NOVPUB— — — — — — — — — — —
[Would you like to Exit the Trial?]
[Yes] [No]
The blue glow from the Fate's Interface popped up in front of my eyes.
— — — — — — — — — — —
"I guess… it's time for me to go," I said.
Ruby blinked.
Her mouth opened, as if to say something. But it closed a second later.
She looked away from me.
We had only known each other a day or so. Maybe less than that.
"…Right," she said finally.
I gave her a nod.
Then I turned to the screen.
My finger hovered for just a moment. Before I glanced at Ruby for the last time.
"It's nice meeting you, Headmistress."
Then clicked [Yes].
A soft buzz rang in my skull. And my body lurched.
The last thing I felt was Ruby catching me before I hit the ground.
— — —
The next moment, I found myself staring at several misty windows, I was standing once again inside the Door of Endless.
Same dark marble. Same silent air, and the same glowing floor.
But I wasn't alone.
Staring ahead, I saw her.
In a sailor suite, and an elegant jacket, Maria stood ahead, gazing at a single floating timeline.
It was for some reason shimmered in quiet gold, displaying a scene.
A little girl with soft black hair. She was sleeping peacefully in her mother's arms, under some cherry tree, it looked to me like a scene from a royal garden.
Maria didn't say anything. She just watched it peacefully.
On her face there was a smile and sadness too.
"You came early," I said, walking up to her.
She turned, still holding that expression.
"My trial ended not long ago."
"Is that so…"
I wanted to ask what kind of trial she had.
Was it like mine? Did she see another version of herself?
But she answered before I could ask.
"I got to experience my childhood again," she said. "And in that world… I made a choice I regret not taking here."
'Wonder what choices she made.'
Her tone didn't change. Her face didn't shift.
She looked calm and composed.
But I could tell, there was something heavy behind those words.
But as a decent guy, I didn't push further.
Turning my head, I searched for Ruby.
"She hasn't come out yet," Maria informed.
That I could see.
There was no sign of her presence.
Ruby must be in her trial now.
Looking at a particular mist in the air I leaned back slightly, arms crossed.
It's not like I wasn't worried about her.
Not really.
Ruby could handle it.
For a while I stood beside Maria, looking at that black hair little girl paying scene in the mist.
'Wait a second!'
Now that I looked at the girl more carefully, I realized—she was none other than Maria.
Was she watching her past?
Or another version of herself in some different timeline?
Well, whatever.
I didn't want to know.
For the rest of our time, Maria didn't speak and neither did I.
But my mind wandered.
"Did you know about this?" I finally asked.
She tilted her head slightly toward me.
"Hm? Know about what?"
"That Agroth is caged," I said.
She didn't answer right away.
Just kept looking at the timeline in front of her, the one with that little girl.
"..."
"You knew about this, right?" I said. "Karton must've told you. That's why he sent me the invitation."
There was no way he brought me here just for some personal test run. No way he sended me his Apostle just to lead me to this Door of Endless.
It's all a setup, by him.
That much is certain.
There had to be something more.
Something bigger.
Something that required gathering other Authority Holders.
Maybe, Karton wanted me to find the condition Agroth.
"Maybe," Maria replied at last.
That's all she said.
Then she went quiet again.
'This girl is gloomier than Aria.'
"Sigh…"
I wanted to press her further, but something about her tone told me I wouldn't get anything else out of her.
Fifteen minutes passed.
I checked the mist again.
There's still no sign of Ruby.
"Why isn't she here yet?" I muttered.
Alright, now I was worried.
What kind of trial did she even get thrown into?
"I swear if anything happened to—"
"Calm down," Maria said beside me.
"I am calm," I replied.
Well I wasn't, actually.
Internally, I was already preparing a list of possible emergencies, rescue plans, worst-case scenarios, and how do I have to punch Kerton, if something happened to her.
Desperately, I asked,
"Can I enter her trial too?"
"Be patient," came Maria's cold reply.
"But—"
Zooop—
A familiar sound pulled my attention towards the source.
It came from the very mist Ruby had stepped into.
Without waiting any second, I dashed toward it, my heart lurching in my chest, pounding like a drum.
I stopped just a tiny bit away from the most, before I saw her.
The first thing I noticed was her crimson hair, framing her delicate face.
Then my eyes glanced at her eyes.
"Hm?"
The shine in her eyes was gone. And I noticed it right away. Her expression had changed.
She looked… hollow.
Like someone who'd witnessed the end of something.
"Ruby…?"
She sniffed at the sound of my voice.
For a moment, she froze at her place.
Then, without warning she jumped at me.
I caught her in my arms.
"Ooff…!"
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" she whispered, her voice breaking like a child's.
I could only imagine what she had seen.
I didn't ask.
I just held her tighter.
"I'm fine, see?" I whispered, brushing her puffed-up cheeks.
Her tears soaked my palm as I wiped them gently with my thumb.
"You did great. You don't need to blame yourself."
"I failed to save you! I failed to save you!"
Her body trembled.
Her heartbeat pounded against my chest loudly, and I could feel her body shaking in my arms.
As if she had just seen a ghost.
I lifted her head slightly and pressed my forehead against hers.
"..."
We stayed like that. Until she calmed down. Until her shivering faded. Until she could breathe again.
That was the least I could give her.
I don't know what she saw. What her trial made her relive.
But whatever it was…
All she needed right now—Was me.
Maria didn't say anything.
She stood in the back, letting us have this moment.
Then, out of nowhere—
The mist around us began to flicker.
Ruby stopped.
"What's happening?"
"We cleared all the trials," said Maria, walking toward us.
"All the trials?" I repeated.
Maria nodded. "Including Ruby, you, and me, we cleared a total of 3 acts. And each one of them had rewards granted to each partaker."
She looked at us, and asked.
"You both got rewards right?"
Ruby and I exchanged looks.
We nodded. "Yes."
[All Trials had been cleared!]
"...?!"
A voice rang in my mind.
"Whose voice is this?" Beside me Ruby said.
Wait…
She can hear it too.
[Processing Rewards.]
The lights on the floor flickered, before it completely stopped glowing.
"What's happening?" I asked Maria, who stood behind me.
"As I was saying, you got your rewards, and now it's time to choose the wielder."
"What's a wielder?" Ruby asked curiously.
"Relic of Null Fate."
The relic of Null Fate, the divine artifact which according to Maria will rewrite the fate.
"So, you are telling," I asked, glancing at her, "only a wielder will be able to wield it?"
Maria nodded. "Previously."
Alright, I understood some of it.
But, I have a doubt that I wanted to ask.
"How will that wielder be chosen?" Ruby asked.
Previously, she read my mind.
"It's simple," Maria said. "This room will analyze the rewards each of us received. The one with the highest value will become the wielder."
Interesting.
Now that I think about it, how did she know all of this?
'Was she a regular here?'
Maria continued.
"But, don't think so much, an Authority holder will have the highest chances of getting it…"
She said, staring directly at Ruby.
"Ah…!" Ruby exclaimed, "so, I won't be a wielder, then?"
Maria nodded.
"and… if it's an experienced Authority Holder, then he/she will be a guarantee."
This chick! The only experienced Authority Holder here was Her!
How the hell would we even get it?!
Dammit!
Well, it's not like I want it or anything. Heck, I don't even know how it works.
But, that got me thinking, why did she need it? Whose fate would she be rewriting?
[Analyzing Skill Rewards]
The voice echoed once again.
"It's starting."
[Rank Assessment in Progress...]
[Authority Signature Detected]
As the voice continued, a smug surfaced on Maria's face.
And for some reason, I didn't like that face.
But, then the next announcement wiped that smug off her face.
[Anomaly Detected]
[Re-Evaluating…]
[Warning: Authority Overlap Detected—Direct and Indirect]
[Authority Holders Present in Subject: 3]
[Recalculating Potential...]
Maria's eyes widened. She stared at me, stunned.
"Th—Three Authorities?!"
Her voice cracked.
She took a step forward, as if needing to double-check I was still real.
"H-How...?!" She shook my body.
'As if I would tell you!'
I just smiled.
'Take that, sailor suit.'
Her smugness from before was long gone now.
Good. That look didn't suit her anyway.
[Wielder Selected]
[Congratulations!]
[Zane Skylark has been granted the right to wield the—]
[「Relic of Null Fate」]
Maria stood frozen.
Ruby blinked beside me, as if she felt joyous.
"Me?" I asked, smirking.
"…Huh," I muttered. "Cool."
