Chapter 371: The Start (2)

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Lady Luck stared at the hologram with unblinking eyes. 

A near-invisible woman who moved in a world she didn’t belong to, the world around her drained of its color: the only indication of her existence were black lines that embedded themselves in all realities , as if she was a colorless sketch.

The Director of the Last Act. That thing was them? The Director was a she?

Lady Luck didn't avert her gaze from the hologram and asked her sister.

"You mean… the Director isn't a myth? Is it a real being? But, no, how is that possible?"

For an Abstract Entity to ask if a myth was real or not, it had to be an old one. And indeed, the story of the Director was as old as one could get.

Well, the rumor around the Director was stupid. It was weird, too. Therefore, nobody who hadn't seen the Director in person believed in their existence.

To start, these were a few of the things rumors said:

"The Director can hear sign language."

"No, the theory of evolution is bullcrap. In reality, the theory of evolution is just a list of beings that The Director allowed to live."

"Once, the director went to Switzerland and accidentally dropped their wallet. Now humans across the Omniverse call it the Swiss Bank."

"When The Director was born, they congratulated their parents."

"The Director can convince the 10th doctor for Colgate."

"The Director doesn't wear a watch; they decide what time it is."

Lady Luck went over the silly rumors in her head and quickly shook her head. She looked at Contessa Fate in concern.

"Alright,  the Director could have probably existed. Otherwise, all this rumor don’t make sense. But I was certain they were dead by now, given that they haven't shown their face in such a long time. Also, are all the rumors real?"

"What? No."

Fate laughed.

"Some are, some aren't. If you want to know which one is real, I'll say the more silly a rumor about her is, the odds of it being real are that much higher."

Lady Luck stared at her older sister for a second more, before turning her head back at the hologram.

If it's this woman, then maybe…

["You."]

As the two Abstracts watched, the long silence that had begun in the hologram, when the Director appeared, finally ended. 

Celestine began to speak.

* * *

The shadow of the underworld was dimly lit by the countless souls that resided there. The light from those souls kept increasing due to the world ending.

Under this flickering light imitating a candle, two women were facing one another. Both had unreadable expressions.

Standing over Neji's unconscious body, the Goddess of Creation, whose hair was a striking red, stared at the phantom form of the Director.

"I knew you weren't dead. Quite bold of you to come before me, though."

The Director's sketched lips stretched to inhuman degrees, and a distorted smile formed on her lips. She tilted her witch hat upwards, to show her colorless eyes, as she gave Eurynome Celestine a sharp look.

She patted the air behind her and then sat down. The fabrics of space molded to form a pouf couch.

As she sat down, Neji's body which was behind Eurynome, twisted out of existence. Only to appear near the Director's feet, as her legs dangled over his head.

"It has been a while, Eury."

"I thought I warned you last time not to call me that. Only my loved ones can use that name. It's Lady Celestine for you."

Eurynome told the once mortal fool. It was unacceptable that she, who was once a mortal, dared to call her by her first name.

In response, the Director giggled.

"You warned, yes. But isn't that the most you can do? Who can stop me if I continue calling you Eury?"

"...."

"Oh well, forget it, Lady Celestine. I am not here to fight you today."

Dangling her pristine feet over the sleeping face of Neji, she paused for a moment. She lowered her head to give his face a look.

"They look similar, eh?"

"They do."

Eurynome asked in a mocking tone, but the Director replied in a strangely melancholic tone.

"Well. The Gamer System pushes its host to look perfect. A perfect face in a mathematical sense is supposed to look only one way. His features, and his colors, are different, as is his style. But, yes, otherwise I can see the similarities. His face and body remind me of the man I love."

"Wouldn't it be 'loved', instead?"

Eurynome continued mocking, and the director continued giving unexpected responses. She giggled.

"That is not true. Even if he's not here anymore, that doesn't mean my love for him died too. Love is eternal."

"You are a fool. You're obsessed. You are mentally ill."

"Am I now?"

The woman continued laughing maniacally. It was a little uncharacteristic of her.

Eurynome didn't recall her being this… creepy. This wasn't calmness. It was a little unnerving, actually. What was she up to?

"I noticed you were quite mad at my lovely Regressor. If you're planning to try anything after returning home, I will have to warn you to not do that. She's a cute girl, I wouldn't want to lose her."

"So you were the sponsor? No wonder I couldn't track her origin."

The Director didn't say anything. She just continued smiling. 

Eurynome sighed. She couldn't guess why she was here. Well, she could guess the reason, but she wished that was not the case. Because that would be fucking silly.

"Are you really here to save this boy just because he is the successor of the system?"

"Yes? Just like how you Gods are after him just because he is the successor. It's the same reason. Do not call it sill, you hypocrite."

The Director chuckled as she reasoned. Her colorless pupils stared at the red eyes of the Goddess, who frowned.

"That wasn't me. It was my husband's plan at the start. But this gamer just had to kill my daughter. Even though I didn't exactly like that girl, despite being my own blood, it made me mad."

"You are one of the representatives of the Prime, though. You can't say 'Hey, it wasn't me, it was my husband last time. Now it's me, so it's alright.' Do not be stupid, stop with the excuses. Leave."

Eurynome released a deep sigh. Her eyes brightened as she glared at her.

"Calling me out for hypocrisy, eh? If I have to guess, you're nurturing him yourself. That watch in his hand, it's not a thing anybody can possess. Even so, how the hell would he summon you, of all creatures, with that little mana? You are up to something. Want me to make a wild guess?"

"..."

"You already know, I'm sure. You ought to. I already sent part of his soul into the Prime, and am planning to drag the rest of him as well. I am planning to perform a ritual to revive Fotia through him. It would be very hard, but it should be possible."

As Eurynome explained, the Director started.

"But you know what would be easier? For you to revive the First Gamer through this boy. Reviving Fotia would be very hard since he didn't even kill her, it was she who landed the ending blow and took her own life so that he didn't receive any experience points. But reviving the First Gamer should be very easy. They're so similar already, it should be very easy for you to call forth the First Gamer after some conditions have been met. And you dare call me a hypocrite?!"

The Director slowly smiled. Her smile stretched further than what her face could hold, but Celestine couldn’t feel any hostility: in fact, she couldn’t feel anything from the Director.

"You had destroyed countless numbers of multiverses for him. What is the life of a single person? Frankly, you're more wicked than me. At least Fotia would be Fotia when revived, and the Gamer will die in his own body. But in your case, the First Gamer will essentially possess the body of Neji Hado. Isn't that the plan? I may be wrong, correct me."

The Director of the Last Act continued smiling, and Eurynome chuckled dryly.

"Mortals. How pitiful. You guys never lose your mentality. Move on. Leave this boy alone. At least I'll give him eternal peace by death, unlike you."

 Till the end, the Director kept smiling as the underworld grew brighter.

* * *

In the Dimension of Manifestations, Lady Luck had frozen while watching the scene unfold.

Contessa Fate was also silent, her eyes wide and… filled with a sudden emotion of expectancy.

"Sister…?"

When Lady Luck turned her head to ask Fate what was happening, her eyes grew wider when she saw the look on her sister's face.

"Sister! W-what is this?! I thought you said she was here to save him?!"

Fate shook out of her trance. She got up and frowned, turning at Luck.

"Luck. I believe you are breaking the punishment conditions by situating an Agent. You're not allowed to use your powers anymore. I am leaving you down to Superhuman level strength, with all your supernatural power sealed. We will talk later. Farewell."

"...Sister?"

Lady Luck called in a voice filled with shock and disbelief, as her sister wore an emotionless expression, and snapped her fingers. The red ropes that were tying Luck submerged into her body, and suddenly her sealing strengthened.

Moments later, Fate vanished from the room, while Luck was left bewildered, her heart swelling with a feeling of pure dread and betrayal.

What was going on?

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