In the corridor:
‘I will have some arguments with him. When “I” realize that liking will completely modify consciousness and cognition, I will resist and rebel. In the life-draining prophecy of my previous life, there was this scene.’
‘But if everything is already arranged, wouldn’t that be too pitiful?’
‘But I remember that I have paid so many costs to make things develop to this point. This is already the last time period where I can exert influence.’
In the rainy garden:
‘Hagel, I know you will have some doubts, and I know you think I possess incredible power.’
‘But I might disappoint you. I only have fragmentary memories. I’m not as intelligent as before, but I don’t want your expectations to fall short.’
‘Fortunately, I still remember what happened with Duradfi. That item… Brief Sobriety of the Starry Sky. I recall it can act on the System, temporarily lowering favorability or clearing the System’s influence? I’ve forgotten. The effect can only be verified by future me.’
‘Hagel, Viseliane, I have to continue playing the part of being clever. Everything will be fine once “I” arrive.’
‘Whether it’s your regrets, or your expectations of me, or my expectations of you—I cannot fulfill any of them right now.’
‘Deliberate mystification… does my current behavior count? No, the things I managed to leave behind will indeed take effect in the future.’
When Grin entered:
‘Eh, why did someone suddenly appear? Black hair, black eyes—an Easterner? No… he looks very familiar.’
‘Grin, is it him?’
‘Why is he here? I… have I forgotten something?’
‘His gaze is so complicated. The way he looks at me seems nostalgic.’
‘Ah, memories. I remember now, the memories in the System.’
‘So I’m a memory recreated by the System now? “Punishment” or… I can’t recall the rest. What would past me do? I should call him “dear,” right?’
‘Yes, the address is “dear,” and I should say to him… “Long time no see.”‘
—
‘Eh, that translucent thing on his body—is that the System Panel I was thinking about earlier?’
‘Let me see. My Unswerving task. Sure enough, she still didn’t use the choice I entrusted to Hagel. She must have hesitated, but in the end she definitely made a decision following her heart.’
‘Learning the result of a commission the very next moment—is that considered lucky?’
‘And these main quests. Scarlet Sect… that should be the organization behind Count Canko, right? The organization that later continues to plot disasters in the Kingdom of Land—I remember… the Scar Brotherhood.’
‘He asked if I can see the System. It should be because other recollections of me, or the real me, confessed to him.’
‘There’s nothing to hide. Let me see. The Quest System doesn’t show specific rewards. Apart from that, there’s an independent Favorability System.’
‘Why is the Favorability System independent? A value of 90 seems a bit low. Is it because my memories are incomplete? In this broken state, shouldn’t I like him even more? Not being at full is so annoying.’
‘He’s already the one I love most—more important than my own life.’
—
‘He asked about a topic I’ve already forgotten. No matter how I answer from now on, my memory issues will be exposed, so I might as well be honest.’
‘Maybe I can even create a bit of mystery and bluff my way through. Everyone before me has done so much—I have to restrain myself and not show any cracks.’
‘For now… I guess I managed to bluff through?’
‘Next… try to divert his attention with the newly learned Scarlet Sect and Scar Brotherhood. I really don’t remember a lot!’
‘Ah, why would he ask me that? Hiding something? I can’t even remember my past clearly, damn it, you sly bastard!’
‘No, I can still remember some things. The detailed reasons are forgotten, but I still recall the feelings, the impulses, what I would do, the reasons past me had for hiding things.’
‘I know it was definitely for him. I know there was a period when I deliberately tried to forget the existence of the Second Playthrough. But in the end, my choice was…’
‘To put aside the present for him, to gaze at the future, the gods, the abyss… Ah, when I woke up, those past pieces of knowledge nearly tore apart my soul. Some knowledge cannot be brought through a crossover.’
‘Fortunately, that pain that almost killed me helped me remember these things.’
—
‘Undersea City… so that’s its name.’
‘I still remember that child, Phil. She wasn’t bad; she was simply trapped by her own prophecy.’
‘I remember so clearly—was it because there was a moment of joy back then? Because the price paid was so high, I felt grateful that I was the one who paid it instead of him.’
‘The points that are deeply etched in memory—how strange.’
—
‘He has Viseliane’s conquest task on him. That means he has already changed Viseliane’s ending.’
‘How wonderful. At least in this world, I don’t have to engrave the scene of Viseliane’s death into my heart.’
‘I said I wouldn’t cry, wouldn’t be sad, would forget her—but I still clearly remember those words, those scenes, for decades.’
‘Even though I’ve forgotten many things, I vividly remember the matters concerning Viseliane and Hagel. Perhaps my planning for his rebirth also included the hope that he could help change these death endings.’
‘Even though I’m pushing for this, I’m still anxious at heart, unsure if everything will develop as expected.’
‘Can I do this well? The previous selves paved such a long road. Why is the one wrapping it up someone with incomplete memories…’
‘Unswerving… He still asked that question.’
‘As expected, he noticed because of the System’s prompt. Hmm, it could also be deduced from details in our interactions.’
‘Unswerving means death for me at any time. It implies negating the past. I absolutely have not fallen in love with him now… For past me and the me in memories, it was honey-sweet like. For me who is with him now, it’s poison that erases will.’
‘The real me must have hidden this from him, right? That’s why he’s puzzled and suspicious. Going to death calmly… I think I can understand that a little.’
‘But I can’t tell him the truth. I believe the real me’s choice has its reasons.’
‘Let me… briefly keep it hidden for her.’
—
‘I can feel everything around me becoming illusory. This seems like a sign that the end is near.’
‘Even though I want to stay with him a little longer, in the end I’m just a character in a memory.’
‘Does this count as accepting death calmly? I still remember many things about him, yet I’ve forgotten my own true past.’
‘I’ve forgotten how I came to this world—or is it because I’ve experienced death firsthand, so I still remember the deep, unforgettable fear of death?’
‘For someone who has already died, is it really possible to accept death calmly?’
‘It feels so sad. He’s about to leave. I… I can’t reach out and hold back.’
‘Just maintain this posture, like in front of Hagel and Viseliane, keep up the dignified and clever appearance.’
‘Dolores, you can do it.’
‘I want to cry… I can’t cry…’
‘Dolores, hide your longing. Don’t let him worry about you. Everyone else managed to do it—you can do it too.’
‘Don’t cry, Dolores. You’re not a child anymore. Soon, it will be over…’
—
Grin opened his eyes to a snow-white ceiling.
The room was silent, yet in his ears echoed Dolores’s small, timid inner voice.
The world around him was quiet.
But his heart could not calm down for a long time.
So, did he hear that or what