Ozai, returning from the snack run, froze in disbelief at the scene before him. Though he stood some distance from the park, the horrifying sight was clear—his worst fears had manifested.
The snacks he carried slipped from his hands, falling to the ground.
His pupils dilated and trembled within his wide eyes, his body shaking uncontrollably.
Cold sweat drenched his skin as his heart pounded violently in his chest.
"Sei..." he whispered, barely audible, his breath shallow and ragged.
He could not grasp the reality of what lay before him. His legs threatened to buckle beneath him, his strength draining rapidly as the terrible truth imprinted itself in his mind—the lifeless body of his brother.
It was a vision too cruel to accept. The brother he cherished, the one who radiated kindness, warmth, and a selfless nature, was lying motionless on the ground. The boy who always thought himself a burden, despite being an angel to everyone around him—was dead.
Ozai collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest as he gasped for air, suffocating beneath the weight of his grief. His lungs felt as though they had failed him, and the reality pressed down on him like a vice.
But then, amid the despair, a flicker of hope emerged.
He remembered his Awakened Ability—the power to reverse time by a few minutes.
"Right!" he gasped, his breath still unsteady.
"I can do it! I just need to turn back time, I just have to-"
Suddenly, a dreadful realization struck him, freezing his words in his throat.
At his current level, Ozai could only reverse time by two minutes but it had taken two minutes to walk to the store and another two and a half to return.
Five to six minutes had passed, and his power wasn't enough to save his brother. He needed to turn time back by at least six or seven minutes, a feat beyond his reach.
Despair surged anew, his voice breaking as tears fell.
"No, no, no! This isn't about whether I can or can't—I have to do it! If I don't..." His cry was anguished, his heart splintering.
"If I don't, Seiya will cease to exist!"
The mere thought of his little brother's absence in the world shattered him completely.
"Time is slipping away! Every second matters!" Determined, Ozai squeezed his eyes shut, his palms pressed against the cold ground beneath him.
Moments later, his eyes snapped open, and the air around him seemed to congeal. The trees stood still, and even the falling leaves halted in midair.
Inside his eyes, gray and foggy, the world began to rewind rapidly, like a road racing backward at impossible speed.
Ozai blinked awake inside the convenience store, his breath irregular as he stood at the counter.
He had succeeded in turning back time, but the question echoed in his mind: Did I make it in time?
Without hesitation, he turned and dashed out of the store, ignoring the clerk calling after him.
His heart raced as he sprinted, each step fueled by desperate hope. He had to be faster, quicker than before. But as he reached the same spot as earlier, his heart sank—the same scene unfolded before his eyes.
His brother was gone, again.
For a moment, Ozai faltered, but then, hope rekindled. I'll try again. I'll try as many times as it takes.
Once more, Ozai shut his eyes, the world freezing around him. And once more, he found himself back in the store, standing at the counter.
His resolve hardened. I can't turn back time any further—for now—but I will.
I have to move faster.
Determined, he sprinted out of the store again, his pace even faster, fueled by sheer willpower. But still, the same tragic sight greeted him.
Not giving up, Ozai turned back time again, but this time, he opened his eyes not inside the store but at the door, hand on the knob, ready to enter.
Blood dripped from his nose, the toll of his ability manifesting physically. Turning back time didn't erase the experiences—he retained every memory, every pain, every sight of his brother's death.
He was pushing himself beyond his limits.
Yet, standing there with blood trickling from his nose, a smirk formed on his lips. He had managed to push time back further. Ignoring the consequences, Ozai sprinted faster, his determination burning bright.
This time, when he arrived, he didn't meet the lifeless body of his brother lying waste on the ground, rather, he was met with the critical moment the chakram collided with the crook of his brother's neck—cleaving down and splitting his small body in half.
Ozai collapsed to his knees, breathless, his chest heaving in pain. His body was breaking down, the weight of his repeated attempts too much to bear.
Blood continued to flow from his nose, his body drenched in sweat. His heart thundered in his chest as his eyes, sunken and dry, gazed at the scene.
Yet, despite the agony, a smile spread across his face.
"I saw it," he murmured, relief seeping through his words.
He had turned back time far enough to witness 'how' his brother died.
Seeing it meant he could stop it. It was a tiny breakthrough but one that shined ever so brightly, a new light of hope upon him.
But it wasn't enough. He needed to go further back, gather more details. He had to understand the chakram's trajectory—the direction, the angle, the distance—so he could intercept it with his weapon in time, since he couldn't physically reach Seiya fast enough.
Again, Ozai attempted to turn back time farther, but when his eyes opened, he was back at the store door, hand on the knob. A setback, but not a defeat.
If at my current level I can't turn time back any further, he thought, then I'll get there faster.
With newfound speed, he sprinted again, arriving earlier than before. He saw the chakram's direction and angle, though the attacker remained hidden. It was enough.
Each repetition was as painful as the last, watching his brother die repeatedly took a toll. No amount of battle experience could prepare him for this personal horror.
But now, with the details in hand, Ozai sighed deeply. He tapped his foot rhythmically, preparing for the next attempt.
One last time, he closed his eyes, and the world reversed again.
Ozai opened his eyes to the same spot outside the store, at the door, hand on the knob.
He crouched and grabbed a dagger that was strapped to his leg before dashing off.
He sprinted faster than ever, driven by a singular goal—to save Seiya.
As he neared the park, he saw the chakram slicing through the air, aimed at Seiya. Timing it perfectly, Ozai lunged forward.
With a swift, powerful thrust, his dagger intercepted the chakram inches from his brother's neck, deflecting it with a metallic clank.
Seeing this, Hye Rin, their older sister, moved swiftly, grabbing Seiya and leaping out of harm's way.
Panting furiously, Ozai joined his sister in guarding their younger brother, their eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of the enemy.
The chakram disappeared into the distance, leaving them momentarily safe.
Hye Rin glanced at Ozai, her gaze filled with concern. She could tell what he had been through.
"Did they get him?" she asked quietly.
"Yeah," Ozai breathed.
"How bad?"
Ozai hesitated, memories of the earlier failed attempts flooding back. One look into his eyes, Hye Rin read the pain without him saying a word.
Her expression hardened, anger boiling beneath the surface. The mere thought of her angelic little brother dying and the thought that her younger brother was pushed this far in an effort to save their little brother.
It was something Hye Rin deemed unforgivable and right there, she was determined to wipe out the existence of the people who had dared such an atrocity.
"How many times?" Hye Rin probed farther, asking Ozai how many times he reversed time to save their little brother.
Ozai replied in a calm and solemn tone, "5"
This only pushed Hye Rin into deeper rage.
"Sei" Hye Rin said softly, turning to Seiya "I need you to close your eyes and not watch what's about to happen"
Reluctantly, the boy nodded, trusting his sister.
Hye Rin kissed the top of his head before enclosing him in a sphere of water—a barrier, lifting him gently off the ground and setting him aside for protection.
At that moment, a voice echoed across the park. "Oh my, I thought I had him for sure."
Hye Rin's eyes flashed with fury.
"Hah?!" Veins popped up on her face.
A growling Hye Rin walked to Ozai and they stood side by side.
All they could hear was the voice but not the actual person.
They had fought a lot of battles enough to know what situation they were in.
It had to be either a Demon or a Rogue with the ability to perfectly veil themselves and their presence.
"Don't think you'd be getting out of this after that stunt you pulled on my brother!" Ozai growled, his hand extended as if summoning something.
From the ground, a gleaming sword emerged into his hand. A straight double-edged sword.
The handle was wrapped in rich, gold leather, soft to the touch yet firm in grip.
Around the hilt, golden threads spiral upwards, making their way to the golden pommel that is round and smooth.
The sword seemed filled with aura like an extension of its wielder, exuding a warm but undeniable power.
Ozai wasn't in the best shape but he wasn't about to let the one who harmed his brother go scot free.
"Just because you possess veiling powers, don't think you can escape" Hye Rin fired with her eyes roaming everywhere.
Both of them were determined to eliminate the enemy and they saw no future where they lost.
A voice, mocking and arrogant, responded. "Escape you say? I was charged with the mission to eliminate the both of you and I won't be leaving until it is accomplished, hahahahahaha"
Her piercing laugh filled the park.
Hearing this, Hye Rin's lips twitched and formed into a smirk.
"Heh? The both of us?! Think you can pull that off?"
Now Hye Rin was in one way taunting the enemy, a way to provoke them and make them show themselves but she wasn't entirely wrong.
Defeating the both of them would be a near-impossible feat.
Despite their youth, they were already well-known among the Humanity Saviours, having made a name for themselves through their strength and abilities—in other words, they were formidable.
"How foolish!"
A woman with dark hair, adorned in a flowing Chinese gown, appeared in midair, seemingly suspended by a chakram beneath her feet, while another floated by her side.
A faint smile played on Hye Rin's lips.
So, you've finally decided to show yourself.
"How foolish of you to doubt my ability to accomplish such an effortless mission!" The woman gazed down at them, her cold eyes brimming with disdain.
"Think about it! You two may be known for your strength, but I was sent alone. Do you not wonder why? It is because I wield powers beyond your comprehension!" She spread her arms wide, reveling in the sound of her own praise.
"Is that so?" Hye Rin remained calm, her gaze steady.
"Or perhaps," she continued, "They've simply grown tired of you and sent you on a suicide mission to rid themselves of a nuisance like you?"
The woman's face contorted in rage, but before she could fully succumb to her fury, Hye Rin spoke once more.
"In summary…."
A faint mist curled from Hye Rin's lips as she smiled.
"You are dying!"
In an instant, a whip of water coiled around the woman's neck, constricting and yanking her forward with such speed and force that, the moment she was pulled within range, Ozai's blade descended upon her neck, guided by Hye Rin's command.