I'll kill you after I finish this game!

But now they're collaborating with the Holy Grail, what's their goal this time?

This was unknown to everyone, but the following scene was somewhat like a scene in deep water with shimmering silver light spots, plus a person's confession that seemed to be a self-recollection.

"[One time, I came to my senses and found myself right there.]"

"【I have no memory of what I was doing before. No, I didn't even have that thought. I was just existing absentmindedly.】"

"But I shouldn't have any complaints."

"Because there's no point of comparison with the current situation, feelings of misanthropy and self-doubt won't arise."

"[Therefore, I presume to believe that everything is fine as it is; I exist here, therefore I am alive.]"

"I wish I could freeze this beautiful and dazzling world, and savor its beauty endlessly."

"But recently... memories surging from the depths of my consciousness have shaken me."

"[The red of blood, the white of bones, the black of roasted meat, and the ash of entrails spewing from the stomach.]"

"The metallic clang of bayonets, the metallic clang of bullets, the vibrations of tanks, and the smell of steel."

"[In my wavering consciousness, the fragments of memories I unconsciously gathered were all of that kind of thing. Upon realizing this, I cherished my beloved stillness even more than before.]"

"[Perhaps this is my memory, but I no longer need it; I possess the beauty of 'stagnation'.]"

As the voice's owner began to narrate, and with the mentioned sense of stagnation, all the audience members guessed whose recollection this was.

From liking the ordinary daily life to cherishing every moment, viewers have never seen anyone other than the freak, Fujii Ren.

As she recounted her story, the memories she had seen in her dream were revealed to everyone.

It was a desolate battlefield scene where red and black intertwined.

Crimson flames, crimson blood, crimson entrails.

Black steel, black combat boots, black earth.

Various vibrant reds and charred blacks intertwined, creating a desolate scene of blood and bone.

This is what the battlefield looks like.

What exactly are these strange memories of Fujii Ren? No one believes they are just dreams born out of boredom.

Because the last time Fujii Ren had a dream, someone actually died tragically in reality.

She was extraordinary to begin with, and her dreams confirmed that she was extraordinary as well.

However, Fujii Ren didn't particularly like the extraordinary nature of this dream; all she desired was a state of peace and ordinariness.

"I firmly believe that this is probably the peace I found after piercing through that fearful eye."

"I hate this place because those things will drive me crazy."

"[Because I was forced to do things I didn't like, I swear, I absolutely dislike that kind of thing.]"

Just as Fujii Ren was unconsciously negating herself, a stale yet pleasant voice echoed from the deepest part of her consciousness, responding to her self-doubt and saying:

"So, is that really the case?"

It is precisely because we hate something that we fight it, and we strive to eliminate it with all our heart and soul.

I hope those things will fade away, and that my world will only exist on the ordinary horizon piled up above, with my own path only ahead of it.

What exactly is wrong with this?!

"There was no escape."

Isn't it because there's no way out? The voice replied with a hint of helplessness:

"You haven't realized your own contradictions yet."

Consciousness... what exactly are you saying?

"Don't you know? This is a very simple thing."

The shimmering light of mercury in my consciousness, and countless floating bubbles.

Who was spying on me during this time? What exactly are you trying to say?

“Mary, why describe the resting place that rushed forward as a place of return? Doesn’t that refer to the past left behind?”

I don't understand, I don't understand what you're talking about.

No, I think I should understand.

But you can't understand the true meaning hidden in this question and answer... Once you realize it, there's no going back.

But wait, something's not right, something's twisted.

This logic is completely untenable!!

"Yes, you've become twisted."

The voice, tinged with laughter, affirmed a fact the other party could not admit.

That laughter was a low, dark, and deep laugh.

That guy loved to watch, observing my shape as it began to waver amidst the chaos of my thoughts.

However, why would you associate the image of a snake with the other person's gaze?

"This is the predicament of the ouroboros. Ah, I am different from [that], but I am also a [snake]."

With a smile, self-deprecating humor, and a cheerful voice, she responded to all the questions as if having a conversation.

[By the way, here's the strange thing: why can this guy who calls himself a snake read my thoughts!?]

I didn't say anything... No, wait, where exactly is my mouth when I speak?

Even in dreams, or rather, in the realm of consciousness, one gradually senses that something is amiss.

However, the man who called himself a snake continued to speak mockingly and jokingly about her doubts.

Is this a lament about not having any part of the tail to eat?

"Do you feel uneasy if you're not given instructions on where to go or where to return?"

The snake chuckled gleefully as it spoke illogically.

I thought I was taking action, and that I had reached my goal...

But his own thoughts and ideas were like a monkey trapped in the palm of Buddha's hand.

Before the structure of celestial bodies was known, the world was widely believed to be a fantasy of a flat earth with a round sky.

The world has no end; moving forward is just the beginning.

That is to say—

"If you charge forward with all your might, and the end of that journey is the starting point, then that's the [circle]."

The snake's gaze, which had been scrutinizing her, grew even more brazen, as if carrying a hint of satisfaction. It flicked its forked tongue and chuckled softly:

"This is how your lovely soul was created~~~, like a star that keeps running forever, so that you can continue to savor the sweetness of some day forever."

"Therefore, you can't go anywhere; you just keep spinning and repeating, so you could say you're stationary."

These words seemed to touch upon the deepest secrets of the soul, and the uncontrollable resonance indicated that what the other party said was true.

But aren't the constant running and the stagnation contradictory?

By the way, I've already 'stopped'. Only by running continuously can you experience the feeling of stagnation.

"Do you understand now, Captain? Your Highness, a hero of unparalleled martial prowess?"

The snake, referring to the man by another name, laughed and said, "Like us, you will never end. When you realize you are sitting on this circle, you will never reach the end."

Am I... unable to reach the finish line?

So, how many times do we need to go through that 'known hell'?

The snake said bluntly, "The things that can be known are infinite."

So, what lies at the end of infinity?

"There is only one infinite starting point."

The snake's deep voice carried boredom, irritation, and...weariness.

So, when will I finally find release in death? When will it all end?

"The unknown may lie at its end."

The snake's words were filled with anger, which was submerged in mercury, and despair sank like steel.

And her consciousness also became unable to recognize herself.

Oh, right, I am... not already dead, am I?

What am I here? And what are you, the one speaking to me?

Where have my body, my life, and my soul gone?

"Didn't I tell you? The ring has already rotated once."

The snake's voice, carrying a guiding tone, said, "You will become you again, living and dying as you are, and repeating this endlessly, forever and ever, without ever stopping."

"So, will you reject this 'beginning'? Will you frantically want to destroy it, and pray for it to end?"

Upon hearing this, she/he kept asking themselves who they were, who they really were.

Galloping across the battlefield, dreaming of reaching the peaceful resting place?

I was so foolish to think that the honor I had gained was just the starting point for the next battlefield.

No, I don't need that at all!

The red of blood, the white of bones, the black of roasted meat, and the ash of entrails spewing from the stomach.

The metallic clang of bayonets against bullets, the faint sounds emanating from the vibrations of tanks.

If it cannot be avoided, the only option is to kill him once again, with all my might.

—It keeps repeating itself; it won't end as long as I don't kill myself—

“Very well, then let’s do it your way. Your soul’s destination is a place where you no longer have to run before you stop.”

Seeing this commendable awareness, the snake clapped its hands and cheered, saying happily: