Chapter 204 - Conversation (1)

In truth, all I've done until now was to prevent the end of the world.

Yet here I am, facing that very apocalypse.

"....."

I sat on the edge of the building's rooftop, my legs dangling in the air.

After calling for Stardust, I simply gazed down at the world while waiting for her arrival.

Meanwhile, the world visible in my unobstructed view was busy collapsing. Everything humanity had built was crumbling.

But honestly, I didn't really care.

After all, this would all become just a momentary dream. Whatever I said or did here would be erased from existence.

In other words, the scene before me only evoked thoughts like, "I should work hard to prevent things from getting this bad..."

Originally, I had planned to just fall asleep.

But then Stardust came to mind.

Remembering how much she suffered during this apocalyptic period in the original story, I couldn't just leave her be.

That's why I called her through the broadcast.

Since time would reset anyway, I wanted to tell her not to worry too much and to rest.

...Actually, I wondered if she would believe me—no, would she even come here? Still, I had to try.

And after that wait.

"....Hmm."

She came.

"Egostic..."

"Welcome, Stardust."

Against the backdrop of a clear blue sky,

With black smoke rising between glimpses of that scenery,

And humanity's civilization collapsing in real-time, from atop a tall building overlooking it all,

I greeted Stardust with a slight smile as she looked at me, her long golden hair fluttering in the wind.

She stared at me with slightly trembling eyes, hovering in mid-air.

As bombing sounds continued in the background,

I continued speaking in a calm voice that didn't match the situation.

"...Thank you for coming. I was worried, actually. What if you didn't show up..."

"...."

"Anyway, since you're here, I'll tell you. The truth behind all this chaos."

I spoke while sitting on the ledge in front of her.

...I was actually worried she might attack me out of accumulated stress, but instead, Stardust floated before me with an expression more peaceful than before, nodding her head.

Relieved by her response, I began explaining the situation.

Though I spoke at length, it could be summarized in one line:

"Stardust. This is a timeline that will be reversed by an ability user anyway. Everything will be undone. You won't remember anything that happened today."

I elaborated on this point.

...That some ability user appears to have caused all this. That a time manipulation ability user in America would turn back time. Things like that.

"Probably neither you nor I will remember this conversation we're having now. It will be as if it never happened. This crumbling world will return to normal in a few hours."

So, until time resets.

Let's just rest together.

With that, I finished everything I wanted to say.

Fortunately, Stardust listened quietly to what I had to say without interruption.

...But would she believe me? Now that I'd said it out loud, I felt like I'd said something with extremely low credibility. Come to think of it, it's strange that I know all this.

"Haha, well. I understand if you don't believe me. When a villain says something like this—"

As I was saying this to her,

Her voice reached me from in front.

"I believe you."

"—there's no trust... What?"

I instinctively raised my head to look at her when I heard her voice.

There she was, quietly smiling and looking into my eyes.

And with a faint smile, she said to me:

"If it were anyone else, I wouldn't. But because it's you. I believe you. All of it."

In that moment, I unconsciously held my breath.

Was it because she looked so beautiful with her shining golden hair fluttering against the sky behind her?

...Or was it because she said she would believe me without a hint of doubt?

Whatever the reason,

"...Um, thank you?"

That was all I could say.

"May I sit beside you?"

"What? Oh, yes."

By the time I answered, she had already sat down next to me on the ledge.

She was still smiling slightly.

While I was still trying to process what was happening and searching for words,

She, sitting close beside me, placed her hands on the ledge, looked at the sky ahead, and spoke to me.

"...So, time will reset anyway?"

"...Yes. That's right. Everything happening now will be undone. We won't even remember it."

"Hmm..."

To my words, she gave no particular response, just slightly swinging her legs in the air.

...I thought she would immediately ask how I knew all this. But she didn't ask such questions.

Instead, Stardust asked me something else.

"Then why aren't you and I going crazy like everyone else? We're both fine."

As if that was what she was most curious about, she asked me.

I answered her question.

"Because the origins of our powers are different."

"The origins of our powers are different?"

Interested in my answer, she turned her head from looking at the sky to look at me curiously.

...Well, if we delve too deeply into theological details, we could talk all day. I'd have to start explaining about the three primordial gods.

So for time's sake, I gave her a condensed answer.

"Yes. Unlike others, the origins of our powers are different. Since our base is different, we who derive our powers from different gods aren't affected."

Yes. Let's just explain it like this for now.

...Though it would be troublesome if she asked which gods specifically.

Fortunately, after hearing my explanation, she asked something else.

"Then... do our powers have the same origin?"

"Yes. That's right."

"Hmm.... I see... So that's how it is."

Seemingly satisfied with my answer, she smiled faintly.

Then she turned her gaze back to the sky in front of us.

A moment of silence fell between us again.

'.....'

I took the opportunity to catch my breath.

...What's going on? Was there ever a scene in the original story where Stardust was this friendly to a villain? I don't think there was.

...I don't know. Anyway, everything happening now will be forgotten and undone, so what does it matter? Overthinking is losing. Just enjoy the moment.

So I sat next to Stardust, enjoying the cool breeze on the rooftop.

Of course, the scenery itself was chaotic with sirens blaring and smoke rising everywhere, but knowing it was a false apocalypse, I felt nothing. It was like watching an illusion.

Stardust too was quietly watching the scene beside me.

And after a while.

Stardust, who had been quietly observing the scenery, turned her head toward me and spoke.

"Hey... Egostic."

I turned my head in response, but froze when I saw her face suddenly so close to mine.

Regardless, she continued speaking while looking at me.

"Can I ask you just one question?"

"Uh... go ahead."

At my response, Stardust looked into my eyes and asked a question filled with longing.

As if she had wanted to hear the answer to this question for a very long time.

"Egostic."

"Are you really a villain?"

For a moment.

It felt as if time had stopped.

She looked straight into my eyes with her blue eyes as she asked that question.

...And in that moment, I instinctively understood, as someone who was once a fan of Stardust.

This wasn't a formal question about whether I was technically a villain or not.

It was truly asking.

Whether I was an evil person or not. That kind of question.

To her question, I turned my head away for a moment.

Then she continued speaking.

"Were all the terrorist acts you committed... done solely to torment people? Was it all for your own selfish desires?"

"...Or."

"Was there another reason?"

She asked with a serious voice full of some kind of conviction while looking at me.

Hearing Stardust's words, I pondered for a moment.

...Why would she ask such a question in the first place? Could she have been suspicious of me all along? ...No, that can't be. There's no way. Stardust hates villains so much. She probably made this guess because I knew about the apocalypse and called her here.

...Still.

Since everything will disappear from memory anyway. Since everything happening now will vanish. Since it will all disappear like a mirage when time resets.

Perhaps just this once, I could tell the truth.

With that thought, I opened my mouth.

To lighten the somewhat heavy atmosphere, I deliberately put on a playful smile.

"Oh my, have I been found out?"

"Hmm?"

"Actually, I did it all to prevent the world's destruction. To help you grow stronger, to prevent a future that could turn out like this. Haha."

I said it deliberately as if joking, as if making a jest.

"...I knew it, so that's how it was."

"What?"

"Haha, somehow I thought it might be something like that."

To my words, she replied with a laugh.

"Tell me more about it."

"About what's been happening all this time."

...And seeing Stardust's blue eyes shining as she spoke to me.

I couldn't refuse her question.

'...Where should I begin?'

This is going to be long.

But, well. It's enough to pass the time.

So I slowly began to speak.

***

"....Ah, isn't it getting a bit chilly?"

"It is."

Shin Ha-ru. It had been quite some time since she arrived on this rooftop where Egostic was sitting.

His words as soon as she arrived—that this entire situation would be resolved by turning back time—

It was hard to believe, but she believed it completely, without a hint of doubt. Because she trusted Egostic that much.

Yes.

Only when facing the apocalypse did she realize.

'....Haha.'

That she trusted Egostic this much.

Enough to believe his story immediately and feel reassured.

"It's still chaotic down there. Phew."

"Yeah..."

After he had told his story, she sat close beside Egostic, looking at the open view under the sky.

However, Stardust's attention was focused less on the scenery before her and more on Egostic beside her.

Thump. Thump.

After hearing the story of everything he had done for her.

And after confirming that Egostic wasn't a villain. After she became certain of that.

Whenever she looked at him sitting close beside her, she felt her heart continue to race.

And somehow her cheeks felt slightly flushed. She found herself smiling without realizing it.

Yes.

At the end of the world.

After gaining certainty that Egostic wasn't a villain.

Sitting beside him who had called her because he couldn't bear to see her suffer.

Next to him who confidently said that everything would be resolved when she thought it was all over.

Looking at his smiling face, conversing with him in that moment.

She vaguely realized her own feelings.

Feelings that had been firmly buried, that she would never have acknowledged if not for this moment.

"...Haha."

"Why are you suddenly laughing?"

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing."

When she smiled and turned to him with that answer, he looked puzzled but returned a slight smile.

Seeing Egostic's smile,

Shin Ha-ru thought.

...Yes.

For now,

Let's focus on this moment.

Even if it's a moment that will disappear.