Half a year ago.

Before the girl's and Dimi's "ring competition".

……

When the bald man appeared before Goth, claiming to answer all his questions, Goth was wary of the conspiracy of the unsuspecting plane traveler.

But the bald man's actual action was to show Goth a book.

A ...... A book featuring him.

"That's all?"

John? Goth put down the scroll handed to him by the bald man, looking useless.

"It's true that this book contains some things about me," he said mildly, "but so what? It's just something that's happened in the past. As for the present, as well as ...... future"

The bald star shrugged. Goth's author of the book is not told.

"I'm very happy," Goeth said, "and although the protagonist of this book is me, my friends can get through it even without me." ”

The bald starman laughed.

"Well said," he clapped his hands, "so that I can tell you more." ”

----------------

Time comes back to the present.

Outside Empedocles.

For many years, the people of this small town lived a peaceful life. Although the Council of Legendary Mages of Elrios is located here, it has had little impact on the lives of the people.

Until recently...... The "demise" of the French state made many civilians flee to the north in horror. Sham has been trying to restore order, but many farms are still in ruins.

Standing on the edge of the overgrown farmland, Goth looked at Sham, the "Lord of the Clouds", who stopped in front of him.

"It's strange to me," Goth said, "and it's true that the spell I cast that makes people forget me has a lot of holes, even if the legendary casters have kept information about me in a special way. However, you give me a different feeling. I don't have much to do with you...... But you seem to know me well. ”

Goth doesn't remember any connection he had to the newly-minted legendary mage, the Lord of the Clouds.

"Lord of the Clouds" Sham? Hyperkitik, a native of Elrios, cultivated and grew up smoothly along the way, roaming the continent after becoming a Blue Ocean mage, and it is said that he finally gained inspiration in an ancient ruin and became a legendary mage.

Sham is a gentle and polite man, a typical research mage, but he has never had a good relationship with his colleagues. After becoming a legendary mage, he either buried himself in research or traveled all over the world, and everyone knew even less about him. Goth was not familiar with him either.

But the other party's attitude towards himself seems to be unusual.

And...... The reason for his betrayal of the French State seems to be different from that of others.

Unlike those who have been affected by the legendary magic of the "Chains of Loyalty", there is a kind of foolish loyalty and blind obedience to Nicholas that has accumulated for many years.

It is also different from the "prison master" or Levy, who is a collaborator who allied himself with Nicholas out of self-interest.

Sham, the "Lord of the Clouds", gives people the feeling that he has joined Nicholas by his own will from beginning to end, but what he wants is not power or knowledge, but another purpose.

"So that's your plan?" Sham bowed slightly, "Let the continent sink and weaken the legendary mage's abilities so that you can fight against Nicholas...... Uninteresting plan. ”

"A plan that works is a good plan." Goth said.

Sham was slightly silent.

"For other legendary mages, that's true," he said calmly, "but for me, who had seen the end of time and overexploited the power of the sea of clouds, it wasn't a problem. ”

Goth was shocked.

"What ......?"

"I have seen the end of the sea of clouds," Shamran said, "and my companions and I hold on to this world until the last moment of time. I worked for Nicholas, not because I approved of his way of acting, but because I judged that in the face of the end of 'time', Nicholas's 'closure' was the only way out for this civilization than the hopeless 'escape'. ”

"Sham, you ......"

"Time in the universe is destined to be extinct, but there are not only two paths left for us spellcasters, 'closed' and 'out of this universe'," Sham's eyes shone with an azure arcane light, and he gazed into Goth's expression, confirming that Goth understood the meaning of the term 'time extinction', "My companions and I have chosen the third path. ”

Goth did not speak.

"Under the leadership of a great mage," Sham was a little distracted, "we sent the consciousness of the few elites back into the past. Before the end of time, my soul and memories were transmitted to this time when time was still running. ”

"You're not Sham." Got said sharply.

"My name is indeed 'Sham,'" said the Lord of the Clouds, "and I have come here from the end of time, taking possession of the body of this eponymous mage. I quickly discovered that I was a good fit for the role: Sham? Hyperkirticus is a well-mannered mystic whose true personality no one among his friends knows. Even if my performance is occasionally goofy, it doesn't hurt. ”

"You are a visitor from the future," Goth replied, "a soul fleeing from the end of the world." ”

"Exactly," Sham smiled, "it's nice to have an open and honest conversation with you. ”

Sham did not belong to this time.

"Well," Goth thought, "there must be some people like you in this world. ”

Sham raised an eyebrow.

"It is true that I have some companions who have gone up and down with me," he said, "but they are not necessarily at the same time as me. Even at the same point in time, it may not be located in a parallel world. Even if they happen to be here...... Perhaps he has long chosen to jump to a more peaceful era. After all, we are the leap of the whole soul, and the curse of aging of the soul has not been reversed. ”

"There's a word in your words," Goth furrowed a brow, "I'm interested. ”

Sham smiled.

"It's a 'parallel world,' right?"

"Time has an infinite number of branches," says Gort, "and the possibilities are endless." Each possibility is an independent parallel world. Parallel worlds do not interfere with each other, but the crisis of the end of time is the same. ”

"I've observed many parallel worlds," Sham said, his voice lowered, "but none of them succeeded." On the contrary, in the parallel universe where Nicholas's 'closed' plan was implemented, our civilization was able to survive. ”

"That's why you support Nicholas." Goth got it.

"I used to be led by my teacher," said Sham, "and we defeated the faction that had a 'closed' plan and moved to a 'shift' plan, but in the end it awaited our ...... But there was only despair. ”

"I'm curious."

"A stable cosmic passage cannot be established," said Sham's voice with indescribable sadness, "so we have to abandon this plan and urgently choose the alternate 'Rise to Time' plan, so that the consciousness of a few people can return to the past......"

"It was a great operation."

"So what? Our world is completely destroyed! Sham suddenly became agitated, "And you?" You know that time will end; Only Mr. Nicholas's 'Kingdom of Eternal Reincarnation' can preserve civilization. If Mr. Nicholas is defeated...... This world will face the same fate as mine! ”

Goth did not speak.

"I don't want this world to repeat the mistakes of the past for the sake of illusory hopes, like other parallel worlds. You're on the wrong path," Sham took a deep breath, "Teacher, he volunteered to stay in the universe where time ended...... I will not let his sacrifice go to waste. ”

"Looks like you're planning to stop me absolutely. But now, like me, you only have the power of the Blue Ocean Intermediate Level," Goth stared at the man in white in front of him calmly, "Can you stop me?" ”

"We are the 'Celebrity', and we are the best at fighting in the unfavorable situation of the sea of clouds. Let's witness...... That's what I look like when I go through the end. Sham's voice became ethereal.

"It's ......" Feeling the surging arcane energy in Sham's body, Goth suddenly understood what the legendary mage from the future was going to do.

"'Self-liberation'. Come on...... My 'body of the sea of clouds'. ”