Additional Chapter! Thank Tidraus, Kuki_Madoka, Zark,and Me for this additional chapter.
Enjoy!
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Bethel's lips tightened. "Perhaps you could tell me?"
For someone who could summon the past, knowing the future wasn't hard to believe.
"You'll become a stepping stone for Amon's ascension, a sacrifice for his rise to Sequence 0. Of course, it's voluntary—you'll offer yourself up for the world's safety."
Evah paused, turning to glance at Bethel. "Pretty cliché ending, huh?"
Bethel met his gaze. It was hard to say what Mr. Door thought in that moment. He simply looked up at the crimson moon and asked, "Did the world get saved?"
"Of course…" Evah's smile widened, but his eyes held little warmth. "Another guardian sacrificed themselves too. Not Amon, though."
Bethel seemed to freeze, though his expression showed little surprise. He let out a long sigh, then, as if seeing through something, looked at Lucifer. "You don't like this outcome." His tone was certain.
"It's not exactly a happy ending, after all, and I've always been a fan of perfect resolutions. I may not be a good guy anymore, but I still hope good people get their just rewards," Evah said, his expression tinged with nostalgia and a touch of melancholy, inviting speculation about the stories behind it.
In truth, though, Evah was just fully committing to his Lucifer persona.
In a way, he was truly the chosen Mischief-maker, perfectly aligned with every facet of this pathway.
But he didn't linger in the melancholy for long. Soon, he broke into a smile again, looking at Bethel earnestly. "Of course, the main reason is that I really don't like Amon, so I'm not keen on letting him be the final winner."
Bethel gave Lucifer a deep look, his expression showing little surprise. He simply said calmly, "You've chosen me as the variable to change this outcome."
"It's fitting," Evah nodded unhurriedly. "In a perfect story, everyone deserves a better ending."
As for whether that better ending would see Klein or Bethel become the Lord of Mysteries… Evah would just say he had no idea.
He'd hedge his bets on both sides—whichever one became the Lord of Mysteries, he'd come out ahead.
Bethel didn't comment, instead saying abruptly, "You're the Chaos Sovereign Pallez mentioned, aren't you?"
"Shh! You know, so keep it to yourself. Don't tell Pallez—I'm not done having fun yet!" Evah, unfazed by having his identity exposed, playfully pressed a finger to Mr. Door's lips, grinning with full Mischief-maker flair.
He wasn't surprised Bethel had figured it out. What kind of "favored one" could summon Shadows of Time and harbor a terrifying power within? It was obvious something was up.
So, Evah never planned to hide it from Mr. Door, though he had no intention of explaining too much either.
Smart people always fill in the blanks themselves!
Bethel, meanwhile, felt a twinge of sympathy for Pallez. Though their time together was brief, how could he not see that this man's personality rivaled Amon's as a Embodiment of Deciet and Trickery? Given Evah's abilities, Lucifer's potential for chaos might even surpass Amon's.
But it was just sympathy. Bethel and Pallez weren't exactly close—after Solomon's first fall, they'd backed different emperors, practically becoming enemies. Mr. Door was a good guy, but not so good he'd risk warning an old rival.
"I won't tell Pallez," Bethel said flatly, then looked at Lucifer with a hint of curiosity, probing, "How do you plan to try?"
He was, of course, asking how Lucifer intended to cleanse his corruption.
"First, let's establish a connection with the you of this era," Evah said, grinning at Bethel.
Linking with this era's Mr. Door wasn't too hard. Though Evah lacked Abraham family blood or Apprentice pathway powers, he had the past Bethel right there. With past Bethel's help, the connection was established smoothly.
Then, Luo Lin heard a pained voice:
"Don't save me…Please save Me...Don't save me…"
It was this era's Mr. Door, the last shred of Bethel Abraham's lucid will, tainted by corruption.
Evah glanced at past Bethel, as if sighing. "Did you hear what he's saying?"
"I heard," Bethel said, letting out a sigh. While helping Evah connect with this era's Mr. Door, he'd naturally linked with his future self too, clearly hearing the cries.
"Regret it? His cries cut off the Abraham family's chances of producing high-Sequence Beyonders. Otherwise… maybe you could've survived," Evah said, studying Bethel with curiosity.
Do you regret it? Your future choice… this doomed path of sacrifice.
"…I've failed the Abraham descendants," past Bethel said after a long silence, sighing. But his voice grew resolute. "But there's no regret. Compared to becoming an Outer God's plaything, death is the better choice."
"If this is my future, I accept it."
Evah smiled, and the pained voice in his ears quieted. After fading for a second or two, it returned, now friendly, as if the speaker had noticed Evah's connection. "Hello, little guy!"
Past Bethel's brow twitched. He could tell this was his corrupted self speaking. The faint clarity of this era's Mr. Door had sunk back into corruption.
But thanks to past Bethel's deliberate shielding, the other side didn't seem to notice his presence.
Evah raised an eyebrow, his expression unchanged, though his voice took on a timid tone. "W-Who are you?"
"You can call me Mr. Door. Can you tell me your name, little guy?" The corrupted Mr. Door spoke gently, his voice so warm no one would guess it belonged to a personality born from corruption.
"I'm Lucifer, Lucifer Zoroast. You're Mr. Door? I've seen your name in my family records…" Evah didn't even blink as he slipped into the act.
"Zoroast…" The corrupted Mr. Door seemed to chuckle. "So, you're a descendant of an old friend. That name, Zoroast, brings back memories…"
Evah immediately played along, chatting with the corrupted Mr. Door about Pallez. After a few sentences, he shot a glance at Bethel, who was watching him with exasperation.
"Don't look at me like that. I didn't lie—I am Lucifer Zoroast right now," Evah said with a laugh, pausing before adding righteously, "And that's the Mother God-controlled you over there. Isn't it normal to put on a bit of a show?"
"Do whatever makes you happy," past Bethel said, unable to muster anything else.
Evah, indeed quite happy, traded a few more performative lines with the corrupted Mr. Door before saying, "Mr. Door, I actually reached out this time because I have a gift for you."
"…A gift?" The other side faltered, clearly caught off guard by the sudden shift.
"A gift's a gift, of course!" Evah blinked, flashing a radiant smile. Then, with lightning speed, he channeled the power of the Nyarlathotep fragment within him through their connection. The next second, a scream of agony echoed in his ears.
"Aaahhh—"
(End of Chapter)