Chapter 38 : The mythical creatures’ emotive phase

Klein tried to control Xin Jian's spiritual lines but she used the same ability to take them back.

Klein realized that Xin Jian was only defending.

Why wasn't she attacking ?

Didn't she hate him anyway ?

(And wasn't she a Beyonder of the Hunter Pathway ?!)

Klein tried to use Creeping Hunger to give her a spiritual piercing. However, Xin Jian, who had stolen his thoughts (and gave them back), pulled out Medici's historical projection and used the Door Pathway's abilities to create a closed space for herself.

Medici, who came to see who summoned Him by possessing the projection, took Klein's spiritual piercing head-on.

Then there was silence.

Klein : …

Xin Jian : Pfft-

Xin Jian deactivated Medici's historical projection while Klein shook his head.

What do the actions of Merlin Hermes have to do with me, Klein Moretti ?

(He hoped Medici wouldn't take revenge.)

Our dear Merlin regained his senses and continued to attack.

However, Xin Jian suddenly stole the distance and hit Klein's sensible parts with her knee.

Klein : *KO*

She had stopped only defending.

By reflex, Klein punched her in the face.

« Ouch. Klein, I only made you an eunuch, why are you ruining my face ? »

Angry, Klein continued to attack her.

She was totally not taking this fight seriously.

Xin Jian sighed and used the Thief Pathway to steal some of Klein's Beyonder abilities. At the same time, she pulled out 0-08 and wrote something in the air to control which Beyonder abilities would be stolen.

After all, if only in terms of the Seer Pathway, Xin Jian could already suppress him since she was Sequence 1.

But she could use three pathways, and she had seen everything Klein had experienced, she could pull out the same cards.

While Klein could not use the ability to pull out historical projections, to control the spiritual lines, to use flame jump or the clown's agility and premonition ability as well as the paper men (6 Beyonder abilities were stolen), Xin Jian stole the distance again.

Objectively speaking, there was no way that Klein could win this battle.

Klein tried to teleport away but Xin Jian stole his thoughts.

Klein realized that there was no way he could have won.

He looked at her while searching for a way to escape.

Xin Jian looked back at him.

« Why did you begin a war ? »

Xin Jian blinked. How did he know that ? (Was it Medici or did the king dump everything on her in the newspaper ?)

« But Klein, do you know how many people died in the war ? »

Klein frowned.

Xin Jian sighed. She could see that he could not understand.

After all, it was said that there was a lot of deaths, and Audrey did die…

« I want you to know that what I will do right after is in no way directed by madness. »

Klein's eyes widened.

Xin Jian pulled out the Sea God's scepter.

« And there were two. Only two people died in the war. »

Damn, it sounded too much like a justification…

« I'm sorry… »

Lightning fell down on Klein.

Xin Jian deadpanned.

She had killed Klein.

This wasn't a choice directed by madness.

She wanted to assume it.

That she had done this while being clear-headed.

Because she didn't know whether she was still sane or not anymore…

Xin Jian stopped maintaining the Sea God's scepter and kneeled down.

The official Beyonders would come soon.

She checked Klein's pulse.

As expected, he was dead…

Xin Jian sighed.

« You are such a headache… Why can't you just talk ? »

Well, he had tried…

Or send a letter, why can't you just send a letter ?

Xin Jian took Klein's heart out of his body and crushed it.

She joked :

« You broke my heart so I will do the same ! »

Mr. Fool, who was watching Xin Jian deteriorating his past self's body from Sefirah Castle, felt complicated.

Xin Jian looked at the sky and coughed.

« Ahem. He can resurrect anyway… »

Uh, how much resurrection chances does he have left now ?

Xin Jian then observed the state of Klein's Beyonder characteristics.

As expected, his Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics were still covered by a sort of seal made of fog…

She pulled some fog out of Sefirah Castle and covered his Sequence 2 Beyonder characteristics as well as a part of his Sequence 3 Beyonder characteristics.

She then asked Mr. Fool to add a blind fool to that new "seal".

That should successfully hide the progress of Klein's potion digestion…

« Mr. Fool, use the Beyonder item of the Spectator Pathway to make Klein believe that he is Sequence 3. Use it again if he ever comes above the gray fog and undoes the hypnosis. »

After all, Amon took Klein to the abandoned land of the gods to make him digest his Sequence 3 potion. Since he is already a Sequence 2, Amon won't kidnap Klein ! No ! We can't miss an opportunity to make him suffer !

However, Amon was supposed to not know that Klein was already Sequence 2 since He was not present at the Tarot Club last time.

What's more, since Antigonus was still in the kingdom of the night and Mr. Door's ravings still affected the Abraham family every full moon, Amon should think that there can't be a Lord of Mysteries and Mr. Fool's existence is a scam (which is true).

Also, kidnapping would surely make Xin Jian, the Error Uniqueness, come.

So it is reasonable for Amon to still kidnap Klein.

And that's because it is reasonable that it would be very suspicious if Amon still did it.

In short, if Amon really kidnaps Klein as Xin Jian wants, it should be a trap. After all, since when was Amon predictable ?

In other words, Xin Jian will (make Amon's brother arrange Him) and let herself fall into His trap.

This is such a meaningless and useless plan that the plan itself doesn't even make sense !

Xin Jian shook her head and took Klein's body into her arms.

Then she walked away.

Soon after, the official Beyonders came.

« Uh, maybe I should have used some anti-divination means…? »

Xin Jian shrugged.

So, Klein's death with was to not be cremated, right ?

She put Klein in a flower field and went back to Sefirah Castle.

« Mr. Fool, the hero's fight against the final boss has ended but the final boss won, what should we do ? »

Mr. Fool deadpanned.

« We should hide. He will resurrect soon. »

—————— I am the dividing line~

Klein woke up in Sefirah Castle and saw his body in a flower field.

« … »

He was pretty sure that wasn't where they fought.

Was it a joke ?

Klein shook his head and went down to his body to resurrect.

He recalled Xin Jian's words before he died.

So where were only two deaths in the war ? But why should he believe her ?

And why was she sorry ? For killing him ? No, she said that she did it out of her own will…

Klein decided to find out more about this.

—————— I am the dividing line~

In a certain snake of Mercury's house, a little baby was sleeping peacefully until he was woken up by fate.

Fate : Wake up, the one who likes child labor is coming !

So Will grumpily saw a man appear in his room and asked :

« Did a you bring a gift this time ? »

Merlin, the one who likes child labor, was embarrassed.

« Yes, of course. » He said.

Then he handed Will ice cream as if it was not an historical projection that he just pulled out.

Will pushed his hand away.

« No, eating too much ice cream is not good for my development. I will get fat. »

Merlin was speechless.

« C'mon, it's fine. It just this time. »

Will looked at the ice cream and retracted His gaze regretfully.

« What did you come here for ? I doubt it was just to give me ice cream. »

Merlin also went straight to the point.

« I came to get another thousand paper cranes. The one you gave me before was burnt. »

Will : Child labor !

As expected, Merlin came to make Will work !

« I am a baby ! »

Merlin ignored his complaint and made the baby fold a thousand paper cranes.

Merlin asked :

« Do you know anything about the war ? »

Will gave him a deep look.

« I am a baby ! What could I know about it ? »

Merlin was embarrassed. He should have expected it…

However, Will added :

« …But your friend indeed passed by here and asked me to lend her the members of the Life School of Thought. »

« My friend ? »

« Xin Jian. »

A light flashed in Merlin's eyes.

« Did she say why ? »

« It was something about a war without casualties… »

Merlin frowned.

A war without casualties ? Why would she cause a war then ?

Merlin didn't understand.

He was about to leave when Will continued :

« Don't dwell on the war too much. The gods should have agreed to it. It was inevitable anyway. »

« What ? Why- »

Will faked sleeping.

Why are you talking in riddles ?

No, why are you even saying this if you won't explain it ?

Merlin's lips twitched and he left.

—————— I am the dividing line~

Nameless angel's memories :

I've always wanted to die.

Why ? No reason. Is a reason needed to do things ?

However, I didn't like pain, so I wanted quick death.

Each time I found a way to die, there was a problem. So I always gave up because I wanted a sure death. I was scared of facing the consequences if that suicide attempt failed.

I didn't slice my wrist because it was a way that often didn't work, and I would have to hide the scar.

I didn't kill myself by stopping to breathe because I wasn't able to hold back from breathing until I could faint.

I didn't drown myself because water entering my lungs seems very painful, and there is not necessarily 100% that I could die from it if I am saved in time.

I didn't commit suicide by hanging myself because I didn't have a rope, not by ingesting too much medicine but there was never enough at home to cause an overdose.

I didn't jump off a bridge because I was scared of heights, and I couldn't jump from two meters high (or only one meter) without someone else's help (steep toboggans are counted).

Humans are often scared of death, some of them even think it's so easy to accidentally die because of things from our everyday life, then why do I find it so hard ?

There is never 100% chance to die !

Every time I thought of a new way, something prevented me from applying it or there was a problem and it didn't work. It was as if the world forced me to stay alive.

Sometimes, it was even my reason to die that was taken away.

"Please don't die… I don't want you to die."

It was so cruel…

You know, sometimes living is just harder than dying, but dying's impossible for you, so you have to bear it.

Without any reason to live nor any reason to die, I waited.

I just have to be patient enough, then I'll die of old age…

One year passed.

Then another year passed.

Then another one once again.

Soon my patience made me able to wait for 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week, then 1 month, 2 months, 6 months, even 1 year for something.

Then I became able to wait for more than 1 year.

It's not a big deal, I just need to wait for another 80 years, right ?

I was just looking at time passing by, and waiting, and waiting, sometimes for nothing at all…

But how could I wait for so long for something that wouldn't happen before at least 80 years ?

As I waited, I began to read books. Later, I realized that I was just escaping reality, but the worlds in fiction are so beautiful !

You know, it's really easy to be isolated. If you don't talk to people, then people won't talk to you, and you'll be all alone…

You will feel lonely but, when you'll realize it, you won't know how to talk to others anymore and you will meaninglessly struggle to attract attention to you, hurting you even more.

Until you give up. You don't even try to escaping the loneliness since you won't feel it. When you are completely alone, surrounded by nothing inanimate objects and ignored the people talking around you, you won't feel anything.

This is a very scary feeling, to not feel anything, but you won't feel anything either. When you feel too much things, you just can't feel them. It became normal. Your feelings are not piled up, they're overflowing, drowning you, and you don't feel it.

Everything is blank.

Everything was blank.

Sometimes I cried but I didn't know why, I had to rely on my tears to know what I felt, on the direction on my thoughts and on my heartbeat, because in my heart, I felt nothing.

I just saw the world in colors.

Sometimes the world was white, sometimes it was black, and when it stayed in the same color for too long, I became unable to remember the time passing by.

I plunged myself into books, my world's color depended on how I imagined my mood to be, and influenced my actions, and all days seemed to be the same.

But what if there wasn't any colors…?

If there weren't any colors, I guessed, it would be because my reason stopped deducing my feelings, but why would I want that ? Void is so scary.

Then, I think it was it was in 2025…

As I looked at meteorites falling through the window, I made a wish.

Please just let me phase away from reality completely.

I don't want be bound to this reality anymore, others hurt me so much while fiction is so beautiful. I can read a book, but if someone interrupts me then the magic's broken. I can try to not care, but others' words in reality are much more impactful to me than in fiction.

As chaos spread across the planet, I really disappeared.

I saw everything get destroyed and everyone die or turn into monsters. In short, the apocalypse happened.

I observed all of that, but even though I had disappeared for everyone else, I was conscious. Nobody remembered me, nobody saw me, it was as usual, but I couldn't ignore it. Without a physical body, I couldn't close my eyes, and I was forced to see it.

Gradually, humanity went extinct.

But why didn't I die…?

I always had an amazing luck at staying alive, but now it was… abnormal.

Because this time, my chance of dying should have been 100%.

Everybody was dead, why not me ?

As I was forced to face the reality I was so afraid of, I stopped deducing my own feelings, acting as if I really didn't exist.

There the world stopped having colors.

The desires that I had gradually gave up were completely abandoned, I just gave up my own will to protect myself, it is better like that.

And I put up a smile, mixing up everything that I was supposed to feel with a smile so that I couldn't know which emotion I was feeling anymore.

You're happy ? Then smile.

You're sad ? Then smile.

You're angry ? Then smile.

You're scared ? I don't know, I don't feel it either…

I also stopped thinking.

One day, I was able to interact with reality once again.

I don't know how much time had passed, but I looked like a doll. A machine.

With a smile on my face, I waited.

As I walked around, a lot of time passed, but I didn't seem to die of old age either.

The Nameless Angel was someone who had given up.

As time passed by, she had given up her feelings, her opinions, her thoughts, her free will… She just smiled.

—————— I am the dividing line~

3rd point of view :

« Amanises, Mr. Fool doesn't stop mentioning the Nameless Angel in his thoughts, who was it ? » A certain Error Uniqueness asked, bored.

"Wait, did I say "in his thoughts" out loud ?"

While realizing her mistake, Xin Jian checked once again that Mr. Fool wasn't around.

The Evernight goddess was surprised.

Who was the Nameless Angel to Amanises ?

The Nameless Angel was an immortal.

When Amanises first saw 'Her', She didn't have any particular impression.

But soon, people noticed that something was odd.

The Nameless Angel had no Beyonder characteristics, but 'She' didn't die of old age. Strangely, she always escaped death thanks to luck each time something dangerous happened.

Some angels became curious and conducted experiments on 'Her'.

Amanises heard rumors but didn't do anything to stop it.

As the Nameless Angel was practically tortured, Amanises stayed as a spectator.

As 'She' was practically tortured, the Nameless Angel didn't react.

When 'She' was burnt alive, 'She' didn't die.

When 'She' was chopped in pieces, 'She' didn't die.

When Amon tried to freeze 'Her' alive or make 'Her' die of hunger, it still didn't work.

Even when gods tried to kill 'Her', it still didn't work.

The Nameless Angel's immortality came from the starry sky.

However, the gods and angels longed for that immortality and tried all means to take it from 'Her', but it still didn't work. The Nameless Angel's treatment was really inhumane, but 'She' never showed anything else other than a smile.

One day, They realized that they couldn't take the Nameless Angel's immortality and decided to make 'Her' come to Their side.

Amanises continued to watch by the side.

"They are really hypocrites." She thought, then She went on Her way, not looking back.

In a sense, the Nameless Angel was a broken person. No, that term couldn't really describe it…

But 'Her' attitude was so… strange. So indifferent to everything, so strangely attractive… that everyone became 'Her'. And even with all of these friends, there was still a wall around 'Her'.

—————— I am the dividing line~

Still 3rd point of view :

Mr. Fool was reminiscing the past (of course, Xin Jian wasn't there).

How did Mr. Fool become the Nameless Angel's friend ?

Well, in the beginning, it was just because the Nameless Angel was kind. There was no more to it.

The Nameless Angel was immortal, it was something that everyone longed for, but 'She' called it a curse.

The Nameless Angel always wore a gentle smile on 'Her' face, and kept her composure in all situations.

Mr. Fool was strangely drawn to 'Her'. Maybe it was… pity ? Yes, it was this, and because he felt lonely too.

Or maybe it was just because he missed his hometown, and the Nameless Angel came from there too. In other words, he didn't see 'Her' as an individual, but as a way to stay in contact, even indirectly, with the hometown he lost.

However, Mr. Fool gradually learnt about the Nameless Angel by talking to 'Her' and began to see 'Her' as a person.

His only close friend (+ Amanises).

(4th Epoch :

Nameless Angel, on 'Her' deathbed : Go get married already !

Zhou Mingrui : No, thank you.

Amanises : *suddenly rejected when She wasn't even in a relationship with Zhou Mingrui*

Nameless Angel : Even my death wish wasn't respected…

Zhou Mingrui : …)

« Why don't you have a name ? » One time, he asked 'Her'.

« The Nameless Angel is my name, that's how everyone calls me. If you want, the "gods' friend" is shorter. »

The Nameless Angel had a strange logic.

« What is your favorite color ?

- It's blue.

- And your favorite animal ?

- Baby blue wolves. »

Mr. Fool's lips twitched. That animal didn't even exist.

(Nameless Angel : Dolphin-unicorns.

Mr. Fool : …)

« And your favorite dish ? »

However, this question was met with silence.

The Nameless Angel had forgotten the answer to this question.