Epilogue: Cursed be thee, Challenger

At the Hall of Words, the end of the game between Himari and Sayaka drew closer and closer to its conclusion.

One by one, their most difficult questions are being answered and as their points are being expended, the exchange between the two grew more and more heated with no one side willing to give up on the game.

"We're running out of cards and points. If you have any tricks up your sleeve, I'd say this is the time for you to bring it out."

"Don't tempt us to ruin the game."

"Right. You're not helping at all…"

The two, pressured with the current complexity of the game where one mistake that they can't recover from in their next turn would ensure that they would lose it completely, picked their cards with not only the intention to grab the points of the other to secure their chance for a last question, but to also make sure that in the other side's turn, they can't take it back from them.

"This… and this! Tch!"

"Hah! I pair these two cards and take your points!"

"Heh! You fool! I take my points back with this pairing!"

For a while, the game became one where they tugged on and back to the points until there came a time when there is nothing more but four cards that are not overturned on the table with one that Knowledge has opened as the number to try and reach in the middle.

"This is it… it seems."

"Right. With one mistake, one of us would lose…"

"Yeah… one will have her question answered and one will lose that chance completely."

Ever since they witnessed Ephraim and Law escaping Justice's pursuit of revenge and they continued with the game, Knowledge was so sure that everything will now follow his predictions and according to it, one of these two will win and the unanswered question of the losing one would make the world naïve to the ending of the world.

"Hrm?"

However, as the two calmly looked at each other instead of fiercely staring each other down and intimidating their opponent into accepting defeat, Knowledge sensed a ripple in the outcome that he is seeing.

"We can either finish this and have only one question answered…"

"Or… we can help each other and have both answered."

Both Himari and Sayaka were holding a pair of cards, ready to turn it over to see who it was that would win… but with that exchange, they let go of the cards and shook each other's hands in agreement.

"We're merging both of our remaining 50 points, Knowledge. With this, we have 100 points and one question that you promise to answer without lying or hiding anything."

"…"

"Hey… don't tell me you're backing out now of all times."

This wasn't in his predictions… and because of this, Knowledge felt a sensation in his chest that he has never felt before as the embodiment of a rationality of reality.

"What… is your question then?"

Still, he is bound by his promise and breaking it would incite the wrath of both Justice and Law. He had no choice but to answer to it lest he become the reason for those two to form a truce just to bring him down.

"Your question, it must be "that", isn't it, Himari?"

"Yes. It's exactly what you suspect it is, Sayaka."

With an exchange that never explicitly stated it, the two decided on the question and Sayaka asked it out loud.

"Is the future predetermined… or can it be changed?"

That question went unanswered as Knowledge drew out a long sigh that went on for a while.

"As much as it annoys me, it can be changed… just now, it has been changed from the one that I was so sure would happen to an entirely random one that is out of my predictions."

Knowledge stood up from his seat and turned away from the two who seemed to have a fire lit ablaze in their eyes.

"With that information, we can fulfill the plans now."

"Count me in. If anything, I will need to be a part of it now."

While Sayaka and Himari stood up to leave the domain together as the bearers of the news, Knowledge shook in anger in front of the orb that displayed Ephraim's fight alongside his companions against Yoshino.

"You darned imbecile of a Vessel!"

For the first time in his eons-long life, Knowledge felt that emotion well up in his heart again.

"Must you turn everything you touch into a total mess?! Now… Now…!"

Knowledge raised his fist against the orb and after he hit it with a punch, it was pulverized completely.

"Now nothing will ever go as I foresaw!"

That day, the world went one step closer to its destruction… and in the core of it is a young man who has sworn to not be the one that would do it.