I let out a strange laugh that resembled a sighā¦
[Againā¦]
I knew I would visit again someday. Itās better now than ever!?
Because I was tired, I might have been exploited by my weak heart.
Is that why I was drawn here?
In this pure white spiritual world.
Sigh, if I had felt relieved yesterday, this is it.
I didnāt come here on my own. In that case, there must be someone who invited me here.
In the past, Luna often invited me here. And I used to train my mind together with Greed here.
However, Luna is no longer there.
But thenā¦thereās only one other person who can summon me here.
[Iām sure youāre here. Come out.]
My voice was sucked into a pure white world.
I couldnāt help but click my tongue. Itās too bad!
[Come out.]
After a while, a black shadow spread like a stain across the white world, signaling the arrival of the person Iāve been calling out.
The stains coalesced and took the shape of a human.
[You seem troubled, donāt you?]
[You are very polite to make me come all the way here just to tell me that]
[Itās my body too. Lest you forget it.]
The other meā¦ the Sacred Beastkin part of me, showed me the pattern engraved on his right hand.
This was a sacred engraving that I inherited from Snow during the battle against Libra.
[Thereās a reason why this sacred stigmata hasnāt disappeared, you know.]
[Thatāsā¦no way!?]
[It means G.o.d still exists.]
[Where? I should have been eaten Him!]
The other me grinned. Then, he pointed to my chest area.
[Thatās right. Heās sleeping inside you right now.]
[Inside the Gluttony skill?]
[And itās probably about to be born.]
He showed me his right arm, which had a sacred stigmata on it, and said,
[Look here.]
The sacred stigmata changed color, appearing as if it is blazing red. This is proof that someone has received G.o.dās revelation.
[You should get it now. G.o.d hasnāt been fully defeated yet. You merely devoured it whole. And apparently my revelation is to free Him.]
[Are you intending to fight me?]
[No, thatās not it. Weāll be killing each other down. And bet everything on the survivor.]
[Both of us were originally one. If one dies, the other one will die too.]
[If you think saying that will get you on my good side, then youāre awfully wrong!]
The fact that he can talk better than before means that the other me is becoming more powerful. The reason for this may have been the incorporation of Snowās sacred engravings.
[If youāre going to keep on going any longer, then Iāll show up right here and take my place as Fate.]
[No way. Itās not that Iām worried because I like you. After that battle in His landā¦ I thought everything was fine. I had no doubt that I would be able to go back to everyone. But nowā¦ living in a place I donāt know, with rules I donāt understand.]
[Whatās the point? You can think with your head, you can communicate with your mouth, you have arms and legs, and you can go anywhere. What more do you want than this? If the current situation is hopeless, you can change it. If you canāt do it, then I will.]
What is he trying to say? Whatās the point of coming to another country and imposing our rules on them?
[Are you trying to become a G.o.d?]
[Having none in this world is fine and all. But, there is a G.o.d in the Gluttony skill that is worth respecting even though it is a failure. It makes sense to give protection to something that doesnāt have it.]
[There is no salvation in such an imposition. It is domination. In the end, it is no different from what the elves are doing.]
[Everyone wants to be controlled. Thatās why we canāt give up our faith in G.o.d.]
[Youāre wrong!]
I glared back at the other me.
There was no negotiation from the beginning. Only a clash of words. Itās like trying to play catch with someone so young that he couldnāt even play catch.
At times like this, there is only one way to communicate.
In order to prove that what each other believes is correctā¦
I pulled out the broken black sword from its sheath. Similarly, the other me also had a black sword appear from somewhere.
[People are stupid.]
[Speak for yourself.]
[Look at that black sword! Itās worn out. Throw it away and get a new one. Like I did.]
He raised his black sword in a spectacular manner.
[Greed and I have always been together. We will always be together.]
[Donāt think you can beat me with that junk.]
The other me closed the gap in an instant and swung his black sword down from overhead.
Itās like heās provoking me to try to block it.
I didnāt like it.
The way he uses that black greatsword is an insult to me and Greed!
A heavy blow. I had to catch it near the handle.
We glared at each other as sparks flew. Even though he looks just like meā¦ he can still make such a bad face.
[Skills and status donāt work well in this elf world, right? And you dare acting bossy to me? Youāre being pushed by me.]
[ā¦]
[Just like this, Iāll cut you into pieces and feed them to the dead in the depths of your Gluttony skill.]
You are wrong in three ways.
One is that I am in charge of the Gluttony skillā¦ I just canāt handle it right now outside of the system.
Two, this is not just your spiritual world. The base is just a thin layer over the world of Gluttony Skill, creating a s.p.a.ce like a safe house. This isnāt the real world. In the world of Gluttony Skill, my original powerā¦skills and status can be used.
In the end, I will never give in to you.
Even without Greed, I can fight with a broken black sword.
[UooooooOOOOoooh!]
[What? Youāre such a crybaby!]
[Itās okay for people to cry when theyāre sad. You can cry because youāre happy even when youāre smiling. Are you able to do that?]
The black greatsword was deflected back.
I thrusted the broken black sword as if I was punching with it into the opening I made.
[Ghaaahā¦thatās your weakness.]
The other me, who stood up unsteadily, licked his upper lip and laughed.
[I thought you were mentally weak because you are alone, but youāre actually quite energetic.]
[I wonāt lose to you.]
In the end, even in the fight against Libra, we couldnāt cooperate or understand each other.
Even in a battle like that, if we canāt find an even ground, there will be little hope for us in the future.
We are parallel lines that never intersect, but share the same body.
The other me stabbed the black sword into the ground.
[Maybe not now. But, there will always be next time.]
[What do you mean?]
[In this elf world, you are the same old have-nots who canāt do anything.]
[Kuhā¦]
[So how is it? How does it feel like to go back to your old days?]
There is definitely some irritation. Not being able to do the things you could have doneā¦is surprisingly painful.
It wasnāt even like going back to basics, I really couldnāt do anything. I was reminded of the old feeling of helplessness that I had forgotten.
Thatās what heās trying to get through to me.
[So, how about a deal?]
[With someone as untrustworthy as you?]
[Look at how you hate me now. There was a time when we got along just fine.]
[Though itās only for a short period of time, right?]
If I have a chance, will I be able to listen to the words of the person who wants to replace me?
However, the other me was calm.
He raised his right arm, which has a stigmata on it, towards me.
[Iāll lend you my power. Itās the power of a sacred beastkin. This power can be used even in this elf world.]
[Why?]
[Itās up to you whether you can trust me or not.]
[Whatās your purpose?]
Without my consent, the power of the sacred stigmata was carved into my right arm.
Donāt do as you like!
[Itās simple. The more you use this power, the more Iāll become you]
[Then all the better. Thereās no way Iād use it.]
[Are you sure? Iāve been watching you. Youāll use this power when there is nothing left your powerless self can do.]
He looked at me with unwavering, confident eyes.
Iāve lost the will to object.
[But, feel free to do your best to prove me wrong. Iāll still lend you my power any time you need it]
[ā¦..shut up.]
[And gradually Iāll replace you. I will become Fate.]
With a smile, the other me disappeared into the pure white world.
And then, I too departed from this world. The time for sleep was coming to an end.