"Behind," Type-M called out.
Juan whipped around in a fraction of a second, slamming his fist down and illuminating the entire Sea of Reality with one strike.
"Right."
The red waves filled with neverending stars and galaxies rose and fell at his ankles.
"Left."
"Power" was one of two words that could describe the image.
The other was "horror."
Hundreds of bodies were strewn across the realm like an army that once was, each bloodied and smeared with gaping wounds that would be more akin to an attack from a wild beast.
Yet there was no beast.
And there was no army.
In the midst of this realm was a futile battle for both parties.
One where Juan kills Godfried an infinite number of times; and where Godfried reincarnates an infinite number of times.
Type-M was left with no choice but to idly view the massacre, mindlessly calling out Godfried's location with her future sight.
A strike that blew a hole clean through his chest.
His head being torn off as his scalp was gripped and ripped to shreds.
It was a storm of blood that showed no signs of quelling.
Nothing works... no matter how many times I kill him, Juan thought.
Destiny itself willed Godfried to live. He was immortal.
His weakness... He has to have one. Those scars on his eye and arm are fresh...
Juan stopped, his mind desperately racing as lightning coiled around him.
Blind rage wouldn't win this battle and Juan realized that, to calm his mind was the key to finding Godfried's weakness.
Godfried's Akashic power was already activated before coming here, in combination with his wounds, he must've fought someone of equal strength, Juan thought.
Alan's out of the picture since I was with him right before this battle.
Matt could've held his own against Godfried but to permanently damage him is unlikely.
There exists other players in the war but none would be on the level of those two.
That left only one person...
"Juan!" Type-M shouted out.
The few seconds he had spent in thought had allowed Godfried to recover from his infinite loop of death.
A chilling laugh echoed through the sea as his body was born anew.
"Your Akashic power is fate. You fled to the Sea of Reality after battling with Weisenburg and the scar over your eye is proof of that," Juan announced.
Godfried smirked, "I'm impressed, but you were intelligent enough to complete Protocol A so I shouldn't be suprised. Although...
Using your wife for the experiment? I thought better of you. I guess you and I are the same, Juan."
There was, at that moment, a suffocating animosity in the air.
Between the immortal man and the God of Lightning stood an unsurmountable wall that separated the two's ideals in every way imaginable.
In a billion worlds and a billion timelines, they would never meet eye to eye.
And both understood that perfectly.
"We are nothing alike. It's a disgrace to be compared to you, a filthy killer who goes to any length to satisfy themself. Don't ever put my name next to yours."
Juan leapt into the air, raising his index finger to the sky.
Godfried quickly poised his blade hidden beneath his clothing and slit his own throat.
Being reborn directly behind Type-M, Godfried closed in on his kill.
"Thunderstorm."
But before he could, a single lightning bolt struck Juan's finger and blasted into hundreds of different coils.
It rained an intense pouring of electricity and destruction.
In a fraction of a second, thousands of lightning bolts would strike the ground and cause gargantuan waves to be sent in all directions.
...
The first experiment.
Juan was a scientist, to approach a battle was to hypothesize.
To win a battle was to analyze.
Speed was one thing Juan excelled at but there was still a split second delay to when Type-M would fully call out Godfried's future location and Juan could kill him.
Perhaps removing that delay would remove his ability to reborn, Juan thought.
If lightning rained throughout the whole battlefield at a constantly rapid rate then there would eventually be a moment where Godfried is killed and immediately after being reborn, be killed again by another bolt.
Weisenburg's Akashic power was time.
So Juan hypothesized that if he could move at a rate that eliminated time as a factor then it was possible for him to match Weisenburg for an instant and damage Godfried.
...
Godfried was utterly annihilated as the storm began, reduced to ash after being struck.
Over and over. Over and over, he was struck.
The wrathful lightning encircled Type-M and the deafening thunder blew out her ears.
An incandescent loneliness filled her deep blue eyes as a feeling of powerlessness washed over.
"Juan..."
Standing above all, the God of Thunder simply watched as the seas were razed by his light show.
He simply waited for the moment to come.
It was only a matter of time before the lightning and Godfried became entangled in a perfect syncopation.
...
After approximately 10 minutes of countless deaths, it occurred.
Godfried was killed and reborn in an instant, materializing directly where a lightning bolt was currently striking.
And as the thundering blow shook his body, he cried out in pain for the first time.
Godfried collapsed in a heap before biting his own tongue to end his life.
"That's it..." Juan panted out as the thunderstorm came to a halt.
He was exhausted. Maintaining the absurd amount of energy his Akashic power was expending could be compared to sprinting four ultramarathons in a row.
That's what it took to match Weisenburg's power even for a millisecond.
...
Godfried was reborn adjacent to the man who brings storm.
A giant burn scar now adorned his body, beginning from his face and running down to the fingertips of his arm.
"You son of a bitch," he uttered through gritted teeth.
"I'm just getting started," Juan said.
...
The second experiment.
There exists an "A" and "B" experiment that could've occurred whether the hypothesis of Godfried's weakness was false or correct.
"Experiment A" being an all-out attack to pierce a hole through the Sea of Reality, allowing Type-M to escape and Juan to sacrifice himself.
But in this case the hypothesis was correct, so "Experiment B" would take place.
As an initial assault, Juan's thunderstorm was excellent at exploiting Godfried's weakness but couldn't be maintained long term.
Meaning that Juan needed to use a similiar technique with a precise radius and maintain it for a longer period of time.
His Akashic power was to summon all types of storms since the power itself is the "origin" of them.
By training with and observing Alan's technique "Range: Expand" as well as his unique aura-like ability, Juan learned of new ways to manipulate this origin.
...
The great chosm that grates the soil of the Earth.
A terror since the dawn of man and calling of the northern winds.
At this moment it came to fruition in the palm of his hand.
Everything would freeze over as the man who only knew revenge approached.
...
"Torrential Origin: Blizzard."
The Sea of Reality would freeze over into something like an ice age.
Stars once lining the ocean crystallized into millions of tiny gems and a whipping wind so sharp it could cut steel settled in.
Type-M approached Juan's side.
"Don't," he said to her.
"You can't fight him by yourself, that's too much of a burden."
Juan replied coldly, "It's too dangerous for you."
Tears began to well in Type-M's eyes, "Juan... At least let me be by your side in this moment. If you died now, I'd never forgive myself for sitting by idly.
I want to do something useful with this life you gave me."
He looked over to her.
And as her brilliant red hair blew in the violent winds and as her face glowed a pale white from the frigid cold...
All Juan could see in Type-M's face was his wife.
...
August 3rd, 2026. (4 years ago)
Niigata Prefecture, Japan.
Dozens of stalls lined the streets of a sprawling urban center.
Traditional lanterns and yukata-clad crowds could be seen everywhere you looked.
The sweet smell of freshly-baked goods and the sound of idle chatter filled the air.
"Juan! Come here!" Miku's joyous laughter cut through it all while she pointed to a television screen.
Juan approached the dinky device sat on the edge of a cheap plastic table.
"You're on TV! Your research on soul manipulation is making headlines."
Juan's eyes glazed over as a smile spread across his face.
"You're right, I guess people are finally recognizing my genius."
"That's right! My husband's the smartest!" She seemed to announce to the whole festival.
"You're too loud," Juan hung his head, flustered.
The sound of footsteps drew near.
A group of four red-haired women and a black-haired man approached.
"Ah, there you are," One of the girls called out.
Miku ran up and greeted them all, inviting Juan to do the same.
"Everyone, this is my husband, Juan. Juan, these are my sisters: Ichika, Nino, Itsuki, and Yotsuba. Also, this is Yotsuba's husband, Futaro."
"Nice to meet you all," Juan said quietly.
They all looked the exact same. Every sister, including his wife, had almost identical features.
They looked so similiar Juan was scared that he might take the wrong girl to bed tonight.
Itsuki pouted, "You're all getting married before me, I wish someone would make a move on me like that."
Nino smirked, "Aren't you talking with that guy? He still hasn't tried anything?"
Itsuki's face flushed bright red.
"Wasn't his name Gabe? I heard he's a racist homeless guy with a small dick."
"That's not true it's actually very big!" Itsuki blurted out.
"Come on guys, the firework show is starting soon," Yotsuba interjected.
Miku took Juan's hand in hers as the group ran to the viewing point.
Rushing past festive scenes and bustling vendors, they eventually reached the flat patch of grass beside Shinano River.
"We made it," Yotsuba let a out a deep sigh, trying to catch her breath.
Futaro and the others were completely winded yet Itsuki remained unfazed.
"Are you not tired?" Nino asked her, panting heavily.
"No, taking Gabe's 18 inch cock has really increased my stamina," Itsuki replied.
"It's starting now, guys," Ichika said.
...
A single streak flew into the air.
Followed by hundreds of little stars that lit up the night sky.
One by one, they popped like tiny bubbles and showering streams of color flooded down to the earth.
Juan watched on, yet in the corner of his vision he caught a glimpse of his wife's profile.
Her eyes sparkled with an innocent joy and a smile brighter than the fireworks ingrained itself into Juan's mind.
She caught him staring and pulled him close.
"Let's travel the world and see sights like this after you're done with your research. I want to go everywhere with you."
The deafening blasts of fireworks rendered anyone else unable to hear her.
It was like a world only Juan and Miku resided in.
"Miku... after everything is done I'll go with you. We can spend everyday like this."
"You promise?"
"I promise. My dream is to make you happy."
Miku whispered in his ear, "Then I'll be waiting. No matter how long, I'll wait for you. Even if it's for an eternity... This is something that I'll keep living on for.
There isn't anything that would make me happier."
...
The violent gusts of sheering wind danced around Juan and Type-M.
Godfried was caught in the storm and rushed forward towards the two.
Yet he would never make it.
His feet froze to the ground and the ice slowly crawled up his body.
...
"We're the same, right Godfried? You'll go any length to satisfy your own desires...
And I'll go any length to kill you...
I've found it.
My reason for living on is to kill you.
I will not take my last breath until I kill you.
Even if I'm to die, I'll kill you."
For the first time since his wife's death, Juan smiled...
As the God of Lightning and his seer made their final stand.