Toren’s words thundered inside my mind as I looked at him.

Me? A psychopath?

I wanted to laugh. While it was true that I wasn’t sane in the head, when compared to him...? I was probably the sanest person on earth.

"Past, present, or future, your nature will never change."

Toren’s calm words drifted through the frozen air.

"...You’ll always abandon everything for the sake of your brother. This scene that you’re seeing is not much different from what you’ve done to us. The five of us."

Toren smiled as he muttered, "Really, it’s really funny to see everything play out just like it did in the past. In the end, you’ll never change."

"That’s bullshit."

The words escaped my lips smoothly. I didn’t even think before speaking.

Staring at Toren, I just felt the need to rebuke him.

"I’m not like you. I can see that what is happening is wrong. That’s why I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen."

I didn’t want a future like this.

I wasn’t going to let Leon die. Absolutely no way.

Even though I wanted to save Noel, I didn’t plan on saving him at the expense of the others.

He was absolutely wrong in this aspect.

’And it’s not like the visions are set. I’ve always changed them, so I can change this too.’

"I love your confidence."

Toren laughed in amusement.

"However, I’ve seen it before. I know you just as much as you know yourself. You’re selfish."

I opened my mouth, but the words never came out.

No.

Something did come out.

"You’re not... much different. You speak as though you care about the people, but the way people live under your rule. You don’t care about them. You’re just as selfish as I am, but at the same time, try to paint yourself as some sort of savior."

Toren’s obscured features shifted slightly beneath the dark fog that covered his face.

"I hate you."

His tone grew monotone as I felt a certain coolness wash over me.

Although his words carried no emotion, I could feel the hatred hidden within those cold words of his.

It was powerful.

Powerful enough to make my mind tremble.

"Just look behind you. Look at those people. Those right there are the very same people that you’ve abandoned."

My eyes drifted to the city.

To the people who were dying and screaming.

"Had you forgotten about Noel, we could’ve all lived well. The people here would’ve lived better, and we would’ve even been able to live outside. None of this would’ve happened. You’re selfish, and you know that yourself. But I’m not here to talk about morality. We both know we’ve long since lost the will to speak of it."

To that, I couldn’t say anything.

"But none of that matters at this point. In fact, I’m rather interested in seeing it. Will you really be able to change this fate..." All of a sudden, Toren paused, his eyes turning white for the briefest of moments. After which, the smile on his lips pulled further. "I just had a vision."

That was all he said.

However, that was enough to unsettle me.

"What did you see...?"

"The next possible outcomes."

Chuckling, he covered his lips.

"In the end, I wasn’t wrong. No matter what you do, you’ll fail."

"....."

Something pressed against my chest as I looked at him. I felt a deep sense of unease crawl at the back of my mind as I looked around me. From Kiera’s face to her words. Eventually, I even looked in Noel’s direction.

This future...

"You can’t stop it."

I shook my head, not falling for his words.

’He’s trying to fuck with my mind. I know he is.’

And he was doing a very good job at it.

"Looks like you don’t believe me."

Toren smiled, but he didn’t say anything else. Instead, he squinted his eyes while trying to get a better look at me.

"I’m more curious about something else, to be honest. Which version of you is this?"

Through the fog, he probably struggled to see my real figure.

He didn’t know which version of me it was.

"Are you the Emmet from the past? Emmet from the future? ...Or the Emmet that returned after I’ve finally gotten rid of him?"

My breath held.

"What?"

He laughed.

"Did you really think I wouldn’t know about the fact that you aren’t dead?"

He shook his head.

"You underestimate me too much. No, rather... I’ve experienced this so many times that I know that I can’t kill you. You’ll just come back one way or another. I still try, though."

Shrugging his shoulders, he sighed.

"To be honest, it’s a real pain in the ass. There are already so many things that I have to take care of, and with you constantly showing up out of nowhere, forcing me to divert my attention to the important matters, I find it to be really troublesome, you know?"

I also found it troublesome whenever he tries to kill me.

"...And it’s not like I can leave you alone, either? You need me after all."

Hm?

What was this guy—

"Should I interfere or not? This looks like Veltrus’s territory."

Toren looked around, taking note of everything, including the city in the distance. His words immediately made my expression turn heavy.

If he really interfered, then...

"Hmm, right. Dawn should be here. I think he should be more than enough to handle this. Then again, it’s not like I can move."

Toren sighed again, scratching the side of his face as he mumbled, ’How troublesome, how troublesome. But I do feel like interfering. Maybe I should. Yes, I will. Or not...’

He looked really torn, but the more he spoke, the more unsettled I felt.

From the looks of things, he seemed to be playing with me. He made it sound as if he was going to come, only for him to change his mind before eventually saying, ’No, maybe not’. However, I knew that this could very well be just a lie. ’

He could just be saying it so that I’d let my guard down.

"Well, I guess it isn’t worth it. Not that it matters."

Toren laughed.

The black fog around his body consumed him entirely, and he faded completely from my sight, leaving me at a complete loss.

Huh?

He left... just like that?

What?

’Why? Why did he do this? Is he really just going to leave me like this?’

My mind scrambled.

Suddenly, I started to think of several things.

Was he going to come directly? Was that why he just left? Or was it because he had seen the future? Was he that confident that I was going to fail?

’No, that makes no sense.’

Toren of all people should be aware of the fact that the future in the visions wasn’t set.

And yet...

Why was he so confident?

’Why? This makes no sense. Does he really think I’ll act as he expects me to? Or is he just going to show up?’

Without even realizing it, I started to lose my cool. All sorts of thoughts drifted through my mind in that moment. Was this his goal?

Was his goal to rattle me?

’Shit. Shit.’

He had succeeded.

I was rattled.

At the same time, the frozen time began to move again. Sound rushed back all at once, screams filling my ears, as the oppressive heat of the desert surged over me, wrapping around my body like a suffocating wave.

Kiera’s body remained on the ground as she stared emptily at the sky.

"H-huh...?"

But what left me stunned was something else.

It was the very fact that I could move.

W-what...?

I looked down at my hands, watching as they twitched and moved at my command. There was a brief lag, but it was there.

How is this possible?

This was the first time that something like this had ever occurred.

’No, that’s not what’s important!’

I looked at Kiera, my lips opening very slowly.

"H-how...?"

The words did come out, but just barely.

This wasn’t all I wanted to say!

I forced every muscle that I could control as I continued to try to speak.

"H... how... d-die..."

My entire body tingled as I tried my best to get the words out. Yet, no matter how hard I struggled, only a few words managed to get out. Thankfully, it was enough.

"How did Leon die?"

Kiera’s laughter echoed for a brief moment after as she looked at me.

"You’re asking me this when you’re well aware of it yourself?"

Kiera shook her head, her pupils now completely black as the very air around her began to shift and distort. At the same time, I noticed the world around me starting to warp, the edges of my vision blurring more with each passing second.

The noise started to fade, and so did the heat.

Not yet!

I screamed inside my mind, trying to force my focus on the vision that was about to fade.

I need to know the answer! Not yet...!

"You... you really don’t care, don’t you? To even go as far as..."

Kiera’s words started to fade as I strained every part of me to listen.

Just a little! A little more!

"...Dune."

The world turned completely black, and the whisper of a few words just barely reached my mind.

"Conqueror."

———!

Light filtered across my vision as my eyes snapped open, and a white-robed figure stood in front of me.

His languid and lazy expression fixed on me as he smiled.

"It seems like the little defiance in you has faded a little bit. Good, good. I like that."

With a laugh, he patted me on the shoulders while looking at the others behind me.

"Now that I’ve gotten a good idea of what your strengths are, I feel a lot more reassured with your presence. As most of you know, this is a highly coveted position that I have. Many enemies try to bring me down at every turn. Although I’ve managed to fend them off for now, it doesn’t mean that I’ll be able to do it forever. That’s why all of you are important. You’re here to take the fall for me when it matters."

His words echoed softly across the room; however, his words barely registered inside my mind as I stood on the spot, a constant ringing sound echoing inside my mind as my thoughts drifted to the moments that led up to this.

To the vision.

Dune Conqueror...

I raised my head, looking at the man who stood in front of me.

This was the nickname that he was given.

Thinking about Leon and how he was challenging the rankings, my heart suddenly sped up.

’He dies fighting Tharvek.’

Having witnessed his power, I knew...

I knew that Leon couldn’t beat me.

’I have to stop him. I have to tell him to stop.’

Yes.

In order to ensure his survival, he had to quit.