John was content for days. Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Time stretched on and on, and nothing was amiss. This peaceful life was one he'd rightfully earned. His eyes sparkled with emotion, a content smile always resting on his face. To take all of this away from him… well, something like that wouldn't happen. It couldn't happen.

After all, what kind of being could touch him? A combination of [Infinity] and [Zero], abilities to wield without restriction, was undefeatable. Throw on [Reset], and what could anybody ever do to him? There was only one being who could harm him through the ability to come back to life, and John had defeated that being once and for all.

He'd challenged armies, kings, champions, devils, gods, even those who protected and watched over the universe, and in the end, he was victorious. Although he didn't look like it, he stood at the top of the world.

All that power. All that responsibility.

And he used it to bum around all day.

"You're gonna have to get a job, you know," Amber scolded. "You can't just keep sleeping on our sofa forever."

"But your sofa is nice," John complained. "What's wrong with that?"

"The problem is that you need your own place, you bum! If anybody saw you, they'd think you're some random stranger taking advantage of our kindness!"

"Um. Sis?" Lance called out. "Aside from the stranger part, that is what he's doing."

Amber turned around to see John staring up with a sheepish grin.

"You-!"

She raised her hand to slap him, but then just shook her head and sighed.

"Seriously, John. I know you put in a lot of work, but… is there nothing you want to do? You've just been wandering aimlessly these past few months. You saved the world. Isn't there something you want to do in this world you've protected?"

John thought for a moment, but in the end, he just shrugged. "Not really. I've got time. I'll figure it out eventually, right? Anyway, what about you guys? What have you been doing?"

Amber and Lance stared at each other.

"Well, I've been ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■"

John winced, covering his ears as a high-pitched sound came out of Lance's mouth. What was going on? That was the sound Zero made when he gave answers he wasn't supposed to give. Why was Lance making that sound?

"John?" Amber said worriedly. "Are you ok?"

"I- yeah," he lied, trying for a smile. "I'm fine. Sorry, just felt a little dizzy."

"Dizzy? From what?" Lance frowned.

"Maybe I ate something bad. It's nothing," John said, waving them away. "I'm gonna head out for a bit. Don't wait for me, I'll be back on my own."

He stepped out the door, walking out, back to the cliff. Sitting on the edge, he watched the waves, his legs swinging back and forth.

"It's nice, isn't it? Zero."

As usual, the soul didn't respond. If there was anything wrong with this world, it was that. Well, Zero sometimes went silent for long periods of time. It was possible this was just one of those moments.

He sighed, falling back, staring up into the cloudless sky. Yeah, Amber was right. He'd eventually have to do something. But for now, this was good enough.

Eventually, he closed his eyes, ignoring the notification in his system.

~~~

As the days passed, Prota couldn't help but feel something was wrong.

It was unusual for such a small child to have such a feeling, but in the first place, Prota felt as if she didn't belong here. She wasn't sure what it was. The village was the same as always. Her sister was by her side, as always.

So what felt so wrong?

"..rota. John, Prota, wake up! Wake up! Please!"

"Wake up!"

Prota's eyes shot open to see Anta hovering over her face, that same fierce grin plastered over her face. She blinked sleepily. What was that voice? And that name. John. She didn't know anyone named John.

Then why did it feel so familiar?

"Come on. Let's go eat!"

And so another day began. A peaceful, ordinary day. There wasn't a single unusual thing about it.

But Prota knew, deep in her heart, that something was wrong. That shouldn't have been possible. This life was one without a single blemish. She wouldn't mind staying like this forever. But something stronger than comfort called to her.

If only she could figure out what that was.

"Anta," she said one day.

The two were lying on a giant hay bale, watching the sun set. The stars in the sky began to show themselves as night took over, twinkling like precious jewels.

"Do you… know someone named John?" Prota asked quietly.

"John? Mm… no," Anta replied, shaking her head. "That sounds like a boring name, though!"

"Nn… ok."

That was that. Even Anta didn't know anybody named John. There was no memory of this person.

"Anta," Prota said again. "What do you want to do?"

"Me? I'm gonna become an adventurer! I'm gonna go beat up a ton of monsters, and then I'm gonna become the hero and beat up the Demon King!"

"Isn't that scary?"

"Scary? I'll be the strongest," Anta grinned. "Then I'll be able to protect mom, dad… You too! And I'll be super rich, and we can buy all the candy we want!"

Prota nodded. That sounded nice. Unlimited food and candy.

"By the way, Prota," Anta said suddenly. "Where did you learn to dodge?"

Prota flinched.

"I mean, you were crazy out there! Every time one of those idiots tries to fight you, you go whoosh, bam, pow, and you never get hit. Even I can't dodge everything. Did dad teach you in secret or something?"

"N-no," Prota said, waving her hands in panic. "I don't… I don't know how to do that."

"Come on, don't lie to me! I can keep a secret. Or… did you get some kind of secret teacher? Is that who gave you that ring? Was it someone special?"

Prota flinched as Anta pointed at her finger. There was a small, simple ring on it. Since when had she had that? What was that ring?

"Oh, well. It's ok. I'll just become stronger than you, and then both you and your secret teacher can kick rocks," Anta said, sitting up. "I'll make sure I'm stronger than both of you!"

She shook some hay out of her hair, then slid down the hay bale, landing on both feet as she hit the ground. Prota frowned in confusion. Why was Anta so sure there was someone else? There wasn't anybody else. Nobody had given her this ring.

"Come on! Let's go home, Prota!" Anta called out.

Prota nodded, but her mind was a mess. Something about all this felt strange. This ring. Where had she gotten it from? Why was it on her finger? She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remember, but no matter what she did, not a single memory came to mind.

Suddenly, the ring flashed, and out came a collection of papers. Where had these come from? Prota frowned, picking them up. Upon observation, there were drawings upon them. Incredibly detailed drawings, ones made so well you might've thought they were replicas of real life.

That wasn't possible, though. There were images of her in places she'd never been, standing with people she'd never met. Additionally, in every photo, the faces of the other people were blurred out. She was in some kind of hall with a red-haired boy and a blue-haired girl. She was in some kind of cafeteria with a group of people she didn't recognize.

"Prota?" Anta called out. "What's taking you so long?"

She shook her head. Suddenly, just as quickly as they'd appeared, the papers vanished as the ring lit up once more. Sliding down the hay bale, she joined her twin and ran home.

But those images remained in her mind.

~~~

Destiny was panting, wielding his blade. Strange apparitions danced around him, and despite his best efforts, he couldn't hit them. He'd tried everything: magic, swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, but nothing seemed to work. His God-Slaying Sword had some effect. It did manage to put them away for a bit, but the apparitions kept coming back.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Interestingly enough, they couldn't hurt him, either. At least, not physically. However, every time one of them made contact with him, he'd lose a little of his strength, and not just his physical stamina. His very will to fight was slowly being chipped away.

Thankfully, both Lupin and Leora were fighting alongside him. Unfortunately, they, too, couldn't do anything. Additionally, they were all restricted by the fact that there were ten children nearby, all of whom were unconscious and couldn't run away.

They'd tried to move them, but just like the apparitions, touching a single child made one lose both their strength and their will. They'd have to fight while keeping the safety of the children in mind.

The one thing they could truly be thankful for was the fact that Sofya had yet to perform an attack that did any active harm. No magic had been cast, no physical attack launched. It was as if the dragon had no intent to harm them in the first place.

"Conceptual magic," Leora muttered. "Curses."

"Conceptual… magic?" Destiny frowned.

Leora looked uncomfortable, but Lupin shook his head. "This is the hero. We should place a little more faith in him. Besides, he understood all of my lessons perfectly. Don't you think something like this would be simple in comparison?"

Destiny flinched. "You… know I'm the hero?"

"Your friend told us," Lupin said with a grimace. "He was reluctant to do so, but I'm afraid we may have… persuaded him to speak."

"You persuaded John?" Destiny exclaimed. "What? How?"

"We are part of an organization known as Quaesitor Veritatis. A small group of talented individuals who seek the truth of this world. John was a lead in this, and, well… the circumstances are a little complicated. Now is not the time. Regardless, you do not need to worry about your secret being leaked. We will, in fact, support you to the best of our abilities."

"Is that why your training became so harsh this year?" Destiny yelled as he dodged another apparition.

"...perhaps," Lupin said.

Destiny thought he saw a hidden smile just then, but things were too chaotic to truly tell.

"Nevertheless, let us continue to more important topics. Conceptual magic is the name we use for the truth we have been seeking."

"The… truth?"

"The world is made of matter and is powered by mana. But where did this come from? Additionally, the laws of physics and mana do not explain consciousness. Where do our thoughts come from? Our emotions? Our hopes, our dreams? Such things can be categorized as 'concepts,' things that do not necessarily obey rules and laws," Leora explained.

Destiny nodded. That much made sense.

"Eventually, we came to the conclusion that some kind of force greater than Celeste exists," the phoenix continued. "Of course, this is not to belittle the goddess. We still believe she created this world. But… something greater must definitely exist."

Destiny felt a shiver run down his spine. Something greater. What could that possibly be?

"Your friend, John, was discovered to be the closest to reaching this 'truth' we have been seeking for so long. And it seems we were right. The discussion he had with the headmaster… it seems she wields the power to manifest desires," Lupin said, taking over the explanation. "That power is not rooted in mana. It is a foreign energy, one that controls a 'concept.' When we were first attacked, you were placed in an illusion, were you not?"

Destiny nodded. "Yeah, but-"

"So were we. Of course, having trained against mental attacks, we were prepared. I believe both of us discovered the truth of the world in our illusions, but something like that is not so easily attainable, and so we both realized something was amiss. I believe your situation was similar?"

Destiny nodded again.

"Then it is confirmed. We are up against something we know nothing about. The only ones who potentially do are those two over there," Leora said, gesturing to the still-sleeping John and Prota.

A faint red light covered their bodies, and they lay against each other peacefully, as if taking a quick nap. That wouldn't do, though.

"Their desires must be strong indeed," Lupin said worriedly. "I do not know what either of them wishes for. But the pull of their illusions must be powerful for them to still be falling for this trick."

"Then… what can we do?" Destiny frowned, turning to face the apparitions once more.

"Nothing, I'm afraid," Leora said. "All we can do is survive. And… I suppose we can pray."

~~~

Over a year had passed. Summer had come and gone. Fall soon followed. Winter swept through the village and was chased out by spring. Now, the air was warming up again, and Prota's birthday was soon to come.

The closer it got, though, the more uncomfortable she felt. At this point, something was definitely wrong. She just couldn't tell what.

To top things off, Anta kept asking her about her ring and her ability to fight. At first, she'd only asked once in a while, but as time passed, the questions became more and more consistent. Prota didn't know what to say, but as her sister continued to question, the more she realized there was an answer.

She just didn't remember what it was.

Finally, her birthday came. There was a cake and candles, but something about all this felt so fake. So orchestrated.

"Cool!" Anta exclaimed as their parents brought the dessert in, but even her shout seemed forced, Prota thought.

Something about those flames sent a chill down her spine. Flames. Why did she fear them so? And why only here? She saw bonfires in pits outside. She saw adventurers wielding fire magic. So why was it specifically that she felt afraid of fire within her own home?

"Come on, kids. Blow out the candles and wish for something!"

Prota began to shake as she approached the burning wicks. A terrible thought entered her mind. She didn't know where it came from, and she didn't know if she wanted to act on it.

"Go on," Anta suddenly whispered.

Prota flinched. When had her sister gotten so close?

"You have to want it. You have to wish for it. Just… wish."

So Prota wished. She didn't like what she was wishing for. But it was better than this sickening feeling she constantly felt. Something was missing from her life, and she wanted it back.

So when she blew on the candles, instead of blowing out, they grew, swallowing the surroundings around her. The house, her parents, the village, they all burned down, and the peaceful, happy days were gone with them.

In their place came a flood of memories. All at once, they rushed in, and the sense of unease vanished.

John. She'd been missing John. That was right. She shook her head. Having a normal life had been nice, but she wouldn't trade that for her time with John. She wouldn't trade it for the life she currently had. The memories she'd made, the time she'd spent, she wouldn't trade them for the world.

"Good job."

Prota whirled around in this now-empty void to see Anta still standing there.

"See, you didn't actually want this. You keeping that dimension ring was a sign of that. I tried to help you before, but I was too weak. Even now, this is a little… well, it's not too bad, I guess," Anta grinned. "Getting to see you again."

"...Anta?" Prota said quietly.

She hadn't forgotten about her. Saving her sister was something that seemed to be taking quite some time, but Prota always remembered that this whole journey had started with such a goal in mind.

But so many things had gotten jumbled up. Diaboli didn't know who Anta was. Nobody seemed to really remember the mirror version of Prota. There was no proof she existed.

Now, though, Anta was standing before her, just as she remembered.

"You've grown a lot. So I'll be seeing you soon, ok? You'd better not let any stupid idiot overtake you."

The black haired twin put her fist out with a smile.

"Like I said. It doesn't matter if you have a stupid strong teacher. I'll just get stronger and make sure to take care of both of you. If you don't want that happening, you'd better keep up, ok?"

Now that Prota's memories had returned, she found it hard to move her face, but despite that, her mouth still curved into an ever-so-slight smile. Holding back tears, she pushed her fist out as well, meeting Anta's in the middle.

"Ok," she nodded, her voice shaky.

"Good. Because there's still one last thing you need to do."

Suddenly, the void was filled with light, and Prota was back on the streets of Vulcan. Why was she here? What was going on?

A loud explosion rang out, stunning her. Who had caused this? Now that she realized where she was, things were different. Fires were burning everywhere, and the screams of people rang out through the streets. Prota ran out, worriedly looking around. She was aware that she was in an illusion, but what was all this?

Sprinting toward the explosions, she eventually found a figure slowly walking forward. It seemed to be a person, similar in build to herself, but this figure was thin and frail, walking with a pronounced limp. She couldn't quite make out the features, but it seemed to be humanoid in shape.

"You."

Prota froze. That voice.

It was her own.

As the flames behind the figure died down, she could see it more clearly now. It was her. But this wasn't some soul like Zero. No, this was a physical copy of herself, just… different. It resembled the version of her John had found on the streets, but worse. Far dirtier. Far more injured.

And despite that same expressionless face, there was a burning hatred in this Prota's eyes.

"You… don't deserve that life," the other Prota growled.

If anything, this Prota was far more talkative.

"The world hates you!" she growled. "It should… it should despise you! Not a single person reached out. They all hated me. They all… they wanted me dead, and for what? What did I ever do to anyone? Nothing! I lost… I lost everything, and this is the justice I get?"

Words Prota had thought before. Words Prota wanted to say but never mustered up the strength to do. Was this the child John had found? This Prota was so broken inside.

Suddenly, she realized what this was. This version of her was what would've happened had John not found her. Had John not taken her in and shown her kindness.

This was the "worse" version of her. The version she feared. The ever-present question that lingered in her mind.

What would life be like without John?

If her life in the village was a more optimal outcome, one she desired to some extent, then this was the worst outcome. It was the other way around now.

This clone desired what Prota currently had.

"You don't deserve love," the illusion hissed. "You don't deserve what you have!"

Its eyes began to glow as magic was prepared. Flinching, Prota tried to use Soul Steal, only to realize the other Prota was capable of blocking it. Similarly, she could feel a tug on her mana, but she had managed to stop it from leaving her.

"We're the same, you and I. Tricks won't work."

One's eyes were filled with rage, the other's filled with fear.

"I suppose this will come down to whoever wants it more."

~~~

Ten years had passed for John. He'd gotten his own house now. It was a small apartment, but he was happy with it. He didn't spend much time there, anyway. Most of his time was spent wandering the world, visiting friends and watching society progress.

This world was quite different from a regular Earth. Everybody here had some kind of magical power, not fueled by mana. It was just some sort of supernatural ability nobody could fully explain. As a result, progress shot up exponentially. With beings in place to maintain order and prevent chaos, a far better society had been established.

John, of course, was welcome to see most innovations. As one of the saviours of the world, he was widely accepted, and despite his laid-back attitude, many people still enjoyed his company. Of course, there were those who thought he was a little too carefree, but what did that matter to him?

He sighed as he sat on the cliffside again. This was where it had all started. This stupid cliff.

Waking up, with not a single memory but his name and a vague understanding of his abilities. Forced to search for his identity, who he was, only to be roped into a mess far greater than he'd ever imagined. What an adventure it had been.

But he had his memories now. He could relax knowing he'd achieved his primary goal.

"That's not true."

Zero popped out, sitting next to John.

"Oh. Hey, Zero."

"John. Isn't… isn't it about time you left?"

The smile on John's face froze. "What are you talking about?"

"I didn't think I'd need to butt in, but… at this point, you're never going to leave. The [Story] is going to end here."

"Story?" John frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't… don't play innocent," Zero said, his voice cracking. "I didn't say anything because you were so happy, but… you know, don't you? You know something's wrong. And… there are people waiting for you out there, too."

John looked away. Zero looked at his body, but was surprised to see a single tear rolling down John's cheek.

"Don't. I don't want to go back."

"So you know-"

"No. I don't know what's waiting for me. But, you know? I'm not that stupid. I get the feeling something dogshit awful is waiting for me."

Zero sighed.

"That's how life is, John. You don't always get what you want. Sometimes, you kinda just have to… you know. Take responsibility."

"Haven't I done that already?" John frowned, leaning back.

The tears were gone now.

"I saved the world. Isn't that enough? I did a ton of work. It was hard. Really hard. I mean, do you even know how many [Resets] you put me through? Let me rest."

Zero frowned. This wasn't good.

"John, at least check your-" he started, but then realized something.

The notification was gone. Surely. Surely, he could try this at the very least.

"...Prota broke out on her own, John," Zero said quietly. "You're really telling me that girl has a stronger mental than you?"

A flicker of recognition passed John's face. Zero's heart rose with hope. Yes, surely that name, if anything, would at least start the process of recovery. If there was anyone John would remember, it would be—

"Prota?" John frowned. "Who's that?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.