Chapter 129: Voices

"Mr. Voice… Find them all"

[Jack: Soul Search]

"Viel, what do you mean fulfilling a prophecy?"

Princess Sofia's eyes were squinted as Viel started to talk to himself, completely ignoring her. She was not really weirded out by it, though. She has been around Viel for quite a time for her to know that he has these… voices that were talking to him.

She does not know if they were real, or just something purely made up by Viel, but she did not really mind, she too, had voices in her head. It was just not quite as literally as what Viel has, she presumed.

And so, she just waited for Viel's monologue to be over.

"How many are there, Mr. Voice?"

[There are 1,369 souls that are similar to the chosen Target. The nearest one is 5.2 meters away]

Hearing this, Viel turned around to look at the other cell.

The demon was cowering at it leaned on the wall of his cell, he did not really clearly see what Viel did, but his dead brethren were quite visible to him. The center of his dead brother's head was hollow, only leaving the sides of his head, his jaw hanging, causing him to see the wall beside his face

"Viel... by prophecy, do you mean…"

As Sofia was saying this, Viel's eyes once again turned red, and in less than the time it takes to blink, a red flash flickered in the room. And with it, another dead demon.

Sofia could not help but squint her eyes. The walls of these cells and the bars, they were imbued by magic. If she tried to destroy it with one of her most destructive spells, it would take at least a quarter of a second. But for Viel's simple spell to melt the steelbars like they were nothing, Sofia was once again reminded of the difference in their power.

"...the eradication of the demons?"

"Yes, it has to be done", Viel said calmly as he looked at Sofia, his gaze still empty.

But something in his eyes made Sofia almost jump back in fright. There were… green lights flickering on it. Like a dozen fireflies fighting with each other, exploding, and once again being reborn.

"V...viel?", Sofia breathed in as she slowly backed away, "N...no, you..

...Who are you?"

Sofia let out a stuttered breath as she stared at Viel's flickering eyes.

No, the boy in front of him was not Viel. The way he moves, the way he breathes, and all the way to the smallest mannerisms, everything was different. Everything was calculated. As if he was a puppet.

But it only lasted for a few seconds. After a single blink from Viel, the light was gone, and so were the invisible strings attached to his body.

"Yes, it has to be done", Viel repeated the words he said before the green flickering lights appeared on his eyes.

"V-viel? What… just happened?", Sofia asked.

"Hm?", Viel looked at Sofia, and then back to the corpse of the demon, "Oh, that's called Heat Vision, one of... my skills"

"No, not that. The… Nevermind", Sofia could only sigh. It would seem the Viel himself does not know what just happened. The mysteries that are surrounding Viel, the longer she is with him, the bigger it gets.

The portal, gods, and what Viel's role is in all of this.

She wanted answers. Not just for her curiosity, but for Viel's sake as well.

And for that, she knows what she must do.

"And after you clear out all the demons, what will you do?", Sofia asked as she tried to recollect herself.

Hearing Sofia's question, an awkward smile appeared on Viel's face.

"I say my goodbyes. To Ilrina, to Antoinette, Miss Emi… and to you"

"You are really leaving just like that?"

"I have to", Viel let out a tired sigh, "I should have left as soon as I found the Treant Flower. I had it with me, Sofi. I have already found a way back half a year ago.

...But I didn't go. I didn't go because I thought this is where I belonged"

"It can be, you know. Let the golden robe wearing freaks go back by themselves", Sofia said as she touched Viel's face, "This is as much as your home as the old one, one could even argue you have spent more time here already"

Hearing Sofia's soft words, Viel gently touched her hand as he slighty brushed his head on it, "It's… not about where I belong, Sofie. It's where I am meant to be…

...And I am not meant to be here"

"How? How do you know that?"

"I… just do"

"Is it the voices in your head?", Sofia squinted her eyes, "Are the voices in your head telling you that, Vi?"

Viel quickly shook his head, "No. It's the opposite, Sofie. For the first time, I don't hear anything. For the first time in my life… I think I am making… my own choice"

No. Something was wrong.

Something was definitely wrong.

Sofia could not help but furrow her eyebrows. Something was definitely wrong. Something was already wrong when he entered the room and looked at Zachary's corpse.

'But what!? What is happening to you, Viel!?'

Sofia wanted to shout, she wanted solutions, she wanted answers, but she knew that she was not going to find any. The only thing she could do… was hug Viel and whisper into his ears,

"I am coming with you"

"W...what?", Viel's muffled voice stuttered.

"Back to your world"

"Why?"

"Because I am your fiancee", Sofia said with a stern and resolute voice.

"..."

"Pfft…"

"Hahahahaha!"

The two laughed with each other for a full quarter of a second before calming themselves down.

"You're only curious about the things you'll find in my world, aren't you, Sofie?"

"What? How did you know that?", Sofia chuckled as she fixed her glasses, covering the half-hearted smile on her face.

This is what she must do. To follow him, and someday, to find the answers that he doesn't know he needed.

She was not able to save her brother because she didn't follow him.

This time, Sofia will not make the same mistake.

To save Viel from himself- that… is her choice.

"Are you sure?", Viel asked as he freed himself from Sofia's arms, "What will you tell the King?"

"That it is my legal obligation to follow my future husband, what else?"

"Eew...", Viel scoffed as he turned away and started walking towards the next cell.

His face, though, contained a hint of red and a wide smile.

"...Are you really going to kill all the demons?", Sofia asked.

"Of course", Viel nonchalantly said as he once again beamed another demon in one of the cells,

"Every last one of them before I go back"

***

In a vast and empty darkness.

The huge screen continued to reflect Viel's visions.

But no one was watching.

Lord God Lu Yi, Demon God Xanthus, and even the Judge Of Karma.

All of them were floating in the darkness.

And just like Rain, they were floating lifelessly, asleep...unmoving.

Even with loud noises that have been ringing endlessly throughout the darkness, the three remained stagnant.

[...ERROR...ERROR…]

[Commencing Phase 3 of the Messiah Project: Superhero Training!…]

[...ERROR...ERROR…]

The dark space distorted as numerous other screens popped out from the darkness.

Each showing memories.

Memories of another world.

Memories of another person.

[...ERROR: Messiah Project already completed with Original Player: Rain]

[...Loading Original Player: Rain...]

Rain's translucent soul started to flicker, like a smoke being blown by the wind.

But still, the sleeping Rain did not move from his spot.

[...ERROR: Original Player: Rain's data is corrupted]

[...Troubleshooting…]

[...Troubleshooting Complete! Applying suggested Fix...]

[...]

[...]

[Proceeding to Merge Original Player: Rain with Player: Viel]

[...0.0001%]

[...]

[...0.0002%]