Berlin, Germany.
In the mountain forests outside the city, Ling Ke, Raiden Mei, Elysia, and Kevin Kaslana had still not left.
In fact, after Kevin destroyed the helicopters, Fire MOTH had taken it as a serious provocation and sent even more troops.
But now, all of those troops had been stopped by Ling Ke's Domination Puppets.
Just like when he had sealed off the entirety of Twilight Street before.
Clearly, he needed a place where they could talk properly.
And he had already said almost everything he wanted to say.
So now…
"Raiden Mei, Raiden Mei."
Ling Ke looked at the purple-haired girl before him.
She was gripping that strange great katana tightly, ready to draw it at any moment and cut him down.
"Before today, you were always the most important character in my 'script.'"
Hearing this…
"Should I feel honored?" Raiden Mei asked coldly.
Seeing this…
No.
Standing nearby, Kevin silently thought to himself.
You should feel afraid.
As for Elysia, she was still desperately using her own power to process everything she had just learned.
Ling Ke paid them no mind.
"Every actor will eventually reach their final scene."
He seemed to be speaking to himself.
"After all, outside the screen, everyone has their own life."
"And in this current play, with the entire 'world' as its stage…"
He looked straight at Raiden Mei and smiled.
"Your final act is about to begin."
"…"
Hearing those words, Raiden Mei suddenly felt an extremely bad premonition.
And sure enough…
"Since you have already started to fall, why not fall all the way?"
Ling Ke spread his hands, his tone almost cheerful.
"Don't stop halfway and suddenly pretend you still want to be saved. That would be far too boring."
As he spoke, he raised his right hand and lifted one finger.
"Next preview."
"K-423, the person you love most, will arrive in this era six months from now, in Nagazora."
"If she lives until the end, then in the future, she will become the Herrscher of Finality of this era."
"You…"
Raiden Mei had already drawn her sword.
The blade flashed toward Ling Ke's neck.
But at that moment…
Whoosh.
Kevin moved.
Having seen the truth from his own position, the instant he heard the words "Herrscher of Finality," he understood one thing.
This was extremely important future information.
He had to hear all of it.
So…
"See? Impatient again."
After Kevin stopped Raiden Mei, Ling Ke, who had not moved a single step from where he stood, shook his head and sighed, as if he had expected this outcome from the start.
"I was being kind for once and revealing the follow-up arrangement I prepared during my revenge ahead of time."
"A clever person, even when anxious, should listen until the end."
"…"
Hearing this, Raiden Mei's expression darkened.
But in the end, she chose to sheathe her blade and step back.
Then Ling Ke smiled and continued.
"So, now that the candidate for Finality has already been decided, what will happen to K-423, and what choice she herself will make… I believe everyone here can more or less guess."
"Don't worry. I have no resentment or hatred toward her."
"I am simply returning to her what was already hers."
"In other words, as the Herrscher of Finality, she will not lose her humanity or her self."
"Of course, consider this a friendly warning."
"Since the Herrscher of the Void personality still exists inside K-423… I have no grudge against her either, so naturally, I have no reason to help anyone erase her."
"So, in the end, who the authority of Finality will fall to…"
He smiled.
"That is truly hard to say."
"And because of that…"
He did not finish the sentence.
But his meaning was already clear.
With a malicious tone, Ling Ke pointed at the purple-haired girl in front of him.
"Raiden Mei."
"In this life, and in every life to come, if you ever meet K-423, even if you only see her from afar, you will be chosen by the Cocoon of Finality and become the Herrscher of Thunder again."
"Of course, this time, there will be no power of the Herrscher of Human to help you recover your humanity."
"And I, this overly willful villain, will certainly use everything I have to make the result I want happen."
"You will not have any chance to struggle."
"Of course, with your current will, I do not think that chance is very high anyway."
"But do not worry."
Ling Ke's smile widened.
"Even if I have to try a million useless methods, no matter what, I will completely, completely seal off every 'accident' and every possibility."
"If I do that, the instant you become a Herrscher, you will become a heartless killing machine."
"A machine that exists only to destroy the civilization of the Current Era."
"Just like the me from before… no."
He paused, then laughed softly.
"You might even do better than I did."
Seeing Raiden Mei's face gradually change, Ling Ke's expression became even more mocking.
"I will set a boundary."
"In the future, with K-423's location as the center, everything within a thirteen-kilometer radius will become your forbidden zone."
"You will be like Rama and Sita from the Ramayana. Both of you will be cursed, never again able to share joy in the mortal world."
"Of course, since this is a technological age, direct audio and video communication will also be forbidden."
"Indirect messages are allowed."
"Letters are not."
Ling Ke spoke rule after rule in one breath.
And the more Raiden Mei listened, the more the hand gripping her katana trembled.
She was afraid.
She was truly afraid.
Just moments ago, she had still dared to foolishly swing her blade at the "enemy she thought she had."
She had still dared to speak arrogantly, believing she could say something that would wound Ling Ke.
But now…
"…"
Kevin, who had also retreated a few steps, watched with cold eyes.
At that moment, he only thought one thing.
Look, Raiden Mei.
This is the "enemy" you spoke of.
Because their positions were different, he had never told Raiden Mei that the enemy she faced was actually himself.
Kevin Kaslana.
Not someone who aimed too high and foolishly stared beyond the chessboard.
Not an outsider who could flip the table at any moment.
On the other side, Elysia's lips had parted slightly in shock.
Now, with those eyes that could see the future, she finally understood what was happening.
In truth, she really wanted to say something.
She wanted to stop this tragedy while it was still unfolding.
But although she was kind, she was not foolish.
She knew very well that the black-haired young man before her was no longer someone who would listen to advice.
Instead…
If she ruined his mood, the consequences would only become worse.
There was nothing she could do.
She could only remain silent.
After all, at this moment, she had only met Raiden Mei for the second time.
Officially, this was their first meeting.
Raiden Mei's place in her heart had not yet reached the level of "you are more important than anyone else."
She would not offer her blessing to a stranger.
Especially when the cost of that blessing would be even more people facing a tragic future.
At this moment…
"No."
Raiden Mei unconsciously took a step back.
Her hands were no longer merely trembling.
Her whole body was losing balance.
She swayed, almost unable to stand steady.
With her current strength, that should have been impossible.
"You can't… don't…"
"Enough, Miss Raiden Mei."
Ling Ke cut her off.
"Let us stop here."
"I have heard the same old pleas for mercy before. They are boring, and I do not want to hear them again."
"What you say now is already too late."
"People must always pay the price for the decisions they make."
"In the end…"
He looked at Raiden Mei, whose expression was clearly on the verge of collapse, and said coldly,
"In the past, I would still have treated you as an equal target of my revenge."
"But now, you are only an actor."
"Not the scriptwriter."
"Not the director."
"Not the organizer."
"And not the investor."
"You have no power to change the script."
"Either continue acting…"
"Or quit this crew."
He smiled.
"Quit this world."
"You have only these two paths to choose from."
As soon as he finished speaking, a portal appeared behind him.
"I look forward to your performance from here on."
"No."
Ling Ke corrected himself.
"I look forward to your final dance."
"Your last six months, Raiden Mei."
-
23:39 dammit i don't have time.
But oh well, gnight everyone.