Chapter 20: Chapter 209

"Th-there has to be a misunderstanding. Why would I...?"

It seemed that Tesilid fully understood my innuendo and was incapable of finishing his sentence. He sounded so indignant, it was like the protest of a victim who had been falsely accused of a terrible crime.

"I... would never do that. Not ever. Never."

"How are you so sure?" I asked, confused by the absolute defiance in his voice. "It's the future."

Tesilid seemed lost for words. He looked devastated, as if his soul had escaped him. My mind spun rapidly in order to look for any evidence that he was telling the truth.

I wasn't penalized for breaching confidentiality of the original story. Two things could be interpreted from this. One was that he'd already experienced it, and the other was that it never happens—the first option was impossible. This was only Loop Seventeen, and the Mirror of Past Relationships in Anaxia's dungeon had confirmed the absence of such a past, which meant the answer had to be the latter. It didn't breach confidentiality because it was something that never happens. The relationship between the main lead and the saintess had evaporated, both the love between them and the betrayal. Nothing remained.

But why? For what reason? Questions that I desperately wanted answers for flew across my mind, although... I technically already had come to the most logical conclusion. Still, I didn't want to make my mind up right away because I wouldn't be able to handle the disappointment if I was wrong, so the only place I could seek an answer from was Tesilid, who was standing in front of me. Thankfully, he was determined to clear his future self's name.

"Allie, I never would've done that. I think you misinterpreted a prophecy because the message was vague. I swear on my life that what you said didn't happen—it will not happen. I probably gave her my vitality and left right away. Please forget such thoughts and believe what I'm saying. I can't show you any proof yet... But you have to trust me. It doesn't matter what others think, but I can't have you think that way—"

"What others think?" I couldn't help but filter out a loaded phrase within his statement, which prompted Tesilid's face to twist once more.

"Oh..."

Embarrassment, confusion, resentment, hesitation, and even a little resignation swirled together like paint as they colored the expression on his face before disappearing. With a carefully blank countenance, Tesilid looked into my eyes, appearing to be sincere and composed as always but also a bit nervous.

I also felt nervous, locked in by the depth of his gaze, when his chest inflated and then dropped as he blurted, "Ailette Rodeline. You still don't get it? Really?"

I couldn't tell whether he was smiling or crying as he answered his own question with another question. I was unable to speak because I feared my heart might jump out of my mouth instead of the words I wanted to say.

Then, suddenly, another voice piped up.

«Um... Guys?» It was Agnes. «A-all right, never mind...» she mumbled when we didn't respond. «I trust you'll figure it out. I'll just keep quiet...»

To be honest, I could barely make out her words, and it wasn't just Agnes that I couldn't hear. The gushing wind, the splashing waves... Many things should have filled the silence between us, yet I felt like the world had become a vacuum. I couldn't recognize a single thing around me except for Tesilid Argente. I couldn't tell how much time had passed when the sound of the world finally returned.

"Allie."

I focused on the sound of his voice, ready to absorb every syllable that escaped his mouth.

"You once asked me if there was something I wanted to do with my life."

I recalled the moment he was referring to—it was the conversation we had in a shared carriage as the sun set when we first began our journey together after he'd lost everything.

"I want to be a good person in this lifetime."

"Is there anything you want to do differently this time?"

"Well... Maybe I'll think of something if you help me along the way."

An unenthusiastic tone, an empty gaze, an inert smile... The way he looked as if he could fade away at any moment, like ephemeral sea foam cast upon a wave, was preserved fondly in my memories.

"I didn't answer before, but if I had... it would have been a wish you're not going to like."

I could feel my breath catch in my throat as I asked, "Did you want to die?"

"Yes. But things are different now."

That one statement released me from the stifling suffocation that had come over me at his morbid statement.

"I want to live now... For a very long time, at least in this Loop."

The wistful tone in which he managed to describe such a simple desire made him sound so painfully human that my heart ached for him. A smile that captured his sincerity gently spread across his face, and all I could do was stare as if I were possessed when his low voice rang in my ear again.

"So, if you approve... I'd like to live until the end of this Loop with you."

I was going to carefully preserve this moment along with the most important memories of my life... The moment Tesilid Argente confessed his desire to live as he stood against the vast sea, the everlasting line of the horizon, and the brilliant, blue sky. I strained to capture every element of what I was seeing, so much so that my eyes felt sore.

I'd forgotten the concept of blinking as I fought through my swollen throat and replied, "All right. Let's live together in this timeline."

Perhaps he was just as nervous as me, for indescribable elation burst out of him as if it was something he had been suppressing for a long time, decorating his face in one of the happiest smiles I had ever seen him wear.

I was capturing every bit of this reaction when the gods chimed in.

⟬The Scale that Judges Souls vibrates with excitement at his touching confession.⟭

⟬The Advocate of Confidentiality claims that the main lead has "done it again" as they grab their forehead.⟭

⟬The Eye Overseeing All Chaos wails as they think of Bianca.⟭

Seriously... The gods had a knack for ruining the mood.

My goodness... How is this a confession? I think you're all getting ahead of yourse—

⟬The Voice that Shapes the World is severely anxious.⟭

Huh? Lord Voice's message was concerning. At the same time, all of the hairs on my body stood up as an overwhelming sense of dread washed over me. Seconds later, it was revealed that my instincts were as trustworthy as ever.

⟬«System» Emergency Notification! Unholy genre departure detected.⟭

Huh? What?! Wait! What did it just say?! Unholy genre departure?! What the hell is that?!

I was screaming in shock inside my head, when Tesilid called my name, his voice tense, "Allie?"

"Oh..."

My eyes turned to Tesilid, and what I saw drained every last drop of blood out of my face.

Rumble.

A colossal whirlwind had been created in the center of the ocean over Tesilid's shoulder. Then a moment later, a screech tore through the air.

"Aaaaagh!"

A gigantic creature covered in blue scales soared out of the ocean, covering the sea and the beach beneath it with a dark shadow.

A message popped up.

⟬«System» Warning. Rank 183 of the Demon Realm [Leviathion, The Water Dragon of the Northern Ice Sea] has appeared in the Human Realm. The Demon Realm Effect will take place within a 10 km radius due to the influence of an SS-class boss.⟭

⟬«System» Warning. The area experiencing the Demon Realm Effect will follow the rules of the dungeon.⟭

⟬«System» Warning. The [Frost Stack] and [Hypothermia Stack] have begun.⟭

⟬«System» Warning. You are unable to use the teleportation stone.⟭

"Wh-what the hell?"

A dragon of the cold northern sea had suddenly appeared on the beach of a tropical island. This was an SS-class dungeon burst that had zero consideration for plausibility, and worst still, the boss was a higher rank than even Anaxia had been. It was by far the strongest enemy we ever had to face.

That's when I remembered what [DemonicCreatureCook] had described in the transmigrator group chat about his lover being killed.

"The moment I confessed my feelings, a dragon appeared and killed her. It was super random, and I was almost killed several times under ridiculous circumstances for an entire month after that as well. I think one or both of you end up dying if you date outside what the original story states."

"Is this the ending where one of us ends up dead?!" I screamed, but my cry was swept away by a powerful gust of wind that was moving from the land to the sea, for Leviathion was sucking in air from all directions. I watched blankly as a blue glow started to materialize inside the gaping mouth of the monster, then pulled myself together and quickly drew forth my divine power to activate an ultimate skill.

"Siege Barrier—"

That was when another message popped up.

⟬«System» Emergency Notification! Genre departure penalty adjusted to match the transmigrator's strength. Debuff added to [Leviathion, the Water Dragon of the Northern Ice Sea].⟭

What?

⟬«System» Warning. Transcendent debuff [The Gaze that Seals Divine Power] applied from this point forth.⟭

I barely had time to register the warning before I felt all my connections to my divine power snap, which happened to occur the very moment I locked eyes with Leviathion.

Crack!

The silver glow that was just starting to form around me shattered like pieces of broken glass.

⟬«System» Divine Power sealed. Time remaining: 1 hour 59 minutes.⟭

⟬«System» Transcendent skill, [Divine Advent] sealed. Time remaining: 1 hour 59 minutes.⟭

Holy crap. My hands had just been tied in a fight against a dragon under the absurd excuse of balance control.