"Where am I?"
"So warm, why can't I see anything?"
He keeps wondering and expanding his zone, however he can't feel it.
"Where's my zone?"
Confused by this truth, he tries to struggle for just realizing it makes no sense.
"Am I falling?"
The impotence while sinking deeper and deeper is disgusting. It feels like the invisible hands slowly tightening around his throat.
He keeps falling and falling in this endless space.
"Is it death?"
He keeps trying to grab something if it exists, however all his efforts are ill-gotten.
He realizes that this place is too similar to Nihility but the energy is even not existing. The true nothingness.
Have you ever fell continuously in a loop? That is what Yujin experiencing right now.
"Yujin."
"I'm Yujin."
"I'm not Yujin."
"I'm Yujin, aren't I?"
He is being torn in his own identity crisis. He remembers that he was in the battle of apocalypse with Kah, Kang-In and Daria. However he can't make sure that if it's the truth, he has missed something.
"Calm down, Yujin. This is just your morale domain."
"Who are you?"
Everything suddenly turns back to the silence, Yujin even doubts that if he was in the illusion.
Anomalous event has appeared.
Yujin (insensitive): "I'm Yujin."
Yujin: "Falling right? I'd like to see how deep it is."
He relaxes himself and starts going with the flow, deeper and deeper. The endless process, he can't even calculate the time by counting every second passing, it's been long enough to send time to isolation.
No sounds, no lights, no emotions even purposes, he keeps falling down as losing his own self.
He is aware that there's an unspoken voice has been trying to reach his volition, however he can't hear it just for a little bit.
Yujin: "You're so annoying, get lost of my mind."
Too boring, he's falling down, over and over. This is a loop.
Yujin: (Are you preventing?)
As usual, there's only him and himself, he gets no reply.
Then he immerses in that flow again. How long will it be?
"Whenever a creature evaporate, they'll have a chance to look back at their whole life." An unknown voice suddenly flood back in his memory.
Yujin (wondering): (Who even are you?)
Instantly he hit on the ground, all his senses come back in the unconsciousness. What just happen?
Yujin: "It's been a while."
"Hey! Hey!"
Yujin: "Who are you?"
"I'm actually you."
Yujin: "Maniac."
"Hey!"
Yujin looks around then he realizes that there's nothing but a endless white void.
He rushes forward, to the direction he doesn't even know if it's North or South, West or East. He keeps running and chasing forward, he wants to examine a thing.
Beside that, the unknown afterimage is following him for no reason.
Yujin: "Why are you here?"
He just smiles and replies to Yujin with a calm demeanor:
"I'm here for you."
Yujin: "Explain it."
"We are sealed by your desire."
Yujin: "Alright, don't tell me you're here to persuade me to unban you."
"Actually the answer is not yet."
Yujin observes that volition carefully, then he unleashes an unknown wave, instantly allowing that voice to have an official sharp.
"Thanks, but what are we doing?"
Yujin: "I'm trying to examine that if this dimension is infinite."
At the invisible angle, that guy curls an unreasonably slight smile at the lips.
"Alright, let's see then."
They keep running forward day by day, night by night, even though time doesn't exist here, they still running for no reason.
"Can we stop? It's really limitless."
Yujin: "How impossible it is. Nothing can be infinite in physical universe."
"But, what if we aren't in the physical universe?"
Yujin: "Who are you?"
"I'm you."
Yujin: "You can't be me whenever I'm here."
"Bleh~ I'm you actually, this is your mora..."
Anomalous event has occurred again.
This time it directly erase an existence from this realm.
Yujin: "Weirdo."
He tries to touch the space, however he can't feel anything though his tactile.
He feels it, he knows it. There's something preventing him from outer world.
He doesn't know the reason for it to do this, however waiting makes no sense, he needs to do something else.
"If you were the winner, would you find the way back to your own self?"
Yujin: (I've always been myself.)
"Am I?"
He doesn't find out the answer, however that memory keeps flooding back and dully hurting him in his mind.
"Are you your old self?"
Yujin: "I..."
Yujin: (Get lost.)
He suddenly grabs a sword, he doesn't even care where it came from. He needs something to overwrite this discomfort, anything!
He swings it, swings it over and over again. He tries to get back the passion when he was stuck with his own path. He remembers it clearly, how he was at that time, arrogant, rude and even impulsive. Good old days, yet, he can't find out what he's missing - what he lost before.
Yujin: "And you, Amagon."
Amagon: "Yes, I'm here, my Emperor."
Yujin: "Why are you still here?"
Amagon (serious): "I bound my soul and heart to the old promise, I'm here to be your blade."
Yujin: "You are not Amagon."
He coercively erases his servant. He's lost in his mind and even this rascality.
Yujin: "What are you aiming for?"
He got no reply, it's fine. He can wait.
Yujin lies himself down the transparent ground. He wants to sleep, forgetting that ridiculous rascality.
One time, two times then many times, he keeps struggling whenever he falls to the eternal dream. He's able to know that, if he immerses in that melody, he'll never find the way back.
Yujin has known it, the true purpose of this dimension.
Yujin: "Why are you trying to lock me in this cage?"
All is silence, through out the inexistant skies and lands, there's only him and himself.
Yujin laughed...
He laughed — a jagged, hollow sound, bursting into a roar, a grin contorted by the merciless cruelty of the world. Within him, something had long since broken in a place no gaze could ever touch, something crumbled to nothing, left unmourned and unseen.
This time, he chose to enter that eternal isolation, he wanted to see how wild it can be.
"Hey, do we need to awake him?"
"Don't, don't do anything isn't in the plan."
"But... are we doing it right?"
"I have no idea, he has his own path."
Yujin suddenly opens his eyes, he's falling down again. All his senses are negated as the beginning of everything.
Yujin: (This is fake.)
He doesn't believe that it's a true endless loop.
Yujin: (Let's see how stubborn can you be.)
Over and over again, he immersed in the endless flow leading the deepest zone and met that unknown voice again. Everything repeated continuously, falling, running, seeking and immersing. Nothing special after all.
Then one day, everything changed.
*Crack* - The sky was shattered, Yujin franticly devastated everything. With just those hands, he tore the sky down, with just that rage, he burnt them all to the ground.
*Whirr* - The soft sound of winds, that he has been missing, has come back. He sees a clear sky above, he steps on the familiar land.
Yujin is standing on a windy hill, surrounding by flowers and sunshine, the peaceful scene he missed for a while.
No wonder it's Etherail - where his dream started.
Daria: "Yu... Yujin!"
Yujin (surprised): "..."
Daria (jubilant): "You are Yujin!"
Yujin (shocked): "Daria?"
He rushes forward, hugs his hero tightly.
Daria: "Where did you go?"
Yujin: "... A far land."
Daria: "Alright, it doesn't matter right now. Thanks for being here."
Then he leads Yujin to a tree. It's massive as a pillar of Heaven.
It's called World Tree of human world - Phalisk.
The memories flood back as tidal wave in Yujin's mind, how could he forget it?
Kah: "What is your ideal house?"
Yujin: "Nah, of course the tree house, it'd be better if I had one in the tree reaching to the sky."
Kah: "In this hell? You ask for a tree to thrive over those magma?"
Yujin: "I don't ask, I force."
He planted a new hope in that battlefield, the first tree in the place stained with blood of countless creatures.
Yujin: "Thrive, then be my house."
Kah: "Sound like you feed a pig and let it know its job is being your food someday."
Yujin: "Fair enough."
"What's wrong?" Kah suddenly puts his hand on Yujin's shoulder at the back.
So familiar, Yujin slowly looks back, he can't believe it. Not only Kah, Kang-In is even here, he has come back to where the dream started.
Kah: "Too emotional to you ha?"
Yujin (smiling): "Shut up, you fool."
Kang-In: "Well well well well, time to celebrate and make some noises."
The first rhythm: Wave of memories
As usual, they chose to do a luxury feast. All the ingredients are both selected carefully by Daria, he is a skillful cook, serving dishes for royalty is what he used to do in his youth.
Kang-In (munching): "Om om, ten more beef dishes."
Kah (disgusting): "You are not qualified to be royalty."
Kang-In (munching): "Shut up, om om, those rules are just annoying."
*Clang* - Daria knows what he needs to do, instantly serving all his customers' desires.
Yujin quietly observes everything and smiles in silence. After all, isn't a whole lifetime of chasing dreams just about finding out where we truly belong?
Kah (surprised): "Do you need anything else? Yujin."
Daria: "Isn't it your taste?"
Yujin (smiling): "Nah, I'm good. I appreciate your technique."
Daria (smiling): "That's my honor."
Yujin learnt many things special as royal etiquette from his twenty-million-year journey, even though feeling it cumbrous, however for matching the atmosphere of this feast, he doesn't mind about pretending as a true prince.
The first rite in royal dining etiquette: obeying the order.
Yujin keeps his back always straight, letting his shoulders relax. He doesn't lock his eyes on the soup plate, but occasionally observing the dinner table - as an emperor forcing this feast following his own rhythm.
He scoops up the soup spoon by spoon, maintaining the pace oscillating from seven to ten second for each time he appraises the dish.
The second rite in royal dining etiquette: maintaining the royal dignity.
He tilts the spoon gently in order to let the soup softly flows through his lips without any annoying sounds. Making noises in royal feast is the mistake of inferiorities.
Up to the present time, Yujin has done everything well, he even attracted everyone by his demeanor and behaviors. It's too perfect, no one can resist that performance.
Daria almost forgot that Yujin had completed his assessment work. He even didn't make a mistake while putting the spoon on that silver plate. It wasn't until Yujin started conversing with Kah that Daria could escape from the coma.
Daria: "Sorry for the arrearage, let's move on to the next stage."
He claps his hands, suddenly all the dishes on the table are replaced by others.
The order in royal feast: soups, main courses and desserts.
Each stage of the feast is corresponding to each topic was selected before.
This second stage is called: The Gods Banquet
No one here isn't a god. This stage is focused on what hey surpassed in the past.
The second rhythm: Feast of Blood.
Only seeing everything immersing in the hue of crimson.
Yujin instantly realizes it's based on his bloody era - when he and Kah fought until death. That's fun, he did enjoy that period of time, combining with this melody of madness, they both make this feast become the afterimage of that hell.
Yujin (satisfied): "Let's them be our victuals."
Kang-In and Kah both smile, everything has two sides, so do they. Even the gods can be demons, they relish and immerse in this bloody banquet.
Kang-In directly tears it down and picks up every piece of meat on the dish then savoring them in his mouth as a devil non-stop devouring life force of a realm.
Kah is different, he grabs the chop and starts faring it voraciously as a beast. The most primitive way to enjoy the foods.
Daria does join this feast. He just chooses to do it normally as what he used to do while being God of Dragons in Etherail. Don't doubt about his personal experiences, he was the head chef and even a servant of the king in the empire of golds - Glavas for three years.
The styles show their personality, Kang-In was a butcher of a far realm where the rule didn't exist even for a second. He doesn't mind about etiquette or ritual, killing, eating and living are everything he remains in his instinct. And he wasn't a human actually.
Kah was a maniac, he brought slaughter to everywhere remaining his footprints. He didn't care about ritual and etiquette too, however he enjoyed the foods as a primitive human.
Even though experiencing everything with Kah, Yujin can still keep the demeanor of a true royalty. He wasn't affected by those etiquettes, he chose it to show his own self.
Gods no longer need to eat, they choose to eat for satisficing themselves or showing off themselves to everyone.
Inferiorities eat for living, gods eat for their desires and joys. That's why their behaviors, their styles and demeanors in banquet show their personalities.
In gods' visions, feasts, banquets, treats are where they assert their majesty.
There's an unwritten rule: you must not interrupt while gods are eating.
They don't only eat, they immerse in them. Gods immerse in their own worlds while enjoying their foods - where they face directly to their own selves and observe it as postulate for the good part.
Kang-In, Kah, Daria both keep silent and obey the rule, so does Yujin.
He gently cuts the meat with a silver knife, then putting in in his mouth without any contact to his lips, seems like devouring but not devouring.
He doesn't permit anything to be wasted even the sauce, the absolutely greedy entity.
Yujin, slowly enjoy the dish, however it doesn't mean that he eats less than others. He still keeps the dignity of the royalty in each behavior, nevertheless, his delicate gestures all show the rapacity hiding in his eyes.
The banquet is instantly divided to two different parts, one side is irregular and barbaric, other side is obviously the opposite - elegant and noble in every moment.
However they both do not judge or complain anything about others styles, this is the another rule.
In gods banquets, no one can evaluate others eating demeanors. Even appreciating or underrating, even the lower gods or upper gods. They must not do that, or they will have to face the wraths.
The banquet lasted until the midnight. The moonlight penetrates mirrors and covers everything with itself, opening a new chapter for all.
The third rhythm: Moonlit Sky
Kah claps his hands, suddenly erasing everything above them, leaving back the sky of stars.
The memories flood back again, he remembers it. That day, when they both meet each other at that battlefield.
How could Yujin forget it? That scene seems echoes from the past, and now it's existing in front of his eyes.
Yujin (reminiscing): "So nostalgic."
Kah: "Ye, that day, we met under that starry sky, those moonlit clouds and under that sparkling emotions."
Kang-In: "Hey, I still remember that Kah was wearing nothing at that time."
Kah: "Shut up, they were burnt by the flame."
Yujin knows that there're no longer three guys in here, he can't let it be awkward.
Yujin: "Wasn't it the same as the day Daria tried to defeat me?"
Kah: "Oh! I almost forgot that."
Daria (laughing): "That's how arrogance led me closer to death."
They both laughed in that joke. This is too peaceful, too ideal that Yujin even wonder if it was a dream.
They both end this third rhythm with desserts.
Wines and cakes, every song must come to the end. And they chose to put an end to it all with glasses of wine.
Then they all go outside, to the silent and private place.
They lie down their backs and joyfully immerse in the sky above, they all hid their aura and almighty vision. They don't want to live as gods right now, getting back to their old selves is quite fun for them.
Another day has passed, Kah invites Yujin to a trip, he accepts it without any hesitation. Doing everything he hasn't done is fun.
Daria: "One, two, three!"
They both cast the baits in the same time, fishing competition is what Kah came up with.
Yujin: "1248,... 1399 fishes."
Kang-In: "Dang it, why I can't catch them even just one? Did you cheat?"
Kah: "Nah, skill issue, I caught almost 900."
Daria: "Mine is only 357, how could you do that?"
Yujin: "I was the only one got lost in multiverse, I did everything in that twenty-million-year journey already."
Daria: "That's unfair."
Yujin: "Who cares?"
Another day has passed, this time they choose to play basketball. Of course they need to limit themselves as human level to make it fair. It took Yujin an hour to explain it to them.
He promises that he'll only support Daria to score, of course Kah and Kang-In instantly accept that.
They even made it a gamble.
Alright, time to get rich.
Yujin gets the ball first. He dribbles it straight to three-point zone, instantly entering shooting position.
Kah rapidly moves, he rushes toward Yujin and leaps in order to block the shot.
Seems like they forgets about what he promised. Yujin calmly move his left hand a bit, then using his right hand to pass that ball to Daria - who has rushed to the corner of the field.
He directly catch it and do a three-point shot, gaining first three points for his team.
Kah: "Sh*t, forgot it."
Kang-In: "I have an idea."
Then they have the ball, turn based game of course.
Kang-In instantly move back as fast as possible, then Kah rushes forward, straight to three-point zone, direct to the hoop.
Kang-In throws the ball as throwing a spear, Yujin immediately realizes what they are aiming for.
He rapidly move to Kah's left side, at the same time at he jumps.
Yujin leaps back after do the back to back position to Kah in order to push him out of the planned trajectory.
As he predicted, they don't have the B plan. Yujin successfully caught that ball and did a bounce in order to shift the ball above Daria's head.
Kang-In of course rushes toward him, however Daria jumps ahead, turning back to catch the ball and dodge the block.
He instantly keeps turning back again, facing directly to the hoop with the ball on his left hand, aiming for an acrobatic three-point shot.
Unfortunately, Kang-In easily blocks it after leaping to his right side. However he did that too strong, so the ball went out of the edge.
Of course, Daria gets the ball this time, he passes it to Yujin in order to rushes forward.
Even though getting guarded by Kang-In, he still can surpass him by fake stepping on the left then change to the opposite side.
Yujin tries to do a risky shot, he hit on the left side of the ball to make it spin. Kah instantly rushes toward it, he realizes that he can block the shot whenever it doesn't go in the hoop.
Kah: (So above the hoop is a possible choice.)
He knows that after limiting himself to human level, he can't waste any second in this case.
It's not wrong, however he did it too hurry, the ball didn't go straightly to the hoop, it met the rim and followed it a short arc then bouncing off by the spin.
At the destination, Daria has jumped ahead to catch it faster than Kang-In, he does a rapid shot to end this match.
They came up with the rules:
Scoring three more three-pointers than other.
Doing six more dunks than other.
Both lead to the win.
Kah: "Rematch!"
Yujin: "Alright."
First ratio: 0-1
They actually played until the evening, the final ratio is 27-41.
Kah: "Sh*t!"
Kang-In: "Your bad."
Kah: "Shut up, you sold even more than me."
The next day, they chose to play soccer.
Final ratio: 37-42. Yujin and Kah won it.
The fifth day since Yujin came back. They did nothing except travelling around Etherail in human vision.
Yujin couldn't believe that the bloody battlefield in the past would be this beautiful.
They wandered under the night sky and moonlight. They immersed in that peaceful melody.
After all, everyone only wants to find out where they belong.
Until the seventh day, it's been a week. They both stop at a hostel.
It's been a while that Yujin is no longer alone, however this night he doesn't want to stay with them.
He slowly approaches to the mirror, he looks at it with an ambiguity.
The next day, Kah suddenly comes up with another plan, he wants to see the lake of chaos - the gate leading to another dimension in human world.
Kah: "How about it?"
Kang-In: "I don't care, let Yujin choose instead."
Daria: "I'm fine with it."
Yujin: "Thanks..."
Kah: "Nah, you are being too welcome man."
No reply, Kah instantly realizes the anomaly, he turns back just to see Yujin's smiling.
Kah: "Wait! Don't!"
Kang-In and Daria rapidly rushes forward to hinder Yujin but useless.
Yujin: "Thanks, if it's real, it would satisfice me."
Kah: "Don't! Yujin, wait! Let's me explain!"
Yujin (taking a deep breath): "No need, thanks for being with me. Time to get back."
Kah: "Don't! Yujin!"
He unleashes an unstoppable aura, devastating everything in range. Yujin is destroying this realm.
He leaves everything precious behind and flies away, faster and faster.
The small Etherail is instantly being massive, this is fake.
He flies again and again, he doesn't mind if he fall down, he'll do it over and over. Time to wake up.
Suddenly Etherail changed to hell - the bloody battlefield in old days.
Instantly, many arms and hands raise from earth in order to catch him.
Yujin destroy them all, if he can't fly, he'll run instead.
Left, left, right, left, left, right, right, right, left, he jumps everywhere, every path, just for escaping from this rascality.
Failing again and again, but that fire is still burning dully in his heart.
"Burning it to the ground, even if it costs the dawn." A familiar voice raises up in his mind, however he can't remember it clearly.
*Thud* - those hands have successfully pressed him down.
Kah: "Yujin, come back!"
Kang-In: "We're travelling, right? Come back, Yujin."
Daria: "Yujin, please come back, we're waiting for you."
Yujin: "Get out..."
Yujin: "Get the * out of my way!"
He unleashes his aura again, he burns everything to ashes. Nothing can lock him anymore, this cage is no longer be able to bind him even a second.
"Let them bloom like there's no future.
Follow my rhythm then ignite that fire."
Yujin: "I'm Yujin!"
The fire of madness instantly raise up from nowhere, Yujin has come back.
Yujin: "It's been a while."
"Do you... really want to go further?"
Yujin: "Ah, finally, what do you want?"
Suddenly another Yujin appears behind him. He has a black hair instead of red. He looks like a saint, always blooming a smile.
Yujin: (However that smile is just a container for an endless grief.)
"Hi, we meet again, Yujin."
Yujin: "Are you Yujin?"
"Yes." He's smiling, however it makes no change at all, Yujin can still feel it - the grief.
Yujin: "Why are you smiling even though you have no joy?"
He observes silence, but the tears are falling down, he is crying. Everything has broken down as a cruel wave destroying the final wall in his mind. His last protection has been smashed to dust.
He collapses.
"Don't Yujin, don't! Don't go any further, I don't want to hurt you anymore."
Yujin: "I don't get what you mean. I will go to the end, I have something to do."
"What are you finding? I can give you." He tries to stop Yujin with any price.
However Yujin doesn't care, if he can't even fulfill his desire by himself, it makes no sense.
"Please, I beg you. Don't go any further."
Yujin: "Why? You don't need to go that far."
He silently shakes his head, he looks at Yujin with the teary eyes.
"The outer world is cruel. I don't want to hurt you anymore."
Yujin: "Tell me, the whole picture."
He suddenly grabs Yujin's arm.
"If you still want to escape this cage after seeing them all. I'll let you do as you pleased."
Yujin is shocked, at that time, he actually feels it. He feels that grief, it's more intense than anything.
He wonders that if he was this guy, what could he do in that case?
Yujin: "What did you witness?"
"Hell, in hell we live."
Suddenly the undefined memories invade to his mind.
"Hey Yujin, what are you doing? We're waiting for you."
An unknown voice has waken him up. He sees himself, actually the one called Yujin he met before.
Yujin: "Alright, just a second."
"This is your memory?" Yujin lost his identity, however he trust who he has just met. He couldn't find out any lie in those eyes.
He can't even distinguish he is saying to himself or that Yujin. He can't discriminate that he is Yujin or not.
He knows that in this timeline he isn't Yujin yet, however there's something always reminds him about the identity called "Yujin." It always reminds him that he is Yujin.
"Weird."
Yujin - The Challenger: "Alex, what are we going to do now?"
Alex - Archer: "Of course we're going to defeat the Third Demon King. What's wrong with you?"
Yujin (tittering): "I just wakes up, my brain is not working."
Elis - Warrior (laughing): "Whenever you drink alcohol, whenever I need to carry you to your room."
Yujin: "Orange juice is better."
They just like that, simple, energetic and even fearless.
The first Apocalypse: The Death of Heroes.
Yujin: "What... what is this?"
Alex: "Yujin! Run!"
"I couldn't move that legs beneath his aura." That Yujin suddenly interact to Yujin.
"I thought that you are crying outside." He tries to joke, however his humor is at the red level. Which means he jokes as badly as an outrage.
"Never mind, I'm just the final alertness of him." He is actually calm.
"Oh, so you are the narrator?"
"You can think as that way."
The second Apocalypse: Hopelessness
Then he claps his hands, the scene instantly changes.
Thane: "Wey, Yujin."
Yujin: "Hmm?"
Thane: "Have you done anything criminal to my elder sister?"
Yujin: "Yo what? I'm innocent."
Thane: "Nah, you just looked at my sister in the unusual atmosphere."
Yujin: "Nah, she got cursed by the strange relics."
Thane: "Boo, you lie."
Suddenly Yujin grabs his sword and rushes toward the sun. Leaving Thane back without any explanation.
But Yujin knows it thoroughly, he saw another Yujin said something to Yujin in the scene.
"Is that you? I mean 'was' actually."
"Yes, I tried to changed the past."
"You tried to interrupt the events in the past, then made another Yujin became stronger. Am I right?"
"Yes, that's all I tried to do."
"However I always failed at the final stage." He calmly shared it without any hesitation.
Yujin looks at the final result, he witnesses another him fell apart after losing beneath fate.
At the third Apocalypse: The dissolution of a sun
This time, Yujin witnessed another him failed and burnt to the ground by hell fire.
"I tried..." He whispers in his unconsciousness.
The fourth Apocalypse: TheVillain
"I let him saw it."
"Then Yujin started to be a villain instead of hero, didn't he?"
"He did, killing, stealing, running, nothing wasn't done by him." He smiles slightly.
The fifth Apocalypse: Wrath of Gods.
"I tried to warn him..."
"I see, who are they?"
"Gods, the inferior gods."
"Each loop is each reality and future."
"Yes,..." He doesn't know what he can say right now, all was his faults.
Yujin died again beneath those powerful entities.
The sixth Apocalypse: The Inferiority.
Yujin surprisingly could surpass everything and reaching to god level. However he tried to challenge the fate and failed.
"I should've told him."
Yujin can hear something is being broken. Silently sighing, what an endless pain!
The seventh Apocalypse: The maniac.
"Seems like he wasn't in his consciousness."
"Yes, he couldn't use one tenth of that Authority of Amexk. That's the only key could lead us to the future."
"Is Yujin's fate being destroyed?"
He replies nothing, but silently shaking his head. This is fate, not even standing a chance beneath it.
The eighth Apocalypse: The Shattered Sky.
"Nothing special, he was defeated before breaking that limit."
"I see." Yujin doesn't know what can he reply right now. Everything is collapsed.
The ninth Apocalypse: The seed.
Yujin: "I'm burning, oh sh*t."
Lena (laughing): "I can't believe that a Saint is unable to control a fire."
"Aren't they similar to a couple of lovebirds?"
"I think so."
Yujin died again.
The tenth Apocalypse: Fate.
???: "Let's end this fate, Yujin."
Yujin (mocking): "Hah? Hound of Gods."
"Who is he?" Yujin can't see through that mist.
"He is our fateful enemy, it's too early for you to meet him."
"Is it set to be like that?"
"Yes, what we call fate, is all that entity's joys and spontaneities."
The eleventh Apocalypse: The bloody war.
Yujin fought and fell apart in the gory sky, beneath the blades and spears. However he stood still as a wall, he tried to protect everything until his last breath.
The twelfth Apocalypse: Darkness.
???: "Time's up, you've failed."
Yujin: "???, why are you here?"
???: "???, you've failed at this fight, useless. Yujin, you've won, however I can't let it happen."
"What can you see?" He turns back and starts asking Yujin for the answer."
"A god, black hair, starry eyes, deadly aura and even his name."
"What!? How could you know that name?" He is shocked, this is impossible.
"DoD, Deity of Darkness. He told me."
Suddenly he prevents Yujin from watching the loops.
"How impossible it is."
"Don't worry, he said that he wouldn't do anything. Let me see those loops again."
That declaration a strong blow to his mind, isn't it enough?
"Are you serious?"
"I'm fine with that choice, let me see it clearly."
He hesitates, however something is non-stop screaming.
"Let's see..."
The thirteenth Apocalypse: The blazing heart.
Yujin: "DoD! Why are you here!?"
DoD: "Somehow you can accumulate it."
Then he stabbed his hand through Yujin's heart. DoD took it out - the flame of challengers.
DoD: "What a calamity!"
"What is that flame? It's similar to mine, but..." Yujin unconsciously immersed in that fire.
Something is attracting him, something is very precious to him. More than power, more than gold, more than everything.
"The flame of challengers. It's the combination of everything each Yujin passed on the next generation. Unfortunately, we lost it to DoD." Regretfully said by Yujin - the narrator.
"If it's only about accumulating the power by time and passing on next generations, I don't believe that none of you couldn't do it again."
Yujin knows it thoroughly, accumulating and transferring it to another is such an easy work, even him could do it easy as pie before ascending to god level.
There must be something prevented them from doing it again, Yujin bets it's all DoD's work.
"You're right, DoD did it. He didn't even stop at stealing, he erased it from us."
"Then you all tried to change the past even further than ever."
"Yes, I did. I realized that we stood no chance, so I tried to create a perfect Yujin." His eyes burn a fire - a fire of the determination.
The fourteenth Apocalypse: The sword of Reincarnation.
In this loop, Yujin didn't try to face the Demon King or even the Gods. He ran and ran to Alenical - the dimension of eldritch spirits. They were all the beings had surpassed two apocalypses in that timeline.
It was his luck for finding out the hidden truth in the forbidden scroll at Luminaty - Cathedral of Lights.
He learnt everything from everyone he met. Then he true hero was born again on that land.
Yujin raised his sword of glory, which he had been gifted by the King of Cala, up to the sky. He sacrificed everything for creating a new trump card for next generation.
That sword even cut through spacetime, breaking the light and erasing darkness. It's the first and unique creation could reach to both path of life and path of destruction in the same time.
In the other words, that sword even could reach to the Authority of Creation God.
Yujin (excited): "I will call you Reicrania."
Then he burnt himself for the last catalyst. That was the first time a human can erect a godly relic. That sword pointed straight up to the sky as a declaration: "This is not the end yet."
"He lived as a rat but died as a hero."
"Then that sword is the substitute for the flame?"
"Of course, it helped us too much. However,..."
Then he flicks off, ten scenes immediately are shown in front of Yujin.
"Witness it thoroughly."
The fifteenth Apocalypse: The 6th Hero.
In the team of legends, there's an obscure guy among them.
Aler: "One, two,... five, alright, let's go."
Lyn: "Umh, but we are a team of six, leader."
Aler (sighing): "Oh, turn off your ability Yujin."
Yujin: "Hai, hai, I just want to fade away."
Aler: "Bestin, guard him then, don't let him go to any cabaret."
Yujin: "No~, I have ten gold coins for it."
They're going to defeat Demon King as every loop before. Nevertheless, this time, everything changed from the start.
"Yujin in this loop wasn't a newbie due to my interference."
"I see, I can see it through his sword art." Yujin glances on it, the sword art of drunkard.
"However, I don't appreciate it too much." Yujin comments bluntly without any reverse.
In his point, rating and advising others on their swordsmanship is the highest deference.
For swordmen, the pursuit of perfection in their techniques is the ultimate goal after all, they don't even mind if someone underrate theirs, they only seek for the key leading them higher and higher.
"I agree, but if there hadn't been a pioneer, we would've failed."
The end: Yujin died beneath X - the mysterious entity.
The sixteenth Apocalypse: The Dance of Wanderers.
Unlike last time, Yujin in this loop was the successor of the one from the fifteenth apocalypse.
He was shocked after touching Reicrania, all the memory flooded to his mind.
Yujin: "Drunkard, let's me borrow your power."
It's not only the techniques or experiences, it's all previous Yujin's efforts and his whole life.
Yujin: "Alright, let's me fulfill it."
He realized that previous Yujin's sword art was based on how he moved while drinking.
Irregular and eldritch, even though it could be annoying in battles, however those advantages were all based on his arbitrary fighting style, he couldn't win against godly level entity.
The second sword art was developed by Yujin in this 16th apocalypse. He tried to fulfill and complete the remnant of previous Yujin.
Even though he did it successfully, nevertheless, it's only fulfilling the rest. He couldn't find out his own path, which meant he would never win against X. He would face the death again.
If he couldn't complete it, then sent it to tomorrow.
He practiced every techniques and learnt every swordsmanship existing in Aurorize.
He mastered everything, on the day he needed to be killed by X, he chose to run instead. Running and fighting then he repeated it over and over again as a coward.
He was aware that he couldn't win, so there's no reason for him to die uselessly. He wanted to collect as much as possible details from X, he wanted to save it for the next generations.
The end: After 37 times dancing on the line between death and life, Yujin the coward died beneath his fateful enemy - X. He lost everything except his hope.
The seventeenth Apocalypse: The Greatest Loser.
Carrying everything on his back, Yujin the greatest loser chose to run away. He didn't invent any new sword art, he practiced everything he had gotten from the sword of reincarnate.
He met a bear, he fought and ran away.
He met a swordman, he fought and learnt from him.
He met a devil, he fought and killed it instantly.
He met an elf, he learnt and learnt everything he could.
He met a dragon, he fought and ran away.
He met another swordman, he fought and learnt then ran away.
He met a berserker, he tried to fight then ran way.
For his whole life, he entered over ten thousand battles and lost them all.
However, there's no one underrated or disdained him. They both knew that he'd surpassed them all in his mind.
There's even a myth that he could cut everything to dust without drawing his sword out of the sheath. They called him The Greatest Loser of that era. Not only on being the strongest, they all recognized his efforts. Even though he was the strongest, he didn't waste a second on getting stronger and stronger.
Nevertheless, that trophy needed to stop beneath his power - The God of gods - X.
The eighteenth Apocalypse: The flower born under ashes of cruelty.
Without any hesitation or fear, Yujin kept practicing everything.
However, this time he invented another sword art. Basing on the nature, he developed his swordsmanship to the new level.
That's the good news, and for the bad one, he couldn't have enough time to master it.
Yujin tried to borrow the pure power from Aurorize to counterkill X in a slash.
Of course he failed, he couldn't even survive over ten seconds under that pressure.
The nineteenth Apocalypse: The weak.
Unlike previous loops, Yujin in this timeline was a dying man.
"That was my fault, I'd forced him too much." Yujin the narrator confessed in regret.
Yujin the weak didn't try to practice, he knew that he's just a small ember fading away by each second passing.
He used all his time to imagine and link every details and information passing on him by precursors.
By inventing new sword art or even fulfilling the previous one, he completed them all in his mind.
He couldn't do it, so he tried to add all his experience and desires in those imaginations.
Yujin: "Please perfect it later, next Yujin."
At the end of the world, he grabbed Reicrania for the first time in his life.
He changed it to katana form and relaxed his body as if he were one of nature.
X: "Why are you still trying to oppose this fate."
Yujin: "You answered it by yourself already. I don't give a sh*t about the ridiculous thing called 'fate', I hate it to my soul and core."
He used his last breath on the first and final slash in his life.
Flowing Water - the simple but unstoppable technique. He successfully cut down an arm from that superior God.
Nevertheless, he breathed his last and rested in peace. Leaving his desire on the next day, in the next dawn.
The twentieth Apocalypse: The Soul Eater.
Yujin: "If you all couldn't win, then let me go on another path."
He stained Reicrania in the color of despair from Hell.
Each life he bereaved, each time he got closer to the whole new level.
Unlike the previous loops, in this timeline, Yujin didn't face X as usual. He had more time to accumulate his energy.
Reaper: Dance of Death - He changed Reicrania back to its long sword form. He sacrificed all the souls to strengthen himself, he could survive over a minute beneath that pressure.
However, the death is inevitable, another journey was closed.
The twenty-first Apocalypse: The path of Destruction.
Yujin: "Amexk, so this is what you aiming for?"
Amexk: "I can't explain it clearly. I'm here to help you."
Yujin: "How can I believe it?"
Amexk: "Unfortunately I can't prove it. However this is the first and final chance I can give you, my time has come."
And so, Yujin started stepping on that path, becoming the new successor of Amexk.
He was the first entity to lay the foundation for new kind of Gods - the Gods born from inheriting the path of other gods or even creating the new one - Entyrak.
The end: Yujin the successor of Destruction died beneath that devastation. He couldn't control it.
Yujin: "It's all fine. 'I' will do it again."
The twenty-second Apocalypse: The Entyrak of Destruction.
Yujin successfully inherited everything from each precursor and dominated the path of Destruction.
He became the new Entyrak, controlling the power of devastation in the universe. He believed that he could end this fate.
He failed.
The end: Yujin the Entyrak of Destruction died beneath the powerful authority of X. Nothing changed.
The twenty-third Apocalypse: The Sun is set to evaporate.
Yujin: "If this is fate, I'll burn it to dust."
The sky was covered by cracks and darkness. Even the thunders were destroyed to isolation, there's a familiar silhouette appearing on the sky. The God of gods - X.
Yujin: "Burning it all to the ground, even if it costs the dawn."
Yujin instantly realized it, that's what he said before in the fateful battle.
Yujin the narrator only smiles slightly. This is what they've been passing on the next generations, hopes, desires and even their minds.
The end: Yujin the fading star failed. He couldn't complete his final technique.
Yujin: "All the rest, permit me to leave it to you."
The twenty-fourth Apocalypse: The Requiem for the fading fire.
Yujin in this loop is different. He did nothing but trying to create another relic as Reicrania.
Soul of Seven Demon Kings - Hell.
Abyssal Orb - Abyss.
Bloody Crystal - Dimension Rift no.3 in Omniscient Documents.
Moonlit Essence - Aether the other world.
He created another godly relic - Aphatos the Ring of the Eternal Flames.
The amazing thing was he completed it all in just a month. He had time to do others.
The second relic - Lazaroth the Ring of Spacetime Emperor.
The third relic - Azaroth the Ring of Thunder Chains.
Nevertheless, he could only create three rings, he predicted that they'd need ten rings for standing a chance beneath that fateful enemy.
He was aware that he couldn't let X knew about those rings, he had to keep at for the true opportunity.
X: "What do you have in this loop."
Yujin (pretending): "Say less, who are you."
Even though Yujin did everything to prevent X, he destroyed Reicrania and even the three rings. X wouldn't let Yujin had more chance.
X: "Your fate is dying beneath The Chosen One."
Yujin: "But not beneath your inferiority."
He died and lost everything. However at the last moment, he instantly unleashed a flame, a blazing flame. He melted all the scraps of relics for forging the new one, sending it upon to tomorrow.
As soon as finishing those scenes, Yujin the narrator keeps trying to persuade Yujin not to step out to the outer world.
"I refuse, I don't want to live in lies and rascality."
He chose to witness everything, every loop and apocalypse even though Yujin the narrator tried to persuade.
"That's all, would you want to go out side? Or stay with us." Yujin the narrator tries to persuade for the last time.
"I will choose to go back to reality." Yujin replies calmly, his determination is unshakable.
"Alright, then do it."
The twenty-fifth Apocalypse: The Eternal Flame.
The twenty-sixth Apocalypse: Swords in heart.
The twenty-seventh Apocalypse: Sinner of Aurorize.
The twenty-eighth Apocalypse: The Inferno of Yujin.
The twenty-ninth Apocalypse: The isolation.
Chase your dream, wish lady luck always stands on your side."
He gives up at all, he can't lock Yujin in this bird cage anymore.
"Do you want to say anything else?"
"No, I'm done." Yujin the narrator peacefully accept this truth - that he can't save Yujin from those cruelty.
"Then why are you crying?"
The question instantly has broken down the last shield in Yujin the narrator.
He starts crying, how couldn't he cry after non-stop forcing others to death for his desire?
Yujin knows it, all his behaviors and even smiles, all are hiding the massive agony.
"Guys, just believe at me, we can win."
"Eh? Again? How many times more we need to do."
"We're so close."
"I can't do it any more, sorry."
"Alright, take a breath. I'll do it myself."
No one knew since when that path was only him and himself, everyone had gone.
"A, aha,... Let's do it again." Something broke inside him.
"Yo, newbie."
"Who are you?"
"I'm you, actually."
They failed
"Yo, newbie."
"Who are you?"
"I'm you, actually."
They failed again.
"Yo, newbie."
"Who are you?"
"I'm you, actually."
They couldn't stand a chance.
The endless loop made by himself. He couldn't be aware that he was lock in it.
"Yo,..."
When he looked back, no one was behind him, they all left or even sent to death.
"Again, we,... close."
That's the first time he let those tears dropped down.
"Again, another time!"
Nothing changed.
"Another... please."
He failed.
As so, Yujin the narrator stepped in the endless inferno by himself in his unconsciousness.
"Do you have anything to say?" Yujin reminds him again.
Yujin the narrator suddenly knees down. Everything is broken, he can't bear it anymore.
"Sorry... I'm sorry." His voice is broken, he doesn't know what to do right now.
"You don't need to say it to me."
Yujin downs his knee and put his hands on the shoulders of opposite guy.
He forces him to face to face situation.
"You need to say it to those all Yujin."
Forcing himself to replay all those cruelties over and over until he could show a calm emotion outside. Yujin the narrator couldn't forgive to himself, that's how he tortured himself in his own inferno.
Yujin: "It's not the end yet, you need to meet them again."
As soon as he finished talking, Yujin the narrator started fading away with his tears dropping down.
Nevertheless, this time he smiles instead, that color is pure.
"Sorry for manipulating your life."
Yujin: "It's fine, on the contrary, I'd like to see how far I can go with this power. Thanks, now leave everything to me."
"As you wish."
He takes out a flame, the flame of ashes - standing for his faults and failures.
Another flame is stained by crimson color - standing for the rage of the challenger at being betrayed.
The third flame is the one reflecting their souls - the green color of death.
Next is the flame of reincarnation - embodiment of Reicrania after 1092 loops.
Final flame is the incarnation of their desires, hopes and efforts - it sparkles a hue of purity.
"These are all they left behind, I want to give them to you. Please stand strong, the next path, I won't be able to go with you anymore." His eyes shines his determination.
"My time has come."
"I'll take them, then send my voice to all Yujin. I'll carry that fate, they can rest in peace."
"Of course I'll do it."
For the next stage:
"I wish you luck." They both speak in unison.
The sky is shattered, Yujin break down everything to get back where he needs to face himself again.
"You... tell me that you accepted it."
Yujin: "No, I refused. He rested in peace already. I'll do the rest."
Suddenly he downs his knees, he grabs Yujin's shoulders and confirms that if he's serious.
Yujin: "Yes I am."
That Yujin seems like to say something but there's something stops him at the last second. He sighs tiredly.
"Can you promise me one thing?" He looks at Yujin with shining eyes.
Yujin: "Yes."
"Don't lose your hope."
Immediately he laughs, Yujin looks back to his eyes.
Yujin: "I never let it be destroyed."
That Yujin look at him with an unshakable determination.
Then he stabs his hand through his heart, this is the last thing he can do for Yujin.
"I always wanted to give up. However this flame chose to stay with me."
Another flame is burning, Yujin instantly realizes that it's the flame of challengers which was erased by DoD in those loops.
"I hate to say it, but I hope you can carry this fire. But,..."
Yujin (smiling): "I got it. Don't worry, I only do everything for my desire."
That Yujin smiles, he realizes that there's nothing to keep him here. Time for everything to get back on track.
"Wish lady luck stands on your side."
Yujin: "Thanks then."
Everything fades away, Yujin officially broke down every chains limiting himself in the cage.
He has a new work to do already.
Yujin: "Let's see then, my origin."
He reenacts the original scene of the first time he existed on the dimension number 8.
However he only sees himself standing still in center of Chaos in the past.
This is weird, he doesn't remember that he has that memory.
Yujin: "Impossible."
If he were a creature of Chaos, he could use it power instead of getting backlash.
He recollects what he got in the first time interact to Chaos. The excruciating pain carved directly to his soul which still obsesses him nowadays.
Suddenly everything turns to the endless white dimension as same as where Yujin is.
"This is your morale domain." The echo rang in his head.
Yujin: "Morale..."
*Whoosh* - The flame of challengers and others are burning up. They devastate and absorb each other as beasts fighting and killing in nature.
Flame of Madness - Ajakatoth.
Yujin (smiling): "So this is what they called fate."
Yujin (glancing): "Boring."
He suddenly crushes it to particles of energy, another power rises up and absorb them all.
Yujin: "Nothing is stronger than the own power."
Yujin gives no mercy to those flames, for his final purpose, nothing is left behind while it's valuable.
Yujin: "You have a second to explain it all."
???: "Long time no see, challenger."