Chapter 12 : When Mr. Plot armor is not there, the characters are in danger.

He was staring at us fixedly which made me uncomfortable.

Klein also turned back and saw the man.

At this moment, the stranger opened his mouth and said.

« You ate the food on the boat. Now, the sequence of angels will drop to that of an ordinary person. »

Klein froze.

"How did that man know that we were angels ?" He thought.

But soon, his eyes widened.

He felt that his sequence had really dropped.

I didn't know why but when I saw Klein's face I knew that the stranger was saying the truth.

I saw him trying to use his Beyonder abilities and frown.

It meant that, that man had said the truth.

Klein snapped back to his senses then realized that the man had disappeared.

Klein thought that the man was the main suspect for the loss of his Beyonder abilities instead of the food.

At the same time, a commotion occurred :

« Pirates are coming ! »

Everyone panicked while the captain gave orders to calm them down.

However, the pirates' ship seemed faster than them and arrived not long after.

« I can't use my Beyonder abilities. » said Klein

I blinked.

I tried to go above the gray fog to ask Mr. Fool about the situation but failed.

It meant that Sefirah Castle was cut of from reality for some reason.

Meanwhile, the pirates began looting people and killed them if they didn't comply.

Wait, are you that poor that you had to loot into waters controlled by the official Beyonders ?

While I was lost in my thoughts, the pirates were closer and closer to our position.

Klein tugged my sleeve.

« Hmm ? »

Klein asked :

« Well, since you're an angel, can't you help me fight them ? »

Why, do you like your money ?

Too bad I'm not an angel. I also ate the food on the boat anyway, so if it was the case my sequence would have also dropped. I'm sure you thought that I at least have real fighting experience but it is not the case~.

« Of course. »

I smiled strangely.

« Give us your money and we'll let you live ! » yelled a pirate

« No, I will fight until the end ! I'm sure you can't resist my super mega attack ! » I yelled back.

Yes, I created it specially for these kinds of situations !

I even gave it a super cringey name !

The pirates focused on me while I prepared my super mega attack.

Klein was also a bit nervous but looked forward to what I would do at the same time.

In short, everyone was super serious while I put on a serious expression too.

« Now… »

Everyone tensed up. All gazes were on us.

« Get a taste of my ✨storm of cuteness✨~! »

I winked (and activated Lilith's blessing to make myself super attractive). Don't you remember that I asked for Lilith's blessing at a Tarot meeting around a month ago ? Well, it was for that.

The pirates were stunned because they thought that they would be attacked then I suddenly said something weird and became hyper attractive.

See ? I shocked them, the attack was successful~. Now Klein has more time to attack them.

Klein's lip twitched and Mr. Fool was laughing above the gray fog because he anticipated it since I asked Lilith for a blessing.

I'm disappointed though. I wanted to make up an even more cringey name…

I went closer to Klein who clearly didn't want to have anything to do with me at this moment while others looked away.

« Done. I attacked them~. »

Klein facepalmed.

Now, we were stuck.

Klein couldn't use his Beyonder abilities (even though he didn't notice it, his face changed back to Klein Moretti's face) and now we would have to fight the pirates because we didn't give their money.

Actually, while I was attacking the pirates with my storm of cuteness, I was thinking.

The reason why Mr. Fool gave me partial authority of the gray fog, it should be to let me use a miracle from Sefirah Castle to resurrect in case there is an accident.

Even if my contact with Sefirah Castle is cut of, the fog that composes a part of my body should suffice.

In theory, that means that I can at least use a miracle right now.

However, miracles can also be used to realize wishes, right ?

If I realize Klein's wish to return his sequence to normal at least temporarily, I should be able to reproduce that wish (since I would have already done it) with a miracle to let him keep being a sequence 1 permanently.

In short, the first wish (realized manually) serves for the accumulation of wishes then the miracle reproduces the effect of the wish.

It's very logical in my head !

After all, if the fact that Klein's sequence has dropped is permanent, there could be problems in the future.

For example, wouldn't it mean that one sequence 1 characteristic has disappeared from the surface of the earth ?

How can Klein beat Amon without becoming the Fool ?

How can Klein find the Beyonder characteristics for higher sequences when they're not in the abandoned land of the gods anymore ?

What if Klein loses control because the Beyonder characteristics are still in his body and he will have to still eat more characteristics because their powers don't work ? What if his divinity increases by a lot more ?

I am aware that it could be not permanent and there are surely a lot of solutions but I just want to try this method, even if it will endanger my life…

Why could what I will do in a few seconds endanger my life, you ask ?

Because using the gray fog that composes part my body will break the balance with the other powers and my physical body will likely break down…

Why would I endanger my life, you ask ?

Well, because I want to~.

No reason, really.

Maybe it's because I'm crazy ? Or because I like Zhou Mingrui too much ?

I tugged at Klein's sleeve.

« Klein, you will need your Beyonder abilities to beat these pirates, right ? Or else we will die, right ? »

Klein nodded.

« Do you have a solution ? »

I smiled.

« Make a wish. »

« Huh ? »

Klein didn't understand.

« Make a wish to have your Beyonder abilities back. »

Klein was a little hesitant and joked.

« You sound like a real charlatan… »

Thank you, I'm glad to hear that I realized one of my dreams (being a charlatan) before (probably) dying.

I looked at him in the eyes, waiting.

« Fine. I wish to have my Beyonder abilities back. »

I transferred to him a bit of gray fog so he was able to temporarily mobilize it to use Beyonder abilities. His wish was somehow realized. Then I used a miracle to reproduce the effect of that wish and make it permanent.

All was back to nor… mal…

« Xin Jian ! » Klein shouted

With the balance in my body being broken, I fell into a coma.

(Author : Don't worry, Mr. plot armor said that Xin Jian can't die before book 8.

Xin Jian : So does my life depend on Mr. plot armor's mood ?! What if he changes his mind ?

Plot armor : No, in truth it depends on the author's mental health…

Author : Wait, didn't you run away ? What are you doing here ?

Plot armor : I had a bad feeling so I came to see what was happening. And I was right to come back ! I just left for a few chapters and look at what you did ! Do you at least understand that she would have really died if I didn't intervene at that moment ?!

Mr. Fool : Technically, it was me who intervened.

Author : Tch. It's not a big deal, she can resurrect anyway.

Mr. Fool : In this case, not really.

Xin Jian : Ahem.

Author : She just fell into a coma for an indefinite amount of time.

Xin Jian : I'm right there.

Mr. Fool : That's already a big deal ! Why did you do such a thing ?! Was it planned ?

Xin Jian : I'm fine.

Author : Don't worry, she's the MC. And it was not planned, I just asked Xin Jian if she wanted to try to die at least once in this story. Then Mr. Plot armor intervened and messed up everything…

Mr. Fool : …

Xin Jian : *shuts up* (Why are you saying it ? You traitor.)

Mr. Fool : So it was planned.

Author : Yes.

Xin Jian's thoughts : Right. In fact, I'm not there~. I am in a coma~. Please continue ignoring me~. *lies back down, closes her eyes and stops moving*)

Klein caught my falling body.

« Xin Jian ! » He repeated.

I couldn't hear him. I had already lost consciousness.

Klein's bad feeling increased when he felt that his Beyonder powers had returned to him.

« Xin Jian ! Xin Jian ! Xin Jian ! »

He continued to desperately call out to me.

Meanwhile, the pirates approached him but he just casually threw them a card and decapitated them.

Klein's kill count : 1

He couldn't feel Xin Jian's heart beating.

(Mr. Fool looking at the Author : *glares*

Author : No big deal…

Xin Jian : Lol, I never had a heart to begin with.

Author, to Xin Jian : Wait, weren't you faking being in a coma ?

Xin Jian : I AM in a coma. *recloses her eyes*)

Her body wasn't cold, but it lacked warmth.

Klein panicked.

He prayed to the goddess, even to Mr. Fool. He prayed to whoever could help him.

—————— I am the dividing line~

While I was in a coma, Mr. Fool entered my dream to try to wake me up and fix the imbalance in my body.

He looked around and saw that everywhere around him was black.

There was a cold feeling in the air.

It is often said that, in lucid dreams, you will see what your mind looks like.

I am glad that it was black.

I think that black represents all the negative things, while white is an infinite void.

Because, when your darker feelings accumulate, it will give black.

On the contrary, white is scary.

It is scary because there is no emotion, you can't even feel scared.

When you have feelings, you become addicted to it, even if there is only sadness. So isn't it natural to be scared of having no feelings ?

Mr. Fool went deeper into my dream, passing by the memories that appeared in this dark world.

These memories looked like blurred pictures that appeared in the air.

You could know what was on it, but you couldn't see the faces, nor distinguish the colors or the voices of the people speaking. Everything was distorted.

I think that the memories I have left should mostly be those of me and Mr. Fool.

So Mr. Fool was watching a past that He wasn't aware of, where I spent countless rounds by His side until the moment where He gave up on these memories to let me live outside.

But there wasn't my thoughts in these memories, I forgot them too.

He couldn't know why I never called Him Zhou Mingrui instead of Mr. Fool even after all these years.

He couldn't know why I was never angry even if He left me alone.

He couldn't know that all of my expressions were lies.

Even after watching all of my memories, He couldn't understand me.

But He wanted to understand me.

And I let Him do, because I wanted to be understood.

But I know that it is impossible, so I stepped forward.

« I am sure that the more you explored here, the more messed up your mind was, right ? I am not someone you can understand with normal logic. Did you enter my mind because I fainted ? » I said.

Mr. Fool didn't answer but continued to look around.

He didn't ask about the past that He forgot, and I didn't stop the pictures from appearing.

Instead, Mr. Fool asked :

« What type of person are you ? »

Everything stood still.

I smiled and said :

« I am an honest liar. »

I am a self-centered, egoistic and pessimist person.

Mr. Fool was silent.

If being honest is being talkative, then I am honest. If lying is saying something different from what you think, then I am a liar.

« I never once said the complete truth, and never once said a full lie. » I explained.

This sentence is also a lie, because there are never absolute cases.

If you have to answer a question only by yes or no, then you will be forced to say the complete truth or a full lie one day or another.

« That's the kind of person I am. »

Even if my words are 99% true, isn't there at least one percent of lie ? And if what I am saying is the absolute truth but that's not what I really think, or it is the answer to another question than what you are asking, then isn't what I am saying a lie ?

My memory is distorted, my mind is distorted, and my words are distorted too.

That's really laughable.

« For example, I can look at you in the eyes and ask : Did I ever lie to you ? »

I continued :

« You will think that I am accusing you to have implied or said that I lied but I am just asking you a question. In short, this sentence is misleading.

By asking a question, I am telling the truth, but you understood it wrong.

Then am I lying ? Yes, because I did it on purpose, but at the same time I did not say any lie. That's confusing, isn't it ? »

This dream is making me talkative.

Mr. Fool asked :

« Then, what is your goal ? »

Really talkative.

I put my hand on His cheek and said :

« I want to see you break. »

Since I met Him, there was one thing that I purposely ignored, but now I don't want to make the same mistake anymore.

Mr. Fool, in your first life, you were already feeling lonely.

Then, you lived for more than thousands of years, alone, maybe even in despair while watching your past self fail again and again…

Even though all of that happened, you are still acting normally and obviously conserved your humanity.

So…

Don't you have a screw loose ?

The only way to mentally survive all these years is for you to have become twisted somewhere, you're just acting so well that I can't see it.

You always had very good acting skills.

I can't see all of your bottled up loneliness and despair, either.

That's why, I want you to break.

I want to break that part of you that is twisted.

I want to break that part of you that is holding back.

I want to break everything that you became for you to stop being sad and be able to start a new life.

I want you to break down and let out the despair that you hide deep in your heart.

In this way, I can save you.

In this way, you will be able to heal and become "human" once again. That's because you're not "human" anymore that I call you Mr. Fool. Nobody can stay human after experiencing what you went through.

« I want to see you cry in despair. »

Because you never cried even once and just endured.

« I want you to touch the bottom. »

That way, you can finally stand up and begin everything anew.

I looked at Mr. Fool in the eyes and repeated my goal.

« I want you to break. »

Because I am this kind of person.

There is surely a better way to save you but I will make you break because I am an egoistic person.

After all, when you break, maybe you will rely on me and not leave me ? Maybe I will finally be able to know everything about you and be able to convince you to not abandon me again ?

But I didn't say any of this.

« That is my only goal. » I ended.

Mr. Fool, which was silent until now, finally opened His mouth :

« Why ? »

Of course, it's simple.

To me, you are my best friend.

You are the person I was closest to.

The person I am the most comfortable with.

That's why I have to save you.

Even if you want to get rid of me because you are fed up with me, I will still stick to you like glue.

It doesn't matter if you decide to betray of backstab me, I will still continue until I have saved you.

Because I have to repay you all the time you gave me by being by my side for the past hundreds of years.

Thank you very much, really.

That's why I am not really angry that you abandoned me in the end. At least you didn't leave me alone and stayed with me for so long.

And since I am a liar, I also didn't say this part out loud.

« Because I want to. » I answered.

Mr. Fool must have realized it by now, that I am a crazy person.

My logic is too messed up for me to be sane, that's why I don't want to become a Beyonder for real. If I drank a potion, I would lose control right after because I am too unstable mentally.

But Mr. Fool didn't care that I wanted to break Him, He already went through so much. Even if it really happened, He still wouldn't care. After all, He had already given up on everything.

Mr. Fool looked around, to see this dream one last time, then retorted :

« At this rate, won't you break before me ? »

I smiled.

« No. »

I am already broken.

The dream ended.

—————— I am the dividing line~

(Mr. Fool thought He knew Xin Jian well but he realized that he doesn't understand her all that much.)

Mr. Fool sat back down in his seat and closed his eyes.

He only vaguely remembered some of the scenes that he saw when he entered Xin Jian's dream.

[« Do you prefer cats or dog ? »

Xin Jian turned to him and shot him an "interrogative" look.

She finally answered.

« Well, I'm allergic to both, so… »

Mr. Fool insisted :

« But if you were not allergic ? »

Xin Jian seemed to think hard then said :

« Well, you're a like cat, so… »

« What ?? »

Mr. Fool didn't understand.

"How am I like a cat ?"]

[« Mr. Fool, Mr. Fool ! Let's create a secret code~! »

By that time, Mr. Fool had understood that even if Xin Jian had a stoic face, her thoughts seemed to be very… animated.

« Fine. »

Xin Jian looked over The Fool's shoulder while Mr. Fool began to create a secret code.

« Hey ! Isn't it morse code ?! Why are you cheating ??? »

He also understood that it was Xin Jian's either monotone or high-pitched voice that made Serifah Castle a little livelier…]

Mr. Fool opened His eyes.

Why did He forget such happy moments ?

When did it happen ?

Did they know each other before ?

There must be a reason.

But, mostly…

« Why did you come back to me ? » He mumbled.

If He forgot her, why didn't she go live her own life ?

Mr. Fool didn't understand.

But Mr. Fool couldn't read Xin Jian's thoughts nor feel her feelings, so He didn't know.

That He was Xin Jian's whole world.

[I want to break you.]

« But why does she want to break me ? She didn't seem to hate me… »

"She didn't seem to be the sadistic type either…"

« Now that I think about it… Her name… Did I choose it ? »

It was a Chinese name.

It meant key to the heart.

It was exactly what Mr. Fool was feeling right now.

It was as if His heart was opened by a little key.

Zhou Mingrui had a faint smile on His face.

« It doesn't feel bad… »

Sefirah Castle seemed a little warmer that day.

« Xin Jian, wake up soon. »