The town was called Hallowdeep, which sounded like the kind of place where either blessings happened or things crawled out of wells. Spoiler: it was both.
They arrived at dawn. Banners hung from rooftops with a very familiar symbol: the Echo Sigil, sketched in gold, stylized into something holy.
Kazuki blinked at one and whispered, "That's my system tattoo, right?"
Kaelith: "Yup."
Darin: "This town worships you."
Vera: "Correction: they worship the version of you that isn't you."
Mistral: "We are about to enter a theological identity crisis, aren't we?"
The streets were filled with people bowing, singing, crying.
Children played with Echo-shaped toys. Merchants sold "Vessel Blessing Stones." There was a kazoo choir.
Then a voice rang out.
"Blessings upon you. May your echoes be true."
He stepped into view.
Kazuki 2.0.
Same face. Slightly older. Glowing softly like a nightlight made of divinity. Robes of white and gold. A serene smile that made Kazuki's face hurt just looking at it.
"Oh no," Kazuki whispered. "He looks like the version of me who drinks tea and has boundaries."
[System Notice: Echo Signature Conflict. You are being overwritten in public perception.]
[Warning: Prolonged exposure to the Imposter may cause Identity Degradation.]
"HE'S STEALING MY LORE!"
Fake-Kazuki looked up and made direct eye contact.
He smiled.
Not in a threatening way.
Worse.
In a supportive, understanding, mentally stable way.
He walked forward. People parted around him like reverent seaweed.
"I've been waiting for you," he said to Kazuki, voice calm. "I knew we'd meet. You have questions."
Kazuki pointed. "Yeah, like why do you look like my prophesied tax accountant?!"
They were brought to a temple made of Echo-stone, all very tasteful and cult-adjacent.
Vera paced the walls. "This place is drawing power from something old. Not you, exactly. A shard."
Fake-Kazuki explained: "I'm one of you. A splinter of your cycle, freed from the loops. I kept the part that remembered peace."
Kazuki: "So what, I'm the part that remembers trauma and poor impulse control?"
"Exactly."
Fake-Kazuki offered him a choice.
"Join me. We can cleanse the shrines together. Heal the cycle. Stop the gods from playing their game."
Kazuki stared at him.
Then stared at himself.
Then said, "No offense, but I feel like if I touch your robe, I'll evaporate."
The system flared.
[Alignment Fracture Deepening][New Option Detected: Merge – Unstable Fusion Available]
Kaelith whispered, "If you fuse with him, you'll gain his power. And probably his... weird calm thing."
Mistral: "You'll also lose your edge. Your unpredictability. Your... brokenness."
Kazuki looked down at his hands.
"I've made it this far being unstable, sarcastic, and occasionally on fire. I think I'll keep that."
He turned to the crowd.
"I'm not your Vessel. I'm not your savior. I'm just a guy trying not to break everything."
The people looked confused.
Then sad.
Then they still clapped. Because apparently this timeline has no standards.
Fake-Kazuki bowed. "Then go. But we will meet again. And next time... you may not have the choice to walk away."
Kazuki sighed. "Great. I'm being threatened by myself. New low."