106 – Phantom Queen. (5)
As time passed in the trial world, I came to realize that the future awaiting me was even bleaker than I had thought.
There was neither fortune nor misfortune here, no need even for bodily functions. Perhaps that was just how things were in this trial world.
Yet, it wasn’t comforting in any way. Instead, a series of dreadful spectacles kept unfolding before my eyes.
I had prided myself on toughening up mentally as I navigated this world.
But even with that strengthened resolve… what I saw now was simply unbearable. Everywhere I looked, death was the only constant.
Even the supposedly safer havens swiftly turned into battlegrounds in the clash between angels and demons. They didn’t even directly target humans, yet cities were crumbling solely from the aftermath of their battles.
The resulting refugees were countless… but the issue was, these refugees too soon perished in the wake of those battles.
When flames fell from the sky instead of raindrops, how could any human survive?
The only ones seemingly preserving their lives were zealots pledged to the heavens and followers devoted to hell.
If the state of the Talantis Empire was any indication, other nations were no better off. National structures collapsed, and the high-ranking officials fell prey to zealots or followers.
Truly, every achievement of humankind was crumbling away.
Witnessing this spectacle was shocking even for me. A nation vanished from the map within a day, and countless lives disappeared the next.
With every glance, all I could muster was a sigh welling up inside me. Clad in robes, utilizing concealment magic, I merely existed to witness it all unfold.
I know that stepping forward won’t change a thing. It’s merely a sight shown to me by the trial.
But now, this spectacle I behold is not just a mere display; it’s undoubtedly the impending doom this world will face.
And it’s happening within a few years.
What I had once sketched out in words and thoughts, thinking it’d be nice… the actual horror it would unleash.
It’s a terrifying world. Truly.
Quaaah!
As I was lost in thought, the city where I had briefly stayed earlier was exploding. It wasn’t engulfed in flames or anything like that… quite literally, the entire city was being pulverized.
There were no signs of people bursting out. Literally, they vanished without a trace.
Judging by the scene, it seemed like the work of angels. It appeared that there were followers of the devil in the city I had stayed in.
Angels are ruthless. You can tell just by looking at Michael. What matters to them is cleansing the devil’s followers.
Was it pointless for Asty to rebel? Of course, there are angels who cherish humans, and there are those who show kindness to humans, but fundamentally, they came to the human realm to exterminate the devils.
The result is that spectacle. They have no regard for ordinary humans. They just sweep them away if they happen to be in the same space as the devil’s followers.
The devils were no different. If angels had no interest in humans, the devils tried to make use of them by any means necessary. They killed humans or enslaved them to exploit their power. The evil deeds they piled up were soon their power.
Just look at Nea… I mean, even if it was only Nevros, if it weren’t for the pressure from me and Asty, she wouldn’t have become close to Lina and Grie. If you consider her actions in the original work, it’s as if the devils who intruded into the human realm targeted their followers.
Yes. As long as this world is played with by the hands of angels and devils, peace will never come to this world.
In the original work, Ruslan completely liberated this world. A world without the intervention of angels and devils. He literally isolated the human realm itself.
How was that possible? It was simple. He destroyed the door connecting the human realm, heaven, and hell with his transcendent power.
However, until he liberated the human realm, he must have seen this scenery all the time. In the interesting, intriguing story I wrote, he probably cried out in despair and frustration.
…Now, that will become my story.
When I first fell into this world, I only felt a vague sense of responsibility. Since I wrote the story, I should see it through. With a happy ending.
I realized how naïve and trivial that thought was. It didn’t take long for the vague sense of responsibility to turn into a heavy one.
The world I wrote down. The world I created with my own hands. And someday, the world that will collapse.
Leaving it all to the protagonist of the original work… my conscience was pricking at me.
Is it really okay like this?
Aren’t you the mastermind behind everything?
It’s true. I continued walking without dispelling the concealment magic, deep in thought.
Perhaps there was such a sentiment in my heart.
‘Anyway, as long as Ruslan grows up well.’
Will that really be enough? Can he alone withstand the grimness of the world?
I shook my head.
Impossible. His body is just one. Not multiple.
If he acts somewhere, people in places where he doesn’t act will eventually perish in vain.
It’s been several months since falling into this world. I know that the people in this world are not just extras in a novel.
Back during the flood of demons, whatever the reason for deliberately saving civilians. Didn’t they hope to become a force to help Ruslan someday?
It was a good decision back then. If I had adhered to the original flow and tried to go along with it… Maybe I would have faced this scene.
I look up at the sky. The sky, originally blue, had lost its original hue and was always dark, ashy, and tinged with the color of flames.
As long as the war doesn’t end, a blue sky cannot be found.
I continued to wander through a world in trial. The world kept burning, and the battle between angels and demons was turning the human realm into an uninhabitable wasteland.
Forests burned, mountains crumbled, and the sea began to dry up.
The world was rushing towards its end. Annoying things. Until when do they plan to keep fighting?
Even if I express such sentiments, they won’t stop. Unless one side completely conceals itself in the human realm.
No, even if they hide in the human realm, it’s a problem. In that case, they will open the doors of heaven or hell, invading each other’s domains.
And in the process, the human realm will face total destruction.
I do not wish for such a future.
If this was simply a scene reflecting an unrealized future in the trial, I wouldn’t have had such grand thoughts.
But not now.
I knew this was a crisis that would eventually come, and I knew it was the future laid out before me.
So, I have to block it.
I engrave the determination in my mind. Surprisingly, my mind is not as fragile as I thought. To think that I would consider fighting against this situation while witnessing this scene.
If it were the old me, I would have definitely tried to escape from the future I am looking at now. But not now.
It may not have been a long time, but was it the influence of living in Prax? I was able to look clearly ahead without being consumed by fear.
So, I had to obtain the Sword of Restraint no matter what. I will gather all the power I can.
In order to not face the landscape I am looking at now.
With that determination, as I repeat it in my mind, the world is dyed in ash color and begins to shatter.
Crack!
The sound of glass breaking echoes in my ears, and at the same time, the ashen world collapses.
At the same time, I had a premonition. The trial was over.
As I blinked once, there was Umbra, looking at me with an astonished expression.
* * *
– Astonishing.
Umbra honestly expressed his impression to the boy in front of him. It was truly astonishing.
If it were an ordinary human, they should have been overwhelmed by fear at the sight of the world’s destruction. Especially if they knew that the world’s destruction was not just a false illusion, but something that would eventually come.
But the boy in front of him, Prax, did not tremble in fear. Instead, he was looking at Umbra with a resolute gaze, more composed than before the trial.
Certainly, it must be because of the impact of the scene he just witnessed.
Umbra sincerely admired him. Perhaps, if it’s that boy.
– What did you see?
– A more detailed scene of the world coming to an end.
– What thoughts did you harbor?
– The thought that it must be stopped. And I realized that it was something I had to do.
– …Is that so?
Umbra felt no need to say more.
She rose from the throne and approached Frah. Frah, in silence, merely gazed at her.
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Those profound eyes. Surely, if it were this boy, he might not be consumed by the shackles of the sword.
She spoke to Frah.
– The Sword of Restraint is a dangerous object. You may lose yourself to countless specters. Still, do you desire to obtain that sword?
– I must. Especially if it’s to prevent the future I witnessed.
– Very well. Asking more would be a breach of your resolve. Follow me.
She passed by Frah, taking the lead towards where the Sword of Restraint awaited him.
Frah followed her silently.
