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Mr. Fool gazed at the Tarot member with the last trace of tenderness in his eyes.
In this silent moment, a voice suddenly broke through. It was a young, cheerful voice—a young man’s voice—now clearly filled with hesitation.
“Mr. Fool… Before you leave, can I request something…?” Derrick asked, his body language unable to hide his deep hesitation.
Mr. Fool looked up at the young man, who had reached Sequence 4 in just two years.
He nodded. “What is it, Mr. Sun?”
Derrick, nibbling on his finger, finally took a breath and gazed at The Fool. His eyes were full of determination.
“Can I… hug you before you leave?” As soon as the sentence left his mouth, gasps from the other members echoed through the silent hall.
Derrick flustered, quickly explaining, “It’s just that in my tradition, there’s a farewell hug when someone is going far away. We don’t know when that person will return, but at least the hug reminds them, during their long journey, that they always have a home to come back to. That there’s always someone waiting for them.”
After that, the hall fell quiet again. The other members silently glanced at one another before turning their gaze to Mr. Fool, who stared blankly at Mr. Sun.
Audrey, seated closest to Mr. Fool, couldn’t help but feel a jolt of shock when she saw a flicker of sadness in Mr. Fool’s expression. But it was quickly concealed, leaving her to wonder if it had been a hallucination.
Mr. Fool was indeed moved. He took a deep breath to calm his inner turmoil and stood up.
“Come here, Mr. Sun.”
Derrick looked up in surprise. He eagerly rose and walked closer to Mr. Fool’s seat.
A look of pure astonishment appeared on everyone’s faces.
Mr. Fool glanced around and chuckled softly. He spread his hands. “What are you waiting for, Mr. Sun? Didn’t you say you wanted a hug?”
Hearing this, Mr. Sun’s eyes stung. He bit his trembling lip. This was his God, his savior—the one who brought new hope to the City of Silver. And this same savior was about to head to the front lines to fight, with no certainty of returning alive.
Mr. Sun’s steps grew faster and faster. Finally, he embraced Mr. Fool tightly. A choked sob could be heard.
Mr. Fool’s hand patted his back gently. He didn’t feel much from the gesture, yet it managed to warm his numbed heart.
Mr. Sun’s embrace didn’t loosen. Seeing this, Mr. Fool’s gaze swept over the other members, who were watching them with envy but were too hesitant to ask.
A soft chuckle escaped his lips. Mr. Fool couldn’t help but feel amused. “All of you, come here. Join us. I can’t be sure if this will be the last time we see each other again.”
Seeing this, the other members exchanged glances, a hint of shame coloring their faces. It was truly embarrassing to be caught red-handed by their god.
Emelyn, the most eager yet also the most hesitant, stood up and walked toward the pair. The others rose as well, with Mr. World lingering at the back.
Everyone began to hug Mr. Fool and Mr. Sun. What started as a small bundle soon grew into a larger one. In the silent hall, only the sobs of the Tarot members could be heard. They couldn’t stop the tears. As they embraced their god, they were instantly reminded of the first day they had been “kidnapped” there.
How wariness had turned into trust.
Fear into awe.
They had shared the journey together, witnessing tragedy one by one.
Questioning the order of the world.
Helping one another walk the path of madness.
Now, the one who had brought them this hope was about to fight the greatest threat of this world. He could no longer watch over them.
How the tables had turned. Now, they would strive even harder. Only by becoming stronger could they help bear the heavy burden their god carried—and lighten it, even just a little.
“We’ll wait for your return, Mr. Fool.”
---
Mr. Fool looked up at the door on the third floor. His heart trembled with fear, though his expression remained flat. Even if he truly wanted to go back and tell the god above that he didn’t want any of this, would it make a difference?
With each step, he was reminded of the first day he came to this world—ah, no, this era.
He remembered how naive and curious he had been upon arriving. He remembered how scared he was when he was drawn into a dream by the Captain.
Step.
He remembered the first person he truly recognized in this world was his captain—the one who gave him a feeling of home.
Step.
He remembered how he mocked Leonard for his shamelessness in plagiarizing Roselle’s poetry.
Step.
He remembered the first day he, Melissa, and Benson moved into their new house. Dust covered their faces, and they laughed at how silly each of them looked.
Step.
He remembered how old Neil constantly taught him to use reimbursements, making him think that the old man surely knew how to take advantage of the Captain’s forgetfulness.
Step.
He remembered the last smile Captain Dunn gave him when they saved Tingen. That was the first time he truly saw the world clearly. And the first death.
Step.
He remembered the first time he saw his sister Melissa's blank face, looking like a dead person forced to stay alive. He remembered his heart filled with guilt. He wanted to take a step toward them and say it was all a joke, but reality forced him to stay far away. It was for their own good, he told himself.
Step.
He remembered the first day he became a private detective, under the name Sherlock. How his first day was just chasing a cat and helping some elderly. He hardly made a penny. Fortunately, Ms. Justice's money was still there to support this broke detective.
Step.
He remembered facing the most powerful Beyonder as soon as he became a detective. Sometimes he thought he was cursed by the Goddess of the Night because he had fooled the Tingen Nighthawks.
Step.
He remembered how terrified he was when he was caught by the Angel of Fate, Will. In that exact moment, he started questioning his entire existence. But what could he do other than walk forward?
Step.
He remembered how cruel this world was. Only by becoming stronger could one protect those they cared about.
Step.
He remembered how much he teased Danitz, looking at his angry but scared face. Danitz… and Anderson—he trusted Danitz the most. That hunter… Maybe he should treat him much better later.
Step.
He remembered how concerned he looked for this world's future after meeting the crazy scientist Frank, but he couldn't help but praise him. Only by becoming mad could one compete in this mad world. Thinking about it again, maybe he was blessed by the Mother Nest?
Step.
He remembered how much pain he endured when he became Dwayne Dantes. That was when he realized he was indeed poor. But he didn't regret the money he spent to help in the war.
Step.
Adam. I finally realize that I and other was just a chess piece on the God main board. How truly awful.
Step.
Amon and Adam—one became a cockroach, and the other stood in the corner watching every move.
Step.
He was so tired.
Step.
Every step brought memories surging like a tidal wave, making Mr. Fool's steps harder than they already were.
Step.
He remembered the first time he knew that this world was still the same world. He was truly shaken. Even if he had already suspected it, reality was harder to accept than imagined.
Step.
"I won't lose much, just myself. There is always something more important than anything else." That was what he said when fighting Amon. But truly, in his last shred of humanity, he was screaming in fear, wanting to retreat. If only the one he was fighting was Mr. Door, maybe he would have given away the Sefirah right away. But it was Amon, that brat. He couldn't rest easy if he gave that child, born from the Uniqueness of Error and more resembling Celestial Worthy than any contingency plan, a Sefirah.
(Note: Remind him to slap his butt next time he meets that angel. Medici's teaching is not enough.)
Step.
Mr. Fool finally reached the front door. It was just an inch away from the true horror boss. If this were a game, it might be the final boss. Mr. Fool chuckled. He couldn't believe he still had time to make jokes, but it wasn't bad. In this final fight, he had a premonition that he would lose himself in this battle. But even so, he couldn't just give up, could he? At least he could buy some time for others to reach the level of Great Old One, so they would have the power to fight Celestial Worthy, who was not yet at his peak.
He trusted Evernight's calculations. No matter what, even if the end was doomed, at least they tried their best to fight. This world's ending was not in the hands of the Outer Gods, but in the hands of humanity!
"Arrodes, are you afraid?"
Because only humanity could decide their end.
"No."
"My lord, are you afraid?"
May the will of humanity win this battle.
"Yes."
-End-