Listening to Leon and the unfamiliar man’s conversation, I felt my confusion about the situation only increasing.

They were talking about cultists and void beasts along with other strange topics.

I knew there should be fighting between factions that want to destroy the main universe and those desiring to protecting it (for clarity sake, I’ll just call the universe where I spent the last two years the main universe)… but, is that what they’re actually talking about?

Is Leonardo one of the factions attempting to destroy the universe? Leon seemed perfectly sane when he talked with me earlier.

Actually, more importantly, they are both from the main universe? Why and how did they get here? I thought this was a trial ground?

“So… does the girl in the bushes eavesdropping on our conversation want to step out anytime soon?” The unfamiliar man spoke louder than normal.

There’s a girl hiding in the bushes nearby? Where?

I glanced around from the bush into the nearby bushes, but didn’t find anyone.

Wait…

My gaze turned to my own feminine body.

I’m disguised as a girl, and currently inside a bush… He’s talking about me?

“Are you going to come out on your own, or do I need to drag you out?” The man arrogantly threatened.

He is probably talking about me.

…Still, threatening to drag a girl out of the bushes? What an insensitive prick.

I mentally berated him, before standing up and stepping out from the bushes.

“Fine, I’m coming out-“ The words left my mouth and my speech was cut off when I saw the face of the man before me.

He looked identical to me (when I’m not disguised as a female).

It was like looking into a mirror. Bright golden-eyes, dark-hair, and overall villainous clothing. A fake Tobias.

“Well, you’re certainly cuter than I imagined.“ Fake Tobias commented as I stepped out. Turning back toward Leonardo, he asked, “Is she your backup plan or something, Leonardo?”

Cute?

I clenched my teeth at annoyance at the comment. Before I discarded my annoyance and focused on the important question.

Why does he look identical to me? A doppelganger or something similar fake disguise? Why choose my body’s appearance?

“A backup plan? Does she look powerful enough to be that?” Leonardo disdainfully stated, “No, I don’t know her.”

Ouch! Now, that comment was uncalled for! Little brat, I might be weakened at the moment, but I’m definitely powerful enough to be a backup plan.

Regardless, I kept quiet. This wasn’t the time to be berating him and attracting attention.

My eyes locked onto the black shield around his arm.

Noting the shield quietly to memory, I realized I was drastically lacking useful information. I need more information.

“Who are you?” I demanded, attempting to begin my interrogation with an easy question.

The fake Tobias dismissed me, “Quiet, the adults are talking.”

Tightening my grip on God-hunter behind my back, before I clenched my jaw. I hadn’t wanted to seem aggressive when coming out… but, I want to stab him.

I really want to STAB him.

He took my body’s appearance, yet his arrogance is insufferable.

“Why deny it so fiercely? That’s not like you, Leonardo.” Fake Tobias said with a grin. “Perhaps, there’s a reason behind that denial?”

“Tsk… I don’t care what you think.” Leon uncaringly dismissed his comments.

Fake Tobias quieted down and stared between the two of us. Before he turned to me and asked, “What’s your name, girl?”

“None of your business, creep.” I snorted, glancing toward my spear stuck into the boulder in center of the clearing.

“Cold and spunky. You’d certainly give Rin a run for her money.” Fake Tobias commented before turning back to Leonardo. “Want to explain how you got here, Leonardo? Or do I need to force it out of you?”

I coldly glared at the fake Tobias trying to understand exactly why he was posing as me. The two of them continued their conversation, but I tuned them out.

With his comment about Rin, it is obvious this fake Tobias has learned enough about me to be a threat.

I don’t like people knowing too much about me.

Should I kill him? No… Regardless of the truth, I’m not in a position to fight against someone who can traverse universes.

Why does Leonardo seem to know and interact with him, though?

They talked earlier about this fake Tobias killing Leon’s parents… Is someone plotting against me? Is this a doppelganger trying to create foreign enemies for me?

Why?

While I tried to figure out the reason, I didn’t have enough information to come up with a reasonable theory. Regardless, if someone’s plotting against me, revealing my true identity is a terrible idea.

Seriously, you really are overthinking things…

God-hunter's voice resounded in my head and I blinked in surprise, before instinctively relaxing. The sound of God-hunter’s voice was extremely relieving to hear.

You’re back, God-hunter?! Brilliant. What happened?

Uhhh… I think you’ve misunderstood something.

…Misunderstood something? What are you talking about?

My eyes portrayed my doubt, before focusing on the fake Tobias… or more specifically, on the green-scaled knife identical to God-hunter in the fake Tobias’ hand.

No way… Are you his God-hunter? This Tobias is real? How?

Yeah… complicated. It weird that I can communicate with you…? More interestingly, are you also Tobias? Why are you a cute girl?

Mentally groaning at the question, I really don’t want to answer that.

It’s… also complicated.

Fine. Quick question, though. Can you also turn Dad into a girl? I’d love to see his reaction. It would be absolutely hilarious.

Not going to happen.

I immediately refused God-hunter’s request. Doing that would require taking off the amulet myself, regardless of the reason that was a bad idea. Glancing forward and listening to the conversation between fake(?) Tobias and Leonardo.

“If I had to guess, I’d say you followed someone else into the trial grounds-” The other Tobias spoke, “-and considering the wristband around her arm is the key to entering this place. I’d say it was her.”

Ow… Not good.

Glancing down at the wristband, I felt a headache. I hadn’t thought it would give away that I was taking the trial.

Still… the wristband is reason I entered this trial ground? This place is connected to the Mad Craftsman? That isn’t good news. Although, so many things suddenly make sense…

“Speaking of which, do you want to explain why you have that?” The other Tobias pointed to the wristband and asked me with curious eyes.

I rolled my eyes in dismissal, and promptly lied. “It was handed down by my father.”

The other Tobias stared at me with narrowed eyes, attempting to access the truthfulness of my words.

Did you seriously have to say that? Dad is seriously going to overthink that.

How could anyone believe such an obvious lie? It's completely obvious I'm lying. I just said the first thing that popped into my head. Plus, how could I overthink it?

This illusionary universe isn’t directly connected to the main universe. Thus, the timeline is very loosely connected... and now Dad’s thinking you might be his daughter from the future. See what you’ve done?!

God-hunter, do you seriously think I am that stupid? His daughter? How could I overthink something enough to reach that conclusion? That doesn't logically follow any premise.

Your golden eyes and general appearance are too similar to his. It's suspicious... Also, yes. You are that stupid. Literally five minutes ago you were seriously considering that Dad might be a doppelganger plotting to create foreign enemies with your appearance.

I fell silent at God-hunter’s berating.

Why would he seriously think I'm his daughter?

If I were his daughter, I would obviously recognize him as my father. There’s no reason for him to doubt that.

HE’S DYING, YOU MORON.

Dying? God-hunter, why would he be… dying.

My eyes flashed and, in a moment of revelation, I connected several things at once. The black shield, dying, and large amount of knowledge I don't currently have.

The void flower.

If he was actually dying to the void flower, his daughter obviously wouldn’t recognize if she’d been born after his death. That would explain why he would think I wouldn’t recognize him. Rin also might choose not to reload if she ends up having a child.

Then… this is the Tobias who ingested the void flower? My past-self who gave Rin the advice to choose the spear…

I don’t know about the second part, but the void flower is the reason he’s dying. The connection to the void is slowly killing him.

This is completely absurd, is he seriously the version of myself from before Rin reloaded three years? How could I meet him? Isn’t that an actual time paradox?

I don’t think time travel works the way you’re believe it does…

True… but interacting with myself probably isn’t a good idea. If I change something and Rin doesn’t reload, I wouldn’t exist and that would definitely create a time paradox.

If he somehow discourages Rin from reloading after knowing me, I might no longer exist.

I need to divert him from thinking I’m his daughter.

I’m afraid it might be too late for that.

Somebody grabbed my injured shoulder. The loose bandage around my arm unraveled and a throbbing pain shot from my right upper-arm.

Past Tobias had moved with my personal space and placed his hand on my shoulder. He stared into my eyes and inquired, “What did you say your name was?”

Son of…

“Don’t touch me.” I said between clenched teeth and tried to push him off my injured arm again.

Sadly, I found him far greater in strength than me and I couldn't push him off.

In a chain of fortunate events, past Tobias choose to remove his hands from my shoulder and found my blood on his hand. Immediately, he apologized, “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were injured. Let me help re-bandage it.”

He reached forward and attempted to help bandage my upper-arm up.

“Are you deaf? I said, do not touch me.” I growled, pushing his arms away. Before trying to bandage the wound up myself.

I liked my past-self better when he dismissed my entire existence. I want to stab him in the face. This definitely going to get annoying.

God-hunter, please… please, tell him that I’m not his daughter.

About that… I’ve tried multiple times already, but Dad’s dismissed my words. Plus, the fact you revealed a knife identical to me in your hand just reaffirmed his belief that you’re his daughter.

Looking down toward my left-hand, I realized I was still holding my version of God-hunter. Before the knife had been hidden behind my back… but I had forgotten to hide it when I tried to push him away.

Should I just reveal my true identity? But… I have no idea how the timeline would be affected if the past Tobias recognized me.

“Since when do you act all buddy-buddy with people, Paradox.” Leon stood up with blood still dripping down his face, and glanced with a suspiciously expression between the two of us.

Paradox? Does Leon have a serious misunderstanding regarding my name, or did past Tobias take Rin last name?

Past Tobias dismissed him with a wave, “It’s normal to help an injured person. That aside, Leonardo, you are leaving this illusionary universe.”

“You don’t seem that intent on helping me.” Leon pointed out logically before gesturing to his injured and bleeding face.

“An ‘innocent’ injured person. My apologizes, I should’ve been more specific.” Stated past Tobias with emphasis on the word, innocent.

Seriously, how could I possibly become this annoying? Is this how I normally act from another person’s perspective?

No… I’m normally far quieter and less willing to reveal information.

I'm nothing like this.

While I don’t mind putting on a villainous show at times, I’m normally extremely careful about which information I reveal… and I don’t think I’m this annoying.

It’s possible that knowing about my impending death resulted in this annoying personality.

Shortly after past Tobias spoke, he waved his hand causing an ominous black void to open up behind Leon… and Leon was promptly swallowed by the darkness. The darkness proceeded to vanish into nothingness after accomplishing its task of swallowing Leonardo.

I blinked at the location that Leon had disappeared from, “What happened to him?”

“I sent him back into the main universe.” Past Tobias dismissively stated. “Now then, what’s your name?”

He can just send people to other universes? Seriously, what the hell kind of overpowered ability is that?

“Didn’t I say that was none of your business?” I retorted with small huff.

Internally, though, I was panicking.

God-hunter, I need some name ideas… ASAP.

How about, Totally-A-Real-Woman? Absolutely-Not-A-Fake-Girl?

That isn’t helpful… I need an actual name. Not fake message board urls.

What about, Toarow?

Is that a name, or a joke?

“I’m Tobias, pleasure to meet you.” I found my past-self bowing to introducing himself to me.

“Toarow.” I briefly responded, internally hoping before speaking that name didn’t sound too odd aloud. It did sound strange aloud, though.

Fortunately, my past-self didn’t seem to notice anything odd about my name. He simply greeted me properly. “Nice to meet you, Toarow.”

I cannot believe I actually bought that fake sounding name.

Oh, Dad didn’t. Dad is internally complaining about how that is definitely a fake name. He just cannot be bothered to call you out on it.

Internally sighing, I tried to dismiss my inner anxieties.

I suppose that also works…