Creak.
Kalpas' fist remained steadily enclosed within Aleph's palm. The latter's right hand visibly gained black scales. His fingernails became sharp. It was akin to a black gauntlet filled with varying purple lines. The transformation halted on his elbow. Circuit-like purple lines decorated his entire body.
With such a luxurious treatment, Kalpas wasn't able to force him to move an inch.
Crack-!
The shockwaves of his attack caused cracks to appear in the roadway as well as the sanatorium's walls. The surface they were standing in caved in due to the cracks beneath their feet.
"You…"
"Alright, alright. It's my turn now, isn't it?" Aleph asked as he slowly released Kalpas' fist. His right hand turned back to normal.
"Three."
'This bastard..!'
Seeing Aleph give him a head start, Kalpas' annoyance for the man increased sharply. He got the feeling of being looked down upon.
"Two."
Still, Kalpas built a distance between them. His eyes were ready to read Aleph's movements.
"One."
Swoosh-!
It wasn't as fast as Kalpas expected it to be. Aleph was walking in large strides without bothering with his punching posture.
The latter was feeling underwhelmed when he sensed something bad from that regular punch.
It was as if…
All he could see was that strike.
Bam-!
…
For a moment, Kalpas' mind stopped thinking. The next thing he knew, he was looking at the blue sky. The sunlight didn't do as much as slightly blind his eyes.
"That's my first lesson, free of charge."
Suddenly, he heard the annoying voice coming from his side. He saw Aleph offering his hand to help him stand up.
Kalpas did not grab it and instead stood up on his own.
"This might be fine by me, fighting and all. But, if you keep on asking for a fight with whomever strong person you meet, it's bound to make a bad impression."
Aleph didn't seem bothered when Kalpas didn't take his help. Ironically, he found out that he was a few inches taller than the bulky masked man. It somehow crushed his expectations when comparing the Kalpas he knew.
As a master of hiding his internal struggles, Aleph maintained a calm demeanor throughout their conversation.
"Still, I'd like to thank you for protecting them." He said. "No matter what the reason may be, these people are safe."
"..."
"Once I deal with the troubles at my end, I'll give it to you. A satisfying fight."
In the end, the masked man gave him a reply:
"You said it."
*****
With Aleph deliberately speeding up, it didn't take long before he returned to the third institute. The first place he went was the controlled experimental zone outside the main facility.
He came across several researchers. From them, he learned that the practical tests are now in the final phases.
Soon, he came across Einstein. Her eye bags were particularly prominent under her glasses.
"I brought something, director."
"Hm?"
Her checking of data was halted when Aleph brought over a silver box.
Fwoosh-!
The air was depressurized the moment he opened it. Inside lay a cylindrical object with dim blue lines.
The moment Einstein saw it, she saw its extraordinariness.
"This is..?"
"The result of my project. It is an upgraded version of the nuclear reactor." Aleph explained. "This one is responsible for extracting dark energy. It's at least ten times more potent than nuclear reactors. Unbelievably enough, its output is only behind a honkai reactor (honkai engine)."
Decades of study allowed Fire MOTH to come up with practical applications when it comes to the honkai. The honkai reactors used in honkai-powered mechs are one of them. There was also the flagship-class air cruiser that could be used as a mobile headquarters. Only, its resource expedition was also just as exaggerated. The honkai reactor they could produce barely reached 1,200 Honkai Watts. The technology to increase safety limits wasn't mature yet.
Though, the reactor's output is predicted to increase once MANTIS soldiers are produced in wide-scale.
"Can it be steadily produced?" She asked.
"With the Truth Arsenal, yes."
The decision to focus on the first divine key finally paid off.
"We'll switch it for the program's frame." Einstein said. "It should be able to power up the portable quantum computers with more ease."
The two discussed several professional matters before the final trial started. This time, Aleph took the role of a supporter. The team of third institute's elites and Einstein working together was a terrifying workforce. It was also different from his experience with Mobius as there are more people to cover each other's backs.
The only thing to watch out for was the little changes that may be detrimental to the project.
Soon…
{It's a success.}
"It's a success."
The ELF Einstein (chibi) heralded the success of the Project ELF.
*****
It was a long day. It didn't take long before Aleph found himself in the dreamland.
"In my world… I don't know what to do. Sometimes, I feel like it's better to live in a world like yours."
'That was… me.'
Aleph recognized the scene he saw. It was one of his talks in the mirror during the first few months he received the power to communicate to another world.
He was despondent due to his parents' deaths. Add to that the pressure he had since he recalled his memories when he was a child…
It was very commendable for him to not break down until now.
"Even… if I acknowledge it as the right move… I won't know if it backfires or not…"
The pages of his diary began to get wet from his tears.
At that time, Aleph knew. He should get himself together. Fix some things. Do something worthwhile.
However, his failure in his past life was the biggest baggage he carried over to this world. All the frustrations when he was bombed before he could do anything came to catch him now.
When everything was added together, it made him more pessimistic, even if subconsciously.
"...Fuck… I am… sorry… for this…"
The person on the other side of the mirror fell silent. Aleph, who was watching this particular recollection, also fell silent.
Compared to before, his current mentality is extremely strong. The confidence brought by strength, his Achievement Hunter, his abilities (Great Sage and Elemental Sight), as well as his current status set him apart from his previous self.
That time, he didn't have anything—no cheats, powers. When he explored the mirror for a few months and got nothing, that became the final nail in the coffin.
It was his first and last breakdown.
'The nightmares from back then…' He thought. 'I dealt with them thanks to her help.'
The next moment was something he expected.
"Does it matter? Failure or success..."
A slightly childish voice came from the other side.
"If you are going to die, it is better to die doing your best." She said. "You say you know of the future. Then, do it. Your plans. It doesn't matter what other people think… or what might happen. Honestly, no one can blame you…"
The counselor-slash-therapist-slash-friend, Kurumi Tokisaki, came to the rescue.
*****
A/N: Depression hits. That was a harsh lesson I came across. You know it's irrational, that it's better to spend time thinking of something else, but there is just that feeling of helplessness at times. It was a strange state. You know it yourself that it is bad, yet you can't bring yourself to stop feeling down. All in all, it depends on a person's mental forte and circumstances.
The best solution to that is to have a friend who will hear your vents out, and that's what happened here with Aleph and Kurumi's dynamics. Do expect for the future chapters to add more characterization to Kurumi atop others.
Happy Reading~!