Chapter 192
Chapter 192
Chapter 2: Meteor
Magireta shrugged.
“To be honest, I feel the same way. Back then, coming up with ideas for ‘what kind of game to play next’ was fun. But now it's just become work.”
“So you feel the same way too.”
“Well, we can talk about that later... Since you won, tell me what you want.”
“Hmm. A Wish Ticket, huh? Even so, you've placed so many restrictions with ‘That wish cannot be granted’ that I don't even know what to wish for.”
“Well, there are lines neither of us can afford to cross. So? Are you just going to skip it?”
The man raised a hand toward the face concealed by light.
Judging by the gesture, he seemed to be stroking his chin.
“Then from now on, keep your face covered with a hood at all times.”
“What?”
“To be honest, your face makes me sick every time I see it. Cooperate for the sake of my mental health.”
“Hah. That's awfully harsh to say to a beauty like me. Well, if that's your wish, I suppose I have no choice.”
…….
What?
A hood?
Swish.
Magireta waved her hand.
Something was created out of thin air.
A hood.
The very hood Magireta had always worn before the Intermediary Trade Quest!
She pulled it over her head and asked,
“Better now?”
“Yes. More importantly, Magireta.”
“What?”
“Let's stop now. Like I said before, there's no point in continuing these games anymore. They're not even fun.”
“……”
“Our abilities are so evenly matched that whoever wins is nothing more than the result of luck and coincidence. After repeating that over 130,000 times, it's only natural to grow tired of it.”
Magireta nodded in agreement.
But soon, her expression changed.
A cruel smile appeared beneath the hood.
“Then how about changing the direction of the game?”
“How?”
“Your creations.”
“……?”
“Let's randomly throw them into the game. Then make them fight each other and watch to see who survives in the end.”
Tremble.
I grabbed my shoulders.
My entire body was shaking uncontrollably.
Swish.
The unknown being shifted posture.
Leaning toward Magireta, it spoke.
“And would that really be entertaining? Watching the struggles of such crude and insignificant lifeforms compared to us?”
“Well, if we used the same rules we played by, of course it wouldn't be entertaining. Not a single one of them would ever clear it.”
“……”
“I'll drastically lower the difficulty to match their level. And let's give them various advantages too.”
Passion crept into Magireta's voice.
The unknown being sounded much the same.
“Advantages?”
“For example, I could occasionally interfere to help the participants. Something like that.”
“Hah. You helping someone with your omnipotence? That's taking balance-breaking a little too far.”
“I don't mean helping them unconditionally. Hmm... Right. What about making trades? If a participant offers up something precious, I'll weigh it on the Inner Scale and decide.”
…….
That's the Hidden Rule trade system!
The unknown being nodded.
“Hmm. That's actually not a bad idea.”
“The trade system is just one example. We can cram in as many other rules as we want.”
“……”
“What else should we add? Let's put our heads together and think about it.”
“There's no need to perfect every rule from the start. Once we have enough prepared, let's begin the game with the creations. After all, we aren't planning to end it after a single run, are we?”
Magireta burst into laughter.
“Ahaha. Looks like you've gotten pretty interested too.”
“Fine, I admit it. Anyway, after each Cohort of the game ends, let's identify anything lacking or excessive and add or remove rules accordingly.”
“Alright.”
“And one more thing.”
The unknown being rubbed its palms together.
“Let's keep those rules hidden from the participants. They'll only be informed after they discover them on their own.”
“Why?”
“Why? Because it'll be more entertaining that way. Let's make it so that those who discover and exploit the rules before everyone else gain the advantage.”
“Interesting. I like it. Agreed.”
“As for the name... Right.”
The being declared,
“Let's just call them ‘Hidden Rules.’”
Gasp.
I jolted upright as though waking from a nightmare.
My entire body was drenched in cold sweat.
I felt suffocated and deeply unsettled.
I got out of bed and opened the window.
Looking up at the night sky, I spoke to the Diary Book.
'Diary Book. About that Memory Fragment I just saw.'
[Yes.]
'Show me the next one too.'
[You're asking the impossible.]
'I'm too curious to sleep.'
I grumbled while organizing my thoughts.
I'd learned many things from this Memory Fragment.
How the 'current' Magireta Quest had begun.
Why she'd always worn that hood.
And the origin of the Hidden Rules...
Wait.
'Hold on. When my companions and I... I mean, when enough Possibilities gathered together, we were able to modify the Hidden Rules, right?'
[That's correct.]
'But the Hidden Rules were created by Magireta and that unknown being together.'
[…….]
'Doesn't that mean the beings called Possibilities are somehow connected to that magnificent being?'
The Diary Book remained silent.
I asked again.
'And what about you? What's your relationship with that being?'
[Mr. Mason.]
'Sigh. I know. You won't answer. I only asked because I was frustrated.'
[Please don't be so impatient, Mr. Mason. You've done more than well enough up to this point. If you complete the remaining quests at the same pace you've maintained so far, then...]
The Diary Book continued softly.
[I'm certain you'll reach it. The whole truth.]
The next morning.
After barely sleeping, I went downstairs with dark circles under my eyes, only to be greeted by Kaid's radiant smile.
“Good morning. What a wonderful day.”
“You didn't go home?”
“This is my home.”
“No, it's my house.”
At that, Berseum cut in.
“No. It's my house.”
“Ah... Right.”
“Kaid came first thing this morning and politely knocked on the door. I was hoping he'd break it down again so I could break his arm this time. What a disappointment.”
Cold sweat dripped down Kaid's face.
Beside him, Louis elegantly sipped her tea and joined in.
“This idiot insisted he absolutely had to stay by your side, so he dragged me here too.”
“You're not the type to let yourself get dragged anywhere.”
“What was I supposed to do? He was crying his eyes out, begging me to come with him.”
“……”
Shrugging, I asked,
“So what is it?”
“I desire only one thing.”
“My safety and peace of mind.”
“I figured.”
“So please use your future sight and tell me what danger is going to befall me next.”
Armelia frowned at his shameless request.
“You would use Mason's noble ability for something so trivial?”
“My own impending crisis is ‘something so trivial’?”
“…………No. I suppose it isn't.”
“That answer took far too long.”
“Anyway, if danger is coming for Kaid, there's a high probability it'll affect the rest of us as well. From that perspective, it does have value.”
Kaid muttered something under his breath.
I'd intended to look into the future anyway.
I addressed the Diary Book.
'Then... Show me the future of the next danger that will come to us.'
[Understood.]
[Searching for the next crisis that will befall Mason's companions.]
[Points Consumed: 100]
[Remaining Points: 50,688]
Soon, my vision shifted through the Observer Perspective ability.
Just like before, my companions and 'Mason' were there.
It was the middle of the night.
But something felt strange.
'Why is everyone staring at the night sky?'
And with such horrified expressions.
Following their gaze, I looked upward.
My own expression immediately froze just like theirs.
That...!
At that moment, 'Mason' spoke.
“Can everyone see that?”
“I can see it, but my brain refuses to accept it. What in the world am I looking at?”
“Everyone... What's wrong?”
“Miss Sienne. The moon... The moon...”
“A corner of the moon has broken off.”
That's right.
Imagine the moon as one giant round cookie.
A fragile cookie can crack, split in half, or have a piece of its edge break away.
The moon looked exactly like that now.
A piece of one corner had broken off like a chunk of cookie!
That alone was enough to leave anyone speechless...
“Huh? Doesn't that thing look like it's coming this way?”
Karin was right.
The fragment that had broken off from the moon was hurtling straight toward our world.
It was falling.
If I had to describe it, it was a shooting star...
No, a meteor.
“It's heading straight for our world.”
“I-It looks unbelievably fast.”
“The fragment of the moon is getting bigger in real time. That means it's approaching at an incredible speed.”
The fragment continued falling toward the world.
At first, it was only the size of a star in the night sky.
But it kept growing.
Twice the size of a star.
Three times.
Five times.
Ten times.
Before long, the fragment filled the sky.
'Mason' spoke.
“……Can anyone here stop that?”
“Hah. You seriously think anyone can?”
“I figured as much. Sigh.”
With a deep sigh, 'Mason' reached into his clothes.
“Then our only option is to run.”
“Mason! But if we do that, the meteor will destroy our world!”
“Yes. I think that's already inevitable.”
“……”
“There are only two choices left.”
With a grave expression, he continued.
“We either perish together with the world... or we flee.”
“……”
“If we had more time, I'd rack my brain for another solution. But that meteor is falling far too quickly.”
At this rate, it would take less than five minutes.
How could anyone save the world in five minutes?
How could anyone stop a falling meteor in five minutes?
“You may call me selfish.”
“No. I won't.”
“I would never say such a thing to you.”
“Your Highness.”
“Sigh. Very well. Since there's no other choice, we'll have to escape first. There are nine of us in total, and with the Teleportation Beads, everyone can—”
Armelia's expression suddenly changed.
The same happened to Berseum and Sienne.
People precious to them—Cecil, Eris, and the others—would all die.
Then Louis spoke.
“If there are people you'd like to evacuate as well, tell me.”
“Hm?”
“I'll offer my height and ask Lady Magireta to evacuate them.”
“You? Why?”
“If you don't want to, then forget it.”
Shake, shake.
Everyone shook their heads so violently they looked ready to fall off.
Armelia took Louis's hand.
“Thank you. Truly.”
“S-Stop it! Let go of my hand already!”
That was how the decision was made.
'Mason' chose his companions over the world.
...I probably would have made the same choice.
Of course, now that I knew the future, I'd do everything I could to prevent that situation from ever happening.
Just then, 'Mason' spoke.
“Alright. Then right now—”
Huh?
It happened then.
Suddenly, the moon fragment accelerated to a speed incomparable to before.
The collision, which should have been five minutes away, became imminent in an instant.
The next moment—
Flash.
-KWAAAAA BOOM!!
Before anyone could react, the earth shook violently.
The Observer Perspective even transmitted the impact with perfect clarity.
'Mason' cried out in horror.
“To the Second Territory of Hell—”
But he never finished.
The Teleportation Bead slipped from his hand.
An unimaginable shockwave sent Mason and all of his companions flying like sheets of paper.
How much time had passed?
The scene changed.
'Mason' pulled himself up, his body covered in dust and ash.
Bleeding all over, he desperately searched his surroundings.
“Your Highness! Everyone!”
It seemed he was shouting with all his might.
But his voice was no louder than the buzzing of a mosquito.
When the storm had struck, a flying rock had torn through his throat.
Blood poured endlessly from the wound.
Eventually, clutching his neck, he collapsed.
Summoning the last of his strength, Mason took out the Future Diary from his clothes.
The final thing I saw was him struggling to write something inside it...
[End of future.]
The Future Diary came to an end.