[Book 2] Gate Guardian - Song of the Frozen Soul

PHASE 20 - A CALM TALK WITH THE MAN WHO BUTCHERED MY FRIENDS

PHASE 20 - A CALM TALK WITH THE MAN WHO BUTCHERED MY FRIENDS

When I opened my eyes, I couldn't see anything but ice.

I'm back in the Realm of the Frozen Soul. The crystal floor, the white-blue skies, and the giant crystal in front of me are the same. The only thing that's different in this place is the aura I'm sensing in the Frozen Soul. 

As far as I can remember, the Frozen Soul has been melted, and Tiara has been freed. The ice crystal should be empty, but it isn't. There is a faint silhouette of a beautiful woman singing the <Song of Salvation> without a halt. What makes it weirder is that it emits a corrupted force within it.

It's the Corrupted Frozen Soul.

"Welcome, Aeternos, to the Realm of the Frozen Soul." A familiar voice came from my back.

I spin and saw the man I hated the most as of this moment. Black jacket, red scarf, and a menacing cold look from his crimson Cursed Guardian eyes. His silver hair waved hi at me as if he's trying to act all friendly.

"Yohan f*cking Romanov," I muttered.

"Did you like what you saw from your <Presage>?" The Fake Outsider made an innocent smile.

"That's not a <Presage>. That's just a bad dream. A plain bad dream."

"Ohoho." The Outsider made a smug on his face which makes me feel like I should punch him and rip his flesh. "Still in denial, are we?"

I tried desperately to change the topic because I don't want to talk about Aeternos. "Seeing you and the Corrupted Frozen Soul in this realm makes me sure that you're from this timeline. So, why do you know me and my future?"

"I think my future self has already told you who I am. I am the past and the future. I know everything and all happening that exists and will exist." The Fake Outsider held his chest and withdrew a gray ball of light. The supreme power and authority of the Outer God Core he presented to me has no limits. "And also, I have this." 

"Yog-Sothoth, the Outer God of Time and Space," I muttered. Realizing that he is holding out an omnipotent Outer God, I thought of a solution to my problem. But before I could talk, he interrupted me.

"I know what you're thinking. You wanted me to deliver you back to the future where you came from. But that will not happen."

"Fine, I'll force you to cooperate." I materialized my crimson katana Weapon Gem and swung it to the right, ready for battle. 

"Whoa there, Alaric Eisenhower. Relax." Yohan forced a smile as he raised his hands, telling me that he's surrendering. "As much as I wanted to help you, I can't. I'm sure that you already heard from the original Outsider that we otherworlders can only intervene in this universe for a short amount of time. That applies to me too, god or not. If I intervene, I might get banished."

I noticed that the Fake Outsider's body is a little bit see-through, his life force flickering. It's like he's going to fade away, but he's desperately trying hard to will his own existence.

"I have intervened in your universe for too long. I never thought that kidnapping Diadem Solstice would take much time." Yohan laughed.

I gripped my sword tight, suppressing my anger towards this man. As much as I wanted to rescue Diadem, I can't. I just realized it now. If I intervened too much in the past, then the space-time continuum would collapse. 

"How about using the power of Yog-Sothoth after you recharge your existence?" I asked.

"I'll get deleted." Yohan made a carefree smile. "Too much intervention, such as controlling time-lapses will be detected by the universe's systems. I'll disappear immediately, and so will you. I wanted to fast forward the events just like you, but sadly, all we can do is wait."