He fell toward his death. Before his eyes, the world didn't even get a chance to fade away. Instead, it shattered. Pieces of the sky, the buildings, the roads—everything broke apart as he plummeted downward. He hit the ground with a sickening thud. Blood splattered across the concrete.On the pavement, people screamed in horror as his distorted body lay motionless. Police sirens echoed in the distance, but it was already too late.Takeshi's soul drifted upward, carried into the air—and then disappeared without a trace.
"Hey, wake up. Open your eyes."A voice called out.
"Do you hear me? Are you dead? Oh wait… souls don't die," the voice laughed lightly at its own joke.
Takeshi slowly woke up. He opened his eyes and found himself in a dark room—completely empty. The only figures present were him and a person dressed entirely in a white suit.
"Where… where am I?" Takeshi asked, looking around in confusion.
His gaze finally settled on the well dressed figure. It was a young man, probably around Takeshi's age.
"Who are you?" Takeshi asked, "Is this heaven?"
"This is a liminal space," the man said calmly. "And you can refer to me as a god… I guess."
"A god?" Takeshi repeated, stunned. "Wait—don't tell me I'm dead. Am I actually dead?"
"Yes, you are," the man replied casually. "Technically, your body is dead. But your soul is intact."
"I don't understand anything," Takeshi said, panic creeping into his voice. "Why? Who are you? How are you here? Is this where everyone goes after they die?"
The so-called god sighed.
"Wait, don't ask me so many questions," he said. "Let me explain, first of all, it was me who saved your soul."
"What do you mean by that?" Takeshi asked.
"It means that if I hadn't intervened, your soul would have vanished forever."
"Can you explain it more clearly?" Takeshi asked.
"Sure, so as you know people have seven lives to live," he said
"Wait is that actually true, I thought that it was only a saying that there are seven lives, Mr. God," he intervened
"Hmm, first of all, don't call me 'Mr. God', you can call me umm.... an easy.... human name hmmm... ah I got it, Albert, you can call me Albert" the self-proclaimed god said
"Ok... you're weird giving yourself a name like that, weren't you supposed to be a god?"
"Yes I suppose but aren't we going a little off the trail, aren't we?" he said
"Yes I suppose," Sato remarked
"Let's explain it to you in detail, first of all, people don't live just one life. Souls go through seven lives."
Takeshi frowned. "Seven lives? Like… tests?"
"You could say that," Albert replied. "You may have heard people say that humans are tested throughout their lives—but most never realize each life is a test."
Takeshi listened closely.
"In each life," Albert continued, "you are required to resist one of the Seven Deadly Sins."
"In the first life, you must resist wrath—you must not allow anger to consume you. In the second life, you must resist pride and avoid becoming arrogant while hurting others. In the third life, you must resist greed and the traps it creates. In the fourth life, you must avoid envy—the desire to possess what belongs to others.
In the fifth life, you must resist sloth—you must not surrender to laziness and stagnation, but live with purpose and energy. In the sixth life, you must resist gluttony—not overindulging while others suffer from hunger."
Albert paused for a moment.
"And finally, the seventh life—the one you just finished."
Takeshi's heart sank.
"In this life, you must resist lust and live a normal, balanced life without being consumed by desire."
Albert let out a quiet breath.
"That concludes the explanation."
Takeshi stared at him.
"The Seven Deadly Sins…" he muttered. "That actually sounds kind of cool, but—wait."
He looked up sharply.
"Didn't you just say I finished my seventh life?" he asked. "Which means I wasn't supposed to come here at all because I won't be born again, right? And I didn't get the explanation on why you saved my soul even after I completed my seventh life, completing it means I'll vanish right?" he asked
"Well," Albert said cheerfully, "you resisted every sin on the way to your seventh life, and you even resisted the last and final sin—lust. That's all."
"Is that true?" Takeshi asked again.
"Well, it depends..." Albert replied. "It depends on how much you resisted the sins. Based on that, you would normally be sent to Heaven or Hell. But you—" he paused for a moment, studying Takeshi carefully, "—you didn't just resist one or two sins. You resisted every sin completely. It's almost like you ignored them entirely."
"So what would've happened to my soul if you hadn't saved me?" Takeshi asked again.
"Well…" Albert hesitated. "I can't tell you that."
Takeshi narrowed his eyes.
"You seem suspicious, Albert. Are you hiding something?"
"Well, I can't tell you," Albert answered calmly, "because I don't know myself."
"Hm… okay," Takeshi said after a moment. He decided not to push further.
"So what do I do now?" Takeshi asked. "Do I have to live here forever?"
Then he added, "And why did you bring me here anyway?"
"Well," Albert said with a small smile, "because you resisted all seven sins, you earned an extra life—like a bonus in a video game after clearing a secret mission."
Takeshi blinked.
"And as another bonus," Albert continued, "you'll get to keep all your memories from your previous lives."
Albert smiled warmly as he said this.
"An extra life…" Takeshi repeated slowly. "You mean I'll be born again as a baby, right?"
"Yes," Albert replied. "You're absolutely correct."
"So… I'll be born on Earth again, right?" Takeshi asked.
"Earth?" Albert echoed. "Oh, you mean Universe 625."
Takeshi paused for a moment
"…What?" he asked, confused.
"I mean… there are many universes in the multiverse," Albert continued calmly. "You'll be born in Universe 10, on a planet called Earpel. It's a bit like your Earth—but not exactly the same."
"A bit like Earth?" Takeshi asked. "So… I just have to live a normal life again, right? Normally..?"
"Well," Albert said, his tone shifting slightly, "to make this exciting, there's a small twist."
Takeshi frowned.
"A twist?"
"There is a man on that planet named Wrathor of Wrath," Albert explained. "He currently terrorizes the entire planet and rules it through fear."
Albert was smiling now.
"What?" Takeshi asked, uneasy.
"You will have the choice," Albert said simply.
"The choice to kill him."
The words hung in the air.
Takeshi stayed silent for a full minute before speaking again.
"So… what do I get if I kill him?" he finally asked.
Albert folded his hands behind his back.
"First of all," he said, "you'll get everything."
"Everything?" Takeshi echoed.
"If you kill him, you'll become the most famous person on that planet," Albert continued. "You'll gain wealth, fame, power —your life from that moment on will be perfect. Exactly the kind of life most people desire."
He paused, then added casually,
"And as a bonus, he's weak. You'll be able to defeat him easily."
"Huh," Takeshi muttered. "Sounds nice."
He looked away for a moment.
"I'll decide after I reach that world," Takeshi said. "Whether I kill him or not."
"No," Albert replied quietly.
Takeshi turned back sharply. "What?"
"You have to kill him."
The air felt heavier.
"What do you mean, I have to?" Takeshi asked.
"If you don't," Albert said, his voice calm but firm, "Wrathor will continue conquering other universes. Eventually, he will reach Earth as well."
Albert stepped closer.
"And trust me," he added, "you don't want to see what happens after that."
Takeshi let out a long breath.
"Okay… I'll try," he said slowly. "Damn it. What a huge responsibility."
He ran a hand through his hair.
"But what if I fail?" Takeshi asked. "What if he kills me instead?"
"Just be cautious," Albert said. "And try not to die… at least not too soon."
"I mean, I doubt he can kill you," Albert added casually.
"…Great," Takeshi muttered. "You seem so reassuring."
He sighed again, then slowly lowered himself to the floor, sitting cross-legged as his thoughts caught up with him.
"Wrathor of Wrath…" Takeshi said quietly. "Does he have any connection to the sin of wrath?"
Albert tilted his head.
"Hm… let's say he is the harbinger of wrath."
Takeshi clicked his tongue. "Figures."
He looked back up.
"Okay. And what about my powers?"
"Your powers?" Albert repeated.
"Yeah," Takeshi said. "I mean, aren't I supposed to get something overpowered or special?"
"That," Albert replied, "depends entirely on the world you're being sent to."
"…Can you at least tell me something about this planet?" Takeshi asked.
Albert paused for a moment lost in his own thoughts regarding the question.
"So?" Takeshi pressed.
"I can't tell you much about the planet," Albert said.
"Why?" Takeshi frowned. "It won't kill you to explain."
"Because," Albert replied smoothly, "that would take the excitement out of your life."
"Oh come on. Stop giving lame excuses and just tell me already."
Albert chuckled.
"Don't you have curiosity?" he asked. "The desire to learn something new? To discover things yourself—to see the world with your own eyes?"
"Well… yeah. Sometimes."
"All I can tell you," Albert continued, "is that Earpel is a very interesting planet. You won't be bored—not even for a moment."
"Huh," Takeshi said.
"Sounds cool. But maybe I shouldn't expect much from a planet ruled by a warlord."
He laughed lightly at his own comment.
The two of them fell silent.
After a moment, Takeshi spoke again.
"So… when will I go?" he asked.
"Whenever you want," Albert replied.
Takeshi blinked. "That's it?"
"But," Albert added, his tone sharpening slightly, "you won't be able to come back here again. Or talk to me after this."
That made Takeshi pause.
"Ok, fine" Takeshi said quietly as he exhaled slowly.
"And remember," Albert added, "you will be born as a baby again. However, you will retain all of your memories
"Okay," Takeshi said, straightening up.
"Okay. Enough talking. Just send me already."
Albert raised an eyebrow, amused.
"As you wish," he said.
The moment the words left his mouth, the space between them twisted. A circular distortion formed in the middle of the room, spiraling inward like a collapsing mirror. Light burst forth from its center—pure, blinding white—illuminating the entire chamber.
A wormhole.
Takeshi felt a powerful pull tug at his body.
Before he could react, the force wrapped around him, lifting him off the ground. His vision blurred as the light swallowed him whole.
And just like that—
He was gone.
Albert stood still, watching as the wormhole sealed itself shut. The light faded, and the room was once again consumed by darkness.
"…Good luck," Albert murmured.
He turned around and walked forward.
As he moved, he lifted his hand and typed into an invisible keyboard. A faint clicking sound echoed in the air as glowing symbols appeared before him.
A door materialized.
It slid open silently.
Albert stepped inside, yawning slightly as he took a deep breath.
"Where did his soul go?" asked Chief Rubeus
"It vanished," Orbus replied, "All at once. How is that even possible?"
Silence followed. They stared at one another, helpless. The entire Jewel Case was in chaos.
Takeshi Sato's soul had disappeared without warning. All of the Supreme Gems had locked themselves inside their respective departments, attempting to understand what had just occurred and it was Orbus who had been sent to the the investigation department.
In the Investigation Department, the atmosphere was heavier than ever since it's head was none other than Chief Rubeus who despised Orbus for not taking responsibility. Soon after the disappearance of Takeshi Sato's soul, the Supreme Gems began working tirelessly—day and night(there is no day and night in the Jewel Case, it's used just for showing how hard they worked)—to uncover the truth.
They monitored every sector of the Jewel Case, reinforced its defensive systems, and invented multiple termination programs like the T-36 —and ultimately locate Takeshi Sato's soul.
But the problem remained.
His soul could be anywhere in the Multiverse.
Inside Chief Rubius's department, everyone was working relentlessly, gathering every fragment of information they could—especially concerning the Alpha-Bug, which might hold the key to finding Takeshi Sato.
"What do we know about the current situation?" the Chief asked.
"We know that Takeshi Sato was killed at the exact moment the Alpha-Bug entered his profile," Orbus replied, "Because of that, there is a high probability that his death was a direct result of the bug."
"And do you even know what a profile is?" the Chief asked, turning to Orbus.
Orbus hesitated.
"Well… um… it's the identity of the person?" he answered carefully.
The Chief shook his head.
"Correct—but not precisely. A profile is a person's biological and metaphysical imprint. It defines their individuality and contains their fate, life span, and death."
"Okay, Sir," he said, "but why do you think the Alpha-Bug entered Takeshi Sato's profile specifically?"
"We think it chose randomly."
Silence filled the room. Orbus slowly turned toward him.
"And General Orbus," the Chief added calmly, "you were the one in charge of security that day and night, correct?"
Orbus clenched his jaw.
"Yes," he replied.
"So how did the Alpha-Bug even enter the Jewel Case?" Rubeus shouted.
"I don't know, sir… it just appeared out of nowhere," Orbus replied.
"This is getting us nowhere. Does anyone have anything else to say?" Rubeus asked.
"The T-36 also couldn't destroy it, which means—"
"Which means it was created using a technology far stronger than our terminating program," Rubeus interrupted. "That also implies it is still in an unstable state. If it continues to grow—" he paused, unable to finish the sentence.
"We should ask Chief Silva about the bug. He is the technological expert here," Orbus suggested carefully.
"I don't need your opinion on this matter, General," Rubens replied coldly.
"Yes, sir," Orbus said quietly.
"Now continue to find new information, and also locate the whereabouts of Takeshi Sato," Rubeus ordered.
"Yes, sir," Orbus replied and returned to the monitoring screen.
Suddenly, alarms began blaring throughout the room. Everyone looked at each other in confusion.
"Everyone, please gather in the meeting room," a voice echoed from the speaker system.
"What the hell… whose voice is that?" Chief Rubeus asked.
"I don't know, sir. This seems like an unknown infiltration," General Orbus replied.
"Well, I can also see that much," the Supreme Chief responded sharply.
"Ah, and by everyone, I mean only the Seven Supreme Gems. Don't worry, the rest of you will be not be excluded, since the speakers are there for you to listen to our meeting," the voice from the speaker said.
"This is stupid. I'll kill this bastard after I get my hands on him," Chief Rubeus angrily remarked as he stormed toward the meeting room.
The meeting room wasn't far from his department, and he soon reached it. He opened the doors with a loud bang—only to find that all the lights were already off and all the gems had already assembled in the room.The entire meeting room was shrouded in darkness. He looked around carefully, but for a moment, he didn't see anyone.
"This seems like a trap. Maybe they've called us here to buy some time," Chief Rubeus muttered.
But the moment he finished speaking, the lights suddenly turned on, flooding the entire room with blinding brightness. Everyone instinctively closed their eyes for a fraction of a second. When they opened them again, they saw it—the person whose voice had echoed through the speakers.
They couldn't believe what they were seeing. There, standing before them in the flesh, was the very being they thought impossible to confront directly. His presence alone was overwhelming, radiating such immense power that the air itself felt heavy.
"I can't believe it's you… how can you be here?!" Chief Gold yelled in disbelief at the person.
The person didn't reply. He simply smiled as he looked around at all the Supreme Council members.
"Why don't you reply?! Takeshi Sato!" Chief Gold shouted.
It was really Takeshi Sato standing in front of them—but something was wrong. He looked different from the man recorded in the profile. He was wearing a black suit, his long hair flowing behind him. His eyes were pitch black, with glowing red pupils that pierced through the darkness.
With every step he took inside the meeting room, the darkness deepened, and his very presence created a heavy, suffocating atmosphere. This wasn't Takeshi Sato. It was something that looked like him—but it clearly wasn't him.
He walked a few steps forward until he was face-to-face with Chief Gold. He stared at him closely and then took a few steps back.
"Now, please sit down, everyone,"the man said calmly, motioning for everyone to take their seats.
"Why should we listen to you? We don't even know who you are!" Chief Rubeus shouted.
Snap.
In an instant, everyone was teleported back to their seats. Chief Rubeus couldn't even speak—one snap of the man's fingers had forced everyone into place. The sheer amount of power he displayed was terrifying.
"Now we shall talk," he said, addressing everyone.
"Who are you?" Chief Dia asked.
"A straight question, huh?" The man smiled slightly. "Very well… I am the Alpha-Bug."
They all looked at each other in shock. No one could believe what they had just heard. Half expecting his identity to be the Alpha-Bug, the chiefs still felt uneasy.
"Not surprised. Are you? Oh well, I guess you can also call me Dark Sat," the Alpha-Bug told them calmly.
"Why are you here? Where is Sato's soul? What do you want? Who made you? Why did you—"
"Hold it," he interrupted coldly. "I am not here to have an interview with you guys."
"Then why are you here?" Chief Dia asked.
"Ah, straight to business then. I want control over the Jewel Case," he replied.
"No!" everyone shouted together.
"Well, I already knew the answer, to be honest. So I've come here with a proposal," Dark Sat said.
"What is it?" Chief Gold asked.
"I'll give you Takeshi Sato," Dark Sat replied.
"No way. You won't just give your vessel to us just for taking control over the Jewel Case," Chief Silva said.
"Oh well you won't believe me, then will you?" he said calmly. "It's okay"
"You wouldn't just come here risking your life for this proposal. You have other plans too, no?" Chief Sap said.
"Risking my life?" he laughed. "Who told you I was risking my life?" He laughed again.
"So you don't have other plans?" Chief Sap asked once more.
"No, I don't have any. And besides, why would I have other plans?" he asked.
"I don't know… maybe to hide Takeshi Sato or something?" Chief Sap replied.
"Hide? What do you mean?" Dark Sat asked casually. "I don't even know where he is."
"What?!" everyone shouted together.
"Yeah—what did you expect?" Dark Sat asked calmly.
"Then what was all that about giving Takeshi Sato to us if we gave you control over the Jewel Case?" Chief Dia demanded.
"Yeah. I would give him to you after I find him. Simple, right?" Dark Sat replied.
"How would you find him if you don't even know where he is?" Chief Gold asked seriously.
"Well, I don't know where he is—but Albert does," Dark Sat said.
"Who is Albert now?" Chief Dia asked.
"He's my rival—that idiot, he took Sato's soul after he found out that I took over his profile," Dark Sat replied.
"Is he another Bug or something?" Chief Silva asked.
"Another Bug? No, no, no… he is a god," Dark Sat said. "At least, that's what he likes to call himself."
"What the hell is happening?" Chief Rubeus asked, completely confused.
"Oh, looks like it's my time to go," Dark Sat said casually as he glanced at his watch.
"Don't let him go!" Chief Rubeus shouted.
Guards rushed into the room as Chief Rubeus stood up along with everyone else. They quickly took position and surrounded Dark Sat. Some guards blocked the entrance, while others sealed off all possible exits.
"Activate the Anti-Teleportation system now!" Chief Rubeus ordered.
"Yes, sir," the operator replied, and the anti-teleportation field was immediately activated, preventing any form of teleportation.
"Now you can't escape, Alpha-Bug. It was over the moment you stepped in here," Chief Rubeus said confidently.
"Hm… is that so?" Dark Sat said as he calmly sat down again. "So you guys think you can catch me here? Maybe you can… but maybe you cannot," he laughed.
As soon as he said this, a guard standing at the back suddenly fell to the ground. Soon after, everyone in the room began collapsing one by one. Even the Supreme Gems couldn't hold on for long, and they too started falling. One by one, they dropped—until only Chief Gold remained standing.
"What… did… you… do?" he struggled to speak.
"Figure it out for yourself," Dark Sat said. He then opened the meeting room door and teleported away—returning to where he had originally come from.
In the liminal space, Albert stepped out of his room and yawned. He seemed to have had a nice sleep. Suddenly, he heard a voice from behind him.
"Good morning, Albert," Dark Sat said.
"What do you want?" Albert asked without turning back.
"Nothing, Albert. Nothing, I just wanted to talk... for a monent" Dark Sat replied.
At the same time, while Albert had been asleep, Takeshi Sato had been born again—and a new adventure had already begun.