Clang, clang
The collision between the kunai was intense. Both Sharingan spun as they predicted each other's attacks, but since they were the same person, every strike was neutralized by the other...
Bam, bam
Even so, the clash shattered the black spikes. Fortunately, the dream nullified all attacks...
"First Gate, Gate of Opening... open!" Stomping the ground, First Timeline Yuki shot forward like a cannonball. Yuki didn't lag behind. His Sharingan spun as he decided to push even further....
"Second Gate, the Gate of Rest... open!"
The Apocalypse Virus coursed through their bodies at incredible speed, flooding them with vitality and strength...
BOOMMMM
Even that wasn't enough. Their kunai couldn't withstand the impact between them. Both simple weapons shattered, forcing them to toss them aside and switch to their bare hands.
For every punch to the stomach, the other took one to the face. Spinning on their axes, both launched flying kicks that canceled each other out.
The same happened when they relied on their Sharingan. It spun endlessly, yet it still wasn't enough.
"Haa... haa... ha... surpassing myself... is really hard..."
After countless exchanges, both Yukis pulled back and breathed heavily. First Timeline Yuki smiled bitterly as he watched his opponent dodge and remain standing despite taking his blows...
"I feel the same... surpassing yourself is almost impossible..."
Yuki was frustrated as well. It was like fighting a mirror. The same movements, and no matter how he tried to change his fighting style, his other "self" would do the same.
As they stared each other down, they pushed their hands forward again, ready for the next round—or so it should have been. But First Timeline Yuki was the one who lowered his guard.
"Huh?"
Creeeaaakkk
Yuki was confused. His other self sighed sadly, lowered his head, and shook it. At that moment, the Crown that protects the world began to fracture. The Thrones lit up, and eight swords plunged down from them, surrounding First Timeline Yuki...
"You win. It's pointless to keep fighting...."
Something massive was approaching. Just the act of crossing dimensions caused cracks to spread across his Crown...
First Timeline Yuki knew it. That was why he lamented it. His time had run out.
"You... you didn't fight seriously..."
From the way the swords still retained their jet-black glow, Yuki saw through his other "self." He still had energy left. If he had used all that power from the start, he would have overwhelmed him completely. There was no energy left to resist.
It would have been a one-sided battle.
But his other "self" had fought him under the same conditions. For someone who pursued victory, First Timeline Yuki shouldn't have done that. He should have devoured him then and there.
So why?
(Reine... it was you.)
Yuki understood, and his mood soured.
"Does that matter now?"
To First Timeline Yuki, it changed nothing. His plans had been perfect. From the moment he sealed Mio on the Moon, everything had gone according to his calculations.
Except for one detail...
Reine Murasame....
She also existed in the first timeline. She had been his enemy, his friend, his lover, and his savior. Because of her, Yuki had escaped from Requiem. By devouring her, Yuki gained power strong enough to deceive the Coffin of Arms and flee to this other timeline.
He had calculated everything. With the strength he had left, defeating this "self" from this time should have been easy, but...
"I hate Mio Takamiya... she complicated everything and killed those I cared about.... She should have died. That's how it was supposed to be!"
Yuki owed his life and this chance to Reine. That was why he had to save her from the Demon King, and he succeeded. However...
"Reine chose her... What right do I have to oppose that?"
If First Timeline Yuki usurped his other "self's" identity, he wouldn't know how to face Mio. He might not kill her, but he would surely lock her away in his Shadow. That kind of life wasn't what Reine would have wanted for her Original, and she would regret it.
That was why, from the moment Reine chose to save Mio, she also chose the Yuki of this timeline—the one who held no hatred toward his Original.
All for an ending where no one would regret anything...
"You don't hate Mio Takamiya, and that's enough... hehe..."
Laughing in self-mockery, First Timeline Yuki looked at his other "self." That "self" had everything he had lost—and everything he could have had....
"I see...."
Yuki lowered his guard and waited patiently as his other self approached...
Creeeaaakkk
"""Yuki!!"""
"Danna-sama!"
"Darling!"
"Yui-kun!"
"Master!"
The Crown that protects the world shattered, and the Spirits seized the moment to enter the Domain. Every single one of his girls was worried. They looked at the two Yukis, and it took them only a second to know who their boyfriend was. Seeing him covered in wounds, they rushed to protect him. With their protection, First Timeline Yuki could no longer move forward.
(I see... you too...)
As he watched his other "self" surrounded by his women while he—the one who had fought on equal footing—was treated with hostility, a bitter smile formed on his face...
(That's how it should be... I didn't protect them. I deserve this. I was the man who failed to protect his women.)
As if sensing his sadness, the eight swords spinning around him shone brightly. Gently patting the blades, Yuki took one last look at his other "self," surrounded by the Spirits, before rising into the sky....
"It's over.... It's time to go. I don't belong here. It's better if none of this had ever happened...."
This was the future he wanted, but it didn't belong to him....
That was why he felt sad and happy at the same time. The sight of his other self being loved was deeply satisfying—he had won—but also painful, because it wasn't him...
As he left the Domain, out in space, a gigantic Coffin approached.
The Beast—unlike in this timeline—had succeeded and become a dangerous power...
"Cosmic Level....."
This Requiem possessed the power to destroy a galaxy. It was an existence he couldn't face. Yuki had hidden himself and used Reine's power to block his location, but he knew it wouldn't last forever, and he would soon be found—just like now....
The giant opened its lid, and massive chains began extending across the solar system.....
Facing this, First Timeline Yuki remained calm. He wasn't afraid. He had faced such evil before and could do so again, but this time was different....
This time, he would win....
Creeeaaakkk
As the Crown grew more fragile the closer the chains came, the final sword maintaining the Domain flew toward First Timeline Yuki and joined its master...
All nine swords shone and cast the shadows of beautiful women. Yuki's eyes widened.
"Girls..."
They were the Spirits of each sword—the souls of those he couldn't save....
Or rather, what remained of them. Yuki had sent their fragmented souls to his "other selves" in this timeline, along with Eggy, Est, and Aiwass. These swords were nothing but power without the essence of his girls. From beginning to end, he had been alone in this timeline...
That was why he was so shocked to see them projected like this. It should have been impossible.
(An illusion...?)
It didn't matter....
Yuki didn't care whether what he was seeing was a product of his imagination. He was happy....
Even so, he wanted to be sure...
"Did I do well?"
"""You did wonderfully, my love...."""
"Hehe~"
All nine surrounded him and embraced him at once—a warm hug, an impossible hug. Nothing was real. Not even he himself was real. He never had been—just an illusion of time.
Creeeaaakkk
At that moment, the Crown that protects the world collapsed completely. Light engulfed everything, and First Timeline Yuki vanished along with it.....
ROOOOOOARRRRRRRRRRRRR
The Beast roared in pain. The enormous Coffin of Arms in space shrank at astonishing speed, its chains retracting back inside before being swallowed by the light.....
The Last Paradox had been resolved....
And with that, the world changed completely...