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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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She opened her eyes in darkness, disoriented and confused, her memories a blank slate, unable to recall where she was or how she got there.
She tried to remember, but only a hollow silence echoed in her mind.
She felt adrift, her very existence uncertain, as if lost in a deep fog.
She squinted, trying to make sense of her surroundings, her senses dulled, as if in a dream. A musty, almost moldy, smell hung heavy in the air, making her nauseous.
Whoosh—
Suddenly, a violet flame flickered to life in a corner of the room, casting eerie shadows that danced and writhed, revealing a scene that made her breath catch in her throat.
It was a ruin, a place of decay and neglect, crumbling walls and broken pillars, grotesque statues lining the walls, their eerie forms seeming to mock her in the dim light. A sense of familiarity rose within her….
“Gasp…?!!”
A chill ran down her spine as she realized where she was.
A place both familiar and alien, the place of her birth, and the place of her destined death, a place she shouldn’t be in, no matter the cost.
“No way……”
She tried to suppress the rising panic, the dreadful certainty, but denial wouldn’t change reality.
She swallowed her fear and slowly turned her head. And there she was—
“Lucy~”
—a familiar, yet unwelcome, voice greeted her.
A woman sat on a throne in the shadows, a smile adorned her lips, her gaze fixed on her.
“Y-You… You…!!”
Rage surged through her.
She looked so much like her, and yet, she was her antithesis, the one she had to destroy, no matter the cost.
She was smiling, a condescending, mocking smile.
“Are you that happy to see me?”
She leaned back against the armrest, her eyes dark and deep as the abyss, a hint of amusement in her gaze.
“I had a feeling… but you came again this year~”
Her voice was smooth and languid, her demeanor condescending, her composure infuriating.
“What… What are you planning?!”
She shouted, her voice strained, her every word grating on her nerves.
“Now, now, calm down~ I’m just here to greet a familiar face after so long.”
Her laughter echoed through the room, a mocking sound that made her fists clench.
“My, my, are you that eager to kill me?”
“S-Shut up!”
She tried to sound tough, but her voice trembled.
Her magic pressed down on her, a suffocating weight that made it hard to breathe, a chilling aura creeping up her spine, threatening to paralyze her. But she gritted her teeth and held her ground.
“I’ll erase you from existence this time!”
“That’s what you always say. But the result is always the same.”
She chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand, a mocking gesture that hid her true intentions.
She glared at her, her disgust intensifying, her feet planted firmly on the ground.
“This time is different…! I’ve prepared more than last year, and I’m much stronger!”
She declared, her voice rising with desperate determination.
“So I won’t let you have your way-”
“Stop.”
Everything froze. Her voice was cold and hard, a single word that made her gasp involuntarily, the temperature in the room plummeting, a chilling aura enveloping her, freezing the air.
She gritted her teeth, her body tense, but she couldn’t move, her presence overwhelming.
“It seems you’ve become even more impudent in my absence.”
Her voice was soft, but laced with a chilling undertone, a condescending gaze looking down on her, a cold shiver running down her spine, threatening to paralyze her.
“I think you need a lesson before we meet face to face.”
She snapped her fingers, and the air crackled with energy, a strange pressure, like an invisible hand gripping the space around her.
“Huh?!”
She tried to move, sensing the danger, but it was too late. A strange sensation spread through her body, starting from her feet.
She looked down and saw shadowy tendrils, coiling around her wrists and ankles like living snakes, their touch cold and unpleasant, sending shivers down her spine.
“What is this…?!”
She struggled instinctively, but the tendrils tightened their grip, her limbs growing numb, her strength draining away, as if she were a puppet being bound.
“Let go!”
She thrashed and twisted, trying to break free, but the shadowy tendrils only dug deeper, the darkness writhing and coiling around her, as if trying to consume her.
A chilling sensation crept up her spine, invading her very being, her breath catching in her throat.
She watched her, a sinister smile playing on her lips.
“Huhuhu, I hope you enjoy yourself~.”
She waved her hand dismissively, and the tendrils tightened their grip, like a tightening noose, her breath coming in ragged gasps, her heart pounding, her head spinning.
“No, please…! Not this…!!”
She pleaded desperately, but she just looked at her with amusement.
“Giving up already? How pathetic.”
Her pride crumbled, but despair was far worse. An irresistible force was crushing her, holding her captive.
“N-No! Stop it!!”
She had no strength left, no hope. She had no choice but to give up.
But just then –
“…Huh?”
A blinding light, as bright as the sun, suddenly filled the world, exploding outwards, a flash of brilliance that momentarily blinded her. The shadowy tendrils around her flickered and began to fade.
And then—
“What?”
Her expression crumbled, her previously smug and amused face contorted in shock.
That was her last memory.
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Lucy.
The final heroine of the game, an upperclassman with a mature charm.
But she harbored a secret no one suspected.
Lucy wasn’t human.
She was a spirit.
Spirits were extremely rare beings in this world, possessing lifespans that dwarfed even those of elves, their wisdom and magical power far surpassing human comprehension.
This was because spirits were created in the image of the gods, divine offspring, yet also pawns to be sacrificed at the gods’ whim.
But as the age of gods came to an end, these transcendental beings faded away, or met their demise.
Their creations were freed from their bonds, becoming the spirits of today.
“I’m back.”
He returned to the room to find it in chaos.
“M-Master!”
Eilly rushed towards him, her face filled with panic, the others looking at him with apprehension.
He didn’t even have to ask what had happened; the source of the commotion was already in sight.
“Ah…”
It was Lucy.
She sat slumped on the edge of a seat, staring blankly into space, her eyes vacant, her lips pale and dry.
“She’s not responding, no matter how much we shake her or call out to her… It’s like she’s become an empty shell.”
Melina said anxiously, her hands trembling slightly.
He took a deep breath. It was a familiar scene.
Yes, he remembered. This was Lucy’s first event.
The reason she was in this state was simple. She had merged with her creator, the final boss of this arc.
She was trapped in a nightmare. And under normal circumstances, only one person could save her: Varis, who possessed the qualities of a hero.
“Where’s Varis?”
“He went to get help after checking on her.”
Elisha replied, her voice calm, but her clenched fists betrayed her anxiety.
He sighed and rubbed his forehead, lost in thought.
Normally, Varis would have awakened her, his touch, imbued with the dormant power of a hero, pulling her from the nightmare. But he wasn’t here.
Was this another deviation from the intended storyline…? He wasn’t surprised anymore.
“Lucy, are you okay? Wake up.”
He shook her gently, a futile gesture perhaps, but he remembered something.
When he saved Melina, only Varis was supposed to be able to defeat the evil god. But he had done it. Could he do it again, perhaps?
He shook her shoulder more forcefully.
“See? She’s not waking up…”
Elisha’s voice was filled with anxiety, her gaze fixed on Lucy’s vacant expression. She remained motionless, silent.
Was Varis truly the only one who could save her?
“Wait, I’ll go get Varis.”
But just then—
“—Ugh?!”
—Lucy’s body convulsed, as if being pulled from a deep abyss. The chilling aura that had enveloped her dissipated, and her eyes flickered back to life.
She gasped, her hands trembling slightly. And then, her gaze met his.
“A-Arnold…?”
Her voice was still trembling, but her emotions were clear: confusion, relief, and something more.
She looked around quickly, then her gaze returned to him, her expression unreadable, a mix of emotions he couldn’t quite decipher, as if she had found something she had been desperately searching for.
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Hi Lord Fourth here!
I’m new to translating so if you find some mistakes or inconsistencies let me know about it on the dedicated channel on discord.
