< Flashback #1 >
( Back Then in the last days of the Year 2021. )
[ 3rd Floor of the Abyss Tower, after killing the Demon, Thorndamn*. ]
< Location: Inside the Deviant Storage >
< Obtained >
< Item: [ *Chrono Orb Storage (Legacy Item)] >
< An orb made from a mysterious material that could withstand the shift of Timelines, found by the Previous Timeline Ragnas, specifically, Ragna 69. >
< *Not its real name, tho… >
" What's this? " Ragna asks Ragna 69 as he gives it to him at a sudden while he obtains the items inside the Storage.
" An item that withstands our travel across the Timelines, possible because it was made from a powerful material..., you know? "
" Divinium*? " Ragna asks, mentioning the primordial Material from the Divine.
" Yes..., but this one's made from the purest of it..., similar to the ones they used to forge..., the [Universal Reboot Device]. " 69 explains it as Ragna gets more interested.
" Go on... " Ragna begins to listen to what 69 has to say.
" The item's name is called the [Chrono Orb Storage], but despite the name..., this item is used by me to contain Souls... " 69 explained.
" What? Souls? " Ragna gets flabbergasted.
" How do you even collect them? " Ragna gets confused.
" Only some important element of it, actually, not the core of their existence... " 69 explains.
" The 'Soul' thing is quite difficult, let my 'Aether Enchantress' Master explain it to you in the future, it has something to do with the Aether... "
" But my point is..., inside one's Soul, stores a person's memories of their existence, from each lifetime under this 'Reboot'. "
" I don't know if Twelve told you this or not. But there's a reason why the [Universal Reboot Device] needs to absorb the souls of being in such mass at the end of each timeline. That is... "
" The souls' power? " Ragna asks.
" Not just that, actually... "
" The 'Device' needed the Souls for its..., memories... "
" The reason being? It's for the Device's input which you may think as... "
" A Computer or anything like that, isn't it? " Ragna interrupts.
" The more I think of it..., don't tell me the reason it needed 'memories' is because... "
" It's for the 'Device's personal 'Data Input'... " 69 straightens the answer.
" As well as this Orb... " 69 then shifts the topic back to the orb.
" Since this thing is made from the same 'material', like the 'Device' itself... "
" I..., alongside the other Ragnas... "
" Used it to store some essence of the people we've met, the ones we cared, and the ones we thought important..., including some of Carlas of course... " 69 tells.
" Carla... " Ragna thinks while his [Twelve Eye] glows, showing something.
" What is it? " 69 asks Ragna but he shakes his head.
" Nothing, 69, just the same vision as before... " Ragna said it with a stutter, a thing that 69 caught with curiosity.
" Is the vision scary or it's something that is so classified, even to the likes of me? " 69 asks Ragna as he shakes his head.
" It's nothing... "
" I'm just wondering... if we could meet the 'Aether Enchantress' in the future after we finish this Abyss Tower... "
" Learning more about Souls and the Aether sounds nice..., am I right? " Ragna asks 69.
...
...
< Flashback #2 >
( Days After the Abyss Tower. )
[ Location: Aeaea Island. ]
< Item: [ *Chrono Orb Storage (Legacy Item)] >
< An orb made from a mysterious material that could withstand the shift of Timelines, found by the Previous Timeline Ragnas, specifically, Ragna 69. >
< *Not its real name, tho… >
" Never think I would see this item again? "
" For here I think knowing your Uncle was the 'Dark Avatar' is the peak of things that you could astound me? " Circe asks after Ragna, now in his White Demon attire, visits her on her island. Asking her some things after they first met.
" You know it? " Ragna asks Circe more.
" Yes..., I'm the one who gave it to you..., in the 69th Timeline... "
" I simply stole some of the 'Universal Reboot Device's Materials to made this thing..., made something almost similar to the 'Device', having some of its great features in a weaker scale... "
" But still..., the term 'weaker scale' here is not to be looked down upon. "
" For it has the power to contain a great amount essence of a person's Souls..., containing some of its essence despite the 'Device's full hold over it, but enough. "
" Enough to store a person's memories of their previous lifetimes, or perhaps strengths, powers. "
" But why are you bringing this to me now? " Circe asks which Ragna replies with a simple smirk on his face.
"For you to tell me more about this 'thing'... "
...
( Back to the present. )
White Demon shows the item in front of the Camera Drones, showing it live which made people wonder what did he just pull out of nowhere.
" All of you..., all of you who see me wherever you are... " White Demon opens with his words.
" You all are wondering..., why it has come to this... "
" All of your constant destruction over your lives, all this war between gods and demons, humans vs monsters, and even this bullshit Tournament... " White Demon tells, confusing the people who saw him.
" There's a reason for all that..., there's a reason for it all... "
" And here I'm telling ya..., the reason is simple... "
" It has something to do..., with the past..., 'past's that your gods and demons are covering up. "
" Covering up because they want to sit nicely on their thrones made of gold, fancy sitting in the skies while watching the suffering of your lives as if they were a joke. "
" You know this..., all of you... "
" You may not get this in your brains, but in your hearts..., you always knew... "
" That you all, the mortals who were born and live in this twisted mortal world, knew that something is going on, you know it but you can't utter it since you can't get the proof or even... "
" Remember why you felt the thing in your hearts... " White Demon raises the orb even higher, to make the camera focus on that thing.
" This thing is the [Chrono Orb Storage]..., an item with the power to contain some essences of every mortal being's soul. "
" But the real name of this thing is actually..., the [Cauldron Orb of Souls]... "
" Made by my Master..., the 'Aether Enchantress'..., Olympians~ " White Demon mentioned the Olympians in front of the camera, making all who saw this live on every screen they saw, raise their eyebrows.
" Aether Enchantress!? " Athena rose as soon as he heard it.
" That orb..., if the demon says true about the title of its maker. " Athena rises from her seat, but the other Olympians look at her at the time.
" Oh, we're gonna do nothing!? " Athena asks her brothers and sisters. Athena looks at them, seeing them all sit in their places, no one dares to act as if they all will do something if Zeus gave them the order to do so.
" Just where are you, Father? " Athena asks as things happen.
" Where are you? Why do you leave us right before the Tournament? " Athena asks as she sees more of the White Demon.
" Within the Orb's soul essences, lies within something that every god is afraid of... "
" Memories of certain mortals whose essence are stored within by me through a 'Blood Vow' Contract..., in the 'previous times'... "
" Once the orb is opened, the soul essences will leave this thing empty and return to the ones they came from. "
" Once they return..., those who received back their essences will be the ones who will share the truth of all things using their 'memories', revealing the 'Great Secret'. "
" And now, as we already waste the time for the intro... " White Demon raises his voice, opening the Orb as it unleashes the Soul Essence of those he contracted in the 'previous times'. "
" Time to bring forth the world, the 'Awakeners'. " White Demon says as the Soul Essences storms out from the Orb.
" Return Stored Souls! "
" Return to your hosts..., return to your flesh! "
" And Awaken! "
< Item [ Chrono Orb Storage 'Cauldron Orb of Souls' (Legacy Item) ] has been emptied, and the Soul Essences are released and returned to their owner's body. >
< With the return of the Soul Essences, the mortals who had their Soul Essence returned will be stormed with memories, not to mention, abilities that they once had. >
< Once it happened..., the mortals will become, an 'Awakener'. >
" Hmph... " White Demon smirked as the Soul Essences returned to their bodies in the Current Timelines, awakening them both with memories or even any other features that their souls stored within, injecting every data in it to the person's hard drive like a USB.
" I've been waiting to meet you all again... " White Demon says as soon as he hears the noise of chaos far away, he can tell that the 'Awakeners' are quickly reacting to their awakening.
" Now what I want to do here is done... " White Demon looked at [Behemoth] ordering him to return to the Shadows.
" Time to return. " White Demon says, preparing a [Water Gate] for him to leave the scene.
...
( Meanwhile, not so far away. )
" What was that? " Aidan sees it from his phone, he's already near the place that could provide some connection while carrying Yukino.
" Jan messaged me this link, to think they would dare show things like this live. "
" 'Cauldron Orb of Souls', previous times, soul essence, and 'Awakeners'. " Aidan says but then.
" Do you know something about this, Lord Agni? " Aidan asks the Lord, but he just goes silent after Aidan watches the whole thing.
As Aidan asked the Lord for an answer, a shining light approached with great speed.
" What the " Aidan prepares his flames, but it's too late, the light quickly hits Yukino, entering her body.
* As it enters, a light appears around Yukino's neck, showing a mark. *
" Senpai! " Aidan calls for her, but within Yukino.
...
...
...
Where am I?
What is...
" Honey... " a voice called her, Yukino awakes, seeing an old man with a white beard approaching her.
" You seemed tired my dear love..., guess being a grandparent is so tiring, isn't it? hehe... " The old man chuckles as Yukino suddenly looks to her left, looking at the mirror that happened nearby, seeing herself with an old face.
" What ha... " Yukino tries to speak, but the old man approaches her...
" Is it your dementia, again? " The old man approached her, took a seat beside her, and hugged her.
" You're always like this..., aren't you? " the old man says while Yukino wonders what he's talking about.
" Ever since you get old, the deterioration of your memories is getting so fast. "
" It is sad for me, that my wife may forget me in the rest of our senile lives, but... "
" I should've known... " the old man loosens the hug and his hands are now placed around her neck, touching it gently.
" Just like in the previous times..., you are always bound to have me taken out of your memories. "
" But from now on..., I vowed. "
" No longer you'll forget about me..., no longer you will be taken away before our Granddaughter showed us her success... "
" I'll promise you that, my love. " the old man's hand began to glow around Old Yukino's neck, doing something that she didn't understand.
" The time will come my dearest, the time will come... "
" The time for you..., to 'Awaken'. " said the old man to Yukino as the scene suddenly changed to the scene where the White Demon choked her at the end of the Abyss Tower incident.
Yukino gasps, awake from her dream, her eyes glow as well as the markings around her neck.
" You...! " Yukino's first words after waking up from the dream.
" Don't tell me..., this whole time!? "
__________________
Extra:
* 3rd Floor of the Abyss Tower, after killing the Demon, Thorndamn.
It happens in Chapters 172-176 (Previous Time Retribution Part 1-5).
* Divinium.
Read in 44: Inquisitor's Inspection (3).