Weird, isn't it? Somehow, I'm still alive after that slash. I was wondering—if I'm here, does that mean Killiar is here too?
"Well, let's not think about that for now. First, I need to figure out where I am."
Right now, I was in the lands of the Erudia Kingdom. The old man I spoke to had been kind enough to answer my questions. This world had mana, aura, and other forms of power. Maybe—somehow—I could make a choice here.
After leaving the old man's rice fields, I wandered aimlessly. He had even given me a full map of the kingdom. Right… Erudia…
But reality hit me hard.
"Ah… I don't even have any money now… I'm no one. I don't know anyone."
With a sigh, I dropped onto the grass, staring up at the sky. My power—it felt locked away, completely out of reach.
I let out a hollow laugh.
"Ahaha… I'm so fucking done."
At that moment, something appeared in front of Arthur—a blue screen, glowing like a hologram suspended in midair.
Welcome to the Other World, Great Villain Arthur.
"What...? What is this?" Arthur muttered, eyes narrowing in confusion.
Cautiously, he reached out to touch the floating screen, but his fingers passed right through it as if it wasn't really there.
His heart pounded. Was this some kind of magic? A curse? Or… something else entirely?
Before Arthur could touch the screen again, it vanished without a trace.
He stood up, but suddenly, the world around him began to crack. His surroundings shattered like fragile glass, revealing a vast void filled with broken buildings, overturned cars, and derailed trains—floating aimlessly in the abyss.
Amid the destruction, a lone light flickered at the center of it all.
Then, a voice echoed.
"Welcome, Arthur."
Arthur's eyes narrowed. His voice was cold, unwavering.
"Who are you?"
Before Arthur could ask anything else, the abyss around him twisted and warped. In an instant, he was no longer in the void.
He now stood in a small, box-like room. A simple wooden table sat in the center, flanked by two chairs. The atmosphere was eerily quiet.
Across from him, the glowing entity began to shift, its form twisting and shrinking. Within moments, it transformed into… a cat.
Arthur blinked. A cat? Seriously?
The feline stretched lazily before speaking.
"My name is Yltar. You can call me Tar if you want."
Arthur frowned. What a weird name, he thought.
"So, Tar... were you the one who brought me here?" Arthur asked, his voice steady but laced with suspicion.
Yltar stretched, flicking his tail lazily. "I can do that, but no, actually. I was supposed to pick up Kiliar, but somehow… my hand grabbed your soul instead."
Arthur's eye twitched. Wait… doesn't that mean—
"So you're saying Kiliar was the one meant to be here…? Can't you just fix your mistake and bring him instead?"
Yltar casually licked his paw before replying, "I already did. Kiliar is in this world."
"Then why am I still here?" Arthur demanded. "Can't you just send me back to the dead realm or something?"
Yltar let out a long yawn, curling his tail as he lifted a cup of coffee from the table. "I can't. Simple as that."
He took a sip, completely unfazed by Arthur's frustration.
"So… what am I supposed to do now?" Arthur asked, leaning back in his chair.
Yltar took another sip of coffee before answering casually, "Ah, your job is simple, Arthur… stop him."
Arthur raised an eyebrow as he picked up the cup in front of him, taking a slow sip.
"What do you mean, stop him?"
Yltar sighed. "Kiliar is on a rampage. Something corrupted his soul—he's no longer the righteous, just, and well-mannered Kiliar you might have expected."
Arthur frowned. Something corrupted him?
"And what exactly is this 'thing' that corrupted his soul?"
Yltar stretched, his tail flicking lazily. "Oh, that? You'll have to find it yourself. I can't interfere with the world I created, so… that part's on you."
Arthur's grip on his coffee tightened slightly. Great. Just great.
"And what if I don't?" Arthur asked, his tone cold and unwavering.
Yltar took another slow sip of coffee before replying casually, "Your soul will perish."
Silence filled the room as the two locked eyes, their expressions equally serious.
Then, without hesitation, Arthur activated one of his abilities—NUL.
The small, enclosed room trembled before shattering like fragile glass. Reality bent and warped as the illusion crumbled, revealing the endless abyss once more. Yltar's floating furniture dissolved into nothingness, leaving only the two of them suspended in the void.
Arthur exhaled sharply. So this cat really wasn't bluffing.
He clicked his tongue. "Tch. Fine. I'll do it. Better than having my soul perish."
Yltar smirked, his feline eyes glinting with amusement.
"Good choice."