The Moirai’s words stuck into me like thorns.
The true nature of the smartwatch, the Main Quest I’d been trying to solve—according to them, all of it had been nothing more than a game played within the Moirai’s hands.
The Moirai kept talking.
“Whenever a certain cycle passes, a resistance force that rebels against the gods arises among humanity. We called them ‘giants.’”
“When the first giant appears, their numbers increase at a rapid pace, and among them, one will possess ‘Weaving.’”
“The giants who have raised their power stimulate humanity and cause a war against the gods.”
The Moirai spoke with indifferent eyes.
“It’s all preordained, Frondier.”
“It’s already happened several times.”
“The giants resisted the gods and sacrificed humanity. Do you know how many people died because of that?”
I spoke.
“You’re the ones who turned humans into convenient puppets for you to use, and you dare—”
I could feel the killing intent in my voice.
“So what?”
The Moirai in the center spoke.
“Just as you said, we continue to exist by feeding on human faith. And what of it? Frondier, not every truth is helpful. Especially in a case like this. No matter what trials we imposed, humans always relied on us, believed in us, followed us. Are you so dissatisfied that we merely nurtured that devotion somewhat?”
“You ‘nurtured’ their devotion somewhat? You created monsters outside and took away the entirety of humanity’s territory, and in the process you killed more people than can even be counted, and you think you can sweep that away with a line like that?”
“But of course. In reality, human faith soared afterward. At that time, there wasn’t a single human who wanted the truth. Everyone just wanted to receive better divine power and craved more of the gods’ affection. Frondier, truth means nothing to humans once they lose their room to breathe. The fact that you’re facing such a truth now is proof that humanity’s gotten complacent.”
My fingertips trembled. A hollow laugh twisted my lips. I was so furious that it actually made me laugh instead.
The Moirai on the right spoke.
“Frondier, if you hadn’t started all this, humans could’ve lived more or less reasonably.”
“Inside the breeding pen you made for them.”
“Yes. Instead of leaving the pen, you’re driving the lives of all humanity toward death.”
A war between gods and humans.
That was now unavoidable.
It had already happened numerous times in the past, and this time would be no different.
“Frondier, let me ask you one thing.”
The Moirai in the center spoke.
“Did they agree? To your little deviation?”
“......What?”
“I’m asking whether all humans want to leave the pen.”
For a moment, I was at a loss for words. It was so absurd I didn’t know where to even begin.
The Moirai on the left looked at Selena as she spoke.
“For those like this woman, who believe in you and follow you—for the strong, we can say you received tacit consent. But those weaker than that? Do they truly wish to leave the pen?”
“So you’re saying they don’t?”
“Of course not. You’ve thrown livestock out into the wild and are merely hoping they somehow survive. Even though it’s obvious they’ll die. Isn’t that the height of hypocrisy?”
When I heard the Moirai say that—
Ironically, I thought of Hella’s words.
─The Empire still doesn’t know the truth, they’re just obsessed with the immediate crisis in front of them. They’re all too busy protecting their own skins. No one knows that better than you, Frondier.
─This is a war that was already lost. And humanity is weaker now than it was then. Why should I side with the losing camp?
Whether they were mocking me or not.
The gods had already decided the outcome of this war.
Humanity’s defeat, and the deaths of countless humans.
It didn’t look like a prediction so much as something they already knew.
They called it fate.
The three goddesses of fate, the Moirai, had already foreseen it, and events were proceeding along that course.
“You’re saying that trembling in fear, not knowing when the monsters outside will break through the barrier, is actually happiness for humanity? Is that really something that dares call itself a god?”
At my question, the Moirai’s expressions remained flat.
“Isn’t it better than dying?”
When the Moirai said that—
I felt a massive cliff split apart inside my heart.
Even the tiny speck of my will that had wanted to try and converse with the gods crumbled away completely.
No matter what happened now, the gods would never be able to cross this cliff.
“......Moirai.”
With those feelings exactly as they were, I looked at the three goddesses.
My rage had completely vanished.
To me, the Moirai were no longer objects of anger.
“.......”
Ironically, only then did the Moirai’s expressions change slightly.
“Frondier, no matter what you decide, nothing will change. Now the gods’ descents will begin one after another. You chose the wrong place to come. Weren’t you the one who wanted to protect humans?”
“.......”
The meaning of the Moirai’s words was simple.
Get lost.
If you go back to humanity right now, you might still be able to save a few people.
That’s your role, isn’t it?
With Selena held hostage like this, the only way I could save her was by negotiating with the Moirai.
Knowing that, the Moirai were stoking my rage.
So that, driven by anger, I wouldn’t be able to make a proper judgment.
So that in order to make a proper judgment, I would keep wasting time.
“......Lord Frondier.”
A voice reached me then.
I raised my head and looked at Selena.
“I am your bodyguard, Lord Frondier.”
Selena spoke.
Her words were so ominous that the corners of my eyes trembled.
“Right now, what are you trying to say with that?”
“A bodyguard’s role is to protect, not to be protected.”
“Be quiet. Don’t let your mind wander to stupid places.”
I warned Selena. At the same time, I watched the Moirai’s reaction.
The Moirai simply stayed still. They already knew I wouldn’t sacrifice Selena. Since either way time was on their side, they just had to be quiet.
“Selena, the idea that I’d abandon you—”
“......Hehe.”
There, Selena laughed.
“I’ve always wondered, Lord Frondier. Why you keep me by your side.”
“......What are you ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) talking about? Like you said, you’re supposed to protect me—”
“No. That can’t be it. Lord Frondier, you’re deceiving yourself.”
“Deceiving myself? I—!”
“Lord Frondier.”
Selena looked at me then, with eyes that seemed sad.
“I am not faster than Black Heaven’s reaction speed.”
“......!”
“The ultra-close-quarters combat that you praised me for. From the start, you never allow enemies to get that close. Something like a ‘what if’ simply doesn’t happen.”
I tried to refute Selena’s words, but my mouth froze.
Because of her expression.
That sorrowful face made any rebuttal meaningless and stopped my words.
“There is no such thing as a bodyguard who protects someone stronger than themselves. That’s why I’ve wanted to become stronger, no matter what. To be fitting as your bodyguard. I kept believing you kept me by your side because you trusted I’d become that strong.”
“Selena.”
“Lord Frondier, I followed you all the way to the end of hell.”
“Selena......!”
“Please let me die here.”
The resolve in Selena’s face.
With trembling hands, I looked at that face.
So clean that there wasn’t even a speck of dust—
‘......Huh?’
So clean—
That I never would have realized.
‘......An act!’
Only then did I see it.
There was something in Selena’s mouth.
Selena gave me a very brief wink.
CRUNCH─!
And she bit down on whatever was in her mouth and swallowed it.
No, I already knew what it was.
It was a mana crystal.
Something on par with, if not greater than, a dragon heart—something I’d made myself—
FWAAAASH!!
The cloth of Penelope wrapped around Selena flared with light.
“What......!”
Only then did the Moirai’s eyes fly wide in shock.
Selena’s body exploded with a massive surge of mana, and along with it, her eyes shone blue.
Swoosh!
Selena fired her needles again, and the Moirai twisted her head to avoid them.
In that brief opening, Selena’s hands moved.
Ten-Point Sorcery
Selena Original
Spirit-Command Acupuncture, Chuna Technique
Final Doll
Thud,
The Moirai’s fingers that had been gripping Selena’s neck.
Thunk,
Her wrist.
Crack.
By the time Selena’s fingers reached her elbow—
“KYAAAAAAH!!”
The Moirai on the left let out a bizarre scream.
By then, Selena’s restraints had already been completely broken.
From there—
Shoulder, neck, spine, pelvis, knees, down to the ankles.
Selena’s fingers pierced all along the entire right side of the Moirai’s body.
“AAARGH!!!”
The Moirai crumpled toward the side where Selena’s fingers had struck, like a balloon losing air.
It wasn’t so much that a person collapsed as that a sheet of paper folded in on itself.
On top of that—
KWAAAK!
Selena stomped down on the Moirai’s right foot. Thanks to that, the Moirai couldn’t even collapse all the way and creaked into a grotesque shape.
“Moirai, goddess of fate.”
Selena spoke as she looked into the Moirai’s upturned eyes.
“Why couldn’t you foresee this?”
“......!”
At Selena’s words, my thoughts spun.
‘Selena’s right.’
Why hadn’t the Moirai predicted that?
Was this situation really to the Moirai’s advantage?
No, that couldn’t be.
Just now, the Moirai truly hadn’t read Selena’s actions at all.
Up until a moment ago, they’d seen through her attacks as if looking into the future, and yet why hadn’t they foreseen her swallowing the mana crystal?
......That difference.
─So the decision has to be yours. How you accept what they’ve done, what choice you make, only you can do that.
─Just remember one thing. You are not a hero.
─You mustn’t become one.
I recalled Hestia’s words.
Why had she shown me the giants’ past?
She’d answered some of my questions, but what did that mean for this war?
......No, from the very beginning.
Why had the giants summoned “me”?─
‘......Ah!’
The moment my thoughts reached that point, I shouted.
“Selena! Get into the shadow!”
“Yes!”
I kicked off the ground. With that single step, I closed the distance to right in front of the Moirai.
“You bastard!!”
I dodged the attack of the Moirai in the center.
“Menosorpo.”
Weaving, Menosorpo
Gram
I set Gram up behind the Moirai.
“Hmph!”
The Moirai in the center noticed it at once and glanced behind her.
Thud!
Squelch!
The short sword in my hand stabbed into her unguarded abdomen.
On the right, the Moirai was struck by Selena’s needles as she burst out of the shadow.
Even though she’d seen the quietly generated Weaving of Gram in advance, she couldn’t respond to a simple thrust from my short sword.
She’d been dodging Selena’s attacks until a moment ago, yet after Selena swallowed the mana crystal, she couldn’t dodge anymore.
“......You.”
I spoke to the Moirai, writhing as she looked at the sword buried in her abdomen.
“In the futures you can see, ‘I’ am excluded, aren’t I.”
