INTERLUDE PHASE

I am dead.

I know it truly well that I am dead.

I have been killed for seven million timelines, and death is the most familiar feeling I’ve got. Actually, this is my first time recalling all my previous timelines’ death. My prior deaths are horribly painless and I didn’t recall any flashbacks. This is the only timeline where I’m actually experiencing all the deaths I have seen.

When I opened my eyes, I saw myself in a white place. After a second, the place started to form objects as if I’m inside a rendering video game world. Shelves spawned around me, and books started to materialize in it. There are countless shelves that surround me, and it made a maze that made me lost in just a simple glance. Everything seemed identical, even the books in it.

I glanced at my left and examined the shelf. All books have this sky-blue cover in it, and it does not have any title. It doesn’t have any letter or character either. It’s just a plain blue book.

“Don’t you dare open that, if you still want to keep your sanity. The universal knowledge won’t fit on your feeble arrogant brain.” A familiar feminine voice echoed.

When I looked at my side, I saw a beautiful woman with golden blonde hair reaching to her hips, twinkling emerald eyes and a matured beautiful face. She is the Outsider, Erylle Fontaine, and she is still wearing that signature scarf of hers. Right now, she has some sense of winter fashion as she’s covered in fluffy office clothes.

“Erylle…” I muttered.

“Welcome, Alaric Eisenhower.” Erylle genuflected like a fine lady. “Welcome to the Akashic Records of Infinity.”

I have a background in Akashic Records since most movies and animes reference it. It is an imaginary plane where all records are kept which contains the past, the present, and the future. In some fiction, they also contain all the information about the multiverses, timelines, and other random shit. That explains why I’m lost here in this endless maze of bookshelves.

“Why am I here? Did you summon me?” I asked.

“Nope. You came here. Your soul came here after your body disintegrated.” Erylle made this irritatingly carefree but innocent smile.

I immediately recalled what happened earlier. About Hades and Esperia sabotaging the . About the otherworldly thing called Necross Ascension, and other stuff I don’t really understand.

“So I am really dead, huh.”

“Yes~” Erylle laughed. “In short, for your weeb nerd like you, it’s ‘Omae wa mou shindeiru’~”

“Stop that.” I scrunched my face and made a doubtful stare at her. “You’re a multiversal Gate Guardian. You knew that Necross will come in our universe. Why didn’t you help us?”

Erylle smiled as she turned to the shelf I faced earlier as if she’s completely ignoring my question. She grabbed a blue book from the shelf and opened it. She scanned the pages and when she stopped, she swiped out papers like whoosh!

The papers floated in the air and immediately changed its material composition into a big shard of mirror. It levitated in the air and showed some memories in my world. I saw myself enjoying the company with my friends in high school. I saw myself eating in a dining table with the Aether Crusade. I saw myself having a date with Tiara. Those seemed to be the happenings based on the happiest memories of my life.

“I’m not sure that it has been explained to you before, but let me just say it. We Outsiders can only do little interference in a universe. If we took some things on our hands, the universe might banish us, or worse, your universe will be banished. I don’t mind being erased by a universe’s natural laws since we’ll be revived either way, but it will be bad if your universe gets erased.”

“But our universe will be erased anyway!” I grunted. “That darn underworld planet smashed ours into pieces! What differences would it do!?”

“Is it though?” Erylle smiled as she flips the page of the book. It’s more like skipping it, but she seemed to know where the pages of the book are headed. She immediately showed the page to me, with some kind of mysterious moon rune handwriting. The page is mostly covered by her hand, but that’s not the important part.

The important part that she is showing me is the date on top of the page. It shows a date five months from now.

“I thought the world, or rather, the universe ended after the Necross Ascension Ritual?”

“It did,” Erylle said, slightly lowering the arc of her smile. “But it seems your plan worked.”

A hint of smile dropped unto my face. Knowing that everything is alright means that everything I did in that battle is not for naught. Tiara must have managed to do what I had in mind somehow.

“However…” Erylle interrupted. “That is not the reason why you’re here.”

“Huh?” I erased my smile and transformed it into a surprised Pikachu face.

Erylle vigorously flipped the pages until she finally found it. She showed the concerned page to me… which is a complete blank.

“I’ve been here for all eternity, and the Akashic Records have never failed to record a future event. Except for this one. I’m not sure what this is, but considering that it is you and Tiara involved, I know that you will have the answer to it.”

I don’t get it either. If the Akashic Records tells future events and fate, it should have everything in it. If nothing else follows the book, then the universe should be ended at that. But Erylle says otherwise. It’s not the end of the book.

“Your fate is not your own, but everyone’s,” Erylle muttered. “Someday in the future, you will have to decide what future will you choose. Necross Hades and the Heretic is nothing but a warm-up for this event. Compared to the blank pages, Necross Ascension is nothing but a walk in the park. The real battle, which is the greatest fight of your lives will start once everything is set.”

“I don’t understand.” I shook my head. “Isn’t Necross Ascension a multiversal threat?”

“Yes. But something worse is still bound to happen. Not to your world. Not to your universe. But to you, Tiara, and your everlasting feelings for one another. If you make the wrong choice, I’m afraid to say that everything that you and Tiara have done for the past will have been for naught.”

Shivers went down to my spine for unknown reasons. Even if it is ambiguous, I know that I am scared of something. It is a primordial feeling of fear: the fear of the unknown.

“Well, that’s it!” Erylle happily closed her book and put it back to the shelf. “Your time is up now, and it is time for Tiara to continue the story!”

“What!?” I shouted with my jaws falling.

Without further ado, Erylle snapped her fingers.

Everything ceased to exist.