Chapter 176

Arc 16 - The Fastest Man Alive - Part 13

In a galaxy far from here - Draco-15, there was a star system inhabited by the pirates known as Insrills.

These people had control of all five planets in this star system. They used these planets to live and trade, as well as create innovative technologies which helped them steal from others at a much better rate.

While this is the system of pirates, it is not a lawless place.

This system is ruled by a group of Insrills, the oldest of the pirates known as 「Black Jacks」, who rule justly for these unjust people. They were the first to set eyes on these empty planets and then, they took refuge here. Over the years, they used their powers and technology to transform this world into something wonderful - a pirate pavilion.

Among one of the five planets, there was a planet known as Vasilian - the third planet from the sun in this solar system - which is known not for its pirates but for its alcohol.

And Nazar was here.

Under the black cloudy sky of Vasilian, Nazar stood tall and mighty over the unconscious body of Eddie, his closest friend, his best friend, and the one he loved as much as his real brother.

On his face, an angry expression was pasted. The veins in his body had popped, almost as if they would burst open.

The sclera of his eyes was turned red from anger.

His hands were shaking vigorously as if it was itching to hurt something.

Through his mouth, he breathed in and out in an erratic manner, like an angry beast growling at an enemy it cannot see.

Above him, the dark clouds growled loudly as it started to pour angry rains on him and the unconscious body.

Under the rainfall, he sucked in a breath when he heard the door to a tavern behind him open. The old door creaked louder than the growling thunders in the dark sky.

Nazar slowly turned his head, and his gaze befell upon a hulking dark green figure. He walked slowly forward, towards Nazar, and his figure blocked rays of light that were seeping out of the opened door.

The figure walked slowly, but his footsteps were loud, so loud Nazar thought his eardrums would burst open any second.

The hulking figure left the tavern and his eyes met with Nazar’s.

As soon as the two monsters’ eyes met, the beast came to a halt.

He stopped moving.

“What...”

The beast looked down at the body under Nazar’s feet and turned confused.

“Brawn,” Nazar acknowledged the existence of the other monster.

Brawn, an assassin and gun-for-hire, and an old friend of Nazar and Eddie’s, looked at the unconscious body of Eddie and then at Nazar.

His mind went blank as he tried to make sense of what happened.

He had known these two for years, and they were as close as two lone molecules. So, he did not understand the scene before him.

When his mind failed to give him an answer, the beast sucked in a breath and opened his mouth.

“What happened here?”

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“”

Through the dark streets of planet Norav, a median-sized planet in the centre of the Biras-5 galaxy, a teenage boy cried out as he ran away from a certain enemy.

In between the tall dark buildings, this young and scrawny boy kept running as he screamed loudly.

“” he cursed himself in a loud almost-crying voice.

He glanced over his shoulders and saw a few men running after him.

“” once again, he began to curse himself and his terrible luck at the top of his lungs.

Like usual, misfortune followed this young man since the day he opened his eyes in this supernatural world.

“”

Since the day of his birth, this has been the usual for him, so he should be used to it… except he is not.

“” in the middle of cries, he suddenly remembered a scene where a blonde vampire tried to kiss him, so a thin lecherous smile spread on his face. “”

Realising how foolish he acted earlier in the day and missed his chance with her, he cried out once again.

“”

In this world, where everything revolves around power, where everyone has a supernatural ability, this young man had none. He was born powerless. Thus, he was born unlucky.

Since his childhood, he was an outsider in his own home, shunned away by everyone. He was despised by everyone.

But despite that, this young man did not care. He was a special person and lived his life as normally as he could.

Along the way, he found friends and allies whom he could depend on.

Along the way, he found purpose.

Along the way, he swore to change this world on a fundamental level.

People fear change and what they don’t understand, so they wanted to get rid of this anomaly.

They sent hunters and each one of them failed, many turned around and became his allies.

The world was losing.

“”

The boy was met with a dead end.

Like a shaking statue, he stood before a tall wall.

He looked right, and found another wall, so he looked left and there was also a wall.

He groaned loudly as he turned around, trying to run back so he could take another route, but his luck had run out. The people who were chasing him had caught up to him.

The few muscular men smiled victoriously now that the boy was cornered.

Their hands and eyes lit up with energy as they prepared to attack the boy.

“”

The boy with spiky hair sucked in a long breath as he prepared to receive the attack from these villains.

“”

He slipped his hand into his pocket and took out his phone.

“”

In front of him, a golden light flashed brightly.

Behind the blinding light, he could see a dark sword slowly starting to ascend from the ground.

He clutched onto the sword and smiled faintly.

“” he exclaimed loudly.

These villains have been hunting for a long time, but every time, they get defeated because of this accursed sword.

So, the boy swung his sword a few times and then pointed to these villains.

“”

No matter what they attack him with, he is invincible right now.

Everything uses supernatural energies on this planet, and this boy can destroy them, thus no one can challenge him.

These villains will be defeated.

And the boy will be victorious like the hero he is.

Then he will go to his home where dozens of people will welcome him warmly.

He is a hero after all, he always wins.

“"

BANG!

“”

A terribly hot bullet that traveled thousands of miles penetrated the top of his skull, breaking the white bones in its path and reducing it to small shards.

The bullet flew from the top of his skull and came out from his chin and then entered the ground beneath him.

Huh… as the mind of the hero started to blank out, he questioned what happened.

But before he could think further, he fell to his knees.

His life was shattered in an instant and his soul had reached the limbo as quickly.

The lifeless body of the teenage hero plunged down into the cold concrete ground. His lifeless face hit the ground first and broke a bone in his face, but he was long dead to feel that.

Rivers of blood streamed down in this dark alley.

The men looked around to themselves in a confused manner before running away.

This day marked the end of this hero and anomaly.

လလလ

"Headshot," on the moon of this planet, Reaper spoke slowly as he slowly lowered his sniper. “That was easy.”

Reaper is not a man who often feels discouraged after finishing jobs, but these days, he has been thinking about his dead family a lot. So, he wanted something more challenging. But at the end, he was quite disappointed.

In a discouraged manner - which he did not show on his face - he placed his sniper in a pocket dimension.

“That damned God--”

He swallowed his words as Nazar teleported next to him and loudly exclaimed in an exaggerated tone of sadness, "Noo, you killed Kamijou Touma!!"

"..." the dumbfounded Reaper said nothing but kept his mouth shut.

"The man with the special sword who could destroy illusions… This blows. My favourite character is dead…"

Nazar gasped loudly.

“Wait a damn minute, Kamijou Touma doesn’t use swords! This must be an imposter. But man, either way, that’s irrelevant, why would you even kill him? He was a cool kid. I mean, even if you were given a task, you can’t just kill Kamijou Touma. That’s just WRRRROONG!”

“...”

In front of Reaper, a holographic screen popped up, showing the details of the target.

"No, his name is, Ba Bina."

"..."

Nazar looked away from the planet and looked Reaper in the eyes.

He stared at him blankly for a moment before sighing.

“Nevermind.”

"..."

"I came here to ask… Where is Eddie?"

"..."

Reaper wanted to ask him; why not use one of your million abilities to find him? But instead of saying what was on his mind, he rolled his eyes ever so slightly.

"I would look for him with my power… but I promised him that I won't do that when it comes to him unless it's an emergency. But it's not now."

"..."

Reaper failed to understand him and his reasoning, but he has given up trying to understand either years ago.

"Hingin Bar, Vasilian - third planet from the sun in the Fynn System."

"Fynn System… What on Earth is he doing in that system?"

He asked a rhetorical question, but Reaper didn't realise that, so he provided an answer.

"They have the best alcohol in the universe."

"Well…" Nazar gave up with a faint grunt. "Anyway, thanks."

And so, he flew away and went to a different galaxy.

Reaper watched him leave and then let out a faint sigh.

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In another galaxy, in the Fynn System, Nazar landed in front of a tavern, an incredibly old looking tavern and it smelled awful.

But despite its bad appearance, the home brewed alcohol is second to none in the universe. The alcohol is well known across the multiverse. Everyone wants to taste the strong alcohol that can even affect people with extreme regeneration.

It is a well-known fact that the alcohol sold here actually tastes good whereas alcohol from other places don’t compare. It is strong, but the taste is missing.

Additionally, the old owner sells his alcohol for a ridiculously cheap price, enough so anyone can purchase it regularly.

It's the go-to place of every pirate in this system, but sometimes, it gets visitors from other sectors of work.

Nazar snapped his fingers, and the stench was removed from this place.

He then inhaled sharply and entered the tavern.

Upon entering the dimly lit old tavern, Nazar glanced around and saw many different forms of species; slimes, goo-like aliens, cyborgs, beings of energies, among others.

He ignored them all and looked at a specific man, the sole human in this tavern.

Eddie was sitting at the bar and drinking.

Nazar smiled softly and walked towards him excitedly.

With every step he took, his excitement erupted, he could no longer contain it.

So, he walked swifter than before.

Because of his excitement, this short journey was longer than ever.

But he crossed the boundless distance and finally reached his target.

When he went close, he patted Eddie on his shoulder excitedly and spoke in an even more excited note, “Bro, you ARE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE WHAT JUST HAPP...en...ed...”

The excitement in his tone and heart faded away almost instantly and he was forced to swallow his saliva at the sight of what he was seeing.

In front of Eddie, a few bottles were laying down.

Drools were coming down from his mouth and his white shirt had turned yellow in some places because alcohol fell on it.

Nazar realised instantly that the alcohol stains were at least older than a day, which means he had been drinking for far longer.

“Wh-what...”

The drunk Eddie slowly raised his head and looked at Nazar.

“Is… Is everything all right?”

“Wat izhn’t when you are ar…*hic*...nd?”

“...”

Nazar forcefully removed the bottle away from Eddie.

Nazar started to worry about his wellbeing.

Eddie has eternal life, he can regenerate from even the gravest wounds to his body, but if he goes down this path…

“Let’s go. You have had enough.”

“Nooo,” Eddie resisted for a moment.

However, Nazar did not give up.

Nazar helped Eddie stand up, albeit Eddie tried to move Nazar away from himself.

"What is…"

Nazar clicked his tongue.

"Let's take you home, you idiot," Nazar wrapped his arm around Eddie's back to help him stand up.

Even then, Eddie tried to resist, but Nazar was simply stronger, so he forced him to stand up.

Eddie gave up and wrapped his arm around Nazar's shoulder and started to walk with a sour look on his face.

"Why have you been drinking?"

"Cu'z I… wanted to," he giggled in the end.

The hell… This is new.

Nazar has known Eddie for a few years, and they know almost everything about each other. So, Nazar knows that Eddie doesn't drink that often, and even if he does, it's not as bad as this.

Nazar and Eddie started to walk away from the bar and leave the tavern.

As they turned their backs to the bar, an old voice reached out to him.

""

Nazar turned his head around abruptly and looked at the old man from the corner of his eyes.

He has no intention of scaring the old man, but the latter did not see it the same way.

The old man shivered in fear as his eyes dawned upon those crimson eyes of God.

""

That is not how they operated in this tavern. The old man wanted to say that, but something stopped him.

No, he was whimpering out the right words, but his fear made it hard to raise his voice, so Nazar thought he did not say anything.

Nazar turned away from the old man and started to walk out.

But then at that moment, Nazar felt a large hand on his other shoulder, so he stopped moving once again and groaned.

"That's not how it works around here, there is no such things as tabs. This bar is special. And Norse God, here, has been drinking gallons of it for a week now," a monstrous voice that belonged to the hand explained to Nazar in a very polite tone, unbefitting of its voice.

Nazar sighed and turned around, only to find a large two meters high hulking dark green monster.

The monster with a turtle-like shell moved away his hand once Nazar was facing him.

"What do you mean? For a whole week?"

"Indeed," Brawn, a member of Death 100, and an old friend of Nazar nodded. "I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen to me."

"Damn it! What the hell is going on here…?" Nazar muttered as he glanced down at the drunk Eddie.

Nazar then placed his empty hand on Eddie's stomach, getting rid of all the toxins in his body.

"He should get back to normal soon, but why overdose…"

He looked at Brawn and added, "I will pay you tomorrow. So, can you..."

"No need," Brawn waved down his hand in a dismissive manner. "I was going to do so anyway. Just wanted to let you know of the rules."

Nazar nodded, "Thanks."

And so, he left the tavern with Eddie.

As he left the tavern, Eddie groaned slightly and started to speak.

"I wanted to be a hero that could save everyone but… I couldn't," Eddie spoke out in a defeated manner.

With the toxins gone, his speech was much clearer than before, but he had still not returned to his senses.

“It is impossible, you were right...”

Eddie turned around and looked at Nazar’s side profile.

Nazar did not look back, but he could feel the coldness in his eyes.

“I couldn’t do anything but just watch. But you...”

Eddie inhaled loudly, but with great struggle.

Just from the way he inhaled, Nazar knew that his anger was soaring.

“You have every damn power ever, you can do anything; save the world, the universe, the entire multiverse… Yet you sit on your ass all day long, doing nothing but moping around like… Like...”

Eddie chuckled bitterly.

“You know what I hate the most about you?”

Nazar listened quietly as he slowly walked in this old tavern.

Usually, he would have sent Eddie to his home, but he was curious to know the reason behind Eddie drinking.

But it seemed he started to regret it.

That was not what he wanted to hear from him.

“You refuse to do anything; you refuse to help people. All you do is sit around and pretend you had it worse than everyone else.”

Eddie pushed Nazar away slightly in anger.

Now that he was free from him, he pointed at Nazar's chest with his index finger.

"Guess fucking what? You are not the only one."

Eddie was telling the truth, and Nazar knew that, but even then, he did not say anything.

"You are the most selfish and self-absorbed bastard I have ever had the displeasure of meeting."

"Eddie…" Nazar spoke slowly, hoping that Eddie would laugh it off, and say he was joking.

"You're suffering and pain are nothing. It means nothing. It means nothing to me or anyone else. So, stop pretending it fucking does. I am sick of your shit. I have had enough of it."

And as usual, Nazar kept quiet without saying a word.

The emotions he was feeling were different than before, he was not angry or disappointed, simply confused.

“Ever since you gave me these damned powers, you have looked down upon me like I am some kind of child. At every turn, you have tried to confine me in some kind of prison, but… for what?!”

He did not give Nazar a chance to speak.

“Protect me? Well, that’s some fucking bullshit, if you ask me,” Eddie forced out a laughter. “I understand my ideals are pretty stupid and childish, but the reason they never mature is because of you.”

“...”

Nazar grunted softly and glanced around.

He looked beyond the normal spectrum to see if an external source was affecting Eddie.

“Tch,” Nazar clicked his tongue unpleasantly.

Unfortunately for him, that was not the case.

“At every turn, whenever a problem arises, it always “Nazar this, Nazar that”, well guess fucking what? I am sick of it! I am sick of you and you being in my damned face every day!”

The muscles in Nazar’s body stiffened.

“I can’t even solve my own fucking problems because of you.”

“Eddie...” he spoke in a low deep voice.

“I could be dead tomorrow, but everyone, someone who hasn’t even fucking met you, wants me to ask you for help.”

“Eddie,” his voice slowly rose as it grew colder.

“I am sick of you and your power. You have the power to do everything, but fucking don’t because of how selfish of a bastard you are. If you don’t want it, just give it to someone.”

Nazar would have laughed at his idea normally, he had already tried that and it failed, but now was not the time to laugh or mention the fact.

“You know… If anyone else had that power, they would do so much good with it. But it had to fall into the hands of a pathetic excuse for life like you.”

“Eddie!”

“Maybe that power should have been given to me,” Eddie laughed, as if he was merely joking. “I would have done more good with it.”

Nazar swiftly moved his fingers and tried to paralyse him through his pressure points.

However, his swift movement came to an abrupt halt as Eddie opened his mouth once again.

His next words crushed the soul of the one whom he once called friend.

"It must feel amazing to bathe in infinite power."

"...Huh?"

"To be a God."

Nazar felt his heart skipping a beat as he recalled a memory from a life he did not know he lived. In that world, Eddie said the same things, and in the next instant, Nazar had destroyed him on every level of existence, erasing him from time, space, and the minds of everyone.

What… I--I w-w-w-would never...

He realised that every muscle and organ in his body had stopped functioning for a moment.

The emptiness in his mind sprouted at great speeds, overtaking everything. There was not a thought or number in his mind, just emptiness.

"The sweet power…"

In his empty head, just one word floated.

Don't… he cried out in his mind.

Then another.

Please.

However, his friend could not hear him.

"The ecstasy of being the ultimate God…"

DON'T!

"I wish that power was mine."

And so, his words continued to stab into his very being.

It penetrated the hard shell of his body like needles.

"You confined me in one place and stole all the glory to yourself, you became everything."

Eddie slammed the back of his hand into Nazar's chest.

"Brother, you don't deserve that, you deserve nothing."

"..."

No, that can’t be… It CAN’T BE!

Nazar slowly pushed away the emptiness in his head.

The empty void in his mind started to fade away as normal thoughts and numbers returned to his computer-like mind.

Movement returned to his body.

He started to return to normal.

And his heart started to beat faster than light could travel from one end of the room to the other.

His body started to boil in anger as he looked at the mouth of his old friend.

He had opened his mouth and started to unleash more hurtful words.

"I am going to become--"

And so, Nazar swung his right hand towards Eddie.

"Shut the fuck up," he slapped Eddie in the face, knocking him out cold. "Just shut up!"

He breathed in and out angrily as he thought.

I thought I had him protected from Fate, but it seems...

To this man, right here and right now, that was the only answer acceptable.

Blaming an abstract concept or word to solve this problem was the easiest and foul-proof solution.

Maybe Eddie truly hated him, maybe he didn't, but he doesn't know that.

No, he doesn't want a different answer.

And that image… I-I-I-I-I--- I would never kill…

Nazar glanced down at the body.

“Hrk,” seeing his friend out cold because of his inability to control his body and emotions, his breath got stuck in his mouth. It was as if he would choke on it.

No, no, no, no, no… I… I… I did not… No---

"Nazar, old chum--"

The hulking figure known as Brawn came out of the tavern and asked Nazar.

At first, he had a carefree look on his face, but once he saw Eddie laying on the floor, he started to descend into a sea of confusion.

He glanced down at Nazar's left hand which was shaking in anger.

Brawn is a man who cannot be hurt by almost anyone, but now, he started to worry for himself and Eddie.

Nazar slowly turned around his fiery red eyes and glared at Brawn.

"What happened here?" Brawn swallowed his fear and spoke in his usual tone.

"I think someone is manipulating his mind," Nazar said… Or rather, he thought he did.

He could not even utter a single word.

His words were not coming out the way it should be. The sounds that came out of his mouth did not make any sense; it was as if his tongue was forcefully tied with something - it wasn’t, but the sounds he made was no different.

"Oh…" despite Nazar’s inability to explain himself in any manner, Brawn understood.

Among his friends and acquaintances, Nazar’s emotional and mental state was quite well known.

He would usually become extremely emotional, thus losing control of his body and powers.

His mind was also quite fragile in the past, talking to himself even at times and seeing “things”, perhaps it's starting to resurface? Brawn thought to himself.

He did not want to think any more about what happened between Eddie and Nazar, but he could deduce what might have happened.

Brawn raised his one hand and showed Nazar a weird creature that was floating from his fingers.

"He is responsible for it," he spoke clearly, but if Nazar was not very confused, he would have noticed the hint of fear in Brawn’s beastly voice.

The white slime whimpered as he saw Nazar.

“” the slime exclaimed in a very low and fearful voice.

“From my short interrogation, it seems he was developing a military grade truth serum for enhanced people like him.”

“” the slime forgot about his fear and started to fight for his pride. “”

Before the slime could finish, Nazar glared at him, and the slime ceased existing. He was erased from time, space, history, reality, and the minds of everyone.

People would usually end up in the afterlife, but it was too impossible for this slime. He ceased existing as if he never existed.

“Well… then...” Brawn reactively took a small step back.

Nazar looked at him with an odd look in his eyes, he seemed like a hurt beast that was unsure of anything around him, or even itself.

The confused beast turned away from Brawn and then looked at the body under his foot.

He inhaled sharply before Eddie vanished into thin air and was sent to his home.

I remember this… Once before, he lost all reason, but Solace saved him.

Brawn instinctively let out a sigh of relief.

Despite his loss of reason, she said that his subconscious holds enough control over his body and mind to not destroy everyone and everything around him.

“Thank the stars,” for someone who doesn’t believe in God or something similar, Brawn once in a while thanks the stars. They hold no power, but its just an expression.

He was thankful to the universe for letting him be there on that day or else he would have run away, scared for his life.

I am safe.

“Nazar,” Brawn took a step forward and reached out his hand, “it is me, your friend.”

He remembered what Solace had told him all those years ago.

He is like a beast, a confused beast, so try not to react hastily. Try to be… Well, nice to him, I suppose. That should help the situation.

Brawn could not stop thanking the stars for that grateful - or rather ungrateful - day.

If what she said was right, every second, his mental and emotional state worsens. Since she is not here, then the next best thing to do would be to kill him… But that’s….

For a split second, he took a pause from his gratitude and cursed himself for being weak.

“Are you okay?”

Nazar looked down at Brawn’s hand and then upwards to his face.

“Did you send Norse God to his home?”

The nice and friendly tone of this beast made Nazar react by nodding.

On the surface, he still doesn’t know what he is doing, but his subconscious is keeping him at bay and answering for him. Truly… an odd creature he is.

Brawn’s thoughts held no pity, but he admired that part of him. He found him interesting.

Brawn extended his hand even more.

Nazar tilted his head slightly as he looked at it closely.

“I will lead you to your home world, Earth. Or can you find your way?”

Nazar moved his right hand.

His fingers touched with Brawn’s warm fingers, and he started to regain a little bit of himself.

But…

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“Hehe.”

In another place, a dark dimension so far from this Ultraverse and world, the Queen of Virrasil giggled evilly.

“Memory transfer.”

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Through the electrical pathways of Brawn, something travelled at an extreme speed.

Whatever it was, he could not react to it in time.

“!!”

That thing, it left through his skin and entered through Nazar’s.

And in the next instant…

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

The Supreme God of everything screamed on top of his lungs.

With every vibration that he created; the universe lost its material self.

With every vibration that he created; the time stream cracked just a little.

With every vibration that he created; the reality swirled out of control like plastic flapping in a tornado.

Everything was losing its shape and form, becoming undone.

Brawn found himself shot backwards and fell on the ground - perhaps the only solid object in this universe at the moment.

“NOOO!” Nazar screamed loudly, creating a huge hole in the time-space continuum that was bigger than the star system.

Like a black hole, it spread faster and faster.

His scream started to leak to other universes and planes, causing chaos throughout.

No, no, no, no, no, the Supreme God of everything thought to himself.

Whatever was shot into him caused him to go berserker and lose even more of himself, but at the same time, he gained a greater ability to think, far more than what he could do a few moments ago.

It can’t be… It can’t… How… But...

“Nazar, calm down. You are---”

But Brawn’s word did not reach this monster.

Instead, he screamed even more.

His sound increased exponentially, creating a huge explosion of light to occur.

The light turned everything white in the universe.

But only for an instant.

The explosion swallowed itself instantly and then…

And…

And…

And then…

BLINK!

And just like that, everything turned pitch black.