Chapter 315: Betting With Large Stakes

I do not know what to say. In the face of Finality, numerous emotions arose. 

Part of me is thankful for their test. I will eventually reach my current level, yes, but the experience will be different.

Naturally, I am also very pissed. This outweighs all the other emotions I have.

I want to beat them up. From blueballing up until messing with me in every other way possible, I am pissed off.

My surroundings changed. Space shifted. I am now in front of the black silhouette.

Bam-!

My right uppercut to their face sent shockwaves. It got space cracking down. I achieved this effect without Yamato's help.

The figure stood still. Not a single bit of reaction is let out.

I felt the impact. There is also the aftermath. Yet, they simply stood.

…

Hm.

I understood what they wanted to say. It's very confusing. It popped up straight into my mind.

First, the extra thing I did earlier is known by them. I kept my [Finality] authority and erased my memories about it. I did all of that to use it as a hidden knife against Finality.

Which brings the second thing. It is their original intention to be 'hijacked'. Whether it is me or them who prevails, it will determine the outcome of the test.

My failure…

It will lead to the complete erasure of the real universe. They will erode my influence. The 'Lostbelt' will be lost as well.

It is very cruel.

Thus…

"Why not show yourself?"

I wanted to talk to Finality… but not like this. I want words to come from their mouth.

A gust of wind passed by me. A blink was all it took for the black silhouette to change. 

"Are you kidding me?"

Shiing-!

I used Yamato to cut everything. Finality, who bore the appearance of Bosenmori Mei, is forced to revert to their blank look. Gray fog seeped out of nothingness. 

My Spirit World can invade even the Imaginary Tree. It will exist throughout all parallel worlds—branches—located in it.

Naturally, I can use its power inside this imaginary space.

They changed into another appearance.

"One more. Try me."

The tip of my blade is directed to their neck. Finality turned into the adult Kiana. This is strike two.

"Use someone I am fine with beating up."

I did not know whether Finality took it seriously. It reverted to its blank black form. A blink later, they really turned into someone beatable.

His smug and sharp look did not match his short height.

"Huh. Smartass or whatnot." 

These words came from the form they chose.

It is none other than my counterpart—the Wanderer of Inazuma. As big as his hat is, he is small.

Our height disparity is around twenty centimeters.

As if sensing my bad thoughts, he gave me a salty stare.

"You finally chose the right person."

"How immature."

"So what? I am taller than you."

"..."

Wanderer let out a snort.

"If it weren't for this narrative…"

"Your height won't change."

"..."

His face solidified for the second time.

Finality chose a good character. His face alone provokes someone to beat him up.

"They used my body as a vessel. Isn't it to give you a good narrative? To grant you the talk you pestered them with." He said with a flat tone.

Hm, alright.

Finality is powerful. They brought along Wanderer's existence in this imaginary space. They used his existence as a mouthpiece. It is similar to someone copy-pasting a whole person; much like clones. The Wanderer in front of me is Wanderer, but he is also not the original Wanderer. 

Damn. This is becoming the Ship of Theseus all over again.

I concluded this with the thought: Finality is like that yellow robot. 

That is why it is distasteful to use Mei and Kiana to speak. Either way, I can forcefully revert those changes.

As for what will happen to the original Wanderer?

Finality might leave him a gift.

For now, he can only act as a spokesperson.

"How was the journey?"

"..."

Wanderer's eyes widened before it returned to normal.

"How stupid am I…"

The Wanderer in front of me might be a copy. Nevertheless, he possessed everything the original Wanderer had. That included his personality and reactions.

After he composed himself, he began explaining things.

"They are aware of your hidden weapon. They want you to use it against them. Doing so will lead you into another difficult battle." He said. "If you wish to concede, you may leave. Their power will continuously erode the entirety of the Imaginary Tree. You will have to clash against them there."

Their main point is that they will pester me to death. They will fight me in whichever form conceivable.

There is no escape.

"Why won't you wait until I grow stronger?" 

I asked a somewhat stupid question.

Well…

I got influenced by Herta. I want to hear the answer from them.

To this question, Wanderer responded flatly:

"They want to test your entire being. The prosperity and decline… The rise and fall of this world will be at your hands. Your decision affects their choices."

"..."

It is very simple. They want to test me now when they can still do something to me. On the off chance I grow strong enough to ignore them, they will be helpless to do anything.

Even, it's not far-fetched for them to destroy this entire world had I not been worthy.

Unfortunately for them…

"It's pointless. I represent infinity. Infinite possibilities. I can revert every single damage done."

"It won't sit well for you."

"..."

He got me.

The lesson I got from Parallel Earth is enough. I let go of Parallel MEI and Mobius simply because they wanted to. They entrusted their everything into the real Mei and Mobius.

If I revived them at that time, everything they did would lose weight. It will become meaningless… and unnecessarily light.

I swore not to let it happen again—that I don't have to reverse everything just for everyone to live.

I don't know if it was only me.

But, the weight of everyone on my Earth is irreplaceable. 

What about being the literal embodiment of infinite possibilities? What if I can return them back? To only fight back once I am stronger… once I reach something similar to an infinite sequence of (n+1)?

…

I refuse to let that possibility happen.

Once it does…

Everything I fought for until now becomes meaningless.

By then, I will lose my anchors. I will no longer be myself. Aleph is truly gone. What will be left is someone who objectively operates infinite possibilities. Someone who travels meaninglessly across other worlds. Someone whose sense of purpose is gone, with his sole mission being a conceptual law itself.

Can I restore myself at that point? Perhaps.

Am I willing to let Finality do this to me? Hell no.

Even if I can restore myself, this experience will become my deepest regret. I vaguely felt that something won't sit right with me. It will cause an unimaginable consequence I am not willing to face.

…

"What a good plan."

This is the only way to force me against a cliff. Nothing else will work. Finality bet on the fact I am me;

That I will treasure all my life's experience;

That I will treasure the journey I went through;

That I will hold dear everything that made me.

Once these facts are stated…

"Let's end it already."

…I willingly stepped forth into Finality's final test.