8:00 AM
Association of Heroes Palace.
President Yu Yato is accompanied by 19 out of 20 squad leaders; the only absentee is Zeff. All have their positions around the spherical table, with a large cubic screen in the center for optimal viewing. They repeatedly watch the entire battle between the five heroes and two demons recorded by an association drone.
Yu Yato wears a solemn expression, and the other Heroes' gazes darken. The president stops the video with a remote, expressing concern as he addresses the Team Leaders: "That red-haired demon is the same one Hero Mei encountered in Bakuro Forest. I confirmed with Hero Zeff, who identified this demon as the main culprit behind his team's deaths. Despite 'Deborah', as she calls herself, visiting Fort Military Academy to meet another demon... this embarrasses me greatly. To think there are demons among us, demons taking human forms and living among us... You've seen their abilities, what they're capable of, and the threat they pose. We must do something to subdue them as soon as possible!"
The president's speech is solemn, yet anxiety and fear among the Heroes grow after witnessing the vast strength difference between them and the demons.
Rox, a hero in his thirties, raises his hand, seeking to speak. The president signals for him to proceed.
"Weren't there previous demon-caused disappearances at that academy? Perhaps that white-haired demon was responsible for them." Rox suggests.
Another hero, Isabella, adds:"It's possible. The two low-rank heroes we sent were too inexperienced and incompetent. It's no wonder they couldn't find her, even though she was right under their noses. They reported no further incidents after a cadet's disappearance and withdrew... Sending higher-ranked or even squad leaders might have been better."
The president, pensive, then asks them a question: "Do you believe you can face those two demons? They are the strongest ever seen on Earth."
Rox scoffs, declaring:"Do we have a choice? We are the defenders of this world, and if we fall, it will truly be the end."
As soon as he finishes speaking, an Hero starts tapping on the table.
His name is Raven.
...
Becoming a Hero usually follows a negative experience with demons, like losing someone dear to them, fueling a desire for revenge. For Raven, the story is both similar and different...
...
Annoyed by Raven's tapping, Rox asks him: "Do you have something to ask, dear policeman?"
Raven, with a calm and emotionless face, responds: "No need to beat around the bush. If we face those demons, it will be the end. Did you see Deborah's movements...? Well, I didn't. It seems she teleported, how can you even think of fighting someone like that?"
He then looks at the other Heroes, who gives him dirty looks, clarifying:"I'm not suggesting we run from the fight, but consider that the failure rate, hence our deaths, would be high."
'... 99.9999%' He continues mentally.
Some Heroes make displeased faces but cannot object. Mei, who faced Death, suggests:"Maybe killing them isn't necessary. We just need to find a way to trap and imprison them, as we've done with other troublesome demons."
"How do you plan to imprison Deborah? Did you see how she killed an S-rank Hero with just a kick? If you've forgotten, she even beheaded him with a Special weapon! I still can't fathom how she didn't die!" Rox retorts, irritated by the truth Raven presented.
"We'll think carefully. We can leverage the power of the Prison demon and find a way!" Mei continues, trying to reassure everyone.
President Yu Yato listens in silence. He took over the association ten years ago, succeeding his father, who succumbed to illness. There has never been a crisis like this in his memory, and the possibility that humanity's end has come is very high.
'Why have these two powerful demons appeared now?'
'Is humanity truly destined to perish?'
These are the thoughts plaguing him. Despite developing weapons over the decades, constantly improving them, every time it seems they're winning the ongoing war with demons, stronger ones emerge...
...
The discussion is suddenly interrupted by a strange phenomenon: a vortex of demonic energy appears on the table, destroying the cubic screen and causing panic among everyone in seconds.
"What's happening?"
"Is it the power of a demon?"
"Are we under attack?! Save the president!"
...
I caused that vortex by deciding to materialize again in this world, specifically in this location. In about ten seconds, I complete my materialization, unintentionally destroying the table and sending almost all heroes flying.
I am clad in black armor, which is nothing more than dense demonic energy. All heroes look at me with concern, some even drawing their weapons and trembling as they aim them at me.
President Yu Yato, surrounded by four heroes, looks at me with fear but finds the strength to speak: "Who are you? Are you a demon, aren't you?"
Upon hearing those words, I instinctively disperse the demonic energy surrounding my face, revealing myself to them. Just like five years ago, I have the body of a young boy.
I stare at Yu Yato in the eyes when I sense two sources of hostility behind me: two heroes have unsheathed their lances, fueled by the power of the Justice demon, awaiting the unfolding of events to decide whether or not to attack me. However, before they can even contemplate doing so, I instantly disintegrate them from this world, ensuring no one remembers their existence.
"What do you want? Why are you here?" Yu Yato continues to question me.
Ignoring him, I look in Raven's direction. Among the present heroes in the room, he is the only one who remained seated unperturbed, with his section of the table intact. This is because, at my will, he didn't experience the effects of my materialization.
...
His story will be interesting to follow.
Without lingering further, I disappear, plunging everyone into complete despair, only to reappear inside an apartment in a building.
Before me are Dominion and Death, both looking at me in shock.
"Are you Darkness?" Dominion asks with growing anxiety.
...
I don't respond. Instead, I begin to gaze into his eyes, the eyes of a body that doesn't belong to him.
Death quickly recovers from her astonishment and, realizing that the end might be near, rushes towards me at high speed with the intention to kill. I stop her mid-air before she can approach and then propel her in the opposite direction at even greater speed for the next 3 minutes and 48 seconds.
Then, I look back at Dominion.
I reach out my right hand towards him and extract him from Leya, revealing his true form. Then i imbue Leya with some demonic energy, drawing her towards me.
I decide not to take further action against Dominion, sensing no murderous instinct towards me.
"So, nothing has changed?" Dominion says with disappointment.
"What was supposed to change?" I ask, showing him my childlike voice.
"Will you destroy this universe too?"
"As I told you. Everything created is destined for destruction, so this universe will meet its end... at the hands of Chaos." I solemnly say.
"But then why? Why did you let me alter your memories? I thought you had chosen to surrender to your fate! I thought you would sacrifice yourself to save us all!" He exclaims, shocked and incredulous.
"I just saw a future in which I found it amusing to live." I reveal him, glancing at Leya by my side, a smile playing on my lips.
"Your (my) plan hasn't failed. Darkness managed to absorb me; it's just going to take some time for him to gain control..." I continue, sparking a flame of hope in him, yet confusion grows stronger:
'Did he decide to die?'
'Why let himself be controlled?'
'What does he want to achieve?'
...
I came here just to look at Leya one last time.
I start staring at her while she's still unconscious.
Should I wake her up? And why should I do that?
...
I've already decided what to do now.
...
I keep my eyes fixed on her before closing them slowly.
....
When I reopen them, I find myself in the village of Fubuya.
December 7, 796.
This is Kataleya's hometown, and now I'm just a few meters outside her house.
I move away from there and head into a nearby forest.
In complete silence, I slowly separate my body into two twin entities.
I turn to the entity I separated from me, noticing it's opening its eyes.
After looking at me, it scans the surroundings, then itself, and exclaims:"Were you aware of this? Did you do this to prevent me from taking total control of your body?"
"It's true." I reply with clarity.
He sits on the base of a cut tree and starts staring at me, thoughtful.
So I calmly say:"Two Chaos cannot exist. You've taken control of most of my body, and the fraction I now represent is smaller than yours, so over time, I will weaken until I disappear. Only then will you be complete."
It looks at me perplexed, showing the same face as Dominion:"Why did you choose to die? You destroyed a timeline to return to this era... Was it really for the love of that girl? Yet, you should know it's fake, that Dominion manipulated her to make you fall in love!" He yells, impatient.
Then he stands up, approaches me, and lifts me by the neck, saying as it holds me up:"The moment you started feeling something for that human, your existence began to falter! You are Chaos! Every action of yours must be chaotic, unpredictable. You don't speak... you don't communicate with anyone! Living as a human has deeply marked you, and now you will pay the consequences. I will kill you now!"
I tap his hand on the back three times, indicating that if he doesn't let me go, he will suffocate me, really killing me.
"What's this? Are you regretting it? But it's too late now!" He insists, displaying his blissful ignorance.
In any case, in 10 seconds, he will see for himself.
...
I feel his grip loosen, making me fall to the ground as he starts sweating and getting alarmed.
"What have you done? What have you done to my body?" He screams in ignorance.
Technically, that body would be mine...
"We are one... If you kill me, you will die too. The only thing left for you is to wait..." I reveal, also adding something he should have understood by now.
"I couldn't bring many abilities with me, but I certainly took the most interesting one..." I tell him with a smile.
He stares at me, even though I know he is now looking inside himself, realizing that there is only one ability missing from his violent and amusing arsenal.
"...Omniscience." He says slowly.
Then he continues:"If you chose to take this one, I guess you know what to do to survive in this world... I will wait. I will wait for the moment when you finally leave, full of remorse because you will understand the mistake you made. Unless..."
He shifts his gaze from me and looks towards the houses. Then he curiously says me:"Unless you abandon that weakness and go back on your steps..."
After finishing speaking, he vanishes, teleporting to another location on the continent.
I know what he was referring to, but I have no intention of doing it.
...
I head towards the houses in Leya's direction.
The Revolutionaries are already arriving to kidnap them and deliver them to Dr. Marco.
This event cannot be changed.
I no longer have the abilities to alter it.
Should I have changed the course of history before parting ways with Darkness? But that generated future would have been... so dull.
I reach about ten meters from their residence.
I hear voices coming from the backyard of that house: Leya and her brother Kronos are playing on the lawn. I spy on them, remaining hidden among the hedges.
Leya is still a child, only 6 years old, while Kronos is already 14.
That's why his fate will be very different from his sister's.
But I will be there to support her.
Cars are already approaching: they are the Revolutionaries.
They kidnap children of all ages and hand them over to Dr. Marco and his men, all part of their plan.
Soon, they will enter the house and kill her parents...
It doesn't make sense to warn them; they wouldn't believe me. I wouldn't be able to save Leya either since she has no memory of me in this timeline and she won't trust me. I wouldn't be able to kidnap her because Kronos would attack me, and I don't have the strength to resist him.
...
This event cannot be changed.
...
Through the window overlooking the garden, I see hooded men entering the house. Leya's parents have been caught off guard but, before doing anything else, they are killed with precise shots to the chest.
"What happened?" Says Kronos, alarmed by the noises.
He gets up from the ground and heads towards the back door, followed by Leya. I decide to follow them without being noticed.
Once inside the house, they look at their parents on the floor in pools of blood.
Leya goes to her mother, thinking she's sleeping, but Kronos knew the truth: someone had killed them.
He looks around and doesn't see the culprit, so quickly, he takes Leya's arm and escapes again from the back.
In that moment, our eyes meet.
Alarmed, he says:"Who are you? Get out of here! There are criminals!"
Ah... Foolish.
Behind him, three men appear, one of whom immobilizes him and injects a powerful sedative into his neck, making him quickly faint.
"Big brother! Big brother! Why did you fall asleep too?!" Leya screams, shaking him with her small hands.
A black hood is placed over her head, and she is tied with a rope; the same is then done to Kronos.
One of them looks at me, while I remain motionless in the doorway, and says: "There's another one! We have to take him too; he's seen us."
I am quickly approached, and without resisting, I let them give me the same treatment as the two siblings.