SWNOVELXO Chapter 29: Chapter 22
CHAPTER 22: THE PROPOSAL
...
The Prophet Stands
For the first time in three days, Zero stood tall.
Basking his eyes outside through the window.
The faint crimson veins in his eyes had faded now, his fingers bandaged where the foresight threads had burned him. His coat hung perfectly pressed, his collar immaculate, and his mask of calm serenity was back where it belonged.
When Envy entered the chamber with the sealed records from Sector Zero, he barely looked up.
"Place them here," he said softly, tapping the polished surface of the long conference table.
Envy obeyed.
And he reached for them, fingertips gliding over the folders and data slates without so much as a tremor.
When he looked at Envy, his eyes glimmered faintly again.
"Ready the feeds. Every street screen, every cathedral hall, every household terminal. Project me to them all. Let Eden see me."
Envy blinked.
"All of them?"
"All of them," Zero repeated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Then his voice sharpened:
"And summon Paku Shinomiya to the Spire. Immediately. Tell him… I have a proposal."
...
Ash and Silence
The mob was still gathered outside.
Ash clung to the air like frost now, dulling the shine of the golden towers. The angry banners hung limp in the wind, but the people were still shouting, still pressing against the soldiers' shields.
They wanted blood.
They wanted answers.
They wanted something to blame.
And when the massive viewing screens that lined the square flickered on... all at once... the voices stilled.
The image of Zero appeared.
Standing outside the Spire.
Waiting for them.
...
The Prophet's Words
He stepped up to the balcony calmly, his long coat catching the dim light.
And when he spoke, his voice was soft.
But every word carried.
"My people," he began. "My beautiful, innocent people of Eden…"
For the first time, they didn't boo him.
He let the silence stretch. Then:
"I have watched you suffer. I have heard you scream. I have seen you bleed. And for every cut, every bruise, every tear you have shed… I take responsibility..... It was my shortsighted leadership that allowed this chaos to build. My arrogance that failed to protect you. My... mistake to let a savior become a monster."
A few gasps rippled through the square.
He continued, his tone warm, measured:
"I am not here to hide behind excuses. I am here to tell you the truth. A truth you deserve to hear."
He paused then, just long enough for the crowd to lean in.
And then his hand swept toward the side as another screen lit up.
Showing him.
Mr. P.
Being escorted onto the dais by two Observers, his crooked tie loose, cigarette between his fingers. He looked impossibly casual in the face of the massive crowd, even throwing a lazy wave to no one in particular.
"Evening... i guess," Mr. P muttered to no one in particular. "Lovely weather for a witch hunt."
Zero's lips curved faintly.
"You see, my people," he said, his voice growing colder now, "all of this began with him."
And the screens behind him flared alive.
Footage began playing.
Scenes of Mr. P, in disguise, slipping through burning streets during the war. A shaky video feed from an old helmet camera showing Naomi... beloved original Observer of Sloth... standing in the cathedral ruins, only for a masked figure to put a bullet through her head.
The masked figure pulling the trigger looked up at the camera just before the feed cut.
It was him.
Mr. P.
The crowd gasped as the screens replayed the moment, over and over.
Zero let the murmurs rise before speaking again.
"It was my shortsightedness that allowed this man to create the weapon you call Luther. That allowed this man to execute an Observer in cold blood. That allowed this city to crumble under his chaos."
The screens now showed grainy footage of Luther chained, screaming, his veins glowing gold as he was dragged from the wreckage.
"And yet…" Zero's voice softened, almost wistful now.
"I am a merciful man."
He turned to face Mr. P directly, his calm smile never faltering.
"So. My fellow innocent people of Eden… the problems have been… quite hectic to handle, haven't they? Wouldn't you say… Mr. P?"
Mr. P, without missing a beat, shrugged lazily and called back:
"Well, you know me. I'm a big fan of hectic. Keeps the blood pumping."
The crowd murmured.
Zero's smile widened.
"Then… let me offer you a choice," he said, addressing both Mr. P and the city at once.
"Eden deserves justice. Eden deserves peace. And Eden deserves to see the head of the beast that has haunted it brought low."
He gestured to Mr. P now, his voice rising:
"Paku Shinomiya… I will pardon your crimes. Every last one. If you give the people what they want… what they need. Fix what you created. Deliver us the head of Luther."
The crowd went silent.
Every screen zoomed in on Mr. P now, who stood there quietly, cigarette still burning between his fingers.
The corners of his mouth twitched upward, and then he laughed.
"You bloody bastard...."
He let a quiet, dry chuckle.
And then he said... loud enough for all of Eden to hear:
"Well played, Prophet. Well played. You want a monster, huh?"
He exhaled a stream of smoke into the cold night air.
"You'll get your monster."
The crowd erupted.
Some cheering. Some shouting. Some just staring in disbelief.
And above it all, Zero only smiled.
Smiled like a man who'd just learned to play his enemy's game better than him.
...
The Knife Awakens
Far beyond Eden, in the Choir of Sins' hidden sanctuary, the black banners of the oval cathedral swayed in silence.
Luther lay on the cot in the corner of Clone 3's private quarters. His bandages were damp with sweat now, his golden veins sparking faintly.
And his eyes opened at wide at the video feed he saw.
The room was dark, but he could see the silhouette of Clone 3 standing nearby, mask gleaming in the low light.
Luther's voice was hoarse.
"Take me to him," he rasped.
Clone 3 didn't move.
"To… Mr. P," Luther growled, his fist clenching around the sheets. "Take me… now."
For the first time, the golden light in his veins flared hot enough to crack the air.
Clone 3 stared at him for a long moment.
And then nodded faintly.
And exited the room.
...
## Closing Beat
Back in Eden, the ashstorm howled.
The people in the square erupted into chants, half for Zero, half for Paku, half simply for blood.
Mr. P stood at the edge of the dais, his sunglasses catching the riot lights, his crooked grin sharp as a blade.
"Well," he muttered under his breath, cigarette glowing bright in the dark, "let's see how good you really are at playing my game, Prophet."
And far away, the Choir's hymn rose once more, louder now, a black storm gathering on the horizon.
...
END OF CHAPTER 22: THE PROPOSAL