I wrote this story in Japanese, and it was translated into English with the help of AI.
This is part of a series. If you haven’t read the previous chapters, please start with those first.
Episode 1⇒https://00m.in/NGWRT
Episode ２⇒https://00m.in/bivGd
Episode ３⇒https://00m.in/tXUwq
“A unicorn?”
I turned my head to the right, almost as if it wasn’t my own will. Before I realized it, I was staring at something with a horn growing from its forehead. The words slipped from my mouth.
“Hahaha… Yes, this form was indeed the right choice.”
“This form?”
“Yes. I even crafted this voice just for you—so it would resonate in your ears. You seemed to prefer something like this.”
It sounded like it was trying to say this wasn’t its true form at all.
“No, no. There is no such thing as a true form. But for now, you may consider this to be my real appearance.”
My spine tingled. I couldn’t stop shivering. Was I… scared?
“Ah, I might’ve made myself too intimidating. —How about this?”
“Huh? It’s… not as scary anymore.”
The chill running down my spine seemed to ease a little.
“I am one who interferes with time—or so you could say. But you’ve gone and done the same. The fact that you don’t even realize it is laughable.”
What the hell is this thing? Creepy as hell.
“Let me show you something even more amusing.”
The unicorn spun once and transformed into something the size of a grade-schooler. Its outfit looked like that of an ancient nobleman from the Heian era, but its long black hair flowed freely, glistening with an odd sheen. It twirled on the spot as if proudly displaying itself.
“Heh… Hahaha… Living beings are fascinating. Humans especially so. They influence everything. That I, a being like this, am affected by such small, ugly, foolish creatures is amusing. That I feel amused is amusing.”
“Is it really that funny?”
Now that the fear had subsided, I was starting to feel annoyed. Honestly, this guy sounded like he had a bad case of chuunibyou.
He looked up at me with a slanted gaze. His appearance was so mesmerizing, I couldn’t look away.
“Simple and amusing. Strangely, this sort of form seems to suit me.”
None of this makes any sense. What the hell is this thing?
“I told you—I am one who interferes with time. You can just accept that.”
“You’re so damn condescending. But whatever—just send me back to where I came from!”
“You can return on your own. Didn’t you already travel through time and space when you fell into that hole?”
What? I did that—on my own? But… it makes sense. That’s right. I desperately wanted to go back. If I could just return to that moment, I swore I’d never burn the world down… and that’s why… it didn’t burn.
“Unfortunately, that outcome is not yet decided. It doesn’t matter to us either way. Still, the fact remains—you scorched the surface of the Earth and erased all life. Even your own family. You saw it, didn’t you? Your mother, engulfed in flames before your eyes. That was your doing.”
“That’s a lie! That can’t be true!! I loved my family! I would never burn my mom—!”
I couldn’t speak anymore. I bit my lip. I knew it. I understood. It was my fault. But why? Why did I know that? Why could I do something like that?
“Hahaha… You are fascinating after all. I suspected as much, but now that I’ve interacted with you, I can truly feel it too.”
Fascinating? Nothing about this is amusing to me.
“I know you don’t find this amusing right now. We understand how humans feel, but until now, we’ve never truly felt it ourselves.”
He stepped right up to me, lifting his face to peer into mine, his presence once again laced with a strange, sensual air.
“Hahaha… See? Fascinating. Humans and all other beings are connected to us. That’s why we carry foolishness within ourselves, too. The arrogance of dismissing such tiny creatures, or abandoning the value they hold—that too is part of our nature.”
“I don’t get any of this. You talk like you’re some transcendent being.”
I turned my face away as I spoke. He glided smoothly away from me, smiling—gently, eerily.
“There is no such thing as a transcendent being. But from your perspective, it might look that way.”
“Fine. I don’t care what you are. Just tell me—why did all this happen?”
He sure loved to talk. Maybe he’d let something slip.
“Heh, I’m not letting anything slip. I’m doing it on purpose. I already know how you’ll react, but watching it firsthand is still amusing.”
“Stop using me for your entertainment!”
I knew this thing was dangerous. But I was furious.
“Very well, I’ll tell you more. You humans might call it an experiment—or a game. We merely let a tiny bit of our combined power drip onto this planet. Yes, ‘drip’ is the right word. That’s all it took. You happened to be the one affected, and so, this situation unfolded.”
By any normal logic, everything he said was nonsense. And yet, for some reason, I believed him.
“Then why me? Why was I the only one affected?”
“We don’t know. We chose not to know. No one among us thought about it. No one looked. We didn’t even perceive it through the senses you humans talk about. It was just… a trivial amusement.”
He kept smiling, a little less creepily now, but still giving off that strange allure.
“So you like that form and this whole vibe you’re putting out?”
“Like? I do not ‘like’ anything. Not the way you humans do. Our foundations are different. —But yes, I suppose I do like it. After all, everything in this world is connected. Within that web of connection, everything influences everything else.”
He just kept spouting nonsense.
“You should understand. Especially you. The influence of what we are—others have felt it, too. It shapes thought, form, and being. That’s why we understand you humans so well.”
“Well, I sure as hell don’t understand you. Nothing you’re saying makes any sense.”
“Of course it doesn’t. Not with the senses and thoughts your kind possesses.”
“Ugh! Aaaaaaagh—!!”
Suddenly, intense pain wracked my entire body—especially my head.
No—that’s not right. All pain is felt through nerves and processed in the brain. My body wasn’t actually damaged. My brain was just telling me it was.
Even in the midst of agony, my thoughts didn’t stop. I clutched my head and fell to my knees, then collapsed entirely. And still, it felt like pain and thought were… disconnected.
“It’s getting a bit tiresome. But I think you understand now.”
Yes—I understand. It’s too different. So different that the word ‘different’ doesn’t even feel adequate anymore. It’s beyond anything humans could comprehend.
And yet—I was affected more than anyone else.
And because of that—I destroyed the world.
To be continued.
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