Chapter: 34. The Last Chance
When the thunderbird used its power to transfer Nagino to a safe place.
Before Nagino could catch her breath, she hurriedly looked up at the sky.
Everything that had just happened was not an illusion.
Darkness still dominated the sky, still emanating from the singular entity.
At this moment, the only thing opposing the darkness was that violet-black star hanging high in the sky.
“Where is Shūen right now?” Nagino quickly turned her head and asked the fantasy creature beside her.
The masked figure that had just been pierced had returned to its original form.
It seemed that the black lightning was an attack aimed at the “holder of the Kaoula Box,” and would not cause much harm to ordinary fantasy creatures.
Stepping forward, the masked figure responded in a low voice:
“Lord Shūen is doing everything possible to stop the singular entity.”
“Stop the singular entity?” Nagino was taken aback for a moment, then blurted out, “How could that guy possibly be a match for Kanade?”
Kanade.
This naturally referred to the singular entity controlled by the player in the true ending of the original game “Star Pull 2” — “Singular·Tsukimi Kanade.”
He was the embodiment of all possibilities and timelines of Tsukimi Kanade.
Also, the original individual who mastered the power of the Kaoula Box.
Within his body existed all the rewrites among all possibilities.
Thus, a boss like Shūen, who appeared in multiple character routes of the original “Star Pull 2” game, could not possibly be an opponent for the singular entity, as there were at least countless “absolute nemesis” rewrites against Shūen within him.
With Shūen alone, let alone stopping him, he might not even withstand a single hit.
This was the true power of the only “singular entity” in the game.
In the original “Star Pull 2” game, the true ending route was the most stress-relieving for players and one of the reasons many recommended playing as the male protagonist “Tsukimi Kanade.”
Infinite times of “rewriting oneself.”
Timely “saving” down to every moment.
After enduring the painstaking control and high-pressure battles through each of the female protagonist routes, obtaining a combat power akin to a cheat code brought an emotional release that made every player controlling “Kanade” joyfully shout out loud.
In the live streaming room of game streamers, the true ending was humorously referred to as the “monkey shouts route,” because each streamer would get excited and shout like a monkey after reaching this point —
Shouting, because the “Kanade” in this route was truly “invincible.”
Cursing, due to the storyline — controlling “Kanade,” constantly intervening in every route the player had previously played, standing from the enemy’s perspective, utilizing an unimaginable power from other routes to reverse the hard-earned endings.
“Rewriting the world” was a power that the male protagonist “Tsukimi Kanade” discovered through a bug, and rewriting the world would destabilize all the timelines, potentially leading to destruction.
Therefore, the singular entity “Kanade” had to ensure that every timeline returned to “its original form.”
For players.
“Rewriting the world” represented the game’s mechanism of saving.
So what did players need to do in the true ending?
Control the “official cheat character,” as granted by the game developers, to revert the arduous hy end they had painstakingly saved countless times back to the initial bad end.
Every female protagonist saved by “Kanade” through “rewriting the world” would lose her life again under the intervention of the “singular entity.”
And the “Kanade” in every timeline absolutely could not defeat the “singular entity.”
Because “Kanade” was the destined — only protagonist.
Thus, players had a love-hate relationship with this male protagonist “Tsukimi Kanade,” as he did not carry the heavy backstory of the female protagonist “Hoshimiya Nagino.” In the game’s perspective, he indeed offered mechanisms and powers starkly opposite to “Hoshimiya Nagino,” giving each player a chance to clear the game.
However, this series of praise would become complicated after the true ending arrived.
The control experience of “Kanade” was indeed top-notch, relieving stress, but the plot was utterly poor.
So much so that after most players had experienced the true ending, they preferred the female protagonist “Hoshimiya Nagino,” because at least there wouldn’t suddenly emerge a character at the end to deny all past efforts.
Some psychologically imbalanced players even attempted to uncover Nagino’s hidden true ending but to no avail —
It seemed that the deranged game developer did not have enough energy to create a unique true ending for a character born from such a “flame-up.”
And at this very moment.
This poor plot was about to replay in this world — no, it might even be worse.
The world she was in was a timeline that did not exist in the original work.
Perhaps it was just as Shūen said.
When he discovered that this world should not exist, he would completely erase this timeline.
This world would not meet destruction or an ending; it would merely enter — non-existence.
“Damn it—” Nagino weakly clenched her fist and pounded the ground.
“This poor work—”
“Why, at this point, do I still have to be targeted by that guy—”
A face suddenly flashed through Nagino’s mind.
Just then.
The fantasy creature beside her couldn’t help but speak up.
“Miss Nagino, do you need me to take you to your friend?”
“What?” Nagino was startled and looked up.
“It’s already too late, at least during the time Lord Shūen is holding Him back, you should meet with the most important person.”
“What are you talking about? Everything hasn’t—”
“It’s already over; Miss Nagino and the Black Flame King have been locked on.” The masked figure calmly answered, “Soon He will—”
“No, no, that’s not right, there must be another way…”
Though Nagino said this, what came to her mind was the image of her playing the true ending of “Star Pull 2” in the past.
Once Shūen could no longer hold back the singular entity—
He would target Kanade, who had already been locked in this timeline—
Kanade could not be his opponent, even if she teamed up with Kanade now—
Perhaps everything really was as the fantasy creature said.
He arrived too early.
Neither she nor this world was ready to face him.
“Damn it, if only there was more time—”
—If only she could save.
—No, precisely because she couldn’t save in front of “Kanade”…
—Wait, can’t save in front of “Kanade”?
Nagino seemed to have noticed a key piece of information.
As if something was guiding her in the dark.
If something really wished for her to complete what “Light” had failed to accomplish, then why would her second rebirth be as “Hoshimiya Nagino” instead of “Tsukimi Kanade”?
Clearly, the male protagonist “Tsukimi Kanade” was more powerful…
This reason.
Nagino seemed to have found the answer—
Because the male protagonist “Tsukimi Kanade” would be restrained by “Kanade.”
And the female protagonist “Hoshimiya Nagino” did not possess a true ending.
She—did not exist in any timelines controlled by “Kanade.”
“There is… still a way…”
Nagino stared blankly at her right hand—
“There is— one last chance.”
In the next moment.
Nagino suddenly thrust her right hand into her heart—
She needed to die, for only by doing so could she activate—
【Do you wish to engage in a transaction?】
Tick-tock—tick—tock—
Nagino’s unique Kaoula Box was not locked.
Because that earlier black lightning hadn’t hit her.
She wanted to retrace the timeline—
Rewind time to before the singular entity descended—
In “Kanade’s” timeline, there was no protagonist “Hoshimiya Nagino,” so his rewriting wouldn’t affect her Kaoula Box, even if he later rewrote himself to gain resistance—
At least the first retrace would succeed.
This was the last chance.
The last opportunity of this timeline that shouldn’t exist—
“Transaction!” Nagino responded resolutely.
The door of the Kaoula Box slowly opened with a sound—
She was going to once again—
Become the protagonist.
