Inside the open door, the space was densely filled with the black thorn tree.
It seemed the entire interior of the palace had transformed like this. Looking inside, Damien shook his head.
"We can't get through this..."
"Let's see."
I extended my hand into the interior. Then,
Ssshhh...
The thorn tree that my hand touched retracted backward, making a path.
Perhaps because I too am a guardian of the empire. It seemed to recognize my authority and made way.
As I slowly stepped inside, the thorn tree that had cleared the way closed up behind me.
"...Looks like I have to go alone from here."
I nodded to my tense-looking companions.
"Keep an eye on the entrance."
After resolving the situation, I need to come back through here. My companions would have to wait for my return.
Waaaah-!
That's when it happened. Fernandez's forces started pouring in from all sides.
"We'll wait for Your Highness's return."
Damien, drawing his magic gun and aiming at the enemies, shouted.
"Return safely!"
Kuilan and Verdandi also raised their weapons, and the Kraken roared menacingly, swinging its tentacles at the enemies.
Boom! Kwa-gwa-gwang!
Though outnumbered, our combat strength was overwhelmingly superior. The encroaching enemy soldiers were easily crushed.
They will hold out until I return.
Believing this, I moved further into the palace.
The thorn tree completely covering the palace interior slithered like snakes, making way.
Although covered in the thorn tree, I was familiar with the place having been here before, so I had a rough idea of the layout.
I walked down the long corridor.
Unstoppingly heading towards my destination.
After some time, I began to see it.
The slightly open door to the audience chamber.
***
Sitting on the throne in the audience chamber, Fernandez had his eyes closed.
Being merged with Everblack - the thorn tree, he had sensed Ash's presence long ago.
Feeling his brother approaching, Fernandez smirked.
He was suddenly reminiscing.
About the long past they had fought together.
***
■■■■ Episodes Ago.
The letters appeared on Fernandez's body when he was ten years old.
The first sentence was engraved in the middle of his chest. It read:
- The world is repeating its destruction.
Then the second sentence.
- I sacrifice my life to pass this on to my next self.
A message from himself in a past cycle of destruction to his next cycle self.
And the third sentence.
- Ash regresses. Cooperate with him.
The transmission of the sentences ended there.
Ten-year-old Fernandez stood in front of the bathroom mirror, lost in thought. He decided that the content of these sentences was the truth.
Not only because the handwriting was his own but also... engraving such bizarre content across time and space onto his own skin was something only he could do.
"Cooperate with Ash, huh..."
Looking at the mirror, Fernandez frowned.
"...But that kid is only six years old."
Moreover, while Lark often played with Ash, Fernandez had always found it awkward to interact with Ash, making their relationship strained.
There was certainly a psychological barrier that was hard to overcome between half-siblings.
Especially for Fernandez, who was not as oblivious as Lark and was more aware of his surroundings.
But what could he do? He couldn't ignore the advice from his past self.
After adjusting his clothes, Fernandez stepped out of the bathroom and called for his eldest brother.
"Lark!"
Lark, who was doing push-ups in the corridor, turned his head at his younger brother's call.
"Huh? What's up, Fernandez? Have you finally decided to train with me? Great! Let's start by running to the training ground."
"You go ahead and train all you want... I've got something else in mind. Let's go visit Ash."
Lark's eyes widened in surprise, then he burst into laughter, standing up straight.
"Man, you should have said so earlier! Are you finally ready to get close to Ash?"
"No, it's not like that..."
"Don't be shy. Brothers should be close. Get ready to go out! I'll call the carriage."
Thus, the two brothers went out to visit their younger half-brother's palace.
The stares of their mother and household staff pricked at Fernandez's nape, but what could he do? He was more concerned about the message's content.
'What exactly does it mean that Ash is a regressor?'
So they visited Ash's palace.
Among the warm reception of the palace people, Fernandez awkwardly faced Ash. It was still uncomfortable.
"Ash, do you know what regression is?"
"Huh?"
Fernandez probed about regression, but Ash just tilted his head in genuine confusion.
"What's that?"
"It means, maybe the world is repeating, and you remember the past..."
"I don't know difficult words, brother..."
Ash whined with a clueless face and then brightened up, grabbing Fernandez's hand and pulling him along.
"Forget that, let's play! I have a secret base over here!"
"No, it's about the world... Ah, never mind."
In the attic where Ash led them, the three brothers rolled around and played together.
That day, Fernandez concluded:
'...Does he really not know anything?'
Ash was a cute little brother, but that was all. There was no help in terms of cooperation or anything.
'Well, there's no immediate call for cooperation... Maybe I should prepare for the future by myself.'
Still, from that day on, the three brothers began to meet more often and grew closer.
Then, one day, years later, Ash's mother, Empress Dustia, committed suicide.
Attending the funeral, Fernandez noticed something odd. Ash's demeanor had changed.
He still had the same kind face, but having become close over the past few years, Fernandez could tell.
Ash's eyes suddenly seemed to hold decades more life than before.
Most notably, Ash didn't cry much.
As if he had already experienced his mother's death multiple times.
After burying Dustia and at the end of the funeral,
In the rain, holding an umbrella, Ash, dressed in black, stood motionless, looking down at his mother's grave.
Fernandez slowly approached him and bluntly asked.
"I know. Ash, you're regressing, aren't you?"
"...?!"
Startled, Ash turned to look at Fernandez.
"How, how did you know that, brother?"
"Look."
Fernandez opened his shirt to show the letters engraved on his chest.
"This is a message from my past self to me. It says you're a regressor and that I should cooperate with you."
"...!"
"Explain it to me. What does it mean the world is repeating its destruction? What does it mean you're a regressor?"
Confused, Ash looked at Fernandez and slowly started to explain.
The repeating world, being chosen as a player, a world that perishes regardless of efforts...
It was a far-fetched story, but Fernandez listened intently, nodding. Then he said.
"I'll cooperate with you, Ash."
"...!"
"I may not fully remember the past cycles like you, but I can still support you in future cycles. Let's fight together."
"Brother..."
Ash, with teary eyes, roughly wiped them with his sleeve and asked in a trembling voice.
"Will you really fight with me?"
"Of course."
Fernandez smiled broadly.
"I'm your brother, aren't I? Would I let my little brother fight a lonely battle by himself?"
Fernandez didn't know.
How much comfort his words brought to Ash.
In a world that kept repeating, for Ash who was fighting a lonely battle alone, having a reliable ally appeared was a great relief.
"Let's save the world together."
"...Yeah!"
The brothers clasped each other's hands in a firm handshake.
Their faces were bright with clear hope.
And then, dozens of cycles repeated.
Still, the brothers couldn't prevent the world's destruction.
***
Bang!
Ash's hand grabbed Fernandez's collar and pushed him back.
They were in front of Dustia's tomb.
Another cycle had begun, and once again they were at Dustia's funeral. But this cycle was distinctly different from the last.
The timing.
Originally, Dustia was supposed to commit suicide when Ash was in his late teens, but now, Ash was only in his mid-teens.
Instead of rain, snow poured down at the funeral site. Amidst the heavy snowfall, Ash roared with fury, his breath turning white in the cold air.
"Did it have to be this way?"
"..."
"Answer me, brother! Did it have to be this way?"
"I thought it would be better for you to regress a day sooner."
Fernandez looked at Ash with a calm gaze.
"Yes. That's why I killed your mother."
In this cycle, Dustia was assassinated.
By Fernandez's own hand.
And at that moment, Ash regressed. That was what Fernandez had aimed for.
"Admit it, Ash. Your mother had to die for you to regress at that point."
"..."
"And the sooner you regress, the sooner we can prepare for this cycle together."
Ash clenched his eyes shut.
Fernandez was right. For a more efficient progression, Dustia's death and Ash's regression had to be brought forward as soon as possible.
But, even so...
Burying his brutally assassinated mother was an excruciatingly painful task.
"I accepted this damned role of player..."
Ash spat out as if he was vomiting blood.
"...to protect the people I love...!"
In front of such Ash, Fernandez responded calmly.
"I'm the same, Ash. But if there are lives that need to be cut off along the way, I won't hesitate."
"..."
"What we need to save is the world. A greater cause. We can't forget that."
"...Right, brother is this kind of person."
A sneer formed on Ash's lips.
"Pretending to be the warmest, but in reality... the coldest of all."
"Say whatever you like."
Fernandez lightly pushed away Ash's hand holding his collar and declared.
"In the next cycle, as soon as I'm ready, I'll kill your mother and trigger your regression."
"..."
"I'll optimize our strategy to prevent destruction. This is a necessary process, Ash."
Facing his bowed-down brother, Fernandez continued.
"Think bigger, little brother. What we are trying to save isn't your soon-to-depart mother. It's everyone in this world."
"I know, I know! But still..."
Ash clenched his teeth and tore at his own chest with his hand.
"It hurts... too much..."
Fernandez was incredulous.
Ash, who had regressed dozens, perhaps hundreds of times.
Why did he still agonize over his mother's death?
Fernandez, who only inherited the records, seemed more affected by people's deaths than he was.
***
The cycles continued.
Fernandez, based on past records, rapidly optimized the progression of each cycle.
He killed those who needed to be killed and saved those who needed to be saved. He built organizations, managed funds, and amassed armies.
Step by step, the strategy progressed slowly but steadily.
And at the same time.
Ash became increasingly haggard and desolate.
The once solid alliance between the two brothers... was slowly cracking.