The Bereaved IX
"Unni, did'cha know…"
"Use formal speech."
"You know."
"Yes. What is it?"
"I think… I might be in love."
"That's why you should make a habit of using formal speech, you'll get an earful from Father if he finds out… Excuse me? What did you just say?"
"I've fallen in love."
One day, my cute little sister confessed her feelings to me like that. I put down the pen I was studying with and whipped my head around to look at her.
"Oh. Um. I see. Right..."
"Unni, your eyes suddenly look scary."
"My eyes are your eyes. If I look scary to you, it must be because of your own desire to see something frightening. So, who is it?"
"Teacher."
"Ah. Your old teacher? Hmm. I don't think our family would approve of a same-sex relationship, but don't you worry, little sister! After I send Father on an amazing, all-expenses-paid trip, I'll completely overhaul these damn family traditions and――"
"No. My current tutor."
"..."
"Hey, now. Don't look at me like that. If you glare any harder, you might actually kill someone. Come on, unni. This is your lovely sister's first love, her first romance. You're going to help me, right?"
Indeed.
So, my younger sister has fallen in love with the future 'me', and I am supposed to personally provide every form of support to make that love come true?
"Hmm..."
This is just not right.
Long ago, a man in ancient Greece who got his kicks from starting flame wars with people, and was finally branded a community troll and sentenced to death, was fond of using this phrase.
「Know thyself.」
I, too, have recently taken this wise saying to heart.
A person who does not know their own nature, who pretends to be knowledgeable about the world but is ignorant about themselves, is a truly sad existence.
In that spirit, I will say this.
"What a thieving bitch."
"Excuse me? Miss Cheon-hwa?"
"Oh, it's nothing. Hehe. I was just thinking deeply about someone and a monologue slipped out by accident!"
"Ah. I see, is that so? Well. I'm used to it, as I have an acquaintance who is particularly prone to talking to himself."
"Oh my. Is that right?"
"Yes. It's someone you know as well, Miss Cheon-hwa. The one who taught you and your sister before..."
"Ah. You mean our first Teacher. You two must be close?"
"Haha, close, you say. Well! We are certainly on familiar terms."
"A one-of-a-kind thieving bitch."
"Pardon?"
"Ah, I'm sorry. My Habitual Convulsive Monologue Syndrome seems to have burst through my lips again."
"..."
"What is it? What are you looking at? Ah. I suppose this is your first time seeing the daughter of a man who runs a religious order from a multi-thousand-pyeong mansion on the most sought-after mountainside in Sejong City. I can see how you'd find it fascinating."
"Ah, it's nothing."
■■■ before my eyes, no.
Let's just call him the 'Undertaker' to make things simpler.
This Undertaker is, in short, the me of the past. The first-cycle regressor.
If you were to ask what makes a first-cycle regressor different from a normal person… that's just it.
There is no difference.
A regressor who has never regressed! What is that!
It's a step beyond a fish-shaped bun without the fish, it's a fish-shaped bun without the bun!
It would just fall apart in your hand! The red bean paste!
You can't even eat it!
Food that cannot be eaten. We have agreed to call such things food waste.
"This piece of trash."
"...?!"
The first-turn Undertaker flinched at my low mutter. Oh? What's this? Are you succumbing to such a faint amount of killing intent?
Ah, how pathetic, the me of the past.
But of course! How could a young, pipsqueak, amateur, piece of trash who is far from his 100th cycle, let alone his 1,000th, possibly withstand my pressure!
"W-well then. Miss Cheon-hwa. Shall we end the break here and move on to the next chapter..."
"Do you have a retirement plan?"
"Excuse me?"
"Do you have a way to stably manage your assets to keep up with inflation?"
"Uh, um... Pardon?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. Of course, you don't even have any seed money yet. We sisters are so privileged that I failed to be considerate. Let me rephrase the question. By when, how much, and by what means do you plan to secure your seed money?"
"..."
"Surely, you don't mean to say you have no plan at all?"
"Heek!"
"I see. You plan to trust in your youthful vigor and fighting spirit and just roll with the punches. I don't dislike such a youthful approach, but that lack of a plan is precisely why you've been rolling for over ten thousand years! Did you know that?!"
"I'm not sure what you mean but I apologize!"
"You're not even sure, and yet you dared to seduce my little sister?!"
"N-no. That's not it. I have absolutely no intention of doing such a thing. In the first place, even if Miss Yo-hwa were to harbor such feelings, I fully intend to refuse her..."
"Hah? You dare refuse my sister's confession?!"
"…Please spare me."
This is getting nowhere!
Even as I looked down at the Undertaker, who had gotten up from his chair only to prostrate himself flat on the floor, my anger hadn't subsided, and I continued to fume.
How could a person be so unmanly!
…That's me!
That thing grew up to become me!
So this is how Archer felt!
"Um, Miss."
"Yes...?"
"Might a humble person such as myself be so bold as to ask why you are prostrated right next to me?"
"Please be quiet."
"Yes, ma'am."
Well. It wasn't a total loss.
'The fact that the Undertaker of this period knew Go Yuri. No, it seems certain that they were more than just simple acquaintances, they were likely cooperating closely… That much is clear.'
I had already inferred as much during the summer I spent with the middle-school-aged Yu Ji-won.
'I'm sure of it.'
It was extremely valuable information.
However, the question of where this information could have possibly originated from still remained.
'This is Yo-hwa's dream. But there's no way Yo-hwa would remember this.'
'Even if the tutorial fairies did their best, they couldn't have restored the details about Go Yuri and the Undertaker.'
'If that's the case...'
Is this Go Yuri's dream?
'It's more plausible to think that from the depths of the unconscious world, Go Yuri's data has flowed backward like a sewer in the rainy season.'
It was bizarre.
I had only entered this dream of the past to fill the □ in Yo-hwa, the hole that had been bored open in my sister's heart.
'Somehow… Yo-hwa's □ is connected to Go Yuri's unconscious world? Why?'
A complete mystery.
Just how much of this dreamscape I'm looking at now is true, and from what point is it contaminated data?
"That's a question to be answered from now on."
"..."
"Ah, were you complying with my request to be quiet? Well done! You may now faithfully answer my questions."
"Understood."
As I stood up, the Undertaker followed suit, and we sat facing each other across the desk.
Clap, clap!
I clapped my hands, and the lights in the study turned off.
They're sound-activated. Undertaker jumped in surprise, as if encountering a marvel of the new generation. Every one of his reactions screamed that he came from nothing.
"Let me say this in advance, Sunbae."
"Sunbae?"
"Ah. The title of 'Teacher' is already mortgaged to one person. Yo-hwa doesn't seem to care about such naming and calling conventions, but it's a very important matter to me."
"..."
"It's a given that I'll get into Seoul National University anyway. So I'll call you Sunbae in advance. That's alright, isn't it?"
"Yes. Of course."
"Then, my first question. What exactly is your relationship with our sisters' 'Teacher'?"
Undertaker's expression hardened.
He's so naive. I can practically hear the gears turning in his head as he tries to figure out how to speak to avoid my suspicion and earn my trust.
"For your reference, I dislike lies very, very much. Enough to jeopardize the tutoring fee that was promised to you, Sunbae."
"…The money doesn't matter."
"The ones who say money doesn't matter are always the most shackled by it."
I opened my fan to cover my mouth. A little attack here should be enough to make him reveal an opening.
"I heard the news. That you have a child you hold very dear."
"Pardon?"
"Where was it? Ah, it was in Seoul. Some village... Ahaha. I've forgotten the name."
Then, casually.
I took a magazine from the bookshelf and opened it.
In that magazine was a photo of a very beautiful girl, a picture of a lookbook model.
"...!"
Suddenly, Undertaker's eyes widened.
"You, this. Ji-won... How."
"I'm a fan, you see. Of this person."
"..."
Now his face was finally worth looking at.
"She lives while supporting her grandmother all by herself. How admirable. But there's a limit to how much she can earn just from modeling. She must be desperate for someone's income."
"…What do you want from me?"
"The truth. Information."
Thump. I closed the magazine.
"I'll ask again, Sunbae. The teacher who was responsible for our childhood. The one who helped us breathe in this hellish mansion. What is your relationship with our 'Teacher'?"
A long silence followed.
"…You won't believe me even if I tell you."
"The truth is decided by the powerful."
Undertaker took a small breath.
A moment later, his eyes, now filled with resolve, looked straight at me. Hmm. This has a bit of spirit, it's not so bad…
"The world is going to end."
Blink.
"What?"
"You can think of it as a prophecy. But I consider this to be a confirmed future. It's information given to me by none other than the 'Teacher' you mentioned."
"..."
"I see it's still hard for you to believe."
"N-no."
That's――not it.
There was another reason for my shock.
'The fact that the world will end, the me of this period, the first-cycle Undertaker, already knew about it?!'
That's impossible!
'Th-then why did he let Old Man Schopenhauer lose Lady Adele? The end of the world. If he knew that the White Night would come to Seoul... he could have evacuated her!'
'If not that, then. Did he intend for it? Did he intentionally neglect her? Lady Adele's death? Why?'
Undertaker's voice flowed into my chaos-filled mind.
"Should I stop here?"
"…No. Please continue."
"Understood."
The Undertaker spoke calmly.
"There are several causes for the world's destruction, but among them, the primary cause is you two. Miss Cheon-hwa and Miss Yo-hwa."
"Excuse me?"
"You two young ladies are confirmed to bring about the destruction of this world... To be more precise, you will summon the main culprits who will bring about that destruction."
"..."
The gods.
The Yang of the Taegeuk. The Infinite Void.
The Ying of the Taegeuk. The Mastermind.
"We call them the Outer Gods."
Not just gods, but Outer Gods?
Did the me of this period… no. Did the team that Go Yuri and I formed officially adopt the term Outer God?
"The descent of the Outer Gods cannot be avoided."
"…Excuse me, but couldn't we just be eliminated? You said we are the ones who will summon them."
"Even if you young ladies do not summon them, the Outer Gods will descend one way or another. This is also confirmed information."
"..."
"No, in fact, the situation would become worse. As you can see, you ladies are capable of rational conversation. But if other candidates are chosen as sacrifices for the Outer Gods―they become almost impossible to control."
Hah, a hollow laugh escaped my lips.
'The verification is complete?'
In other words, he has experienced regressions where people other than Cheon-hwa and Yo-hwa were chosen as the 'Priestess of the Infinite Void' and 'Priestess of the Mastermind'.
He has lived through such cycles.
Which means…
'This place right now… isn't the [first cycle]?'
My head was spinning.
The sensation of the common sense I had believed in until now being shaken to its very core.
"Miss? Are you alright? Perhaps it would be best to end this story here."
"No."
I said firmly, pressing a hand to my forehead. I stared directly at the Undertaker's face between my fingers.
"Please continue."
"…I am sorry to say this, but your teacher's appointment as a tutor in this mansion was also all part of a plan."
"Aha. To gain our favor? To build up goodwill from a young age, so that you can manipulate us as you please when we later become the priestesses of the Outer Gods?"
"That is not it."
Undertaker said.
"It was to save you."
...?
"Originally, you two were destined to lose your sense of self the moment the Outer Gods descended. It's only natural. You have been exposed to the brainwashing of a cult leader since the day you were born. Becoming the sacrifices for the Outer Gods is your only raison d'être, the only joy in your life."
"What are you talking about. Yo-hwa and I have properly lived our own lives..."
"How was that possible?"
Undertaker's eyes narrowed.
"You shouldn't have had any other choice. Your mother, who at least cared for you with love, passed away early. Your father treated you as nothing more and nothing less than living sacrifices. The cult members working in the mansion were all minions who agreed with the leader's thoughts."
"..."
"So what external factor could have possibly been introduced that allowed you to grow not as the successors and sacrifices of the cult, but as proper, individual personalities?"
"That's…"
Go Yuri.
"Because of Teacher."
"..."
"Is that not correct?"
Ah.
"Originally, the scripture reading class was such a critical time that the cult leader himself should have overseen it. It was the first task in raising his successors. Naturally."
"But..."
"Yes. But your teacher intercepted that crucial time. Because your teacher worked incredibly hard to earn the complete and utter trust of the cult leader."
"..."
"The person who recommended me to the cult leader as his successor was also your teacher."
If that's the case.
"In the interview for getting a perfect score on the CSAT... answering that I believed in Taoism was also deliberately done to make an impression on Father..."
"Correct."
Undertaker nodded.
"Even the reporter who conducted that interview was someone your teacher arranged. It was thanks to knowing which newspaper the cult leader enjoyed reading."
"..."
"Miss Cheon-hwa. You must become the sacrifice. Because..."
In the past. From this point on. Already.
"Only you, Miss, are the perfect candidate who can summon the Outer Gods and still maintain your own self, who can still remain human."
――A regressor… had existed all along.
-x-X-x-
The Bereaved X
"...Miss. I have, as you commanded, delivered the truth, the unadulterated information, without adding or subtracting anything."
Undertaker's voice seeped through the haze of my consciousness like a whisper.
"Ah, yes. Yes. I heard you."
I quickly came to my senses. The Undertaker was looking at this face with a peculiar expression.
Since it was none other than 'my' own face, it wasn't difficult to guess his inner thoughts.
Tension, suspicion…
That was to be expected. He must have been wondering if the person before him would actually believe his words, his outrageous claims about the world's destruction and outer gods.
And on top of that, resolve. And a hint of… guilt?
I wasn't quite sure about that last one. No. Perhaps for Undertaker, sharing the 'truth' here today was an unexpected development.
'If that's the case, sharing this much information was his own unilateral decision, made without consulting Go Yuri… Ah, I see.'
So that was the reason for the guilt.
'His thoughts must be, My independent action could disrupt the plan my colleague has established. That's why he feels apologetic.'
Even without a [Status Window] or [Mind Reading], I could see right through him.
Because of that, I was able to calm my own flustered heart.
Yes. Right now, the Undertaker was even more nervous than I was.
I would rather bite my tongue and die than show a less-than-reliable version of myself to my own past self.
"Of course, I know this must be difficult to believe. To suddenly speak of destruction in a world like this, I must seem like a lunatic. But we…."
"No. I believe you."
"Pardon?"
Undertaker's eyes widened.
While I felt a sadistic glee at his dumbfounded expression, I suppressed the heart of 'Cheon-hwa' and spoke calmly.
"I've spent my whole life among cultists who believe lies to be the truth and dismiss the truth as lies, you know. I'm confident that I've at least developed a discerning eye for figuring out what is a lie and what isn't."
"…"
"Objectively, it might be a lie. But at the very least, I can feel that you, Sunbaenim, truly believe your own words."
"Th-then—"
"Yes."
I smiled.
"I'll believe you. That you and my teacher are in a cooperative relationship. And that the purpose of that cooperation is to save the world from its end."
"What a relief!"
Undertaker's face brightened.
At the same time, the atmosphere in the study room, which had been stretched taut with tension like one of Ha-yul's puppet strings, eased considerably.
"I knew it. The moment I saw you, Miss, I could tell you were an exceptionally sharp person."
Was he congratulating himself on a successful gamble? The Undertaker hummed, openly showing his good mood.
"My friend told me I shouldn't let my guard down until the very end. Still, I trusted my own eyes."
"Yes? Your friend…"
"Ah. I'm talking about your teacher, Miss."
I blinked.
"My teacher… was suspicious of me?"
"Yes. What was it she said? That you seemed different from your usual self."
"…"
"She repeatedly warned me to be cautious, saying that although she couldn't pinpoint it, something felt off. Anyway, that friend of mine worries too much for her own good."
It was at that moment.
The world's colors vanished.
Undertaker, who had been chattering right in front of me, stopped. It wasn't that he stopped on his own accord. Literally, everything came to a halt.
The sky blue cycled to gray. The walls cycled into black and white dots. The low whispers of the cultists that could be heard from beyond the door ceased, and all the colors in the study room faded to monochrome.
And in the midst of it all.
"Ahaha."
Step.
"Really, I had a feeling this would happen."
From beyond the room's door.
The sound of footsteps and a voice drew closer.
"Something felt strange, you know. Hmmm. I haven't particularly changed this time around. So why has Cheon-hwa Miss become so clever?"
Step, step, step.
My whole body was frozen, and I could only let the 'sound' approach, growing clearer and clearer.
"Did her DNA change? Unlikely. I haven't touched a single thing about the surrounding environment that led to the birth of Miss Cheon-hwa and Miss Yo-hwa. If I meddle carelessly, you twins could have miscarried far too easily, you see."
The other person seemed to know this as well.
And for good reason.
"It's a simple conclusion. A change occurred. But the 'external' environment is unchanged. Then it's clear the change originated from the 'internal' environment."
She was whispering just like that.
As if she were certain I could hear her, no matter how quietly she murmured.
Whisper, whisper. Step. Whisper.
The 'sound' drawing ever closer to the door whispered in a seemingly cheerful tone.
"So I tried stepping down from my position as teacher a little earlier than planned. Ehehe. I had a small hope that perhaps my opponent would let their guard down, thinking I had disappeared, and reveal their true colors."
"…"
"Thank you for meeting my expectations, Miss. Ah! Is that not right? You wouldn't be Miss Cheon-hwa, after all."
Creeak.
The door opened.
"Is it Mr. Nameless anomaly?"
Through the crack in the door, I saw a pair of eyes smiling.
"Ugh."
In this world that had faded to monochrome, only the eyes were visible through the crack in the door. Only the smiling eyes. Only the face. Only the hair.
They retained their 'color' as if it were the most natural thing in the world, glistening with a sleek sheen.
Like a poisonous herb.
"W-wait a moment! Please wait!"
"Yes. I'll wait for you."
Creeak, the door opened completely.
The figure revealed there was the very image of Teacher 'Go Yuri', not a bit different from when she had left, saying she would quit being my tutor.
Neat clothes. Elegant hair.
And even a smile that seemed to define everything in the world.
"I'm not an anomaly! I have no intention of being hostile towards any of you! I just… It's a very long story, but I came here because I want to know the truth."
"Yes."
Step, she was approaching.
Even though I had asked her to wait. Even though she said she would wait.
As if such 'words' held no value whatsoever.
"Anomalies, you see, usually say things like that."
"I'm not! I'm the future of this person, the one who is frozen here!"
"Oh my. Now that's a little interesting."
Step.
"But it's not enough. Anomalies often mimic speech to draw my interest. Could you cry out a little more interestingly for me, Miss?"
"Th-this place is a dream. It's not reality! I accessed this place through Yo-hwa's dream."
"Not enough."
Step.
"A little more."
"In the future, you aren't human. You're an anomaly! But I was certain you held a clue to the world's destruction. So, to reclaim Yo-hwa's lost memories. That's why I came. With the help of the Tutorial Fairies… and the power of the nightmare!"
"Not enough. A little more."
Step.
"Ms. Go Yuri!"
"…"
Right in front of my nose.
Go Yuri stopped.
Her lips parted, and from within the abyss of a bottomless well where only darkness could be seen, a bright red tongue flickered.
"How interesting."
A scent, like crushed and peeled apple skins, a breath, brushed past my face.
"Wherever did you hear that name?"
"Y-you introduced yourself. Ms. Go Yuri. We can cooperate. I don't know what kind of plan you have at this point in time, but if you would at least share your information with me, I could carry on your work—"
"No."
Squeeze.
Go Yuri held my head steady with both hands. My cheeks were pressed lightly.
Her eyes were looking deep, so very deep into me.
"The one to disclose information isn't me. It has to be you. Mr. Mysterious anomaly."
"I'm…"
My lips trembled.
"I'm not an anomaly—"
"I told you, didn't I?"
Go Yuri smiled sweetly.
"Anomalies usually say things like that."
Pop!
The sensation of something bursting.
That was the end of that cycle.
…I was careless.
Yes. I'll admit it honestly. In my impatience and excitement to get information somehow, I inadvertently underestimated how dangerous Go Yuri was.
But please, try to understand.
If you had been stuck for over 1,000 cycles and you finally saw a clue to a world secret you could never figure out, wouldn't you pounce on it like a dog?
I still have a long way to go, it seems.
But I digress.
…There was still no evidence to confirm whether Go Yuri was another 'regressor' or a different kind of ability user.
Still, one thing was certain, Go Yuri was at least on 'equal footing with a regressor.' Whether she had become a prophet or something else.
She knew the future, and she was pioneering a route to break through that despair-filled future.
In that case… What element would Go Yuri be most wary of?
As a regressor myself, I can say with certainty.
It's a 'variable'.
The appearance of a variable in a world that constantly repeats is, in itself, a serious matter.
An anomaly. It's a very clear sign that an anomaly, with a high probability of being Outer God-class, has interfered.
And these Outer Gods usually possess powers like 'mental brainwashing' or 'reality distortion' as if it's a given.
There's a high chance that my mind could become contaminated just by conversing with her.
From Go Yuri's perspective, I was a virus that rightfully needed to be eliminated.
'More thoroughly this time.'
In the next cycle, I followed the exact same route and once again infiltrated Yo-hwa's dream.
However.
'This time, for real, I will completely assimilate with Cheon-hwa's psyche. I will absolutely not reveal my ego as the [Undertaker].'
So that Go Yuri would never find out.
One mistake was always enough.
――Again, time flowed.
This time, I avoided drawing Go Yuri's 'interest' by rashly distinguishing myself.
I was Cheon-hwa. The successor raised as a sacrifice for a pseudo-religious cult. I assimilated 99% into that role, and nothing more.
"Miss Cheon-hwa. Miss Yo-hwa. I'm sorry, but it seems it will be difficult to hold classes starting next week."
My childhood was spent with Go Yuri. The subsequent tutoring sessions with the Undertaker also passed without incident.
I watched from the side as Yo-hwa developed her first crush on the Undertaker, and observed as Cheon-hwa built her trust with the Undertaker over time.
I followed the correct course of history to the letter.
And perhaps it paid off.
"Cheon-hwa."
"Hm? Sunbae?"
"I've already spoken to your father, but it'll be difficult to have class next week. If anything comes up, feel free to contact me anytime."
In an instant, D-Day drew near.
Just one more week until June 17th.
Yes, the day the Void arrived in Seoul, and the point in time where the Undertaker always began his regression.
The day it all began.
The absolute point of no return for his regressions, a past to which he could never go back to, no matter how much he struggled.
"Heung."
My heart pounded.
It was a golden opportunity to witness the truth of that day with my own two eyes.
But right now I am 'Cheon-hwa'. I suppressed that abnormal palpitation and smiled cheerfully, pretending to know nothing.
"Well, I'm sure you have your reasons, Sunbae. I don't mind. But I wonder if Yo-hwa will be a little disappointed."
"Ahaha. I'll leave Yo-hwa in your hands."
My relationship with the Undertaker, which had been stiff at first, had softened to the point where we could freely exchange jokes.
'But, Undertaker's face is far too peaceful.'
In one week. Even though the world would begin to end in earnest on June 17th.
Even though Yo-hwa was about to be trapped in Baekhwa Girls' High and wander through hell until she reached the 109th cycle.
I felt no particular signs of abnormality from the Undertaker's hand as he patted my shoulder.
Time passed, and it was June 17th.
"…"
I was in my room, staring intently at the clock. It read 13:30.
'The void arrives in Seoul at 14:00. That's when Miss Adele dies. Old Man Scho loses his wife forever.'
Tick-tock.
The clock hands moved just a little slower than the wick of anxiety burning in my heart.
'Any second now. 5 seconds, 4 seconds, 3 seconds, 2 seconds.'
And then―― Tick.
'The void has arrived!'
I looked out the window.
The sky was perfectly serene, but I knew. I knew that at this very moment, the world had taken a decisive step toward its destruction.
'South of the Han River in Seoul has just been devastated this very second. Miss Adele has died, and the nucleus of the Ten Legs has been born. Undertaker must have finally begun his own first cycle!'
'Now. Show me.'
'What on earth... happened... in this missing past?'
It happened at that moment.
"Huh?"
Something.
"...? Hm, …huh?"
Something.
It vanished from my head.
No. To say it vanished from my head isn't accurate. From my memories, from my consciousness.
――'Something' disappeared from within my soul.
"…?"
A strange feeling.
A normal person might have brushed it off as a weird sense of déjà vu… But I still had my self-awareness as Undertaker, even if it was only 1%.
The faint memory of having been preparing for an incredibly momentous and dangerous moment just a moment ago… also remained.
And so, just barely. Truly, by a hair's breadth.
I was able to realize that the 'something' I had just lost was far too precious to be casually ignored.
□.
It was as if a hole had been punched through my heart.
'What did I lose? Just now?'
I listed the precious beings in my life in order.
'Yo-hwa, my lovely sister. Sunbae. The one who taught me that humans existed in the outside world. Mother. She passed away early, but I haven't forgotten her. And…'
And?
'And… was there anything else precious in my life? The cultists? No. That wouldn't be a huge problem if I lost them.'
Huh?
'Right. I haven't lost anything.'
No.
'From a young age, I was exposed to my father's brainwashing, but because I was exceptionally smart, I was able to avoid falling for such tricks. It was by my own strength alone.'
"…"
'Furthermore, I even saved my younger sister from the clutches of brainwashing. Just the two of us, my sister and I, deceiving our father, we managed to survive while maintaining our identities.'
"…"
'And then I met Sunbae for the first time. Sunbae. He was the very first person to teach us sisters about the world. Not a pseudo-religious cult like this, nor a school tainted by the cult, but the real outside. The outside world…'
That's not right.
"…?"
That was wrong.
'You' couldn't have noticed. Of course. Because you weren't given the ways and means to protect your own memories from the void poison.
But 'I' was different. Not the 'I' of the past, but the 'I' who had reached this point through countless coincidences and inevitabilities, could see through the fragments of this distortion.
"…Go Yuri."
That was it.
"Go Yuri, Teacher."
You forgot that existence.
Just now. At 2 PM on June 17th.
Casually. As if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Ah."
Drip.
The dream crumbled away. Melted wax dripped from the sky, and with every drip, color was erased, cycling the space monochrome.
It couldn't be helped. The moment Cheon-hwa became aware of that 'lost existence', the dream had already become too different from the past.
I could no longer be Cheon-hwa.
I was Undertaker.
Awakening.
"…"
I looked around.
The cafeteria of Baekhwa Girls' High. The students trapped in the tutorial dungeon were sleeping in a group, having laid out blankets and such here and there.
I had spread my bedding at the cafeteria entrance to protect the children. And, next to me, Fairy No. 264 lay dead, torn to shreds.
Amidst the quiet, sinking breaths all around, I touched my forehead and murmured inwardly.
'The hole bored into Yo-hwa's heart… The void, it wasn't just her twin sister.'
□.
It wasn't just her sister, Cheon-hwa, who was there.
'Go Yuri.'
The teacher who had taught the twin sisters since they were children.
'The existence of Go Yuri had vanished.'
She had disappeared.
-x-X-x-
The Bereaved XI
What does it mean to trust someone?
I will confess honestly to you all. I, the Undertaker, have lived for far too long.
I had always thought so, but seeing the [1st cycle's Undertaker] made the feeling all the more distinct. That the me of today had become far too old for a human.
The word old man was not enough. I was beyond old. I had transcended aging. Truly, a new horizon of oldness was being updated daily because of me.
Seventies? Eighties? Oh, I'm sorry, but compared to me, they were no different than young children.
Just think about it. Even that old geezer Schopenhauer probably couldn't return from his 'vacation' even if he wanted to, because he wouldn't have the stamina.
According to the Confucian sayings that old man loved so much, how dare a young whelp, huh, raise his head so stiffly to me, someone so much older.
I trusted Cheon-hwa.
I also trusted Yo-hwa.
To trust another person. At some point, that had become extremely natural for me, overlapping in meaning with 'to trust a child.'
I hope they grow up well.
Even if they don't grow up well, that's okay. As long as they are safe. I hope they get along with their precious family.
For me, the words 'to trust someone' were identical to a declaration that I would take responsibility for that child.
And so, upon my return from the Arabian Nights of the dream within a dream, I immediately went to the gravestone on the rooftop of the Tower of Babel and cheerfully rambled on about the whole story.
"Cheon-hwa! There were a number of mishaps, but in any case, it was a success. In your sister's subconscious, there will now be a vague feeling and longing for her lost older sister!"
"…"
"Hoo. No psychiatrist in this world could alleviate psychopathological symptoms as well as I can. Really, what would you two sisters have done without me!"
"…"
"Yo-hwa is still busy catching up with her students, so I'll bring her in about a week. This time, you two sisters will be able to have a reunion that is a reunion in the truest sense!"
"Yeah. Thanks, sunbae. I'm really, really grateful, but..."
Cheon-hwa's red eyes narrowed.
"In the end, you pretended to be me in a dream, with my appearance, with my way of thinking, like the daughter of a prestigious family. Even using formal speech in front of other people. You spent several years like that, right?"
"Mm. That's right."
"It feels awful."
"…"
"It feels awful! Sunbae!"
Cheon-hwa looked at me with an expression of genuine contempt and, wrapping her arms around her own shoulders, twisted only her upper body away.
'I see.'
Children sometimes go through puberty, after all.
This too was an aftershock of 'trusting someone.'
I nodded my head, then drew up my aura to shape a form on the surface of my skin. Orange hair and red eyes, a subtle smiling expression.
An instant human-skin mask exclusively for Cheon-hwa, complete!
"Oh my. How do you do?"
Then I took out a fan I had prepared in advance and spread it open with a snap.
Elegance and grace. Those two words exist to describe the 'me' of this very moment.
"Kyaaaaaaak!"
"Haaah. I wish my father would just die. Ah, I must quickly give my father a taste of the Korean peninsula's traditional filial piety so that my dear sister can breathe a little easier."
"Kyaaaaaaaaaa!"
"Sunbae. Please make me a happy person."
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!"
"Yes. Now, I think I've become happy enough."
"Die! Die, sunbae! Please just die! Really, really! It really feels awful! Awfulawfulawful! Please just die—"
Playing with kids is fun!
A short while after the stormy, convulsive puberty (valid for 1 day) had passed.
At last, the historic reunion of the separated twin sisters took place.
"…You're my sister."
Reunion.
Literally, they met again.
In the previous regression, I had simply made the sisters face each other, and because of Yo-hwa's breakdown, it was I who once again orchestrated the meeting that had ended in the ruin of a regression.
More meticulously. Using the regressor's privilege to my heart's content, employing a method that could not be more thorough.
Was it that the fruits of that effort had seen the light?
"…I don't remember at all. But, mm, certainly. The strange impression that someone was by my side in my childhood… that much remains."
Unlike before, Yo-hwa's expression was cautious.
Last time, the feeling was strong that she was forcing herself to get close because she had received a request from me.
In the end, even while talking with the other person, she was merely responding with 'her feelings for me' and not 'her feelings for her sister.'
On the other hand… It's different now. This time, she was truly and seriously contemplating the existence of a 'twin sister.'
□.
Like someone sitting normally at their desk one day who suddenly spots a bruise on their forearm, not knowing where they got it.
Yo-hwa was finally able to stare clearly at the □ that had been pierced through her heart.
"I guess."
"…"
"I did think it was strange."
Yo-hwa muttered.
Cheon-hwa and I, who would normally have led the conversation, were now silently waiting for Yo-hwa's reaction.
Because we knew that forcing a 'conversation of mere words' would only be met with disastrous failure.
'We've done all the work we can from our end.'
All information was disclosed to Yo-hwa. Including the fact that Cheon-hwa could be her twin sister, or she could be a mere trace of an Outer God.
Thump. My heart beat faintly.
'Now, the affirmation or denial of this relationship is entirely up to Yo-hwa.'
Our role was to accept the outcome.
And to be her sincere conversation partner until that outcome was reached, that was all we had left to do.
"Strange? What was?"
"Infinite Void. The god I served. Our cult, for all its worth, is a Taoist-based pseudo-religion. Just as the Christian sects obsess over the number '3' of the Trinity, we are pathologically attached to the '2' of the Taegeuk."
Taegeuk.
White and black.
"Ah."
Something came to mind.
Seeing my face, Yo-hwa gave a bitter smile.
"So if a non-existent 'sister' had broken the Baekhwa Girls' High school rules to wear a 'black sailor uniform'… that was, in all likelihood, a result of my father's intentions."
"Crazy."
I couldn't help but let out a low curse.
Cheon Yo-hwa's father. The cult leader had even forced his pseudo-religious incantations onto the color of the school uniforms his children wore.
Looking at it this way, my own thoughts became clear.
"Infinite Void treats all things in creation as equal scraps of data. A world where all is equal. It can be seen as all of creation itself, and as space. On the other hand, the Mastermind simply takes that data as a base to constantly arrange and rearrange it, running simulations."
"Yes. It is the time in which everything is manifested."
"…For the Mastermind to have meaning, as much data as possible must be collected. Conversely, for Infinite Void's data to be useful, as many simulations as possible must be run."
"Yes. Only then can it be free of any flaws."
"From the Outer Gods' perspective, they are imitating a 'world' that will perfectly replace our reality."
Yo-hwa nodded her head.
"I think they are mutually complementary beings. To each other."
Next to me, Cheon-hwa kept her lips sealed. But in her red eyes, a flicker of realization like a candle flame passed by.
The three of us, who could be called 'anomaly experts,' had reached the same interpretation.
"In that case, the names I gave to the Outer Gods will also have to be changed."
"Yes. Teacher. Perhaps what I suppressed was not Infinite Void, but…"
The Yang of Taegeuk.
"And that one over there."
"…"
"What the person who might be my sister embraced and sealed might not be the Mastermind, but…"
The Yin of Taegeuk.
"An Outer God that was one and two from the very beginning. Twins."
"…"
"Of course, I don't know which one my father designated as Yang and which as Yin. It can't be distinguished by color alone, ah. You know this too, don't you, Teacher? When you look at the Taegeuk, there's a dot of the opposite color on each side."
"I know."
☯.
In the middle of the white, a black dot. In the middle of the black, a white dot.
It was a very important symbol when drawing the Taegeuk. As it emphasized that black and white were not just a separate 'two,' but a 'one' in which each led the other.
Yo-hwa smiled softly.
"So actually, that side might have been Yang, and my side might have been Yin. Well! It looks like father's plan failed anyway. Not that I care!"
"…Is that so."
This was the final conclusion of the answer chapter.
The true name of 'Infinite Void,' which I first subjugated in the 117th cycle, was the 'poles of the Taegeuk.'
It was only now, upon reaching this point—in the 1,003rd cycle, no less—that it was all revealed.
'Is calling something by its proper name such a difficult thing.'
I felt a sense of deep emotion.
As I was savoring that feeling, Yo-hwa wiped the smile from her face and stared at Cheon-hwa.
"It's still difficult to call you… Unni. I'm sorry."
"…"
"But if you are my sister. If your personality is as teacher told me, you would be more hurt by me calling you unni on the outside when I don't sincerely think of you as one on the inside. So, please endure the slightly less painful wound."
"…"
"If you are my sister. You were subjected to the [Time Seal] even though you knew I would be hurt. So bear it."
"…"
Cheon-hwa nodded her head.
Then, Yo-hwa smiled.
"Instead, for now, you can call me Yo-hwa."
"…Really?"
For the first time since the sisters' reunion, Cheon-hwa carefully opened her lips.
"Me, who might be an anomaly…"
"That's why there's a condition."
"A condition."
"Yes. A condition, or rather, a contest. Let's make a bet. If you want to, that is."
A contest. A bet.
Those were words Cheon-hwa loved more than anyone.
It was also a game that would be played more often than any other, having been born as siblings so close in age.
"What kind of bet?"
"I heard from teacher. You, even here where you were subjected to the [Time Seal], deliberately made the day you were sealed your happiest memory in order to maintain your sense of self."
"Yes."
"By kissing teacher."
"…Yes."
Yo-hwa closed her eyes and took a breath.
And then she looked straight at the person who looked exactly like her.
"From now on, just once. I will call you 'unni.'"
"…!"
"I will believe your story. I will believe teacher's belief. I will think hard in my heart—really, really hard—that you are my lost sister, and while pondering your pain deeply… I will sincerely call you 'unni.'"
"Uh, um. That's good, but… Yes! It's really good, but…"
Cheon-hwa furrowed her brow.
"Why…?"
"…"
Yo-hwa's eyes grew calm.
"To test if you become happy."
"Huh?"
"If you are really my sister. If a 'real anomaly' isn't lurking in some corner of your heart and merely mimicking my sister, if you are truly my sister. Then you… have to become happy."
"…"
"You have no choice but to become happy."
Yo-hwa's eyes were serene.
And for that reason, they were terrifying.
"The teacher you love has worked so hard for you like this. For the younger sister you love, he has tried this hard. Literally laying his life on the line."
"…"
"No matter how many times this world repeats its destruction, you will never, ever be able to reach a scene like this again. Someone to lead you this far—to understand you. To yield to you. You cannot wish for such a person, for such a family, anymore."
"…"
"So the moment I call you 'unni,' you must become the happiest. More so than the moment you kissed teacher on a whim. This moment. More. More. More. It must be happier."
Yo-hwa's red eyes narrowed.
"Am I… wrong?"
"…No. You're right."
"Yeah."
Yo-hwa stated firmly.
"So it's a contest. If the moment you are called 'unni' by me makes you happier, so that the 'day' you repeat here in this tomb area becomes today instead of that day——"
"…My victory."
"Right. I will accept the fact that you are my real sister. But if, even after I call you sister, the moment you remember most happily is still that moment from the 688th cycle. The day you shared a kiss with teacher."
"…"
"If you forget what happened between us today. And if, after midnight passes, you repeat the same day as before."
"My… defeat."
"I will not accept that you are my sister. Forever."
"…"
"Ah. Teacher? This is really a 'forever' kind of thing, okay? Even in the next cycle. Even in the cycle after that, please do not ever try to reunite me with my sister again."
Yo-hwa smiled brightly.
"If she's just a person who values one kiss with teacher more than this scene anyway. It doesn't really matter if she's my sister or not."
"…"
"So, what will it be? It's up to you."
Yo-hwa rested her chin on her hand.
"It's fine if you don't accept this bet. Then I won't go as far as calling you sister, but… well. I can accept you as a plausible colleague of Teacher. I'll call you Cheon-hwa. And I'll accept you calling me Yo-hwa."
"…"
"If you accept the bet, this is the only time. There are no more chances. Will you become my sister? Or will your existence rot forever inside a tombstone that no one but teacher cares about?"
"…"
"You decide."
Silence fell.
Yo-hwa's proposal was, even from my perspective, a remarkably rare idea.
'…Unlike other sealed ones, Cheon-hwa preserves the very moment she was [Time Sealed] as her 'happiest memory.''
'In fact, it's as if she faces the moment of being [Time Sealed] every time she opens her eyes.'
That was Cheon-hwa's clever move.
A brilliant plan to simultaneously repeat the happiest day and also retain the 'awareness' that she herself had been time-sealed.
'By using such a trick, Cheon-hwa was cleverly continuing to update her day despite being time-sealed.'
'Memories with me. A slightly happier time, she was steadily accumulating them day by day.'
'Now Yo-hwa is… using the exact same idea as her twin sister, to ask a question in return.'
How precious am I to you?
Is being called 'unni' by your little sister truly as precious as the kiss with the Undertaker you claim to love?
If so.
Show me proof, not just words.
"…"
Only after a long silence had filled the classroom did Cheon-hwa, the strategist who had lived her entire life as a mad gambler, lift her head.
In her eyes…
There was resolve.
A day passed.
"What do you think? Teacher?"
For a whole day, the two of us set up a tent on the rooftop of the Tower of Babel and lived there.
Just a few days ago, we had spent time alone, isolated in the barrier of Infinite Void at Baekhwa Girls' High. The current situation seemed very familiar to Yo-hwa.
"Do you really think that person will accept the moment I called her 'sister' as her happiest day?"
"Who knows."
I looked up at the night sky.
"There is nothing as close to the void as a person's heart. It cannot be grasped. They don't know it themselves. There are even parts they don't want to know, and parts they are willingly deceived by."
"Ahaha… I think so too."
"Sincerity is always a difficult word."
A few hours ago.
Cheon-hwa eventually accepted the bet.
Yo-hwa, too, called her opponent 'unni' and gave her a tight hug.
Apologizing over and over for being sorry for forgetting, for leaving her sister to be sacrificed alone.
Tears streamed down Cheon-hwa's face.
"It's common to judge tears as a person's sincerity. But in the end, sincerity is proven not by that moment but by the time that follows."
"…Teacher. You are spending countless hours to prove your own sincerity."
"That's thanks to you all believing in me."
I smiled.
"And I believe in you all as well."
"…"
"It doesn't matter if the sisterly bond is broken forever. Life is not over. Thanks to you two sisters, I was able to learn that even the life of someone who has been time-sealed is not completely over."
Whether one can learn from children or not.
Perhaps that was the standard of an adult.
Trrrrrrrrrrrring.
We both turned around. On the simple table in front of the tent, a smartphone was ringing.
It had become midnight.
"…Teacher."
"Yes."
12 o'clock. For the humans of reality, it was the baseline where just now became 'yesterday' and now becomes 'today.'
But for the beings in the time-sealed tomb area, it was merely the point at which the same day repeated.
"Shall we go in?"
"…Yeah."
Yo-hwa took my hand first. A slight tremble. A clear tension was transmitted through her body heat.
Today, she would either gain a family member or lose one.
And that, at Yo-hwa's request, was engraved for 'eternity.'
In the future, no matter if thousands or tens of thousands of regressions were to be repeated, the day I would introduce her 'sister' to Yo-hwa would never come again.
Step, I took a step forward.
Thud, footsteps followed at an angle.
"Huuuuu…"
A small breath.
It was the same as in the 117th cycle. Yo-hwa, the lively, orange-haired student council president, always trusted and followed me from behind.
At that time, Yo-hwa was able to find her lost self.
This time was different. She didn't just follow me, the teacher.
She thought for herself, created a standard that everyone could accept, and she herself bet herself under the name of a 'contest.'
'You've grown, Yo-hwa.'
The world was destroyed without reservation and life was repeated without promise.
And yet, if a chance were given. Perhaps.
"I will open the door."
"…Yes, Teacher. Please open it."
Creeeak.
A door that only I could see opened at a speed only I could hear. The transparent tombstone, which seemed like it would accept no one, merely reflecting them like a mirror, revealed its interior.
What kind of scene was waiting?
Normally, upon seeing me enter first, Cheon-hwa would have laughed cheerfully, saying something like
'Ah sunbae! Welcome! I knew you'd come!'
From her perspective, she had just kissed me a moment ago.
"———"
She would have been smiling a confident smile, as if to show off, as if to say everything went according to her plan, as expected of her, a smile that made me want to give her a light rap on the head.
But.
"——Hik."
Even before the door opened, Cheon-hwa was crying.
In a corner of the classroom. Crouched down using a desk and chair as a screen, she was shedding silent tears.
As if belatedly realizing we had entered, Cheon-hwa turned her head. Cheon-hwa's lips moved.
"Hk, uh... ah, ...hk. Uuh..."
"…"
But no meaningful words came out.
She opened her lips to say something, but all that came out was a whimpering groan.
Even when she tried to suppress the groan, what remained in her mouth was the same groan, so cry was piled upon cry, and her voice kept sinking lower.
"I, I.... I. I, someday.... Someday, with sunbae.... and Yo-hwa. The three of us. Hk, the three of us...."
"…"
"But, that. But, that's.... not possible. It's, it's hard. It's impossible.... So, even if it's just sunbae. I, I. With that, I thought it was enough..."
"…"
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Yo-hwa. I'm sorry..."
Yo-hwa walked forward.
Inside the time-sealed tomb area, originally, no one other than me was supposed to wander around freely. Because from the moment their contact with me was broken, they would be exposed to the void.
But for some reason, Yo-hwa naturally let go of my hand. I too, for some reason, felt that 'it would be okay' and let her go.
Step, step.
Yo-hwa walked over and bent her knees. And sitting at the same height, she stretched out both her arms and hugged her opponent tightly.
"I'm sorry, Unni."
Yo-hwa said.
"I'm sorry for forgetting."
"…"
"Welcome back."
The sound of Cheon-hwa's weeping filled the classroom.
The sealed one. The one who lost her own existence.
There is only one name for the spell and curse that makes the stopped time of the lost flow.
Happiness.
-x-X-x-
The Bereaved XII
There is an epilogue.
"Yay-hey!"
"The two sisters are troublemakers, but they're the strongest!"
"The tradition of the ten million cultists of the Korean peninsula! The essence of heresy! The last remaining prodigies of Taoism!"
"Yo-hwa-Yo-hwa☆Sisters! Descend!"
"Yeeaaahhhhh-hey!"
Clap!The sound of a high-five rang out.
"…"
There were two audience members who had been watching the spectacle from start to finish. Noh Do-hwa. And Yu Ji-won.
Both of them belonged to the National Road Management Corps, and this was certainly no coincidence.
The place where the Yo-hwa-Yo-hwa☆Sisters had just appeared was none other than the innermost sanctum of the National Road Management Corps headquarters, the 'Tower of Babel', specifically the office of the corps Director.
"Wonderful…"
Noh Do-hwa muttered with a face that looked anything but wonderful.
"Alright. Fine, so the Cheon family had a pair of twin sisters. I heard the stories, so I understand that much. But… I was told one of the twins was time-sealed or something. Then shouldn't she not exist in reality? So why is it that right before my very eyes, both sisters are physically present and putting on this goddamn sideshow…?"
"Gasp. An interesting point!"
"As expected of the National Road Management Corps Director. Were the fine wrinkles etched on your brow not only proof of a foul temper but also of a highly evolved intellect?"
"It can't be helped, Unni. Please show them your true form!"
I released my aura.
Shwaaaa.
My orange hair was bleached to black, and my sailor uniform reverted to a barista's outfit. The aura that had been writhing around me had been released.
It was just like a magical girl transformation sequence played in reverse.
The result was simple.
Cheon-hwa became the Undertaker.
"?"
Noh Do-hwa's head tilted.
"Trans! Form!"
I flared my aura again with a snap. Sensorially, it felt like finishing a strength workout and striking a pose.
Then, my appearance, not just my face but my height and fashion as well, distorted entirely, and wouldn't you know it, I reverted to being Cheon-hwa once more.
"…"
"Yay-hey!"
Clap, I high-fived Yo-hwa. A dacapo.
"The two sisters are troublemakers, but they're the strongest!"
"The tradition of the ten million cultists of the Korean peninsula! The essence of heresy! The last remaining prodigies of Taoism!"
"Yo-hwa-Yo-hwa☆Sisters! Descend!"
"Yeeaaahhhhh-hey!"
"..."
Silence flowed through the conference room.
"Mr. Matiz, here."
"Ah, thank you, Ji-won."
"You're most welcome."
Yu Ji-won poured black tea from the thermos she always carried and handed it to me. I had just been testing the limits of my vocal cords with Yo-hwa, so I was craving a hot liquid.
Slurp.
As I was peacefully drinking my tea, words finally burst from Noh Do-hwa's lips.
"Has this son of a bitch completely lost his mind—"
Once again, there is an epilogue.
Of course, I would have loved to end the epilogue just by playing the part of Cheon-hwa and teasing Noh Do-hwa, but this episode had a problematic part that absolutely needed to be revised and reviewed.
"I see. In short, you're proposing a hypothesis that there might be a regressor who exists separately from you, Mr. Matiz."
"Yes."
I said, having thrown off Cheon-hwa's aura farming a moment ago. I restrained myself, feeling that teasing her any further would just needlessly increase Noh Do-hwa's kill count.
As someone who dearly loved Noh Do-hwa's distorted facial muscles, it was a rather difficult thing to endure, but I managed. This was why mental cultivation was so important for a regressor.
"However, it's unclear whether Go Yuri is truly a regressor or not. But it is certain that she is at least in a 'position comparable to a regressor'."
"Hmm."
The testimony I paid particular attention to.
No, it was more of a transcript, and this was the part.
――――――――――
Go Yuri: Really. I thought it would be like this.
Go Yuri: Nothing in particular should have changed this time. Why has Miss Cheon-hwa become so clever?
Go Yuri: Did her DNA change? No way. I didn't touch a single thing concerning the surrounding environment so that Miss Cheon-hwa and Miss Yo-hwa could be born.
Go Yuri: If I had made one wrong move, you twins, you would have miscarried so easily.
――――――――――
Miscarriage.
This part was so excessively significant that I printed it out like a transcript and handed it out to my colleagues.
"Though I can't be 100% certain, Go Yuri spoke as if she also knew of a world-line where Cheon-hwa and Yo-hwa were never even born."
"…"
I glanced to my side.
Nod.
Yo-hwa, who had been working with me to test Noh Do-hwa's murderous intent until just a moment ago, now wore a serious expression.
"Originally, my mother was a bit… frail. After she gave birth to me, no, to us, the image I have of her is of someone who was always lying in bed."
"Hmm. So you're saying it wouldn't be strange even if she had miscarried you."
"Yes."
Yo-hwa affirmed Yu Ji-won's question without hesitation.
"So if Teacher's reasoning is correct, and ah, I think it's correct too. Anyway, then my 'first teacher', that Go Yuri person, probably induced it so that twins would be born on purpose."
"What would be the reason for that?"
"Ahaha. That, I'm not so sure about either…"
Yo-hwa scratched the back of her head with an awkward face.
Why, for what reason, did it have to be twins?
It was a question that could not be easily answered without being able to look inside Go Yuri's heart.
"Hmm."
Noh Do-hwa had deliberately sat a short distance away from us, propping her chin up at a crooked angle.
"What if you think about it in the exact opposite way…?"
I tilted my head.
"The opposite way?"
"You don't know the reason it had to be twins. In that case, wouldn't it work to try and guess the problem that would arise if they weren't twins…?"
Indeed.
I began to brainstorm back and forth with Noh Do-hwa.
"First of all, if only one was born instead of the Cheon-hwa-Yo-hwa twins, then calling them by separate names like this would become meaningless. In the first place, she would just be one person, 'Cheon Yo-hwa', so there would be no risk of confusion."
"Well, from my perspective, there is still only one Cheon Yo-hwa… In any case, that would leave only a single Cheon Yo-hwa. Is there some kind of problem with that…?"
"The thing is."
My mouth opened.
"Yo-hwa was designated as the sacrifice for Infinite Void, and Cheon-hwa was chosen as the sacrifice for the Mastermind. Therefore, the conclusion is that the Outer Gods that were supposed to be divided between the two of them respectively would become concentrated on one per—"
At that moment.
"Ah?"
My mouth and tongue stopped.
"…?"
"Teacher?"
"Mr. Matiz?"
The gazes of the three focused on me.
But I had no time to worry about each of their expressions. A sort of realization, a thrill like a lightning bolt, was piercing through my spine.
I said.
"Taegeuk."
"Taegeuk?"
"Let's try to think about it in reverse. What if it wasn't two Outer Gods from the beginning. What if originally, there was only one Outer God?"
Blink. Blink, blink.
The others still didn't seem to understand my words, their eyebrows twisted uncertainly.
But as I continued to speak, I myself was being swept away by a violent wave of electricity.
"It's Taegeuk. Taegeuk. It's not an Outer God of Yin or an Outer God of Yang. Let's assume that the two were originally one, and that in this world, there was originally only a single Outer God named 'Taegeuk'."
"…"
"That Taegeuk god treats all of creation as equal data. And it runs infinite simulations of the ways all of creation can be combined. Constantly, endlessly, so that a world-line advantageous to itself will always emerge… It keeps running simulations, so that the 'world most advantageous to itself' will come about."
"Ah?"
"…!"
Only then did the expressions of my colleagues begin to change.
Infinite Void. The Mastermind. Aberrations that were Outer God-class even when separated… What if they had been fused into one?
"In other words, from a human perspective, that Taegeuk god itself possesses the power of regression. It would be impossible to win, no matter how much one struggled. It's only natural."
"Because that side… would just run simulations until it wins."
Yo-hwa said, hesitating.
"Even if humanity were to achieve victory, it wouldn't be a true victory. The Outer God would just have to move on to the next cycle. Just like… Teacher."
That's right.
My voice also became low.
"It's useless even if a regressor exists. It's bound to be a draw forever. No, even a draw cannot last forever."
"Why is that? Teacher?"
"Humans do not have infinite mental fortitude."
It was simple logic.
Humanity has a regressor. Even if they are destroyed by the anomalies, they can challenge the next cycle until they win.
The anomalies have the Taegeuk god. Even if humanity is victorious, it can run the next simulation. Until humanity is destroyed.
However, unlike humanity, the anomalies have no intellect. No mind. No ego. No mental fortitude.
Neither stress nor trauma.
"...That is the worst-case scenario."
Yu Ji-won said with a blank face.
"The fact that humanity has been able to reach this point is entirely thanks to the existence of a regressor named Mr. Matiz. To think that the same power was given to the enemy as well. I don't even want to imagine it."
"Just by us being born as a single child, instead of twins, the Taegeuk god would emerge…?"
Yo-hwa muttered, dumbfounded.
Literally cornered on all sides.
A labyrinth and a maze that could never be broken through.
A trash game where no matter which option you choose, it will eventually lead to a bad ending.
If I, the Undertaker, were to face such an impregnable fortress, what would I do?
'I'd give up.'
Like Old Man Scho.
'But what if I don't give up?'
The problem is that the Taegeuk god exists.
'Simply getting rid of Cheon Yo-hwa cannot be the answer. Then another sacrifice will just be chosen as the miko.'
'Rather, it becomes even more impossible to control the variables, as it becomes unknown which human other than Cheon Yo-hwa will be designated as the priestess.'
Leave Cheon Yo-hwa alone.
'If the problem is that the Outer God is too strong…'
Split the Outer God.
"…"
Twist it by force.
Insult nature.
Artificially split what was naturally one into two.
The Way follows nature.[1]
– I interpret that phrase in the opposite way.
A memory.
– Even a single path ultimately culminates in a single person. If that is the case, then I ask you.
If there is no route…
– What reason is there that a single person cannot change that path?
Create a route.
Taegeuk.
The concept of Taegeuk had one loophole. Even though it was ultimately one, it could for the time being be divided into two extremes, yin and yang.
That's why it could be split.
Devise a way to split the originally single 'Cheon Yo-hwa'. The priestess of the Taegeuk god. Into a being that is one yet two.
'Twin sisters.'
It's simple. You just have to roll the coin until Cheon Yo-hwa's mother gives birth to twins. It's a low probability, but it's a possibility that obviously exists.
'Simply being twins is not enough. The two have to be made as if they are truly one… As if they are beings that reflect different aspects, yin and yang. And so.
Even their names were unified.
Cheon Yo-hwa. The same pronunciation.
In writing, Cheon-yo-hwa (天寥化). Cheon-yo-hwa (千謠話).
When calling them, the same pronunciation is segmented into one, one side is Cheon-hwa. The other side is Yo-hwa.
'No way.'
A person. A mere human.
Succeeded in splitting the invincible anomaly, the 'Akashic Records that runs infinite simulations', the impregnable Outer God, into two?
– There is only one way to reach that point.
– It would be to become a human as vast as the path of nature, as vast as the universe.
"…"
– To put it another way, The Way follows inyeon.
– Inyeon both as 人然 ("human nature") and as 因緣 ("causes and conditions").
The fact that one anomaly was split into two did not simply mean its combat power was reduced to 50% like in an RPG.
For example, think about separating 'Regression' and 'Complete Memory' from me, the Undertaker.
It wouldn't be a 50% reduction in power. 80%. No, maybe even 99%.
It would bring about a result where almost all of my advantages are lost.
The 'Taegeuk god' that had driven all of creation into fear no longer existed.
Only the mere, incomplete yin and yang. The traces of that separation called Infinite Void and the Mastermind.
Only some echo of fear faintly chirped in the universe.
The once-perfect Outer God had declined. It had fallen.
Only anomalies that were somehow incomplete, lacking something crucial, came to roam the earth.
'What if.'
A sinister thought suddenly occurred to me.
'What if the difficulty of this world that I have been challenging for over 1,000 cycles… the difficulty that I have thought of as Hard or Lunatic all this time, was actually adjusted to Normal by someone?'
Adjusting the difficulty of the world.
This feat, close to impossible, a being called Go Yuri might have accomplished it.
A fight that was originally a confirmed defeat.
Turned into a 'manageable difficulty' if one bashed their head against it enough times.
It was nothing short of a miracle.
'Wait. Then why on earth, if she was such an incredible being, is she now wandering around as if transformed into an anomaly?'
'In the first place, why was she deleted from Cheon Yo-hwa's memory on June 17th… No. There's not enough material to make a judgment on this.'
I shook my head.
Even though I might have succeeded in deducing the existence of the Taegeuk god, there were still too many mysteries regarding Go Yuri's actions.
I had to get more clues.
"For now. I have figured out how to approach the secret of Go Yuri this time."
Fortunately, I knew where the clues were hidden.
"If I hadn't entered Yo-hwa's dream and delved into her past, I wouldn't have known that a hole of the heart, a void, a '□' was pierced there."
"And you're saying you found that out after more than 1,000 cycles? Isn't this dereliction of duty for a regressor…?"
"Ahem. I have frequently wandered through my own dreams. I was just being careful to protect my privacy and to avoid contact with the Go Yuri residing in the world of the unconscious as much as possible."
Come to think of it, all the dreams about my past were also riddled with holes. Like the memories of my mother.
Everywhere I looked, only the [404 - Not Found] sign had appeared.
To think that it wasn't just me who was peculiar, but that Yo-hwa was similar too. I never would have imagined it in my dreams.
"But it's different now. I have definitely verified a method to deal with Go Yuri, a strategy to face her without getting brainwashed."
"Hmm…"
"So, this is something I'm saying to all of you."
I opened my mouth.
"I think that perhaps not only in Yo-hwa's past but in all of our pasts, including my own… there might be a similar empty hole (□) pierced."
"Yes…?"
"It's just a hypothesis for now. A hypothesis. So, just as Yo-hwa did, would it be alright if I took a brief look into your pasts?"
"No. I fucking hate that idea…"
Noh Do-hwa made a face of utter disgust.
But there was only one personality-disordered person like Noh Do-hwa in the world. Yu Ji-won coolly accepted.
"In the first place, the only scenery from my past worth cherishing is the summer I spent with you, Mr. Matiz. I don't care about the rest."
"Thank you, Ji-won."
"You're most welcome."
That very day, with the help of the Tutorial Fairies and Cheon-hwa, I infiltrated Yu Ji-won's dream.
Into the dream beyond the 4th stage. Into the past. And thus, to the precarious danger zone from which fragments of the unconscious world where Go Yuri resides flow out.
The result.
[404 - Not Found]
It was discovered.
The same void of memory as Yo-hwa's. A '□'.
"…"
A 'trace of the existence called Go Yuri having been deleted' also existed in Yu Ji-won's past.
'How?'
Right after that….
In Saintess's past.
[404 - Not Found]
In Lee Ha-yul's past.
[404 - Not Found]
In Sim Ah-ryeon's past.
[404 - Not Found]
Even Seo Gyu, Kim Ji-soo, and Dang Seo-rin.
A '□' was discovered in every single one of the people around me. Their pasts, a part of their past memories, had been 'cut out'.
Whenever I wandered the edges of that void pierced in their hearts, something that looked exactly like Go Yuri appeared.
"Why…?"
It didn't stop there.
I persuaded others as well. I infiltrated Lee Ju-ho's dream. I accessed the Sword Marquess's past.
Lee Baek, Lee Jae-hee, Uehara Shino, the Great Priestess, Manyo Neko, Phantom Blade, Obsidian Qin, Jo Yeong-su, Shin Su-bin, Cecelia, Kwon Ryong, Nenets, Manav, Akash.
[404] [404] [404] [404]
[404] [404] [404] [404]
[404] [404] [404] [404]
[404] [404] [404] [404]
Everyone. Every last one.
In the past of every person I looked into, perhaps in all of humanity, there were empty holes pierced like a void.
It was all 'the result of forgetting the existence called Go Yuri'.
"…"
No one in this world.
Not even I, who possessed Complete Memory…
Could remember the someone who had vanished from their respective pasts.
Footnotes:
[1] A phrase originating from Chinese Philosophy, first seen in the book The classic of The Way and Virtue.It is one of the Daoist interpretations of how the universe operates, saying that all things in the world must follow their natural course.
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