Chapter 314

At dawn, the streets faintly glowed with a soft blue light visible only at this hour.

The Ashen Girl gave the Yellow Reaper a gentle smile and kept walking tirelessly toward their destination.

Inside the Ashen Girl’s heart, complex emotions swirled like a whirlpool.

“Maybe today will be the last day we talk to each other.”

For some reason, she had a sad premonition that today would be her last day with the Yellow Reaper.

She was going to return everything ‘to the way it was,’ yet…

Shaking off those sorrowful thoughts, the girl began sharing light-hearted stories.

If they got into serious topics here, it might really feel like a final goodbye.

While talking about her family, school, and the happy times spent with the Yellow Reaper, an aching sentiment lingered in her resolve.

“Come to think of it, I can almost understand the will the Yellow Reaper emits now.”

Was she getting closer to the Object?

Thinking about becoming more like the Object made the girl increasingly uneasy.

“It’s fine…”

As if sensing the Ashen Girl’s anxiety, the Yellow Reaper patted her cheek and conveyed its will.

Despite its usual wrinkly, timid expression, the Yellow Reaper somehow looked like it was trying its best to appear confident.

But the Ashen Girl, who knew the Yellow Reaper well, noticed.

That face was the result of its effort to look as self-assured as possible.

Approaching the apartment complex, the girl’s heart grew heavier.

Holding tightly onto the doll the Yellow Reaper had instructed her never to lose, she tried hard to suppress the rising sadness.

Though it was just an ordinary doll, it was incredibly precious to her as a gift from the Yellow Reaper.

“Absolutely. I won’t let go of it.”

The Ashen Girl still felt this was the last moment with the Yellow Reaper.

And paradoxically, it also felt like the moment when everything would return ‘to the way it was.’

Walking down the street dimly lit by the morning light, the Ashen Girl deeply engraved this final time with the Yellow Reaper in her heart.

***

An ancient being was dreaming, as old as the time he had endured.

In an era where humans were swept away by strange phenomena beyond their understanding.

In an age when alchemists, fascinated by those phenomena, sought to merge with them through jade.

And finally, the era ended when a Black Giant descended from the sky and destroyed everything.

Back then, a man began to harbor a desperate wish.

A man who couldn’t become an alchemist lost to the tides of time, nor worship the Black Giant as a god, yet had a grand desire.

“I want to resemble the Black Giant, the god.”

Devouring human wishes.

Bending space with mere gestures.

Freely manipulating the fate of the world.

Manifesting desires into reality.

This man was researching ways to become such a god.

Even if the world perished, he continued.

To him, the shadow of the Black Giant’s massive hand reaching out still loomed large.

[…]

Then, in the endless darkness, the old man opened his eyes.

“Dreams…?”

He thought he’d long lost the ability to dream.

But he could sense a Yellow Reaper and a plaster doll entering his domain.

Since he could vividly perceive everything happening at the apartment complex,

the plaster doll described the scene from his dream in detail while heading toward the center of the apartment complex.

“Just a little further, and we’ll reach the place from my dream.”

Thus, the plaster doll was guiding the Yellow Reaper exactly as the old man intended.

Soon, the Yellow Reaper and the plaster doll arrived at their final destination: the Central Building.

“I’ll go in then.”

With palpable tension, the plaster doll slowly pushed the glass door open.

Creeeak.

The door creaked eerily, as if it hadn’t been oiled.

Inside the building stretched an endless white sandy beach.

“This is it. I came here in my dream.”

Muttering as if entranced, the plaster doll started walking forward.

Crunch crunch.

The sound of stepping on the glowing white sand echoed.

The white beach was dotted with numerous pits.

Rectangular pits, resembling graves.

And inside each pit lay people dried up like mummies.

Checking each pit one by one, the Yellow Reaper and the plaster doll ventured deeper into the beach.

[This should suffice.]

When the old man snapped his fingers, countless plaster dolls emerged from the beach.

The wire-and-plaster dolls rushed at the Yellow Reaper all at once.

However, these attacks posed no threat to the Yellow Reaper.

Waving its hand, numerous mini-reaper costumes popped out.

Costumes moving on their own without any mini-reapers inside.

Though not as powerful as the original mini-reapers, they were still formidable.

[So it seems I cannot capture you with this level of force.]

Before the old man could move, he was already standing on the beach where the Yellow Reaper was.

***

The moment the Yellow Reaper dealt with the attacking plaster dolls, an alien voice resounded.

[So it seems I cannot capture you with this level of force.]

When the Ashen Girl turned her head, something pale and red was looming over her.

[Now the final puzzle piece for becoming a god rests in my grasp.]

An ancient-looking white robe.

A face-like area dripping with blood-red liquid.

Two arms stained black.

And a broken halo resting atop its head.

Despite the bright white beach, its grotesque figure seemed infinitely dark.

“Strong Object!”

The Yellow Reaper emitted intense will and summoned an army of costumes that filled the white beach.

Seeing this, the White Object silently extended one hand, causing the surrounding air to tremble minutely.

It was as if invisible energy was swirling around its hand.

Then, as it clenched its fist, a black sphere formed in midair.

What started as a small dot rapidly expanded and began devouring everything around it.

Not just the air but even light seemed to be sucked into the abyss.

Space itself was distorting and warping around the black sphere.

Craaack.

Twisted by the warped space, the costumes flailed like ships caught in a storm as they were sucked into the black sphere.

Trying to escape using their abilities, the costumes couldn’t break free from the spatial distortion.

In an instant, everything disappeared, leaving behind an empty void.

“???”

The Yellow Reaper wore an extremely confused expression upon seeing this.

“Fake!”

Enraged, the Yellow Reaper summoned more costumes…

But at that moment, the White Object’s broken black halo began pulsating with intense light, as if alive.

The edges of the broken halo irregularly writhed, rippling the surrounding air.

When the fragments of the broken halo formed a complete halo, a pillar of black light shot up toward the sky.

From there, black flashes grew larger, eventually filling all directions.

A bone-chilling cold.

Vibrations distorting space.

Flashes threatening to trap the world in shadows.

When the flashes disappeared, all the costumes vanished without a trace.

“Strong… Mom Beam?”

The Yellow Reaper stared at the flash emanating from the halo and wore a dazed expression.

Then, the White Object slowly reached out toward the Yellow Reaper.

Emitting an overwhelming aura like when creating the black sphere, the White Object began dominating the surrounding space.

The space wavered and gradually twisted before spiraling toward the Yellow Reaper and swallowing it whole.

Thus, an endless silence descended.

Turning its head toward the bewildered Ashen Girl, the White Object said,

“Well done. Now you may continue dreaming as you wished.”

At that moment, the Ashen Girl’s consciousness cut off like a TV screen turning off.

***

At dawn, when the Golden Reapers were still asleep.

I suddenly woke up for no apparent reason.

Looking around, I saw the softly blinking Golden Reapers and the sleeping Black Reapers emitting small ‘beep’ sounds.

“Hmm.”

I felt like I woke up because there was something important I had to do.

What could it be?

I strained my usually unused brain, trying hard to figure it out.

Making “mini rabbit skewers” while the Golden Reapers sleep?

I’d like to try, but that doesn’t seem right.

Finding the golden comet piercing through the sky that I saw quite a while ago?

I’d forgotten about that, but that’s not it either.

“Aha!”

Then it hit me.

I need to ask the Yellow Reaper to make mini-reaper Tyrannosaurus costumes.

There’s no doubt that waking up early was a divine sign to see mini-reapers waddling around in T-rex shapes.

And playing a game where they tear apart Triceratops White Hungry Ghosts would be so much fun!

Having resolved my dilemma, I got out of bed and started waddling around.