Chapter 12:Time and Destiny

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"Previously"

[Litia: Do not worry, this will not take long, so stay quiet stranger. I will start casting right away.]

sha! sha!

Litia said that while condensing her mana power in her right hand and tried to approach Akira to start casting magic but suddenly...

BUZZ! BUZZ!

A sufficiently loud sound wave began to reverberate in her ears, giving her a terrible headache

[Litia:Ughhhhh!!! What exactly is going on? m-my ears! It really hurts!]

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The area around her gradually started to glow with a bright light, followed by a powerful typhoon, which prevented her from seeing anything, not even her own hands.

Sha! Sha!

[Litia:Ugh! i-is it finally over??]

Upon the conclusion of the event, Litia gradually opened her eyes and became aware of numerous peculiarities in the vicinity.

[Litia:Wait...something is not right here. Why are there so many dead trees and patches of barren land everywhere? Who is responsible for all this destruction? and I can never recall if I simply stopped time with my power, so... who did it?]

Litia's mind was racing with questions; she could not stop thinking about who the other person who possessed the power to stop time was, and whether or not that person was an enemy out to get her or something else entirely.

[Litia: Damn, another person who can stop time! I have no doubt that, given the circumstances, he or she will come and kill me right away.]

Litia turned to face Akira, who was frozen in place because time had stopped, and looked at him with a disappointed expression in her eyes.

[Litia:Im sorry..In order to ensure my survival and the future of my kingdom, I had to leave you here and sacrifice your life! I will remember you as a valiant warrior who gave his life on the battlefield to defend me, and you will pass away with honor! goodbye!]

Tap-Tap!

Litia said this as she began to speed up her escape, but then something unexpected happened....

Whoosh!

[Litia:H-huh?]

Before her, a strange transparent wall that resembled a mirror materialized and blocked her path of escape. The strange wall seemed to go on forever into the sky.

Tap-Tap!

[Litia:Wh-who are you?]

A man with an extremely ordinary appearance emerged from behind the strange wall; he looked exactly like Akira, down to the shape of his body and gait. However, his face was hidden, giving the impression that the world was rejecting him.

This man clearly is not the Akira that "WE" know him to be; he lacks Akira's aura and his face is hidden from view; the best way to describe it is as if it were a painting that has been heavily inked over with pen ink rather than eraser.

But the two entirely white eyes that shone brightly and kept staring at Litia were all that was left of the man's closed face, or what was visible to the unaided eye.

[Litia:I said! who are you! And what exactly do you want from me?]

[???:None, but you are the one who summons me to human form....]

[Litia: Y-you mean I summoned you? but how?]

[???:.....]

[Litia: Wait a second...are you Pandora? the God of Wishes from Western mythology?]

[???:.....]

[Litia:However, I simply assumed that everything was a farce and a made-up tale! yet you do, in fact, exist in this world?]

[??? : Let us cut right to the chase and avoid more pointless chitchat.]

[Litia: Does that imply that you will fulfill any of my wishes since you are here?]

[???:That is correct, but in order for that wish to be fully granted, a requirement must be met.]

[Litia: Whatever your requirements are! I will surely fulfill it no matter what, so please grant my wish!]

[???:Him.....]

[Litia:Him? who? wait...but why must him? and what should i do with him?]

When the god of wish pointed at Akira, Litia turned to see him standing there, immobile due to the total cessation of time.

[???:He is your wish.....]

[Litia:W-what? he is my wish???! But I never wished for a man! he-ut!]

Whoosh!

[???:He is the cause of your wish being granted, if you want your wish to be granted then never stay away from him or get rid of him, because he is part of your destiny and without him... your destiny will not exist.....]

As Pandora whispered that to Litia, he gave her a soft hug and kisses on the head. However, Litia's eyes widened in surprise.

[Litia: "But why must he?" Why is he special enough to be involved in my own destiny?]

[???:because I chose him directly for you so that he can lead you to the path of destiny that is true and must happen, and that destiny is in the form of your wish...after everything is over you will reach that final "way" and finally reach the "truth"]

[Litia:Truth?]

[???:I will leave this with you as a reminder that our meeting at this moment is real and not just a dream!!]

Litia received a pocket watch from Pandora at that exact moment, to which Litia merely responded with a puzzled look.

[Litia: A pocketwatch?]

[???:My time is up... i will see you on the other side...]

Saying that, Pandora moved to face his magical mirror wall after releasing his grip on Litia.

Tap-Tap!

[Litia:Pandora????]

and for the last time before he disappeared into the magical mirror wall, he finally said what "we" didn't expect....

[???:Farewell, "Fragment of the Ult,]

Tap-Tap!

he stopped his steps and turned to "us"

[???:You as well, Outsiders.....]

Whoosh! Zap! Zap!

he finally stepped in and disappeared into the magical mirror wall

[Litia:Pandora!!!!! what do you mean? Pandora!!!! answer me!!!!]

Clack! Clack!

Crack! Crack!

when that person disappears, his magical mirror wall also disappears by breaking into pieces from reality, this cannot be seen by the naked eye except for the target or "ourselves"

Crack!

Boom!!!

[Litia:*Gasp!!!* Ugh...It is all done...]

[Akira:Wh-what?? has it already ended? what the hell is going on? everything happening to fast!]

[Litia:Heuk! hmm! What? is there something wrong with my method of casting magic?]

[Akira:"No,no! something seems amiss! where are the-]

[Litia:Hmph! Hmph! Shut up!]

Thud!

[Akira:.....]

Litia awoke from her extended reverie with such shock that her head felt very lightheaded and she collapsed to her knees.

[Litia:Arghhh!!! He-ut!]

[Akira:Are you alright, miss??]

["Litia":Is that a dream?]

[Litia:.....]

[Litia:No...it is not...]

Litia said that while looking at the pocket watch in her right hand, after that she finally made a very big decision in her life

[Litia:Pandora....just who really are you....]

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