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“You….”

How long has it been since we faced each other like this?

The original creator of the game I possessed, the one who turned me into the villain Tristan… and my only blood relative, my younger sister, Jeong So-ra.

She, with her petite frame, looked up at me and smiled. That mischievous smile somehow resembled Michaela and Lukaela’s smiles.

Seeing her face, a flood of emotions overwhelmed me.

So much has happened. There were many unbearably difficult moments, but there were also times when I felt proud of myself. Yet, it’s undeniable that there were just as many moments when I almost died.

The emotional reunion took a backseat as I found myself choking up without realizing it.

“Long time no see? Is that all you have to say to me?”

“I’m sorry for showing up so late. Oppa. I wanted to reveal myself sooner, but there were some circumstances.”

“I don’t know what those circumstances are, but I really thought I was going to die because of you.”

“I know. You have every right to be mad at me. I’m really sorry.”

“…….”

If she had made some lame excuse, I might have understood, but her straightforward apology made me feel like the fool for being angry.

Yeah, come to think of it, Sora was always like this.

Stubborn, but surprisingly quick to apologize and be honest about her mistakes when she’s in the wrong.

Seeing her like this, I realized that this time, it wasn’t Michaela disguised as her, but my real younger sister.

However, given the situation, I wasn’t entirely happy about reuniting with her.

I let out a deep sigh.

“…Honestly, I’m furious right now.”

“Yeah….”

“But even if I’m angry, I should at least hear you out before I get mad.”

“Oppa?”

“Sora, if you did something like this, there must be a reason, right? Even if I don’t know it, there must be some unavoidable circumstances? Tell me. I’ll decide whether to stay angry or not after hearing it.”

At my words, Sora’s eyes widened in surprise, and then she gave a bitter smile.

“Oppa, you’re really consistent….”

“What?”

“Normally, in a situation like this, people would suspect and interrogate me first, but you’re waiting for my answer.”

“…….”

It’s not that I don’t have doubts. There have been so many unanswered questions in my mind. From her true identity to whether she’s really my younger sister….

By waiting for her answer, I’m giving her the chance to confess on her own. If she’s really my sister, I believe she’ll tell me everything.

As if reading my thoughts, Sora awkwardly scratched her cheek.

“Don’t worry. I’m definitely your sister. I’m not some omnipotent god like you might think, just an ordinary human.”

“What? You’re not a god?”

“Yeah. But I am the one who created this world.”

Not a god, but capable of creating a world like this? Is that even possible? Or am I just not following the conversation?

“Of course, you wouldn’t understand if I put it like that. Hmm, where should I start explaining….”

Sora thought for a moment, then asked me a strange question.

“Out of the blue, but Oppa, how much do you remember? What were you doing before you possessed Tristan?”

“What was I doing…. I was at home, heard about the service ending, and called you.”

“And before that?”

“Before that? I don’t really remember…. Wait, why are you asking that?”

“It’s important. Think carefully and answer me.”

Sora was looking at me with a very serious expression. Overwhelmed by her gaze, I had no choice but to think again.

“Hmm….”

“When was the last time you saw me before that day?”

“Saw you? Uh……. You were always so busy, you barely showed your face at home. Always outside writing scenarios….”

As I tried to recall, I suddenly stopped.

A chill ran down my spine.

Wait…. Something’s off.

“Definitely, Sora, you were always busy…. You only ever called me….”

“Yeah. But don’t you remember the last time we actually met?”

“Met…?”

When was the last time I actually met Sora?

I racked my brain, but I couldn’t remember.

It’s not like I forgot her. I remember her face and voice. But I have no memory of what we did together. Except for the bare minimum, it’s all foggy.

“What’s going on…. Why, why can’t I remember?”

“Yeah. So that’s all you remember….”

Sora nodded with a heavy expression. There was a sense of resignation in her demeanor.

“Wait, do you know something? Why is my memory like this?”

“It’s a side effect.”

“Side effect?”

I frowned at the sudden word. Sora sighed quietly.

“Sigh……. Oppa, you’ve possessed this world too many times.”

“What… are you talking about?”

“Look.”

Sora flicked her finger.

The white tiles on the wall began to glow faintly, and images started playing like a TV.

“That’s…?”

“That’s you.”

The countless screens all showed a young man. Reddish-brown hair and amber eyes… his appearance, resembling Wendy’s, made it easy to guess who he was.

The original protagonist, Peter Wingfield.

“This isn’t the first time you’ve possessed someone, Oppa.”

Sora gazed at the protagonist on the screen with a look of pity.

“Before you possessed Tristan, you possessed Peter.”

“I… possessed Peter before?”

“Yeah. And not just once, but countless times.”

The shock felt like a blow to the head, leaving me speechless. I had possessed this world not just once, but multiple times.

No matter how much I thought about it, it was hard to believe.

But before my eyes, countless Peters were shown in action, just as Sora had said. The Peter I possessed used swords, arrows, and magic to eliminate villains. Strangely, all the Peters seemed to have made a pact to kill Tristan first.

Now that I’m Tristan, seeing those scenes made me feel uncomfortable.

“When you possessed Peter, you always killed Tristan first. He was the absolute villain, and later, he even helped sell out this world to the players….”

Listening to her, it really did sound like something I would do. If I had become Peter, I would’ve eliminated Tristan without hesitation. At least, until I learned his backstory.

“Honestly, I was pretty surprised. When you possessed Peter, you never got this far, but as Tristan, you’ve grown to the point of becoming a Seven Star and even a Demon Lord…. At this point, you’re practically in a league of your own.”

From her words, I could infer one thing.

“If I’ve possessed Peter multiple times… does that mean I’ve failed every time to save this world from the players?”

“Yeah.”

Sora nodded.

“You’ve possessed Peter countless times, but in the end, you’ve always failed.”

“But I…. I don’t remember any of it….”

“I didn’t know at first either. But the more you possessed, the more you lost your previous memories….”

Sora quietly flicked her finger, and the screen playing the images turned off.

“Now I’ll show you. About the things you’ve forgotten…. It’ll hurt, but bear with it.”

“What?”

The screen showed a castle wall engulfed in flames. On it was the silhouette of a man slumped over.

“Ugh…?!”

At that moment, I had to kneel from the splitting headache.

“Ah…! Ugh!”

The sensation of something sticky and wet pouring into my head made it impossible to even scream. I couldn’t breathe. All I wanted was to escape this unbearable pain.

Then, the headache suddenly stopped, like a switch had been turned off.

“Huh…?”

When I opened my eyes, I was sitting on the burning castle wall.

“Where is this?”

The sudden change of scene left me momentarily stunned, but strangely, the situation didn’t feel unfamiliar. Scattered memories began to piece together like a puzzle in my mind.

“Ah….”

Yeah, now I remember….

This is definitely the fortress built to defend the capital from ‘them.’ The place where NPCs made their last stand.

I… fought here alongside my comrades against them.

“You’ve come…. Peter.”

I turned at the transparent voice, like night air. The flickering flames illuminated a mysterious silver-haired figure.

“Bella…. No, Your Highness…?”

The silver-haired princess, Bella Izakhel, was there. Leaning against the wall, catching her breath, I found myself speaking without thinking.

“I’m glad. I’ve been looking for you for a while.”

The fortress was already overrun by them. I had to get Bella out of here quickly. As long as she was alive, there was still hope.

But as I approached Bella, I froze.

“Hehe…. I knew you’d find a way to get here.”

Bella smiled faintly. Her beautiful silver hair was stained with dark red blood.

Her abdomen, rising and falling lightly, was soaked in blood. It was clearly a fatal wound.

“Seeing you here makes me happy. Peter…. I called for your help, but I’m in no state to greet you properly.”

“…Don’t speak, Your Highness.”

I quickly tore off a piece of my clothing to bandage Bella’s abdomen. At the same time, I drew a recovery formula and poured my magic power into it to stop the bleeding.

“Where’s… Blanshe?”

As I channeled magic into the recovery formula, I involuntarily paused. Then, I slowly shook my head.

Seeing that, Bella let out a small sigh.

“I see…. I told her to run, but she didn’t listen to my orders until the end….”

“She was worried about you until the very end, Your Highness.”

It felt like unnecessary words, but I had to say them. For the loyal bodyguard knight who fought against them to send Peter here.

“And she asked me to tell you something.”

“What is it…?”

“…If there’s a next life, she wants to be your knight again….”

“……That foolish Blanshe.”

Bella tightly closed her eyes. It seemed less like holding back tears and more like recalling the fierce battles she had fought. Despite using every means possible, she had ultimately lost and lost someone precious.

The flames were growing fiercer. This fortress was done for.

After finishing the emergency treatment, I carried Bella on my back. I had to get out of here quickly. Otherwise, they would soon overrun this place.

“Your Highness, just bear with it a little longer.”

“Peter. There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you.”

“Now’s not the best time, but later-”

“I’m sorry.”

“Huh?”

“I’m sorry for not accepting your proposal back then….”

The sudden apology left me frozen, forgetting to find a way out.

“Out of the blue…?”

“Actually, I had someone I liked. No…. It’s more accurate to say I had someone I liked.”

I couldn’t see Bella’s expression, but her voice was strained.

“I really liked him…. But people hated him so much.”

“…….”

“He was a terrible person. He treated people like possessions…. Had no interest in me at all, yet forced an engagement…. So I hated him too, so much…. Cough…!”

“Your Highness?!”

Warm blood flowed down my shoulder. Bella was coughing up blood.

“Please, tell me later! Your Highness. Right now, we need to get out of here as soon as-”

“Do you still hate Tristan?”

“?!”

The moment I heard that name, I was speechless.

I had expected it from her words, but…. It was too direct a question.

“You know. That he killed your younger sister…. That you had every right to kill him…. But…. Shouldn’t you have given him a chance…?”

“A chance…?”

“Yeah…. Peter, you know. Many villains have been redeemed after meeting you…. You’ve always given hope and chances to so many people….”

Bella’s voice was trembling. I’ve seen her many times, but this was the first time I’d seen her like this.

“Sometimes I wonder why you didn’t give him a chance. Even if he was an irredeemable villain…. Did he not even deserve a chance at salvation…? Was that really the case? Peter…?”

“Your Highness….”

“I’m sorry…. Cough…. It seems he’s still in my heart…. I’m…. such a terrible woman. Not only did I still love such a man, but even at the end, I wanted to see him….”

“I….”

“Don’t forgive me…. Peter…. You’re a good person…. You should love a good person. You shouldn’t love someone like me….”

I bit my lip.

Hot tears were streaming down my face. It hurt more that I hadn’t known her feelings all this time than the fact that I had failed in love.

“Your Highness….”

In the end, I killed the man she loved without knowing. Just because he was a villain….

“Your Highness…?”

Then, Bella’s hand went limp.

Even in the midst of the blazing flames, her body on my back felt terribly cold.

“Your Highness……. Ugh….”

The sorrow was too much, and I couldn’t hold back my tears. I resigned myself to everything and slowly sank into the flames, holding Bella’s body.

How long had it been?

“Oppa….”

I looked up, and there was my younger sister.

The body of Bella, who had been burning with me, was nowhere to be seen.

“Sora….”

“Let’s stop now. Oppa.”

Stop? Ah…. Come to think of it, I had possessed Peter’s body. Only then did I grasp the situation.

This world is over. All I can do now is….

“…Just one more time.”

“What?”

I struggled to my feet.

My mind was in tatters from what I had just experienced. But I had to do it.

Sora sighed.

“Oppa, do you remember how it went last time?”

“…….”

“See. You don’t remember. How much more do you want to forget? You’ve done your best already.”

“Just one last time.”

“Listen to me! Please! You don’t know how much more you’ll forget next time! At this rate, you’ll forget me too, won’t you?”

“It’s okay.”

“What’s okay about it! It’s no different from starting over from scratch! What’s the point of repeating the same mistakes? How many more times do you have to be the protagonist-”

“No. This time, it’s not Peter.”

“What?”

Sora tilted her head and asked me.

“Then who are you going to possess…?”

“I’m….”

Like a person who had lost their soul, I muttered the ominous name.

 

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