The ground was barren. Silent. Dead.
He was on his knees
in his lap… lay the girl.
Lifeless. Still.
Her body unmoving.
Her blood soaking into his hands.
He gripped her hand tightly—desperately—as if holding on could bring her back.
But it was cold.
Soft.
Already fading.
His eyes stared at her fingers, trembling.
Blood dripped down from between them.
Slowly, he let go.
And then looked at his own hands.
Soaked in crimson.
Her blood.
His chest rose and fell—
Violently.
Rage bubbling. Wrath burning.
"I swear…I will end each one of you." He shouted and raised his head
Above him stood an alliance.
cloaked in arrogance and armour.
holding a sword to his neck.
But he didn't flinch.
His eyes, wet with fury, burned back at them like fire.
He stared in the eyes of alliance and alliance stared back at him.
Amane opened his eyes, that moment was really comfortable
"…Those memories I just saw… they belonged to the Angel of Joy," the realisation was heavy
Amane rested quietly, his head in his mother's lap. breathing steady—
"But however, this moment feels so comfortable, like being away from all the suffering and overwhelming world… I wish this could stay like this forever."
a few silent tears slipped down his cheeks.
His lips parted, and in a voice so soft, yet filled with pain he whispered:
"Mother… I've ignited a war against the whole world."
A few more moments of quiet passed.
Then Amane smiled faintly through the tears.
"Even if I lose… I can always come to you, right?"
He paused.
"You'll still accept me... even if I'm a failure."
It's time to go now, the thought echoed in his mind.
Amane slowly sat up.
His body felt heavy- from the weight of what came next.
He walked toward the door, stopping before it.
His hand gripped the knob… but he didn't turn it just yet.
He stood still, hesitating.
Then, with a deep breath, he opened it.
Meanwhile
Addiction lied on a grassy hill, all alone in the middle of the night
The stars above glittered faintly, but his expression was distant.
"It's been almost a month," he said softly, "since all the humans died."
His voice wasn't mourning. It wasn't angry. Just quiet. Hollow.
He took in a deep breath
"…The air already feels a lot better."
But that peace never came.
His frown lingered.
"Something's missing," he murmured. "Even if we build the perfect world… if there's no one left to experience it—what is the point?"
He raised his hand, staring at it.
"Maybe it was never about perfection," he said quietly.
Moments passed in silence.
Only the breeze responded.
Then—suddenly—a faint golden aura began to shimmer around Addiction's face.
It was subtle at first, but then it began to grow—brighter, thicker—until something was off.
His lips twitched.
And then curled.
Into a smile.
An unnaturally wide grin pulled across his face, almost grotesque—inhuman. Like something was forcing him to smile.
He rose to his feet slowly.
That voice of his returned. Calm, confident, laced with mischief.
"Looks like… it's time now," he muttered.
He stepped onto the road.
The streetlamps flickered to life, casting long shadows over the empty street.
Addiction pulled out his phone, his fingers gliding casually over the screen.
"Play something," he said, his voice calm and cool. "Something like… one who enjoyed hell."
The music began to play—gritty, chaotic, perfectly unhinged.
Addiction walked in rhythm, hands in his pockets, his body swaying slightly to the melody. The golden hue of dusk kissed his face, but his eyes… they were somewhere else entirely.
He made his way to an old abandoned building
A dark room.
Still.
Silent.
footsteps.
Rhythmic. Calm. Confident.
Addiction entered the room, the music still playing faintly from his phone.
Jace lay on the ground—his body broken, a pool of blood spreading beneath him. He struggled for breath. Every inhale was a war. His fingers twitched feebly, trying to move… but failing.
His eyes widened watching addiction approach
He stopped in front of Jace, lowered himself, turned the music off and stared at the battered boy.
A smirk crept across his face.
"Looks like you made a mess," Addiction said casually.
Jace couldn't answer. He could barely breathe.
Addiction's expression shifted. The smirk faded. His eyes narrowed, now filled with a cold disappointment.
"I wouldn't say you failed," he said, voice low. "You went through real hell."
Jace's gaze shifted past Addiction—fixated on something behind him.
Jace's mouth opened slightly—trying to form words—but nothing came out. Just air. Just pain.
Addiction noticed.
"Oh… don't worry about them," he said as he stood up slowly, with a smirk returning to his face.
"I swear—I already got 'em."
Addiction suddenly turned back
From the darkness—movement.
Amberians lunged out of the shadows, swords gleaming midair, aiming straight for him.
Addiction didn't even flinch.
Instead—snap.
In a blink, all of them froze.
Their weapons clattered to the ground.
And one by one, their bodies bent… submitting to Addiction's will. They knelt before him—heads bowed, their faces blank, like puppets whose strings were now his.
"Just like that it's already over," he said without even looking at them.
He turned back to Jace.
"I need you alive for what's coming next," he said, leaning closer, that smirk burning into Jace's soul. "So don't you dare die this soon… pest."
__
Heaven
Lyuk opened his beautiful cyan eyes seemed like gemstones.
He was floating deep in the water, the rays of the sun piercing through the clear surface above, gently reaching for him.
Slowly, his figure began to rise.
He emerged from the pond, taking a deep breath as he stepped onto the soft grass surrounding it. All around him was greenery—serene, untouched.
__
Back to Earth
In a dark, endless room stood Addiction and Joy.
A space without walls. Just shadows.
"How can we bring Lyuk here?" Joy asked. "He must engage in the battle."
Addiction gave him his usual, sly smile.
"Don't worry. I've already figured it out," he said. "He'll come for sure… I believe in him."
Addiction looked in the eyes of Joy "Everything is going all according to my plan"
__
Heaven
Lyuk sat down quietly in the greenery all alone in deep thoughts
There was a frown on his face, instead of the usual happiness and excitement
After few moments of silence
He looked at his hands.
"Is this a curse that was bestowed on me?" he whispered in his soft, calm voice.
His face remained nearly expressionless as he stood up and began to move.
But just as he took a step forward—
A woman's voice called from behind.
"Don't go… please."
Lyuk paused for a moment, and looked behind
"I have to… There are a few people out there who believe in me, and are desperately waiting for me. I cannot let them down."
"Even if it means sacrificing yourself!?" the concern was audible in the voice
A faint smile appeared on Lyuk's face
"Don't worry…"
With that, he walked forward, toward a bright white light.
__
Under the bright night sky stood Amane, calmly staring at the stars.
He was composed—neither happy nor sad.
The darkness above felt hollow, and so did his eyes as they quietly reflected it.
"I made a wish… a wish that granted me everything I desired," he spoke softly.
"How foolish I was… not to wish for a heart and soul capable of holding those desires.
I was scared—scared that I might change, that I'd become someone else in the process.
But in the end… I still became something else.
Something worse.
And ruined everything I once cared about."
Amane began to walk.
His figure moved through the still night, and behind him, the horizon began to glow.
The sun was rising.
Its light slowly illuminated the barren ground ahead—dry, lifeless, and vast.
Amane came to a stop in the middle of that emptiness surrounded by mountains
And just a few hundred meters ahead, facing him, stood Lyuk.
From the other side, Addiction had just arrived at the peak of a nearby mountain.
He looked down—and froze.
His eyes widened.
"No way… he's here?" Addiction said in disbelief.
"He's actually here!?" Joy's voice echoed in his head, equally shocked.
They could feel the presence of him deep into their guts
Addiction's expression lit up with excitement. He ran forward, spreading his arms wide, a broad smile on his face.
He looked at the figure below while the rays of rising sun covered his face
"It is really him… never though this day would come again that I would get to see him"
"Hey, Lyuk—!" Addiction shouted
Suddenly—
SHHK!
A glowing cyan blade pierced him, slicing clean through.
"…What?" was all he could say.
His legs remained standing at the mountain's edge.
But his upper body…
tumbled down at the barren ground
The wind blew gently across the barren ground
Everything was still calm and composed as in the early morning
Lyuk turned his gaze from the mountain toward Amane.
And his eyes widened.
"Amane… You?"
Suddenly, tears welled in Lyuk's eyes—his breath caught in his throat—and without hesitation, he ran toward him.
Amane blinked, surprised. His eyes widened as recognition flickered across his face.
"You… you're Lyuk?"
Amane's brain was so messed up at this point he couldn't even recall who Lyuk was.
A broad smile broke across Amane's face. For a brief moment, the world softened. He too started to run.
But just then—
Addiction's broken body twitched.
It regenerated, tendons snapping back, blood reversing.
He stood, gritting his teeth.
"I will not let you do that…!"
A massive eye split the sky open above them—a swirling, chaotic vortex of madness. Its gaze locked on Amane.
Amane stopped.
Frozen mid-step.
The connection snapped.
Meanwhile, Lyuk didn't stop. He covered the remaining distance, panting, trembling, his body shaking with emotion. His eyes glistened with tears as he reached out.
He placed both hands gently on Amane's shoulders.
"Amane…"
His voice broke. His knees gave in, and he dropped down in front of him, looking up with overwhelmed joy.
"How have you been all this time…?"
His breath was unsteady, but he smiled, rising to stand at Amane's height. Slowly, gently, he cupped Amane's head in his hands.
"I'm so glad… that you're all right."
Amane, however, stood there expressionless.
Dead quiet.
Smack!
Amane's fist slammed into Lyuk's face.
Lyuk stumbled, falling.
Amane walked toward him, his expression was dark no longer humane, each step cold and deliberate.
"You could have saved me…
But no.
You let me suffer.
Alone.
In hell."
Lyuk tried to push himself up—
Smack!
A brutal kick to his ribs sent him sliding several yards across the dirt.
Blood ran from his mouth.
Still—he forced himself upright.
He looked at Amane.
"No matter what you do… I'm not going to fight you."
There was pain in his eyes, but not fear. Only love.
Amane stood still.
Silent.
Unmoved.
"Come on, Amane… get back into your senses," Lyuk pleaded, voice quivering but full of belief.
"All this time—I've believed in you."
Amane flinched.
His body trembled.
For a second—he paused.
His hands clenched at his sides.
The storm inside him roared.
A war in his heart.
Lyuk, breathing heavily, extended his hand.
"Amane…"
"Let's go home. we will make everything all right now."
Lyuk's figure was bloodied, his voice soft as a lullaby.
Amane's white, vacant eyes began to fade.
Slowly—painfully—they turned darker, hints of humanity returning.
And his hand…
…began to rise…
…reaching for Lyuk's.
Just as Amane's trembling hand began to reach for Lyuk's…
Far behind them, blood dripped onto the rocky floor. Fingers twitched. A voice whispered through gritted teeth…
"Don't forget dammit. This doesn't mean all your sufferings never happened."
It was Addiction.
His figure, ragged yet burning with defiance, stood with eyes flaring.
"You don't need anyone, Amane!
You came this far all by yourself, yes by yourself only!"
He marched toward him—unstoppable, furious, loyal in the most twisted way.
Addiction's hand grabbed Amane's head, fingers tightening across his temples.
Amane's body stiffened.
Lyuk's heart dropped as he saw the interference.
"Don't forget, Amane!" Addiction's voice roared.
"Don't you dare forget her!
Don't you forget every second of your suffering!
Don't forget why and how you crawled through hell"
His words were a storm—loud, relentless, echoing through Amane's mind.
Lyuk's voice cracked with rage.
"I fricking hate you…" he whispered with trembling fury.
Addiction turned—
And all he saw was Lyuk's fist.
BAM!
The punch landed hard, shattering the air with a deafening crack.
Addiction's eyes wide in shock, and blood drooling out of mouth
His body shot backwards high in air.
But it didn't stop there.
SWOOSH!
A cyan blade sliced across the sky, glowing like a crescent moon—
SLASH!
It tore through Addiction mid-air.
Across from him, Amane clenched his fists, his eyes burning—not with rage, but with conviction.
"You could have saved me Lyuk…." Amane said with a broad dark smile "well of course you could have saved me, is there anything that you aren't capable of?" Amane continued
Lyuk was shaking
"B-But" Lyuk didn't got to finish his sentence
"Can you shut up now… I don't need you anymore, I don't need your hollow promises, and I'm going to do this on my own. No matter what…"
From deep within him, a small golden orb of energy began to shimmer, floating above his palm. It pulsed with power—and sorrow.
Lyuk's eyes widened in fear.
"Don't, Amane! Please—
You'll ruin this whole world. And still… still you won't get what you desire.
It doesn't exist, Amane. Try to understand!"
Amane's expression twisted—equal parts broken and determined.
"Ruin this world?"
He stepped forward, voice heavy with grief.
"What's the point of a world without her?"
Suddenly—
A flash of memory.
A younger Amane, smiling faintly under a grey sky, looked at Lyuk with hopeful eyes.
"I need you to save me… if I ever lose it all, Lyuk."
Lyuk blinked.
And just like that—he snapped back to the present.
His hands tightened and a blade materialised into his hands
His face hardened with resolve.
"Then I'll do what I promised," he whispered, blade forming in a flash of cyan light.
"I won't let you destroy the last pieces of what you hold dear!"
Amane's eyes narrowed.
"Hold dear? I've already lost everything I ever cared about."
Lyuk stepped forward slowly.
"You still have yourself, Amane. Please—just stop this. Right now."
But Amane only chuckled.
Then, with a cold, creeping grin, he tilted his head—his smile turning wicked.
"Myself?" he said, softly.
"Oh, nah.
I lost myself a long time ago."
In an instant, Lyuk closed the distance between them.
His blade sliced clean—Amane's arm flew through the air, the golden orb of energy tumbling from his severed hand.
Time slowed.
Both reached out.
Lyuk's hand—Amane's other hand—
The orb hovered mid-fall, glowing like a dying sun.
Then—Lyuk formed a dagger in his free hand.
He drove it forward—straight into Amane's throat.
Amane choked, staggering.
His hand stopped inches short.
Lyuk caught the orb just before it touched the ground.
He clenched his fist—and with a spark of cyan light, shattered it.
A golden burst of energy dispersed into the wind, dissolving in the air.
Silence.
Then—a voice behind him.
"Ah, come on Lyuk…
I'm a lover, not a fighter…"
Lyuk turned slowly—eyes wide.
Amane stood again, smiling. His wounds were gone.
"…But I'll light this place on fire, if I have to—for her."
Flashback.
A quiet beach.
The sun hung low over the ocean.
Two younger boys sat at the edge of the water, surrounded by silence and light.
Amane, his eyes fixed on the rippling current, spoke softly:
"Why the heck are we even alive…"
Lyuk, smiling gently, answered with a voice full of quiet conviction:
"For love…
and for life."
Snap—
Back to the battlefield.
Amane's face was twisted in hatred.
"You didn't even think twice when you cut my head off, Lyuk.
All you were was a faker…
You are a faker."
Lyuk's fists trembled at his side.
His face was calm—but his eyes glistened. He was holding back tears.
Amane's arm raised once more.
A glowing red sword materialized in his grasp—pulsing with grief and rage.
"You yourself said everything we do is for love and for life."
He pointed the blade at Lyuk.
"Then this is for love."
Lyuk looked at him quietly.
A small dagger appeared in his hand.
He held it close, whispered almost too softly to hear:
"For life…"
His grip tightened.
"I didn't want this, Amane…
But if this is what you want—then I'll go along.
He raised his blade eyes matching with Amane's
Amane's grip tightened to his sword as he gazed at Lyuk
"Forgiving who you are… for whom you stand against."
Chapter 7 Ω- Way back Then
June 26 2086
The sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of deep orange and red. Jace and his uncle were talking
"I didn't buy them," Horikawa replied. "I just picked them from a party at work. I even called you to invite you, but guess who didn't answer their phone?"
"Wha—" Jace huffed, kicking a small rock. "By the way, Uncle… you know what? Sometimes life's a bitch."
Horikawa immediately grabbed Jace by the ear, pulling lightly
"You're a kid. Don't use that kind of language!"
And after few talks Jace and Him made their way back to the home
The next morning
Jace sat up in bed, blinking as soft light poured through the curtains.
"I feel a lot better… I'm glad I opened up to Uncle."
A small smile crept onto his face.
"He's a nice guy… if not the best."
He brushed his teeth, got dressed, and followed his usual routine before heading off to school.
Everything felt lighter—until he reached the classroom door.
He paused.
Sara was sitting on his desk, laughing, flanked by two boys. One of them was Zion—Jace vaguely recognized him. But the other…
Jace's heart dropped.
He had never seen the third boy before.
Yet he knew exactly who he was.
"What's going on…?" he muttered under his breath, confused and unsettled.
Sara noticed him and waved.
"Yo, Jace! Come here"
"Why she is calling me did I made some kind of mistake?"
He took cautious steps toward the group, thoughts spinning.
"Come on, dumbo. You're always so slow," Zion called out casually.
Wait, what?
Zion never talked to him like that. They'd barely even interacted before.
Jace walked towards them
Sara got down from the table and with excitement she said
"Look Jace, he is the new guy in our classroom"
"Hello, Jace Kiruzawa" the unfamiliar boy said with a grin.
Jace's eyes met the stranger's.
And his body trembled.
A cold chill ran down his spine.
"I've seen this guy… in my dreams."
Jace's breath caught.
Everything clicked.
His memories. The nightmares. The whispers. The fear.
Tears welled up in Jace's eyes as the truth surged forward like a tidal wave.
His vision blurred.
"Jace, what's wrong?" Sara's voice was laced with genuine concern. "You're crying…"
Jace slowly raised a trembling finger and pointed at Amane.
His voice was barely a whisper:
"This guy… ruined my life."
The classroom around him became a blur.
His heart pounded like war drums in his chest.
His vision snapped. Rage erupted.
He lunged—hands locking around Amane's throat.
"Jace—stop!!" Sara screamed.
But Jace didn't hear her. His rage blinded him.
And then—
Amane didn't resist. He just… grinned. His voice dropped, low and chilling:
"How foolish are you really…?"
Amane's voice dipped—low, venomous, almost inhuman.
And then the world around them shattered like glass.
The classroom dissolved into a void of white—an empty, endless room.
Nothing remained… except Jace and Amane.
Jace was still gripping Amane by the throat, breathing heavily, eyes wide with confusion and fury.
"What... is this place?!"
Amane didn't resist. He only smiled, cold and cryptic.
"Do you want to meet yourself?" he whispered.
Before Jace could react—
A doorless entrance opened from the white void.
Footsteps echoed.
A man entered—a tall, dishevelled figure in his twenties. His skin pale, his expression deranged, his hair matted and dark.
And in his hand—
A rusted metal pipe.
Jace turned toward him slowly. His eyes widened in horror.
He recognized that face.
It was him.
The man—older, broken, furious—locked eyes with Jace as he raised the pipe.
"You ruined my goddamn life!"
The pipe swung with full force.
CRACK.
It collided with Jace's ribs. His grip on Amane's throat released as he collapsed, blood spewing from his mouth, pain flooding his body like fire.
Amane just stood there watching Jace in pain with a little smirk on his face
Future Jace threw the pipe—not to kill, just out of pure annoyance.
CLANG.
It struck Jace hard across the shoulder.
"Ugh—!"
He stumbled back, wincing, barely catching himself.
Then—Future Jace was on him.
He tackled Jace to the ground and pinned him, fingers wrapping tightly around his throat.
"If only you weren't born…" Future Jace muttered coldly, eyes dead and voice flat,
"…everything would've been fine."
Jace kicked, twisted, clawed—
But he couldn't breathe. His chest burned, his lungs screamed.
He reached for anything—
His fingers brushed against the pipe that had hit him earlier.
With the last bit of strength he had, he grabbed it—
CRACK.
He smacked it against Future Jace's head.
The older boy recoiled just slightly, but it was enough—
Air finally rushed back into Jace's lungs.
He coughed violently, gasping, body still trembling.
Future Jace slowly turned his head, blood trickling down his temple now.
"…You little—"
His voice shook with fury.
Then he drove his fist into Jace's face, followed by grabbing his legs and hurling him across the room—
THUD.
Jace slammed into the wall.
The shock ran through his spine, pain exploding everywhere.
He dropped to the floor like a broken doll.
Future Jace grabbed the pipe again, dragging it across the floor as he slowly approached.
Amane, watching silently from afar, raised his hand—his eyes narrowed.
A flash.
A sudden shift.
And in an instant—
Their bodies switched.
Jace gasped, staggering.
He stared at his hands, wide-eyed.
"W-What the heck is even going on…?" he muttered, voice shaking, heart pounding.
Across the room, Future Jace—now inside young Jace's body—pushed himself up from the cracked wall.
"I'll end you," he said coldly, hatred boiling in his voice.
Jace froze.
His own body was approaching him—
But it wasn't him.
He knew that.
He felt that.
And it was coming to kill.
Jace gripped the pipe tighter, teeth clenched, and swung with all his strength—aiming straight for his own body.
CLANG!
But Future Jace caught it.
With a cruel grin, he clenched the pipe tightly—
The metal groaned—
And then—
Snap!
The end of the pipe broke clean off, leaving behind a jagged, sharp edge.
"No way…" Jace whispered in disbelief, eyes wide.
Then he saw it—
The mark on his own arm.
It was glowing red.
"Y-You don't know anything," Future Jace spat with venom.
His foot shot forward and—
WHAM!
A devastating kick to the torso sent Jace flying across the room.
He slammed into the wall.
CRACK.
And in that moment—again—
Their bodies switched back.
Jace, now once again in his real body, gasped for breath as he pushed himself off the floor—
But it was too late.
Future Jace was already sprinting toward him—rage in his eyes, the sharp end of the broken pipe in hand.
And before Jace could even move—
SHLUNK.
The pipe slammed into his chest.
Right into his heart.
A breathless second passed—
And the bodies switched again.
Jace blinked.
He was gripping the pipe.
It was buried in his own chest.
His own hands—bloodied in his own blood
All he could do was let out a short, sharp scream.
__
Outside the school
Future Jace looked around.
"Hm… so I guess I'm in the past," he muttered, scanning the surroundings.
Then his eyes dropped to his hands.
Slimmer. Smaller.
The skin was smooth—youthful.
"…I exchanged bodies with my younger self?"
There was a brief pause as the realization sank in.
He looked at the sky for a moment
"It seems like the time when Suna saved my ass from those beasts"
Jace turned around.
Behind him stood his old school—weathered, quiet, still.
"Man… this doesn't bring back good memories," he whispered with a hollow chuckle.
He started walking.
The roads were familiar… but distant.
The environment, the smells, the crooked sidewalk—it all felt like a memory caught halfway between dream and nightmare.
"This place changed a lot…" he muttered, eyes scanning the old corners of his past.
And yet, with every step forward…
A sharp sting came.
A deep, throbbing pain.
One memory after another—burning through his chest like fire.
"…Pathetic."
But still—he kept walking.
He knew this world.
He knew how it broke him.
And as Jace walked through the familiar yet distant landscape...
A faint vibration buzzed in his pocket.
He pulled out his phone.
Horikawa.
The name on the screen made his expression darken.
"Some people are better off dead," he muttered coldly.
Then—
CRACK!
He crushed the phone in his hand and tossed the remains aside.
His footsteps echoed hollowly as he walked on, aimless.
"It's not like I've got anything to do… I guess I'll just wander through this cruel world a bit more."
The road ahead was unpaved, cracked and overgrown, leading to a wide, open stretch of barren ground.
Something felt… off.
He stopped.
"What is this feeling…? The air here—it feels sick."
There was no purpose driving him forward. No mission. No hope.
And maybe that was why he kept walking.
"Best-case scenario, I die here. That wouldn't be a problem."
He stepped into the dusty open plain.
Twenty figures stood before him, lined like statues—covered in armor.
White, reflective, bone-like plating.
And among them…
One figure stood out.
Larger than the rest.
Its armor is blood-red.
The red-armored figure turned as Jace approached.
Its voice echoed, low and firm:
"Here is the source of that energy."
It drew its sword, pointing it directly at Jace.
But Jace didn't flinch. His walk remained calm—bored, even.
"…They don't bring back nice memories but at least they die when killed unlike those immortal Amberians."
The soldiers drew their weapons, prepared to strike—
Just as Jace raised a hand.
"I am your lord—Arecus."
A beat.
All twenty dropped to one knee.
Heads bowed.
Jace blinked.
"…It worked. Damn," he thought, surprised but keeping a straight face.
Then—the red-armored figure stood.
It stepped forward and knelt directly before him.
"My lord Arecus, Lord Zexus wishes to speak with you. Please… come with us."
Jace's eye twitched.
"…Hell no," he thought instantly.
"There's no way I'm going with that guy. At best… I could take down Sicus alone. But Zexus? And if I have to face both at once…"
His mind raced.
"No way in hell I'd survive that. And that damn prince also exists—"
A memory struck.
Blood.
Stone.
The Pyramid of Creed looming in the distance.
Jace lay broken, blood pooling beneath him.
"This is it… I'm going to die."
He snapped back to the present.
"He cooked me good that day…"
He looked at alliance who stood In Front of him
"I need to think"
He lowered his gaze, casting a sharp shadow over his face.
His voice dropped—deep, dangerous:
"How dare you order me? Fools… Do you have a death wish?"
The red-armored soldier flinched, trembling.
"N-no, my lord—it's just… Lord Zexus gave us direct orders…"
Jace narrowed his eyes.
"I refuse."
"If Zexus wants to speak with me, he can drag himself here."
"B-but—"
Jace's glare silenced him. The soldier took a step back, visibly shaking.
If we return without him, Zexus will kill us…
But if we force him, Arecus will kill us right here.
We're doomed either way… But maybe—just maybe—we stand a slight chance against Arecus.
Against Zexus… there's none.
One of the white-armored Alliance soldiers lunged forward, his blade gleaming as it sliced through the air.
"I'm not going back to Zexus empty-handed!" he shouted.
But Jace sidestepped with ease, turning left—
And drove his fist straight into the soldier's face.
CRACK!
The force shattered the helmet—bone and metal crumbled in a blink.
The soldier collapsed. Dead before he hit the ground.
Jace looked down at the body, his voice low and venomous.
"Don't get too ahead of yourselves."
But just as he raised his head—
WHAM!
The red-armored commander's fist slammed into Jace's skull with such force, the ground trembled and air distorted.
Jace's head snapped backward from the blow—his body unphased.
The red-armored figure breathing heavily
However, Jace slowly raised his head again.
Unfazed.
Eyes glowing faintly in the dust.
"I've fought devils, monsters…" he muttered, voice low like poison.
"Demons who steal your soul… who chew through hearts…
Ones that devour dreams—hope—entire futures.
You?"
His gaze turned sharp as steel.
"You ain't shit compared to them."
Then, suddenly—
All of them lunged at Jace.
—
Twenty minutes later.
Jace sat alone—soaked in blood—atop a small throne made of corpses.
Two white-armored soldiers slumped beneath him. The crimson commander's shattered body lay across his lap like discarded armor.
Behind him rose a mountain of mangled white-armored bodies—silent, still, and broken.
His face held no emotion.
No pride. No regret.
Just a cold void, as if the battle had meant nothing.
He looked up.
Though the sun was setting behind a bruised evening sky, a faint red star had begun to shine—burning brighter than anything else.
Jace's eyes narrowed.
"…Marcus," he muttered, voice filled with disgust.
All at once, the memories of Marcus surged into Jace's mind—
Helplessness.
Pain.
Death.
It felt like drowning in shadows he thought he'd escaped.
Jace stretched his body slightly, trying to shake it off.
"I've always been this hopeless… worthless from the beginning.
It doesn't even matter anymore, does it?" he muttered under his breath, like he was running from the thoughts themselves.
His eyes caught something in the distance—
The Pyramid of Creed.
He exhaled. And then, slowly, he started walking.
As he approached, the structure loomed like a scar on the earth.
He stopped for a moment, staring at its cracked, ancient surface.
"Everything around here just pulls out the worst memories," he said with a slight frown, beginning the climb.
And then a memory passed through his head
Addiction was standing next to Jace
Jace pointed his finger at the pyramid
"I still don't know anything about this structure… All I know about this is I got the sword from here"
Addiction gazed at the pyramid with his dark cold eyes
"This could probably be tomb of Arecus" said addiction casually
Jace's eyes widened "Yeah this makes so much sense"
Jace snapped out of the memory and started to walk.
Each step up the pyramid felt heavier than the last.
Eventually, he reached the top.
The summit was a flat stone square—plain, weathered, and empty.
Jace blinked.
"What? The sword... it's not here?" he said, surprised, scanning the area.
Then it clicked.
"Right… Suna must've drawn it out from inside the pyramid."
He searched around, feeling the cold breeze brush his skin as he examined the floor. But after a few futile minutes, he stopped.
Just… stood there.
Still.
"Why does the sword even matter anymore?" he whispered, his voice hollow.
Terrifying memories surged again—
Visions of the past, and of futures that might never be.
His breath caught.
"Who am I even kidding?" he muttered, eyes lowering.
"No matter how hard I try… how desperate I get… I always end up failing."
A voice echoed in his memory. Whispered. Cruel.
"Why don't you just die?"
The voice of the Angel.
That moment broke something.
His knees slightly buckled. The fire inside him dimmed.
"No matter how much I act tough in front of those soldiers… it doesn't change what I really am.
A coward.
A loser who ran away.
Again and again.
She was right. I should've died back then.
How can someone like me… even hope for a future?"
He turned around, eyes dull, body heavy.
And slowly, Jace began to step down from the pyramid.
He went through an alley no one around
Jace walked through it, dragging his feet like a corpse in motion.
His body was slouched. His face is unreadable—void of warmth. Void of humanity.
Behind him, soft paws padded gently on the pavement.
A small puppy followed.
It stopped when Jace did, sitting down beside him with innocent eyes and a wagging tail.
Jace didn't look down.
Didn't acknowledge it.
His eyes were locked ahead—on nothing.
Then, without a word, he raised his palm.
A flash of bright white energy sparked in the air.
A gun materialized in his hand. Cold. Sleek. Silent.
The puppy tilted its head, tail still wagging gently—as if it didn't understand death was in the air
Jace slowly raised the weapon and pressed the barrel into his mouth.
His hands were trembling.
Sweat ran down his face like rain.
His finger curled around the trigger.
His eyes closed.
But the shot never came.
Click.
He couldn't do it.
With a growl of rage, he yanked the gun out of his mouth and shouted—
"DAMMIT!! I'm still too weak to die!!"
He turned and slammed his fist into a rusted metal pole.
CLANG!
The frustration taken over him
Again.
CLANG!
Again!
Blood splattered from his knuckles. Bone cracked. But the rage only grew.
His voice broke with fury:
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
He snapped.
Jace turned the gun to his left hand.
And pulled the trigger.
BANG!
Blood sprayed into the air. A clean hole torn straight through his palm.
His fingers twitched. Muscle torn. Bone split.
The puppy yelped in terror, covering its ears and stumbling backward.
But Jace… just stared at the wound.
Breathing heavy.
Sweat mixing with blood.
"…Still not enough," he muttered.
The frustration that he felt in his guts was far from over
Then his eyes fell on the puppy.
Small. Fragile. Alive.
And something inside him broke all over again.
His expression twisted—into a grin.
A dark, cruel, hungry grin.
He stepped forward.
The puppy looked up with innocent eyes, tail wagging hesitantly.
CRACK!
Jace's boot smashed into its jaw.
The puppy cried out, flung to the ground, shaking.
But Jace didn't stop.
Again.
CRACK!
Again.
THUD!
"MAKE ME FEEL SOMETHING!!" he screamed.
"MAKE ME FEEL PAIN!!"
He switched to his wounded hand—blood gushing with every blow—and kept hitting.
Again.
And again.
The puppy whimpered… then fell silent.
But the punches didn't stop.
They kept coming.
Until Jace collapsed forward, panting, soaked in blood, surrounded by death and silence.
His face tilted up, eyes wild.
A twisted smile stretched across his lips.
And then—he screamed.
A final, monstrous scream that echoed through the city like a curse:
"I fricking hate all of this…..."
And with that he fell to his knees and then to the ground
Next day:
Jace was lying down sleeping
"A nightmare that never ends…" said Jace opening his eyes slowly looking at the morning sky realising that he had fallen asleep in the alley
He got up and holding a frown on his face started walking, until he saw a young child in distance
The kid picked up the ball, smiling as he dusted it off.
Then—
A hand rested gently on his head.
The boy looked up.
Jace stood behind him, his expression unreadable.
He crouched slowly to the child's height.
His dark eyes were empty. Void.
A faint, unnatural smile curved his lips.
"Hey, kid…
You ever seen nightmares… in person?"
The boy blinked, confused—his eyes wide and innocent.
Jace's gaze didn't change.
Still cold.
Still distant.
Still smiling.
—
Moments later—
Jace stepped out of the alley, soaked in blood.
His eyes didn't look forward—they stared off to the side, unfocused.
Expressionless.
Silent.
Void of life.
He stretched his arms a bit and looked forward spotting an apartment just Infront of him
"This is place used to be home of Horikawa…" said Jace
"I am going to murder every family member, so I can just give up on life and die"
Jace without any other thought walked into it
Opened the door and Horikawa looked at him
Horikawa was getting ready to leave wearing his lab coat
"Jace what are you doing here, I tried to contact you today… but your phone was switch-."
"Blood?"
But then he was a little confused looking at Jace as he was coated in blood at first, he doubted it of being paint or some kind of colour but however the smell he was getting was sure of blood
Jace didn't respond.
He just kept walking—slow, silent, unreadable.
Horikawa's heart skipped a beat. Gone was the cheerful boy he once knew. In his place stood something… darker.
His body tensed.
Jace stopped just a step away. His eyes were void of feeling. His voice, distant.
"I have this urge… this urge to kill—just to prove I'm still alive."
Time slowed.
Horikawa barely had time to react before Jace's hand plunged straight into his chest.
With one violent jerk—he tore out his heart.
Horikawa gasped. His eyes wide. Blood bubbled from his mouth as he crumpled to his knees, still alive, barely.
Jace looked down at him coldly, the heart pulsing in his palm.
"You're better off dead.
And don't think I've forgotten… or forgiven you."
Horikawa gripped Jace's leg but however grip was getting lighter and lighter as life essence left him
He opened his mouth, trying to speak—
"Wh—" was all he managed.
"Take this as my revenge." Said Jace
Jace smiled. Not out of joy.
A twisted, hollow grin.
Then, slowly, deliberately, he raised his boot.
Jace smiled. Not out of joy.
A twisted, hollow grin.
Then, slowly, deliberately, he raised his boot.
"Tell me, Uncle…" he whispered.
"Did I became insane?"
CRUNCH.
Horikawa's skull shattered underfoot—brain matter splattering across the pavement.
Jace stared at the corpse for few seconds and then stared at the heart in his hands
he opened his mouth and took a bite of the heart
blood splattered around his face as he ate the heart
and then a final bite he swallowed the whole
"Now Lyuk will be able to be born" said Jace wiping off the blood on his mouth by his sleeves
After few moments of gazing at the body
Jace let out a heavy breath as he collapsed onto the bed with a dull thump.
"Ah man… this sucks," he muttered, staring at the ceiling. "I'm tired… and my body's stunned too."
He laid there in silence for a few minutes, letting the quiet sink in—until the smell hit him.
Turning his head, he looked at the cold, lifeless corpse lying across the room.
"It stinks… it's making me sick," he said, forcing himself up from the bed. Disgust twisted his expression.
He walked straight into the bathroom and turned the shower on, stepping under the cold water.
Blood—his and someone else's—slowly washed off his body.
But no matter how much he scrubbed, the memory wouldn't fade.
Horikawa's death.
It played again and again behind his closed eyes.
After a while, Jace stepped out of the shower. Still damp, he opened Horikawa's almirah and pulled out a few clean clothes, barely even looking at them. He got dressed quickly and left without another glance back at the house.
He didn't want to breathe that rotting air anymore.
The streets were quiet as he walked, his footsteps slow and dragging.
"I'm tired… So damn tired," he mumbled to himself, shoulders slouched, eyes low.
And as he walked few steps, he saw a puddle on the road and he saw his reflection in it
The reflection of his younger self and suddenly his expression changed as of frustrated
He saw his younger self and he broke
"I ruined everything you ever loved.
And if you knew everything about me—
You would've hated me.
Truly hated me."
He looked down, voice trembling.
"But even then…
Your hatred wouldn't even come close
To what I feel every day…
For myself."
A bitter smile followed—empty, defeated.
"We're not the same.
I'm not like you.
Not anymore.
Not even close to what I once was."
He let out a shaky breath, then admitted:
"The truth is…
I've been jealous of you.
Yeah, I envy you.
Everything about you."
His fists clenched as the words poured out.
"You're strong.
Truly strong.
But me?
All I can do is try to prove my strength in front of the weak…"
His eyes dropped.
"You try.
You fight.
You win.
And me? All i do is run
Then I try to find some way to justfy it, but i cannot find peace no matter what
His voice cracked.
"If Arecus was here…
He would've beaten the shit out of me.
And I couldn't have done a damn thing about it."
A pause.
Then the whisper:
"All I ever do…
Is ruin everything.
That's all I am."
He took a deep breath
That's what I do.
I break things.
And when I try to fix them…
I shatter them even more.
He takes a slow breath. His voice lowers—empty, mechanical.
"You…
You have free will.
But me? I'm just a slave—"
"You have a vision.
But my mind is corrupted—
You have a soul.
But mine…
Mine is shattered."
His hand trembles. His voice cracks.
"You have a heart.
And I…
I don't."
And he snapped back into the reality and was breathing heavily
"I wanted to go back to the times when I was you," he said low and softly he was breaking from inside out however helplessly and knowing he cannot fix things he started walking
While walking he saw something in front of him walking towards him
It was another alliance covered in armour but blending perfectly in humans somehow
Jace glanced at him once, then kept walking
"He was- he is going to murder everyone in this area…." Thought Jace while walking that alliance was way past behind him now
"It doesn't matter… I-I just want to rest"
He materialized a cigarette in his hand. It lit itself instantly—no spark, no lighter. Just that old, unnatural convenience.
Smoke curled from his lips.
But his expression didn't change.
Not even a twitch.
Dead eyes.
Empty face.
He exhaled slowly and stared up at the sky.
"All these addictions…" he muttered. "They aren't even worth it… I have done it before too killing everyone around but it doesn't change anything I was still a slave"
His voice was hollow, like wind passing through a dead hallway.
Eventually, he reached Central IHCE.
Inside—grassy hills stretched like a hidden paradise, sealed off from the crumbling world outside. A pocket of peace no war had touched.
Jace climbed one of the hills. The climb didn't hurt—but it didn't heal either.
He laid down on the soft grass and shut his eyes.
"Maybe this'll give me some peace…" he whispered.
Moments passed.
"I just woke up…"
His voice was weaker now.
"…but I already feel like sleeping again."
And so, he slept.
For an hour and a half, his body didn't stir.
The world was quiet.
Still.
When he finally opened his eyes—
The air was cool.
The sky was calm.
And for once, the silence didn't hurt.
He turned to his side.
"I wonder what she's doing right now…" he murmured.
His brows furrowed—thoughts racing under his skin.
"She's still alive… at least for now."
A long pause.
"Should I try to sav—"
The thought died mid-breath.
He rolled onto his back again, eyes wide open, staring at the endless blue.
"…Who am I even kidding?"
A shaky breath.
"That's just not possible."
He shut his eyes tightly, lips pressed into a line.
And then—
A memory.
The skies were black, clawed open by lightning.
Thunder rumbled like war drums.
Jace stood atop a hill, drenched. The wind was so loud it felt like it was trying to scream for him.
Down below, a figure stood—arms raised. A priest. Cloaked. Screaming into the storm:
"I want to see that devil once again!!"
Jace's eyes snapped open, breath caught in his throat.
"…Devil?"
His whisper trembled.
His fists clenched.
Tears welled up and began to fall, one by one.
"I'm not a devil… dammit…"
He wept.
Silent at first, then trembling with sobs.
"I… I don't wanna live that way…"
He clutched his chest. The pain had no name, but it was real.
And then—with trembling legs—he stood.
He didn't walk.
He ran.
Toward the exit of IHCE. Toward the rot. Toward the truth.
"Why do I keep breaking all the promises I made to myself…?"
Back on the street.
Only ruins greeted him.
Ash and fire.
Smoke choking the sky.
Buildings—collapsing.
Corpses—scattered.
Blood—painting the roads like ink from a god's broken pen.
And in the middle of it all—
An Alliance soldier stood still.
Yellow armor. Gleaming. Untouched by carnage.
Before him, a man knelt—shaking, silent, head bowed like prey.
The Alliance's hand hovered above his skull. A low hum, charging. Building.
Power gathering.
The man could only cry in silence.
THUD. THUD. THUD.
Jace's feet pounded the ground.
His lungs burned.
But he shouted anyway.
"I REFUSE to use that demon's abilities!"
He lunged.
CRACK!
His fist collided with the Alliance's side—just before the blast fired.
The armored figure was launched backwards, crashing through concrete and debris.
Jace skidded to a stop, breathing hard, eyes wild.
"I'm not a devil…" he whispered. Then louder—
"I am not a devil nor an angel—"
And he roared.
The kneeling man stared, paralyzed by shock. The last few remaining civilians took their chance—they ran, fleeing into the smoke and ash.
Jace stood there, chest rising and falling.
But he knew it.
He wasn't strong enough.
Without the demon's power, his punch was meaningless.
From within the smoke…
A beam of light tore through the haze.
CRACK!
It struck the terrified man's skull—blood sprayed across the pavement.
He collapsed.
Dead.
And then…
From the thick smoke, the Alliance soldier emerged once more.
Calm.
Untouched.
His glowing hand dimmed as he calmly removed the gloves of his armor, piece by piece—each metallic snap echoing across the silent street.
He walked forward—Step by step—
Toward Jace.
Jace's eyes were lifeless, empty. The flames behind him danced violently, painting the sky with chaos.
In a flash, the alliance warrior appeared in front of him and swung his fist.
"Too fast…" Jace muttered, but he narrowly dodged.
The armored warrior didn't stop. Fist after fist—wild, relentless swings.
Jace kept stepping backward, dodging each one with mechanical grace. But inside—he was trembling.
Suddenly, a memory pierced his thoughts.
A voice, calm but disappointed, echoed in his head.
"You've grown too weak… too fragile. Like you're too scared to get hurt even a little bit."
Jace's pupils tightened.
Back in the moment.
His feet planted.
His jaw clenched.
"Bring it, damn it," he growled.
He didn't move.
The warrior's fist slammed directly into Jace's face.
The world shook.
His body shot backward, crashing hard against the cracked earth.
Blood dripped from his mouth. He lay there a moment, silent.
He looked down, seeing the red on his hands—his own blood.
For the first time in what felt like forever…
He felt something.
Another memory.
A dark room. A quiet conversation.
"Just fight. You're winning—trust me."
Jace sat alone in the dim glow. Across from him sat Suna, calm as ever.
"You're a naturally gifted genius," Suna said. "I believe in you."
Jace didn't respond. He was still, unreadable.
Suna leaned in.
"Even if no one else says it—I will. "You're a natural genius—far beyond anyone around you."
His voice grew firmer. "You yourself once spoke about surpassing generations… and you did.
You were the one born to surpass Zexus—the one who was the strongest and untouched."
He paused.
"You're the one who defeated Zexus."
Jace's expression was indifferent
"…That wasn't me," Jace muttered. "Whatever comes with that many sacrifices isn't a victory."
Suna's tone didn't waver.
"All I know is—I saw Zexus bleeding. And you were the one who looked down at him standing above."
Jace's mind spiraled into memory. Doubt. The weight of it all pressing down.
But Suna's next words cut through the fog:
"Are you forgetting who I am, to be saying this?"
Jace's body tensed.
"…Lord Sicus," he said quietly. The weight of the name hit him all over again. A thrilling chill ran down his spine.
Suna gave a slight smile and opened his mouth.
"I always thought Arecus would rival Zexus. But I was wrong.
You surpassed him. Zexus was never even close."
He Suna leaned in—his voice lower now, eyes locked onto Jace's.
"And to say this I am the King once considered invincible conquer of countless worlds, Lord Sicus."
"…Says the one who lost to a child," Jace replied flatly, his expression blank.
Suna chuckled.
"I lost to my opponent, yes.
But I never lost to myself."
Then his voice hardened.
"It wouldn't kill you if you starting believing in yourself for once, instead of pitying yourself."
Back in the present—
Jace slowly rose, blood still on his lips.
"I'm scared… scared to face him without those abilities I might be not enough," he thought.
But then—he took a deep breath.
"…Neither angel, nor devil," he whispered.
"I am both."
His hand trembled, but he raised it.
He pointed straight at the alliance warrior, the same cold fire now burning bright in his eyes.
"Bring it."
And this time, his smile wasn't empty.
His eyes weren't hollow.
He was alive.
Jace charged at the alliance, fist flying straight toward its helmeted head.
But the alliance ducked low, sidestepping the blow and countering with a brutal punch to Jace's gut.
Thud!
Jace grunted, but didn't flinch.
Instead—
BAM!
He drove a knee into the alliance's torso, then followed up with a quick punch to its chest.
The armored warrior slid back from the impact—but didn't even slow down.
Jace's eyes narrowed.
From the alliance's side, a sword extended—shhhnk—emerging like a blade born from its armor.
It gripped the weapon tightly, stepping forward with intent.
Jace's eyes widened.
"I don't remember this ever happening…"
Then, with half-serious protest—
"Hey! This isn't fair!"
The alliance advanced slowly, sword gleaming.
Jace's eyes locked on the weapon.
"I just need to take care of that sword."
The alliance lunged.
Jace dodged, slipped behind, and grabbed the sword arm.
"Got you, bastard!"
He swung his other fist toward the alliance's face—but—
The impact barely moved it.
Jace's pupils shrank.
"Damn it… my punches are too weak without the abilities."
Without pause, the alliance drove its fist into Jace's face, snapping his head sideways.
It slashed the sword in a horizontal arc—
Jace barely ducked in time, feeling the blade slice the air above his head.
But the next kick—CRACK!
It collided with his chest like a cannon.
Jace went flying.
Hundreds of meters.
His body slammed into the rocky ground, dust and debris rising around him.
It hurt.
Bad.
But he pushed himself up—trembling, bleeding, panting.
He was desperate.
Eyes fierce.
"I'm not losing again. No matter what…
But that bastard's too fast. Too flexible.
I have to find a way—"
Suddenly—
"Hic… hng… aaah…"
A soft cry.
Jace turned his head.
A small girl—barely six—was sitting in the rubble, arms wrapped around her knees, sobbing.
His breath caught.
"W-What? Why is she here…?"
He looked around—no one else.
"No one took her while running?"
Jace pushed through the pain and sprinted.
He planted himself in front of her—arm out in front of the girl shielding her, but his eyes locked ahead, the alliance approached slowly through the rubble
"Don't worry…" he whispered, barely loud enough to hear.
"I'll protect you.
I'll make everything right."
The girl kept crying.
"Pl-Please…" she choked through tears,
"Defeat that monster…"
A spark ignited behind his eyes.
"of course… that's why I do, that's exactly what I have been doing ever since I was born…. DEFEAT MONSTERS."
Suddenly, the alliance appeared—right in front of them.
Too fast.
Jace's eyes widened.
The alliance's blade came swinging down, a clean arc of steel and death.
"The girl—!"
With no time to think, Jace shoved her back with his leg, sending her rolling safely out of the sword's path.
Then—
CRACK!
He drove his left fist forward with everything he had.
BAM!
The punch connected.
The alliance skidded back several meters, boots dragging across the ground.
Jace didn't even wait—he spun around.
"Hey! Are you all right?" he called, chest heaving.
The girl sat on the ground, frozen.
Eyes wide.
Horrified.
Her trembling lips parted.
"Y-Your… your hand…"
Jace blinked.
"What? My hand—just tell me if you're okay—"
But then—
He followed her gaze.
His eyes fell to his right arm.
It was barely hanging on.
Only strands of flesh and skin connected it to his shoulder.
And as he moved—
it fell.
A wave of blood sprayed across the dirt, staining it deep red
Jace stared, stunned for half a second.
Then—
"AaaAAAGHHHHH!!"
The pain hit.
He screamed.
Dropped to his knees.
Clutched the air where his arm used to be.
"IT HURTS!
IT HURTS!!"
Smash!
A brutal fist crashed into Jace's skull—
The alliance struck with ruthless force, and Jace's body slammed into the ground like a broken puppet.
Blood poured from his head, matting his hair, blurring his vision.
Through hazy sight and ringing ears, he saw it.
The alliance…
…was walking toward the girl.
"No—No!"
Jace's voice was weak. Raw.
But something inside him—something furious—ignited.
I will not let you!
Fury surged through his veins.
A blaze of rage exploded in his chest as he forced himself up, staggering to his feet.
He charged.
With everything he had—
With everything he had left—
CRACK!
His fist smashed into the alliance's face.
It was a punch forged from pure wrath.
The helmet shattered instantly, fragments flying in all directions like glass.
The alliance was hurled backward—
Crashing through the air—
And slammed into the side of a collapsed building with a violent thud.
Jace stood, breathing hard.
His chest heaved.
His only hand trembled.
"My whole body… it hurts… so much…"
He turned his eyes, barely able to focus, and saw the enemy.
The alliance was still moving—pulling itself up from the rubble.
Its eyes—still filled with arrogance.
"Tch… I knew it," Jace muttered.
"I knew this wouldn't be enough."
He turned back.
The girl…
Still crying. Her face buried in her knees, sobbing, terrified.
Tears welled up in Jace's own eyes.
His legs were shaking.
His vision was spinning.
The world tilted sideways as if he were about to fall.
Then—
A voice.
From within.
Cold. Sharp. Inhuman.
"Use me."
Jace froze.
His eyes widened.
"You will be able to heal… You will be able to easily crush him… You will be able save the girl. Just become one."
The voice slithered like venom through his skull.
Jace clenched his teeth.
"I… refuse…"
His voice cracked with defiance.
"You take more than you ever give…"
He snarled, dragging his eyes back toward the alliance as it stepped out of the dust once again.
And then—
Jace moved.
One arm. No hesitation.
He ran.
The alliance readied its blade, raising it with perfect form.
"He's going for the sword—"
Jace narrowed his eyes.
He recalled a memory.
The fight with Lyuk.
Those blindingly fast strikes.
The way Lyuk danced through death itself.
"This guy… isn't even close."
The blade swung.
And Jace moved in—
At the perfect moment.
His hand caught the sword mid-swing.
The alliance faltered.
Jace's foot slammed into the enemy's chest.
WHUMP!
The grip loosened—
Jace ripped the sword free—
And in one swift motion, he rammed it into the alliance's shoulder.
The scream was muffled beneath metal.
Then—
One final kick.
Right to the torso.
THUD!
The alliance was sent crashing backward; the blade embedded deep in its armor.
Jace stumbled back, panting—his only hand soaked in blood.
But his eyes…
…were alive.
A soft smile of relief spread across Jace's battered face.
"…I did it," he whispered, almost not believing it himself.
"I finally made it… I did it. All by myself."
A flicker of something unfamiliar sparked in his chest—
Not power.
Not rage.
But… belief.
His legs trembled, steps uneven as he turned back toward the girl.
She sat there, eyes wide and teary, still curled in fear.
Jace lowered himself to her level, his expression gentle, calm.
"Everything's all right now," he said with a shaky breath.
"No need to cry anymore."
The girl suddenly threw her arms around him, sobbing into his chest.
"Thank you, hero…"
Hero?
The word echoed in Jace's mind.
A hero…? Me?
His breath caught.
He raised his hand to hug her back—
But froze.
His only hand—soaked in blood.
Torn, trembling.
He hesitated.
Then slowly pulled back, not wanting to stain her
Still, he smiled.
"What's your name, little princess?" he asked gently.
The girl looked up, eyes glistening
He smiled. She was safe. He had done it—
Until…"
SHLUNK!
A blade pierced clean through Jace's chest—
And burst out the other side, straight through the girl's neck.
Blood exploded into the air.
Time stopped.
Jace's eyes flew wide, filled with horror.
The girl's body slumped forward onto him—lifeless.
"No… No—!"
He tried to turn, but all he saw—
WHAM!
A massive fist collided with his face.
CRACK!
Bone shattered. Skull cracked open.
Jace was launched through the air, landing meters away like a discarded ragdoll.
He screamed—a sound ripped from pain, grief, and rage fused into one.
Tears poured from his eyes, but he couldn't move.
He was broken.
The cries—
Stopped.
Everything went silent.
Then—
A voice.
From the void.
Smooth. Cold. Inevitable.
A smile appeared in his mind. Not on his face—
But deep in the dark corners of his consciousness.
"You cannot change," the voice said with chilling certainty, mocking him
The mouth curled wider.
"No matter how hard you try…"
Jace's expression twisted—
Calm no longer.
All light faded from his eyes.
His face was blank.
Emotionless.
Dead.
The blood coating his body began to evaporate, turning into red mist.
His wounds sizzled as they sealed shut, the torn flesh knitting itself back together with unnatural precision.
his severed arm…
It twitched—then slowly began to regrow. Muscle. Vein. Bone. Skin.
The air grew heavier—
The very atmosphere choking, as if reality itself recoiled.
Jace rose to his feet
The alliance soldier stood frozen in shock
Jace's gaze locked onto him—eyes like the void,
Not burning with rage…
But colder than death.
He raised his hand—
Slowly.
Deliberately.
And pointed straight at the alliance.
Then he spoke—
A whisper more deafening than a scream.
"In the name of the Great God—myself—
I demand the most painful, unimaginable death
Be bestowed upon you."
The words hung in the air like a divine curse.
And in the very next instant—
It began.
The alliance soldier didn't move.
Couldn't.
His body trembled—then seized.
Blood began to pour out from the gaps in his Armor.
Dripping at first.
Then gushing.
His screams split the silence.
Not battle cries.
Not rage.
But pure, unfiltered agony.
He shrieked, thrashing, his voice shredding as if his soul was being torn apart from the inside.
The armour crumpled as if collapsing under divine pressure—ribs cracked, bones burst.
And above it all—
Jace began to laugh.
Low at first.
Then louder.
Hysterical. Mad.
Inhuman.
His voice echoed through the empty streets and crumbled buildings.
The girl's body lay motionless in the distance.
The sun bled across the sky.
And Jace laughed on…
…until even his laugh broke into silence.
And he collapsed—face-first into the blood-soaked earth
Meanwhile—
Jace—no longer the same, now inside Future Jace's body—stood still, dazed.
He glanced around, breath shallow.
Towering buildings surrounded him, silent monoliths of glass and steel. Their sheer size made him feel small—swallowed by the unfamiliar skyline. Neon lights flickered overhead. The streets were empty, lifeless, too quiet to be natural.
A dull wind howled between the skyscrapers, echoing like a distant scream.
His body felt… wrong. He looked down at his hands—older, stronger.
"What… the heck is this?" he muttered.
He turned his gaze upward.
The sky was stained grey. A static cloud cover loomed above, tinged faintly with red lightning like cracks in a dying sky.
Jace's eyes narrowed.
"Where the hell am I…" he shouted, the sound bouncing off the concrete walls around him
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Without pause, Amane grabbed Lyuk again and hurled him downward.
This time, Lyuk's head was just inches from the surface when a spike erupted from below.
He saw it—growing larger in a blink—before it pierced straight through his skull, blowing a hole clean through.
Before the blood could even settle, Amane threw Lyuk into the air.
Mid-flight, Lyuk's head began to regenerate—flesh, bone, and glowing veins knitting themselves back together. But there was no time to recover.
In an instant, a towering mountain erupted in front of him. Lyuk smashed into it with a thunderous crash, carving a crater deep into the rock. Shards of crystal burst from the stone, dozens of jagged spikes impaling him from all angles, sinking into every inch of his body.
He twitched, reflexively trying to raise a hand.
But Amane didn't give him the chance. He was already there.
Blitzing forward like a bullet, he closed the distance in a flash—his fist drawn back, glowing with destructive intent.
In the horizon, a thunderbolt cracked the sky, slamming into the earth—instantly summoning another new body of Lyuk.
And then—impact.
Amane's fist connected.
The entire mountain exploded into dust.
Lyuk's soul was transferred into this new body of his.
He stood a far, blinking rapidly as if struggling to process reality. He stared at his hands for a moment... unfamiliar, twitching, barely holding together. Then suddenly—he slammed them onto his face and let out a loud, agonized scream that pierced through the broken terrain.
Amane watched, calm and cruel, slowly stretching his arms as he walked forward.
"What's wrong, We're just getting started."
Lyuk's body trembled. His head lowered. Shadows veiled his face as he dropped to his knees.
"Ah… aaaaaaaahhh…"
The sound barely escaped his mouth as it was killing him—from the inside out
A cyan dome formed around him, an instinctive defense—soft, glowing, a moment of isolation.
Lyuk sat curled up, his arms wrapped tightly around his knees, head buried, unmoving. For a moment, he just stayed like that—silent, broken, staring downward as if the weight of the trauma had hollowed him out from the inside.
"No... I have to get back again... I must..." Lyuk muttered.
He began pounding his fists into his own skull, over and over.
"Come on... brain... WORK! WORK!!"
Amane broke into a sprint toward the dome
—and a monstrous punch, shattering it
Lyuk raised his arm to block, and though he stopped the blow, the force shattered every bone in that arm. It hung limp, broken.
But he didn't stop.
A scream that came from the depths of his soul, Lyuk swung his other fist—
—and drove it straight into Amane's head.
In a blink, Amane's head exploded like glass under pressure.
His body went limp, collapsing to the ground.
It was instant death.
Lyuk stood there, his breath ragged, body shaking
His knuckles were cracked from the blow started to heal.
He didn't turn around.
He didn't have to.
"I know you're standing there," Lyuk muttered through clenched teeth.
Behind him, a new body stepped into the white silence. Amane.
Clean. Whole. Reborn. Again.
There was no mockery in Amane's voice—only calm inevitability.
"You know how this works."
Lyuk shut his eyes, pressing his fist to his forehead, and gritted his teeth.
"Yeah... I know."
The silence between them was thick. Heavy with history. Regret. And pain.
"I hit you with everything I had."
"And I am here again," Amane said softly. "Just like a leach refusing to leave for good"
Lyuk let out a shaky breath and turned back to face amane again
Lyuk let out a shaky breath, sweat trailing down his pale skin. He turned slowly—eyes locking onto the floating figure above.
He inhaled deeply, then exhaled, grounding himself.
Two cyan-bladed swords materialized in his hands with a metallic shimmer. His body, though battered, straightened with purpose.
Closing his eyes for a moment, he found his focus again.
When he opened them—calm, confident—his usual demeanor had returned.
"Ah man… you really wanna go all the way, huh?" Lyuk said with a faint smirk, voice steadier now.
Amane didn't respond.
He just hovered, silent and cold, like a shadow that had learned how to breathe. His gaze—void of emotion—felt like a curse pressing against the soul.
Suddenly, the swords in Lyuk's hands disintegrated into glowing particles.
But he wasn't panicked.
He clenched both fists—and then slowly raised his left hand.
The world around them began to ripple.
The air shimmered like heat waves—then cracked.
A soundless, invisible tremor echoed as time began to reverse.
The dust that hung in the air pulled itself back.
Broken stones reassembled. Crystals retracted into the earth.
Even the sunlight shifted—backwards.
And Lyuk—
He was back at the moment when his head was about to collide with the spike.
But this time, a blade formed instantly in his hand.
CLANG!
Metal met crystal—he stopped the impact just in time.
With a swift twist of his body, he flipped midair and slammed a fierce kick into Amane, who hadn't expected the change. The force sent Amane's body flying back through the rubble.
Lyuk landed, breathing slow and even. He stretched out his limbs like he was warming up.
"My brain's back," he said with a smirk. "Good as new."
His cyan eyes locked onto Amane, burning with clarity.
"This is just getting started, isn't it, Amane?"
Twin short swords manifested once more—shimmering with cyan light.
Amane's eyes met Lyuk's. The broken bones in his neck snapped back into place with a sickening crack, and he twisted his head once—pop!—as if shrugging off death itself.
Both of them launched forward in perfect sync.
Amane swung a devastating fist—but Lyuk slipped past the blow with inhuman precision, stepped in close, and with a clean, fluid motion—shing!—he slashed his blade straight through Amane's neck.
Amane's head hit the ground and rolled—lifeless.
Lyuk's left hand pulsed. The gemstone embedded in it shimmered as another fracture sealed. Only three cracks remained.
Lyuk's instincts kicked in—he turned sharply.
Behind him—another Amane stood, reborn already.
Lyuk let his swords vanish into blue light and slowly spread his arms wide. His body began to glow—pulsing with divine, radiant blue energy.
He tilted his head back and laughed—loud, unhinged, triumphant.
"Haha… Hahaha!"
Clenching both hands together, he focused—energy condensed between them, swirling violently, forming a sphere that vibrated with raw destructive power.
Then—he jumped.
And hurled the orb.
It raced toward Amane like a miniature star, screaming through the air—until—
BOOOOOOM!
The explosion engulfed everything. When the smoke cleared, all that remained of Amane were his feet—charred and barely holding form.
A heartbeat later, a new body materialized—untouched, unburned.
Amane stepped forward, smirking.
"Zikrion… the Rejector of Energy," he said staring at Lyuk about what he just did
Lyuk stared him down, unfazed.
"Nah… this is the power of a god!" he shouted, voice booming through the air like thunder.
Amane raised his own hand—summoning his own orb of energy—and hurled it with fury.
THOOM.
The orb struck Lyuk—BOOM!—ripping through him, blowing away half his body. Blood poured from the wound like a crimson river, soaking the earth.
But Lyuk remained standing.
"Ah… yeah," he said almost calmly, as if remembering something mundane, even as blood streamed down his side. "I forgot…"
Then—his body began to regenerate, muscle and bone reforming rapidly, flesh knitting itself together. In mere seconds, his entire body was whole again—and his clothes also regenrated and shimmered back into existence, spotless.
Lyuk raised his left hand again.
Time around them twisted.
The world slowed, colors reversed—the moment Amane had thrown the orb replayed, but this time, Lyuk sidestepped.
And in one fluid motion—he caught the orb mid-air.
His eyes flashed.
With a grin, he threw it back.
The energy sphere slammed into Amane—BOOM!—ripping him apart.
But Lyuk wasn't finished.
He pointed his hand skyward.
Above them—a million radiant orbs materialized across the sky like stars, hovering for a second.
Then—they fell.
One by one.
A storm of divine destruction poured onto the earth, slamming into the ground with cataclysmic force. The landscape ruptured, cratered, and shattered.
Amane died.
And was reborn.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Lyuk stood at the center of the chaos, arms spread wide, his cyan eyes gleaming, a massive grin on his face—a god amidst the storm.
"If you wanna do this Amane... let's do it properly"
"Why is it that you hated humans so much?" Joy asked, genuinely curious.
Addiction didn't answer immediately. His gaze lingered in the shadows before he finally spoke—low and bitter.
"Humans... I knew they were frauds from the beginning.
God created humans.
But humans created gods—just to justify themselves.
To excuse cruelty in the name of something higher."
His voice deepened, filled with quiet disgust.
"The only religion God ever gave humans was humanity.
But they abandoned it. Quickly. Easily."
He paused, a faint sneer on his lips.
"I've been both—a god and a human.
And becoming human after knowing divinity…
It was the most terrifying thing I've ever endured."
The room felt colder now.
"Humans blamed God for every suffering they faced.
But it was their own doing—
War, racism, cruelty, greed…
Those weren't divine creations.
They were human choices."
A flicker of something darker crossed his face.
"Natural disasters and sicknesses? Sure.
But they were nothing more than reminders."
His voice dropped to a near whisper.
"As a human… I saw horror.
Real horror.
I couldn't relate to the crowd.
I looked around and asked myself—
Was I meant to be human?
Or a monster
One without limits. Without hunger's end."
He finally turned his gaze toward Joy.
"And the worst part?
There was not a trace of true humanity in sight."
"Maybe it wasn't that I hated humans after all….. I guess in true reality I felt sorry for them. They were going to taste their own poison very soon, and the only one to see that coming was Me."