Second Iteration
Day 14
If you're reading this, then putting Kyo's necklace inside [Raziel] before unsummoning it can effectively store messages from past loops. If not…
Hmph, stupid Shadow Kyo, only realizing that we were repeating the exact same thing we did last loop a week after he appeared. I never thought I'd hope that a guy would be faster, but here we are…
Just in case this works, here's a list of "meanings to life" that Kyo apparently ruled out. World peace, saving all the Spirits, appreciating nature…
—————I am the dividing line that omits a long list—————
… becoming immortal, and competitive boxing.
I really hope one of these record-keeping methods works.
Third Iteration
Day 18
Fufufu, as expected of the brilliant Me.
Ahem, if another Me is reading this, you're probably really confused, so let me explain. Actually, I'm writing these words from the future, and We are the chosen one, destined to save the galaxy and
Kyo, don't think I don't see you! It's not very nice to peek over a lady's shoulder when she's writing in her dia
OkokokstoppinchingmycheekIgetokI'llstopmessingaround
Ahem, anyway. Basically, the world you're living in is actually a looping dream, and Kyo split into two pieces in order to find the meaning of life or something, confront his other half, and gain the ability to completely-kinda-mostly control the Nihility and break us out of the loop. He's… a little unsure of the last bit. Oh, and the '"he" I'm talking about is the weird, glitchy Kyo that probably appeared. I'm calling him Shadow Kyo for convenience, since he's the half that apparently took on all of the Nihility inside Kyo.
And if you're wondering how half of his soul is surviving the Nihility when he apparently wasn't able to withstand it at full power…
——————I am the dividing line that shifts perspectives——————
"i hOLd mYSeLF tOGeThER wIth tHE sHREd oF hOPE tHAt yOu, uNtARnISheD hALf, wiLL fiNd A SaTISfaCTorY iDeaL tO fiGHt oFF tHiS cORruPtIon oNcE aND fOR All," Shadow Kyo said in a crackling whisper, staring straight into the trunk of a large pine tree covered in snow. "iT Is a WiLL tHAt beCoMEs hARdER tO mAInTAiN wiTh eVeRY fAiLEd cONcLUsION yOu cOMe tO." He slashed out with [Naught] with every word, sending an innocent group of trees to their ashy demise.
Kyo looked at him strangely, his hair whipping from the winds atop the mountain they currently sat upon. "Why are you explaining that all of a sudden?"
Shadow Kyo coughed out a strangled chuckle. "dOn'T mINd mE. yOU MaY cONtINUe tAkING iN tHiS 'nAtuRAL bEaUty Of tHe wOrlD' — pErHApS yOu WiLL sEe SoMEThiNG i dO nOT."
"...somehow, it doesn't feel like you mean it." Kyo shifted his gaze and sighed, watching the water vapor slowly dissipate into the air. "How the hell does one even search for the meaning to continue living, anyway?"
——————I am the dividing line that shifts perspectives——————
… anyway, Shadow Kyo can't last forever. By his own estimate, he only has 6 or so more loops until he becomes nothingness, and even now he's constantly leaking memories. Eventually, or so he says, Shadow Kyo won't be able to remember anything except for the moment the original Kyo split in two. So before then, I have to help him find his ultimate meaning to continue life… and document everything he's tried before inside [Raziel]. Otherwise, chances are that Kyo'll end up trying the same thing over and over again.
Also, since Rinne's mind-screwery prevents me from remembering I even have [Raziel] until Shadow Kyo pulls himself together, I should try to plan something that gets me to open [Raziel] as soon as possible.
Day 21
We couldn't find something that he could use to ground himself against the pull of Nihility. Here's a list of everything we considered: painting, drawing, architecture…
—————I am the dividing line that omits a long list—————
Good luck, Me. I've asked Shadow Kyo as a last-ditch solution to continuously repeat [Raziel] to himself to hopefully prompt You to summon [Raziel] earlier. No idea if it'll work, but I should probably unsummon [Raziel] before this loop resets.
Fourth Iteration
Day 21
So, good news and bad news. The good news is that getting Shadow Kyo to constantly repeat [Raziel] to himself worked, and I'm writing this entry only a few minutes after he appeared again. The bad news is that Shadow Kyo took until this morning to appear. It looks like he's taking even more time to pull himself back together each loop. Yeesh, even hugging my Tokiya dakimakura can't put my mind at ease. Apparently the world is resetting in a few hours… I wonder what that'll feel like. If I think about it, it's kinda like the world is coming to an end without warning, isn't it? If Shadow Kyo had to reappear this late, I almost feel like it would've been better if they just didn't appear.
…it's funny, how slice-of-life is usually further away from life than some battle shounen. Maybe even the tragedy genre is closer to reality.
I hope that isn't the case this time.
Fifth Iteration
Day 7
It looks like this "Shadow Kyo" hasn't appeared yet in this loop. But unlike what "I" supposedly wrote earlier, I didn't have to come near him to remember [Raziel]'s existence. It looks like this world is also becoming more unstable, to the point that Rinne's memory-manipulation is faltering too. It's kinda creepy, seeing that "I" was the one who wrote all these things. Especially that last message, jeez. Can I really get that negative?
I told Kyo about everything written above, and he seemed a little agitated. I mean, it makes sense - I basically sprung onto him that he's doomed to die in a few weeks and that the progress on preventing it is basically nonexistent.
He said he's leaving on a solo journey tonight in the hopes of maybe having an epiphany. I tried to talk him into letting me tag along, but he countered that, based on what I supposedly wrote in [Raziel], I've accompanied him for four loops to no avail. I can see the logic, but it kinda stung.
Day 14
Kyo still hasn't come back yet. I'm pretty sure it's because he's hopelessly lost somewhere, but it could be because of his reasoning from last time. Humph, who does that guy think he is? Here I am, diligently recording things that neither side of him can remember anymore, and yet he still has the nerve to push me aside for his little solo adventure. Doesn't he know how boring it gets here without him? I can only drink beer alone for so many days until I have to bring out the heavier stuff!
…not that I've even been drinking recently. Curse him, not even letting me drink in peace without worrying that he's embracing his end somewhere in a forgotten corner of the world.
Day 21
Maybe this is the last loop, and writing here doesn't even make sense anymore. Shadow Kyo hasn't appeared at all… or maybe he has, but only to Kyo. I wouldn't know, since I haven't seen either of them in at least three weeks!
I don't know what things he did this loop, but I know one thing for sure:
He was either alone or with only himself for the entirety of his search this time, and he definitely didn't find his answer.
——————I am just a regular dividing line——————
"What in the world…" Nia closed her eyes and massaged her temples as she slowly digested the content of what was written in [Raziel]'s pages. "I'm not dreaming, am I… oh wait, according to [Raziel], that's exactly what I'm doing."
…considering how he felt during the last loop coupled with the fact that he hasn't come back yet… should I go looking for him? Biting her lip, she felt her eyes subconsciously drift towards the cold metallic necklace wedged between the pages. A sense of unease wormed itself into her stomach, and she sighed. "Fine, fine. I'll go, dammit! But only because he-"
She clasped a hand over her mouth, looking around for nonexistent spectators before sighing in relief. Good thing I caught myself - I almost went tsundere there.
Silently, she commanded [Raziel] to flip to a new page and reveal the location of Kyo before widening her eyes. "Why the heck is he at the top of Mt. Everest?!"