Chapter 277: Shadow Part 3

Faust’s warning was the same thing that had made Mephistopheles so furious.

He never specified anyone by name, but it was clear that the “person who never even realized they had been deceived” was Faust himself.

In other words, Faust believes that it was Mephistopheles who guided him down the path of black magic.

Having heard both sides, Mephistopheles came across as overly emotional, while Faust seemed almost excessively composed.

And honestly, either version of the story could be true.

But before any of that…

“I don’t trust you.”

“Is that so.”

“But that doesn’t mean I trust Mephi either.”

No matter how pathetic or familiar that bastard has become, I haven’t forgotten that he brought up Alice’s death.

I always keep in mind that his nature is close to evil.

“You, him….both of you keep trying to gaslight me. And the one who was best at that is already dead, isn’t he? So even if you spin your words without a shred of proper evidence, I’m not going to lend an ear to either of you.”

I walk my own path.

Even when I live by my own convictions, I still get pushed and pulled from every direction. I’m done being swayed by other people’s words on top of that.

Both of you are terrorists. Why are you so desperate to persuade others all the time?

“Then that’s enough.”

“Yeah. Let’s just go our separate ways. Honestly, we’re not people who need to see each other this often, are we?”

I have almost no real connection with the Great Sage.

Compared to the other final boss candidates, that’s rather unusual.

At the same time, no one’s movements are as unclear as Faust’s.

I was starting to question even his objective.

To break the cycle of reincarnation and erase the boundary between life and death.

That much is probably still true.

But I have no idea how he arrived at such an extreme conclusion.

“One last thing.”

“I thought we were going our separate ways?”

“The world is heading toward destruction.”

“No, you’re the one trying to make that happen.”

I meant to ignore him, but the sheer shamelessness of that statement made me respond without thinking.

This bastard… does he not realize that what he’s trying to do is practically synonymous with the destruction of the world?

“The end cannot be avoided.”

“……”

What is this? Isn’t this basically a declaration of war?

And this feeling of him just talking at me. He resembles the Scriptwriter, but this one doesn’t even ask questions. It’s so frustrating that I could lose my mind.

Is this what makes the original different?

“My goal is to shape the form that end will take.”

That made me frown.

So what Faust is saying is that since the end can’t be avoided, he’ll bring it about with his own hands.

Well, I shouldn’t expect sanity from a madman in the first place…

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you too cannot escape this matter.”

“No.”

Now he’s just throwing curses at me.

“The world is heading toward destruction. Even if it isn’t by my hand.”

I struck my chest.

It felt so suffocating I thought I might go mad.

Yeah, I get what he’s trying to say. Just look at the state of this world, with five final boss candidates running around.

It’s practically praying for its own downfall.

“And you are also one who can decide that end.”

“Why me?”

“Because you are the Child of the End.”

At that moment, my breath caught in my throat.

The Child of the End.

Where had I heard that before? Who said it?

…Who was it referring to?

Now I remember.

I remember who I first heard the term “Child of the End” from.

Naraka.

In other words, the First Princess Lapis.

She called the Demon King her younger brother and the Child of the End.

What a pair of siblings.

Or maybe that’s exactly why they’re siblings?

“The Child of the End, the Demon King, leads the world to its destruction. And in that world that has reached its end, Naraka opens her eyes.”

Lapis has already opened her eyes.

Is that why he says the end cannot be avoided?

“Johan Damus. Let me ask you once more.”

“……”

“What do you think was the reason Mephistopheles who led me to Naraka remained inactive for thousands of years, only to approach you?”

***

With that final remark, Faust vanished from before my eyes like a ghost.

“Ugh.”

My head is spinning.

You really have to give these so-called final bosses credit for their gaslighting skills.

Or maybe that level of talent is exactly what it takes to run a terrorist organization.

I suppose if you want to drive even sane people insane, you need something like that.

I don’t trust either of them. Not Mephistopheles, not Faust. Aren’t they both bastards?

But it’s getting harder to simply dismiss what Faust said.

“She said he approached me because I’m a soul that carries memories.”

Mephistopheles’ objective. Now only vaguely remembered.

She said she wanted to claim my soul because I crossed from one world to another.

Back then, I believed her. My circumstances were undeniably unusual.

But thinking about it now…

“Why would she need something like that?”

I learned along the way why demons make contracts with humans.

To fill the deficiency in their own souls and be reborn as something complete.

For that purpose, they take a human soul as the price of the contract.

But is Mephistopheles the same? She’s a Great Demon. Would she really obsess over a single soul?

“This is driving me crazy.”

I have no intention of siding with Faust, but I can’t stop the chain of thoughts from spiraling.

Faust said she had been deceived by Mephistopheles.

That her soul was never the real objective. Waking Naraka was.

Judging by Mephistopheles’ usual behavior, it doesn’t sound very convincing. But let’s assume, for the sake of argument, that it’s true.

If so, then why did Mephistopheles have to approach me?

“After the end, hell arrives.”

Hell has already come.

If Mephistopheles really orchestrated things that way…

Then perhaps her true objective from the start wasn’t me, but the Demon King’s soul.

***

Lost in thought, I walked. And before I knew it, I was back at the Misfits’ quarters.

Seriously, how many times have I gone back and forth here just today…?

It’s genuinely late now. I should be heading back.

Hoping the World Tree had finally shut her mouth and keeping Mephistopheles in mind, I opened the door.

“How dare you take my cookies without permission! I never allowed such a thing! Spit it out! I said spit it out!”

“Mmph! Mmmph! Mm!”

The moment I saw her, all the grand theories I’d been constructing faded away in the face of Mephistopheles’ utterly pathetic display.

The World Tree ate a few cookies….so what? Did she really need to pin her down and try to pry her mouth open?

What’s he going to do, take it back out and eat it herself?

“Get along.”

“Why should I?!”

“Then at least keep it down. It’s already late. How long are you two going to keep this up? You might be fine, but humans need sleep. Got it?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll cast a blessing to help you sleep soundly.”

“Just keep your mouth shut.”

I stared at the World Tree’s sparkling eyes for a moment with a headache building.

Then a different kind of headache began to set in.

Mephistopheles deceived me?

Is that foolish, pathetic behavior she’s showing right now all an act?

That’s ridiculous. If that’s acting, then that’s truly terrifying.

Going that far just to deceive me? What a monstrous demon.

“Johan Damus.”

“What.”

“You reek of that unpleasant bastard. Did you meet him?”

“I did.”

“What did that son of a bitch say?”

Hmm. Maybe because I’ve already heard Faust’s words, this feels like an interrogation.

Well, like I said before, I don’t intend to trust either of them. So there’s no need to hide it.

“He said it was because of you that he ended up awakening Naraka.”

“What…? F-F-Fau— Aaaaaaaaaagh! That bastard!!”

“……”

Yeah. No matter how I look at it, that’s not an act.

She’s genuinely furious.

She looks so furious she can’t even say his name properly, completely at a loss for words.

“I told you to keep it down.”

At this point, I honestly have no idea what’s going on anymore.

This one and that one. Every last one of them is just messing with my head.

Mephistopheles… no, let’s just call her Mephi.

Somehow, she’s far less imposing in person than she sounded in the stories.

Anyway, I threw Mephi.

Along with a branch of the World Tree, I neatly tossed her out the window.

If they’re going to fight, they can do it outside.

I’m seriously going to sleep now.

***

So much happened overnight that I thought I might at least have a dream, but nothing came.

According to Faust, the Demon King inside me should have reacted at least once. Was that a lie too?

“Human! Present me with the breakfast that humans eat!”

“…What is this, hell?”

Hell has already arrived. That was the thought that came to me the moment I woke up.

Why do I have to see Tillis’s face the second I open my eyes in the morning?

It sent a chill down my spine all over again.

“I blessed you and even sang for you so you could sleep well all night, so this much is only fair, right?”

Looking more closely, it was the World Tree.

Right. Tillis is already dead.

“Where’s Mephi?”

“That wicked archdemon? I defeated her. Over there!”

I followed the direction the World Tree was pointing and let out another sigh.

As if she had tried to attack the World Tree and gotten beaten instead, Mephistopheles was sitting there with lumps all over her head, her eyes spinning in circles.

She lost?

Wow. That’s really something else.

“Ahem! I am the World Tree!”

“I see.”

So no matter what, she really is a transcendent being? I can’t believe she managed to beat up Mephi without any holy power.

“It feels like I’ve been seeing your face for three straight days, so could you move aside?”

“It hasn’t even been a full day!”

Maybe I underestimated the World Tree’s gift.

It hasn’t even been a full twenty-four hours, and I’m already exhausted enough to want to throw it away.

“Mephi, get up.”

“Ugh… Wh-What happened? My head hurts like hell.”

“Take this.”

I tossed Mistiltein to Mephi, who still hadn’t fully come to her senses.

It’s about time I say goodbye to the kids and head back to the Cradle.

***

The next semester wasn’t far off now. I’ll be entering my senior year soon, so I should probably start studying again.

Lately I’ve been getting knocked around from all sides. My brain feels like it’s been completely bleached clean.

At this rate, I’m not even sure I could properly solve an alchemy problem.

Yeah. I should review.

Let’s try acting like a student for once.

“Are you going to the library? It’s not fun there.”

“Books! A place full of books, right?! I know about it too!”

Whatever the case, before I do anything, I need to dump these two brats back in the dorm. Just listening to them talk makes my brain feel like it’s melting.

“Go play in the room.”

“Okay!”

“Johan, haven’t you been leaving me behind a bit too often lately?”

“Then turn into a book if you don’t like it.”

Why do you insist on staying in that form anyway?

Back when you were a puppy, I could just pass you off as a stray. Now, when we walk down the street, one out of every ten people asks me whose kid you are.

“A book is merely a medium.”

“Whatever.”

You used to hide your form so well. How did it end up like this?

Making yourself a physical body for no reason just makes it more awkward to take you around.

“Don’t touch anything weird and behave yourselves, okay? If you do, I’ll bring you a snack or something later.”

“Okay!”

“What are you going to bring?”

“You just say ‘yes’ and—”

It was right as I opened the dorm room door, leaving my instructions to the two brats behind.

“You’re late. Stay out overnight?”

“Y-Yuna…?”

I had a dramatic reunion with Yuna, whom I had completely forgotten about.

Come to think of it, I dumped her with Lobelia and didn’t do anything after that.

Seeing her in my room like that, she must have come straight here as soon as she was done…

And I left her hanging for a whole day.

“Johan, don’t you have anything to say to me?”

“I love you.”

“…Shouldn’t you apologize first? If you think dodging it like that is going to work forever, you’re seriously mistaken.”

And yet, I can see the corners of her lips twitching.

At this rate, it feels like I could win her over with just a little more effort.

“Johan, I’m really disappointed in you over this.”

“I’m sorry, Yuna. Don’t be mad. You know I trust you, right? You were the only one I could ask to handle something like that.”

“Johan, sorry, but I’m not some easy girl who falls for sweet talk like that.”

“Uh….”

She wasn’t?