Mob MC 359.1

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Chapter 359.1. Shin

A quiet world. A room made entirely of obsidian, with ceilings and floors crafted from the same material. Condensation dripped from the ceiling, forming droplets that fell with a soft sound, accumulating slightly on the floor.

The room was illuminated by the worn-out magical light crystals installed along the walls, and besides the boy sleeping on the rectangular altar at the center, no one else was present.

In the spacious hall dominated by silence, as if to shatter the stillness, the rough sound of leather shoes echoed from somewhere. 

The footsteps gradually grew louder, revealing a figure as they approached the illuminated area. The owner of the footsteps, revealed by the light, was a man wearing a mask. He wore a tightly fitting long coat, and underneath, armor with the gleam of magical metal peeking through.

As if expressing frustration, the man deliberately made noise with his footsteps, stopping before the boy sleeping on the altar. Then, to calm himself, he took a shallow breath.

"What on earth is this? It's quite different from the story. I should have followed your instructions, shouldn't I?"

"The prediction was that the roles would have changed, but the outcome would have remained the same."

A calm female voice responded as if no one was there except the man and the sleeping boy.

"It's not a prediction. This is a dead end."

Turning around, the man turns his gaze as if he could see into the darkness, and his voice becomes raspy.

"Excuse me, Ymir. No, Kanna Yamato."

A woman appeared in the darkness, wearing a pure white robe, as if she were a priestess. Her hood was long, and her face showed only a crimson mouth.

"It was not a prediction. Let me rephrase. That's the original fate. The fate determined by the modified destiny."

"What does that mean for the current situation? Now, Kanna Shin is a wanted man. There's no way he can become Emperor like this!"

Removing the mask revealed the supposedly deceased Shin's father, Duke Kanna Yamato. Waving his hand abruptly, Ymir turned towards the sleeping boy. No, Kanna Yamato.

"I succeeded. It wasn't just an optimistic prediction. In fact, I became the Emperor. But, that annoying Sena had to wish for a redo to Ashtaroth!"

"Hehe, your tone is quite disturbed, Kanna Yamato. Certainly, I felt the time loop and tried to stop it in a hurry, but it was in vain."

"That's right. If I hadn't been asleep for the final adjustment... I regret having to admit it."

"It can't be helped. To consolidate all the fleeting memories and return them to one, you had to sleep. And, to achieve that, only the most unnecessary and useless personality traits were left as a dummy."

"I should have collected Ashtaroth's head or something useful... And the result of the redo is this? Why did it turn out like this? Spatial Witch."

As if enduring a headache, Kanna Yamato muttered with irritation, placing his hand on his forehead. 

Watching his reaction, Spatial Witch curiously placed her hand on her cheek.

"It seems that the existence named Takano Miu was born as an irregular. However, your role as villainous Duke Kanna Yamato should've been replaced by her. In fact, she should have been in opposition with Nobunaga, destined to fight each other."

"That's right. Initially, that was the case. And then, at the end, Takano Miu intervened when the resurrection of the Demon God Ashtaroth was about to happen, exposed the evil deeds, and defeated the Demon God. Kanna Shin would have cleared his name, returned to be a Duke, married Sena, and become the Emperor. Wasn't that the plan?"

The words of Kanna Yamato made Spatial Witch nod as she approached the altar. 

"Fate does not connect with Takano Miu. However, if that's the case, she thought she could manipulate her surroundings. She skillfully manipulated the red-haired clown, and everything was supposed to converge towards the predetermined fate."

Gently stroking the face of the boy sleeping on the altar, she pulled up the corners of her mouth slightly, chuckling in an amused manner. 

"Her actions did not consider people as people but propelled only towards her purpose. Even if tens of thousands, even billions, were to die, she didn't care—or so I expected. But, something happened."

"What is that something? What changed her actions?"

"... I don't know. It's something even I couldn't predict. The threads of fate were supposed to be fine, and Ashtaroth was destroyed. By the time I realized, it was over. I'm impressed that she managed to defeat it in such a short time, though I was a bit slow to notice."

Amused by something she couldn't predict, Spatial Witch grinned with interest. Combing the hair of the sleeping boy with a hand comb, she turned her face towards Kanna Yamato.

"Originally, I planned to intervene in the battle with Ashtaroth, sacrifice Aguni Masatoshi, and an even stronger person, you. I have to change the plan a bit."

"... What? You were planning to sacrifice me?"

In a conversation that seemed casual, Kanna Yamato raised an eyebrow slightly, becoming wary as he reached for the sword at his waist.

"... It's different from what we discussed. Originally, the plan was to defeat Ashtaroth, obtain its knowledge, and with Aguni Masatoshi as a sacrifice, you and I would gain eternal life. I was supposed to become the eternal Emperor. Wasn't that the deal?"

"Even after gathering 9 souls to attain power beyond humans, what's the point? Fufufu."

With a mocking laugh directed at the space witch, Kanna Yamato, with increased vigilance, reaches for the sword at his waist.

"You helped me in the loops before, didn't you? It was supposed to be according to our deal. As far as I remember."

"Fufufufu, ahahaha. Yes, that's right. Your memory serves you well. It used to be that way. I assisted you in countless loops, killing powerful individuals within the Kanna Dukedom and creating Shin with the 9 souls, including your own."

Breaking the usual calm atmosphere, Spatial Witch laughs as if she has gone mad. Her laughter echoes in the hall like an eerie reverberation, creating a disturbing atmosphere.