a golden age for the Empire, looking ahead a hundred years!”

He repeated, panting.

Yes. The name Zero Emperor no longer wounded him. Instead, the name acted as a kind of challenge. Fate, I will overcome you.

His heart, at least, was untiring and vigorous.

“…Hah…huh… Blast!”

His body, failing him, left him no choice but to resent it. He was driven by the hypnotized mob into the alleys. He tried to shake them off, darting between lane and alley, but the Imperial capital teemed with far too many people.

That he had even managed to flee this far against such odds was a feat in itself.

But now, his path was blocked, surrounded by an inescapable surge of bodies. He was cornered at the bell tower, two blocks from the headquarters of the Capital Knights, and the only place left to go was up the stairs.

Up the stairs led to the bell tower. To throw himself from that height was unthinkable, making it a veritable dead end.

But he wouldn’t give in to despair. He would move as far as he could. He hammered at his thigh, which threatened to cramp, and ascended the steps.

And reached the top.

“…”

Looking around, there was nothing to soften the blow of a fall. If there were even straw, he’d risk throwing himself, but all that was there was a display case of weaponry, taunting him.

“…Heh, hahaha.”

Was this the end?

It was alright. He had lived a full life. He had raced along fueled by love, and harbored few regrets. He had done his best.

His only lingering regret was that it had been too long since he had seen the face of the one he loved.

The footfalls of the crowd grew louder. Irid leaned against the railing of the bell tower, taking in what could very well be his last view of Crown Hall.

He superimposed upon this vista the scene from a hundred years hence. He recalled the heart-stirring moment of that day. That moonlit night had been truly beautiful…

Even her voice rang clear in his ears. A voice that conveyed a soft yet resilient spirit. As if she were right behind him. Just like this.

“Hmm, they’re persistent in their pursuit, Irid. Who are these people chasing after us?”

“…Just unfortunate citizens who have been hypnotized.”

“It’s an urgent situation. Since you’re not so arrogant as to be leisurely in this situation, you won’t refuse my help, will you Irid?”

“…”

Huh?

Irid whipped his head around so sharply it almost cracked. And there, before him, stood Sentra, her face flushed with the joy of reunion.

She held up a grappling hook gun, demonstrating it as she echoed the very words she had once spoken.

“May I…hug you?”

“…”

“I thought we might get caught. And, as Irid knows, I can pick up the pace a little more than you can!”

How…?

Rather than that question, joy surged to the forefront.

Irid embraced Sentra before him with all his might. Sentra patted him on the back, then hugged him tightly, binding him securely.

“Ready?”

“…I’m ready.”

“Yes, I can feel it. You’re holding me so tightly.”

And now, once more.

Whoosh-! Click! The grapple secured firmly to the opposite building.

“I’ve come to help, Irid! Not just me, but everyone!”

“…First, we head for the Capital Knights Order building. That one, right there. Let’s go, Centra!”

“Yes. You have to hold on tight. Even closer. Even tighter!”

With a spoonful of laughter.

Thwack.

And the two of them flew through the sky.