Past Arc ㉖

「I can talk with Sariel, right?」

「Yes, of course.」

Because Sariel has become the nexus of the System, she is in another dimension that D had created. It is not possible to enter there without D’s permission. Gyurie is no exception to that despite having been granted operational authority over a part of the System. Even then, the authority that Gyurie has been granted is quite limited, so there are far more things he can’t do from the point of view of the whole System. D has only required Gyurie to discover bugs, because she doesn’t want him to touch the rest of the items as much as possible.

「Well then, I shall send you off.」

「You aren’t coming, D?」

「Correct. I do not get along well with angels, so it is better that we do not meet.」

In spite of the fact that they had met not so long ago, D casually said that. Why did she tell such a lie? Because it seemed more interesting this way. D transferred Gyurie into the center of the System where Sariel was, while wondering what kind of conversation the two were about to have.

「Sariel.」

On seeing Sariel’s state, Gyurie was shocked to find that D talking of her being bound was not a metaphor at all. It was vast space. An enormous magic circle filled that space. Sariel was at the center of it. She was bound by something that seemed to be chains that spread out in a geometric pattern from the magic circle. Gyurie had expected something looser when he had heard about the binding. At most he had expected something that would prevent her from being able to leave the System nexus in this space. However, reality was much more cruel. Gyurie was dumbfounded seeing her state, thinking that it was almost like she was a prisoner.

「Sariel…」

Dumbfounded, he called her name once again. He wasn’t able to come up with anything else to say.

「Gyurie.」

On being called out to, she also responded with the other’s name. Her steady eyes capture Gyurie. As always, her eyes have a cold radiance. However, unlike normal, there seems to be a hint of something that seemed like blame reflected within those eyes.

「I’m sorry.」

Gyurie reflexively apologised. As for what he is apologising for, Gyurie himself didn’t know. Maybe the attack by the dragons upon the humans. Perhaps that they had run off with all the energy from this planet afterwards. Perhaps that he wasn’t able to stop that. Perhaps because he had forced Sariel into such a situation. Or perhaps, all of those.

「It is okay. You are not responsible.」

As if forgiving all those things, Sariel gently nodded.

「Suddenly finding yourself in this situation must have been surprise I guess?」Even if Sariel forgave him, Gyurie couldn’t forgive himself. However, that said, there was little he could do. One of the few things that he could do was to explain the situation to Sariel. That he had relied upon D. That having accepted the request, D had created this System, and as a result of that Sariel had become bound like this. Finally, although it would take a long time, he promised that he would definitely revitalise the planet and take Sariel out from here.

While hearing that explanation, Sariel noticed that Gyurie was mistaken. That since Gyurie thought that Sariel was totally unaware of the situation, then D had carried things out without mentioning to him that they had met. Even though she noticed that, Sariel didn’t point out what D had done. She felt that even if she pointed it out there wouldn’t be a good outcome. And that was indeed the case. Even if she pointed it out, the conflicts in Gyurie’s heart would only grow and D would simply amuse herself with seeing those conflicts.

「I have understood the situation.」

Sariel swallowed her distrust towards D, nodding her head so that it wouldn’t be conveyed.

「Gyurie. As you can see, I cannot move.」

Due to the contract with D, Sariel does not have freedom of movement. Taking the role as a battery for the System, she has become something like a mere cogwheel that moves the System. She can barely even intervene in the System.

「Please take care of the planet and the people.」

In place of her who cannot move, she makes that request, bowing her head.

「Of course.」

In response to that, Gyurie answered strongly. However, he wasn’t able to immediately respond to Sariel’s following words.

「Please. It does not matter if it takes longer to free me. Please guide the people so that they do not fight and so that they do not kill each other.」

That was a request that went against the very nature of the System. Also, it was something virtually impossible for Gyurie to accept.

「Sariel, that is……」

「I know I am asking for something unreasonable. However, I do not want people to fight any more than this. I said this to the children at the orphanage as well, but I just want people to live peacefully and happily.」

He know what Sariel wanted to say. Having seen Sariel’s actions until now, he had rather expected it. However, Gyurie didn’t think he’d be able to do that. Because Gyurie himself had already broadcast the outline of the System from the script that D had written, all the humans in the world were already aware. Also, Gyurie was perfectly aware of just what those people were going to do next. Namely, conflict.

Currently there were two major types of human on this planet. The first was the normal humans. The other, was a new type of human that had evolved based on the usage of MA Energy that Potimas had advocated. While the majority was the former, it would be hard to call the latter scarce. At any rate, most countries had promoted the usage of MA Energy after all. The normal humans are blaming the evolved humans for having wasted MA Energy and causing the current situation, and are obviously going to attack. All the more so due to the System being put into operation, which endorses fighting.

「By all means, let them live. Keep them alive. Do not kill them. Do not allow them to be killed. I beg you.」

「……I shall do my best.」

That was all that Gyurie could reply with.『It is almost time.』

D called out almost as if she was waiting for an opportune moment, which was in fact the case.

「I got it. Well then Sariel, I shall come again. Without fail, I shall save you.」

「Yes. I will be waiting.」

Then, Gyurie left the place. Not knowing that he would never be able to set foot in there again.

「Such a wonderfully benevolent heart.」

On Gyurie’s return, D said that in an even voice as a greeting. From that tone, it wasn’t possible to determine whether or not she truly did think that it was wonderful.

「Indeed.」

While having the same opinion, Gyurie had decided that just this one time he couldn’t do as Sariel asked. It was certainly the case that most people had simply gotten dragged into the situation. Ignorance might be a sin, but it wasn’t something that could never be forgiven. However, there was at least one person who could never be forgiven. Potimas Hyphenath. The main cause of this situation was due to him guiding this planet towards collapse, even if it was indirect. Even if everyone else could be forgiven, that man absolutely could not be forgiven. Precisely because Sariel had predicted that Gyurie would take such action is probably why she said “Do not kill”, but that was something he could not accept. He would kill Potimas. Not a fragment of his soul would remain.

「As administrators, we should follow the example of that benevolent heart, and commit to not taking action against the living creatures on this planet.」

However, Gyurie’s intent, was stopped by the high ranking administrator.

「Eh?」

At first, Gyurie did not understand what D was saying. As such, he accidentally voiced his doubt in a dumb sounding way.

「To repeat, I said that as administrators we should cease from taking action against the living creatures on this planet. In the first place, the System is a device that encourages the mutual development of the living creatures on this place, then collecting the energy generated from doing so. If we interfere excessively, we shall deviate from that objective.」

「Yes, but…」

What D was saying was a sound argument. However, Gyurie had someone that he had to kill. He couldn’t agree to this.

「What we administrators do, is monitoring and adjustment. Is that not very much like what gods should do? Therefore, you must not try to kill any specific person. Sariel also wishes for that, right?」

While referring to Sariel, D issued coercive instructions.

「You simply have to follow what I say. If you go off on your own, I will not be responsible for what happens, okay?」

While that was phased in a vague way, it could be predicted that it would not be anything nice. Gyurie had the misapprehension that his body was somehow bound by invisible chains. It wasn’t only Sariel who was bound. From this moment, Gyurie harboured a faint yet very real doubt against D.

「Now then, please entertain me.」

An endless darkness was invoked by that even voice without even a fragment of emotion.