[714] What Is Gained (3)
* * *
Hwangseong Aganos.
Uorin, with Gando at her side, visited Aganos's secret chamber known as the 3.8th floor.
When they opened the door, a twenty-pyeong room held a bed, and a grand mage whose name alone would make people gasp lay sleeping.
The steward of the 3.8th shuffled in, stooped, and waddled over to bow before Uorin.
"You have arrived, Your Majesty."
"How's it looking?"
The steward checked the color of light floating in the magic crystal-sphere and bowed again.
The sphere, which had been black at first, was gradually clearing.
"It's progressing much faster than expected."
The archmage was currently repaying Shirone's debt through Fermi's depreciation contract.
A debt spanning 127 years would be impossible within a human lifespan, but Uorin did not question it.
If such a thing had already occurred, then it had simply occurred—that was the way of the world.
"The core is in Hexa."
If the Valhalla Action debt is measured in time rather than lifespan, then the time Hexa must experience could differ from ordinary humans.
"Shibulsangpokmae, perhaps Andre, and perhaps..."
Uorin avoided hurried assumptions.
"When will the debt repayment be complete?"
"It's faster than expected, but we can't precisely measure how much it's shortened."
"Relativity of time, then."
Even if the archmage paid off the debt, its magnitude would stretch and contract like a rubber band according to Shirone's growth rate.
That meant the time Shirone experiences in Andre exceeded the bounds of ordinary people.
"Understood. Move to the next phase. Report immediately if there's any unusual change."
"Is that so? I will watch without eating, sleeping, or drinking—twenty-four hours."
"Of course."
As Uorin turned and left, Gando followed and asked cautiously.
"Aren't you being too generous? Once the Valhalla Action debt ends, Shirone will only grow stronger. The synergy with Sifokgam will be enormous."
Uorin gave a bitter smile.
"Gando, do you know what the most powerful weapon in the world is? One that can't be defended against or evaded, and kills the moment it strikes."
"Is there such a weapon?"
"There is."
Uorin turned and raised a finger.
"It's trust."
Gando felt as if he'd been cut.
"No matter how wary a child is, before its mother it will surrender everything and fall asleep. The child doesn't even imagine the mother strangling its throat or plunging a blade into its heart tonight."
"..."
Uorin turned and continued down the corridor.
"Trust never fails, but that's why it's hard to build. If you can buy it by paying off the Valhalla Action debt, that's cheap."
"Shirone isn't an easy target, either."
Uorin conceded the point.
"For now, that will do. I'll manipulate the debt contract. If we leave even a one-second opening where the debt could trigger, we can throw Shirone into a moratorium at the decisive moment."
Gando said, worried, "But could you really stab? At that decisive second… stab Shirone's heart?"
Isn't that precisely why trust holds supremacy—because one cannot stab?
"I can stab."
Uorin was resolute.
"Teraze receives the trust of many, but trusts no one. Gando—you're no different."
Gando felt a twinge of sorrow and secretly hoped Uorin's words might also apply to Shirone.
"Wouldn't you like to sleep with Shirone?"
"Ahahaha!"
Uorin threw back her head and laughed.
"Love? Well, it's not as if I've never loved across the long ages. But, Gando—"
When Gando met Uorin's eyes, he felt he finally understood why she could never be human.
"You will never know what kind of life Teraze lived."
* * *
Labyrinth Andre—World No. 1.
"Uga uga! Uga uga!"
The primitive planet's humans chattered at Shirone like they were showing off trophies, but Shirone didn't register it.
That look—anyone who'd seen Teraze would recognize it.
"Shi…ro..."
Mitochondria Eve, sensing something, instinctively turned away from Shirone.
Because it was the very beginning of the occurrence, her brain hadn't yet reached the realm of cool reason.
But the genes that would record countless histories to come retained basal events from before the reset.
'Maybe I could live a vast life.'
Mitochondria Eve's first realization in this world: the wheel of Law.
'This has to pass. If the future changes...'
Her basal events only extended up to just before the third reset was implemented.
So this incident was the first, and Shirone was thinking the same as she was.
'He's wary of being entangled with me.'
It might be an instinctive reaction, but the intention was clearly conveyed.
'Maybe he's not the first Teraze.'
If there were predecessors, other daughters might remain besides the mitochondrion before her.
'The problem is I can't be sure.'
For a nascent Mitochondria Eve with no rational faculty to analyze basal events, the primitive planet was the height of confusion.
'Will this person become Uorin in the future?'
Or will he be one of many daughters of Mitochondria Eve, buried in the tomb of history in this cave?
If the person before her were a direct ancestor of Uorin, history would save him no matter what.
But if Shirone were rescued, the future Teraze might not become Uorin.
'If it's not Uorin...'
It wouldn't be impossible for the course of history to change, and the repercussions would reach Shirone as well.
"Uga? Uga uga!"
At last the primitive humans' words reached him.
"Quick! We're giving you a gift!"
It was hard to blame them—their first tentative steps as servants.
But Shirone didn't belong to this world, and he couldn't stand by and ignore the injustice.
"Uga! Uuuga!"
The humans stamped and shoved Shirone, then swarmed around Uorin.
'Teraze....'
In an ethical world, this would be utterly intolerable, and a gleam of killing intent lit in Shirone's eyes.
"Stop. Don't do this..."
"Krah! Kraaak!"
Mitochondria Eve shook her head fiercely.
'Go! Just go! Leave me!'
Reason hadn't yet formed, but the impulse to send Shirone away surged like nothing before.
Still, when Shirone didn't stop, the animal core flared and a last gasp of reason burst out.
"Gaaaaaah!"
At the beastly bellow ripped from his whole body, Shirone clenched his teeth, turned, and bolted out of the cave.
"Damn! Damn!"
This wasn't just their problem; it was a matter of history.
* * *
"Your Majesty, the Valhalla Action debt has fallen below one percent. You must execute it now."
Woken by the message from the 3.8th floor, Uorin went downstairs without even thinking of changing clothes.
"I mustn't be a moment late."
Gando followed immediately. When they reached the room, the crystal had become nearly perfectly clear.
"It will be complete soon. If you want to set conditions it will take a few more days, but now is the only chance."
Though the Valhalla Action debt would be repaid, it was a way to hold on to the time of the mage who carried it.
"We can't hold it for long. Technical issues..."
"One second is enough."
If Uorin could throw Shirone into a moratorium for a single second at the right moment, subduing him would be swift.
"Then I will take Shirone's genes."
In the coercive manner many men had imposed on Teraze in the name of love.
"It won't be a pretty sight, though..."
* * *
"What am I doing right now?"
Under the night sky of World No. 1 with a giant moon, Shirone suddenly realized and changed course.
"You idiot!"
The ripple that would affect the world was so great that the wavering heart snapped back into place.
"Of course I have to save him!"
Even if this world went to a different future, even if he himself were trapped in a moratorium forever...
'It's the right thing to do!'
He flew at top speed and reached the cave, hearing Mitochondria Eve's screams.
'He'll die like that!'
Maybe it was part of history, but Shirone no longer hesitated.
It was about the heart.
"Stop! Let him go!"
Sensing hostility in Shirone's voice, the humans bared sharp teeth and twisted their faces.
"He's ours!"
As the words left their mouths, a streak of light sliced past them and slammed into the cave wall.
Kurrurrrrrung!
The narrow space amplified the roar, and the humans who had seen the dragon earlier were terrified.
"Ahhh! Save me! I don't want to die!"
"Get out now!"
Pointing outside the cave, Shirone sent them all clutching their heads as they hurried past him.
"You okay? Pull yourself together."
When Shirone untied the tree vines binding Mitochondria Eve, she leapt at him like a wild beast.
"Kiaaaa! Kiaaaaaaa!"
It was a howl of grievance and fury.
"Why! Why did you save me! Why did you come back!"
Tears streamed down her face—different in meaning, but tears nonetheless—as she pounded on Shirone's chest.
This could end a vast life.
'Death!'
Having regained a way to reverse things, she grabbed a large rock to smash on her own head.
'I have to die!'
Through countless generations, Teraze had forged a mind that could end life without hesitation, but...
'I'm scared....'
For an early Mitochondria Eve, death was overwhelming and terrifying.
"It's okay. Don't worry about anything."
Mitochondria Eve set the rock down with a thud and slowly turned; Shirone pulled her into his arms.
"I'll protect you. No one will bully you."
Aside from the still-faint basal events, she felt warmth for the first time.
"Uoaargh! Uoaargh!"
Burying her face in Shirone's chest, Mitochondria Eve howled like a beast and shed wrenching tears.
* * *
"Then we will begin."
At the gathering of the greatest mages, the steward of the 3.8th finished preparations to manipulate Shirone's debt.
"Give the order."
Strangely, there was no response.
Until a moment ago Uorin had issued commands with a cold stare; Gando turned, puzzled.
"Your Majesty?"
Something felt wrong and the question slipped out.
"What's the matter? Is there a problem?"
Uorin stared somewhere as if all the life had been drained from her, not even blinking.
"Ah, aah..."
Her shoulders trembled, and everyone's faces tightened as they turned to her.
"Why... why would you do this to me..."
Teraze's mind—seasoned by countless lives and unshakable even by gods—was being rocked.
"Why... why do this to me..."
The colossal resonance that had erupted at the dawn of time shoved something long abandoned back into the present.
No! I don't love anyone!'
Her heart.
"Um, um..."
Not just Gando, but everyone in the room widened their eyes in disbelief and stared at Uorin.
"Y-Your Majesty..."
It was the first time anyone had ever seen Teraze cry.