It sounded like his mind had been exploring other things while his eyes took in the tranquil scenery of snow falling outside. My heart sank with the gravity of his question. Well, we had to discuss it at some point, and it was probably better to do so now, when we were both being open and honest with each other.
"About Reed..." I sighed as I said his name. "He was creating a double-layered dungeon."
"A double-layered dungeon?"
There was an apparent need to exchange all the information we had on our foe.
"Yes. Reed is planning the destruction of the world far more meticulously than you did in the past. Apparently, he gave tasks to each of the Demon Lords as a part of his so-called prophecy. That's the reason Inferinos dug the Pit of Solitude."
Reed probably had intended to eliminate the greatest obstacle that stood between him and his goal of destroying the world by corrupting my soul, which would have recruited me to his side had Tesilid not intervened.
"After you jumped into the Pit of Solitude, Inferinos made a deal with me to find out what tasks Reed had assigned the other two Demon Lords. She offered to bring you back up if I would go to Karpeios' territory to spy on him."
"Is that why you went to the Abyssal Dunes? That was really recklessâ"
"Perhaps I should've jumped into the Pit of Solitude with you instead?" I quickly cut off Tesilid's nagging before returning to my point. "I saw a structure in the Abyssal Dunes as tall as a mountain. It was called the Sacred Tomb of Chaos, and the gate below the structure was connected to the final dungeon."
"So, he created a double-layered dungeon by connecting the Cradle of Chaos and Evil..." Tesilid muttered to himself.
"There must be a reason why he made a double-layered dungeon and diverted it to the Abyssal Dunes." He pondered for a moment before he suddenly perked up in realization. "I get it now. He's probably trying to reinforce Chaos and Evil through a series of dungeon bursts before unleashing it onto the world."
"Yes. That's what I'm guessing as well. In fact, Reed invaded the Vatican during the Doomsday incident and stole the Sacred Place Establishment artifact too."
The last possible shelter for humankind was now in the enemy's hands.
"I see." Tesilid raised his gaze again. His eyes were filled with icy determination. "Allie."
"Yes, Tez?"
"Actually, I noticed the Black Chain Limiter in your inventory."
It was the item that had been wrapped around Tesilid's left wrist to suppress his powers. The fact that I now owned an item which had kept him imprisoned for millennia made me feel guilty, as if I was the one who had restrained his powers in the first place. But he didn't seem to care.
"I don't have access to the Well of Immortality, but I can give you the Save Point artifact back."
"Tez?"
"There's no point in sending Reed to Loop One Hundred and One, since he'll only try the same thing again. Death can not serve as a punishment to a returner," he explained. "You need to find a better way to punish him if you are to make him truly repent."
The dry indifference in his voice hurt my heart because I knew those words must have been painful for him to say aloud. Tesilid Argente's hatred for himself grew deeper with each Loop he lived through, reaching its peak when he turned into Reed of Loop One Hundred. That's why he never hesitated to kill versions of himself from the past in cold blood.
But I could sense that this Loop One Hundred and Seventeen version of Tesilid was different from the others. Perhaps he had learned to pity himself after all the suffering he went through in falling into the abyss at the end of Loop One Hundred, which meant he might have the strongest empathy for that version of himself. And yet, he was suggesting that I push Reed into the abyss.
Making that suggestion probably hurt him more than death itself. The emotionless look on his face made me feel horrible, but he was ready to let himself die.
"I want you to do it," he clarified. "Please. I'm counting on you."
Then he shoved the Save Point artifact toward me. I stared at the disturbing artifact for some time before I outstretched my hand, but Tesilid's fingers trembled when I took it from him.
I sighed and muttered, "Why did you ask me to take it if you were going to make a face like that?"
He didn't answer, but I could easily read his thoughts through his aquamarine eyes. He probably felt hurt because a part of Reed's identity still resided within him. Tesilid immediately turned his eyes away in guilt when he realized what he was thinking.
"I'm sorry," he apologized.
"No. I wasn't trying to make you feel guilty."
I tried to console him.
"Thanks. I'll make good use of the artifact, but I might not use it the way you think I would. I hope you won't be offended by that."
Tesilid's lips parted without making a sound. It was all too clear he would ask me about my intentions, so I changed the topic before he could.
"By the way, I noticed something strange when I saw Reed in the Abyssal Dunes."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"He looked just like you. That is to say, how he looked before the corruption."
For some reason, Tesilid opened his eyes extremely wide in bewilderment, even though I had yet to tell him how Reed also tried to kiss me by pretending to be Tesilid.
"Do you mean to say I reverse-manipulated the changes brought on by the demonic sword on Loop One Hundred?"
"Yeah."
Tesilid's face turned into a serious frown when I confirmed his suspicion. I wanted to ask him what the problem was, but I couldn't find the words. He seemed more serious than ever. That's when he started muttering to himself.
"A double-layered dungeon... The Sacred Place Establishment... and his original form before the corruption..." He then let out a sound people make when they find a missing piece in a puzzle. "Oh!"
I wasn't sure whether he was letting out a cry of joy or a groan of despair. I watched a series of complex emotions swirl through his eyes, which eventually coalesced into a single sentiment.
"My goodness..."
He felt compassion for the doomed. No one could understand Reed better than Tesilid since he had once been Reed himself. He could see all the blind spots not revealed in the original story for he experienced all the bounds and limitations of the work.
Tesilid spoke after a long pause, his voice more somber than any requiem. "I know what Reed truly wants."
â
The first thing Reed saw after a long slumber was a full moon as crimson as his eyes. The dry desert wind, the dark oasis, and the bleeding full moon all indicated where he was.
"Are you awake, O Chaos and Evil?" Karpeios asked.
"It has been fifty nights since you fell asleep. I tried to look after all your needs, but please let your humble servant know if you find anything lacking."
Needless to say, Reed wasn't in a good mood.
"It's time to return to the light. We'll do it together."
He had been thrust through the gates of the Divine Realm by Ailette Rodeline. He had never felt such concentrated and overwhelming amount of divinity burn his corrupt flesh before. He thought everything would melt and burst into flames beyond the gates of the Divine Realm. But the dread of facing a tremendous amount of divinity only lasted for a split second because his consciousness was pulled from the senses of his body the moment he was thrown through the gates.
His body and soul were bombarded by God until his very existence began to crumble apart. God humiliated him with his incompetence before throwing him back into the human world with his life barely hanging by a thread. It was a miracle that he survived at all, or that he hadn't been completely purged.
But miracles were the domain of God. Having been tormented by the only god of this universe for ages, Reed immediately tried to interpret the miracle of mercy he had been shown. God was likely telling him to stop his little rebellion and serve as the little cogwheel in the World of Return that he was created to beâthe message was disgusting and repulsive. Why did God pretend to be good when He was nothing but a hypocrite?
The Strict Order and Goodness... Reed's hatred for God seemed to ignite every cell in his body. But of course, none of it showed since he had already been reduced into ashes. And yet, there was someone who disturbed him more than the god he despised.
Ailette Rodeline. Half of his great plans went up in smoke when he failed to save her and keep her by his side. Now that Inferinos was purged, he couldn't even attempt to salvage her again. In other words, he was eternally unable to take Ailette Rodeline for himself now.
But he couldn't afford to give up in despair because he had to accomplish the rest of his plan. Reed's wicked sword, which had helped him recover his body, was now out of the oasis. Karpeios humbled himself before Chaos and Evil despite being a Demon Lord and gladly served Reed by putting a black cape around his shoulders.
Reed accepted the Demon Lord's service coldly, face unreadable. Then, he asked, "What about the sacred tomb?"
"It has been completed."
"Ah... Good."
It slightly lifted his mood because he had been waiting for this moment.
Slash!
"Why... O Great... Chaos and Evil...?"
Now that the tomb has been completed, Reed could finally carry out Karpeios' deferred execution. Karpeios didn't bleed. Instead, the Demon Lord's body was shredded like a black doll made out of paper, half of his power and might purged in an instant.
"Wh-why?" The demon didn't dare to fight back, even though he had been attacked unprovoked. His eyes trembled as they stared at the towering figure of Reed. "Why... are you killing me...? Please... Chaos and Evil. Give me a reason..."
Reed showed mercy to the great demon, who was now on his knees.
"Chaos and Evil, you say?" The demon killer savored his title as if he was rolling a candy in his mouth. Then, he offered a gentle smile.
Karpeios sensed something was terribly wrong because Chaos and Evil never smiled in the Demon Realm. The demons felt grateful whenever he would throw a look of contempt or hatred their way. So, Karpeios found it odd that he was smiling, since Chaos and Evil had always been particularly cold to him.
Reed grinned down at Karpeios while strangling the demon with his crimson gaze, as if to prove his hatred for the Demon Lord.
"It has been a long time. Now, I would like to be called by my other name."