"Is this... Frey...?"
Ruby, still sitting in the inn, muttered quietly with a blank expression.
"Really...?"
Her eyes gradually turned to the bead that was on the table.
- Tap, tap...
Ruby, who had been staring intently at the beads, cautiously extended her finger to poke it.
"I-It’s soft."
The bead was indeed soft. It felt oddly addictive, like touching pudding or jelly.
"Just before he fell to corruption, I extracted his soul and turned it into a bead. I've been hiding it until now."
"R-Really...?"
"Of course not, you idiot."
With those words, Ferloche quietly got up from her seat.
"Anyway, now that I've given you the bead, my job is done."
"Wait. Why did you give this to me...?"
Grabbing desperately onto her sleeve, Ruby asked.
"In case you regress further, you'll need support.”
"Ah..."
“Unlike me, who has limited mental strength, your mental strength is at the maximum value... but just because your mind is intact doesn’t mean everything will be solved.”
Exhausted from the prolonged regression, Ruby nodded quietly and agreed with her point.
"And there are other uses too... but you might have already figured that out."
"Huh?"
"Congratulations. You've finally succeeded in conquering one of us."
"...?"
Ruby tilted her head at Ferloche's meaningful words, then she opened her mouth.
[Soul Bead Collection (2/6)]
Could it be... everything I've done so far was just part of a quest?
The result of her hard work and effort was one of Frey’s soul beads, given to her by Ferloche.
To obtain that one bead, Ruby had spent a long time gathering information and practicing soul manipulation.
Then, what did she have to do to obtain the other four beads?
No, it might be surprisingly easy.
Thinking that explaining her intentions and asking for the beads might make things easier, Ruby started to feel excited.
"Swallow Frey's soul bead before regressing. By merging your souls like that, it won't be affected by the regression."
"T-then... Frey will also remember..."
"He'll be fine since he is in the form of a soul bead. Before you completely digest him after the regression, just take him out again in the form of a bead, just like I did."
"... Thank you."
Then, she looked at Ferloche leaving the inn and gave her gratitude.
"Even if you thank me, your regression life isn't over yet~"
"Yeah..."
"Oh, and!"
"Huh?"
Just as Ferloche was about to leave, she exclaimed loudly, causing Ruby who was reaching out to the bead with trembling eyes to withdraw her hand.
"Don't do anything weird with the bead, okay?"
"..."
"Oh, and... since I’m going to be exiled anyway, I thought I'd share an interesting fact with you."
"An... interesting fact?"
"To fuel your spirit of challenge."
Ruby, nodding involuntarily at Ferloche's somewhat chilly tone, tilted her head at her word.
"Listen well, okay?"
Then Ferloche spoke with a smile.
- Flap Flap...
And behind Ferloche, Gugu quietly soared through the sky, unnoticed by anyone.
.
.
.
.
.
"This is all... the path you've walked."
Since leaving the inn, Ruby's frequency of gazing at the trembling bead in her hand with a tender gaze has noticeably increased.
"Frey, how much did you love me..."
- Rumble...?
"Even if I regress countless times, can I surpass your love and devotion?"
It was because Ruby had heard speculation about how many times Frey had regressed so far, and about the truth behind the bizarre situation unfolding now.
"Maybe I can't surpass it?"
The ‘Ordeals’ were conducted under the supervision of the 'Path of False Evil' system, testing the limits of a hero.
According to Ferloche, the strange occurrences happening now were most likely because reality has been affected by the 'Ordeal'.
Of course, Ruby had already somewhat anticipated this.
The fact that she had been given a 'Retry', and the inevitable exile that Ferloche, along with Glare and Roswyn, couldn't escape, indicated that the world was artificially manipulated.
"I resent my past self so much, Frey."
But there was a crucial point.
The Ordeals were based on events from the 'past'.
That meant there had been similar events to what was happening now.
"Even if I think of this as the price I paid for tormenting you for eons, this is nothing."
Indeed. According to Ferloche's words, the situations Ruby had experienced so far seemed to be reenactments of what Frey had already endured to save her.
Suddenly encountering mysterious quests, achieving only 2/6 of the first quest's unkind conditions, all of it seemed highly likely to be events Frey had already faced to save her.
There was no evidence, of course, but at least Ruby chose to believe so.
- Smooch...♡
- Rumble...!
And since that realization, Ruby's love for Frey only grew several times more.
"I love you, Frey."
- Rumble...
"Even if only your soul remains. Forever."
A punch filled with Clana's solar mana struck her chest.
"Aaargh...!!"
Irina's flames engulfed Ruby along with her clothes.
"..."
Even in such agony, Ruby clenched her eyes shut and endured the pain. As the attacks from the four began to subside, she staggered and sank to the ground.
- Rustle
Then she lay flat on the floor while bleeding from her mouth and eyes. Despite the agonizing pain, she was still holding on to the soul bead in her grasp.
"I'm... sorry."
Laying on the ground with her skin burnt, her whole body was exposed,
“I... apologize to you all.”
Ruby apologized with tears streaming down her eyes.
"..."
"As much as I have tormented you until now... Please torment me until you're satisfied..."
As the four girls looked at each other with frowns at Ruby's appearance, she added, grinding her forehead against the ground.
Retry Quest
[1 - 03]
[Atone to His Wives (0/4)]
[Atone to His Knights, And Your Kin (0/2)]
[Atone to His Family (0/2)]
.
.
.
Immediately after that, a system window quietly floated in front of her.
"Help System."
After confirming those phrases, Ruby quietly called upon the Help System, something she hadn't used in a long time.
"What is the nature of the first stage?"
She had already learned through questions that there were fewer than three stages to the quest.
Now, if she could almost guess the nature of the first stage, she might be able to learn something she hadn't known before due to her lack of power.
The identity of the first stage is your ‘retribution.'
"Ah..."
After a moment, as expected, the Help System came up with an answer, and Ruby sighed.
Face your retribution with sincerity.
"Do you think... we’ll forgive you so easily?"
"...The citizens, we can still hear Ariane's wails..."
"We cannot forgive you. Leave."
She had fallen, and it was time for her to be weighed down by the karma for every misdeed she had committed so far.
"I don't seek forgiveness..."
"..."
"So, please just do it."
Realizing that and answering with a trembling voice, Ruby felt the warmth emanating from Frey's soul bead that was still shaking in her hand.
I love you, Frey.
If it was to save Frey.
She would gladly be crushed as much as needed.
.
.
.
.
.
"Haah, haah..."
"Hmm."
Somewhere, there was a panting sound like a puppy.
Was Ruby licking me again? Or was she pressing me against her stomach again?
I hoped she would do it in moderation.
"Please, please... Please let this succeed... Please......"
While having such thoughts, the words coming through sounded a bit unsettling.
"I don't know how many times I've failed... There are various ways to feed the bead... This is the last method I can think of..."
Ruby's voice sounded as if it would be extinguished at any moment.
Where had I heard such a voice before?
The most similar voice that came to mind was mine from the Third Ordeal and Retry Ferloche's voice.
Could it be that she was also nearing her limit?
Hmm...
When I opened my eyes, I would know.
"If I fail this time too... What should I do? I can't do it anymore... My soul can't endure it... No, wait. I haven't done it as much as Frey yet. I have to somehow until then..."
"...Excuse me."
"Huh, huh?"
I opened my eyes to see Ruby pressing her cheek against mine with a desperate expression.
"...Frey."
Looking at her like, my mind started to blur.
Why?
Is it the side effect of just having my soul returned? Or am I also being affected by the Fourth Ordeal, like the main heroines?
Well, I will find out later.
"Frey!!! A-Are you back? Really? Is it really youuu...!? Y-You finally came back for real?"
"..."
"I-It’s me! Ruby!! Yo-Your..."
It seemed it wouldn’t be long before I had to assess her actions as the protagonist of the Fourth Ordeal.
Retry Quest
[2 - 01]
[Recover Frey's Memories]
"Who are you?"
"...What."
[Retry points are being reassigned.]