"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry!"
"J-Joe! It's me!"
"Sorry! Sorry, sorry, I'm sorry, Alice!"
"Joe! It's me, Sebastian! I'm not Alice!"
"I know! I know that, you bastard!" Joe Walker's voice trembled as he held back tears.
"Then why?"
"Just let me be like this for a moment..."
"Uh...," Sebastian was slightly surprised to hear that, but in the end, he smiled and let Joe Walker cry continuously until he was satisfied.
A few minutes later, Joe Walker had stopped crying, and Sebastian was still sitting beside him.
Joe Walker stared at the floor, thinking about Alice and Maria who were already dead.
This is my fault... If only I could have realized it sooner.
If only Alice didn't know that I knew about the existence of other humans.
If only... If I could have kept my expression from being caught while lying.
If only I had stopped Alice from wanting to meet them.
But just wishing won't solve anything. Everything has happened, and it's my fault.
A few moments later, he suddenly remembered something and smiled.
Oh, right, I can go back in time right?
"Sebastian!" Joe Walker called out Sebastian's name enthusiastically.
"You can't."
"I haven't said anything yet!"
"You surely want to go back in time, right?"
"That's right, can't I? You say i can do it back then, right!?"
"Yes, I said that. But there is a test you must pass before you can gain the 'time' authority you desire."
"So, can i?"
"But you can't do it now."
"Why?"
"Because you will regret it, won't you?"
"Regret it? Is the test very difficult?"
"Not because of the test, but you won't be able to return to this universe again."
Joe Walker's forehead furrowed in surprise at this. With a heavy tone, he asked, "Why?"
"You are a creature with the characteristic of an 'outer god' and have the privilege of having some authority that is meant for you. But you will also receive a task that you must complete. When I first brought you to this universe, I never forced you to carry out this task because you hadn't gained enough authority to change fate or anything of the sort. You could say you are a beginner at this point. But you chose to accept this mission and join me."
"What's the problem with that?"
"It's not about that, but I never told you the consequences that would happen to you if you fail the mission and leave this universe, right?"
"Does that mean the test will be conducted outside of this universe?"
"Yes."
"What happens if we leave this universe now?"
"You will lose permission to enter this universe again. You can still enter and carry out missions in other universes, but not this one."
"What is that!?"
"Responsibility."
"Huh?"
"Since you accepted this mission, you have committed to being responsible for helping this universe. But if you leave it, it means you are not taking responsibility and running away from the problem. As a punishment, you will no longer have access to all the contents of this universe. Whether it's the memories of living beings, or access to the dream world of this universe."
Joe Walker unconsciously grabbed Sebastian's collar and shouted, "Why do you set it up like this, you bastard!"
"It's your own fault, why are you yelling at me?"
"Why didn't you tell me from the beginning? You did it on purpose, didn't you?"
Without hesitation and without any expression on his face, Sebastian answered, "Yes, you're right."
"You...," Joe Walker was about to swing his hand to punch Sebastian's face.
But he stopped because Sebastian looked like Alice. He abandoned his intention because his guilt was greater than his anger.
Suddenly, he remembered what happened to Alice and started crying again.
He lowered his hands and felt weak. He felt desperate, unable to do anything but sit back on the sofa, holding his head in his hands. His eyes widened as if trying to escape from their sockets.
"What should I do? How should I handle this? What can I do? How can I fix this? How can I redeem myself? Why can't I help them? Why can I only surrender? Why can't I redo it? How can I redo it? Please! I want to help them! Please! Help me help them! I'm a special creature, right? Why? Why? Why can't I do anything?"
"It's because you're stupid," Sebastian said.
"Stupid?"
"I've been calling you stupid from the beginning, haven't I? I've been teasing you to make you angry. But I haven't lied at all. You are truly stupid, Mr. Joe."
"It's... It's because I'm stupid? That's right, I'm stupid. It's all because I'm stupid. Forgive me... forgive me for being stupid! Please!"
"Why are you so sad like this? You're still alive, what makes you so sad?"
Joe Walker, upon hearing Sebastian's words, turned to him and asked, "What did you say?"
"Why are you sad?"
"Why am I sad? Ahaha, ahahaha... You ask me why I'm sad and crying like this?"
"Yes."
Joe Walker stood up and shouted in front of Sebastian, "I want to help them! I want to fix my mistakes! I don't want to be alone! I don't want to lose them! I want them to live! I want them to live happily with me! Don't you understand? Don't you have a heart? You're an angel, right? Hey, answer me, damn it!"
"They are just two humans, why do you care so much about them?"
Joe Walker was shocked and muttered, "Just two humans, you say?"
"You don't need to worry about that, right? Their cores will soon be sent to the outerverse and will be judged by the angels there. I will also assist in the process if you want, I will make sure they enter heaven to be happy. You want them to be happy, right?"
Suddenly, Joe Walker shouted, "I want them to be happy with me! I want them to be with me! I want to be happy with them! Together! Happy in heaven? Them? You say they can be happy in heaven? In that case, send me to heaven with them!"
Sebastian fell silent for a moment before saying, "You don't want them to be happy without you?"
"Huh?" Joe Walker was surprised to hear that. Suddenly, he felt very strange. His chest felt painful, but not physically.
"You are very selfish... Mr. Joe..."
"S-Selfish? I... Selfish...?"
Am I really not wanting them to be happy without me?
What's wrong with me right now? What's happening to me?
Why does it feel so painful?
Do I really want their happiness?
Or do I just want my own happiness?