In the golden plain, Yato stood silently, watching Siegfried while holding Rael gently.
"You… Only regulators can override a Tower transfer. Are you one of them?" Siegfried asked, narrowing his eyes. He detected no hostility, but still kept his hand near his sword.
"You could say that," Yato replied with a dismissive shrug. He then placed Rael's body on a bench and snapped his fingers, conjuring a healing dome of light.
"If that's true, then I have questions," Siegfried said, stepping closer.
"Why was the boy sent to this floor? What's the Tower planning? And-"
"So many questions." Yato gave a tired smile. "For someone who abandoned his position, you sure care a lot about your student."
"Answer me," Siegfried growled.
"There are things you're better off not knowing," Yato said, then paused. "But I'll give you this much—Rael was chosen because the Tower has high expectations for him. He's not ordinary. He deserves the best."
Yato leaned back, looking at the sky. "Wasn't it the same with the King of Heroes?"
Siegfried's eyes widened at the mention of a name he hadn't heard in ages. A shadow passed over his face.
"…Does the Throne of Heroes know?"
"Not yet," Yato replied with a small smile.
-
-
In the library's candlelit stillness, Scheherazade sat beside Sakura's unconscious form.
"The Throne of Heroes…" she echoed thoughtfully.
She looked up at Yato, her voice hardening. "If you're interfering with Sakura, then she must be important. But her story is hers to write. Don't you dare take that away."
"If I really wanted to hurt her, she wouldn't still be breathing. Don't be so quick to draw conclusions, Thousand Tales." Yato replied.
"The Tower changes people," she murmured, brushing Sakura's hair. "I just hope… she stays true to herself."
"Well then," Yato said, clapping his hands once, "you'd better say your goodbyes. Time's up."
「Transfer resumed」
「Starting transfer」
"Wait—I'm not done!" Scheherazade snapped, rising to her feet.
Yato turned to her, and just before vanishing, whispered something only she could hear.
"She'll need everything you have to offer. Including... what you're trying to forget."
And then he disappeared.
…
"...Tch. I hate regulators," she muttered, returning to Sakura's side.
-
-
In a vast, white void, Rael and Sakura awoke, their bodies adrift like feathers on the wind.
They were far apart, yet they both heard the same familiar voice.
"Where the hell am I?" Rael muttered, blinking against the light.
[Just a mental space, Rael]
"Axis..." Rael smiles when he hears the familiar voice.
[You did well, far beyond expectations...]
But Axis's voice crackled now—broken and distorted, like a dying signal.
"Axis? What's going on? You sound off."
[Overclocking requires more than you think. I borrowed more than I should have... and the system... needs to restart]
"Overclocking..." Rael muttered. He figured there would be consequences, since the concept of overclocking was to boost all of his attributes at the cost of severe damage. He just didn't imagine that it would affect Axis as well.
-
-
"Axis..." Sakura couldn't accept this situation. If she had known it would end like this, maybe she...
"You'll come back, right?" She asked, trying to calm herself down.
[Of course, that's my job after all. Just... don't get into too much trouble while I'm gone]
"Hahaha..." Sakura smiled as a tear fell from her eyes. 'I'll try.'
[I'll be watching... from the silence between thoughts]
-
-
Rael blinked again, this time waking up on the golden plain. Siegfried sat beside him, arms folded.
"Ugh, my head…" Rael groaned, sitting up.
「Transfer initiated」
「 Attention: Transfer in progress」
"What?!" Rael jumped in surprise when he saw the message in front of him.
"We don't have much time, boy." Siegfried stood up.
"Sensei..."
"Pay attention to what I'm about to tell you." Siegfried interrupted, his tone heavier than ever.
"The Tower can be much more cruel than you imagine. It doesn't care about your feelings or motivations, only your potential. But remember, your emotions are your driving force. They are what make you who you are. Abandoning them will not make you better, but less human."
-
Meanwhile, in the library, Sakura was beginning to vanish into light.
"Emotions... Perhaps this is insignificant to certain beings, but don't let it be insignificant to you. Hold your head up high with pride, and always move forward." Scheherazade said.
「Attention, initiating transfer」
As the light consumed her, Sakura ran forward and threw her arms around her sensei.
Her eyes filled with tears, and she didn't seem to want to let go. Scheherazade smiled weakly as she stroked her head.
"S-Sensei... Tell me your name." Sakura murmured, trembling. It wasn't until this very moment that she became aware of her own ignorance regarding the identity of the woman who was standing directly before her. And she didn't want to leave without finding out first.
"My name..."
"Scheherazade... that is my name. Scheherazade, the Witch of a Thousand and One Tales." She said with a faint smile.
-
Rael knelt, placing his sword in front of him in a gesture of honor and gratitude. It had been a long time since he had felt this way...
"Siegfried..." He murmured his Sensei's name. He finally felt that familiar feeling that only his parents had conveyed.
"Don't die, boy, or I'll hunt you down in hell,"
"Thank you for everything, Sensei." Rael remained kneeling as his entire body disappeared. "Thank you..."
-
-
Once they were gone, Siegfried and Scheherazade remained in deep silence.
Both were still processing what Yato had said.
"This vessel is useless now," Siegfried muttered.
And then, their avatar bodies dissolved.
Far away—at a place beyond stars and time—two pairs of long-dormant eyes opened.
"I'll do it myself," Scheherazade murmured.
And her voice alone stirred the edges of forgotten stories.
-
-
「Congratulations, Trailblazer. You have completed Floor 1. Rewards incoming:」
「+1000 Lumen」
「Stat increase applied」
「Item acquired: Basic Space Pouch」
Rael exhaled deeply, back in a new room. Floor 0. A safe zone.
"Lumen… currency of the Tower, huh?" He tucked away the space pouch—capable of storing items in a pocket dimension.
"Alright then," he whispered.
「Do you wish to return to your home world: Kytherra?」
"Yes."
「Transfer in progress…」
-
-
He opened his eyes again.
Same alley. Same moment. No time had passed.
"Unbelievable," he muttered, his voice filled with quiet awe.
Then his gaze sharpened, steel returning to his eyes.
"Now… it's time to hunt those bastards down."