Gate Guardian - Song of the Frozen Soul

PHASE 73 - TO KILL THE UNKILLABLE

PHASE 73 - TO KILL THE UNKILLABLE

My name is Alaric Eisenhower. When I was a child, I met a girl named Tiara Hikari. I made friends with her and spent happy times together. But all those things never happened. Not in this timeline. All those sweet moments of our childhood are gone, erased from existence, as if all those things came from a beautiful nightmare.

“I-Impossible…”

Tears rushed down to my cheeks as I wake up from a long dream. No… It’s not a dream. I have a feeling that all the scenes conveyed to me are real memories from the Brightmore Witch.

Tiara… suffered for an eternity… all this time?

“And it is your fault, Alaric Eisenhower.”

In front of me is a shrine maiden with short silver hair. The personification of the Brightmore Witch’s sins from the very first up to the latest generations. She’s not just a Cursed Guardian. Her very existence is now composed of the deadly sins of an Eidolon.

She is… Shirayuki.

Shirayuki continued to hurt my heart with her accusing words. “If only you didn’t change fate back then, she wouldn’t remember her suffering through seven million timelines. She’s supposed to die for your sake, but you just keep mangling destiny. And now, she’s paying dearly...”

“...W-What have I…”

My lips are shaking and my mind is completely blank.

Suddenly, nine snow-white tails started sprouting from the shrine maiden’s back and gently caressed my face.

“…Her only salvation in this eternal suffering is… Death.”

…

Am I really supposed to accept the <Presage> back then? Is Tiara’s death the only way to relieve her from her eternal punishment as the Witch of Time?

I failed to utter any more words. I don’t even know what’s right or wrong this time...

“Of course he can save Tiara.” A familiar voice said.

Just a few meters beside me, a dark portal opened. A man with a black outfit with red scarf made his entrance. Although his white hair and crimson eyes are a bit more malicious, his teenager-like face is never to be mistaken.

“...I-It can’t be!” Shirayuki withdrew her tails and jumped back, away from me. “T-The Outsider!?”

The Outsider made a safe smile, and then materialized his transparent kite-like shield on his left. His chest glowed and drew a short sword from his heart.

Seeing the uninvited Outsider suit up for battle, Shirayuki made a loud echoing laugh in this dimension of nothingness. “HAHAHAHA!!! You never fail to impress me, Yohan Hikari Romanov!”

“It’s been a while since I last heard that name.” The Outsider shook his head. “Don’t just reveal my old name like that, you uncouth vixen. I am the Outsider now…”

...Hikari? Is this man somehow related to Tiara? But before I could indulge myself to a deep thought, The Outsider walked to me and tapped my shoulder.

“You shouldn’t regret your choice.” He said with a convincing smile.

I looked at the Outsider as I wiped watery eyes.

“B-But because of me… Tiara is-”

“Every choice is the right choice. You just have to live through that route and convince everyone that you didn’t regret your option. It goes the same for Tiara. She chose to reject your deaths and tried to save you seven million times. That is the proof that she did not regret any of her decisions.”