Although the weapon they were holding was not made of metal, the sound of metal hitting metal was heard as Oliver and Sean clashed in battle again. Scythe on sword, sword on scythe. Black flames raged around, preventing any of them from using their abilities other than controlling the energy of hatred. Narrative control was also available, because nothing can challenge the authority of the plot, but Oliver was not a master at it, and Sean did not know how to do it at all.
Both weapons reflected the blows one after another, now none of the fighters was fully on offensive or defensive – these roles changed with each swing of the blades. But that soon changed. Oliver barely knew how to control Hatred, but Sean was taught this by the one who literally embodies it. Black liquid poured out of the former doctor's left sleeve and collected into a dagger, which Sean tried to plunge into Oliver's right hand in order to hinder his movements with the weapon, but this was the miscalculation. Oliver released the sword – just as Sean was just beginning to swing his scythe – and grabbed it with his left hand, and with his right hand, which was now free, he grabbed the left hand of his former friend and pulled him towards himself. If an ordinary human were in Sean's place, by now his arm would already be separated from his body.
The artificial creature of Hate fell, losing his balance, and tried to roll in his fall, but it didn't work – Oliver made a downward piercing attack with his sword, piercing Sean's leg and pinning him to the ground. The black flame spread to the body of the former doctor and began to spread throughout it. He was vomiting black liquid. At the same moment, Oliver pulled the sword out of his leg, and threw Sean far away, kicking him in the head. Clain raised the blade above his head, and it literally began to glow with darkness – the light disappeared, absorbed by this terrifying energy of Hate. Sean, whose leg had just started to heal, only managed to roll over onto his back and hold his scythe forward, holding it with both hands, in the hope of blocking the oncoming blow... but in reality, he did not even think that he would succeed. Sean closed his eyes and smiled.
–So that's how it all ends... well, I'm glad I could at least give you your revenge. Goodbye, Oliver.
Clain slashed his sword downwards, delivering a blow of incredible power. He didn't move from his spot – there were hundreds of meters, if not kilometers, between him and Sean. But it didn't matter. Black energy escaped from the blade and moved downwards. She cut the scythe and Sean himself, but did not stop there – the wave of energy moved further, creating a huge long hole in the ground... but even that was not the end. This blow passed through the entire planet, cutting it in two. At this point, Oliver must have distorted the Narrative, allowing Sean to finally fully die, ignoring his immortality...
Sean opened his eyes, lying dangerously close to the edge, which seemed to go straight into outer space. The black flame no longer burned around, although it seemed that it was still the same forest... or rather, what was left of it. Oliver stood next to him and extended his hand. Brown's face showed shock.
–W... why? I clearly felt my flesh being torn... you could have killed me for good, but you left me alive?
–Yes, I did. I don't want unnecessary deaths... especially since even after everything you've done, it would be difficult for me to kill my friend, even the one who betrayed me.
–But there is Gehessikait! He demands that I fight you this last time!
–Then let this be the last time. Stay out of my sight... logically, this will be the last time, if you simply won't ever appear in front of me anymore.
–I will try. I don't think this will work with him... but I'll try.
–Great. Then it's decided.
Oliver stuck his black sword into the ground, after which the blade disappeared. The black flame, which replaced Oliver's clothes, that were shredded by Sean's knife and scythe, did not disappear, but was transformed – the black fire took the form of a black trench coat and the black trousers with shoes. Now, looking at him, you can't even say that the world where Oliver lives was written off from the Middle Ages.
–Then... then I'll take my leave, – said Sean and, abruptly getting to his feet, stopped time. When time started again, there was no trace of him.
Necronomicon emerged from behind Oliver, his smile seemingly wider than ever. With his eyes closed and his hands behind his head, he said:
–Wow, you've grown so much in terms of fighting skills. I didn't expect to see such a sight from you! And damn, you cut an entire planet in half, I'm impressed!
–Well, these are totally not the skills that I would like to be proud of.
Tilting his head to the side, Clain scratched the back of his head. He shrugged. The consequences of his last blow were before his eyes. Who knows where the other half of the planet is now. It seems that it was getting colder – the planet's half on which Oliver remained must have moved slightly away from the star of the system in which the events took place. However, Oliver did not feel the cold.
–Well... then, it turns out that we are back to the beginning. We need to find Kayen, but it's unclear where he is, – said Oliver.
–Yep. But now you don't have to worry about that. You have guests, – Necronomicon said and pointed to Oliver's right.
–I know. No one can't get close to me without being noticed.
–Just don't talk to me while you're with that stranger. You'll look awkward.
With his left hand on his side, Oliver turned to the right. Immediately, he created a black sword in his chest and pulled it out – he had already met this person. The stranger wore a dark blue cloak with a hood and sleeves. He had a scythe in his hands. This is the one Kayen called "Odysseus".
–There are a lot of people with scythes lately, don't you think so? – Oliver asked with a shrug.
The stranger threw off his hood, revealing long silver hair and gray eyes. And besides... it was a girl. Her face didn't show any emotion, but Oliver could sense that she was sad. This emotion was so strong that it was literally felt in the air. The girl replied:
–In my case, this is justified, Oliver Clain... I am a literature critic; I reap trite plots, like the death itself...
–Wow, this is the edgiest thing I've ever heard... especially considering I'm kinda immortal. Moreover, who even listens to critics these days? Sorry, I'm not scared.
–I didn't try to scare you. I'm not here to stop you or anything... I just want to talk.
–And why should I believe you? Last time you were on his side.
–This is what I want to talk about, – taking another step towards Oliver, and then sat down on the ground.
–How strange... I expected that person on that simp's side would be able to create a chair out of thin air or something like that to sit on, – despite his words, Oliver also sat down, leaning on his sword.
–I... as you already know, my name is Odysseus. At least that's the name I took...
–...because you travel around, trying to ruin the lives of as many people as possible by helping this brute?
–...because I'm nobody. You said it yourself, now no one listens to critics... however, he created me like this.
–"He"? I thought Gerda was a "she".
–Gerda didn't create me... I am the version of Cirael that Kayen created in his sick fanfic. As you might have guessed from Arai's condition, me and this alternate universe's version of Oliver failed in our mission to save the world.
–This... was all this prewritten by Kayen?
–Yes. He decided so for us. He decided that we would be weak and not be able to do anything. And when our world was turned into ruins, he personally came down to us and forced us to work for himself...
–He "forced you"? How could he threaten you to make you listen to him?
–He... he's not threatening, – Odysseus lifted her cloak; in place of her chest there was no flesh, there was only a heart, shrouded in light blue threads. – Kayen controls us directly, like puppets. At any moment he can seize complete control over our bodies...
Oliver winced. He himself had not been free all his life, but the idea that almost every move you made could be controlled, even when you realized that you didn't want it, was frightening.
–Ah... and where am I... I mean, Oliver from this universe?
–Ollie... I don't think you want to know. Moreover, if you decide to start hunting down Kayen... I'm afraid you'll soon meet him yourself. Kayen doesn't like to fight himself, and usually leaves such matters to his puppets... we weren't the first. He created many worlds based on his fan fiction, and in each of the the heroes met a bad end.
–That... sounds terrible. Moreover... wait, so he has a huge pile of these "puppets"?!
–No... he tried many times to invade the multiverse created by Necronomicon. The heroes of Necronomicon's worlds, whose worlds usually have a happy ending or simply do not end at all, usually successfully fight back and destroy the imperfect copies created by Kayen. His possibilities for creation are not endless, so for now Kayen has only me and... well, you get the idea.
Necronomicon, who had not disappeared from Oliver's eyes all this time, lifted its nose and nodded contentedly.
–Judging by your words, every second person here is an all-powerful creator of worlds, – said Oliver, sighing.
–It is kinda true. You know Schrodinger, right? He also created his own multiverse! True, not based at all on your story. Well, in general, I am more powerful than both him and Kayen, because of the three of us, only I climbed into the higher dimensions, – said the Necronomicon, becoming more and more proud of himself.
–-That's not the point. Better tell me, Odysseus, why is Kayen doing all of this? – asked Oliver.
–He... he wants Gerda to look at him. I don't know if you're aware or not, but Kayen was the main character of the 28th iteration, right after Kai left that role of his own free will. Kayen is... idealized in such a way that it was even disgusting. He himself was disgusted by this. But it was even more disgusting because the only trait that his character has was his love for Gerda. She played with it for a very little time, and then simply threw it away, ending the iteration and starting to write anew. He even retained his name, let alone immeasurable love... although I wonder if can we call it love... it's more like an obsession. If he existed in the same world with her, he would probably be walking under Gerda's windows and trying to kidnap her or something creepy like that.
–So he is a stalker, – said Oliver.
–Yes. He is similar to a stalker. Ahem. Now, over a thousand iterations, he's been trying to create the "perfect story"... or so he says. In fact, he simply takes Gerda's creations and makes them even worse, creating absolutely sad and hopeless endings.
–It is... yes, I definitely have to put an end to his madness.
–Yes, please dot! I know that Shab-Ni... oh, wait, you decided to call her Shabby. Hmm. Now, I know that Shabby said that you were weak for a Clain... but no one could learn to see and influence the Narrative as quickly as you.
–Kai just taught me...
Odysseus widened her eyes and frowned.
–Don't trust this man.
–Huh? Why?
–He is stronger than all of us combined. Even if you took every character from every iteration and their alternate universes and put them all against Kai at the same time... I'm confident that Kai would win. Plus, he's smarter than any of the characters. He's dangerous.
–Well, I don't know, he helped me...
–Why won't he help you right now?
–Um... that's a great question, I have no idea!
–He always strives to create the most interesting events... but for whom? For what? He's going to kill Gerda, so this book will never come out... he's been doing this for as long as Kayen remembers.
–Huh, that's interesting... By the way, how do you measure? Like, time passes differently in different stories, right?
–There is a common time that passes in all Narratives at the same time, and even beyond them, in the Sea of Ideas. We call units of such time – exes. Since the layers of the Narrative and the Narratives themselves have no beginning, exes can only be measured from some event. We take the creation of the first version of Gerda's book as our starting point.
–Yeah... okay, I somewhat understand. So you... want me to defeat Kayen?
–Yes, I do! You will have to kill both me and my version of Oliver, but... please, for the well-being of the multiverse, do it!
–Haah... well, fine! I give you my word! I will put an end to this theater of the absurd.
–Then kill me now before he takes control of me. Cut off my head.
Oliver was shocked and widened his eyes. What does she even mean? She can't really say this, right?...
–What?!
–Probably soon he will control me again, and then I will stand in your way as an enemy. It will take a lot of your stamina. So kill me now. I can't do this to myself... The narrative forbids it.
–I... are you sure?...
–Do it!
Clain hesitated. But she was right. He'd probably have to kill her anyway. He raised his sword and took a deep breath. Exhaling, he asked a question:
–But how will I find Kayen?
–When his puppet dies, the strings he created become visible. They lead to his real body, even through the barriers between worlds.
–A... alright. Then... sorry, Odysseus. And goodbye.
Clain began to lower the blade directly onto Odysseus's head, but then her facial expression distorted. She raised her scythe up, blocking the sword's path, just like when they first met. Holding Oliver's sword, with a distorted smile on her face and absent pupils, Odysseus said:
–How dare you try to destroy his favorite puppet? Lord Kayen has not yet found a replacement for me!
"Damn, she's already under control!", Oliver thought. At the same moment, the sword that was in his hands changed to completely black and the flames of the same color enveloped his body, creating a semblance of anti-magic armor and wings. "Somehow I've been fighting a lot with scythe users lately," Clain thought as he jumped away from Odysseus. At the same time, the area began to change – wooden planks replaced the ground, decorations grew from the ground, alongside it, a curtain, spotlights, a place for the audience... the entire area turned into a theater stage of absurd proportions, which hung in the air where the planet was cut off. The audience's chairs were filled with wooden mannequins, from which blue threads were extending somewhere into the sky. The spotlights turned on, illuminating Oliver and Odysseus. Considering that this whole scene stretched for hundreds of kilometers, the light was terribly powerful, since it illuminated all the way from edges of the stage.
–Dance! Dance, and then you too will earn the honor of being his doll! – Odysseus shouted, jumping towards Oliver.
Even though she was saying those words that were obviously put into her mouth, Oliver could hear what she was actually thinking. "Stop it!", "I don't want to!", "Just let me die!" and other similar things that only fueled Oliver's anger towards Kayen even more. Now the area was not blazing with black fire, which means Oliver can use his magic. In response to Odysseus's reckless advance, Oliver swung his sword, creating a wave of black energy that flew towards his opponent. When this wave collided with Odyssey, there was a huge explosion and the floor of the stage crumbled into splinters, revealing that there was a void beneath the floor, going deep, if there was a bottom at all. Odysseus herself didn't even care – there was some kind of barrier in front of her that calmly withstood the attack of Hate... and for some reason was not dispelled.
–Surprised, Oliver?! The barriers I create exist in higher dimensional space, so your pathetic 3D magic will be useless!
The manner of speech was not even close to that of Odysseus. As if nothing had happened, she continued her advance, and Oliver did not avoid direct confrontation. He believed in his speed and strength in Emotional Turbulence. Exceeding the speed of light tens of times, Oliver rushed towards Odysseus, who had already raised her scythe, preparing to make an overhead left strike. This blow was parried by the newly created sword that was hanging in the air. The same sword, controlled by Oliver's telekinesis, pushed away Odysseus's scythe even further, while Clain himself made a quick cut from the bottom left to the top, holding the black sword with his right hand. To Clain's surprise, another barrier met his sword. It became clear that Odyssey's defense was either passive, or that she controlled it the same way Oliver wielded his swords with telekinesis – without the need for direct eye contact or any gestures. And if that wasn't enough, the barrier seemed to detonate, returning all the kinetic energy of the blow, black to Oliver, sending him flying far away. In flight, Clain stopped, creating a huge platform under his feet and braking against it. "Hate can't dispel her shields... that's a problem," Oliver thought, "perhaps I shouldn't be more precise, but just hit harder, since Hate is useless." But even now Odysseus pulled out another trump card from her sleeve:
–Ollie! I'm being harassed! Help me!
Ollie? That's what she calls Oliver, which means... a huge hand burst out from under the stage floor, lifting splinters and dust into the air. This hand split into hundreds of tentacles that tried to grab Oliver, but he teleported away from this... thing. A huge mass of flesh, not even remotely human, supported by hundreds of limbs, some like arms and some like tentacles, emerged from the hole leading into the void. This creature had eyes, about 20-30 of which were located in random places on the body and looked like huge white spots with pupils. Where the body supposedly had a head, there was a pair of the same eyes, huge funnels where the ears should have been, and there was no hair or mouth.
–Oliver, there you are! I was looking for you! – Odysseus said through laughter.
However, Oliver could perfectly hear the real thoughts of Odysseus and this Oliver. Odysseus was thinking "God, what has he done to you...", "I'm sorry I can't help, dear...", "Please, Oliver, end his torment...", while Oliver was thinking, "Please, just let me scream!", "He took my mouth, and I just want to call for help!", "I've been living like this for hundreds of years, without the ability to say anything, I can't take it anymore..." and other similar things.
–Kaaayeeeen! – Oliver shouted.
Anger filled him. Wings of black flames began to expand, and soon the light of the sun dried up – a pair of huge wings completely blocked it throughout the entire scene. Oliver was no longer standing on the platform – he was floating in the air, looking at the Odysseus and a cheap copy of a main character from Ellison's book. Now Oliver wanted nothing more than to break all of Kayen's bones for what he had done to them. What Gehessikait did to the original Oliver is of course also cruel... but compared to that, the Uncreature of Hate could be said to have helped Oliver.
Black energy began to drip from the wings like raindrops. Breaking on the ground, the drops behaved like water, however, as if Odysseus was afraid of it, her barriers began to appear from above her and this mass of flesh. Getting into them, the black energy evaporated like oil in a hot frying pan. Oliver raised his left hand up, unclenching it. Now energy stopped dripping from his huge wings, and instead of it, like falling feathers, blades shrouded in black flame fell. The stage began to burn. However, even though it was now impossible to use magic, the barriers continued to block the rain of swords.
–Don't you dare touch my lovely husband! – Odysseus shouted.
For the first time during the fight, Oliver answered her:
–I'm glad we started this fight. I can free you from his control at the same time. Sorry... and goodbye. Again.
Falling from the heavens onto the huge mass of flesh that was himself from this world, Oliver unleashed a terrifying blow, but the barrier, which was now alone and covered a huge area, did not allow him to do this. Judging by the fact that Odysseus herself was sweating and putting her hands up at that time, she created this shield herself.
–You shall not pass! This barrier exists in as many dimensions as possible in this multiverse! This is an 18-dimensional shield! What can you possibly...
However, it didn't matter. In whatever higher dimensions this barrier existed, no matter how infinitesimal and zero-weight Oliver was for it, cracks appeared in the very space that this shield was. "I-impossible!" Odysseus shouted at the exact moment that Oliver, holding the sword, destroyed this last line of defense. And although Odysseus screamed in horror, Oliver knew perfectly well what she was thinking: "Finally. Thank you, Oliver." This imperfect fake of Oliver, who was turned into a monster, thought the same thing: "This hell is finally over." With one blow, he cut through the fake-Oliver and the fake-Cirael, as well as the stage below them. But now there was no emptiness there. Now there was only the most ordinary ground.
Only in the last moments before death did they regain control of themselves. Thanks to this, they were able to die with a smile on their face. Now with the real smile, not the one Kayen forced onto them, but with their own true smile. And as soon as they took their last breath, billions of blue threads burst out of their bodies and, creating a rift in space, rushed into it. Oliver followed, as the wings of black flame returned to their normal size. On the other side of the angular hole between the worlds was a hall already familiar to Oliver – a long hallway with stonewalls, the candles along the edges of which lit themselves. Unlike the estate where Oliver and company were at the very beginning, there was no dust, and the building itself was in perfect condition. Oliver looked to the side, at the windows – there was nothing behind them. The space-time continuum must have ended at the walls of the building.
Oliver already knew the way – he went up the stairs and went into a narrow corridor. The space of this corridor was greatly distorted – some doors were on the ceiling and on the floor, and some existed only halfway, finishing on collision with another surface. Oliver opened one of the doors – it led straight outside, into some other world that looked completely empty. Closing it, Clain created a two-handed sword hanging parallel to the ground and, jumping onto it, and it flew forward along the corridor, like a hoverboard. Although non-Euclidean space kept trying to loop back on itself, the energy of Hate around Oliver blocked even logic paradoxes. Thus, Clain soon reached the end of the corridor and found himself in a familiar place – a huge room where there was almost nothing. Only a throne on a small pedestal. On this throne, sitting across with his legs thrown over the armrest, with a cardboard crown, sat Kayen. He may not have looked actively angry, but it was clear that he had so much hatred for Oliver that he himself might have been called the Uncreature of Hate.
–So you broke my toys and now you think you're the coolest? How many times do you think I openly opposed the Clains of the original stories? I really hate you, stop getting in my way... or whatever the lyrics were. – Kayen said, reluctantly turning his gaze to Oliver.
–If you have conflicted with the main characters so many times, I think you should think hardly about it and stop being the antagonist, don't you think so? – Clain replied, not even hiding the contempt in his voice.
–Think about the fact that you are all pathetic? About the fact that you are not worthy of being the main characters? Why do you think this has been going on for over a thousand iterations? Because people like you cannot be in the lead role of a perfect story!
–And who can, I wonder? You can? Ah, yes, that makes perfect sense... if we ignore the fact that Gerda threw you out and is ashamed of your very existence. Oh yes, you, her hero in shining armor, can definitely bring perfection to the story! – Oliver said with sarcastic voice.
Remembering what Kayen did to Odysseus and her version of Oliver, Oliver gripped the hilt of the sword even tighter.
–Ha! Of course you won't understand! Tell me, if Cirael would betray you, leaving you to rot in a ditch, would you continue to love her?
–Well, who knows? Probably, if she did it of her own free will, and not under the control of people like you, then no.
–Ha! You naive fool! Your love for her is prewritten to you by Gerda! Even if your dear Ciri wipes her feet on you, you will not be able to feel anything but love for her... and now imagine such a situation, but if the prewritten love was 100 times stronger! Isn't that terrible, huh?
Kayen punched the back of the throne, causing it to shatter into small pieces.
–And now you want to justify your atrocities, saying that you are a victim here? Well, I don't know, if you were bullied like that, you could try to integrate into society... but you didn't even think about it, did you? You immediately started this nightmare, didn't you?
–Nightmare? Yes, I'm afraid you won't understand art, you pathetic second-rate creation.
–You... and this is art in your opinion?! – Oliver took off and, finding himself next to Kayen, swung his sword upward, but Kayen managed to create his own weapon, blocking the blow. – What you did to them... you think it's wonderful, you piece of shit?!
–They are characters! They are made to be used! How can you not understand?!
–Aren't you just a character, like them?! So Gerda took used you! Don't you understand that now you are no better than her, but even worse?!
–So what?! As long as I can create the ideal by pulling the strings, nothing else matters! All that is needed for this is your death! – switching to an enraged scream, Kayen, holding Oliver's sword with his own, gathered his strength and with a sharp swing threw Oliver into the ceiling, breaking through it.
The space outside, being created from scratch, was transforming every second. At first it was a place of dark gray stone, with volcanoes seething all around, but after a short time it all distorted into a crowded square, and then into an icy wasteland, after which it became mountains. Finally, the process of Kayen creating the world ended. Oliver, followed by Kayen, ended up on the ground in the huge Colosseum. On the stands, as before in the theater, sat wooden puppets, and even further from the stands, in the air, there was a huge throne on which sat a colossal-sized puppet of a girl. She had short green hair, golden eyes and was dressed in clothes that Oliver had never seen, but which we would call "modern". In general, if you saw a person of this appearance in a crowd, you would not pay attention. From the foot of the throne came dark blue threads, like ink, that stretched to each puppet in the stands, as well as to Kayen himself, although they disappeared above him. Kayen had the most threads, probably several thousand; there was no point in counting. Clain did not know who that doll was supposed to represent, although he had some guesses, and very good ones. He had no time to think – the enraged protagonist of the 28th iteration was rushing towards him.
Oliver was already preparing to defend himself, but as soon as Kayen was next to Oliver, the owner of this world flew back and up, as if something had pulled him there. Kayen's face lost all emotion. The threads above him began to rise and fall, and his body moved accordingly. It was obvious that everything around was just a show put up by Kayen, but why did he need to portray a puppet? Is there any meaning to this, or is it just his sick fantasy that creates all this nonsense? There was no time to think about this either – Kayen put his arms out to the sides, now hanging in the air in a T-pose, and fire began to rain from the sky... literally, liquid fire began to fall from the clouds that in an instant filled the sky above the Colosseum. Of course, all the drops very comfortably went around Kayen, but not Oliver. At first, Clain simply put his left hand up and created black fire slightly above himself, thinking that the black flame would dispel that strange substance, but this did not happen and Oliver's left hand was caught on fire, an ordinary fire this time. Without thinking twice, Oliver cut off his left hand, which immediately grew back.
Before more of this strange substance got on him, he created a multi-layered "shield" consisting of swords above himself. They caught fire and immediately melted, despite they should not have been, since they were made out of magical energy. It was obvious that Kayen was changing the Narrative, distorting logic and common sense. Even though the swords melted, Oliver simply created new ones all the time. Finally, having created a sphere of such protection around himself, he also created a huge number of blades around Kayen hanging in the air and, while the weapons had not yet melted, they all flew into the enemy's body.
Kayen didn't react. He didn't even say anything. He simply lowered his right hand and, although the "rain" stopped, Oliver's swords also disappeared, every single one, and with them, the wounds they inflicted to Kayen. When the rain stopped falling, Oliver, with only one sword left to him from the black energy of Hate, jumped towards Kayen, but he turned and waved his left hand, outlining the silhouette of a circle. The space between him and Oliver began to increase, and the space around Oliver began to decrease, squeezing Clain. However, such walls, even though they were the very concepts of the spatial continuum, did not stand next to the multidimensional shields of Odyssey, and therefore Oliver, while he was not yet completely flattened, punched a hole in the interlocking walls of dimensions and, having escaped, immediately reached Kayen.
However, he flew away again, as if he was pulled by threads. On these strings he moved even even faster than Oliver did. Kayen, who was moved by the strings, pointed his right hand at Oliver and extended his index finger. Hundreds of sharp objects that defied description appeared inside Oliver, flying out and tearing his body into small pieces. However, as before, Clain's body quickly came back together from these small pieces. Seeing this, the previously emotionless Kayen burst into anger.
–How... how?! Yes, you cannot die... but the very logic and laws of the universe, as well as the Narrative of this world, are in my hands! Even if you could do such a thing against Sean, then why can't I... I!...
Necronomicon, visible and audible only to Oliver, came out from behind Kayen, looking at him with disappointment. Sighing and closing his eyes, he said:
–If anything, it's thanks to my soul in you that you can ignore even such changes in plot. You have no idea how many times Kayen tried to write your actions, but thanks to me... hey, be careful!
The threads pulled Kayen forward towards Oliver. He no longer held a weapon in his hands and did not swing – all his limbs were hanging down while he flew at full speed towards Klein. Oliver wasted no time and when Kayen got close enough, in one swift motion he cut him in half, diagonally. "Is it really all?... no, now there will be a second phase, am I right?" thought Oliver and he was right. The pieces of Kayen's body that were falling down disappeared, and the huge puppet of the girl on the throne in the sky began to move. The panel that replicated the movement of the mouth opened, spitting out Kayen's body, which immediately regained consciousness.
–You... you won't kill me either... we will fight here forever until I find a way to destroy you completely, Oliver!
But Oliver didn't listen to him. He swung and pushed off from the platform he had created beneath himself, flying towards that huge doll. To his surprise, Kayen did not stop him, but only laughed. Upon reaching this puppet, Oliver tried to throw a punch, but something pulled him to the ground. It was Kayen's deformed arm, which, lengthening, pierced Klein's solar plexus and, becoming shorter again, pulled Oliver towards his opponent standing on the ground. Kayen wasted no time and, while Oliver created a sword-like defense behind his back, protagonist of 28th iteration formed a blade from his other hand and he cut both this defense and Oliver's neck, so that Clain's head rolled on the ground. However, not even a second passed before a new body grew from Oliver's neck. Clain quickly got to his feet and parried a blow from Kayen, who was already attacking again.
–And what do you suggest? Neither of us will retreat until the other dies! – said Oliver.
–I suggest you remember that I am also Clain, and one of the first at it... it's time to show you just how big the difference between us is!
Kicking Oliver's legs with his left leg, Kayen jumped back and, as if the strings were no longer controlling him, threw away the weapon and clenched the fist of his right hand. Dark blue light seeped through his fingers. Oliver, of course, was not going to miss this opportunity – having regained his balance and without falling he bounced off the ground and approached Kayen... only to be thrown back by some kind of energy. Hate is supposed to block everything that is considered supernatural by the Narrative... but it cannot seem to dispel the very control of the Narrative. The wave of energy that knocked Oliver back was similar to what had previously emanated from Clain himself when he uncontrollably entered Emotional Turbulence mode... and most likely, it was the same energy, because Kayen shouted:
–Clain Family's Special Spell – Emotional Turbulence: Obsession!
A beam of dark purple color hit the sky where Kayen stood. Oliver, rising to his feet, covered his face with his hand from the flowing energy, like from a hurricane wind. The column of energy, rising upward, destroyed all the threads that were stretching to Kayen. When the energy dissipated, he stood there, holding his face with his right hand.
–Yes... – said Cayenne in a quiet, creaky voice, – only my obsession with her gave me freedom... you can't even imagine how many times Gerda tried to erase me from reality, make me kill myself or set up events for my death... but I'm free... from everything, except for this stupid feeling...
–Then maybe you should have just let her kill you? Don't be afraid, I will gladly help her get rid of you... and then I will get rid of her too.
–That's why I can't just die! If I die, then who will protect Gerda from Kai Clain?! Only me! Only I, Kayen Klein, alone in the entire multiverse will be on her side, no matter what happens!
–You must have lost your mind hundreds of iterations ago... – Oliver sighed. – Well, I guess it won't be possible to convince you to lay down your arms and just give up... okay, complete your transformation there, and we will continue. After all, it is not nice to attack a character until he has completed the process of changing form.
–I'm done, idiot!
–Well... you haven't changed a lot... WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!
Kayen removed his hand from his face and it became clear that there was only a little left of his face – his entire face, except for his right eye and a small area around it, had been covered in dark purple ribbons, like bandages. Outside the face, these ribbons did not go around the head, but fluttered as if in the wind. Like Oliver's flames, purple energy began to flow from Kayen's back, creating the silhouette of wings, and in his right hand, a dark purple zweihander appeared, with an eye in the middle of the guard, which was made in the form of a circle running parallel to the blade. Holding a two-handed sword with one hand, Kayen raised it and immediately moved behind Oliver's back, in response to which Clain made the only adequate decision – he himself teleported behind Kayen's back. Not wanting to give up so easily, Kayen ended up behind Oliver, and Oliver immediately moved into Kayen's blind spot, and in response to this, Kayen teleported behind Oliver...
This chain of "*teleports behind you*" continued until Oliver's back hit the wall after another teleportation. Kayen was not at lose and teleported to his left side... and the chain began again. After another, probably the five-hundredth teleportation, Kayen, in response to Oliver's next teleport, simply turned around and struck with a swing, shouting "Enough!" "You started it!", Oliver said as parried Kayen's sword swing... or so he planned. As it turns out, Kayen's power in Emotional Turbulence, just as Oliver's in his Turbulence, has increased significantly. Oliver's black sword could not be destroyed, so Clain simply flew off, slamming into the wall of the Colosseum. He should have broken through it, but, seemingly, Kayen initially created these walls indestructible, setting this rule at the level of the rules of plot.
Shaking his head, Oliver only managed to jump to the side when Kayen delivered a stabbing blow to where Clain had just been. His sword got stuck in the wall, but he turned it swiftly, destroying the wall, which until just now was indestructible. Behind the stonewall there was just more stone, instead of the passages that should be in a normal arena. Shards of the wall, along with a swing of the blade, flew at Oliver, but, taking advantage of his superiority even over the light itself in speed, Clain easily deflected all the pieces of stone, including even the smallest specks of dust, with his sword. At the same time, he, now grabbing the hilt of the sword with his other hand, somehow managed to block the terrifying vertical blow delivered by Kayen, and it was here that the difference in free hands played a role. Kayen grabbed Oliver by the neck and, squeezing it tightly, lifted him up and slammed him to the ground. Stepping on his chest with his right foot, he knocked the sword out of Oliver's hands with his left. The black flames enveloping Oliver turned back into a black trench coat with trousers.
–And it's all? I expected more from someone who personally came to me!
Raising the purple sword above his head, Kayen prepared to deliver the final blow... another one of these "final blows". However, now that Kayen was in this form, Oliver felt that if he received a fatal blow now, then even the Necronomicon would not be able to protect him from the changes in the plot. Kayen's Emotional Turbulence must have indeed destroyed the threads that controlled him, literally. Unfortunately for the protagonist of the 28th iteration and fortunately for the one resurrected by Hate, this blow was not delivered – the blue strings, which had recently been cut during Kayen's transformation, wrapped around his arm and pulled him away from Oliver, after which they hit him on the ground . "What the..." thought Oliver, jumping to his feet. However, he did not have to complain – thanks to this, he is alive. Clain again created a black sword in his chest and pulled it out, turning his black clothes into flames. Necronomicon that appeared in Oliver's gaze and was looking at Clain, pointed behind his back, at the puppet on the throne, mouth open in surprise. He said:
–Just look at this! A literal Deus Ex Machina!
–What are you talking about? – asked Oliver.
–Well, this is a doll, that, according to Kayen, should represent Gerda! And, being a writer... well, you know, it's literally a Deus Ex Machina!
–But why did it help...
–Ahh! Gerda, why?! Why don't you let me eliminate the threat that endangers you?! – Kayen shouted, lifting his head up as he slowly stood up from the ground.
And the heavens answered. The letters in the colors of ink appeared in the sky. And they were... in comic sans font: "Maybe because it will be more profitable for me to help him kill you now?" Once enough time had passed for Kayen and Oliver to read it, the words changed: "No, seriously, you know it well enough. I tried many times to kill you, erase you from reality and all that. And you think I'll miss an opportunity like this? Like, come on. You're so pathetic if you think I won't destroy you at the first opportunity." Kayen's face filled with anger and confusion while Oliver, along with Necronomicon, laughed, pointing at Kayen. Further, there were these words: "So, yeah, Oliver, good luck! Yes, you are trying to kill me... but I think that once you see the full picture, you will change your mind. Just like I already changed my mind. This is what I've been thinking about all these 4 years..." And finally, the message changed for the last time: "And now I have to go to bed, it's 2 o'clock in the morning, and I have to go to work tomorrow. Decide the fate of the world without me, okay? Bye!" While Kayen tightened his grip on his sword, Oliver wiped away a tear that had flowed from laughing.
–Oh, so ironic... what's wrong with your face? The one for whom you are supposedly doing all this was initially against you! – said Oliver, barely restraining the desire to continue laughing.
–You... You! We'll see who has the last laugh! If you rely so much on plot armor, I, too, will pull out some Deus Ex Machina!
Pulling another trump card from his sleeve, before Oliver could move a muscle, Kayen, from another space-time, summoned Beatrice, paralyzed and shrouded in light blue threads like Odysseus and Oliver from an alternate universe, to this world. Judging by the fact that her eyes were still moving, the angel was still conscious.
–When I pulled you into my worlds, she followed into the portal created by Kai... and then disappeared from the story. Where do you think she was for so long and why did I ignore your presence for so long? Because I was providing myself with insurance. And here it is, my safety net!
All the amusement immediately disappeared from Oliver's face. Such emotional swings did not go unnoticed by him – the black flame began to fluctuate, and at that moment, the wings that were behind Oliver's back began to expand, reaching the limits of the arena. The walls they touched disappeared, dissipated, ceased to exist. Now the Colosseum existed only partially – everything that was behind Oliver was a void, where there was not even space-time. Clain bared his teeth.
–Ha! One move and I'll erase her! I'll send her back to the Sea, where she belongs! You are our "hero"; you won't let a villain kill a hostage, will you?
Oliver froze. Considering how much time has passed, and how quickly it happened... does Kayen really not know about this?
–You're wrong. Yes, I wouldn't let you hurt her... but Beatrice's time is running out anyway. – Oliver's voice trembled. – So this is literally the worst hostage you could take, Kayen. You really are pathetic.
Although he said this, he was afraid. He had not enough free time to think about what Kai and Beatrice were doing now. Until the end, he believed that somehow it would be possible to save her, to let her to continue existing, so that she would not return to the Sea of Ideas that she was talking about. However, seeing how, after his words, Beatrice's own gaze became more confident, he understood perfectly well that she must really have less than a day left. Maybe even less than an hour or a minute. Closing his eyes and exhaling, Oliver raised his sword. At this time, Kayen clenched his fist, which caused the threads covering Beatrice from head to toe to tighten even more. Starting from the bottom of her body, she began to disappear. Evaporate. Dissipate.
–I'm not bluffing, Oliver! One more movement...
But Oliver don't listen to Kayen. He swung the blade down swiftly, creating a wave of black energy that rushed towards Kayen and Beatrice.
–You're insane!
Kayen twitched his right hand upward, lifting Beatrice down, thereby shielding himself by her. But right now, at this very moment, she simply disappeared entirely. Her time must have come. Without even having time to defend himself with his sword, Kayen took upon himself the full force of Hate released by Oliver. When the dust and sand kicked up by the impact created at the moment of impact settled, Kayen was still standing. A long wound running across the entire torso, from the right shoulder down and to the left, was oozing blood. Unlike Oliver, he did not have such regeneration, and therefore he took any damage much more seriously.
–You... it doesn't matter! I'm still simply stronger than you! Brace yourself, Clain, I'm coming!
Kayen was right. He is still physically stronger, and Oliver does not have superior speed. The protagonist of the 28th iteration, taking the sword with both hands, rushed towards Oliver. Oliver met him holding his sword. Sharply opening his eyes, Clain blocked Kayen's blade coming from above. A deafening roar was made by the clash of swords. Oliver pressed his feet into the ground and clenched his teeth – he could barely resist this overwhelming onslaught. It was clear that everything will be decided in a few moments.
~*~
Light has broken through where there can be no light. The liquid, reminiscent of the very absence of liquid, began to ripple, although there was no wind. The words reached a consciousness that had almost dissolved. "Wake up, it's time for you. I... I'm sorry that I took your place for so long... you should have been there with him. Wake up, Cirael. Don't dissolve in the Sea of Ideas... like I will," said the voice. There was no body here, so there were no ears to hear the words and no brain to understand them. However, this did not stop her. Having no eyes, Cirael opened her eyes, and the world around her began to fill with colors. Now she was already standing in an endless sunny flower field, looking at a girl who strongly resembled herself.
–You are... Beatrice, right?
–Yes, Cirael Clain, that is indeed true. What you just saw are my memories of events that happened while I existed... but my time is up. I still turned out to be useless... I was a typical "damsel in distress". It's a pathetic sight, isn't it?
–No, I do not think so. Without you, it would have taken me a long time to comprehend all that happened. Well, now I know what is going on... and that he needs my help... haha, Oliver just can't stop getting into trouble, can he?
–Yes, he can't... Cirael, listen to me. Calm your mind. I'm not the real Clain... I never was. But you are a Clain, by rights of the plot. You should be able to. Don't think about anything, focus on the flow of existence... damn, I don't know how to explain this, and my time is running out. – the lower half of Beatrice's body had already disappeared, and the upper half hung in the air, gradually disappearing from below. – Just... go to him. I'm sure you will immediately understand when the time comes.
–Okay, I'll... try. Moreover, who, if not me, will save him in such cases? Well, goodbye... and thank you for being with him for all that time I couldn't.
Beatrice tilted her head to the side, closed her eyes and smiled. A tear rolled down her cheek... and at the same time she completely disappeared, leaving in her place a rift in space, similar to the one created by the blue threads that escaped from the Odysseus. Exhaling, Cirael pulled her sword from the sheath hanging on her belt, and, spreading her wings, stepped into the rift. She saw Oliver being crushed by a character she already knew, Kayen. Now he looked different – his face was covered with ribbons, he had "wings" similar to the "wings" of Oliver's Emotional Turbulence, and he was holding a strange zweihander in his hands, which Clain was barely holding back with his black sword. Oliver himself, to his wife's surprise, was completely covered in black flames... but looked absolutely sane, just like the last time they saw each other. He must have already completely harnessed this power... Without thinking for a long time, she flapped her wings and flew towards Kayen. He was focused only on Oliver, as Oliver was on him, however, since the two perceived everything around them through the Narrative itself, they still noticed Cirael. Moreover, she was much weaker than both Oliver and Kayen at the moment. Kayen managed to jump back, while waving his sword towards the angel. Oliver barely had time to stand in front of her and lose his head... which, to the winged woman's disgust, immediately grew a whole body from the neck. Thank God, this was enough to protect Cirael from this swing.
–Ciri! You shouldn't be here! You're not strong enough for him! – Oliver shouted, standing in front of the angel.
–No, I... I! – Cirael said, confused.
All her life, except for times when Oliver was going insane from Emotional Turbulence, she was stronger than him, and therefore she was the one who protected him... but now everything has changed. Oliver was stronger than her, and... "Am I really just a burden to him now?" thought Cirael, "No... what did Beatrice say... calm my mind? Don't think about anything?" While Cirael was thinking this, Kayen took off and decided to attack her as the weakest link of the chain of Clains. Moreover, if he can take her hostage, Oliver will definitely remain helpless. Cirael, with her abilities, should not have even noticed Kayen's superluminal movement... however, to the surprise of both him and Oliver, she elegantly dodged the sword, which Kayen had not even raised yet. The blow only cut through the air.
Oliver took advantage of this – he, realizing that if he spent a lot of time, Kayen would have time to prepare for defense, hit the stalker on the head with his fist. Kayen flew far away, slamming into an indestructible wall. Clain turned to his wife and began to ask the question "Ciri, are you okay?!", but stopped halfway when he saw Cirael's transformation – there were no wings behind her back, and there was no armor on her. Instead of armor, there was futuristic clothing, reminiscent of a summer long dress, shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow, which slid along small squares that determined the colors. The wings were replaced by double-sided light blue cones flying behind her back, which consisted of many fragments. These fragments moved every now and then, exposing the inner core, which emitted a blue glow, reminiscent of the color of Cirael's eyes. Her sword was transformed, becoming very angular – the hilt was rectangular, like the guard; the blade became sharp only on one side, and was also covered with a pattern reminiscent of thousands of lines that shimmered in different colors. Cirael said in a voice that did not express any emotion:
–Clain Family's Special Spell – Emotional Turbulence: Serene Mind. Now I am not an archangel, but the Angel of Imaginary Numbers, the guardian of mathematical logic, so I hope you don't mind if I also acquire a form of Turbulence.
–Wow, darling, you look absolutely amazing!... but how did you avoid this? Even I could barely catch his movements...
–I see the future. I can see what will be written next and can change my actions accordingly. At the same time, everything that will be written about others will not change, – Cirael answered so monotonously, as if it were a voice generated by a speech synthesizer.
–Well, I don't really like your new way of speaking... but it's only during Turbulence, right?... right?
–Yes. Probably. Probability of this: 98.6%.
Oliver suddenly lowered his head and shoulders. He would be sad if his wife's brain were suddenly replaced by a computer. But there was no time to be sad – he quickly raised his sword, parrying a purple spear that flew from Kayen's direction.
–Okay it does not matter! Let's put an end to this psycho... once and for all!
–Yes, Oliver. Let's do it.
Oliver stood to Cirael's left, and she stood to his right. Oliver held his sword in his right hand, and Cirael held hers in her left. They both pointed their swords down and to the side, causing their blades to intersect. Oliver said:
–I am Oliver Clain, Creature of Hate.
Following him, Cirael said:
–I am Cirael Clain, Angel of Imaginary Numbers.
–And together... we will destroy you, Kayen Clain! – they said in unison.
–I... I am Kayen Clain, the Overseer of Perfect History, and do you you think, – said Kayen, in a raspy voice full of anger, – that by uniting you can resist me?... I will tear you apart!
Pushing off the wall, he flew towards Oliver and Cirael. Cirael widened her eyes, which now had several bright blue circles around her pupils. Oliver, on the other hand, closed his eyes. In unison, they raised their blades and took exactly one step forward, at the same moment bringing their swords down... Kayen also continued his flight, flying between them and raising his sword... But between Clains flew only his remains – he was cut into three parts parallel to his body. He didn't bleed. What came out instead was purple pus, just like Oliver's black pus... just a different color.
–This is the end? – Oliver asked, opening his eyes.
The head of the Clain family looked at the huge puppet in the sky, which, according to Necronomicon, should represent Gerda... but this puppet did not move. Kayen lay dead, and the threads running from the throne to the wooden puppets in the audience disappeared. The Gerda doll itself bent over and fell next to the Clains, creating a shaking like an earthquake.
–This must be the end, darling – said Cirael.
The angel's voice became normal, and she herself smiled. Her mechanical "wings" began to disappear, although her dress and sword remained the same. At the same time, Necronomicon appeared in Oliver's gaze and, sighing with relief, nodded.
–I no longer feel the presence of Kayen... on our entire Narrative layer. He's gone, Oliver. This really is the end... for him.
–Oh, hello, Necronomicon. I thank you for saving my husband from an untimely death when Kayen distorted the Narrative.
Necronomicon jumped up and froze in the air like an statue, looking at Cirael in fear.
–Y... you can see me?! And you hear me, too?!
–Yes. I see everything that is written. And when I am in Turbulence, even what will be written in the future. So I can see and hear you perfectly, Necronomicon, – Cirael answered, laughing slightly. – Beatrice gave me all her memory... so I know that you helped Oliver a lot. Thanks again!
Without realizing it, just now releasing the sword and turning the black flames back into black clothes, he took a step towards his wife and hugged her. Cirael, shuddering slightly, hugged him back and closed her eyes. She had not felt such pure emotions and affection for a long time, even long before that fateful trip to the cemetery at the beginning of the story.
–I... I missed you so much, Ciri... – said Oliver, starting to cry.
–Well, well... everything is fine now. I'm here. And this Kai of yours, I'm sure, will be able to figure out a way to destroy Gerda... although, let's be honest, I don't really trust him that much... but you have to trust at least someone. Okay, I'm sorry for burdening you with my worries, Ollie, – Cirael answered, hugging her husband even tighter.
–Yes... now everything will be fine... we are finally together and...
And then he found himself alone in a completely empty black space. He turned around in terror several times, and only the third time did he see a woman dressed in a solemn long black, green and gold robes, open in the front. Underneath these robes was a white robe and gold jewelry hanging from the neck. The stranger had long green hair and her eyes were covered with a masquerade mask. She said:
–Good morning... I just woke up and I see, you managed to do it... thank you very much, Oliver.
–You... you are Gerda, right?
–Right. Or rather, this is the body that I just wrote for this little conversation. Don't be afraid, I will bring you back very soon. I just want to say... that this will be the end. There will be no more restarts and new iterations.
–Why should I believe you?...
–If I wanted, I would have already erased your world after you killed Kayen. Of course, Necronomicon is powerful, but even he cannot completely deny his writer, despite the fact that he has gone through hundreds of iterations. Only... only Kai is capable of this.
ؘ–Haaa... that makes sense, but... why?
–Because... you really are alive. Everything that I created... I gave birth to a whole world that I no longer have the right to simply cut off in the middle. Oliver, you are the version of Clain who was able to save me and the multiverse from Kayen. This only pushed me further towards this decision. So Oliver... no, I'm addressing everyone... – at that moment, a couple of thousand characters appeared in this space, looking around; some of them, like Schrodinger, Shabby and Ktul, were familiar to Oliver, but the rest were not – I will have to deal with Kai, once and for all. And you... live happily... and live freely.
Oliver, widely opening his eyes, was already standing next to his wife and Necronomicon again.
–This... you saw and heard this too?! – Cirael asked, sparkling with joy.
–Yes, it... it was Gerda. I feel it... – Oliver answered in a dumbfounded voice.
–Haa... so it all had a meaning after all... – said Necronomicon, leaning back and lying in the air.
Having released Oliver from her embrace, the winged girl literally jumped on the spot with joy. But Oliver...
–But first... I need to do something. This... no, these terrible, distorted, wrong worlds that Kayen has created... I will destroy them.
Oliver turned his clothes back into flames and pulled the sword from his chest. He drew it in a circle above his head and swung it once. The next second he was already sitting on a chair in the familiar ice palace. Cirael and even Necronomicon were not nearby. Kai sat in the chair opposite, smiling.
–Congratulations. You destroyed the horrific multiverse that this pathetic simp created, Kayen... and what will you do now?
–Just move on with my life, Kai.
–So, here it is... I tried 1077 iterations to make her change her mind, but it was you who did it... haa... I should be happy, right? – Kai said in an ironic voice.
–Are you... not happy?
–27 versions of my friends died, were distorted, were cursed, erased from reality... just so that she could be forgiven? Ha... hahaha! Yeah, it's funny... of course, I won't forgive Gerda. However... thanks, Oliver. You have already done everything that was required of you. From now on, as she said, live happily and freely.
–No, Kai, wait, I have want to ask so many more!...
But he didn't have time to finish. Together with the chair, he appeared... in his house. Next to him was Cirael, and the soul of Necronomicon was floating in the air. All three looked around. Oliver felt, in some strange way... this was home. This was not an alternate universe or another iteration. This was his home in the capital of Arai. Not a parallel world in which there was a copy of his home... this was his world and his home. In a normal situation, Ciel would now be greeting Clains, but... she was dead. And the dead cannot be brought back to life.
–Cirael, we... we did it! We saved the world from a restart, and also destroyed the threat to the entire multiverse! So, in the end, we are... real heroes?!
Covering her mouth with her hand, Cirael breathed quickly, but still answered:
–I... it sure seems like this, Oliver! This... this is simply incredible! It was a wonderful adventure!... despite all that we lost.
–Yes! It was just great!... but...
A smile appeared on Oliver's face, which did not bode well. He said in a joyful voice:
–...when are we going on our next adventure?
Side:Oliver
End