The Path Linking Past, Present, and Future

Stepping through the door, I found myself in a classic fantasy setting where dense magic power swirled through the air.

Ancient Letters were etched into every inch of the walls, pulsing with a magical glow. At the center of the room stood a weathered shrine. Illuminated by an ethereal light, Jet-black Magic Power began to coalesce there.

Looks like my little “intelligence agent play” to kill time actually hit the jackpot.

“Master Shadow, please be careful!” Epsilon cried out.

“...I see. So that’s how it is,” I replied.

At times like this, the most important thing is to act like I know exactly what's going on.

“Do you know of this place?!”

“Everything has finally connected... the past, the present, and the future...”

“Wha—?! You’ve pieced it all together in an instant?!”

“—Gather.”

The magic power swirling around the altar grew denser and denser, until the entire room was dyed in a deep jet-black. I stepped forward to shield Epsilon. This might be a bit much for her to handle.

“Master Shadow?!”

Then the magic power reached its limit and detonated.

“Ugh! Such incredible power?!”

I threw up a barrier of magic to block the blast. The barrier wavered for a split second.

“Heh...” I muttered under my breath.

No doubt about it—this presence had “Boss Character” written all over it. As the Jet-black Magic Power finally subsided, the figure of a woman bound in chains appeared.

“It can’t be... she’s—!” Epsilon gasped.

Long Silver Hair and Crimson Eyes. Her beautiful features were clouded with a certain melancholy, and her limbs were heavily shackled.

“—The Human Hero Freya?!”

I see, I see. So that’s the narrative we’re going with.

“Reborn at last... after an eternity of slumber,” I said, rolling with Epsilon’s ad-lib. In this line of work, quick thinking is everything.

“B-But why would she be in a place like this?”

“If one traces the path of history, everything is inevitable.”

“Tracing history... could it be...?”

Freya (Temp) glared at us with those Crimson Eyes while wreathed in Jet-black Magic Power. Her gaze was vacant, devoid of any spark of reason.

“...So, you’ve fallen to the dark side, Hero.”

She had the jet-black mana and the hollow eyes; it was a textbook “fallen hero” trope.

“What is it you see... beyond the veil of your resentment?” I asked the shackled woman, throwing out a few lines that sounded like they fit the mood.

“Aaaaaghhh...” she groaned.

The chains strained and clattered as she pulled against them.

“Is it regret? Or perhaps...”

I walked toward the altar, my boots clicking rhythmically against the floor.

“AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHH!!”

I stood beside the altar and looked down at her.

“—Revenge?”

“AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHH!!”

“Master Shadow?!”

Freya (Temp) reached for my throat, but with a sharp clink, she stopped just inches away. The Ancient Letters carved into her shackles began to glow.

“—Very well.”

I drew my Slime Sword and held it high above the altar.

“Show me what a mere ghost intends to accomplish...”

I brought the Slime Sword down in a clean arc, severing the chains that bound her.

“UUUUUUUAAAAAAARRRRRGH!”

The moment she was free, Freya (Temp) lunged at me. Her swordsmanship was breathtakingly beautiful—almost mesmerizing. But it lacked soul. A sword without reason is just a boring hunk of metal.

I slipped past her strike and stood directly behind her. Then, I rested the edge of my Slime Sword against her neck and whispered.

“Will you... perish here?”

Freya (Temp) froze. She didn't move an inch, caught in the follow-through of her swing.

“Even after losing your mind, you noticed the magic within this blade, didn't you? This blade that can erase your very soul...”

We stayed like that for a long moment. I held the sword to her throat; she remained motionless in her pose. This kind of dramatic pause is essential for the right atmosphere.

“Surely you still have things left to do...”

Once I was satisfied that the mood was properly established, I lowered my sword. She turned around and looked at me.

“I... am...”

Her lips moved as if trying to form words, but she trailed off into silence. Even so, I felt a faint glimmer of reason return to her eyes. Slowly, her black magic power began to dissipate into mist, and she started to fade away.

“Go... to the path that lies beyond the past, the present, and the future...”

Freya (Temp)’s presence vanished completely.

I’d definitely like a rematch once she gets her head back on straight.