"Truly tragic. I never thought he had to endure something like that..." The LooP said quietly, his voice filled with sympathy.
"Don't say that, The LooP. None of us had peaceful lives in our own universes anyway."
"Tch, I don't see anything pitiful about it. So he turned out this way just because of a girl? What an embarrassment for 'me,'" The Murder TRIO scoffed, crossing his arms.
"Hey, hey, The Murder TRIO! Knock it off!" The LooP frowned.
"Oh, what? You wanna fight?" The Murder TRIO retorted, his gaze challenging.
"We just stopped arguing to hear The Desperate's story, right?" The Chronicler stood up, attempting to ease the tension.
"Listening to that pointless story is making my limbs feel tired—" The Murder TRIO shrugged, sneering.
"Pointless? YOU DARE CALL IT THAT?!" The Desperate roared, fury blazing in his eyes. He lunged at The Murder TRIO, gripping an ice-forged Sandalphon he created in an instant. But as he charged, he was shocked to realize the blade had vanished without a trace.
"Just as I wanted!" The Murder TRIO smirked, raising his left hand, where a spear-shaped key was embedded deep into the icy Sandalphon, nullifying it completely.
The Desperate clenched his teeth, humiliation rising within him.
"Y-YOU... DON'T YOU DARE UNDERESTIMATE ME!!!" He shouted, his voice echoing across the room.
At that moment, snow began to fall within the chamber, each flake silently landing, encasing everything in a frosty veil. Each fragment of space was entirely frozen, leaving only those present unaffected. The Desperate's anger seemed to have transformed the surroundings into a realm of deadly cold, mirroring the despair and raging wrath that burned within him.
"Enough!" The Chronicler stepped forward, and with a gentle clap of his hands, a shockwave emanated, erasing all traces of ice and restoring the room to its original state.
"This is not the place for you all to fight," he said, his authoritative voice silencing any arguments in the room.
"Oh, come on, I was just stretching out a little, old man. Right, The Desperate?" The Murder TRIO sneered, with a challenging glint in his eyes.
"You—!"
The Chronicler could only sigh at the chaos unfolding. He had anticipated that gathering "versions" of himself with such different personalities would lead to conflict, but he hadn't expected it to be this difficult to maintain order.
"Settle down, everyone. I have something to say," The Chronicler spoke.
"What is it, The Chronicler?" The LooP asked curiously.
"Yeah, if you've got something to say, say it already," The Murder TRIO grumbled impatiently, sitting down and muttering under his breath.
Only The Desperate and The Emperor sat silently, saying nothing.
"Perhaps you all have been here for too long without doing anything," The Chronicler continued, "so I propose we hold a tournament."
"A tournament? Why organize one—" The LooP wondered aloud.
"Shut up, The LooP. I think it's a great idea," The Murder TRIO interrupted, visibly intrigued.
"But I'd like to know more about everyone's origins and abilities. They come from different points in the DAL world, after all."
"You talk too much! If you don't want to join, then don't!"
"It's not that I don't want to join… But, The Chronicler, what's the purpose of this tournament?" The LooP asked.
"Perhaps to help everyone understand each other better?" The Chronicler smiled. "And the prize for the winner will be... a single wish!"
"A WISH?!" The LooP and The Murder TRIO exclaimed in surprise. Even The Desperate and The Emperor showed interest.
"That's right. A wish in the most perfect universe we are searching for. I will grant anything you desire – as long as it is within my power."
Everyone knew that The Chronicler's powers surpassed anything imaginable, and the idea that their wish might come true caused the atmosphere to become lively.
"So, who agrees to participate?" The Chronicler asked.
The Murder TRIO eagerly raised his hand first. "Alright, I'm in!"
"Your wish is definitely not going to be anything good… So I'm joining too!" The LooP quickly responded.
"Alright, The LooP and The Murder TRIO are in. How about you two?" The Chronicler turned to The Desperate and The Emperor, both of whom nodded in agreement to join.
"And we will have a special member joining this tournament," The Chronicler smiled mysteriously.
"Someone else? Who is it?" The LooP asked, surprised.
The Chronicler didn't answer, but instead took out the Qlipha crystal he had given The Merciless upon his arrival in the DAL world. "Ultimate Zafkiel,
A swirling aura surrounded the Qlipha crystal, causing it to slowly rise from The Chronicler's hand. A radiant cocoon of light formed, and as it dissipated, a figure emerged from within, but their face was utterly expressionless.
"No way...?!"
"Is that... The Merciless? But you said he couldn't be revived..." The LooP stammered, eyes wide in shock.
Understanding The LooP's question, The Chronicler shook his head slightly, denying it. "Not a resurrection."
"I merely returned this entity to a moment before The Merciless vanished in order to reset his universe."
"Although he is just a replica, his strength rivals that of the original; only his emotions and thoughts cannot be restored."
"I see..." The LooP nodded, contemplative.
"Since we have The Merciless, why don't you join as well, The Chronicler?" The Murder TRIO asked, half-jokingly.
"Me? Hahaha, nice try. I don't want to win the prize myself," The Chronicler laughed heartily.
"But that's not a bad idea… Maybe I could join with my power reduced a little."
"Reduced by a hundred thousand times? Or a million times?"
"Are you serious? You'd reduce it that much?"
"What else can I do, I don't know my own limit either. Alright, let's try a million times reduction. If it's still too strong, I'll adjust," The Chronicler laughed.
"So… what are the tournament rules?" The LooP asked, intrigued.
"Oh, almost forgot. As for the rules, we'll have a Battle Royale format – the last one standing will be the winner," The Chronicler explained. "The battlefield will be the familiar city of Tenguu."
"How will a knockout be counted?" The Emperor inquired calmly, sipping his tea.
"If an opponent loses the ability to fight, they're considered eliminated," The Chronicler replied.
"Any other questions?" he asked, glancing around. No one spoke up.
With a snap of his fingers, the surrounding space expanded, the landscape of Tenguu city gradually appearing below, sprawling out before them.
"Alright, then! Let's start—"
"What is it, The Chronicler? Did you forget something?"
"Oh, right… I think I should use that catchphrase Kotori often says…" The Chronicler smiled and nodded.
He turned to everyone, raised his hand high, and shouted, "Now, let our battle begin!"