"Kiska, please... just die."
Ageha’s eyes were clear and serene.
The blade of her sword caught the light, gleaming as she shifted her weight.
What should I do? I couldn't find an answer immediately.
So, I took a moment to reflect. I thought about what I truly needed to do.
"Hey, Ageha."
"What is it, Kiska?"
"I tried to imagine it—what would happen if we really did loop these nine days for all eternity."
"And? How was it?"
All I had to do was close my eyes to see it. It was easy to envision how I would spend my time in a world of endless repetition.
"It was incredibly happy. Every day I spent with you was wonderful. Without a doubt, it was the happiest time of my life."
My life had been nothing but pain. I was bullied back in my village, and even after being exiled to the Kataroff Dungeon, I’d had precious few days of peace. The nine days I’d spent with Ageha were, unquestionably, the most blissful of my existence.
"The idea of that lasting forever... it didn't seem so bad. After all, I’d get to be with the person I love."
"Yes, I feel the same way! Because I love you, too, Kiska...!"
She was right. Thinking about it, there wasn't a single negative aspect.
I could enjoy my life with Ageha. We could live leisurely in the Royal Capital, or perhaps travel to different nations. We could go shopping wherever we pleased and eat delicious food together.
Then, on the ninth day, I would die and the world would loop. We would repeat that cycle over and over, spending our lives together. I could say with absolute certainty that such a life would be the height of happiness.
That was why I—
"I'm sorry. I can't help you with this."
I gave my answer with my head bowed low.
"Eh...?"
Ageha's bewildered voice echoed in the silence.
A heavy stillness fell between us. I didn't know what to say next.
"Wh-why...? You love me... don't you?"
Ageha sounded as if she were about to burst into tears. If I looked up, I knew I would see a face full of despair.
Why?
Several reasons came to mind. I felt that accepting an eternal loop was a violation of the natural order. I felt it was cruel to keep everyone else in the world trapped in a cycle of resets.
But for me, those reasons were insignificant. I wasn't fighting for some abstract sense of justice, nor was I a champion of humanity. Ageha was far more important to me than the happiness of the masses.
But I still couldn't do it. I could not cooperate with her on this, and this alone.
There was only one reason.
"Because I've already decided."
"Decided what?"
"That I will turn the girl called Puppeteer back into a human."
That was my final answer.
"If I remain trapped in this time, I can never accomplish that. I have to go back to my original time, a hundred years in the future. So... I'm sorry."
Yes, I had a duty to fulfill.
"What are you talking about...?" Ageha whispered.
"I don't understand. I don't understand. I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand... I don't understand!"
Ageha’s voice rose into a furious roar.
"Why do you care about some other girl?! Look at me! Only at me!"
"I'm sorry."
Her anger was justified. I had no excuses to offer.
"I won't forgive you..."
Ageha gripped her sword tightly and stepped toward me.
Ah, I see. It seemed I was going to be killed by her hand. I suppose that was only fair.
"Fine. I don't need your permission. I'll kill you myself and repeat this time as many times as I have to!"
Pure murderous intent flickered in her eyes. Yes, she was definitely going to kill me.
I let my arms hang limp at my sides, offering no resistance as she prepared to strike. I no longer had the strength to fight back.
Nothing mattered anymore.
She had believed Kiska would accept her proposal, but the reality was the exact opposite.
Ageha didn't hesitate. She drove her blade into Kiska’s torso. Blood erupted from the wound, painting the surroundings crimson.
With a forceful yank, she pulled the sword free. Kiska’s body collapsed with a dull thud, tumbling onto the ground.
It was obvious he was already dead.
Wait...
Ageha tilted her head. Normally, the moment Kiska died, <Save & Reset> would activate and the world would loop.
And yet, there was no sign of that happening. What was going on?
Suddenly, the unthinkable happened.
『An unexpected error occurred. An unexpected error occurred. An unexpected error occurred. An unexpected error occurred. An unexpected error occurred. An unexpected error occurred. An unexpected error occurred.』
A massive flood of text manifested around Kiska’s body. She didn't understand the specifics, but she knew something was horribly wrong.
"Kiska, what should I do?!"
Ageha screamed and rushed to his side. But Kiska didn't respond. He was dead; silence was all he had left to give.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I was wrong!"
She cried out, but her voice reached no one.
『Cause: Occurrence of Contradictory Death』
Her eyes caught a specific phrase. Confused, Ageha reached out her hand as if trying to grasp the reason.
『Cause: Due to the death of Assassin Noc, a causal contradiction has occurred in Swordsman Kiska's existence.』
Upon reading those words, it finally clicked.
The Grandfather Paradox.
It was a concept she had frequently encountered in sci-fi novels back in her previous world. If she remembered correctly, it was the theory of what happens if one travels back in time and kills their own biological ancestor before their parents are born.
Ageha had suspected it for a while now. She had a feeling that Assassin Noc was actually Kiska’s ancestor. Both possessed the same distinctive silver hair, and she knew they both belonged to the race known as Alcusians.
Ever since she had killed Assassin Noc in this timeline, she had lived with a lingering fear that Kiska’s existence would become a contradiction. And now, that fear had become a reality.
But why now? This wasn't the first time she had killed Kiska in a timeline where Assassin Noc was dead. Nothing like this had happened before.
However, there was no time to ponder that. She had to fix the situation immediately.
"<Reset>."
The moment she spoke the command, the world shifted. It was like watching fresh paint being smeared over a finished canvas, changing the scenery entirely.
With this skill, she could undo any event as if it had never happened. Ageha erased the fact that she had killed Kiska.
"Ageha...?"
Kiska was standing before her once more. There was no wound in his chest.
Kiska himself probably didn't realize what had happened, but for Ageha, time had just rewound by about ten minutes.
『An unexpected error occurred. Cause: Contradictory Existence』
"Why...?"
The words escaped her lips. Before she knew it, the world was being swallowed by text again.
It seemed that even if she didn't kill him, Kiska’s very presence in this time was a contradiction. If things remained like this, the world Ageha wanted would never be hers.
Unless she went back to a point before she killed Assassin Noc, the issue would never be resolved. And leaving Assassin Noc alive meant the Tyrant King would inevitably awaken.
"If I'm not with Kiska, then nothing matters..."
Ageha finally realized the truth. Escaping her seal was worthless if Kiska wasn't by her side. And if she wanted to be with him, she would have to accept being sealed for a hundred years.
Ageha activated <Reset> once more.