She is not an investigator.

However, this rain is far from enough to send humans into the time rift to achieve the effect of traveling through time and returning to the past.

Those who remain within the range of rain will only be torn to pieces by the distortion of time.

But the problem came again.

"The rain was short-lived...at least most of the time, it wasn't enough to kill anyone."

"That's why I had to get her pocket watch, and that's why the watchmaker needed that pocket watch that could stabilize the time turbulence... But he doesn't need it anymore. He saw it, the throne above time."

Isabella, seeing Alex's increasingly somber expression, couldn't help but speak with a hint of sarcasm.

"It seems that even the police officer didn't expect that the clockmaker, who was supposed to maintain and repair time, would betray us... and become the mastermind behind this disaster."

Alex truly hadn't expected this, because she didn't understand, and had never known, what the end of time truly meant.

For this reason, she could not know what the watchmaker had seen during his long career of tuning that made him abandon his original ideals and rationality and do such a thing.

But no one can foresee all the disasters that will happen, so in such cases, it is not appropriate to complain or blame anyone.

The real key is how to solve this problem. If the cracks in time are not repaired, a real downpour is very likely to occur in Molkens.

But there are never that many people who can fix or adjust time.

"But the situation is not beyond repair... As far as I know, the watchmaker seems to have realized something a long time ago, so he has been training his successor."

The watchmaker's student was learning more than just how to repair clocks.

"It would be best if you could find a solution... but unfortunately, the crack is probably still spreading, and unless someone can go back in time to stop the clockmaker, your repair speed simply cannot keep up with the speed at which it is tearing apart... to be honest, that's why I'm here."

Isabella turned her head and stretched her stiff wrists, causing the handcuffs on her wrists to clang against the bars, indicating her current situation.

"But some guy who liked to play the hero went and got himself killed."

Alex didn't speak. She knew Isabella was referring to Igris, and she knew Igris would indeed do that.

After all, she... has never been very smart.

"Can she... come back?"

Alex didn't know what his mindset was when he asked that question; it seemed like a fluke, or perhaps a hope.

Unfortunately, she had never heard of anyone who had been affected by the Time-Reversal Rain and was able to return.

She was willing to believe that Igris could be an exception, but such a hope was still too far-fetched.

Isabella felt the same way.

Everything over there was unknown, so when she made her decision, she never thought about coming back.

She had even written her will, but unfortunately someone beat her to it before she could.

Thinking about it that way... it's actually quite ridiculous.

"Wait! Wait! Wait!"

As the two fell silent, the little witch suddenly jumped out, her face showing obvious panic.

"You...you're talking about Igris, right? What do you mean? Where did she go? She just came to help me find my familiar...why are you making it sound so serious?"

She couldn't comprehend the gravity of the situation. In the little witch's eyes, the most serious thing was that her raven had been found, but Igris had been lost.

Although she might have been able to use this opportunity to escape her promise to Igris, she had already been caught by the police, so those promises were no longer meaningful.

However, this doesn't mean she'll be indifferent to Igris's departure; at least they have another agreement between them.

Once the little witch graduates, she's going to find Igris and turn her into a raven.

Isabella glanced at the little witch who was completely oblivious to how flustered she looked, and couldn't help but grin.

"That guy probably didn't expect that so many people would care about her so much."

"..."

Alex didn't want to comment on this, but silently untied Isabella's wrists that were locked.

Isabella, now free, stood up and couldn't help but stretch, moving her stiff and sore body that had been inactive for too long, making some indescribable cracking sounds.

"So, should we go find the watchmaker's apprentice, or should we seize the opportunity to erect a monument for Igris and then plant some violets on it?"

Isabella didn't know why she specifically mentioned violets; perhaps it just came to mind.

But before Alex could answer, the little witch cried out anxiously.

"You can't do this! She's not dead! She's just... just missing..."

"Yes, she's missing. Even though everyone knows where she is, none of us can find her."

Isabella watched with interest as the little witch clung tightly to the raven in her arms, a fleeting hint of sadness flashing in her eyes.

“You know, little witch, human lifespan is very short. Unlike you witches, her time will probably only be a short fifty or sixty years. I am very willing to wait for her to come back, to wait for her to come from the past to the present... But in fact, she won’t last that long.”

Isabella wanted to say something more to add insult to injury, but Alex patted her on the shoulder and gently shook his head.

Isabella seemed to realize that she shouldn't be talking to such a child, but seeing her sad look, the mischievous phantom thief still wanted to tease her.

"Don't worry too much. Look on the bright side. You sacrificed a complete stranger in exchange for your crow. Anyone would think this deal was worthwhile, right?"

"...It's a raven."

The Gods' Fool - The Rainstorm: Chapter Fifty, But I Refusal

"call…"

The smell of blood filled the air and entered Igris's nostrils, making her slightly more alert.

She jumped down from the small pile of corpses, gently shook her slightly dizzy head, and forced herself to stay awake.

The euphoria brought on by the blood had worn off, and without that feeling of excitement, her frail body was brought back to its original state.

Igris had been fighting since morning, her arms were almost too heavy to lift, and her clothes were soaked in blood, though not a single drop of her blood was in them.

Even the Phantom's white mask was almost stained red.

If an ordinary person saw Igris in her current state, they would most likely be so frightened that they wouldn't be able to utter a word.

The clock tower was right in front of her, and even though she was exhausted, there was probably no one who could stop her now.

She carried her straight sword and slowly stepped forward.

But the next moment, another figure appeared in front of her.

It's like having some inexplicable stumbling blocks along the way, even though the destination is right in front of you. It's annoying and infuriating.

Igris took a deep breath, raised her sword, and pointed it at the figure in front of her.

"I don't want to listen to your nonsense, and I don't have the energy to listen to it. Either get out of my way, or wait to die."

"Hahaha... This is so unlike you. I thought you would be more polite."

The familiar voice made Igris look up, and she saw the person she least wanted to see.

"...What are you planning to do this time?"

"You don't seem very welcoming to me. Are you still holding a grudge about what happened in the arena last time? Don't forget, it was you who failed, it has nothing to do with me."

The man in the suit looked at Igris, who seemed to have been pulled out of a pool of blood, with great interest, wondering what kind of mischief she was up to now.

This guy never brings good news, at least not in Igris's opinion... it's mostly bad news.

"Speak... Stop wasting each other's time. I'm busy, I have my own things to do..."

"Do you really think you can solve everything by dragging this almost crippled body up the clock tower?"

"..."

Igris did not answer, but looking at her arm, which was still trembling slightly despite her grip on the sword, she knew that she was probably already in trouble.

She has to do it, but she may not be able to.

"The clockmaker... he even lost his original name. In the process of adjusting and repairing time, he finally discovered the throne at the end of time, as well as the knowledge that countless people crave, knowledge that can drive almost anyone mad. So he can cure these people's plagues... and he can also tear apart this piece of time, connecting the future with the past. Facing someone like him... do you really think you can do it?"

His every word and action seemed to mock Igris's weakness and powerlessness. Even though she could kill those who stood in her way, her strength was still terrifyingly weak when faced with this predicament.

Her pistol could not penetrate the existence that transcends dimensions, and her blade could not withstand the attack that seems to transcend time.

Her spirit could not even glimpse those ancient, hidden knowledge, and her flesh and blood could not resist the attraction originating from the gods.

"How can you, as a human being, face the watchmaker who has now transcended flesh and blood and become a member of the great herd?"

"I do not know."

Igris couldn't answer; she was simply overestimating herself, countless times.

She knew she couldn't fight the sea, but she still boarded the ship bound for the New World.

She knew she couldn't withstand the storm, but still, clutching the bomb that symbolized hope, she rushed towards that figure who could command the wind and rain.

She knew she could not see into the divine, but she still chose to climb the tower to face those scarlet eyes.

Was she really weak? Yes, in the power struggle between gods, even a single aftershock was enough to crush her into pieces.

But why can't she raise her weapons again and again and fight back?

“Come, Igris, I will give you this opportunity, in the name of the Crouching Chaos, the Many-Faced God, the Messenger of the Outer Gods, the Father of a Million Favored Ones, in the name of Nyarlathotep! I will grant you forbidden knowledge that no human can obtain, and give you the power to shatter everything! Come, stop resisting me, you know you need these.”

For the first time, he revealed a wild smile, baring his devilish fangs at the gaunt figure before him.

He was adept at manipulating people's hearts, driving them to willingly plunge into the abyss and fall into madness.

No one can resist his allure, no one can resist his greatness.

"But I refuse."

"..."

"Is this what you're after? Offering me irresistible conditions, luring me step by step into the abyss, making me your plaything?"

Igris raised the blade in her hand, and a sudden burst of flames erupted from her body, igniting the blood on her skin and her scarf.

“I hate you bunch of self-important bastards. If you really think I would willingly submit and try to use that forbidden power, then I am not Igris.”

She is neither an agent of any god nor a pawn in the hands of any god.

She refused to be manipulated by anyone, whether it was the God of a Thousand Faces or something even greater than that.

The moment someone reaches for her, she will not hesitate to ignite herself.

“Get out of here, you’ll never get anything you want from me… Nyarlathotep.”