Chapter 308
The Villainous Noble Who Kept Rewinding After Death: The Story Somehow Changed When I Committed Suicide
Chapter 292: Until Next Time
“Is this the spirit world?”
When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a completely dark space devoid of any light. Although it should have been dark, it was a mysterious place where I could somehow see ahead.
“Yo!”
“Huh?”
Not knowing where to go, I felt too lazy to walk, so I just sat there for a while, staring into the darkness when suddenly a voice called out from somewhere.
“Right here! Right in front of you!”
I could hear the voice, but since I couldn’t see anyone, I looked around, trying to locate the owner of the voice.
When I directed my gaze to where I was told someone was in front of me, there stood something that looked a lot like me.
“Well, saying I’m right in front of you doesn’t help. You weren’t here a moment ago, were you?”
“Huh? Oh, right. My bad.”
The one who suddenly laughed was someone who looked quite similar to me but had black hair and red eyes, resembling a corrupted version of myself before the fight with Bagira.
“Uh-huh. Judging by that appearance, you’re the one Bagira mentioned was invading my body, aren’t you?”
“Wow! As expected of Lewis. You got it right! I’m the true nature of that ability! Though, to be fair, it wasn’t my intention. Sorry!”
Seeing this guy apologize with a refreshingly bright smile made me deflate a bit, and I let out a sigh instead of getting angry or blaming him, accepting his apology for now.
“Well, whatever. So who are you?”
“I’m Bernzeele! As I just said, I’m like the will of the ability inside you!”
“Will of the ability, huh? So if I thump you, can I control this ability you’re tied to? Bagira told me to control my own ability.”
“Nah, no need for that.”
“Then how do I control it?”
“Let’s see, before I explain that, why don’t we sit down? I’m tired of standing while I talk, and it’s probably uncomfortable for you to sit on the ground too, right?”
When Bernzeele snapped his fingers, a table and two chairs appeared between us. We both sat down facing each other.
“Want something to drink?”
“Then I’ll take lemon tea.”
“Oh! Going for something fancy, huh? Alright, I’ll get you a proper one with floating lemon slices.”
After saying that, he lightly tapped the table with his finger, and sure enough, a cup of tea with lemon appeared in front of me, as well as one for him.
“Hey, can you stop smiling so creepily with my face? It’s giving me the chills.”
“Hmm? Really? I thought you were a guy who smiled a lot.”
“When was that?”
“Uh, when was it? Ow! I should have let it cool down a bit more.”
Bernzeele didn’t say anything else and seemed to be really cautious while drinking his steaming tea, finally starting to get to the main topic.
“Okay… now! About the control you asked about earlier…”
“Oh right, you said I don’t have to do anything to control you.”
“Exactly! First, I’ll talk about why you couldn’t control me and got overrun; it’s due to two factors that suddenly made my power surge, and you couldn’t hold it back.”
“Holding back… so you mean you’re that ability with the demon wavelength I’ve been suppressing all this time.”
“Correct! You’re really sharp! This makes it our third connection.”
“Third time? I’ve never met you before!”
“Oh, I didn’t phrase that well. It’s true this is the first time you and I are meeting face to face, but I’ve taken over your mind once in the past, and in this life, you’ve used me as an ability once, right? Though you probably have no memory of either incident.”
“Wait. In the past?”
Listening to Bernzeele talk, I remembered that I had only used his ability once in this life, but since that day, I couldn’t remember the names of the techniques I chanted or any magic names. I only knew I had used that ability.
What bothered me the most was the part about him having taken over me in the past. If that were true, it meant Bernzeele also remembered his past just like I did.
“When you used the ability, I briefly touched your will, allowing you to use it, then I stole some of your memories related to the ability. That’s why until today, while you recognized my existence, you never tried to use me, and you couldn’t remember the magic names linked to me.”
“I see. So the reason I’ve never been interested in you is that you’ve taken that interest and those memories from me.”
“Exactly! And still, I was really surprised back then. I never thought you’d use me so quick.”
Laughing again, Bernzeele mentioned how tough it was during that time and gulped down the now lukewarm tea, preparing apple tea next.
“By the way, you mentioned the past earlier, but do you have any memories from it?”
“Ah, only the memories from the worlds I’ve been involved in. The world where you rampaged and got killed by the hero, and this one while you’re alive now. Oh, and I was the one rampaging during that time. Anyway, I hardly remember anything else, and due to previously trying to interfere, I’ve got only vague memories from back then.”
“I see.”
I thought maybe this guy could tell me why I kept rewinding after death and how I might be able to end this never-ending life, but it didn’t seem like things would go that smoothly.
“By the way, we’re getting off track again. We don’t have much time, so let’s avoid any further tangents.”
“Got it.”
“First off, the reason you don’t need to control me is that normally, to control me as an ability, you’d have to force and show your power. But you’ve been suppressing me with your magic power for decades, and I’ve acknowledged you for a long time. So there’s no point in testing things anew.”
“I see. But if that’s the case, then why was I unable to use you fully the last time I tried?”
“You just didn’t have the power to handle me back then. It was purely a lack of skill. Plus, my own consciousness was weak at that time, so I couldn’t help you to my full extent, only lending you a bit of my power.”
“Ah, I see.”
Being directly told I was lacking in power was a bit unsettling, but if it was the truth, I couldn’t argue against it.
“But don’t worry! Now I’ve acknowledged you, and your skills are more than sufficient. With some training, you’ll be able to use me well!”
“Then why did I get invaded this time?”
“That leads back to the two factors I mentioned earlier. First, as you know well, my ability is related to demons. Plus, it’s tied to that Demon King.”
“Huh? The Demon King? What…?”
“Just listen. I understand your urge to ask questions, but you can ask that guy named Bagira or Vanilla later. He has a similar ability to mine, so he’ll tell you everything.”
“Got it. And it’s Bagira.”
“Don’t worry about names. About those two factors: first, that’s because you entered the Demon Domain.”
“Entering the Demon Domain was one of the factors?”
“Yes. As I mentioned earlier, my ability is connected to demons. So the magic power flooding this Demon Domain is like the best energy for me! I ended up absorbing it rapidly after so long, making my power overflow from what you were holding back, causing this invasion.”
“I see. So it was your gluttony that caused this.”
“Guh! Ouch! You hit the nail right on the head. As expected of Lewis!”
“Alright, enough of that. Talk about the second factor.”
While Bernzeele laughed and flattered me, I honestly found it uncomfortable for him to do so with my own face, so I wanted him to stop it ASAP.
“Fine! The second factor was that Bagira’s ability was nearby.”
“What?”
“As I said earlier, Bagira has a similar ability to mine. And as you’ve probably sensed, we tend to attract each other when we’re close together.”
“Why is that?”
“The detailed explanation can be asked later from Bagira, but simply put, we were originally one power. It was the Demon King who split us into separate abilities, and they are also our original owner.”
“Can you explain more?”
“I can, but it’s something you can also ask Bagira later. It’d be a waste of time for me to go on and on here.”
“That’s true.”
Indeed, Bernzeele had mentioned not having much time, so discussing things that could be learned later would be pointless.
“So I unintentionally invaded Lewis this time, but I don’t think that will happen again, so you can relax.”
“Understood.”
“Now let’s talk about what you should do from here.”
“What should I do?”
“First off, right now you’re cooperating with the demons to resurrect the Demon King, right?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s correct. If that person resurrects, you should be able to hear about this world. I wish I had those memories, but as mentioned, I barely remember anything. However, what I can say is you need to uncover the truth of this world. That should lead to your desires. And for that, you need to meet that person and talk.”
“The truth of this world, huh? Sounds pretty grand. But earlier, Aurience said they would teach me everything.”
“Aurience?”
“Huh? Didn’t you just say you had some memories related to this world? You should have met her in Icy Fake shortly after rewinding.”
“Sorry. It’s not like I remember everything. My consciousness only stabilized recently, and back when you first rewound, I didn’t know anything.”
“I see.”
So I figured this guy might know why I kept rewinding and how I could end this cycle, but it didn’t seem like that would work out either.
“By the way, you mentioned the past earlier, but do you have memories from it?”
“Ah, only memories from the worlds I interacted with. The world where you went on a rampage and got killed by the hero, and the world you are living in now. Oh, and I was the one causing chaos back then. But anyway, I don’t have many memories left, either. The previous attempt to interfere muddied those recollections.”
“Got it.”
I thought maybe this guy could tell me why I kept rewinding after death and how I might be able to end this never-ending life, but it seemed like it wouldn’t be so easy.
“Anyway, we’re getting off track again. We don’t have much time, so let’s avoid any further tangents.”
“Alright.”
“First, the reason you don’t need to control me is that normally, to control me as an ability, you have to show your power to suppress me. But with you suppressing me with your magic power for decades, I’ve recognized you for a long time. Therefore, there’s no need to test things anew.”
“I see. But if that’s the case, then why was I unable to fully use you last time?”
“Back then, you simply didn’t have the skill to handle me. It was purely a lack of power. Moreover, my self-awareness was weak as well, so I couldn’t provide maximum support; I could only lend you a bit of my power.”
“Oh, I see.”
Being told outright that I lacked power was somewhat disheartening, but if it was the truth, I couldn’t refute it.
“But don’t worry! Now I accept you, and your skills are more than sufficient. With some training, you will learn to use me adequately!”
“Then what was the cause of my invasion this time?”
“That leads back to the two factors I mentioned earlier. First, as you know well, my ability is related to demons. Additionally, it pertains to that Demon King.”
“Wait? The Demon King? What…?”
“Just listen. I understand your desire to ask questions, but you can ask that guy named Bagira or Vanilla later. He possesses a similar power to mine, so he will divulge everything.”
“Understood. And it’s Bagira.”
“Don’t fuss over names. Anyway, regarding those two factors, first is that you entered the Demon Domain.”
“Entering the Demon Domain was one of the factors?”
“Yes. Like I said earlier, my power is related to demons. So the magic energy flooding this Demon Domain is the best energy for me! After a long time, I absorbed it rapidly, resulting in my power overflowing, leading to this invasion.”
“I see. So it was your gluttony that caused this.”
“Guh! Ouch! You really hit me where it hurts! As expected of Lewis!”
“Okay, enough with that. Move on to the second factor.”
Bernzeele laughed and flattered me, but I found it uncomfortable for him to do that with my own face, so I wanted him to stop that right away.
“Alright! Regarding the second factor, Bagira’s ability was nearby.”
“What?”
“As mentioned earlier, Bagira possesses a similar ability to mine. And as you’ve probably sensed, we tend to draw towards each other when we’re in close proximity.”
“Why is that?”
“You can ask Bagira for detailed insights later, but to put it simply, we were originally a single power. The Demon King was the one who split us, and they are also our original owner.”
“Can you explain more?”
“I can, but it’s information that’s also available from Bagira later. It’d be a waste for me to elaborate on it here.”
“That’s true.”
Considering Bernzeele had just mentioned not having time, discussing points that could be learned later would indeed be pointless.
“Thus, I inadvertently invaded you this time, but I don’t think it will happen again, so you can relax.”
“Got it.”
“Now let’s address what you should do next.”
“What should I do?”
“First off, right now, you’re working with the demons to revive the Demon King, correct?”
“Yes.”
“That’s the right move. If they revive, you should be able to learn all there is about this world. I wish I had my memories, but as I mentioned, I barely recall anything. However, one thing I can say for sure is that you must discover the truth of this world. It will connect to your desires. To do that, you need to meet that person and have a conversation.”
“The truth of this world, huh? This is getting pretty epic. But previously, Aurience said they’d teach me everything.”
“Aurience?”
“Huh? Didn’t you say earlier you had some memories of this current world? You should have met her in Icy Fake right after you rewound.”
“Sorry. It’s not like I have every detail—my self-awareness just stabilized recently, and I was completely unaware of anything right after your rewind.”
“I see.”
I thought he might know why I kept dying and returning, and how I could finally escape from this endless loop, but it looked like things wouldn’t go as smoothly as I hoped.
“Speaking of which, you mentioned the past, but do you have memories of it?”
“Ah, strictly speaking, only the memories from the worlds I interacted with. You rampaging and getting killed by the hero in that world, and this world while you’re alive now. Oh, I was the one causing that chaos back then. But anyway, I don’t retain many memories beyond that. My earlier intervention muddied my recollections.”
“I understand.”
I thought maybe this guy could tell me why I kept rewinding after death and how I could escape this never-ending life, but it didn’t appear to be going that easily.
“By the way, we really went off track there. We don’t have much time left. Let’s avoid further digressions.”
“Right.”
“First and foremost, the reason you don’t need to control me is that, typically, controlling me as an ability would require you to dominate me using your own power and demonstrate your strength. However, you have suppressed me with your magic power for years, and I’ve recognized you for a long time. So there’s no need for a test.”
“I see. But if that’s the case, then why couldn’t I fully wield you last time?”
“You simply didn’t have the capability to handle me back then. It was a fundamental lack of skill. Moreover, back then, my own awareness was weak, which meant I couldn’t aid you to the fullest, only offering a bit of assistance.”
“Oh, I understand.”
Being told outright that I was lacking was disheartening, but since it was the truth, I couldn’t counter it.
“But don’t worry! Now I acknowledge you and your abilities are more than enough. With a little training, you’ll learn to use me effectively!”
“So what led to the invasion this time?”
“That ties back to those two factors I previously mentioned. First, as you’re well aware, my powers pertain to demons, and they are also connected to that Demon King.”
“Wait, what about the Demon King?”
“Just listen. As much as I understand your curiosity to inquire, you can ask that guy named Bagira or Vanilla later. He carries a similar ability to mine, and he’ll fill you in on everything.”
“Right. It’s Bagira, by the way.”
“Don’t fuss over names. So about those two factors: first was that you stepped into the Demon Realm.”
“Entering the Demon Realm was one factor?”
“Correct. As I mentioned earlier, my power connects to demons. Therefore, the magic energy permeating the Demon Realm is the ultimate energy source for me! After so long, when I rapidly absorbed that, it caused my power to overflow from what you had been keeping contained, resulting in this invasion.”
“I see! So that was your greedy appetite causing this.”
“Guh! Ouch! You hit the mark there! As expected of you, Lewis!”
“Okay, enough chit-chat. Move on to the second factor.”
Bernzeele chuckled while flattering me, but frankly speaking, I found it quite unsettling for him to behave this way with my own face, so I wanted it to stop immediately.
“Fine! The second factor is that Bagira’s ability was nearby.”
“What?!”
“As mentioned earlier, Bagira possesses a power similar to mine. And as you likely sensed, we seem to attract one another when we’re nearby.”
“Why is that?”
“You can ask Bagira for details later, but simply put, we were originally one single power. The one who split us was the Demon King, who is the original holder of our power.”
“Could we delve deeper into that?”
“I could share more, but it’s something you could obtain directly from Bagira. I think it would be a waste of time for me to go into detail right now.”
“Right.”
Considering Bernzeele had earlier stated we didn’t have much time, discussing points that could be learned later seemed utterly pointless.
“And thus, I unintentionally invaded you this time, but I don’t foresee that happening again. So relax.”
“Understood.”
“Now, let’s talk about what you should do from here moving forward.”
“What should I do?”
“First and foremost, currently, you’re working with the demons to revive the Demon King, correct?”
“Yes.”
“That’s a correct approach. If that person re-emerges, you should be able to learn all about this world. I wish I had my memories intact, but as I mentioned before, they’ve been mostly eroded. However, one thing is clear: you must uncover the truths of this world. This will lead you to your desires. And for that, you need to meet that person and talk to them.”
“The truth of this world, huh? Sounds like quite a grand tale. But previously, Aurience mentioned they’d teach me everything.”
“Aurience?”
“Huh? Didn’t you just state that you have memories related to this current world? You should have encountered her at Icy Fake just after rewinding.”
“Sorry, but it’s not like I remember everything. My consciousness has stabilized only recently, and back when you first rewound, I didn’t know anything.”
“I get it.”
I hoped this guy could tell me why I repeated the cycle of death and return, and how I could finally break free from this endless existence, but it seemed things wouldn’t go so effortlessly.
“Speaking of which, you referenced the past, but do you possess memories from it?”
“Ah, more accurately, I recall only the moments from worlds I interacted with—the world where you wreaked havoc and met your demise at the hands of the hero, and the realm you’re currently living in. Oh, I did stir chaos back then, though. Anyway, I have scant memories beyond that. Past endeavors to meddle have rendered those memories vague.”
“Got it.”
I considered that this fellow might hold the key to understanding why I persisted in dying repeatedly and how I might conclude this endless saga, but it appeared the matter wouldn’t prove so straightforward.
“In that vein, it seems we’ve deviated from the path once again. Given the limited time, let’s refrain from straying further.”
“Agreed.”
“To start with, the fact that you don’t need to control me lies in that typically, assuming control over me necessitates demonstrating your strength and imposing your will. However, considering that you’ve held me at bay with your magic power for years, I’ve acknowledged your presence all along. Thus, there’s little purpose in reevaluating now.”
“I understand, but if that’s the case, why couldn’t I eventually make full use of you?”
Your powers were simply inadequate to fully contain me back then, fundamentally a lack of capability. Beyond that, my own awareness was initial frail, hence I couldn’t offer substantial assistance; I could only lend a modicum of support.”
“Understood.”
With direct talk about my lack of power, it naturally stung a bit, but if that was fact, I had no retort.
“But fear not! Now I acknowledge your abilities and they totally suffice. After a bit of practice, you should master using me efficiently!”
“So what instigated my invasion this time?”
“Ah, this brings us back to those two coordinates I mentioned earlier. Primarily, as you likely know, my abilities are linked to the demonic realm, additionally relating to the Demon King.”
“Huh? The Demon King? What does that imply…?”
“Now hold on. Although I comprehend your desire to interrogate my intentions, it’s far more prudent to consult Bagira or Vanilla down the line. He wields similar capabilities, hence he can elucidate everything—”
“Gotcha. And it’s Bagira, not Vanilla.”
“Forget the names. On a quick note about those two reasons, the first factor is entering the Demon Domain.”
“The act of entering the demon domain was one factor?”
“A affirmative. Like I unequivocally stated earlier, my powers are fundamentally intertwined with demons. Consequently, the magic enveloping the demon domain serves as an unparalleled energy source for me! Absorbing it exhaustively after the stretch of time recently created an overflow in power that breached your containment—resulting in this invasion.”
Switching to a more serious tone, I mused, “I see. It boils down to your extravagant appetite.”
“Ow! Ouch! You truly succeeded in pinpointing my Achilles’ heel—impressive as always, Lewis.”
“Stop it already. Discuss the second reason for the invasion.”
Bernzeele chuckled brightly while favoring me with compliments, but to be honest, it was upon my own visage that we shared this laughter, which made it overwhelmingly bizarre compelling me to expedite a halt instantly.
“Done! Discussing the second reason, this pertains to Bagira’s near presence.”
“What? Bagira?”
“As stated, Bagira encompasses traits akin to mine, and as you’ve likely already experienced, proximity draws our mutual capabilities together.”
“Why does this happen?”
“For detailed inquiries, consulting Bagira would prove beneficial later, but breaking it down further, you may want to consider us signs of energy distinctly interlaced. The Demon King separated our energies, securing a bittersweet paradox from this union.”
“Am I permitted to press for more details?”
