“You...”

Jason frowned at the man standing in his way. Aside from being stopped, the moment Jason focused on ■■■, the surroundings had faintly blurred and warped. It was then that Jason realized: the existence of ■■■—someone who had never existed in the past—meant he was not in reality but a world within his memories.

“...So that’s how it is.”

His situation and existence were now clear. Back to normal, Jason loosened his clenched fist and looked at ■■■.

“Let go.”

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

“If I let go, you’ll kill that child immediately, won’t you?” ■■■ calmly answered, despite the sharpness in Jason’s tone.

From how he no longer clenched his fist, it looked as though Jason had given up on killing his younger self. However, unlike moments ago when there were no emotions as he killed his past selves, Jason was radiating killing intent. It was now as though he were facing his sworn enemy.

“What does that have to do with you?”

“...”

“I’m killing myself with my own hands. Is there any reason for you to interfere?”

“...”

Seeing ■■■ unable to respond, Jason continued in an even tone. “This isn’t reality—it’s my memory. No matter what I do now, the past will not change.”

It had been decades since Jason ascended, decades since he prayed to the world to erase all of his mistakes in-place of his unfulfillable wish and erased his past self. He had been granted the power of Premotion by the world to transcend time and space to accomplish that very thing.

So that’s why Jason never fully understood his power.

Killing his past self had also erased the memories tied to his wish, which thus led to forgetting the reason for the power of Premotion. At last, ■■■ had learned the tragic truth behind that outcome—and that only made him clench Jason’s fist tighter and move to shield the boy better.

“Yes. It won’t change. And that’s exactly why I’m telling you not to do it. There’s no need to kill your past self twice.”

“...”

“You already know it too, don’t you? That what happened to your village that day wasn’t anyone’s fault.”

Although Jason’s decision to join the subjugation force to protect the village could be called a mistake... treating it as a sin was far too cruel. Even if it had ultimately led to the village’s destruction.

“No one’s fault... Yeah. That could be true.”

Jason accepted ■■■’s words without resistance, gazing at ■■■ with dry, lifeless eyes.

“But then, why was it destroyed?”

“...”

“Why did everyone in the village have to die so miserably, without even leaving behind bodies? Tell me.”

If it wasn’t Jason’s fault, then what caused the village’s destruction? To answer that, ■■■ opened his mouth—

“What if...”—Jason’s tone was bone-chilling—“the reason was something as trivial as simple misfortune? If that’s what you think, then it’d be better not to say anything more.”

“...”

“Because I can’t accept such a cursed world.”

■■■’s expression stiffened at the warning.

If the fall of the village had been his own fault, killing himself would be the end. But. If it was because of a structural flaw of the world, one that brought disaster for no reason at all... then what, exactly, would need to be erased?

So that’s how it was...

End everything by hating only himself or ending everything else out of hatred and becoming a new calamity? Having lost all hope and in utter despair, Jason had exercised the last shred of his humanity to choose the former path.

“What will you do now?”

Jason looked at ■■■ indifferently, no fluctuations in his voice.

“Will you save my past self and turn the world into a disaster? Or will you sacrifice my past self to protect the world?”

“...”

“If you deem my choice to be wrong, you make the choice instead. Which path is right? Which choice won’t leave you with regret?”

“...”

■■■ turned to look at the young boy behind him. No matter what he chose, tragedy was unavoidable. No, in truth, there was one single option that could sever the horrific chain.

If I kill Jason...

Without Jason, there would be no need to repeat the tragedy of losing oneself by killing one’s past self. Without Jason, the possibility of his authority going berserk and turning into a world-ending disaster would vanish.

Arriving at that option, ■■■ looked back at Jason.

“...I see. So that was an option too.”

Reading the faint murderous intent directed at him, Jason closed his eyes with a weary expression.

“Go on. Do it.”

“...”

“If I return to reality with my memories intact, I don’t know what I might do. You know that too.”

■■■ clenched his fists tightly. While his memories were still incomplete, he remembered all too well what kind of catastrophic disaster a Perfect One’s power could become once it ran wild.

This might be the last chance.

Jason wished for his own death, and the power of Premotion had yet to go out of control—an almost perfect convergence of circumstances.

It was a chance that may never come again. Yet, despite realizing that, ■■■ hesitated—

Is there really any need to hesitate?

A voice—his own—echoed in his mind.

Others only get one chance. But I can rewind as many times as I want.

■■■ looked at the dagger...no, the hand of a clock that he created.

For now, just kill him since the Trailblazer wished for it himself. If the result isn’t satisfactory, just regress to the past. I don’t need to worry about the future as a regressor.

A perfectly rational choice. There was no reason to refute it. It was true he could regress to the past, so why hesitate over a choice at all? To a regressor, to him, the future was no longer an inviolable domain. It was merely a creation like the clock hand resting in his palm; it was something he could shape at will.

Then let’s “wrap this up.”

The voice in his head spilled from his lips as the Regressor raised the clock hand and then slammed it down to pierce Jason’s heart—

Snap!

A hand shot out from behind and grabbed his wrist.

“What are you doing?”

The familiar voice made the Regressor turn around. There, behind him, stood a silver-haired girl whose face was obscured.

“You’re...”

“You really think anything is allowed just because you can reset everything back to zero?”

“Isn’t that obvious?” the Regressor asked back in confusion, not understanding the girl’s sharp question.

He was repeating choices to reach the correct one to create a better future—what was wrong with that? Wouldn’t it be clinging to meaningless concepts like morality and failing to use one’s given power properly that was truly foolish?

“I don’t know what you’re so upset about, but don’t worry. Even if something goes wrong this time, next time—”

“Then kill me too.”

“What?”

“I won’t let you do something like that. If you really want to make that noble choice, kill me first.”

The girl pulled his wrist closer, making the tip of the clock hand press against her throat.

“Why what? You can reset everything anyway, can’t you? Go on.”

“...”

“You’re not going to? Then I will.”

“...”

The Regressor couldn’t understand her at all. Despite her boldness, her hand was trembling faintly as she moved the clock hand closer. If she were that afraid, why even act so bold?

I’ll just see what happens, I guess.

He could always regress if anything went wrong anyway. So, without moving to kill or save her, the Regressor simply watched—

Smack!

“...?” 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

The Regressor stared at his own hand in disbelief. Just as the clock hand cut through the choker and was about to pierce her neck, he had knocked her hand away? Against his will? Why? He was just going to watch?

In disbelief, his gaze drifted to the girl’s neck... specifically the area that should have been pierced.

“...”

A red mark... and a scar hidden beneath the choker. Seeing those two things, the Regressor felt something he couldn’t put into words.

Even if he killed her by piercing straight through that scar, he could have simply reset everything by regressing to the past. And yet, he couldn’t choose that option? For some reason, his entire body rejected it as though it never should have been an option.

“Why...?”

“Because it doesn’t reset.”

The girl stepped closer and gently held his trembling hand.

“Even if everything disappears when you regress to zero... you still remember everything. What happened before—and how painful it was.”

“...”

“Regressing isn’t just a process. It’s a tragic ending chosen only at the end of life, for the sake of everyone else.”

Regression: bearing countless connections alone and regressing to the past alone after erasing one’s own life. It was an act that should never be repeated.

“I don’t want you to regress anymore. I want to see a happy ending where everyone moves toward the future together.”

As her hands tightened around his, the face that he hadn’t been able to see clearly was slowly revealed.

“Please... remember.”

Tears were pooling in those blue eyes, shining like the sea. And reflected in them... was the face of a regressor who had lost everything and gone back to the past with nobody by his side.

“...Luize.”

Seeing that face, the Regressor—no, Se-Hoon—finally had a definition of who he truly was.

“You...!”

“Sorry. I almost did something really stupid.”

Cupping her face, Se-Hoon gently wiped away the tears in Luize’s eyes before lowering the dagger in his hand.

“It’s okay now. So leave this place to me and go—”

“No.”

Luize gripped his hand even tighter.

“We’re leaving together this time. There’s no compromise.”

Stunned by her firmness, Se-Hoon could only stare at her. Then, he relented with a small laugh.

“Okay. Let’s go. Together.”

Instead of pulling away, he squeezed her hand tightly and turned to face Jason.

“Are you really planning to end it like this?”

Jason looked at him with disbelief. Was he suggesting giving up the definite solution and becoming a calamity instead? Yet, despite the absurdity, Se-Hoon met his gaze.

“Honestly, ending everything really might be the cleaner option. Outside, there’s still the Destroyer of Moralities and the Beast King—and you, Jason, who no one knows how you might change.”

“...”

“But not knowing how you’ll change includes the possibility that you might change for the better, doesn’t it?”

Jason’s eyes widened.

“It might be hard alone, but if I help you, it might be possible.”

Wurgen, who gave the dead a second chance. Li Kenxie, who lit a path for the wounded. Ha Baek-Yeon, who sacrificed herself for humanity’s future. Karl, who sought to atone for his sins and change the world.

Just as the other Perfect Ones had refined their wishes and transformed their powers with Se-Hoon’s help, Jason too had that possibility.

“Please trust me—just this once. I’ll take responsibility and remake it with you.”

“...”

Jason looked at Se-Hoon silently for a long moment... then closed his eyes.

“The aftermath is solely yours to deal with.”

“Of course.”

With that, Se-Hoon had gained an answer he was satisfied with. And at that moment, Luize asked, “So how do we get back?”

Se-Hoon looked at her, then smiled.

“That’s not too hard.”

Luize flinched, feeling Se-Hoon squeezing her hand, before tightening her grip in response. In that instant, their warmth, mana, and synesthetic mindscapes connected through their bond.

[The bond with ‘Luize Valenete’ has grown to Lv. 4.]

[Since the bond has grown to Lv. 4, your Relationship with ‘Luize Valente’ can now be redefined as ‘Harmony’.]

[Relationship: Harmony]

[Dreaming of the future together requires not only trust but also heavy responsibility. For one who has walked life alone, aligning paths and matching strides with another is no easy task.

Yet your guidance and the subject’s faith have forged a broader, sturdier road. No matter what hardships lie ahead, the two of you will endure them together.

*A Fatestone is created whenever Harmony is achieved.

*The maturation rate of the Fatestone increases whenever Harmony is maintained.

*The probability of the subject’s synesthetic mindscape manifesting inside the Fatestone increases as your Relationship deepens.

*Currently created Fatestones: 1]

Woong!

A sense of connection surged from their chests.

Feeling the resonance rising from deep within her heart, Luize’s eyes widened. Meanwhile, Se-Hoon looked down at his own chest. Because on the left side of his heart, there was a red gem that did not react to his bond with Luize.

Its identity was clear: the Shard of Moralities, a Harbinger Shard.

Recognizing it, Se-Hoon gripped the dagger in reverse.

“Get the hint and get out!”

Crack!

The red gem shattered into pieces, and everyone awoke from that long dream.