PHASE 30 - THE KEY TO COME BACK

That voice that is similar to a monotone robot and that cute face with short silver hair; this homunculus must be the real Key, albeit much younger. The Key I know should look like a woman in her young adult age thanks to her weird Guardian Ability that makes her age faster than regular humans.

Seeing Key in her infant form, floating with her angelic cyber wings is a new sight to behold. She’s like a kindergarten student who is forced to play a guardian angel role in a cultural festival.

“Key,” I muttered. “Is this really you?”

“Yes, Alaric Eisenhower. I am Key. I hope you are not confused right now.” The homunculus angel said.

“But how do you know me?” I asked. “This is the past. You should have no recollection of me from the future.”

“That is why I gave you my Memory Fragment.” Key smiled. “That cyber pocket watch contains all the memories I had the moment I was born until the present day. I have also compressed my knowledge as the former Goddess Athena on that Memory Fragment. I used it to transfer all the things I know in the future to this body in the past, making me the very same Key you know.”

“So now that you have transplanted your memories on that younger body of yours, you would no longer need the to save you.” I smiled. “You’re way too smart for your own good, you damn homunculus.”

The Key immediately frowned. “I’m sorry, Alaric. You are wrong. There is no way I could carry this body to the future. My life in the future time will end, and that is a destiny I could not avoid.”

“So…” I bowed down. “There is still no hope, huh…”

“For me, yes. This is the end of the line for me.” Key said. Then she smiled thereafter as she gently touched my cheeks. “But for you, it’s not.”

“Key… What do you mean?”

“I am Key. I will be your key in order to go back to your time, to the future. I can make you meet Tiara once again.”

“Wha-Wait, you can do that!?” I exclaimed.

“Yes.” Key nodded as her smile went wider. “Right now, I am a Laplace’s Demon; a being that knows information from both the past and the present. The other me from the future also knows about this meeting, so that makes two demons.”

“I don’t have a Ph.D. in demonology, but please continue explaining,” I said.

“I know you wouldn’t get it, so I will explain another mechanism.” Key reverted to her classic poker-face expression and AI-like monotone. “There is also a theory about a time-space explosion involving nuclear fission by breaking the atoms to create sufficient energy for time travel. However, since the nuclear explosion only creates a rift, it needs two of the same reaction from the past and the future to collide. There is also an existing problem where the person must be exposed in the nuclear explosion which will surely kill him, making time travel improbable. But everything is different if we’re talking about you, Alaric since you have the armor that never breaks.”

I think my nose is already bleeding due to the information overload, but I need to keep up and pretend that I get everything. No, it's not fine. I might get killed if I didn't get this correctly!

"You mind translating it from bullshit to English?"

“In short, all I have to do is to activate my Guardian Ability from the past and the future in order to break the time-space continuum and create a proper Time Gate that will deliver you to the future,” Key said.

“Activating the ability…” My jaw trembled as I mutter the words. “That will certainly self-destruct you, Key. Your past and your future self. Both are going to explode.”

“That is right, Alaric,” Key said with a smile. “If you’re worried about the time paradox, don’t worry. I will leave a homunculus egg cell behind that will be born as the future me.”

“But how about your future self!?”

“...”

The Key bowed as she refused to speak. I can see glitters on her eyes as if she’s on the verge of crying. This is the very first time I’ve seen her with emotions. Neither the Aether Crusade Gate Guardians nor the Black Cross Legion has seen this side of this adorable homunculus. It’s a surprise that she’s nothing like the robotic girl we know.

And it is beautiful. Seeing her with her facial expressions fully working makes it feel like she’s a genuine person and not an artificial tool to fight Eidolons.

“I’m sorry, Alaric. The future Key is already dying. This is the only way for you to come back.”

“Key…”

Grab! Suddenly, Key hugged me tight like a baby who just saw her father for the very first time. I can feel the warmth of her body, and I can sense the smoothness of her hair. It’s like hugging my own daughter.

“Alaric Eisenhower… Thank you for being with me the whole time. I may be aloof, emotionless and brutal whenever I kick your balls, but those feelings we shared together are the best. Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for introducing me to Heushac and Helena. Heushac taught me how to feel romantic love, while Helena taught me how to feel parental love. Thank you for letting me live with you, with Tiara and Amy. Even with those messy big sisters I had, I cannot deny that I had fun being with them.”

“Key…” I gently touched the white-haired homunculus’ cheek which is now wet with her own tears. Seeing her like this made me cry a lot.

“Thank you for being my friend, my mentor, and my hope. You made me feel that there is still a way to save me even though I know the statistical improbability of the results. Thank you for giving me emotions and feelings. Thank you… for making me feel like a human…”

“Key… I may have failed to keep my promise to you this time… but remember, that I will still save you! Once Tiara performs the again, we will bring you back! With Heushac! With everyone! We will revive you with a pure human body with no defects! So just you wait!”

“Yes…” Key smiled wide as she closed her eyes. “I will wait for that, Big Brother Alaric.”

Damn this girl! Now that she called me her big bro, I can no longer hold my tears back.

Key withdrew from our hug and then she hovered towards the Outsider. She gave out a glass box with a green liquid that should contain the thing that will be her remnant: a homunculus egg cell.

“I guess I have no choice but to entrust this to you,” Key said in a monotone.

“Hahaha! Rest assured, adorable Key.” The Outsider laughed as he happily grabbed the glass box. “I will take this to the Black Cross Legion. You don’t have to worry about the trivial stuff.”

I looked at the Fake Outsider and made a serious expression while staring at his eyes.

“Yohan Romanov,” I muttered. “You killed my friends, massacred my allies, made a puppet out of my love, and cursed a lot of people. Seriously, I wanted to punch you, cut your fingers and castrate you for what you have done to all of us. I don’t know what tricks you still have on your sleeve.”

I lent out my hand, asking him for a shake.

“But thank you. Thank you for guiding me here at this time. If it wasn’t for you, I’ll be trapped here and become Aeternos.”

“Heh!” Yohan immediately took up my handshake and gave an assuring smile. “Don’t worry about that. Don’t mind me, as I am not your toughest adversary you’ll ever face. You have to keep on moving forward and defend your love with Tiara Hikari, Alaric Eisenhower.”

“So can you tell me now why are you helping me?” I asked.

“I’m always on the side of love.” The Fake Outsider said. Suddenly, he turned his back and started to walk away, waving his hand. Before his silhouette disappears from the depths of the underground laboratory, I could hear him shout these words: “See you in the final battle.”

When the Fake Outsider left, Key immediately hovered above me. When she nodded, I knew it was the sign for me to activate my Aether Armor. I shouted “!” and I finally equipped myself with the armor not even gods can break.

Key started to mutter like a computer as her whole body was engulfed with golden-white light.

“Accessing memory from future self-complete… Future self is now ready to activate the Time Gate the moment Guardian Ability has commenced… Focusing all residue atomic reactions to the Space-Time continuum… The radius of a nuclear explosion is now set to a diameter of five meters maximum, minimal casualties guaranteed… All parameters on the safest level… Destruction of future self confirmed…”

“Key… Thank you…” I muttered. “And goodbye…”

Key made an angelic smile at me, which filled my despaired heart full of warmth and joy. With such perfect facial expression, I’m sure that she’s saying “Thank you too.”

“Activating Final Guardian Ability: !!! Nuclear Time Warp will activate in three… two… one…”

A blinding flash of light blasted right in front of my eyes.