Infinite Dendrogram - Volume 16 - Chapter 8.5

Prologue: Another Starting Point

March, 2044, Benetnasch

The girl’s corpse lay before me.

But unlike my previous encounter with her, there was peace in her expression.

She’d been brought back. She seemed to have no memory of dying, so she was simply reaching for me just as she had before her first death.

This time, I was able to give her that snack.

She ate it as if it was the most delicious thing in the world.

Persephone noted that this had perhaps satisfied her one and only regret.

Crying, the girl ate up every scrap of food I gave her...only to die again three minutes later.

I...didn’t know if I had done the right thing.

I’d brought her back solely to do away with our shared regret, as well as my own fear...only to let her die again.

Her last words were “I never thought I’d ever eat something so delicious. I’m so glad I could be here for this!”

Words that made it seem like she was born just to eat those simple snacks.

Words that made it seem like nothing in life had ever made her happier.

She left behind those words...and died again.

“In what world can you be all right with a life like that...?!” This cry escaped my lips as I looked at her tear-smeared, joyous face.

Was this really salvation?

“...Anyway.”

Anyway, I would never forget what happened today.

And I would surely never log in to Infinite Dendrogram ever again.

“...Ah.”

As I prepared to log out for good, Persephone opened her mouth to say something.

I turned around and saw her there with her hand meekly extended towards me, saying nothing more.

I didn’t know what was on her mind. I knew barely anything about her. I only knew that she was my Embryo and that she had brought a girl back to life, if only for three minutes.

Perhaps it was because of her that I was able to get rid of these regrets. If so, then I ought to be grateful to her.

With that in mind, I prepared to log out...

“Hm...?”

...but then I remembered something I’d heard.

Embryos were things that evolved.

Right now, Persephone could only bring someone back for three minutes. She had just been born, after all.

But if...

“My Master?”

“...Persephone, I have a question for you,” I said as I looked into her deep black eyes. “Will the time limit on the resurrection disappear if you evolve?”

“Ah...!”

Embryos evolved. Because of that, it seemed that she might be able to evolve past this limit.

“That...is a possibility.”

“I see...” Upon hearing my response, Persephone grimaced.

What expression was I making? Was I laughing? Crying? Or showing regret for having asked such a thing at all?

It didn’t matter to me.

All that mattered...was that there was a possibility.

“This world probably has tons of children who died like she did,” I said, calling Infinite Dendrogram a “world” as though it was natural. “Probably a great many in this city alone...unfortunate urchins who die without even knowing what a helping hand looks like. Children who die without knowing even the smallest joys, like enjoying a snack.”

I didn’t know anything about this world. I couldn’t have imagined that it would be filled with so much misfortune.

I found this world so unfair I couldn’t stomach it.

“But...the girl looked happy. She felt saved in the end... That’s what I want to believe.”

“Mhm. Now you can proudly return to your world and...”

“A single child, out of all the unfortunate children here...” She was the only one who’d been saved.

But that wasn’t enough.

I wanted to turn all of this around.

“...What are you saying?” Persephone asked, her face full of fear.

“For now, it’s just three minutes.” I grabbed her shoulders and spoke of what could be possible for us. “But if you evolve and grow stronger, if your power grows beyond this...we may be able to save all the children who died just like her and give them a full second life.”

“You...!” The salvation of all unfortunate children who met untimely deaths — realistically thinking, it was impossible.

However, she had already done the impossible once.

Perhaps if I saved every child, this profound distress that made me want to bash my head against a wall would disappear? No — it clearly would.

“That is a miracle beyond the reach of mankind...! It is far too outrageous. There is no guarantee that it would be possible even if I became a Superior Embryo...or even something beyond that!”

“There is no guarantee...but it isn’t impossible.”

“Merely trying to achieve it is ludicrous! You should abandon this world and return to the other side!”

“I...can’t do that...” I’d learned too much.

I realized that this world had misfortunes that I couldn’t tolerate no matter what.

I would save the souls of dead children until I was satisfied.

Otherwise...the wound in my heart would never heal.

Therefore...this is the path I would walk.

“Let’s grow strong — you and me, together. If we keep growing stronger, we will eventually reach what we want. That’s what this world is about...right...?”

Silence. Persephone seemed to be thinking about something.

But then, she briefly closed her eyes and...

“...Very well.”

...nodded.

That made me very happy. With this...I wouldn’t have to give up.

“...Let’s keep going,” I said. “So that we may fulfill our desire...”

“...Indeed,” she said. “Let us pray that our hopes will one day come to fruition.”

And so, we made a promise to each other.

“We will bring back all unfortunate children from death...and give them full, happy lives.”

Together, we would fulfill this grand desire.

This was our true starting point.