Chapter 626 - Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint

One morning, Shei awoke. It had been a long time since she had slept so deeply without tension. A pleasant languor enveloped her. Though an aching pain throbbed in her shoulder blades and her entire body was sore with muscle pain, that just made her slumber all the sweeter. Now it was time to rise. Awakened by the alarm her body sent, Shei turned her head upon sensing a presence beside her. Hughes was asleep, facing her. Perhaps it was because he was the King of Humans? His face was impeccably handsome, with a slight air of nonchalance, though that was merely a façade intentionally crafted by Hughes. A strategy to maintain a distance between his body and heart from others, something he could manage because he could read minds. However, in sleep, he couldn't maintain such an aura. It was something Shei discerned over a long time watching him, a subtle difference even Hughes himself wouldn't realize unless he read Shei's mind. Shei silently reveled in his sleeping figure, a smile of long-missed affection gracing her lips. He is kind, because he understands hearts. Yet, he is ruthless, because he understands the hearts of others besides mine. Perhaps they are two sides of the same coin. A trait inherent to being the King of Beasts, unavoidable... Maybe that was why he couldn't devote his heart entirely to Shei. Still, Shei's heart belonged to him. Even after countless regressions, it remained so. She wished to embrace him, to kiss him, to sleep wrapped entirely in his arms, to be touched by him, to breathe the same air, to be comforted. To reveal everything, to have her mind read. Yet that desire was... Stop, Shei. The Celestial Perspective whispered to her. As her energy circled her body, her emotions, memories, and longing gradually numbed. Her overwhelmed heart began to fade. Hughes chose not to reveal his telepathy. He respected others' thoughts. Knowing their thoughts could be read would make people afraid even to think—a scenario the King of Humans would never want. Thus, in Shei's meetings with Hughes, she sealed her memories, returning to the vulnerable, cherished Shei of their 14th encounter. The foolish, regrettable, and often insincere Shei with bristling defenses. But it didn’t matter. Even the 14th Shei who sealed her memories was still Shei. Inevitably. She would reach the same conclusion. *** “What’s going on? What happened? Why is Hughes sleeping next to me?!” Ugh, noisy. Who’s making such a racket inside my head? I can’t even sleep. I awoke to this tumultuous noise within. Opening my eyes, I saw Shei, eyes still closed, seemingly sleeping. No, she was pretending to sleep. Waking up, she was startled to see me and continued to feign sleep. “How did this happen? How did I not notice until he got into my bed? No, why did Hughes crawl into my bed?! Could it be he was tired enough to fall asleep without realizing?” You were the one who held me, leaving me no choice but to sleep here. You’re still gripping my sleeve and haven’t realized it? Good grief. Let’s see how long it takes to notice. “Should I get up? Hit him? Or perhaps cut him down with Celestial Parrot? What am I supposed to do?” Hit? Slice? Isn’t that a bit extreme? Nearly startled out of my sleep, I intentionally stretched. Shei’s hand, still clutching my sleeve, was lifted with my movement. Only then did Shei sense something was off. “…? Why is my hand...? Gripping Hughes… Oh?” Not me? You know. You trust me enough unconsciously to fall back on me, that’s what they say. Anyway. The reason I ended up sleeping here was because of you, so there’d be no misunderstandings—I hammered it in aloud to myself. “Hmm? Is Shei still not awake? Still holding onto my sleeve, I see. Sleepless grip strength sure doesn’t weaken?” “…Ugh.” “Well, if I release my grip…” The grip on my sleeve slowly began to loosen. She’s pretending to loosen up without noticing, but if she escapes so easily, it won’t be fun. “Well. The grip that held onto me all night can’t just vanish unless Shei isn’t really awake. Who knows when she’ll wake.” “….” The grip strengthens again. She’s finding it puzzling herself, huh? Good. Let’s completely eliminate Shei’s doubts while we’re at it. “Though the ‘mm, Hughes, stay with me…’ you mumbled while lying down was pretty cute.” “I never said that!” Shei sat bolt upright, almost shouting. A shame to distort the truth this much, it seems. Feigning ignorance, I questioned further. “What? You were awake?” “I just woke up! And I would NEVER say something like that!” “Really? And how can you be so sure, Shei?” “There's no doubt. I know myself! I wouldn’t say such things!” True. You didn’t say that. But what if I craft the narrative? “Then who was it holding onto my sleeve, refusing to let go?” “That—that’s…! I don’t know!” “If you don’t know, who does then?” Unpredictable. The affection seems significantly elevated, yet when reading the thoughts, there’s no conscious acknowledgment of me. Yet, she still clings to my sleeve? It feels like I’m on the receiving end of a tug-of-war. Tricky, tricky. “Shei. I’m the type who doesn't turn away a coming woman or hold back a parting one.” “…? Aren’t there many women you’ve abandoned?” “Why is that even brought up now?” Not abandoned—prefer ‘a beautiful farewell’. Anyway. “If you ever feel lonely, just say so. If you’d been a man, I would have declined, but now you’re a woman? That’s just barely within the permitted range.” “I’ve always been a woman!!” The morning turmoil passed without further issue. Though Shei hissed like a cat each time she saw me, she soon shifted her attention, being the Regressor she is, to other matters. “Hughes. We need to meet the Demon King.” Shei hadn't read much of her past loop's journal, especially since it was interrupted midway. While she was curious about what happened in the previous loops, she chose to focus more on the events to come rather than reminiscing about vague memories of the 12th loop. "There’s a catastrophe above the Floating Fortress." At those words, I couldn't help but focus as well. "Pardon? Above it? Not the fortress itself?" "Yes. Even higher. The star of sin, 'Pride,' hovers above." Even the Floating Fortress is an edifice above the clouds and the sky, yet there's something above that? A structure standing higher than anything else on this planet? "'Pride' is the Floating Fortress's ultimate weapon. When the war intensifies and the fortress faces assault, the Arcane Federation will let 'Pride' fall on the Empire. That's the gist." Just recalling it made Shei shudder. A certain scene emerged in her mind. The Empire lies in the northwest of the continent. Though the term 'northwest' is used, more than half of the continent falls under the Empire's dominion. Regardless, it is undeniably far from the military country. Yet, that colossal ruin was visible from even the military nation. A streak of flame crossed the sky, tracing a steep trajectory. It derailed from the path where stars and the sun prance, its descent diagonal towards this world. Shei could only helplessly watch the fall of a civilization's end that couldn’t be stopped or avoided, wishing for the apocalypse. And the Earth Goddess's scream reverberated across the continent. Later, Shei heard that the Empire and the Holy Church resisted and managed to somewhat succeed in retaliation. However, the aftermath was catastrophic nonetheless. Even the military nation in the Empire's antipodes suffered back-to-back earthquakes and storms. Shei, ending her painful recollection, continued to speak. "Persuading the Demon King or somehow preventing 'Pride's fall is useless." Naturally, both Shei and the Holy Church prioritized preventing that. And in some loops, they appeared to have succeeded. But the problem didn't end there. Biting her lips until they bled, Shei spoke. "The King of Sin seizes 'Pride,' sentencing the world to a countdown." But the curiosity lingered—how could the King of Sin, just a mere human, bring about the world's end? If Shei's words were true, the Demon King alone could destroy the world, no need for the King of Sin! "We have to deal with 'Pride' to prevent the world's end." I listened intently. Hmm, indeed, you’ve been quite busy. But, here’s the thing. "Shei, so how do you intend to do that?" What exactly can I do here? "From what I've heard, 'Pride' is the ultimate weapon of the Floating Fortress, to be used only as a last resort. What would you say to the Demon King? 'Abandon Pride, relinquish that power'? If I were the Demon King, I wouldn't even pay heed. In fact, he didn’t." "...That’s the problem." "And even if he listened, that would be another problem. How would you handle him executing you on the spot, saying, 'How dare a fool speak of such things'?" "...That's also a problem." I can't even gauge the Demon King's strength. He carries an immense field around him, keeping him out of reach. Yet, he effortlessly nullified the Blue Tower Lord's unique magic. Just how powerful is he? Neither Shei nor I could fathom it. Perhaps it would take someone like Nevada to match the Demon King. ...But is the unique magic the Demon King’s full strength? I'm doubtful about that. Ultimately, Shei couldn't present a solid solution. We were both engrossed in our thoughts at the desk, silent. "Hello, good morning." The door swung open as the Blue Tower Lord entered the room. Striding inside with long steps, she handed me my jacket with a light laugh. "The one you lent me then. Thanks, it was very useful. I washed it thoroughly, so don't worry." "You didn’t have to." "Don’t mention it. It’s a matter of maintaining minimal courtesy and personal dignity as a woman." "No, no. The fact that it's a jacket the Blue Tower Lord wore over her shoulders makes it even more valuable." "Hoho. Should I be glad or unsure how to feel about that?" Laughing lightly, she sat across me, crafting a chair of crystal to sit on. Having neither knocked nor been invited in, there was not the slightest awkwardness. Her infiltration was as natural as breathing. Shei, usually distant from social interaction, felt bewildered by the Blue Tower Lord's easygoing demeanor. ‘It’s strange… I’ve been with Hughes, I knew Elisha first and yet, they seem closer to each other than to me.’ Well. You… never mind. No need to mention it. Setting aside a sulky Shei, I greeted the Blue Tower Lord. "And Lankart?" "Lankart went down to the lower world for a bit. Neglecting the investigation of the Tree of Betrayal is inexcusable. Though you brought the reports, without objective data, there’s nothing to submit." "He’s intelligent but not meticulous. A common trait of geniuses—unable to explain to others." "I sent some aides along, so it should be fine." "You’ve already mastered the use of Lankart, I see." "It comes naturally. By the way, since a few of my subordinates are away, I have some spare time. I was thinking about making an offer to you two." Propping her chin, the Blue Tower Lord looked at Shei and me, her gaze intent. "Would you two like to learn magic from me and ascend the Dragon Gate?"