Do Your Own Revolution

#082

‘How does it feel to have reached the origin you so desperately wanted, Martin Elcryer?’

That’s what I asked the intruder in my mind.

No, actually, there was no need to ask.

Count Elcryer’s will was still in confusion, repeatedly asking questions and making conjectures.

‘A game? Are you saying this world I exist in is merely a product created for entertainment?’

‘Just a collection of numbers, ones and zeros, recorded in an electrical machine?’

‘Are you telling me that everything I’ve been researching was nothing more than such a trivial existence?’

‘That all the life I’ve lived until now was just an existence in an illusion with no substance?’

‘Then, what meaningless things have I been doing until now…!’

If someone else had learned this truth, they probably wouldn’t have been this confused.

Even if they learned they were beings in a creative work, their purpose wouldn’t have changed.

However, Count Elcryer was different.

His purpose was the pursuit of truth and uncovering the world’s origin.

For someone like that, learning this world was a product of fiction would naturally drive them mad.

‘How…’

After a period of confusion and despair, Count Elcryer asked me for the first time.

‘How can you remain so calm?’

Whoosh-!

My vision flickered, and a white empty space appeared.

The protagonist’s inner world that had appeared several times in the game.

When I turned my head, there was the Count, looking incomparably more haggard than before.

“If this world is a creative work, a world within a story created by humans, you don’t need to rush about trying to change the future. Why?! Because whatever you do, this world is nothing but an illusion!”

“……”

“Whether you pursue truth, ruin the revolution, face the Republic’s invasion, or stop monster invasions! All of it is meaningless and futile!”

The Count wailed with an agonized face, as if coughing up blood.

“But you, why do you…!”

To the Count’s question, I answered with a bitter smile.

“There’s no reason. Fuck, I’m doing it because I want to.”

“…What?”

The Count turned to me with wide eyes.

It was both satisfying and disappointing to see such dynamic emotional expression from someone who usually just snickered.

“As you said, this world is a space within a game. And I might be just a collection of binary numbers, a picture drawn on paper, or maybe a line of text written in a book.”

No, I’d even thought it might be worse than that.

The thought that all of this might be just a passing vision.

The thought that the real me might still be panting in front of a lit monitor, and everything I’d experienced until now might be just a moment’s illusion.

“Have you thought about what would happen at the moment all your planned objectives are achieved? Wouldn’t you return to that cold reality? Then what is the meaning of everything I’m doing now? All the countless imaginings and agonizing thoughts.”

“Then, why…?”

“Because I’m still alive.”

One realizes the futility of life when facing death.

Even if everything I’m experiencing is an illusion, the moment to realize that would be when death is imminent, not now.

What’s important isn’t the past that hasn’t come, but the vivid, breathing present.

This was the truth realized by me, Seong Yu-jin, collapsed on the cold floor.

“I will survive.”

“…!”

“I’ll survive and change this game’s ending.”

All the scenery I’ve seen.

All the events I’ve experienced.

All the enemies I’ve met.

I didn’t care if all of it was just a combination of data with no substance.

I want to twist the end of this story made of betrayal and destruction with my own will.

That thought I had just before dying was my will without a shred of falsehood.

Because that emotion I felt while watching the protagonist’s end was purely and truly mine, without any deception.

Whooom–

At that moment, an anomaly occurred in the mental world where the Count and I stood.

The Count’s will that had infiltrated my mind began to fade, and the stopped time began to move again.

‘What’s this? Did he give up?’

I thought that and turned toward the Count, but something was strange.

Even in this situation where the connection was breaking, the Count was also panicking.

“What’s happening? Why is the connection…!”

This wasn’t his intention?

Then why is the connection breaking?

“Ah, so that’s what it was!”

During this, the increasingly fading Count Elcryer shouted urgently.

“Just as I interfered with your mind, you too can interfere with mine…!”

Mental interference? Me?

What nonsense is that?

While I was thinking this, the answer came from elsewhere.

“Yes.”

A short answer.

At the bizarre voice mixed with metallic sounds, I immediately turned to my side.

In the pure white mental world.

What was there was only the gradually disappearing Count Elcryer and me with the red magic imprint glowing on my arm.

That should have been all…

“…!”

Another will stood shoulder to shoulder with me.

A man wearing not the black uniform of the Special Magic Unit, but the outfit worn by Revolutionary Army members.

A being with a body covered in wounds and unkempt hair, glowing with the magic imprint of Red Wings.

The hero of the Revolutionary Army, Eugene Lorentz.

Whoosh-!

Along with a brilliantly burning red light, Count Elcryer’s will disappeared.

Like a moth burning away in flames, the mental world gradually scattered.

As I felt this, I faced the being standing beside me with wide eyes.

The occasional emotions that weren’t mine.

Anger that the original me wouldn’t have felt.

The cause of it all was standing before me now.

“You…!”

Countless questions rose to my throat at once.

Who possessed me?

Why me of all people?

Why the protagonist specifically?

Is it possible to change the future?

As I opened my mouth toward the real Eugene Lorentz with countless questions and doubts.

“Not yet.”

Eugene, wearing the Revolutionary Army clothes, turned his back with those brief words.

This bastard, suddenly appearing and doing whatever he wants, and what? Not yet?

What bullshit is this asshole spouting?

If you were going to come out, you should have done it earlier, not sneaking out right before death to act cool.

Do you know what hell I’ve been through because of this damn possession…!

“But I’ll tell you one thing.”

While I was thinking this, Eugene turned his head toward me and looked at me.

“This place where you are isn’t just an illusion.”

Empty pupils and haggard eyes.

The face of a fallen hero who seemed to have given up everything was smiling at me.

***

“…!”

“Eugene! Are you conscious?!”

When I opened my eyes, what appeared before me was a battlefield in chaos.

“His tentacles penetrated your body. Are you really alright? What did he do to you…!”

“I’m fine. It’s all over.”

Although many conversations had taken place, in reality, only a moment had passed.

Margrave Gloucester had cut off the Count’s arm in that brief time, and the Count’s corpse had crumbled into black ashes.

After confirming this, I let out a low sigh.

“Count Elcryer has completely perished.”

“…!”

After saying that, I got up and picked up something glinting from the Count’s ash pile.

Elcryer’s magic imprint, which hadn’t lost its form even in this state.

With this, I now had two of the twelve seven stroke imprints in my possession.

‘The core imprint of Elcryer, one of the 12 Great Magic Houses. Not bad as a trophy, but…’

Thinking that, I alternately looked at the contamination density meter that continued to rise and the sky.

Grooo……

The Great Rupture that continued to maintain its form despite Count Elcryer’s death.

“Wasn’t the rupture supposed to disappear when the heart was destroyed?”

“We couldn’t destroy it. The moment I tried to cut it out with my sword, it crumbled along with the body.”

In other words, it regenerated inside the rupture.

With the soul destroyed, only the heart survived to maintain the Great Rupture.

This meant that the rupture was now running wild without its master.

“This isn’t good.”

The black hole had grown large enough to cover the entire fortress.

Looking at it, Margrave Gloucester gritted his teeth.

“Your troops are exhausted from continuous battle, and my knights are also at their limit. With their strength…”

“It would be impossible to stop the monsters that will emerge from there.”

Count Gloucester nodded at my words.

The best option would be to return to the domain as quickly as possible and evacuate the residents.

Adding to that, Margrave Gloucester looked at me and said.

“I leave the knights to you. You and the Special Magic Unit should return as well.”

“What do you plan to do, Your Lordship?”

“What else? I must end this.”

Saying that, Margrave Gloucester activated his seven stroke magic formula.

Whoosh-!

Green energy spread throughout the space, with complex magic formulas floating above it.

It reminded me of the battle at Castle Elcidore.

The highest-level magic inscribed in the seven stroke inscription.

The Margrave was now trying to use it.

“Wide-area purification?!”

“Your Lordship, you can’t!”

“There are no auxiliary magic circles here, no mages to assist with magical power! If you use it, your life will…!”

Though the knights were startled and tried to stop him.

“Just as you made your vows, I too made mine. To protect this domain with my life.”

At the Margrave’s words, they all fell silent.

“This is a product of Elcryer’s madness. If we don’t purify it now, it will become uncontrollable later. Do you think the Empire, obsessed with civil war and conflict, can handle that?”

I briefly considered the possibilities, but it was impossible.

Gathering mages, sharing magic formulas, making purification plans.

It might be possible in the long term, but time was too pressing.

“Stopping the second calamity that has come to the continent, and gloriously perishing along with the rupture.”

The Margrave, sensing my thoughts, smiled while looking at the rupture before him.

“For an old man, this is quite a satisfactory end.”

It might even warrant a biography or two.

While the Margrave was drawing up magical power with a mischievous expression.

Step-

A black-haired girl in casual attire slowly stepped forward.

“…Irene?”

“I can talk to them.”

Can talk? To what?

As I was thinking this, I saw Irene’s eyes as she turned toward me.

“…!”

Not her usual amethyst eyes, but darkened pupils.

I could instinctively understand.

She was now connected to the collective consciousness of the monsters.

“The hole is talking to me. It’s asking me to give orders. It says it will do anything I want.”

It sent chills down my spine.

The source spewing out monsters.

The Great Rupture, a passage connecting this world with another realm.

That Great Rupture was directly speaking to Irene?

“Eugene.”

While I was thinking this.

Irene, who called my name, tilted her head with her characteristically innocent face and asked me.

“What should I do with this?”

“…!”

Just thinking about the original protagonist’s will being alive was enough trouble, and now the will of the monsters too.

My head started to ache as unprecedented settings kept emerging.

‘But I can’t just remain shocked in this situation.’

I tried to calm my surprised heart and said to Irene.

“Close it. Shut it tight so it never appears again.”

“Okay. Got it.”

Swoosh-!

Black tentacles flowing from her shadow were advancing toward the rupture.

The rupture slowly accepted Irene’s tentacles, as if welcoming a child home.

Irene, closing her eyes with a bright smile, slowly opened her mouth.

“You can’t come out.”

With those words, the rupture that had been growing larger stopped moving.

“Yeah. They say they can’t come out… Why? Because Eugene said so.”

“No. Even though it looks tasty, Eugene says you can’t eat it.”

“Return? Promised land? I don’t know. I’ll ask Eugene later.”

“Of course I know. Eugene knows everything.”

Irene continued talking to the rupture as if chatting with a friend.

The rupture, which had rippled several times in response to her voice, gradually began to shrink, and eventually disappeared completely.

“…!”

“What just happened…?”

By now, the faces of Margrave Gloucester and the others had turned pale.

Yes, I found it absurd myself.

Irene is both a fusion with monsters and [Black Witch], the boss monster who becomes the central figure in a major event.

It’s true that knowing her future, I took her out of prison and actively helped her grow while recruiting her.

I also knew beforehand that the [Black Sun Incident] would be the return of the Great Rupture.

But the power to open and close ruptures?

Who could have imagined such an absurd power existed?

“Your Lordship.”

“Speak.”

Looking at the pale-faced Margrave Gloucester, I slowly said.

“Your words about keeping Irene’s existence confidential. They still hold true, right?”

“No need to worry about that.”

Saying that, the Margrave looked around at the surviving knights and spoke.

“We only need to control the mouths of the people here, and there are hardly any outsiders in Gloucester territory. There’s no worry about leaks.”

“That’s fortunate then.”

“If it wasn’t the case, what were you planning to say?”

At those words, I thought for a moment before slowly opening my mouth.

“Perhaps threaten to unleash a Great Rupture in Gloucester territory?”

“What a devilish fellow you are.”

The Margrave shook his head and raised both hands.

Complete surrender.

It meant he was completely giving up on using Irene’s existence to gain anything.

“So, what will you do now?”

“You mean about House Elcryer?”

The Margrave nodded at my words and said.

“Unauthorized invasion of another noble’s territory, monster research, human experimentation, and the catastrophe of opening a rupture himself. This is…”

“Even if it’s designated as an imperial crime, no one can complain about the situation.”

Though my mind was still confused, we had gained much from this battle.

Elcryer, who conducted experiments related to monsters.

Elcidore, who provided test subjects to Elcryer.

And the numerous nobles of the Empire who are ‘presumed’ to have condoned the cooperation between these two houses.

We now had legitimate grounds to officially sanction them.

“Elcryer’s subsidiary houses and Elcidore’s remnants will be designated as imperial criminals.”

“And many nobles connected to them will undergo intense investigation.”

The Margrave muttered, showing a faint smile as if pleased.

“Under His Majesty the Emperor’s direction, the Empire will undergo major surgery.”

“That’s right. And most importantly…”

I turned around to look at the unit members who were getting up one by one.

“The blade to be used in that surgery will be our Special Magical Power Unit.”

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