Chapter 11
Candidate
"We have to hurry towards Gruff, his power is too great for me to let him get stronger in purgatory." (James)
"What's so special about him anyways? Unlike me and Sora he doesn't own a book. So where does his monstrous strength and skills come from?" (Iustitia)
"Most of it is raw talent. Even during our first battle he managed to pull off things that I could do by only seeing it along with a half-assed explanation. But the rest is his potential as a Origin god candidate. Which is an extraordinary thing. I estimate there's probably only 5 more in this era. They all have the same trait of being swordsmen. As well as a traumatic past. Which is a thing purgatory takes advantage of. Which is why If I let Gruff stay in purgatory any longer he'll begin getting thoughts of ending the world after he realizes he has the power to potentially do so." (James)
"Potentially? Are you saying he has a chance?" (Sora)
"Calling it a chance would be a stretch really. The odds are more or so 00000000.2% by himself. He would have to spend over 20 Million Years here to even reach 2% chance. As much as I hate them and to admit this the three Origin gods are strong as hell. Of course this is only due to my power." (James)
"Lord Origin wouldn't it be best if we befriended Gruff after he awakes as an Origin god then take on the other 3. With all of us surely we can establish some sort of Gruff supremacy. " (Sora)
"No need to call me lord or Origin. Just James is fine. Man, was your character development rushed. But to answer your question. No we can not do that. The origin gods won't just simply let another one arise. They'll all probably wage war on him as soon as he awakens. Do you really think we could win that? Which is why the point of this journey is not only to regain my power but also to slowly awaken Gruff's while also finding strong companions. Were at 6 of us right now. I think 13 would be a good amount. But that number might increase or decrease." (James)
"6? Are you counting me also?" (Artemis)
" Of course why wouldn't I? Any friend of Sora is a friend of mine. So get comfortable we're in for a long adventure. The land of Omni is stupidly huge. So we're going to run into all sorts of things and people. But the journey doesn't end at Omni. There's still one true goal." (James)
"What true goal?" (Iustitia)
"I'll tell you after we rescue Gruff. I'll need all of you to hear this." (James)
"I wonder what Gruff's purgatory is. All I know for sure is that it's the worst of us all." (Iustitia)
"We just have to make sure he'll calm down after he's out." (James)
In Gruff's Purgatory
"So I died. This is purgatory huh. I thought there would be more flames and destruction. But it's just a wide plains area. Guess I'll do some exploring until Mitasakou comes to pick me up." (Gruff)
"Hello there. Gruff I see you've made your way here." (???)
"Vale? No you're an imposter. As much as It'll pain me. I have to kill you." (Gruffl
"Again? You're going to kill me again. Is that something you enjoy doing? You really have no feelings for me I see. That's why you left me and Mia for so long. I kept waiting and waiting and waiting. But to no avail. Just when I finally see you again I'm called an imposter who has to die. I might be an imposter but you are not the man I loved." (Vale)
"It's you. I see now." (Gruff)
Gruff falls on his knees crying.
"Vale. I'm sorry. So sorry. If only I weren't so weak. I could've come back quicker. I'm a failure as a Husband, Dad, and Man. I swear I'll bring you back one day. Once you're back I will spend every second and minute of day with you. But even that won't be enough for me to repent. Truthfully I deserve to stay in purgatory. But I made a promise. One that I will keep." (Gruff)
"It seems that you have suffered a lot. The same as me. Fine, I'll forgive you once you bring me back but how exactly are you going to do that? I've been here for many years. A quarter of them I spent trying to escape became I wanted to see Mia again. But I never found a way out." (Vale)
"Thomas told you I was fighting someone right?" (Gruff)
"Yes he said it was a powerful and mysterious intruder." (Vale)
"Well it just so happened that it was no other than Origin." (Gruff)
"ORIGIN. The Origin. Origin as in the creator god." (Vale)
"Yes, the Origin. But he goes by the name of James Mitasakou when he's on Omni. He promised me that once we complete his goal he'll bring you back." (Gruff)
"Wow, knowing that you fought toe to toe with the creator god makes me almost want to forgive you for everything you did to me." (Vale)
"It wasn't exactly toe to toe. But enough about that. You've been here longer than me so you must understand everything about this place right?" (Gruff)
"Well not everything but I can say this. Purgatory is a very horrifying place. It's an endless loop of what would be the worst thing for you to experience. You can escape the loop with enough time but if you die out of it you still go back. Also once you get used to the specific thing that scares you it either wipes your memory to restart it or it creates a new one. But it can't erase memories outside the loop." (Vale)
"So where are we now in or out of the loop?" (Gruff)
"Right now we're out of it. But that won't last long because due to the nature of purgatory something always finds a way to kill you. The environment outside the loop changes every time I make it here to make it difficult to adapt. Sometimes it is a city, dessert, tundra, jungle,etc. Right now it's the plains area. Gruff you started outside the loop. So once you die you'll be put in it. I'm warning you will hurt you in the worst possible ways. But you have to push forward and make it outside. I can make it here an hour from when I'm reset. You have to make it to that level." (Vale)
"Ok I understand but why are you in such a rush?" (Gruff)
"Why? Because our ticket to death's door is right there." (Vale)
Vale point's at a meteor.
"Oh I see. Well I guess this is goodbye for now. You'll probably spend a lot of outside loops on your own until I make it myself. But please forgive my selfishness when I ask you to wait for me again." (Gruff)
"I will don't worry. Just promise to me you won't go insane." (Vale)
"I promise I won't." (Gruff)
The meteor hits killing them both
"How foolish it was for me to make another promise I wouldn't keep. This place is beyond hell." (Gruff?)