Bonus : Flashback Chapter

BONUSSSSSSS

A flashback.

It was 2000 years ago.

The great halls of the City of Books stretched endlessly, their towering shelves filled with the accumulated knowledge of countless worlds. Golden chandeliers hung from an infinite ceiling, their light reflecting against the massive stained-glass windows that depicted ancient stories long forgotten.

At the center of it all stood Bernkastel.

The Witch of Miracles.

She was clad in her signature blue dress, her expression eternally emotionless, her violet eyes deep and unreadable. Her gaze swept across the grand chamber, where the highest authorities of existence had gathered.

Beside her stood Featherine Augustus Aurora, lounging on her floating throne, her crescent-shaped headpiece gleaming under the mystical light. Lambdadelta, the Witch of Absolute , sat cross-legged on her floating seat, her pink dress bright against the void, a smirk on her face. Furude Erika stood with her arms crossed, her piercing gaze focused on Naruto, her ever-present smugness present but muted.

Beyond them, hundreds—no, thousands—of Theory Goats stood in formation, their unreadable eyes locked onto the event taking place.

Bernkastel raised her hand slightly, and the room fell into absolute silence. Her voice was devoid of warmth, yet carried the weight of reality itself.

"I hereby, as the Great Witch of the City of Books—the Witch of Miracles herself—declare Naruto Cipher as the Third Seat of the O5 Council."

Applause erupted.

A deafening, synchronized chorus of approval.

Featherine gave a knowing smile as she lightly tapped her long pipe against her chair. "Interesting. Let's see what you'll bring to our little… council, child of the madness ."

Lambdadelta chuckled, crossing her arms. "Tch. He better not be boring, or I'll drop-kick him out of existence myself."

Erika scoffed, flipping her hair. "We'll see if he's really worth that title."

And the Theory Goats? They simply bowed in unison, their deep voices resonating through the chamber like an echo across time.

The weight of the cosmos itself shifted that day.

And Naruto Cipher , the one who had rewritten the very nature of his being, had ascended.

The Third Seat of the O5 Council.

Naruto stood before them, his sharp yellow eye gleaming with an unreadable expression. He had ascended, but he wasn't naive. He knew exactly where he stood.

"Lord Bernkastel," he said smoothly, acknowledging the one who had played a hand in his elevation.

Bernkastel's cold violet gaze flickered toward him. "Just call me Bern."

Before Naruto could respond, Lambdadelta floated up beside Bernkastel, her frilly dress swaying as she pouted. "Heeeehhhhh? Shouldn't it be only me who gets to call you that, Bern?"

Bernkastel didn't even spare her a glance as she replied, "Naruto is my favorite. Therefore, he is the only one besides you, Lambda, who may speak freely to me."

"…My master?!" Erika's voice came out sharp, filled with disbelief. She took a step forward, eyes wide. "But… I'm your creation!"

Bernkastel turned her emotionless gaze onto Erika and, in the same breath, dismissed her entirely. "Erika, make me a bento."

The words hit harder than any spell or curse.

Erika flinched.

"You are my creation," Bernkastel continued, as if it were the most trivial fact in existence. "But you are my second-grade favorite."

Erika's eyes twitched, but then, as if clinging to whatever affection she could, she forced a smile and bowed. "Yesss, my masterrrr~!" She turned and bolted off to prepare the bento.

Featherine Augustus Aurora chuckled from her floating throne, the golden light reflecting off her crescent headpiece. "Speak, child of madness. Don't be shy. You are now a part of the Great Senate itself."

Naruto exhaled slowly. His fingers traced the cane in his hand before he looked up. His voice was calm—but the weight behind it was immeasurable.

"I saw my future self," he stated. "And my existence from a lower dimension… is nothing more than a comic or entertainment to you all."

Bernkastel didn't deny it. She merely nodded. "That's correct."

Naruto let out a sharp laugh. "Of course it is."

Bernkastel's expression didn't shift, but there was a strange glint in her eye. "You suffered what I suffered. A situation akin to Logic Error, though on a much lower level. Therefore, you ascended."

Naruto's fingers curled slightly around his cane. "You dumped me into that bear trap," he muttered. "And I passed. That's all."

Lambdadelta grinned, floating closer to him with a gleam of curiosity. "Ooooh? No more secrets, Naruto~!" She poked his cheek, smirking. "Tell us everything~!"

 Naruto's grin didn't fade, but his sharp yellow eye glowed with something indecipherable.

"A party that never stops," he mused. "With a host that never dies. Across every multiverse. Everyone, one day, will enj—"

CLANG.

The sound of Bernkastel's scythe striking the floor cut through the air like a guillotine.

The Theory Goats, who had been playing their violins in the background, halted immediately. The very atmosphere froze, as if reality itself had been commanded to stop.

Lambdadelta blinked at Bernkastel, her mouth still slightly open. "I can educate—"

Bernkastel raised a single hand.

Lambdadelta shut up. No words were needed.

Bernkastel slowly turned to Naruto, her unreadable violet eyes locking onto him like an inevitable fate. "You mean… everyone? You mean every existence… having a happy ending? An endless story… filled only with happiness?"

Naruto held her gaze.

Then, he nodded.

Bernkastel's fingers tightened around her scythe.

A low, almost inaudible chuckle left her lips.

Then—her voice, chillingly flat. "And if that happens… Who will entertain us?"

The words hung in the air. A creeping dread settled into the room.

"That's what dust and chips of wood from the lower dimensions are for, Naruto." Bernkastel's voice was devoid of warmth, yet it carried the weight of a divine truth. "They exist for our entertainment. To quell our boredom."

Naruto didn't speak.

Featherine, lounging on her throne, finally chuckled, breaking the silence. "Our boredom would kill us, Naruto—child of madness." She tilted her head slightly, her crescent shimmering. Her purple eyes gleamed with ancient amusement. "And that position you now possess?"

Her gaze sharpened. "It cannot be bestowed onto just anyone. Except by Bernkastel herself."

Lambdadelta huffed, crossing her arms. "What that Auauaurora is trying to say—"

Featherine's crescent pulsed faintly as she lifted a finger, stopping Lambdadelta mid-sentence. "You don't need to repeat that ridiculous name, Lambdadelta. Just 'Aurora' will suffice."

Lambdadelta's smirk twitched, but she didn't argue. Despite her childish personality, she knew better than to openly defy Featherine. A Creator Witch stood above Voyagers like herself. It was like the difference between the sky and the abyss—between existence and nonexistence.

Still, she pouted slightly. "What Aurora's trying to say," she muttered, "is that it's their role. The lower dimensions exist to entertain us during our… shall we say, rather long and boring lifetimes?" She twirled her finger in the air, lazily. "And 'boring' is an understatement, considering we'll be around for millions of years."

She shot Naruto a teasing look. "You should be thanking our God Himself—the Fourth Heaven, Mercurius. Thanks to his law, every time he resets the whole existence with his acta est fabula, another story, a whole new verse is created."

Bernkastel's lips curled into a small, unreadable smile. "Lord Mercurius births another set of stories—such as yours, Naruto."

Her violet eyes locked onto him. "Aren't you grateful to be in the same position as us? Not stuck with those nobodies from the lower dimension?"