When the plot-skips players into the game world

Just thinking like that made the hatred he felt upon seeing "Beyard" right before his eyes seem so absurd, so laughable.

—Looking at that Shadow Demon, it knew it had already devoured Beyard in the future. Otherwise, the silhouette conjured by the Shadow Demon wouldn't be able to take on any color.

If the person it created had color, it meant it had devoured the other, and the fusion was complete. It had assimilated the other into a part of itself. Read the latest on My Virtual Library Empire

In other words, he had already completed his revenge in the future.

Now, there were three Beyards here.

Beyard, as the Son of the Moon; Beyard, resurrected as a Demon; Beyard, who became a Shadow Demon and returned to the past with his master...

The past, the present, and the future. Intertwined together, this contradiction and pain made the Shadow Demon feel as if its nonexistent brain was emitting a painful hum.

But at that moment, as the desire for revenge faded, a new confusion rose in her heart...

Look at "the future self's" terrifying and cold demonic posture—compared to the "Beyard" next to her, who really looked more like a monster?

"You guys should be leaving soon, right?"

Son of the Moon Beyard suddenly spoke, "Then we'll never see each other again."

She stared at the girl, her eyes full of nostalgia.

"If, as you say, you've already killed six ascendants... even the New Moon Ritual should be complete."

Shadow Demon Beyard let out a low rumble, "Or do you have some other mission to accomplish by staying here?"

"Indeed, there is one more."

The girl answered.

She looked at the Son of the Moon, a beautiful smile spreading across her face that took the Shadow Demon by surprise.

She walked over slowly and embraced the Son of the Moon from behind.

She whispered in his ear, "My master..."

"—May I kill you?"

Miss Beyard, with her back to Aiwass, smiled at the words.

It was a smile of anticipation and mental preparation, therefore tranquil and serene.

"Of course."

She didn't turn her head, speaking softly with her back to Aiwass, "We already agreed on this before."

And the Shadow Demon, witnessing this scene, felt a violent shaking in its non-existent brain.

It felt as if it had missed something important.

Another "self" appeared in Lily's shadow at that moment. She entered so smoothly and naturally that she pushed the Shadow Demon into a corner.

And the Shadow Demon finally realized why this person's shadow was so attractive, why it had instinctively burrowed in... like a puppy that sees a new doghouse and runs into it without hesitation.

"I have an idea."

The future self spoke, "I know you want to kill 'Beyard' once, and so do I. But I can no longer devour her."

"Haven't you already devoured her once?"

Shadow Demon sneered, "Do you want to eat me as well? But I'm fake, consuming me is nothing but air."

"No," the other self replied calmly, "I never consumed Beyard.

"In the history I went through, she offered herself to me willingly in the end. It was for this reason I no longer used the name Beyard and rarely used this body."

"... What?"

Shadow Demon was astonished.

"We went through a lot, and eventually even became friends. Her willing sacrifice ended my vengeance, letting the perpetual anger in my heart finally calm. This allowed me to regain rationality, but also lifted the brand of fury, hence I could not become stronger."

The future Shadow Demon said calmly, "But, my vengeance never reached a proper conclusion.

"I think this may be the only chance in my life. The merciful Gemini Mirror allows me to connect with my past self... to connect with the two past versions of myself."

Even if everything is false, the experiences that remain are real—I think that's what the Gemini Mirror is trying to say."

"...Forget it."

The Shadow Demon fell silent for a moment, then sighed, "Suit yourself."

It felt as though it was gradually merging with another version of itself.

The Shadow Demon, by nature shapeless, without a body, name, or color. There was only a rage, a void, burning fiercely.

But now, it felt the icy, empty heart of its other self.

However, within that... it seemed to vaguely sense a warmth that shouldn't exist.

That was like flowing blood, yet also like the golden Sun.

It was a deep purple twilight, the freedom transcending all bonds—

"...That's nice."

The Shadow Demon silently sighed.

—I envy you.

Beneath Aiwass, the shadow spread out like a quagmire.

The Shadow Demon, now turned into a hunting hound, emerged from beneath the motionless Miss Beyard.

With a dog's head taller than a man, it opened its mouth to reveal huge, sharp teeth. The shadow hound swallowed Miss Beyard whole, dragging her into the shadows that resembled a black swamp.

This was the "Devouring of the Shadow Hound," the Shadow Demon's most powerful move. It instantly devoured a person— even if they resisted fiercely, they would be taken to the Dream Realm and lose their physical body.

If the person's resistance was futile, or they simply didn't resist, they would become food for the Shadow Demon.

—With that, all tasks were completed.

Thus, Aiwass sipped on some expensive Red wine, then calmly turned to look at the Shadow Demon, who had suddenly fallen silent after devouring Miss Beyard, and said, "As for the last person, it should be the Stranger who was in the room next to me. He was bought by Bashir Valentine and should still be on the carriage discussing Alchemy with him."

"As for the one beside me... she is not Alai but Grey. I am Alai."

"Does that work for you, Terpsichore? Does that meet the settlement conditions of the Secret Reflection?"

After a brief silence, an ethereal and pleasant soft voice responded:

"Trigger 'Secret Reflection' victory conditions, void the need for tasks, and proceed to immediate settlement—"

Everyone present, including all the dead ritual participants, saw a burst of Pure White light.

That was the light of the temporarily constructed Dreamland world suddenly collapsing, disintegrating.

In front of everyone, a series of changing images emerged:

A young man with rage in his eyes, bound and cursing something;

A young man walking through a dark alley, suddenly impaled from behind by an ice spike through his head;

An indistinct mass was submerged and devoured by countless crimson tentacles amidst horrific screams;

A girl lying on the ground, bleeding from all orifices, eyes vacant and lifeless;

The young man's naked body covered with scars from acidic corrosion, his face expressing painful struggle;

The girl, with a resigned smile yet devoid of panic, casually impaled by a shadow spear into a sea urchin;

The girl chatting happily at the dinner table, the atmosphere warm and fervent;

The young man's feet entangled in shadows, his smile twisted into something eerie and terrifying;

And finally, the well-behaved girl lying quietly in the arms of a dark-haired woman, fast asleep.

The scene froze on the girl's sweet sleeping face, then the entire image collapsed into a sea of blood, dripping slowly.

Aiwass immediately tensed up.

"—Why does it have to be this image!"