[Nightmare]

[A/N: Please skip this chapter unless you feel let down by Helix "aiding" the Kingdom.

It explicitly covers the true purpose behind the Mirror of Helioquie beyond savage revenge.

It's explained throughout, it doesn't spoil anything, and it doesn't prove any new details—everything is already on the table and you can figure it out yourself. It's truly [unnecessary].

Honestly. If you're satisfied, skip this chapter.

If curiosity kills you, this scene is a [death sentence].

It's not cliche, it's intricately written, mercilessly deceptive, and you're a [long] way out from getting an explanation.

Its timeline is ambiguous and you won't get details or a hint before a level-up arc, a few biblical battles, and a real war. You've been warned.

If you've read it, comment a recommendation to read it here. ->

Spoiler comments will be deleted in the above line, but go wild below if you do read.

If you think about the theme of this book, you'll find this chapter far more mind-bending than the content it's explaining.

The cliffhanger [was] necessary.

It would [worse] without it. Much worse.

You're welcome.

It's only once you've reread the chapter that you'll learn just how surreal it really is.

I've provided you with an advance, but the price is high.]

—

...

...

"You sat on proof of Angelina Wainright's for over a week before the deathmatch." Eliza prefaced with a pondering expression.

"Why didn't you get her and the others stripped of their Nightmares?"

Helix gave Princess Eliza a wry smile before taking a deep breath.

"I didn't want to gamble." He sighed.

Eliza gave him a quizzical expression before he continued.

"The Myriad Record requires that the parties within a blood pact follow through with their end of an agreement." Helix continued with bitterness in his eyes.

"If I had the others stripped of their Nightmares, the deathmatch might have been called off—"

"And you would've died." Eliza finished with trembling eyes.

Helix gave her a slight smile.

"Correct."

Eliza took a deep breath before collecting herself.

Helix was alive; he survived the match.

"Of course, I'm not sure what would have happened." He sighed.

"But I wasn't going to take the risk."

"Yes… you should've made a blood pact with the person fighting you." Eliza giggled.

Helix gave her a lifeless expression before smiling again.

He knew she understood the absurdity of asking a murder conspirator to make a legal agreement with him.

"So why did you take the risk anyway?" She asked while her eyes glided to the left.

"It seems like you knew the risks from the start. Or am I wrong?"

"Of course I did." Helix scoff-laughed lightly.

"But do you think I could just accuse Lina and live?"

He gave her a playful, mocking expression.

Eliza frowned and pouted with exaggerated puffed-out cheeks.

Helix laughed lightly and continued.

"In Myriad, blood oaths are judge, jury, and executioner." He explained.

"So the proof I received from it was damning enough to silence her without conflict."

Eliza's eyes widened in surprise.

"You understand that?" She asked hurriedly.

"So why sit on the information when it could avert an impending crisis?"

Helix gave a wry smile and averted his gaze.

Eliza watched him with a suspicious expression.

After a moment of pandering, he took a deep breath.

"While I'm not at fault for Lina's actions or anyone's mindset…." Helix sighed.

"We've always been half of the crisis."

Helix flashed her a playful smile.

Eliza met him with a wry, unenthusiastic expression.

Knowing things would start twisting, he continued.

"If Lina went down, it'd destabilize everyone." Helix sighed.

"If I got hurt after exposing her, Marie, Charlotte, and Riley would start fighting back immediately.

We're half the war, so I worked with Macron to set up a suppression unit for them."

Eliza burst into giggles.

"Wait. You created a suppressing unit for your partners?"

Helix chuckled breathlessly and nodded.

"If Lina went ballistic, we'd need to be on the helping side." He explained.

"Otherwise, they'd get in trouble, and I'd never see them again."

Eliza gave him a mocking smile.

"So your solution to leave with them saves the day?" She asked sassily.

"Of course." Helix chuckled with a charming smile.

"That sounds a bit self-centered. Don't you think?" Eliza asked mockingly.

"Of course." He replied shamelessly.

"It's the best solution that also suits my needs.

Otherwise, I wouldn't have offered it."

Eliza giggled at his arrogant demeanor.

Then she gave him a serious expression.

"As for your real suggestion, and putting aside you turned a human into a walking linchpin...." Eliza began with sharp eyes.

Helix broke eye contact instantly.

"You do understand that independently triggering a crisis in a controlled manner is still triggering a crisis that threatens the Kingdom, right?"

Helix scoff-laughed and cocked his head with light bitterness.

"You do understand how absurd that is, right?"

Eliza's eyes glided to the left.

"What's absurd?"

Helix matched her gaze and took a deep breath.

"That I could be accused of treason and starting a war…." He began.

"With a couple of beginner magic circles that change a person's appearance for sixty seconds."

Eliza's eyes widened, and her serious expression cracked.

She burst into giggles, leaving her bitter on the inside.

"You get it, right?" Helix asked with a mocking smile.

"It's not normal for young adults to go on murder sprees thinking it's the only way to survive.

But that's the cultivator mindset. I started warning Macron about it a week after my arrival and pointed it out regularly.

I also notified Macron about Lina ahead of time."

Eliza's eyes widened in surprise.

"What did he do about it?" She asked.

Helix gave her a playful, mocking expression.

"What was he supposed to do?" He asked.

"Set up a meeting with a queen to tell her not to [offend] the o-ta-kus?"

When Helix smacked his lips, Eliza pursed hers and tried her best not to burst.

However, she couldn't hold it in and erupted into laughter.

"That's… a profoundly sardonic question." She laughed.

Helix chuckled as he watched her laugh.

He was exasperated when he discovered she was a princess.

The cliche added up with the title he was offered.

But they had gotten close, and he stopped thinking about it.

It was a strange dynamic.

"It's just…." Eliza frowned at the situation.

"I guess it's hard because…."

Helix gave her an understanding expression.

"Because I created the spells with the intention to trigger a crisis?"

His voice was genuine, and she looked into his pitch-black eyes with confliction.

"Eliza. Putting aside my life, we're talking about a serious crisis that no one understands could claim hundreds or even thousands of lives." Helix reasoned.

"The Kingdom needs to take these Earthians seriously, and nothing I say will make that happen.

Especially when I call the scenario otakupocolypse."

Eliza burst into giggles after hearing the name again.

But her expression became heavy again.

"In exchange for letting us leave, I gave you and Macron a full-prepackaged solution for fixing the problem." He continued with a gentle voice.

"That includes the recordings of Lina, Walter, and eight other people and a solution for my partners not going ballistic.

So no one can fault me for triggering a crisis when I've given you everything, and the only condition was not dying.

Especially because my death will trigger a crisis far worse than a mirror can.

On all fronts, I've—"

"Strongarmed the largest and most powerful kingdom on the continent into letting your girlfriends leave with you." Eliza interjected mockingly.

She narrowed her eyes with a sly smile while folding her arms against her chest.

"I've done you a favor that coincidentally works out in my favor." Helix sighed.

"Can't you grandstand a little bit?"

He gave her a truly hopeless smile.

"I don't hear you denying my words. Hmmm?" Eliza asked with a mocking voice.

Helix sighed again in defeat.

"I won't place my life in the hands of an argument easy to refuse." He reasoned.

"My argument is sound, I've provided a solution, and I asked very little—"

"Hoh? Is that extortion I'm hearing come out of your mouth?" Eliza hummed.

"I prefer the term desperate bargaining." Helix sighed.

"Desperately bargaining with the Kingdom's citizens' lives?" She asked sarcastically.

"You make it sound like I'm the person that's dangerous—"

"Well, you are when you're the person who created a trigger for a crisis threatening Alzeria." Eliza replied with a mocking smile.

Helix gave her a wry smile laced with minor contempt.

"Eliza. If a Circle of Vanity can trigger the otakus into a murder-fueled frenzy, you should be giving me a medal for pointing it out."

Eliza narrowed her eyes.

"I see… that's a great point. We should give medals to people who ask the Kingdom to save it from themselves."

Helix scoff-laughed and turned away.

"Hmmm? Maybe I'm misunderstanding this." Eliza sassed.

"You've said that letting you leave was necessary to prevent a deadly war breaking out because your partners would have been half the threat.

You've also admitted to creating a [trigger] to start the war you claim to protect.

So you've said you're deadly, threatening, and willing to commit treason if the kingdom didn't meet your demands.

Lastly, you've asked for a medal. Have I missed something?"

Helix folded his armed around his chest and turned away indignantly.

"Yes. The thank you."

Eliza was stunned, speechless.

She tried to maintain her willpower to keep up her facade.

Helix kept in a pouting position for a few seconds.

It was so unlike him that she cracked and burst into giggles.

"I guess a thank you wouldn't hurt." Eliza said.

"Come before me, o'Knight."

Helix cracked from his charade as well.

He wouldn't miss a perfect opportunity to play pretentious with the princess.

Helix rose and walked around the table they were sitting at.

Once before her, he knelt like a knight.

"Yes, your Majesty." He replied with a dramatic voice.

Eliza burst into giggles again.

"Sir Helix. Thank you for saving us from yourself." She continued.

Helix laughed while staring at the floor.

"You're welcome, your grace."

Eliza touched the bottom of his chin, causing him to look up in confusion.

"As a reward for your deed—"

—

[A/N: You were warned.]