Since then, I had been searching for Omega.
It didn’t take long to find her.
Upon inquiry, it was easy to ascertain her location.
The force holding Omega was China.
They were the only major nation that opposed the Gospel of Salvation.
“The People’s Republic of China prohibits by law the parasitic and heretical religion based on materialism that drains the blood of its people.”
Initially, even in China, the influence of the Gospel of Salvation was so strong that it claimed over 200 million followers.
However, they were massacred on the grounds that they threatened the Communist Party’s leadership.
“I stand by the legacy of Shinnoda who first recognized the danger posed by the Gospel of Salvation. Please, entrust Omega to me….”
I used my family’s influence to bribe a high-ranking Chinese official and explained the entire situation to him.
He listened silently to my request.
“Our intelligence has full knowledge of your situation. Nonetheless, Omega’s abilities are to be preserved for China’s interests, in the event of the worst scenario following the final battle.”
My request was promptly denied.
He already knew who I was, what I wanted—every piece of information.
“What do you mean by ‘final battle’?”
“It’s classified, but even our adversaries know the story, so I’ll tell you. We will soon declare war on all countries that have accepted the heretical religion, including the United States and Russia.”
At first, I thought I might have heard incorrectly.
But when I pressed for more, I heard the same response, leaving me open-mouthed with shock.
A declaration of war against practically the entire world.
And with such conviction in his eyes as he spoke those terrifying words.
I began to suspect if there was some hidden evil lurking within the higher ranks of the Chinese government.
“Wouldn’t it be better to execute ‘Hikaru Hoshi,’ the leader of the Gospel of Salvation? How do you plan to guard against a nuclear attack?”
‘Hikaru Hoshi,’ the leader of the Gospel of Salvation—though Shinnoda had abandoned the idea of confronting him directly, an assassination might just prove viable.
“Hmph. Our country has developed a perfect nuclear defense technology. Nuclear fission cannot occur within our defense perimeter.”
The official’s eyes brimmed with confidence. He seemed to truly believe that China could defeat the entire world without a doubt.
“Why are we even fighting? This is a time when humanity must unite!”
“Our intelligence has uncovered definitive evidence that our adversaries are preparing for war. If we don’t attack, we will merely be attacked. It’s better to seize the advantage of a preemptive strike.”
Isolated from the rest of the world for rejecting the Gospel of Salvation, China had faced export restrictions, much like North Korea in the past, and found itself unable to import raw materials. Ultimately, they decided on a preventive war.
Suddenly, a horrific memory resurfaced.
A massive dragon appeared out of nowhere, breathing fire toward the city.
The city melted and burned.
Everything at the fire’s epicenter vanished without a trace, and those further away were reduced to ashes.
My homeland had burned that way.
Even though it wasn’t due to the horrors of war, the modern warfare involving nuclear weapons and missiles could only be worse, not better.
Was this the future for the world?
I couldn’t pinpoint where this all began to go wrong—it seemed as tangled as a knot I couldn’t unravel.
There’s no way I could figure out how to fix this with my limited understanding.
Yet Shinnoda’s words kept echoing in my mind:
“If only Park Hayeon were here.”
How would things change with Park Hayeon?
I barely know her, so I can’t judge.
For now, I have no choice but to follow orders.
“Besides, there’s no guarantee that Omega’s skill, ‘Time Travel,’ even works. Skills like that are usually too advantageous to be real.”
“What do you mean by that?”
He looked at me like I was clueless, and I felt somewhat belittled as a result.
“You really don’t know much, do you? There are plenty of examples where skill descriptions are misleading—what we might call deceptive or unfair even.”
“So you’re saying there’s a chance Omega’s skill isn’t actually ‘Time Travel’?”
“That’s correct. We don’t harbor high expectations for her abilities. We’re just doing our best in the present moment.”
I was baffled.
If they weren’t counting on it, why wouldn’t they relinquish her custody?
“Of course, we cannot afford to let go of even a 1% chance.”
He elaborated, as if reading my expression.
In essence, they were holding her as insurance in case they lost the war—regardless of whether her skill would work.
“Hmph.”
The world seemed to be spiraling into madness.
Though an obvious enemy like a demon existed, now wasn’t the time for humanity to turn against itself.
‘This was the path Shinnoda chose, huh.’
No one understands.
No one believes.
Even while trying to save the world, humans only move for their own selfish interests.
Highly disillusioned, I decided to devise a plan to extract Omega on my own.
Because that man had inadvertently revealed details about her, I had come to learn that her skill was indeed ‘Time Travel.’ That knowledge alone might help save ‘Park Hayeon,’ someone Shinnoda had obsessively pursued.
The next day, as I was about to leave my lodging, I realized I was trapped in a difficult situation.
“You are currently under house arrest. You are not allowed to leave.”
A man dressed in a suit, likely an intelligence agent, blocked my exit.
“What nonsense is this? I wish to speak with your superior. You know I am on familiar terms with a high-ranking Communist Party official.”
“Sorry, but his orders are clear. For the sake of national security, you cannot leave for a certain period of time. Additionally, communication devices have been disabled.”
There was no choice but to return to my room.
My phone had no signal, and the accommodation’s Wi-Fi was cut off.
I mutilated myself late into the night, fearing I might fail Shinnoda’s request.
It was then that an uproar erupted outside.
I heard hurried cries and screams.
Suddenly, the door opened, revealing familiar warriors.
“Good to see you’re alive?”
“Gareas, Isiah.”
Unlike me, Isiah had remained loyal to Shinnoda until the very end, helping him in intelligence battles and combat support.
“Shinnoda trusted you till the end. He believed you’d come back. That eventually you’d be understood.”
Isiah’s voice caught in her throat, and tears blurred my eyes as well.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t understand back then… If I could atone with my own life, I would. You can take my head after this is all over.”
I was serious.
I intended to die anyway after rescuing Omega and completing my mission.
“Let me do it now.”
Gareas unsheathed his sword, but I made no effort to resist using my abilities.
If dying here was my fate, then so be it.
But then—
“I heard Shinnoda’s last request.”
I wanted Isiah to understand.
Shinnoda’s final wish.
“What? What was it?”
“Meet with Omega, change the past. Go and save Park Hayeon.”
At that moment, someone else appeared.
“Omega! Do you know where Omega is?”
A figure with white hair and red eyes stood there, appearing rather androgynous.
This person introduced himself as Alpha.
“Yeah, she’s in the custody of the Chinese government. They plan to use her if they lose the war.”
I shared all the information I had gathered about China’s intentions.
I also asked a curious question.
“Why did you come to China without knowing this? Why did you come here?”
Could it be that they came for me?
Well, Isiah had every reason to be upset with me, as she’d remained loyal to Shinnoda until the very end.
“It was the only place left to go. Except for China and the Middle East, the Gospel of Salvation’s trackers are operating openly everywhere else. We came here, and it just so happens you were staying here.”
Gareas’ response was unexpected, but it reminded me of how vast the Gospel of Salvation’s influence had become.
“We must rescue her.”
With that, Gareas disappeared, leaving behind only the weakened Isiah, who seemed to have exceeded her transformation limit.
“Meow.”
It was terrible to see Isiah like this after so long.
One of her eyes was injured, covered by an eye patch, and she was gasping for breath, spitting out blood.
She looked like she could die at any moment.
“Your condition…”
“Meow.”
Alpha interjected.
“One month ago, she was severely beaten by the Gospel of Salvation’s trackers. Additionally, due to the side effects of her transformations, her lifespan has been shortened.”
“This can’t be…”
I felt waves of guilt and couldn’t bring myself to look directly at Isiah.
“Meow.”
Isiah was struggling to breathe.
Alpha pulled water and painkillers from his bag and handed them to the suffering Isiah.
“We’ll rescue Omega. It would have been Shinnoda’s wish, and she’s like a sibling to me.”
