Hierian accepted the book and asked,
“What’s this?”
“Well, that’s, um, a novel.”
“…A novel?”
Hierian pursed his lips. It was an expression of surprise at the sudden mention of a novel. Despite his surprise, the magician hesitated for a moment and spoke.
“The protagonist of the novel is a savior, so I thought it might be helpful to the Administrator… If it’s interfering, I apologize.”
“No, let me have it.”
A novel with a savior as the protagonist. Even if it was just a delusional novel, it had some value worth reading. Hierian accepted the book. And in that moment…
Snap—
The letters in the book penetrated Hierian’s mind and lodged themselves in it. Even without reading, he instantly knew the contents.
Tears began to flow from Hierian’s eyes at that moment. The sight of the administrator crying suddenly stunned the magician, but Hierian couldn’t stop crying. No, he couldn’t stop.
It was because the horrifying memories that he wanted to forget forever kept resurfacing one after another. The future had already vanished, yet it wasn’t as if it never happened.
Hierian buried his face in his hands and trembled uncontrollably. A voice echoed in his ear, swallowing his sobs.
[Administrator, the time for our promise has come.]
Hierian nodded slightly.
This book was given to Hierian by the Dragon’s consciousness, asking him to deliver it to Piasse so that Dianel couldn’t erase the future and cover up his mistakes.
On the day when Piasse’s death was foreseen, she said she wanted to spend some time alone and went to the forest. Hierian and Adandito stepped aside to respect her final wishes.
However, there was someone who disregarded that noble request: Dianel.
He shamelessly went to find Piasse. And whatever he said, he managed to make Piasse turn back time.
At the moment when the world turned to dust and collapsed, Hierian felt the dimensional door he had opened operating once again.
Not knowing who was moving, Hierian silently watched the passage. And soon, he spotted Piasse.
“Piasse?”
The soul on the verge of extinction had transferred to the body of a child on the verge of death. Hierian tried to cross dimensions solely because Piasse was heading there.
At that moment, the Dragon’s consciousness grabbed hold of him.
[Administrator, if you go now, you won’t be able to come back.]
“Piasse has crossed dimensions!”
[The savior is an existence that can transcend the laws of the world under the grace of the gods. But you are not.]
“But…”
[If you follow the savior, even if she returns here, you will not be able to return. You will lose the soul of a human who will inherit the power of the administrator, and there will be significant problems in the world. Would the Savior wish that to happen?]
Hierian couldn’t answer immediately. After a long silence, his lips finally uttered the words.
“Even if we turn back time, nothing will change. It may even go as the Demon King desires.”
Rare signs of life appeared in Hierian’s hazy gray eyes.
Dianel. That foolish being, tempted by the Demon King, had caused chaos in the world and even manipulated time to go back for Piasse.
So, he had to inform Piasse about this. The savior who remembered the future had to make the right choice.
Hierian’s gaze followed Piasse beyond the dimensions. The soul of the savior contained in the body of a newborn baby cried loudly. If she could be forever happy there, it would be good, but it was a futile hope.
Fate would call her back to the original world at some point, trapping her in chains once again. Even if Piasse remembered the past, the erased future would be forgotten. When time is reversed, the vanished future ceases to exist.
Hierian made up his mind.
“There is no time. Before the passage closes, I must convey everything to Piasse.”
[…Surely the Demon King will interfere.]
“It doesn’t matter. Doing nothing is worse.”
[Even if there is a penalty for you as well?]
“Yes.”
With a resolute answer, Hierian responded.
[Then separate your consciousness from mine. The separated consciousness will transcend dimensions and inform Piasse of what she has experienced. However, no one knows how it will be conveyed. The Demon King’s interference is possible. In other words, she may come to despise you intensely. Are you still okay with it?]
“…I am okay.”
Hierian murmured with lowered eyes.
“I have one more request.”
[What is it?]
“When time is reversed, give me the command to free the savior. The command to set her free.”
[…To set her free. What does that mean?]
“I think you know why you defied the gods.”
The consciousness fell silent, and Hierian looked up at the sky. The pillar of magic beside them soared into the sky, filling it with constellations. Soon, it would destroy this land entirely.
“I understand it now. The gods do not intervene as long as the balance is maintained in any way.”
[….]
“I suppose it doesn’t matter who the savior is. I would have seen it differently if such a god was the work of an ancient race.”
A meteor streaked across the sky, plummeting downwards, drawing a purple trajectory. The beautiful lights gradually approached, eventually growing larger and seemingly engulfing the surroundings.
Kwoong!
A sphere of magic energy slammed into the ground. Despite being quite far away, it was of such immense size that it obscured the entire field of view. The chaotic-sized magical sphere ruthlessly destroyed everything in its path. The ground twisted like waves, and the sounds of roaring echoed from all directions.
Hierian let out a twisted laugh, a reaction he had never imagined he would have, considering he had never even imagined seeing the end of the world.
“I heard that the authority of dragons is remarkable until their extinction.”
[…Indeed. I know you had a particular interest in our race and studied it extensively.]
“Yes, I heard they were the strongest race. Dragons, possessing powers comparable to gods, and the magic wielders who inherited that power. How magnificent and extraordinary.”
Hierian reached out into the empty air. Purple magic energy bloomed like a flower on his white arm. He tightly grasped them. The magic energy extended beyond his palm, traversing through the air.
“Did you feel like this when your race was annihilated?”
[It feels somewhat similar.]
“Then I’ll ask you again. Please help me to assist the Savior.”
[That is not something a human like you can do.]
“Anyway, as long as the balance is well regulated, the gods won’t pay attention.”
[But the Savior won’t stay idle.]
“Adandito told me. The Savior prayed to the gods, asking them to erase her memories of the past. She said that a tired soul would wither away, and the gods agreed to that. Even if the Savior returns to the past, she won’t remember what she did. She will live as an ordinary person. I want to help her live that way.”
After a moment of silence, the consciousness replied.
[…I promise.]
Dragons are neutral beings. If the gods enforced a mission and the Demon King followed greed, he matched the Administrator’s intentions through subjective judgment.
[When time is reversed, you will follow the path of the Savior’s freedom.]
Hierian nodded his head. At that moment, a portion of Hierian’s consciousness separated and followed behind Piasse. Part of Hierian’s consciousness possessed someone’s body and wrote a novel. It was “Withered Flowers Don’t Cry.”
“Ah… huh.”
The book slipped from Hierian’s hand and fell to the ground. It blurred and transformed into scattered magic energy.
A novice magician from the library observed the situation with an anxious expression and held onto the staggering Hierian.
“Administrator…”
“…It hurts.”
“I will call a healer immediately.”
Hierian silently nodded his head. As soon as the magician let go of him, Hierian collapsed to the ground. He curled up his body and gasped for breath, his breathing heavy and labored. Sweat dripped down his forehead.
Hierian finally realized why he alone became weaker after sealing the Demon King. When the time was reversed, a part of Hierian’s consciousness that returned with Piasse, the part that the Demon King took away during the sealing, was already weakened and fragile. The consciousness that had already been separated and had weak ties easily fell into the Demon King’s grasp.
To strengthen the weakened consciousness, his physical body chose a method to minimize energy consumption: to become weaker.
And that body couldn’t withstand the flood of memories. It burned. Hierian inadvertently called out a person’s name.
“…Siara.”
Despite saying that he didn’t want any help and that he could handle it on his own, he was now seeking the Savior’s assistance. Hierian swallowed a bitter laugh.
In the meantime, the ten healers summoned by the magician from the Mage tower guild clung to Hierian. However, even as they poured their healing magic until they fainted, they couldn’t restore Hierian’s parched body.
“I feel like I’m going to die.”
Hierian clenched both hands tightly. He forcefully suppressed the name that kept trying to emerge.
Sweat flowed down like rain, and all the healers collapsed. The late-arriving magicians panicked and caused a commotion.
“What… What is happening!”
“Administrator! Administrator!”
“Call Izaya right away!”
At that moment, a familiar voice was heard.
