Chapter 200 – Ultimate Sacrifice
“Raymund.”
The voice woke me up. I saw a speck of light from a distance in this pitch darkness. A human-shaped figure emerged from the light. At first, it was just a silhouette, but the closer he got to me, the more precise the shape became.
Thin body, smooth hair, and a face that always looks tired. I know him very well.
Of course, it was my own figure.
“Is that you?” I asked, still in the voice of Raymund, the god of hope. “An entity claiming to be a cosmic being?”
“Ah, I’m glad you didn’t forget me.” The figure smiled. “So, how have you been all this time?”
I sighed. “You’re saying like you don’t know about it. So, am I dead? Am I going to enter Levidna’s afterlife or Earth’s afterlife? If I were to enter Earth’s afterlife, I wish the guardian goddess was as hot as Heila.”
The figure laughed. “Good! I like your humor! But no, Ray. You didn’t die. You’re going back to your old life.”
“Well, at least don’t tell me you took the money already in my savings.” I shrugged. It’s strange. Now I feel more calm and relieved than before. The weight on my shoulders has completely disappeared. “I’ve already quit my job on earth to entertain you.”
“Relax.” The being started walking around me. “You’ll still be rich. I’ve even added more to your savings account. You’re one of the best performers among those gamers.”
I really want to punch this being in the face. All my suffering is just to please him. Unfortunately, I realized I was nothing in front of him. I won’t be able to make any changes at all. What can happen is that I offend him, and things go wrong.
“Well!” The cosmic being clapped his hands. “Now, what are you going to do? How about another adventure in a new world? You can gather attractive female companions and dress them in skimpy clothes again! I can arrange everything!”
I shook my head weakly. Enough. I’m too tired. “No. I just want to vacation far away without thinking about saving the world.”
“Too bad.” The Being sneered and stopped. “But it can’t be helped. You’ve been through too much. Fine, I’ll get you back.”
“I have a question.” I swallowed. “How are my servants doing? And also, what about those who fought in their stead.”
“Oh, I guarantee that your servants will be fine. You can keep my word.” The being drew itself closer to me. “As for the others…. Maybe the luckiest is Olga. She can’t fight anymore, but she can still sell waffles. Ah, and your servant named Anja has begged Levi to bring them back to where they came from.”
“I see.” I want to ask in more detail about the condition of those people. However, I realized it was pointless and might make me feel worse.
I didn’t even get to thank them.
“So, are you ready?” The Being flashed his smile again. “Don’t worry. After this, I won’t bother you anymore. You are free to live your life as you wish.”
“Before that… Can I still remember them?”
“Of course.” The cosmic being widened his smile. “There’s no reason to erase all that from your memory unless you ask for it.”
I took a deep breath, then nodded. “Alright, I’m ready.”
***
As soon as I took off my VR glasses, I saw a familiar ceiling. I felt wet and warm in my eyes.
I straightened up, and the warmth ran down my cheeks.
It turns out that it’s not that easy to forget my servants. It may have only been minutes since I parted from those women, but now I miss them.
And the fact that I would never be able to see them again was torturing me.
Taking a deep breath, I got up from the couch. Today I feel reluctant to do my ritual as usual.
Maybe by taking a walk outside, I can ease my mind a bit….
Huh? Since when can I think like this?
But maybe that’s for the best. I need a refresher for my brain. That otherworldly rescue mission was too much for me.
So, after washing my face and changing clothes, I walked out of my apartment complex, taking a deep breath.
The air is so fresh. I didn’t pay attention to something like this before.
I walked on the sidewalk opposite the train station I used to go to work.
I don’t have a clear goal and let my feet take me somewhere. And finally, I stopped in front of a cafe that was not too full.
Maybe once in a while, I need a variety of drinks, not just instant coffee.
“Good morning, welcome to our cafe.” A woman greeted me as soon as I entered the building with a predominantly dark cyan interior.
I gasped. My heart rate crawled up. I know the waitress. Blue eyes and blonde hair, combined with that delicate face.
Renee?
“Sir?” The woman tilted her head. “Can I help you?”
“Ah, well, I need coffee.” I hastily sat at one of the tables, and the woman handed me the menu book.
This is not possible. This must be just a coincidence.
“We also provide some breakfast menu, sir.” The lady served me in such a friendly manner.
Even her voice was so similar to Renee’s. I had to desperately hold back my tears.
“I-I’ll just order black coffee and a regular croissant then,” I answered with trembling lips. “Please.”
“Ok, wait a second.”
When she left me, I lowered my head. I don’t want her to see my confused expression and think I’m weird.
Taking another deep breath, I took out my phone and immediately opened the video streaming app. Better to calm me down by diverting my mind to random videos.
However, the interval between my heartbeats was getting out of control.
The app’s suggestion page shows a thumbnail of a woman wearing a dark blue racing suit with wavy hair.
She looks like a Japanese person, and I’m also no stranger to her face.
With shaking hands, I pressed that thumbnail.
There is a caption on the screen: Rin Nakashima, winner of the qualifier at the Indonesian GP.
Someone interviewed the woman who was wiping sweat with a small towel.
Her voice was also precisely the same as Yua’s. Only the shade of green in her hair distinguished her appearance from the kunoichi.
“Please.” The arrival of the waitress surprised me.
“Thanks…” I frowned when I found a small piece of paper tucked under my coffee cup.
And I found a line of phone numbers on the paper. I looked at the waitress who was walking away from me. She winked at me.
***
This was too extraordinary to be considered a coincidence. Two women who are very similar to my servants are pretty close to my apartment? Was the cosmic being doing this on purpose?
Because I kept thinking non-stop, without realizing it, I had arrived at the shopping center. More people than any location I’ve been to before this.
The piano playing catches my attention. I followed the melodious tone and reached a crowd of several people. Since it wasn’t too crowded, I didn’t have to push the others to see what was really going on.
A petite woman is playing a black piano. Yes, she is very similar to Kimi. Even her face doesn’t show any meaningful expression. What distinguishes her from Kimi is that her hair is purple instead of white.
With shaking hands, I picked up my phone from my pocket to record the scene. Unfortunately, she stopped playing the song, and the crowd gave a round of applause.
“Thanks.” The woman got off the chair and lowered her head.
Realizing that someone was carrying a digital camera, I ventured to ask. “Do you have a video channel or something, miss?”
The petite woman looked at me for a moment before finally speaking. “It’s Mika&Music. You can find it on the internet. Don’t forget to subscribe.”
“Hey, you don’t usually ask strangers to subscribe to your channel.” A female friend of the woman squeaked.
***
Those three extraordinary events kept me walking around the city. This is clearly no coincidence. That supreme being must have intervened to bring my servants into this world.
This means Elise must also be in my world, whatever name she uses.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the female warrior after walking all day.
Because it was night and my body was tired, I decided to return to the apartment, although my heart was very disappointed.
Maybe not today.
I had just entered my apartment keys when the room next to mine opened. A new resident? As I recall, the room was empty….
For the umpteenth time today, I gasped. My breath stopped for a moment. A woman came out of the room. Although her brown hair is now shorter, but those beautiful green eyes I will never forget.
Perhaps noticing my presence, she gave me a smile. It was a very typical awkward smile.
“Hi, I’m your new neighbor.”
–THE END–