Simulation of Destruction, Why Am I Always the Arbiter

She didn't know many songs, but the one she'd heard the most was definitely the one she was most familiar with.

That's right, it was the new version of the Chang'an Melody, created by combining it with the Herrscher of Knowledge Authority.

The score was still beautiful, and Sirin's technique had some of Ye Chang'an's skill. The sound she produced truly captured the ears of these young girls.

(⊙o⊙)…

(⊙o⊙)…

They forgot to cry, staring blankly at Sirin as she played her music with focus on top of the box.

Panic dissipated, fear subsided, and the grim prison became beautiful in that moment.

The previous experimental subjects in the cages also pressed against the bars, looking at Sirin as much as they could. The numbness in their eyes gradually filled with a light called anticipation.

—Is she an angel?

Music changed a person's demeanor.

Even in the same prison uniform, Sirin looked like a delicate little angel who had descended to the mortal realm.

Bringing beauty and hope to the world.

These were the things this prison lacked the most.

Today, they finally had them.

"Mmm... everyone, um..."

After finishing the song, Sirin fidgeted, unsure of what to say.

She remembered Ye Chang'an once saying, "When you don't know what to do, just listen to music." This reminded her.

"Do you want to hear more? I can keep playing."

"We want to hear."

"We want to hear."

The girls responded to Sirin with anticipation. This was the first time so many people had looked forward to something from her.

Feeling a bit puffed up, she immediately chuckled, "Heh heh, since you all want to hear it so much, I'll reluctantly play another song for you."

A pufferfish is a pufferfish; this inflated nature of hers really hadn't changed.

It's just that she hadn't found this kind of opportunity before.

Now she was overjoyed, playing all the songs she knew.

When Ye Chang'an was climbing the tower and catching people, she was playing.

When Ye Chang'an jumped into the reactor, she was still playing.

She wanted more people to hear her violin, so the Destruction energy activated the amplification mode according to her wish.

It didn't transmit too far, but it was enough for Ye Chang'an in the reactor to hear.

~

~

—The sound of a violin... is that Sirin playing for them?

Her restless heart was soothed by the music, and a smile appeared on Ye Chang'an's lips.

He loved music so much that the moment he heard it, he would forget all his troubles.

Even if the Herrscher personality was causing trouble, it was useless.

Thus, Ye Chang'an absorbed 6500 hw of Destruction energy amidst Sirin's music and condensed a Herrscher core.

But... this was the core of the Arbiter of Void.

"Hmm? Void Core?"

"What?"

He was stunned.

Song of Annihilation: Misplaced Time : 7. The Greatest Traitor of the Destruction Side Has Appeared

Every Herrscher had their own Herrscher core, the vessel of their Herrscher authority, and it was impossible for another Herrscher to condense it.

The Arbiter of Sound Reason could only condense a sound reason core, but what Ye Chang'an had condensed now was a Void core.

There was only one answer.

"When the hell did I become a Herrscher!!!"

He roared in frustration, never having considered this possibility.

After all, he was already a Herrscher.

But this matter didn't seem impossible.

In the original game, Sirin used the Destruction energy sealed on the moon to create four Herrscher cores.

Although the official lore states these were bestowed by "God," the appearance of the Cocoon of the End contradicted this official statement.

Prometheus couldn't justify it, and the cowardly will of Destruction also couldn't stand.

The most fatal thing was the official retcon.

Therefore, God does not exist.

Sirin condensed four Herrscher cores through her own power.

Herrscher upon Herrscher, more and more Herrschers.

By the same token, Ye Chang'an Herrschered once more.

"Damn it, why didn't I feel anything? Fuck."

He was breaking down, closing his eyes to carefully check his body for anything suspicious.

The Herrscher transformation of the Previous Civilization was different from the Current Civilization's. He had gone through the Previous Civilization's Herrscher transformation but was experiencing the Current Civilization's for the first time.

He needed to check thoroughly.

Finally, he discovered something suspicious in his Sea of Consciousness.

A cluster of golden light.

"We meet again."

The thought was conveyed, the voice ethereal.

"Do you remember me?"

Ye Chang'an recognized the voice, his expression turning extremely grim.

"An Changye."

The Finality projection that had dissipated on its own during his first Herrscher transformation, after breaking contact, gained sentience and took the name An Changye.

"When the hell did you come back to life, and what the hell are you up to now!"

Ye Chang'an questioned. An Changye manifested into human form from the light cluster and calmly spoke.

"When you used your Authority to recreate Starlight City, the Cocoon's power awakened me."

"I didn't do anything tricky, just a small attempt."

"It almost succeeded, what a shame."

The calm three sentences represented the cause, process, and result respectively; he had failed.

Sirin's music forced Ye Chang'an, this obsessed individual, to calm down, and it also caused An Changye's occupation plan to collapse.

It was truly a shame.

Just a little bit more.

If Ye Chang'an had continued to condense the core under extreme emotional control, An Changye could have been pushed by the Cocoon's power to completely suppress Ye Chang'an's personality the moment the core was completed.

—Damn music.

It seemed he was also a bit broken.

"You bastard..."

Ye Chang'an was furious. He took several deep breaths to calm himself before putting on a stern face.

A chair appeared behind him, and he sat down, crossing his legs, resting his head on his right hand on the armrest, in the same posture as when he had judged An Changye.

"Come on, tell me, how do you want to die."

He still wanted to kill this guy to prevent him from causing more trouble.

Although he didn't know exactly what he had done, he felt his thoughts leaning towards extreme tendencies.

Unlike his past self, he could only blame An Changye.

This was indeed An Changye's doing.

"I want to live until I want to die," An Changye also conjured a chair and sat opposite him, but he sat more upright than Ye Chang'an.

It seemed he didn't want to die.

"I think you want to die right now," Ye Chang'an said, sitting up straight and glaring, not backing down.

"I think I don't want to die," An Changye replied earnestly.

"I don't want what you think, I want what I think."

"I want to live," An Changye stated directly, his golden eyes fixed on Ye Chang'an.

"..." Ye Chang'an fell silent.

Should he let a Herrscher personality that wanted to live, live?

Ye Chang'an remembered a Herrscher personality that also wanted to live, the Herrscher of Corruption.

Whether in the Previous Civilization or the Current Civilization, they possessed the will to survive.

Now, he also had his Herrscher personality.

"Give me a reason," he asked.

"Can't wanting to live be a reason?" An Changye retorted.

"Not here."

"That's right, you once chose death." An Changye nodded in understanding, it seemed his memories weren't limited to the physical memories of this simulation.

Because this time, he wasn't a thief forced to log in, but a residual consciousness awakened by the power of the Cocoon of the End.

He possessed all the memories Ye Chang'an had experienced after his dissipation.

"...If I absolutely must find a reason to live, then my reason is..." An Changye began to ponder, finishing his thought seriously.

"To see Sirin grow up."

"Why?"

"Does even this require an explanation? You should know clearly."

Ye Chang'an fell silent.

Indeed, it didn't require an explanation, because he harbored the same sentiment.

His outbursts, his anger, his refusal to accept his destiny weren't solely due to An Changye's interference; if Ye Chang'an hadn't harbored such thoughts himself, An Changye could have done nothing.

This Herrscher personality could only amplify certain emotions within Ye Chang'an, pushing them to extremes.

After all, An Changye was just one person, while Ye Chang'an had millions.

So, both he and An Changye wanted to see Sirin grow up.

To grow up as Sirin.

"As long as you behave, I'll let you stay," he acknowledged An Changye's reason for wanting to live.