Book Eater

Chapter 397: Goodbye, Dear Friend (3)

A quiet voice announced the end of the fight.

Theo stepped back. Gluttony was caught in the ‘sword that sealed time’. It had lost its Absorption Star Method and couldn’t lift a finger. Though Theo’s body, which had lost its left arm, was wary of the possibility of resistance, Gluttony’s artificial body had already scattered into the air.

It was literally world-shaking. The fight between the two transcendent beings had caused the earth to shake wildly, triggering a localized earthquake. In a sense, it was fortunate that the battle had not gone any further. If Theo hadn’t stopped the grimoire’s offensive and actually used his administrative rights, the northern part of the continent would’ve been blown away.

Theo closed his eyes for a brief moment and sighed deeply.

Almost half of the restored atmosphere has been blown away again. The glacier melted from the heat, causing the sea level to rise by a few meters. It won’t be fixed for a while.

In the end, he had no room to complain. Theo put aside his concerns of reality and turned to Gluttony. The sky was crying out, and the earth was shaking. They could both tell that the end was approaching. Time passed without a word. Eventually, the ground and sky calmed down.

- Hmm.?

Finally, Gluttony opened its mouth and spoke calmly.

- You are strong, User. You have surpassed my expectations.

“... Really?”

- That’s right. You easily suppressed me without using my strength…

There was very little difference between Theo and the heroes of the Age of Mythology. Most of them wouldn’t be Gluttony’s opponents unless they were like Simon Magus or Solomon. It wasn’t an exaggeration. Theo’s clone, created by Gluttony, was stronger than his previous self. From the magic power and computing power through to the overwhelming amount of knowledge and magic linkage that fired spells in seconds, Theo’s clone had been a near-universal magician.

Only a select few even among the heroes of the Age of Mythology would have been a match.

- You might be able to knock down Nídh?ggur if he appears in the material world. Some preparations are needed but you could be born as a new god on this planet.

“I don’t want to be a god.”

- I know. You don’t even want to overthrow Akasha’s throne of omnipotence. You are that kind of person, Theodore Miller.

Theo couldn’t say anything. It was a strange relationship from beginning to end, but Gluttony was the one who best understood him in this world, even more than the family members who were connected to him by blood or his lovers.

The grimoire was a part of him that was so close he couldn’t speak about love. Gluttony knew everything. It was Theo’s second soul and companion, the one who had reached out a hand of salvation to Theo when he had fallen into despair and inferiority.

“Shit!”

Thus, Theo had to hesitate. He had already wasted a few minutes on the opponent that he could finish off with one spell. No matter how powerful the ‘sword that binds time’ was, he couldn’t keep Gluttony in this state forever. It meant there wasn’t much time left to talk.

At that moment…

- Don’t hesitate.?

Gluttony spoke to the suddenly torn Theo.

- Why are you so agitated? Why are you hesitating? Do you think that I’ve regained reason? No. This chance doesn’t exist. Once the binding power is gone, I will attack again.

“I know even if you don’t say this.”

- You made your choice. You didn’t look at the end of all truths and decided to stay in this world. Continue to the end of this path without looking back. This is the responsibility of the winner.

“Hah,” Theo laughed bitterly.

Advising me to finish it off.

It was really annoying that Gluttony was always right. Theo didn’t hide his heart as he spoke sarcastically, “Why don’t you speak words of surrender instead of death? Why don’t you ask me to seal you or something like that?”

- Will you do it if I ask?

“No.”

- The result is obvious, so there is no point. You wouldn’t want to see me like that either.

The sharp words caused Theo to bite his lips. Otherwise, a bad sound would emerge.

“... I still can’t get the final word in, dammit.”

- I won the argument. With this, it is 1:1?

“How funny.” Theo couldn’t help laughing and realized that his heart had become lighter. The lingering attachment between the two of them was settled. It was clear that the shape of the sword holding onto Gluttony was becoming increasingly blurred.

“―Yes, let’s finish it.”

The two who met had to part. Theo realized the inevitability and raised his hands. He couldn’t buy any more time. As his nine Circles revolved and the magic power in his body boiled, a complicated magic circle rose into the sky. This was a spell that he had previously cast once by borrowing the power of others.

- Dimensional Banish?

A Seven Sins grimoire wouldn’t disappear from the material world unless the host was destroyed. What if it had a defenseless structure like Lust? As such, in order to combat the grimoire, Theo needed to overwhelm it with sheer firepower like Pride, or banish it from the dimension like Sloth.

Wuuuong…

Space started vibrating. It was the sign that the magic circle around Gluttony was punching a hole in the dimensional fabric. Theo was surprised since it was much faster than he had expected. However, he soon realized why.

I see. Thanks to the experience with the Akashic Records, it seems I have learned how to deal with dimensional boundaries...?

Theo was twice as fast as Simon Magus, who had spent ten minutes casting the spell. However, this didn’t mean that Theo was a magician beyond Simon Magus. The Akashic Records was the center of the most profound dimension in space. After fusing with it, Theo had reached another level of dimensional magic.

- Umm…?

At this time, the silent Gluttony spoke up.

- I have something to say... but I can’t really remember. No, I don’t know how to say it.

“...”

- This is the first time I’ve had a contractor like this... I’m sorry that I’ve missed a good chance. I thought I understood human emotions, but I should analyze it again from the beginning…

It wasn’t a normal voice but a powerful one, and it sounded like a farewell rather than a complaint. Theo bit his lips until blood flowed and focused on the magic circle. He didn’t want to show an ugly appearance while saying farewell. In a few more moments, the banishment magic circle was completed without any mistakes.

“Goal, designated.”

The space around Gluttony distorted. No, it wasn’t space but the dimension. The passage leading to the outer dimension opened its mouth, and everything inside it would disappear without a trace. All he needed to do was snap his fingers, and Theo didn’t hesitate. He didn’t look back, just as his friend had advised.

“Activate!”

Before his mind could hesitate, his fingers moved.

Kuuong!

The magic circle of Dimensional Banishment started to vibrate at super speed. This was the first step to tear through the walls of the dimension.

Gluttony’s voice was almost inaudible due to the noise.

- Ah, that’s right... Is this the feeling of ‘regret’...? It hasn’t been a long time. No, maybe that is why it is more…

Theo didn’t answer.

- Meeting a lot of people up to today... talking to them... fighting... going to sleep... The ones who left the deepest impression... most of them occupied one corner of the storage space…

Again, Theo didn’t answer.

- No... this isn’t what I wanted to say. Theodore Miller... you are the most mysterious of all the magicians I have contracted with... the greatest magician to the end. The journey with you... It was a special experience for me…

“...”

Gluttony’s voice was now muffled. Theo wouldn’t be able to hear it unless he focused. So, he listened quietly. His heart was whispering. Theo couldn’t miss this moment, the last words of a friend he wouldn’t meet again.

Jijijik!

The final step of being expelled from the dimension was completed, cutting away the coordinates designated by the magic circle and blowing it outward. Now Gluttony’s voice was distorted like it was on a low frequency.

-... The time that we have spent together... It… has… been… fun... Use..r.

At that moment, the banishment was carried out perfectly.

Syuok!

The space that had been banished to another dimension was soon filled in. There was a pit on the ground, like something had been dug up. Nobody would know what had happened here just a moment ago. Theo was the only exception.

“... Yes, The words that he couldn’t suppress emerged after everything was over, “I also enjoyed it.”

It was all thanks to Gluttony that he could reach his current heights. He had gained strength, fame, and people who loved him, and he had saved the world. Theo stood before the pit and looked at the sky. The fight between the two beings had brought out strange colors over the northern hemisphere like an aurora.

Long... It wasn’t long...

Theo looked back on his journey. Gluttony advised Theo not to look back, but it had meant for Theo to avoid feeling regret. But Theo wasn’t feeling regretful. So, he looked back without hesitation on everything that had allowed him to reach this day.

He’d met a grimoire in a library.

He’d met a good teacher who had seen a talent he hadn’t had.

He’d overcome his inferiority complex and saved his home from danger.

He’d met the elves of legends and survived a monster.

He’d saved the world tree, made friends, and met an evil dragon.

He’d killed a monster, jumped over a wall, and inherited a power.

He’d made bonds in distant lands and become the hero of a kingdom.

He’d thrown down the monster behind the empire.

He’d repelled an invader from another world and become the protector of the world tree.

He’d defeated a disaster on the distant continent and a threat to the world.

He’d smashed a falling meteorite and rejected all truths.

And… he’d sent away a friend.

“... Go.”

How was his life? Theo asked himself. He remembered the day it had started and how he’d met many people. There were both good and bad people. He had bargained, fought, talked, fought some more, and talked again. Theo had developed relationships with many of them.

One day, all of them will leave me. But not now.

By denying omnipotence, he would enjoy the happiness he held on to. As a friend of his had said, this was the right and responsibility of the winner. Theo would follow these words.

Let’s live the right way...

Just as he had always been told. He inadvertently looked up and saw a shooting star streaking across the sky. Tomorrow would come as always.