Director Edward

Chapter 222: Episode 5 · Paradox Spiral! (20)

Under the intense, breathless gaze of the audience, the television plot shifted once more.

Mikiya Kokutou, pursued by Alba, had fled to the edge of the hall, only to find himself trapped with no way out.

In a moment of desperation, Mikiya struck at the mages before him with a defensive dagger, only to have the attack effortlessly blocked by Alba's right hand.

"How rude of you... stabbing people like this. That's dangerous, you know."

With those words, Alba, wearing a cold smile, grabbed Mikiya's face and slammed it violently against the staircase.

Again and again, and again...

As the "bang, bang, bang, bang" sounds of impact echoed, Alba continued to vent his various frustrations about Touko Aozaki.

Once he had finished, Alba looked down at the now barely conscious young man and sneered coldly:

"Well—work's done. Though I'm interested in Araya's research, I think I'll head back home. The air in this country is filthy, and I just can't stand it."

Just as he finished speaking, a strange, unsettling sound came from the hall behind him.

"..."

In the next moment, Touko Aozaki—who was supposed to be dead—stood there, holding an oversized suitcase in one hand.

This sight stunned the mage Alba and shocked every viewer watching.

...

In a southern tavern with a television broadcasting the scene:

"What the hell? Touko Aozaki is alive again?"

"Unbelievable! Wasn't she already dead?"

"I always suspected she had some kind of backup plan, but coming back to life like this is just absurd."

"How does this even work? Could it be that Touko Aozaki is some kind of immortal being with eternal life?"

"..."

The exclamations erupted from the patrons, completely unprepared for such a shocking twist.

Some viewers, still mourning Touko's death, hadn't even come to terms with their grief before her sudden return left them speechless.

...

Meanwhile, at the Imperial Mage Academy, the mages were equally stunned by Touko Aozaki's unexpected revival.

"What's going on? How did she come back to life?"

"I don't get it. I'm completely lost here."

"How could this be possible?"

"Resurrecting someone on the spot—could this be some kind of magic for reviving the dead?"

"Even the highest-tier forbidden texts of holy light can't pull off something this ridiculous."

"..."

The mages discussed heatedly, their disbelief palpable.

Even the Archmages at the top of the Alchemy Tower were at a loss. They watched the scene unfold on screen, astonished, waiting anxiously for the plot to offer an explanation.

...

In the film:

Faced with Touko Aozaki, who had reappeared before him, Alba froze in shock. Fear consumed him, and he began trembling uncontrollably.

"Y-You should be dead! I killed you with my own hands!"

"Can the dead not exist in this world? This apartment itself is a contradiction, you know."

"Are you a puppet? No, that's impossible. There's no way a puppet could look this realistic. If one did exist, it would create a paradox..."

"It's simple, Cornelius. A few years ago, I created several puppets that were exact replicas of myself. Perfectly identical," Touko said with a chilling calmness.

She continued, her voice steady and deliberate:

"When I saw these creations, I thought to myself: 'Since these exist, do I really need to exist anymore?'"

"What?! But you claim to be Touko Aozaki, possessing self-awareness and intelligence. How can you understand you're a replica and still function normally?"

"Believing that realizing you're fake would lead to collapse? That kind of intelligence is second-rate,"

Touko replied with a sly smirk. "And your line of thinking has nothing to do with me. While my body may be artificial, I am the one and only Touko Aozaki. As long as there is only one Touko Aozaki in this world, that existence will be real."

"If I can achieve something to this extent, then naturally, I should aim for even greater heights. A true mage would never settle for the status quo!"

"And so," she continued, her tone unwavering, "even if a puppet identical to me exists, it would still pursue higher levels of existence after my death. You see, even if I were gone, the result wouldn't change."

"So that's how it is?" Alba muttered, stunned by the revelation. "It wasn't that Araya spared you, but rather, as long as you're alive, you wouldn't let the next 'you' activate..."

Shaken to his core by the truth of Touko Aozaki's existence, Alba felt as though his understanding of the world was crumbling. He couldn't help but ask:

"Have you been 'real' this whole time?"

Touko's response was a burst of laughter, bold and unrestrained.

Her smile was full of audacity, a shocking expression that reverberated not just through Alba but also through every viewer watching the scene unfold.

"To me, do you think that kind of question even matters?"

Her laughter was so overwhelming, so profound, that it seemed to shatter the limits of human understanding.

No one could have imagined that Touko Aozaki's so-called "immortality" relied on such a method. It was a concept that defied normal human comprehension, approaching the realm of a monster.

And just as the audience began to process this revelation, wanting to voice their thoughts, the film's pacing suddenly accelerated, propelling them into a whirlwind of action.

The scene quickly shifted to Tomoe, who was riding an elevator to the tenth floor of the Ogawa Apartments. There, he encountered the familiar figure of Souren Araya.

Upon seeing him, Araya spoke with cold indifference:

"Are you here to save Ryougi Shiki? Foolish. Even now, you haven't realized that your heart doesn't belong to Tomoe."

"What...?"

"Tomoe may have escaped this spiral, but he's destined to die nonetheless. So, I gave you a new purpose to keep you alive—to bring Ryougi Shiki to me. You've never made a single decision with your own will. You merely fulfilled my desires by bringing her here."

"In truth, you have no memories of your own. Your will is nothing but an illusion, a fabrication fueled by a false sense of purpose. That's why you're incapable of doing anything meaningful. That's why I tasked you with luring Ryougi here. You, who were created, are nothing more than a counterfeit—a fake. You're not even worth killing. Go ahead, disappear to wherever you please."

Araya's harsh words were met with no confusion or hesitation from Tomoe. Though his entire purpose for living had been shattered, he responded with a smile. Looking at the mage, he spoke:

"Oh, come on, Araya. You're not that impressive, are you? Whether I'm real or fake doesn't matter. As long as this body carries such strong emotions, that's enough for me. I really like Ryougi Shiki. I don't even know why. There's barely anything left of the days we spent together, but just having that makes me happy.

"So—if you were the one who gave me this opportunity, I might even thank you."

With those words, Tomoe murmured to himself:

"Sorry, Shiki. I can't die for you. I have to bet everything on this life—for myself."

Then, turning back to Araya Souren, he declared with unwavering determination:

"I'm going to kill you, Araya Souren!"

With his resolve set, Tomoe gripped the small knife in his hand and lunged at the mage before him.

At that moment, the breath of every single viewer seemed to halt.

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