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After everything that happened, and that dream, I really wanted to sit down and just… I don’t know, rest. I had so much to process, and Zero One—or should I call her Raven from now on?—was right by my side, apparently waking up almost at the sa ti as I did.
The two of us were crying at that mont. Perhaps there were too many coincidences, but we had both dread about deeply sad things. In my dream, I was able to finally confirm that my brother from the novel, from that tiline I thought didn’t really exist, was here—but his existence had been twisted into a Void Ruler.
In the original novel I read, the Seamless Abyss wasn’t my brother; he was simply another destructive Void Ruler. But I knew sothing was strange when it started showing interest in —when it gave that eye crystal, and then when he appeared to fight the Universal Computer, defending us and buying enough ti to finally destroy her.
Or, well… in the end, I didn’t do as much as I would’ve wished. I was still mostly powerless against a Void Ruler, but Zero One’s Mother did it, using a powerful weapon she designed specifically to destroy the Universal Computer from the inside out, targeting her weakness to human emotions, willpower, and dreams.
It was odd that a Void Ruler was vulnerable to sothing so simple… But considering she was a machine, perhaps that explained it to an extent—a machine that had beco an eldritch god, no less.
I still don’t fully understand how she managed it, but in the end, she did it, and that’s what matters. A Void Ruler is dead—good riddance. One less is always a good thing, honestly.
With the Universal Computer gone, Bestia should be safe for now, perhaps for the next thousand years or so, as she seed to be the only one obsessed with this world for so godforsaken reason.
Perhaps it was the unique “Story” of this world’s “Records” that was so enticing to her. Maybe she aid to claim this world first so no one else could later. Whatever the case, her absence is the best result.
Zero One also experienced a profoundly revealing dream, which she shared as I comforted her with a hug. She said she t her mother, perhaps for the last ti, and her mother explained why she did the things she did and why she sacrificed herself.
Apparently, her sacrifice wasn’t reckless; it was part of her plan. She knew that if she remained, she would only worsen the discrimination against machines, as she was the one who led them to commit their atrocities.
So she planned to destroy her own core and the entire chanical tree with her weapon, sacrificing her life and existence to defeat the true culprit behind everything. Now, the people of Bestia would have no choice but to slowly accept the machines, as their leader gave her life to protect this world, attempting to atone for their past sins.
I don’t know how well this will work… But I can see where she ca from. She also wanted to entrust the responsibility of leading the machines to Zero One—one of the first machines to be accepted by the people of this world and who actively worked alongside them to defeat her Mother and the Constellations behind her.
It was a remarkably clever plan, but if I were in her place, I don’t think I could have simply given up my life and left my daughter alone—especially when they had so little ti together. It was a very… pragmatic decision. I suppose that, even until the end, Zero One’s Mother remained a machine, prioritizing the best outco for everyone’s survival over emotions.
Nonetheless, her farewell was emotional, and she was able to say goodbye to her daughter properly this ti.
I also learned that Zero One was the last human of the machines’ original world, and so much more… Honestly, the lore was incredible. I wish this had been in the original novel! It would’ve made the story so much richer.
I couldn’t help but wonder how many other worlds with such moving, emotional stories are out there, never to be discovered, forever forgotten.
It saddens to think about it, which only deepened the sorrow I felt from the loss of my adoptive father, the Heavenly Demon, and the pain I shared with my friend, Zero One, who lost her dear Mother.
Although I didn’t develop a bond with her Mother, I love Zero One like a sister, so I deeply understand her pain, and it made truly sad for her.
She didn’t deserve to go through this… Anyone but her.
Zero One is such a wonderful girl—so kind and precious. It makes wish I could change things, that I could give her a happier ending.
But here I am… I’ve already been trying to do that. It’s not like I could ever go back in ti, either—not even my brother could when he reached his pinnacle. We could say this is a parallel universe from the novel now.
And…
Haaah…
So many thoughts, worries, and… more thoughts. But for now, I should focus on what’s in front of and help Zero One through this.
“Do you feel better?” I asked her as I caressed her hair.
I noticed she had finally stopped crying, though her eyes were still slightly red. Despite being made purely of synthetic materials, she was truly so human.
And, well, she once was, at so point.
“Y-Yeah… Thank you, Anna… I-I was selfish. I didn’t even think about what you’ve gone through, too… The Heavenly Demon… I’m so sorry…” She cried, hugging tightly.
“I-It’s… it’s alright…” I muttered. “Just like your mother, his sacrifice wasn’t in vain. Thanks to him, we were able to gravely wound Lucifer, a terrifying foe, and exorcise him from this place, too. I suppose his defeat also weakened the Void Ruler significantly… giving your Mother the chance to destroy her.”
“Y-Yeah…” Zero One sighed. “I suppose… I guess for such a monuntal battle, winning without losing so people would’ve been impossible… What your Father and my Mother did… their lives saved thousands. Millions, perhaps. And this world… which will eventually give birth to billions of lives in the future…”
“Hm,” I nodded. “It’s nice to… at least try to think positively… as sad as it is.”
I tried to look at things positively—I really did—but the emptiness I felt after realizing I wouldn’t see my cranky old master anymore made deeply sad.
He might’ve had a terrible personality at first, but as I got to know him, I realized just how great a person he was and how much he improved with each battle we faced together.
He really changed—a lot.
And perhaps he changed because of us, his family…
“What… should we do now?” Zero One sighed. “I… I just don’t know what to do anymore…”
“Well, first, we’ll gather the bodies of all those we lost and mourn them,” I said. “Later… I might have to leave.”
“Eh? You’re leaving? But why?!” Zero One’s eyes widened, panic setting in. “W-Where to?!”
“I… I must return to my world,” I said. “I’ve already accomplished my goal here… I helped everyone save this world, and we defeated the enemies threatening it. Although, with all those we lost, it might not truly feel like a victory, it’s recognized as such by the higher powers that sent here.”
“Anna…” Zero One muttered. “That’s right… I forgot you ca from another world… I’d grown so used to seeing you every day. Since the day I was created, you’ve been there for … I’ll… I’ll miss you so much…”
She hugged again, trying not to cry but ending up crying even more.
Sheesh, she’s such a crybaby, seriously…
“For soone made of steel, you’re such a soft crybaby, Zero One…”
I patted her shoulders, smiling lightly.
After that, she looked at with her teary eyes.
I kissed her forehead, smiling at her while caressing her long hair.
“You’re strong. I’m sure you’ll figure out what must be done. Your mother gave you a mission, right? You have to protect this world, its people, and the machines—her children, your siblings,” I said. “I don’t really know what awaits the future of this world… But it will only prosper with the cooperation of both the inhabitants and the machines.”
“…Yeah,” Zero One nodded as I wiped her tears. “Thank you…”
“It’s fine…” I said. “For now, first of all, you need to rest, Zero One. Also, my Mother and Song are there, along with everyone else, and they’re pretty smart. I’m fairly sure the Heavenly Empress is much smarter and wiser than I am. She’ll guide you, I’m sure.”
“I suppose I do need to rest, to sort out my thoughts and the information I have…” Zero One slowly stood up. “Should we go et with everyone else? And, um, when are you… leaving? Not too soon, right?”
“Uuh…”
How do I tell her I’m likely leaving in the next 24 hours without breaking her heart?
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