Story Reader / Main Story / 33 Wither to Shine / Story
The storage of "information" cannot be reversed.
Under Cradle and Vonnegut's manipulation, the Hetero Tower has continuously grown, diffracting into infinite new layers.
Chaos persistently organizes the jumbled Hetero Tower.
Her M.I.N.D. is bombarded by innumerable "information", gradually losing control of her power. Wings pierce through her spine, countless eyes writhing in agony.
Darkness surges forward like a ferocious storm.
Arranging the threads of time, she has witnessed the full spectrum of human emotions—
An insect<//YOU> wriggles across the muddy earth.
Shell shattered, wings unfurled, a gray raven<//YOU> soars through the skies.
Storm raging, wings broken mid-flight, an ashen wolf<//YOU> crawls upon the ground, evading the Red Tide that flows in all directions.
A fisherman<//YOU> is stabbed to death by a corrupted mechanoid.
After awakening, the corrupted mechanoid<//YOU> sees blood and leaps into the oceanic abyss.
A little whale<//YOU> in the oceanic abyss sways its tail, only to be swallowed in one bite by a massive Hetero-Creature—
Countless pieces of "information" hammer Chaos' M.I.N.D., forcing her to experience painful tearing and lives of unknown beings with each passing moment.
...
You can't do it.
She speaks calmly like stating a mere fact, even though Chaos can no longer hear her "voice" at all.
Each thread connects to a layer of the Hetero Tower, condensing information from different "worldlines".
Even a deity cannot absorb this much "time"...
If you keep absorbing "information" like this, these threads will pierce through you, causing you to ultimately perish.
With a gentle sigh, the pink-haired woman slowly turns around.
There's no need to keep watching any longer.
The tome floating in the void slowly closes. She has already seen the twilight of this civilization.
The Keystaff carves a rift in the air as Ishmael prepares to return to her observation room with the book of this civilization, when she suddenly pauses.
Hmm?
In the very moment she turns her head, some of the red threads on Chaos' body silently vanish.
Though it might be just a few strands, this doesn't escape the eyes of Ishmael, who has been constantly observing this civilization.
This...
Ishmael turns around with slight surprise as the book pages flip once more. On the final few pages, crimson-gold text gradually fades away.
Chaos continues to absorb information from the Hetero Tower. According to Ishmael's calculations, she will lose her sanity from the overwhelming flood of information before she can complete the absorption.
No living being can bear the information of an entire "civilization", not even a higher-dimensional being.
But now...
Interesting...
After a moment of contemplation, Ishmael traces another exit with the Keystaff and slowly walks into a room encased in silver-white metal.
Inside the Starship
Inside the starship, Nanami stands in the center of the room, exhausted yet still brimming with energy.
Huh? It's you! The super weird Construct!
Hmm... wait, how did you suddenly appear on Delorean? What are you trying to do?
Nanami stares suspiciously at Ishmael who has quietly appeared out of nowhere.
I apologize for the sudden visit without prior notice.
I'm here to deliver a message for someone.
As per the request of a commandant on Earth, I'm here to hand over all research data from the Aerospace City to you.
Condensing the "information" into a sharp Hetero-Core shard, Ishmael gently hands it over to Nanami.
Oh—it's a message from Commandant!
Thank goodness!
The gray-haired girl jumps up in excitement and swiftly grabs the Hetero-Core shard.
Does Commandant have anything to say to Nanami?!
It should all be within this "data".
Hehe...
Treating it like a precious treasure, Nanami carefully puts away the Hetero-Core, claps her hands, and looks toward Ishmael.
Anything else to say? If not, I need to get back to my own business!
Aren't you going to ask about the commandant's current situation?
Commandant must be working hard just like Nanami! Nanami can feel it, so Nanami doesn't need to ask.
Nanami raises a finger and wags it.
Nanami can feel it! The Hetero Tower is changing, and the "information" inside is reducing...
It's because Commandant is also weaving information on the other side, trying to guide everything back to the right track.
But you know full well that this is an impossible task...
Nanami's thoughts are actually the same as Commandant's! Ehehe! I knew I was absolutely right this time!
Dammit—I can't believe I lost!
Quick! 50 liters of machine oil! We had a deal!
Hey! I told you not to use Nanami's plan for your bets! Not allowed!
Nanami roars furiously toward the nearby hall, instantly driving the murmurs away.
Hmph, those silly goofballs... Nanami's plan is definitely the most correct one!
Plan... Are you also doing something here?
Your consciousness and frame... seem to have merged quite well.
The pink-haired woman gently examines Nanami's frame.
Of course! Nanami is the almighty Nanami! Capable of handling any difficult task!
Have you been... converging causality?
Observing the damage on Nanami's frame, Ishmael breaks into a slight smile.
She thinks she has found the answer—about the missing final page of that book.
Of course!
The gray-haired girl nods as if stating the obvious.
I'm only telling you this because I trust you, since you delivered Commandant's message. You absolutely must not tell anyone else.
She casts a meaningful glance toward the outer perimeter of the starship's window.
Of course.
To prove her sincerity, Ishmael summons her Keystaff, conjuring a misty barrier around them.
Mm, I believe you.
Let me think about this... Where should I begin the story...
Nanami seems to be straining to recall the exact events... Naturally, maintaining one's sanity after converging such a large amount of causality is no small feat.
After much pondering and exploring so many simulated worlds, I have finally figured out the solution to everything!
The disappearance of human civilization is caused by the Hetero Tower's collapse, so if we just prevent the Hetero Tower from appearing in the first place, wouldn't human civilization be saved?
Hehe, I have been working hard to push those "simulations" back to how they were at the very beginning!
If the time flow returns to its original state, with less of what you call "information", then wouldn't the world go back to how I first saw it?
Nanami excitedly clenches her fists, waiting for Ishmael to give her an affirmative answer.
...
You could put it that way.
Woohoo! Nanami knew it!
Nanami and Commandant are totally in sync! No room for errors this time!
The badly wounded girl breaks into a happy smile.
Commandant is working hard, and Nanami is working hard too! At this rate...
Nanami helps Commandant converge information here, while Commandant is working hard to weave it together there...
This way, the burden on Commandant will definitely be much lighter!
Nanami has to work even harder!
If Nanami and Commandant keep pushing forward, we'll surely reach the day of victory someday!
She can almost see it—the day she reunites with Commandant.
...
Ishmael studies the jubilant girl with an inquisitive gaze.
Hmm... Why give me that look? I have no interest in you at all.
Nanami takes a cautious step back.
I was just wondering... why are you so devoted to helping human civilization?
Does that need a reason?
Of course, it's because Nanami likes humans! Nanami likes Commandant!
Watching the girl who, despite being covered in wounds, still eagerly prepares for the next "action", Ishmael falls into an unusual silence.
Across the vastness of space and time, she has wandered too long in the realm where dim galaxies spiral in suspension.
She has witnessed firsthand the birth and destruction of countless civilizations. "Time" has lost all meaning to her...
"Like"...
A faint sweetness rises on her tongue—she has long forgotten what it means to "like" something.
Her endless existence has ground away her interest in most things. She only occasionally appears among civilizations where she believes "change" might occur.
Say... Maybe even now.
While Nanami busies herself tinkering with her frame, the Keystaff slices open a rift, and Ishmael silently disappears through the stellar crevice.
Observation Room
She returns to the "observation room"—her name for her room. In the dimness of eternity, she frequently delves into the tales of other civilizations here, seeking to pass the endless tedium of time.
She craves change, yearns for entertainment to fill the void of time, and wishes to find more "allies" within the dark forest.
Sitting back at her desk, Ishmael ponders for a moment before once again opening the book labeled "human civilization".
Crimson-gold threads curve into tree-like nodes, each connecting to form different "endings".
Ishmael focuses intently, searching for that specific moment in time, when the commandant leaves the tower—
The paper boat sails on across the burning sea...
Humanity's End—"Tomorrow". Here, human civilization ends.
Aerospace City
Outside Aerospace City, the snow remains unchanged.
The Mutated Red Tide lies dormant outside Aerospace City—not actively attacking, yet never showing signs of frailty.
Humanity's activity is restricted to a narrow area around Aerospace City, like those who can only glimpse a fragment of the sky from the bottom of a well.
The Mutated Red Tide still poses a threat, and no one knows when humanity will be completely submerged by it—
It might be today, or perhaps tomorrow.
Humanity's Ending: "High Wall". Here, human civilization stagnates.
The "Observers" shall drift amid the expanse of stars and deep cosmos.
Endlessly searching for that unknown "future".
Humanity's Ending: "Gravekeeper of Civilization"
Here, human civilization stalls.
The Gray Raven Commandant uses cunning privileges to evade each potential endpoint that might appear.
Like steering a small boat through a sea of flames, that human bears the weight of an entire civilization, yet never chooses to give up. The commandant proceeds cautiously, pressing on toward what may not even exist—the "correct" time.
Ahh...
The crimson-gold text curls inward as the weathered pages dissolve into specks of dust.
The "information" recorded on the pages gradually fades, transforming into red threads leading toward Chaos floating in the deep void.
Has it come to this already...
Much faster than I imagined.
Ishmael closes the fading pages of the book and falls into deep contemplation.
This time... will a different answer be submitted?
Gray Raven didn't enter the Red Tide, but instead passed through the Gateway.
After dimensional ascension, Gray Raven replaces the consciousness of the undersea commandant with their own, hatching a complete Chaos.
Chaos defeats Cradle within the tower, truly becoming a life form filtered by the cosmic will, yet still refuses to give up.
Within the Hetero Tower, Chaos continuously organizes time while on the other side, the mechanoid named Nanami diligently works to reversely converge the causality threads at the same time...
This time, can this corroded, riddled-with-wounds civilization truly provide a different answer?
Ishmael contemplates in silence.
Should she...
Should she intervene to help this civilization?
Should she pay a certain price to continue reading this story?
Measuring the "price" that must be paid, Ishmael ponders deeply.
Hm...
Why not... settle it this way.
But, does such an item really exist?
You just roll it, follow what it says, and keep going... without worrying too much...
If it were you... Gray Raven.
A peculiar smile flickers across her silver-white pupils.
Let's see... whether the path ahead still exists "in your heart" this time.
A wooden die, wrapped in exotic matter and gleaming like metal, spins rapidly in the air—
The die hasn't yet stopped spinning, but the book of human civilization has already turned to a new page.
