Asic channeled as much black lightning into Agaret as possible before rushing to the source of the asra energy. Fearing he might be too late, he slashed through walls and barriers to reach his destination quickly. From the moment he sensed the Joker's power to when the Joker stole Ejin's ego, barely two minutes had passed.
Asic's gaze fell on Ejin, who lay unconscious in a wheelchair. The boy's hair had turned snow white, save for faint orange at the tips. His lifeless eyes and weakened body told a grim story of the relentless beating he'd endured.
"What happened to him?" Asic asked. Though the high-frequency blade dulled his empathy and heightened his bloodlust, his iron heart still cared for those in need.
Seeing Ejin's tear-streaked face and white hair, rage flared within Asic, making his eyes glow fiercely.
"The kid's ego was stolen. If you want him, take him. He's useless now," Avid replied indifferently, as if washing his hands of the matter. Asic's ears perked up at the shocking revelation.
"His ego was stolen?"
"Yes. The Joker forced him into a contract, sacrificing 50 years of his life to awaken his ego, only to rip it out of him afterward. This is the result. Don't be foolish and try to fight the Joker. It's pointless. You can't beat someone with hundreds of egos," Avid cautioned, his tone seemingly genuine. With this explanation, Asic turned his piercing gaze toward the Joker.
If Avid's words were true, then the Joker had been orchestrating the kidnapping of talented children, forcing them to awaken their egos at the cost of their lifespans, only to harvest their power for himself.
"How many futures have you destroyed?" Asic demanded. The Joker, who had been stepping through the door, turned to face him fully.
"I don't know. I've lost count, just like I've lost count of how many cups of coffee I've had."
"So, you're nothing but a wretched scum who's ruined countless lives," Asic growled, gripping his blade tighter. Black lightning surged around him, and a massive asra energy wave erupted from his cloaked form, disrupting the electronics in the room. His anger was palpable, shaking everything around him.
"Can you return the boy's ego?"
"What if I say no? What will you do?"
"Then I'll use force."
"It doesn't seem like you have the power to force me. You're not capable enough," the Joker taunted.
"We'll see about that. Letting a monster like you roam free would be a lifelong nightmare for me," Asic retorted. He had heard rumors of the Joker—a death merchant who could make anyone's desires come true for the right price. But seeing the Joker in action made one thing clear: his powers were far more terrifying than any rumor.
*He steals others' egos and sells them to the highest bidder. He must see great value in Ejin's card to have come here personally. There won't be another chance to stop him. It has to be here and now.*
*Overclock Miner! Overclocking!*
[Overclock!]
Asic activated his overclocking ability, pushing himself to the limit. Black lightning cloaked his body, and his violet high-frequency blade slashed through the air with devastating precision.
**Chrono Arts, 4 Seconds Time Fold**
Asic's reflexes and speed surged. Four seconds of compressed time gave him enough of an edge to decide the battle—distance, power, and speed were all in his favor. He was confident he could defeat the Joker before he had a chance to react. There was no need to ask why the Joker had killed Legis; the man who murdered Asic's brother now stood before him.
"What a pity. You found me too soon," the Joker said before unleashing an explosion of pure asra energy. The blinding white aura filled the room, sharp enough to sting the eyes. Though not as bright as Agaret's earlier display, it was enough to disorient Asic.
[Warning: Enemy's asra energy exceeds 999 units. Danger level: Maximum! This opponent is unbeatable!]
OC's warning rang out, but it was too late. Asic infused his blade with Sky Dragon energy, striking with lightning speed.
In Asic's compressed time, he moved faster than anyone could react. But the Joker matched his speed effortlessly, his perception and cognitive processes operating at the same level or higher. The surrounding temperature plummeted, the air freezing to absolute zero.
**Unstable Form: Absolute Zero**
The Joker's energy shifted to an ice attribute, freezing the area. Time itself seemed to slow to a halt as the Joker activated his time-stop ability.
**Chrono Arts: Time Stop, 5 Seconds**
If Asic's power compressed time, the Joker's stopped it entirely. In this frozen world, Asic stood immobilized, a statue in the stillness, while the Joker calmly approached him.
Five seconds in frozen time might seem brief, but it was more than enough for the Joker to kill.
"If you had more time, you might have defeated me. But unfortunately, we met too soon. Come forth, White Joker," the Joker declared, channeling half his asra energy to summon the white clown figure. The White Joker bowed beside him, its gaze fixed on Asic like a lion stalking prey.
"White Joker, extract his ego," the Joker ordered.
"Understood," White Joker replied, absorbing a significant portion of its master's energy. It unleashed a flurry of punches on Asic's immobile body. Though the attacks were not physically damaging, they aimed to separate Asic from his ego card.
White Joker's true power wasn't brute strength but the ability to steal the talents and egos of others. It delivered its hundredth punch, and something began to break free from Asic.
But just as the Overclock Miner ego card was about to be extracted, an unexpected force intervened.
The White Joker and the suited man's perspective shifted. They no longer stood in a frozen world but in the subconscious realm of another. Asic's body remained where it was, but a shadowy humanoid figure emerged beside him.
It was a robot, human-sized, its appearance incomprehensible to the Jokers. It stepped forward to confront the White Joker.
"Who are you?" the Joker asked, his voice tinged with surprise.
"I've never seen you before."
[For the safety of my master, I have no obligation to answer you. The White Joker's power is ineffective against us. Your efforts are entirely futile, no matter how much power you use.]
"Fascinating. Even in stopped time, you can confront me. Does that mean your power transcends the temporal dimension?" the Joker speculated. Normally, only he could think and act during stopped time. Even Asic was frozen, which meant this entity's power exceeded the constraints of time.
Since the beginning, OC had never disclosed the full extent of its abilities to Asic. Overclocking was merely a derivative of Asic's original time-folding power. The processing, strategic calculations, and combat optimization OC provided were supplemental. Its true power was something else entirely.
**Overclock Miner's True Power: Beyond Time**
[Time holds no sway over us. Even our master is not yet permitted to know this power. It is too soon for him to comprehend dimensions beyond time.]
"I've never heard of an ego like this," the Joker remarked.
[It's impossible for anyone to know of us. Our power exists beyond time itself. Even if you've glimpsed the future, you wouldn't recognize us. We exist only in this timeline, this dimension, and nowhere else—not in the past, present, or parallel worlds.]
[Abandon any thoughts of discovering our true nature. It's the most futile pursuit. And we will never allow you to harm our master.]
"And what will you do? An ego without a physical form can't protect its master," the Joker mocked. Even with OC's temporal dominance, he believed it couldn't prevent him from killing Asic—unless...
[Request submitted to the Fluction system. Master's ego fragments have reached 100% completion. Considering the life-threatening circumstances, we will sacrifice half of our life energy and borrow assets from the future. Request approved.]
[Initiating the true awakening of Master's ego.] OC raised its hand and struck Asic. Though intangible, its impact reverberated through Asic's essence.
From the moment Asic picked up his blade to save Ejin, the scattered fragments of his ego had gradually come together. Now, fully merged, they awakened through OC's true power.
[We are a special operating system designed to push our user beyond their limits. We were never an ego to begin with. Now, witness the awakening of our master's true ego.]
OC connected to Asic's Fluction system, and black asra energy exploded from him. The subconscious realm faded, returning to the frozen world. The five seconds of stopped time ended, and both the Joker and Asic resumed their movements.
Asic's memories of the last few seconds were fragmented, but he felt a powerful force stirring within him. It was the same sensation as when he first summoned OC, but this time it was magnified tenfold.
When Asic accessed his Fluction system, he discovered a single card occupying four slots. Channeling all his asra energy into it, he activated it. A black asra card appeared in his hand.
"Awaken, my ego," Asic declared, striking his chest. His energy coalesced into the form of a black-cloaked clown with a furious visage.
**Black Joker**