Make Dark Fantasy Great Again

"Me, it's me...!!! Can't any of you recognize me!?" Can't you recognize me? It was words repeated futilely in a desperate voice. A hero of reversal who had overcome countless adversities. The man was someone who could skillfully handle any crisis situation. "Please, it's me, it's me!? Why can't you recognize me! Even if others don't, at least you should-" However, the man now could take no action other than desperately repeating the same words. The fear and anxiety he was experiencing now could not be overcome by any experience. "Suspicious fellow. From earlier you've been spouting incomprehensible nonsense without getting tired- saying I'm your comrade. What on earth are you babbling about? Sir, do you know this person!?" "If my memory is not mistaken... this is the first time he and I have met. That's why it's confusing. According to his words, he and I have been through countless adversities together over long years and seized everything we have now- the closest of comrades..." "Ah! It's disgusting so stop it! Don't insert weird things into our party's history!" "...I sense deep emotion in your eyes. I too would like to believe that you didn't approach us with merely impure intentions. However. As my comrade said, we cannot accept it as if you had been with us from the beginning." "No..." "That would be too... hollow. Bonds between people. And emotions. They are not established merely through understanding. That's a fact we all know." "Please..." "So, I'm sorry. Please leave this place. We don't know you. You and we have no relationship whatsoever." "It's me, it's me, me!!!" The man shouted his own name. The name of a hero known not only to them but throughout the entire continent. His true name that contained his great deeds and identity. "I'm sorry. That's an unfamiliar name." "Ah... ah...! Ahhh-" A name. A true name. It is destined to contain everything about its subject. Not only the life the subject has lived, but all their connections as well. Therefore, the loss of a true name meant the loss of existence itself. The anxiety of one's existence being forgotten. The terror of oblivion. It was something that even a seasoned hero could not endure. Thus oblivion brought the hero to his knees. "Tell me what you want..." *** "Honorary Mage of the Gray Magic Tower, Risir." High Priest of Oblivion Byud spoke in a voice hazy like mist. "Right now you are within the Embrace of Oblivion. Within the Embrace of Oblivion, everything is equal. This is certainly a blessing, but-" And he captured his target within eyes that were hazy and deep like a mist-covered pond. "To the foolish, it passes for a curse." A faint form wandered within the crystal. It was the true name of the subject that the world remembered, imprisoned. A true name separated from its owner was so hazy. The situation of an owner who has lost their true name is the same. "One Who Is Nothing." Thus, the High Priest of Oblivion called the being who lost their true name by a new name. "As long as you covet oblivion, oblivion too shall covet you." The High Priest of Oblivion extended his hand. It was the appearance of someone boldly demanding back stolen goods. "If you want to escape oblivion and reclaim your name once more, you must follow my instructions. You too must want to be remembered by your comrades again. Is that not so?" "..." Risir listened to the High Priest's story with a serious expression, his eyes tense with concentration. "Risir? Why have you been like this since earlier? Staring blankly into empty air-" "Remier. For someone who claims to be the owner of the Gray Magic Tower, you know him so little." "Frozen Breath speaks correctly. Wandering Star. How about showing a bit more consideration so Risir can concentrate?" "Really. This is ridiculous. What's with all of you collectively? What, did Risir give you some kind of heads up?" "Haha, heads up my foot. It's just that when Risir is like this, we should just accept it and calmly wait for his actions. Haven't we known him for more than just a day or two?" "How pretentious! Don't try to teach me, he's a person of our Magic Tower! At least I know him better than you do!" "Oho, is that a challenge? I'll accept-" It wasn't anything else. It was because the surroundings were too noisy that the hazy High Priest's voice wasn't being transmitted well. "Everyone, just a moment-..." Ah! Shh! Shh! They brought their index fingers to their lips and exchanged glances with each other. "I'm sorry. I couldn't hear well, so could you say that again?" "..." High Priest of Oblivion Byud. His mouth opened briefly then immediately closed. After a moment of silence flowed- "You're putting on a meaningless farce." "Farce?" "You must have planned to persuade them to cloud my judgment and seize control. The attempt was good. To persuade such figures while in a state of being nothing after losing your true name. I can see why oblivion took notice of you." High Priest of Oblivion Byud, having finished his assessment, displayed a flowing composure on his expression once again. "Am I wrong?" "Yes." "?" "There seems to have been some misunderstanding- you cannot threaten me with your methods." "Don't tell me you want to say such things? That it doesn't matter if you lose your true name. That since your existence as 'I' remains, you can reverse it anytime if you set your mind to it-" Hehehe. Byud shook his head with a meaningful smile. "I have seen many like you until now. They were all strong heroes like you. But you cannot remember them. That proves you are wrong." One Who Is Nothing. High Priest of Oblivion Byud pronounced that name clearly once again. As if trying to imprint it on his opponent. "Let me advise you not to be overconfident in yourself. You are not as strong as you think you are. Having lost the foundation of your true name, you will collapse before long." "I have many true names." "?" Byud had to doubt both his own ears and his opponent's mental state. Without a doubt, it was the most absurd sentence he had heard in his lifetime. "You're following erroneous thinking. A true name is the path of destiny an individual follows, and an individual's existence recorded in the world. Even a deceiver with hundreds or thousands of aliases- ultimately has only one true name. And yet. Are you saying you possess another true name?" "That's what I heard." "..." Byud's composure was wavering. "In what context could such talk arise? What does it mean to have another true name-" "I'm curious about this too." "Oh ho. You don't seem to know?" "What's this, Lunadien. You seem to know something? By the way, were you always this personality? Why are you being so smug? There aren't even any elves around." "Instead there's the Mother of World Tree." "Ah." The bizarre stories being heard from around. The bizarre remarks of the One Who Is Nothing. Those two things were mixing together, trying to create some inexplicable persuasiveness. "..." It was then that Byud discovered himself wavering. "Huu..." He let out a deep sigh of displeasure. To not have confidence despite backing the Authority of Oblivion. It was a terrible oversight and humiliation. Polite treatment ends here. Byud threatened the One Who Is Nothing who dared to mock him and oblivion. "Making concessions upon concessions, let's say your nonsense is correct. However. Do you think anything would change because of that?" Byud spread both arms wide. Vast confidence oozed out as if the being he was backed by was the entire world itself. "If you say you possess another true name, oblivion will take that away as well." "What if there's one more?" "Nothing changes." "And if there's another one?" "Damn it, what are you trying to do!" "I really have many true names." "You crazy bastard!" At the sight of his target speaking calmly without changing expression, Byud finally lost his reason. "What on earth are you trying to say!" "Your methods don't work on me, so give up. Oh, and please return my true name." "Ha, haha!!! Hahahaha!!!" At the sight of Byud laughing loudly, Risir first looked around his surroundings. Even in the midst of this, his companions hadn't noticed his presence. 'Mental Interference magic?' Such powerful Mental Magic that it could cloud even the perception of transcendent powerhouses including the Tower Master. For a moment, Risir recalled a powerful enemy he had faced before. Kroyen. The Night of Deception. 'No-' However, he soon shook his head. The man was clearly different from the Night of Deception who had deceived the elves. If Kroyen's Mental Magic was forcibly blinding eyes with overwhelming power- In the man's case, it was like a kind of trick that caused confusion through deception. That power. That aura. Beyond being hard to perceive, it was completely empty. Like an empty shell. Perhaps there lay the secret of the deception. 'Don't let your guard down.' Risir didn't simply conclude the difference as a matter of superior or inferior power and continued to be wary of him. 'That gaze. From earlier he keeps looking at Remier's storage-...' From observing his series of actions. He seemed to be someone related to the Archdemon's fragment. Someone who had identified the fragment's location and personally come to steal it couldn't be an easy opponent. Separately. Risir thought. He seems to have quite a few openings. "Fine! If that's what you wish, I'll show you! The Authority of Obli- Gack!" So Risir couldn't hold back. Byud's body, which had been laughing madly while drawing up his frenzy, bent at a right angle. Using the principles of Assassination Sword Techniques, Risir had closed the distance secretly and swiftly, driving his fist into the man's solar plexus. He rolled on the floor for a while before shouting. "If, if you harm me, you'll never be able to reclaim your true name!" "!!!" At Byud's urgent shout, Risir opened his eyes wide. 'Even in this situation he's trying to threaten me by going on about true names, so that must be the source of his confidence!' He realized that his biggest card was Risir's true name. It was truly reasonable confidence. The loss of a true name means the loss of existence. Under normal circumstances, Byud's threat would have had absolute power. For someone who had only one true name, that is. "...No! The opposite! If you don't return my true name, you will continue to suffer!" "What do you- Gack!!!" Risir kindly explained to Byud which side held the initiative in the situation (physically). "You crazy bastard...!!! You, you don't care if you lose your true name!?" "Come to your senses! You have one life, and I have multiple true names! If we both suffer losses, who do you think will be crying in the end! So don't do anything stupid! That's a true name I really cherish, so if something goes wrong I might not be able to control myself!?" "What, what kind of-" "Risir!? What's going on! Who's there!?" By this point, his companions couldn't just stand by. They looked back and forth between Risir and where his gaze was directed. "I suspect it's someone targeting the Archdemon's fragment! It seems they were trying to demand the Archdemon's fragment in exchange for my stolen true name!" "How dare they!? Risir, should we help subdue him!?" "No! I've already subdued him!" "Really!? Then what do you plan to do now!?" "I'm not sure, but I'll start with interrogation!" -Master!!! Then let me, Dangaleon!!! "Oh, right! Dangaleon! You were there, weren't you! How reassuring?" The expression of the High Priest rolling on the floor was colored with terror. It was not fear of violence. Madness! It was the reaction of someone who had encountered truly unpredictable chaos. "Hey, Hero of Advancement!!!" Byud shouted desperately. "For someone who claims to be a hero, is this okay!? Ambush and interrogation- to commit such cowardice and cruelty without hesitation-" "But- until you return my true name, am I not the One Who Is Nothing!?" "What!? Earlier you said you had multiple true names- Aaaahhh!!!" The interrogation conducted by the spirit(?) began. *** "Everyone. It seems this person is likely a High Priest of the White Shadow cult." "What does that mean!?" The meeting that had been unavoidably suspended took a long detour to reach an extension of the subject. "If we can skillfully manipulate this person- we might be able to find out the location of those cultists' base." The White Shadow cult. They had found a way to locate and sever the head of that entity which had extended its evil influence across the entire continent. "Kek, kekeke-" High Priest of Oblivion Byud, who had been listening to the conversation while bound, let out a grinding laugh. "Foolish ones. Do you think I would give you the answers you want..." "..." Risir's expression was troubled. Because he knew the High Priest's words were not mere bluster. Separate from the fact that circumstances aligned to allow him to be easily subdued, he was certainly a person befitting the position of cultist High Priest. The only information he had revealed during interrogation was just one thing. Only that he was a High Priest of Oblivion serving a Bishop of Oblivion. Even that wasn't really revealed through succumbing to interrogation, but was proudly disclosed as his identity. Risir's party realized anew. The White Shadow cult. Just how difficult it was to deal with those twisted cultists. Before long. Risir's party tried to resume their meeting to devise countermeasures, leaving the High Priest unattended. But how much time had passed since the meeting resumed? "Lady Karoer! Risir!" "Ratsil?" "I'm sorry! There's an urgent matter I must report-" Observer Ratsil burst through the door. She delivered urgent news that had arrived from Illatdein. "It's about Night of Deception Kroyen!" "Night of Deception!? She should definitely be imprisoned- don't tell me!?" "Night of Deception has escaped!" While everyone was shocked. There was one person smiling alone. It was High Priest of Oblivion Byud. He already knew the content of the message that would follow. It was none other than the White Shadow cult that had planned Kroyen's escape. "And!?" "And soon the World Tree will burn in flames." Byud, who had regained his composure, spat out cursed words. "And, she has returned!!! To the prison on her own two feet! It's a request to allow a meeting with Risir, in exchange for providing information about the White Shadow cult!" "..." The expression of the High Priest, who hadn't lost himself even during interrogation, crumbled. 'We helped her escape but she went back to prison? Why???' Eventually the High Priest reached one conclusion. Night of Deception. That sinister woman must be plotting something. Look there. Aren't they also flustered by her return? Going back to prison to be confined must be merely a superficial action. In reality, she would reign over them and thoroughly manipulate them. "The condition she put forward is that someone receive her Arcane Magic!" Look there. Night of Deception is demanding they give up their arcane knowledge- 'Huh?' Byud felt something was off.