Chapter 195: Twist

  An hour later, Prota sat there, stunned.

  She almost couldn’t believe what she had just read. Of course, none of it was actually unbelievable. All of it, to a degree, made sense. Additionally, there was the fact that John had been reluctant to tell her about it, which meant that he believed it himself.

  It was simply too much information to process at once, especially considering it was about her.

  She had no parents. She wasn’t even a normal child. In fact, she was actually the reused corpse of Sofya’s child turned human, injected with John’s power. The purpose of her existence was to kill Destiny. Her entire childhood had been an orchestrated event, intentionally designed to make her suffer.

  On one hand, it was relieving to know that she hadn’t just suffered for no reason. On the other hand, though, it wasn’t like Doctor could be blamed for everything. Just because he’d set things up in a certain manner did not mean the year she’d spent in Vulcan was all his doing.

  Strangely, knowing all this didn’t disturb her. It was just a little overwhelming, that was all. In comparison to the things John had taught her, it wasn’t even that hard to grasp.

  Suddenly, a giant shadow appeared overhead, blocking out the sun. Prota looked up, seeing a large winged being slowly descending. It looked like a dragon, but surely it wasn’t one. Had Destiny sent an actual dragon to come pick her up?

  “Prota!” she heard, and a figure leapt down.

  She was half expecting the same figure and face, so she jumped a little upon seeing a far more mature and handsome figure.

  The first thing she noticed was that the hero had grown quite a bit. He now towered over her, and she thought that he might even be taller than John. His face had matured, his features far more defined than before. His jawline was sharper, his eyes fiercer, his hair grown out and rugged, giving him the appearance of the hero he was meant to be.

  “You… you look the same,” he said, letting out a small laugh. “I know you were in a sort of stasis chamber for five years, but I… never mind. Are you alright?”

  Prota nodded silently.

  “Alright. Hop on. There’s a lot we need to tell you.”

  “...Destiny,” Prota said quietly. “Where is John?”

  “That’s…”

  Destiny looked away awkwardly. Suddenly, Prota remembered something. The system. John’s health was displayed there. If she just checked…

  “Prota?” Destiny frowned, seeing her expression.

  It wasn’t often her face showed emotion. So for her to be visibly stunned meant something drastic must have happened.

  “It… it’s not there,” Prota whispered.

  John’s status wasn’t there. She pulled up the messaging system, and while the old messages were still there, she couldn’t send any new ones.

  “Prota, just let me explain. There’s… there’s a lot to say,” Destiny said, his voice haggard. “Come on.”

  He held his hand out, then immediately took it back.

  “Ah… sorry. You can get up on your own, right?”

  Prota nodded, and Destiny leapt back up. Prota slowly approached the beast, looking at it carefully. Upon further inspection, this definitely wasn’t a dragon. It didn’t have the intelligence to be one.

  “It’s a wyvern,” Destiny called out.

  She wasn’t sure what that was, but that was fine. A gust of wind pushed her up, almost allowing her to fly through the air, and she landed on the beast’s back with ease. There was a saddle that made sitting far easier. She would have to get close to the others, but that was fine.

  Speaking of others, there was more than Destiny sitting on the creature’s back.

  “Ah. Hello, Prota.”

  It was the princess. She, too, had matured quite a bit. Her entire being, once childish, was now mature. Her face, although somewhat grimy and unpolished, shone with a natural beauty. She’d grown in height as well, now slender and elegant, altogether giving the impression of a model.

  Prota was stunned. Why had a princess come all the way out here?

  “The others wanted to come, too,” Destiny explained, taking the reins. “But the wyvern carries three at most. Cel argued that you might need healing, so she was the one who was allowed to come.”

  “It’s good to see you, Prota, even if the circumstances are so bad,” Celestia said with a sad smile.

  This in itself was alarming. The princess, as far as Prota remembered, was always upbeat and cheerful. Just what in the world had happened?

  “Alright, Prota,” Destiny said, his tone grim. “It’ll be a bit before we get back to the base camp, so I’ll explain the best I can.”

  ~~~

  For the first few years Prota had been asleep, things had remained as usual.

  Apparently, John had actually gone straight to the Windwalker home, looking a little worn down, but otherwise fine. They had gone out to help him, of course, and as he was recovering, he explained what had happened.

  He retold the story in quite a good amount of detail. The village, the lab, Doctor’s experiments, all of it. From Destiny’s story, he hadn’t talked about Prota’s identity nor her origins, but he did explain how Doctor had been creating a new being. This in itself had initially been alarming, but John had assured them that there was no threat to be had.

  Of course, the Windwalker family had questioned where Prota was.

  John hadn’t told them much, just that she was recovering somewhere safe and secret. He’d left behind Danjo’s communication device, explaining that should something happen to him, she could use it to call for help.

  “So where is John?” Prota asked.

  “...I’m getting to it.”

  For a while, John just stuck around, not doing much. He aided Destiny in his bodyguarding duties, occasionally going out to help clear out groups of cultists. They were appearing more frequently at this point, and there were whispers of a new Demon War starting.

  Despite this, there were no incidents of note. No important battles, no new “conceptual energy,” nothing. Just a consistent, ordinary life.

  The days passed.

  Reportedly, John seemed a lot more friendly, appearing to be far more sympathetic and caring toward the others. He’d been questioned about this change, but he never gave a clear answer as to what had changed within him. In addition to this change, he appeared to be far more powerful than before. Again, he failed to give a satisfactory explanation as to how he was so strong now, but it was fine. Those who knew him were used to secrets, and there was no good reason to try and pry information out of him.

  Occasionally, their friends from Scholaris would stop by, either for casual visits or to give updates on their progress with inventions or new ideas.

  Briar was becoming quite a successful blacksmith, slowly gaining fame in her hometown. Her weapons were of top quality, and her armour had saved the lives of many adventurers and soldiers.

  Danjo was similarly famous, having become incredibly rich from selling new, everyday magic devices that improved people’s day-to-day lives. This was, in part, a result of the blueprints John had given the dwarf, but he’d come up with some fascinating ideas on his own. The two lived close together, often exchanging tools and items to create more and more, pushing themselves to their limits.

  Aurora and Arthur were also living together in Solaris, and were reportedly dating. Arthur had actually perfected his father’s recipe, although it only resulted in a temporary mana core. However, such a medicine was revolutionary. The ingredients needed to stabilize it were rare, and thus production was slow, but he’d done it. He was being sponsored by the royal family and lived his days in relative peace.

  Similarly, Aurora seemed to be quite the magic circle manufacturer. Prota hadn’t interacted with her much, but the quality of her products was reportedly unlike anything else. The two visited Briar and Danjo often, collaborating on some more ambitious works Danjo had.

  “Ah… I should have thanked John,” Destiny muttered.

  Prota tilted her head in confusion. What?

  The reason was more interesting than she’d initially thought.

  Destiny being the hero was something he’d hidden from his family for quite some time. Prota didn’t know this, but John had often encouraged him to tell them the truth. Ever since coming back, he started insisting upon it far more frequently, and eventually, the hero gave in.

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  He came out to everyone, not just his family. Celestia, the royal family, his friends from Scholaris, everyone he considered dear to him. It took some time to tell all of them, of course, but he eventually told them all.

  John had always been there to support him. Some had been pleasantly surprised. Others were stunned, but eventually, they grew to accept the fact.

  “It was liberating,” Destiny said quietly. “I… I didn’t realize how scared I was until I finally told everyone.”

  Prota nodded, but to be honest, this wasn’t really relevant to everything that was going on. She still had yet to find out what had happened to John.

  “Sorry, sorry,” Destiny said with an apologetic smile. “Just one last thing.”

  Apparently, Celestia, the princess of the Elves, was Four.

  “...Four?” Prota said, confused.

  “Do you remember my story?” Destiny said. “She’s… she’s the girl from the camp.”

  Prota’s eyes shot open in surprise. She whirled around, looking at Celestia, who gave her a smile.

  “I was surprised, too. It’s… it’s a bit of a long story. I’m sure you’re not interested, but I’m still me. I’m still Cel.”

  This, at least, was a familiar scene. The princess had recovered some of her cheerful attitude. That expression brought a little warmth back into Prota’s heart.

  “All right,” Destiny said, his voice barely audible over the rushing wind. “This is where things get… a little less pleasant.”

  About a year before Prota had woken up, the Demon War had officially begun. Paladins from the chuch of Celeste had arrived at the home of the Windwalkers, explaining that Destiny was the hero.

  As he’d already told everyone what was going on, no one was surprised. In fact, everyone had been expecting it.

  Much to their displeasure, the Windwalker family stayed home. Normally, they would’ve been used as special agents, but John had convinced Destiny that they shouldn’t be allowed to fight. Prota had an inkling as to why this was, but she remained silent.

  For a whole year, the continent was ravaged by war. It was here that the friends they’d made at Scholaris began to help.

  Arthur had derived a potion formula that was two times as effective and four times as cheap, keeping soldiers alive for longer. Additionally, he’d found a potion that increased stamina and numbed pain, giving soldiers renewed vigor and strength.

  Briar had crafted a set of armour for Destiny, one that had saved his life in battle many times, but she was also quite a formidable warrior. Reportedly, she was seen using a strange material that changed shape, and it was an incredibly powerful weapon.

  Aurora was incredibly helpful in setting up defensive barriers and traps, and her rate of creating magic circles was so impressive that she was promoted to vice-chief of defence.

  Celestia had been in the backlines, her healing magic an incredible boon to the wounded. However, she was also there to be kept safe, much to her dismay. Still, there wasn’t much she could do about it.

  Finally, Danjo had made one of the most impressive contributions of all.

  He’d created a magic suit of armour that practically turned him into a magical golem. He could fire spells of incredible calibre using various magic circles inscribed upon the armour, fly using strange jets, and had the mechanical strength of a master level fighter, all while being an artificer.

  “It was really cool,” Celestia giggled. “Like a robot suit from a movie or something- ah, I suppose Prota doesn’t know what that is.”

  Additionally, all sorts of familiar faces popped up here and there. Albert and Bren, as well as Breaker, surprisingly, who seemed to have reformed. A famous group of adventurers from Vulcan who’d done an impressive cultist subjugation. The Rose household had produced some incredible mages as well.

  The professors from Scholaris also joined the battle, holding back the demon generals as best as they could. Kit was also at the frontlines, doing her best.

  However, all of that paled in comparison to the contributions John had made.

  He was a decent warrior, and an alright strategist, but that wasn’t what mattered. What helped was the number of traps he’d helped avoid. No one understood his logic, nor did they understand how he did it, but somehow, he managed to save countless lives simply by telling groups of people to fall back and no longer engage in combat.

  It wasn’t a matter of strategy or combat. All he did was say, “don’t go there,” and they wouldn’t go there anymore. Additionally, it had taken them some time to trust him.

  But in the end, it was what he did best, and there wasn’t a single soul who wasn’t grateful as a result.

  “...John,” Prota said quietly. “Where is he?”

  Destiny sighed. “That’s… alright.”

  Nine months after the Demon War had begun, a select group had managed to make it to the realm of the demons.

  It was John who had suggested the idea. They would push through one of the portals the demons came out of, march toward their headquarters, and confront the Demon King before they could even arrive in Devfroth.

  It was also John who selected the team. Destiny, Danjo, Briar, Aurora, Arthur, Kit, and Celestia, much to the last one’s surprise.

  In the end, he’d also gotten roped into things as well.

  The land of the demons was unlike anything they’d seen. A bleak, grey land, no signs of life in sight, just countless demons and burnt scenery. In the distance loomed a castle, which was promptly raided.

  They fought incredibly powerful demons. They took on four generals, each pushing themselves to their absolute limits, pulling out powers they didn’t know they had. Finally, they reached the throne room, where John was sure the Demon King was waiting.

  “...Prota,” Destiny said carefully. “I don’t… I don’t really know what happened after this. I mean, I saw it. But I didn’t understand it. Do you… do you want me to try and explain? Or should I just tell you what I saw?”

  “...tell me,” Prota said, freezing up.

  She didn’t like where this was going.

  “Alright,” Destiny sighed. “This is it.”

  ~~~

  “Ok, guys,” John said, stopping in front of a large set of double doors. “This is it.”

  The group nodded, looking tired but determined. They’d made it this far. If they could just end things here, it would all be over. They would have fought the shortest Demon War ever recorded in history, saving countless lives and putting the continent to peace.

  “...I don’t think I’ll be participating in this one.”

  “What?” Destiny cried out. “Why not?”

  “I… I haven’t been entirely honest with you guys. I’ve fought the Demon King before. And I lost.”

  Everyone looked at John, stunned.

  “I can’t… I can’t fully explain it,” John said apologetically. “But trust me. I know you guys can win. Your chances are better without me.”

  “John, you can’t just- you can’t just drop a bomb on us like that and expect us to understand,” Kit frowned. “Are you sure?”

  “Wha-”

  “I agree with Kit,” Danjo said timidly. “It’s just… I don’t mean to be rude, but, isn’t this a little… you know, suspicious?”

  “What, do you think I’m a spy?” John laughed. “I… well, I guess that’s possible. Destiny. I’m not a spy. I’m really trying to win here. Check that for me, will you?”

  The hero nodded, his eyes glowing for a moment. He shook his head, smiling.

  “You used to be really annoying when you told the truth, you know that?” he laughed. “But I understand.”

  Kit suddenly flinched, seeming to remember something.

  “John,” she said, grabbing his shoulders. “Is it…”

  “Yeah. Don’t think about it too much, remember?” John said.

  He brushed her hand off, stepping back.

  “Guys. I’ve led you this far. Please. Just trust me on this one. If I need to step in, I will. Really. But I honestly believe it’s best if I don’t.”

  Stepping back in, he looked at all of them, giving a bright smile.

  “This is kinda corny, but I guess we should do a speech or something. Look. I’ve known you all for quite a while now. We’ve all done a lot. And, as I expected, you all turned out to be incredible people. I have to admit, I don’t know if I really saw you as friends at first. But… that couldn’t have been a greater mistake. You guys were one of the best things that happened to me in this world. Really.”

  “How about Prota?” Briar grinned.

  “Her, too. Hey, what the hell. Let’s do it for her. When she wakes up, she won’t have to deal with this stupid war. Isn’t that a nice goal to have?”

  “That… that sounds nice,” Aurora smiled.

  “Great. Good luck, guys. But you won’t need it. Right?”

  “Y-yeah!” Arthur stammered. “Yeah. We got this.”

  “Oh, come on, you,” Aurora grumbled. “You’ve set our house on fire more than once. Just do the same here, and you’ll be fine.”

  “That wasn’t my fault!”

  “Yes, it was!” Briar butted in. “When is it ever not your fault?”

  “Oh, come on, not you too!”

  Destiny smiled, stepping back from the conversation, wrapping his arm around John.

  “Thanks, John.”

  “Yeah,” John nodded, not turning his head. “You too, man.”

  Spirits renewed, John pushed the double doors, a loud creaking noise ringing out as they slowly swung open, a cloud of dust forming on the ground.

  Inside was a large circular room, easily the size of an arena. Purple torches immediately lit up around the walls, revealing a giant throne on the other side, a single figure sitting upon it.

  “Diaboli,” John called out. “I would say it’s over, but… we both know that already, right? No need for corny one liners.”

  “Oh?”

  The Demon King grinned, standing up. There was an audible gulp from someone as she stepped forward, bringing her full figure into view. That same, succubus-like body hadn’t changed at all. Her long silky hair still fell to the floor, and her left horn was chipped, as if someone had broken it off.

  “Is it really, now?” she said, her voice full of confidence.

  “You asked Doctor to make something that could kill Destiny. You fear the hero. I thought this wasn’t the case, but you were afraid I’d recruit him, weren’t you?” John challenged, equally confident. “You weren’t sure if you could win. But your creation isn’t here. Your secret weapon isn’t yours. You tried, but it failed. You did so much to bring her to your side, but it didn’t work. Now what? Even with [Deus Ex Machina] power, you’re still the [Antagonist]. Destiny is a fully grown [Hero]. You lost. That’s how [Stories] go.”

  “Do you know what he’s saying?” Celestia whispered.

  Destiny shook his head.

  “You’d think so, wouldn’t you,” Diaboli called back.

  She was now standing in the center of the room, her figure relaxed, her guard down. Destiny was strong enough that he could take a step forward and swing, potentially ending it all here. The only thing preventing him was caution. There was no way an enemy this strong was just standing there like that.

  “You haven’t killed me yet,” John said with a smirk. “That’s proof enough.”

  “Is it?”

  “You can’t outbluff me. That’s my thing.”

  “...you’re right. I can’t.”

  Suddenly, Diaboli began to glow. However, the light wasn’t purple, as one might have expected. It was a golden shine, radiating a holy aura, giving everyone present a warm and cozy feeling.

  “John?” Destiny said nervously. “What’s going on?”

  “I- I don’t know. I would say attack, but…”

  Suddenly, everyone’s hearts were filled with fear. John didn’t know what was going on. What did that mean? What would they do?

  Finally, the light faded. No longer was there a Diaboli, a demonic being standing before them.

  In her place was a new figure.

  Like before, it was female in appearance, although appearances were hard to describe. It was almost as if space itself had taken a human form. The shape of a woman was there, but there was no skin, no eyes, no hair, just empty space and millions of stars.

  “...that’s a cheap trick,” John called out.

  “Is it?”

  No longer was the voice seductive. It was almost radiant, like the echo of a million whispers, sending shivers down one’s spine.

  “Please,” John said, shaking his head. “This happens all the time. You have my memories. You know what I’m talking about.”

  “Ah, yes. A classic twist. But… you expect this. Thus, it is no longer a twist. Do you then know what would be the greater twist?”

  At this point, everyone else was confused. Not a single soul knew what was going on. Destiny felt that this figure was familiar, but he couldn’t quite tell. Whatever this thing was, it sat at the cusp of his mind, just barely out of reach.

  “Yeah, yeah, spare me the theatrics,” John snorted. “If you’re her, then why all the evil? Why summon Doctor? Why encourage war? And why do you need my memories? Just kill the actual Demon God and give me my shit back. You just don’t make any sense, do you? It’s just pathetic.”

  “Hm… pathetic, you say? Perhaps. But does that not make you, who cannot understand my true intentions, even more pathetic? There is an easy way to settle this.”

  The being turned to Destiny, who had suddenly realized who this was. He understood what John was saying about a cheap twist. There was no way.

  “Child,” the being said. “I am glad to see your gifts are being put to good use.”

  “No,” Destiny said, holding his sword out. “That’s not possible. She can’t interfere with anything.”

  “Come. Your ability to detect lies. Use it now. Ask me the question you are so desperate to ask.”

  For a moment, the world was dead silent. Not a sound was made. Destiny licked his lips, and the soft wound was deafeningly loud in that moment.

  “...are you Celeste?”

  The being smiled, if that was possible.

  “Yes.”

  It was then that Destiny lost track of everything going on. He’d been through a lot. Experienced many strange things, heard many incredible facts, but none of that compared to what he’d just found out.

  When asked if she was Celeste…

  The being had been telling the truth.