Chương 99: Chapter 98

After hearing everything, Nina knew that, from the three choices and from what she intuitively understood about her family, there was clearly only one direct answer. If she were to return to Earth, the place she was never supposed to be, what would happen to the family she had there? Her family, despite all odds, had gone into the capsules in order to join her in her adventure simply because she had sought help from them. That's right.

Ever since Nina had drunk the medicine and lost the personas, she had always grown suspicious of them. This suspicion had reached its peak when the System refused to speak about it, and it only grew deeper after she examined the fraudulent letter. Because despite the letter being fraudulent, the writing in which it was written made Nina intuitively understand that the person who had tried to impersonate her handwriting had accidentally impersonated her mother's handwriting instead.

During her time here, Nina had never truly allowed herself to write anything. Most things had been handled by the personas themselves. But if the kidnapping had happened later, or if things had gone slightly differently, she knew that at some point Mrs. Blackmore might have written that paper. And given that it wasn't present in this timeline, did that mean it had been present in another timeline?

After she had gotten closer to Seraphina and examined her handwriting and reasoning methods, Nina knew for certain that, instead of simply being used as a fraudulent letter, the handwriting had come from a time when Seraphina had seen Mrs. Blackmore's handwriting. Due to the fact that, in this timeline, Mrs. Blackmore had never written anything down at any point in time, Nina knew that the times Seraphina had killed her must have given her an opportunity to see Mrs.

Blackmore's handwriting, which meant she had used it to her advantage. She didn't know why. But even with everything she had learned, Nina knew intuitively that it could all be explained differently, and she didn't want it to be proven that her family had appeared in this world, even though there had been many instances during the time she had stayed with the personas in which she intuitively understood that they were, in fact, her true family.

But it wasn't until the System had opened the portal and she saw Lily in a wheelchair that she knew for certain. Lily was usually never in a wheelchair, and later on in life, she had strived to remain healthy despite her sickly appearance, as she never wished to be in a wheelchair again. But on days when she stayed lying down for too long, Nina knew that Lily would always need a wheelchair for some time as she rebuilt her strength enough to walk again.

So seeing Lily in that wheelchair gave Nina everything she needed to know. The Lily in the persona cards was truly the Lily from Earth, which meant that all the other things she had tried to ignore came crashing down at once. This also included, but was not limited to, Emma herself.

Nina had always noticed many strange instances, one being how she had been able to find a very decent place to live, and despite not being able to come up with the deposit payment, the person in question had been more than willing to wait, almost as though they were groveling for her not to give them the money. Then there was the coincidence that she had read The Fake Saintess's Revenge and subsequently came into this world. They all felt a little too coincidental. But Nina could never question it.

Because every time she tried, she would feel herself dissipate. So the more she held onto that belief, the safer she felt. But that scene made it almost impossible for Nina to reason her way into believing that Lily had simply come to her capsule, perhaps trying to get her to do something or upset that she wasn't there to help her with something. So if Nina were to go back to Earth, given everything she now knew, it would only be a matter of time before everything was resolved and she ceased to exist.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. In other words, going back to Earth would lead to death, because that was fundamentally not her place. She had taken the place that should have been Seraphina's, though it would lead to a different kind of painful death if she combined with the Goddess. She would cease to be who she was. She would cease to be Nina, and her life from early on would no longer belong to her. Nina sighed.

While she was thinking, that was when Rosa broke through the space and called out for them, looking around the general area. Nina watched, and being in this state now, she fundamentally understood that the person there was most likely Rosa's copy, as it did not feel like the real Rosa, though it still had a trace of her presence, especially when Nina saw the determination with which she continued holding everything open. Nina turned her attention toward the Goddess.

"What would happen to the world that I don't end up choosing?" The Goddess looked at Nina rather surprised.

"Interesting," she spoke lightly.

"It depends on which world you end up choosing.

"If you choose Earth, you already know the consequences on your end, deep within your heart. But this world will continue in that endless state of resets until Seraphina's fundamental nature, and her hope to save the world, twists in such a way that she can no longer be considered Neutral Good."

"She will need to mutate to the point where she begins to question her own existence, and once she becomes disillusioned with the world and with saving it, her fundamental nature will dissipate, in turn causing her to disintegrate, never to be a part of me ever again, joining you in the endless cosmos."

"If you choose to stay in this world, well, then it is a matter of Seraphina choosing what she will do next, as that is a matter for Seraphina herself to choose."

"You will no longer matter, as your existence here will be revoked. You will be allowed to leave."

"And if you leave and Seraphina does not come forth by the time this Calamity leaves, that means she has chosen one of the other two options. Otherwise, you will see her after you."

"If you deny both..." The Goddess smiled, but Nina could not feel it, as she did not have any facial features, nothing but a blinding layer of light.

"Then you will join me in a state of pure neutrality, where good and evil do not exist.

"In your new state, you may help the evilest of people or the greatest of people, or neither.

"That is the state in which you will become when you choose to combine with me, and you will no longer experience your minuscule life of existence." The Goddess watched as Nina made her way toward where the copy of the intruder lay. She had made her decision. She would stay within this world. The moment Nina stepped out, the Goddess closed the Calamity once again, and with a light gesture, she released the restraints that held Seraphina.

Seraphina, after being held for so long, coughed violently as she pulled together what little strength she had, staring at the Goddess with absolute hatred. The Goddess turned toward her.

"The world in which you've been wanting to save is now able to continue." Seeing that Seraphina did not believe her, the Goddess merely lightly tapped her hand against Seraphina, showing her the future. Seraphina watched as, after Nina had stepped out, no matter what choice she ended up making, the world would continue. Eventually, Nate and Janette would take their revenge upon Duke Valquest. Nina would take on the position of the new Saintess of the world.

As she dealt with the world and the matters that occurred within it, Abelina and Hemmingsway would put their differences behind them as they came together with the little priest and Jake, becoming a happy family, while Furen and Ronin would led the Empire to greater heights. Rosa Roosevelt would also become a widely renowned judge.

The world would end up in a happy and peaceful state, better than it had been before, though Seraphina herself would cease to exist within it, with her existence becoming little more than a blur. The information made Seraphina dizzy.

"For what reason do you show me this?" The Goddess looked at her lightly.

"I'm sure the understanding should have come to you, but it seems I must have been wrong."

"Similar to how Nina caused disaster on Earth, the world you were supposed to be in, you were the true cause of the corruption and evil that ran throughout that world."

"I'm sure you understood it to your core, which is why you had no choice but to adapt to the circumstances."

"Did you not?" Seraphina bit her lips.

"You're a monster." The Goddess looked at her, not saying anything, before sighing lightly.

"My good child, it's time for your choice."

"Do you choose to stay in this world, which fundamentally conflicts with your nature, and make the future uncertain?

"Or do you wish to go to the world you were fundamentally supposed to be in, which aligns with your nature?"

"Or do you wish to combine with me?"... Seraphina stared at the Goddess. She couldn't help but break into a crazed laugh.

"Ha ha ha ha."

"Do you find me stupid?" she said, rage filling her soul.

"I know what you're doing. You're just making it so that the error that you all made in the first place gets resolved. And you think I will happily go off to this other plane of existence because you just say so?"

"I'm not sure what you did to Nina and how you got her to be so convinced by your nature, but you... you're insane."

"I am neither good nor evil. I am but neutrality itself." The goddess spoke lightly.

"And that makes it worse."

"If you were evil, I could at least understand why you'd do this. But I don't get it."

"And to think I had to speak to you, to worship you... you monstrous being." The Goddess merely stared at her, looking down at her increasingly crazed state.

"You knew my nature from the beginning, child." At those words, Seraphina pursed her lips.

"Either way, I'm not leaving."

"I don't... I don't care."

"I've been stubborn multiple times. I don't even know how many times it's been since I watched the world burn and collapse in front of me."

"I will sit here, no matter how long it takes, and I'll never make a choice given by you."

"You think I will take this handout?"

"Well, I'm not easy to trick." Seraphina found a spot within the darkness and sat down with a huff and a puff.