Chapter 1015: Taking Responsibility

The resurrection was successful!

Looking at the surprised face of Ciara as she awoke from her death was especially satisfying.

She looked so confused and lost, though the fact that I was right on top of her didn't help matters at all.

Well, not exactly on top, but... well... I was beside her actually.

'Maybe my face wasn't the first one she wanted to see.'

Ciara's doppelganger ultimately calmed down when she saw Jerry, though, so things didn't escalate beyond that point.

She was there to witness our Ciara undoing the nasty brainwashing that Neron placed upon her dear lover... or was it friend?

'I'm not so sure. Maybe the two have the same type of relationship as they do in our world.'

The process took some time, especially since Ciara was doing this with her raw power, and not an Arcana.

She was also not using Aether, but pure Mana. It made me wonder how she had managed to survive in this world for so long with her Magic prowess alone.

'She has a Special Grade Mana Core, but still... this is insane.'

Fortunately, her power still excelled in this world, considering she could somehow tweak it's wavelength—though I suspected she did this unconsciously.

'Her Special Grade Core also produces a lot Mana, depending on how much she needs. These geniuses sometimes just makes things harder for the rest of us...'

Well, it was probably fine. It was due to her talents that she was able to survive for so long in this world.

That alone deserved praise.

"Haaa..." Her heavy breath leaked out, and she slowly opened her eyes while pursing her lips.

We all watched her, our hearts racing in tension.

Did she do it? Did she not? The questions coursed through the air.

"It should be alright now." Her voice finally broke the silence, and the smile she gave reinforced her words.

"R-really?!" Her doppelganger instantly let out, her eyes expressing the same glimmer that Ciara showed not too long ago.

'These two really are alike. No wonder Ciara took a liking to her.'

"Yes. Kuzon, you can release him now." Ciara turned to face Kuzon, who was busy sorting out something with Neron by the side.

"Alright then." He murmured, and in no time at all, the strings that bound Jerry unraveled.

The instant his strings snapped, his long auburn hair flowed, and his tall muscular body fell to the ground.

'Urgh, Kuzon, you could have set him in a different angle.' I sighed internally.

"Jerry! Are you okay?!" Ciara—no, sorry, her doppelganger—swiftly rushed to his side, her eyes widened with concern.

"Haha... yes... I'm fine, but..." Jerry's face turned slightly red as he stared at the girl beside him.

The doppelganger seemed to be more concerned with his health, and even thought he was having a fever.

Talk about being completely clueless.

"I'm sorry... for what I did..." He finally whispered, having a sullen tone that sank the mood of the entire room.

"Jerry, it wasn't your fault. You were being controlled." Of course, the lovestruck girl said.

"I know, but... that doesn't give me the right to absolve myself of responsibility." His face scrunched up in guilt and the aura around him reeked of resolve.

"I need to make up for my mistakes."

I could definitely imagine my world's Jerry speaking like this. It seemed like this world's Ciara and Jerry were quite similar to our world's version.

'Man... I really wish I could see this world's version of myself. I wonder how he's like.'

"Y-you idiot! You had me worried. I thought you were dead!" Ciara cried as she stared at Jerry, creating an atmosphere of passion.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left your side. I just... couldn't hear to see you hurt."

"Why?" She blurted out. "Why didn't you want to see me hurt?"

At that point, a daze fell over Jerry's face, and his cheeks turned redder.

"T-that is..."

"Tell me, Jerry. How... do you feel about me?" The question finally landed.

Everyone was silent now, all our attentions converging on the couple who were having a very serious conversation.

Whatever happened here was none of our business, really, but it would really affect how our Ciara would perceive things when we returned.

We all had to see things through to the very end.

"I... I..." Jerry's voice was shaky, but it echoed with sincerity.

And then—

"I love you, Ciara!!!"

—He finally uttered the words.

"I don't want to lose you! I couldn't think of a world without you. That was why... I had to save you back then. I... I'm sorry, but—"

The gross part happened after, with Ciara's doppelganger and Jerry's doppelganger kissing deeply.

Of course, I didn't look away. I wasn't a child, so I embraced the entire awkwardness and observed every moment of it.

"Ueeeeehhhhh!!!" Ciara on the other hand, covered her face and turned all red the moment she watched the two engage in the act.

She must have projected herself too much in the scenario.

"You idiot. You didn't even consider what my life would be like without you..." A warm smile, coated in falling tears, radiated on the doppelganger's face as she spoke.

"I love you too, Jerry!"

"Y-you do?!"

"Of course! You really don't have eyes, do you? Y-you fool!"

"Haha... sorry..?"

"S-shut up! You better take responsibility for all this, okay?"

"T-take responsibility? Y-you mean..."

"Y-yes! O-of course..."

Both of them instantly had their entire bodies turn red, and they froze like statues.

Something told me they didn't even really understand what it meant to 'take responsibility'. In the end, they simply stared at each other in silence.

... Until a second round of kissing occured, leaving me somewhat exasperated.

Fortunately, we were just about done with this chapter.

'We've recovered Ciara. Just two more to go...' With a warm smile finally forming on my face, I personally bid farewell to this current world.

'I hope those subjects of mine are adhering to my teachings...'

We didn't spend a phenomenal amount of time together, but... I had fun!