Chapter 264: Ship of Theseus Part 2

Fortunately, I didn’t end up getting hit by Yuna or Ariel. Despite what they said, they didn’t even get angry. I mean, no matter what, we had to save her, right?

And I suppose my proposal did seem reasonably sound.

“Alright, Emily. Get on my back.”

There was no way I could leave Emily behind. I couldn’t be the one to stay either, nor could I send the others ahead.

Surprisingly, the answer was simple.

We’d move while treating her. We still had a long way to go, and the fighting could be left to Theseus and the other human meat grinders anyway.

Even so, I had braced myself to get slapped. For a good reason.

“Do you really think Miss Emily is just going to quietly sit still like that?”

“Who knows.”

Emily was inexperienced when it came to anything sexual, so she wasn’t fully aware of her current condition, nor did she understand how to relieve it.

But instincts, unlike knowledge, can’t be suppressed.

In that state, moving in close physical contact was going to be… awkward, to say the least.

Honestly….

“Johan, if it starts to feel like you’re being molested, just say the word, okay?”

“Yuna, can you not say things like that?”

Just hearing Emily’s ragged, heated breathing from behind me was already enough to make me feel like this wasn’t going to be easy.

“Okay, Emily, bite here. It might be a little uncomfortable, but you’ll need to keep drinking my blood while we move, alright?”

“Yesss…”

I made a cut on my right shoulder and brought Emily’s mouth to it.

From there, I’d use my blood manipulation ability to flush the drug’s effects out of her system.

I’d already done this with Ariel, so I knew it was possible to manage even while moving.

All preparations were done. Only one issue remained now.

“…Alright, let’s get going. We’ve already lost enough time.”

That issue being I needed to keep my head straight.

***

It was extremely….

No, seriously, unbelievably uncomfortable.

“Haa… Mmm… sluuuurrp…”

It’s hard to even tell what’s what anymore.

Emily’s ragged breathing, as she clung to my shoulder and sucked my blood, pierced right into my ear.

She was too close.

Even the smallest noises reached me, making me feel… weird for no reason.

“Ugh…”

Every time the limp and heavy Emily sagged behind me I had to hoist her up so she wouldn’t slip off which only led to more unwanted physical contact.

Her body swayed this way and that, yet one particular part stayed pressed tightly against me, moving gently.

“Big brother.”

“……”

As Emily’s hot hands groped around, trying not to slip off, I honestly couldn’t tell anymore….was I being molested, or was it just in my head?

It was just… weird.

This isn’t right! Even though nothing technically inappropriate is happening, it still feels like I’m doing something I shouldn’t be.

To a stranger, it’d probably look like I was having an affair or something.

I’m innocent. I have to be innocent.

…Still, if Stan saw this right now, I’m pretty sure he’d take my head clean off.

“Emily, get a grip. Don’t go sticking your hands inside my shirt.”

Ahem. That’s a no-no.

“Yes…”

At least she was still obedient.

She seemed to be groping me purely on instinct, but it was reassuring that her reason hadn’t completely checked out.

Since we were detoxing her at the same time, things could only get better from here.

“Whew…”

It’s hot.

Even breathing is hard.

Why bother stating the obvious? It’s because of the two women behind me, watching like hawks.

Still, at least they were just watching. They hadn’t said or done anything yet.

That was… something, I guess.

“Emily, how are you feeling now?”

“Yesss…”

“Right. Sorry for making you talk.”

Guess she’s not fully back yet. She still wasn’t showing any signs of coming to her senses…

If she didn’t recover before we ran into the Scriptwriter, I had no idea what we’d do.

We were about to go up against him in a fight, and I couldn’t exactly leave Emily behind.

I mean, sure, he probably wouldn’t take a hostage, but this was the kind of maniac who’d already spread an aphrodisiac around. There’s no telling what he might do next.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Well, no need to apologize. I should be the one saying sorry and thank you for coming all this way with us in the first place.”

“Really…?”

“Of course.”

“Got it.”

She really is a good kid.

She’s kind… and maybe that’s why I was starting to feel a little guilty.

“So that means… big brother Johan owes me a debt now.”

“…Is that how it works?”

I don’t have the best memories tied to the word debt. Actually, now that I think about it, that might sound rude to Yuna.

In the end, it’s like I defaulted on all my debts and went bankrupt.

My life got seized and repossessed by Yuna.

Maybe that’s why I react so sensitively when Emily uses the word debt. I’m sure she didn’t mean anything by it.

“Emily? Let’s stop talking and focus on drinking more blood.”

“Okaay… haup…”

There was still a long way to go.

And my own personal ordeal was far from over.

***

While Emily was gnawing at me and draining my mental energy, we had somehow arrived at our destination.

I had no idea how much time had passed. But we were here now, and that alone brought a wave of relief.

“There’s a large open space down below.”

“Which means we’re right around the corner. It must be one of the unfinished sectors.”

The Scriptwriter had been digging endlessly, burrowing deeper underground.

If you dig without a plan, even the smallest shock could cause a collapse and bury everything.

That’s why it was essential to reinforce the supports and foundations properly along the way.

The deeper you go, the stronger the walls and pillars need to be. That must’ve slowed him down.

Which is exactly why we managed to catch up.

“Prince Theseus.”

“Yes.”

No more words were needed.

Responding immediately to my call, Theseus drew his sword and swung it with force.

Baaang!!

As he shattered the floor blocking the path to the lowest level, the view of the final chamber spread out before us.

“…Haa.”

I knew it. I expected this.

This was the man who built a castle of this scale and a labyrinth beneath it.

The Scriptwriter.

I’d already expected that whatever awaited us at the bottom level would be massive in scale.

“My knees are going weak just looking at this.”

It was a mountain of machinery.

A tangled mess of cables and wires formed a massive mechanical structure that continuously shifted and morphed. The whole thing looked like it was pulsating, alive.

– So you’ve finally arrived. You’re 24 minutes and 37 seconds later than I predicted.

“Well, a lot happened on the way.”

Was that… consideration? Or perhaps the last lingering trace of his former humanity?

A large monitor, almost like a head, turned to face us.

Lines of code and symbols poured endlessly across its screen, and in the center floated a single giant eye-like image- staring directly at us.

Ah. We just made eye contact.

– You’re the one who never even joined the fights, yet somehow your clothes look like you rolled through the dirt more than anyone else.

“That’s because of someone—!”

– Haha! Whose fault could it possibly be? Clearly, your own carelessness!

I was still carrying Emily on my back.

She’d fallen asleep probably from exhaustion after the treatment. But the detoxification seemed to be complete, so she’d likely wake up soon.

Or rather, she needed to wake up. We were standing right before our final target now.

– Come down, all of you. It’s rude to look down on your elders.

The giant eye on the monitor curved into a soft arc, as if smiling.

But there was nothing gentle about it. The expression sent chills down my spine.

“……”

I exchanged a quick glance with the others, then jumped down.

Ariel looked resolved. Yuna was already scanning the surroundings carefully.

Theseus and Immun… seemed a bit unprepared, but we didn’t have the luxury of waiting.

Tap!

I landed on one of the countless cables branching out like veins, giving me a clearer view of the Scriptwriter’s colossal body.

Truly… an incredible sight.

– So, any last words?

“Any chance you’d abandon your plan and fall back on a less insane alternative?”

– None.

“Thought so. I was just asking out of politeness. I’ve had plenty of time to mentally prepare on the way down here.”

– Good to hear. I figured the only thing you’d been preparing was your love life.

“Even in death, that mouth of yours still doesn’t know when to shut up.”

– Death? Who died? I merely changed shells, that’s all.

“Well, I suppose that depends on perspective.”

– How insolent.

The Scriptwriter was already dead.

That’s what I chose to believe.

– Now then, Immun. Is there anything you’d like to say to me?

“I have a lot of questions. But I’ve decided not to ask any of them.”

Supported by Theseus as he stepped down to the ground, Immun calmly loaded bullets into his revolver.

“I’ll simply carry out what I learned from the old you until the end.”

– And what was it I taught you?

“How to live with conviction.”

– Ah, that one’s definitely mine. Can’t deny that.

Click!

Just as Immun finished loading every round into the weapon he held—

Deus’s monitor finally turned to face Theseus.

– So the one who wasn’t even prepared managed to crawl all the way here. Theseus. What exactly are you here for?

“……”

A stark contrast in tone.

With us, even if his voice lacked humanity, there was still a hint of wit.

But toward Theseus, it was ice cold…. whether it was mechanical or not.

Was it because he saw Theseus as that much of a threat?

No, I think my thoughts have changed.

“How laughable.”

– What?

“Don’t you get it? Why are you even irritated right now?”

– Because someone who isn’t even ready…

“How many people here do you think are actually ready? Emily, the girl on my back, is probably fast asleep without even the concept of resolve crossing her mind.”

– And so?

“Scriptwriter. If I had to sum up your behavior right now in one word…”

On the way here, I had many conversations with Theseus.

He told me he was still pondering the Scriptwriter’s mockery, and the final question he posed to him.

I knew the story he referred to.

Wasn’t it “The Ship of Theseus”? Ironically, with someone of the same name right next to me, it stirred a lot of thoughts.

The Scriptwriter had said it himself. Even after all that change, he would still be himself.

But still, he kept asking questions.

Relentlessly, he searched for answers. And he wanted one from Theseus.

Honestly, isn’t it ridiculous?

Throwing a philosophical question at a martial artist like Theseus, as if any meaningful answer would ever come back.

But surely, the Scriptwriter knew that better than anyone.

What’s even funnier is that he told him to descend all the way to the lowest floor—

And now that he has, he’s angry about it.

At that moment, I was sure.

“It’s favoritism.”

The Scriptwriter was worried about Theseus.

That’s why he pushed him with such harsh words—

To make him hate him, to force him into at least some kind of resolve.

And if he couldn’t manage even that, then he would have no right to stand before him.

He pushed him again and again.

“So, how about you finally listen to his answer?”

– …….

Even now, he was still asking: “Who am I?”

“Shouldn’t you hear his answer to that question?”

What does Theseus think?

Would he say a ship, whose parts have been swapped out until not even its original form remains, is still the same ship?

Or would he say it’s something entirely different?

“Old man.”

Theseus still wasn’t ready.

It’s hard enough to kill someone—

But to kill someone who was like family? How can anyone accept that?

The very need to prepare for something like that… is a horrific thing.

A tragedy. A cruelty that should never be rationalized.

“This is my answer.”

And yet, Theseus didn’t run away from that cruel reality.

He abandoned his beliefs, even the bonds of family, and came here.

“You’re still a damn mess, even after everything you’ve become.”

– Hah……

He said it gently, but Theseus’s answer was simple.

– Hahahahahaha!!

The machine before us was the same Deus from the past.

In the end, only the self can define the self.

But at the same time, it’s up to others to define who you are to them.

And in this very moment, the Scriptwriter had gained proof from both himself and others.

– This is… embarrassing.

For a brief second, there was a trace of humanity in his mechanical voice.

– But you know, don’t you? I’ve always been the type to charge ahead the moment I make up my mind.

“I do. I also know that once you start going off the rails, the only way to stop you is to bring you down by force.”

Theseus drew his sword.

His expression was more at ease now.

And so began the battle against one of the final boss candidates, Deus Ex Machina…

– Great! Then let’s begin! I can’t wait to see how you all plan to entertain me!

It started off with a bang.