Chapter 187

Arc 16 - The Fastest Man Alive - Part 24

God had died.

He was killed in front of everyone.

And his killer was running wildly across the multiverse.

Rewind was moving left and right in the multiverse, searching for something, however, he could not find it, so he grew angry.

Mad with rage, Rewind jumped to a higher phase of this plane.

He realised, the more he went higher, the smaller everything below became, and the longer his path stretched. The road ahead was getting longer, and his speed was getting swifter.

“Where is it…”

Rewind had heard rumours of a weapon, a weapon so powerful it could grant him death, fighting against the wishes of his master - the Queen of Virrasil.

He had to find it.

It was not his, nor a weapon which belonged to his friend, but he is a criminal, a villain in the eyes of everyone, so stealing something like this won’t make his situation worse.

My last chance… SO, WHERE ARE YOUUUUUUUU---

“I presume you are looking for this?”

Weq descended from a higher phase of reality and managed to land a hit on Rewind.

“!!”

Rewind was not surprised someone managed to land a hit on him, but he was surprised the weapon he was looking for was right in front of him, however, outside of his reach.

So close, yet so far away.

Rewind gritted his teeth.

“IT WILL BE MINE!”

He swung his fist forward, trying to get a hold of this invisible technology covering Weq, however, his opponent was fast enough to evade him.

“Kali-Starfall, the one that eats every ounce of one’s life force, IT MUST BE MINE!”

“It is the only weapon in existence that can counter any ability - including yours.”

Weq created a magical circle, which was a portal leading to the deepest part of the "hell".

From the dark red portal, dark red tentacles began to make their way out.

The limbs of the coming creature were stealing Rewind’s movement, making him unable to counter the coming enemy.

“The weapon you want so badly, I will use it to defeat you. I WILL AVENGE MY DEAR FRIEND!!”

Rewind’s eyes exploded with bluish white energy as his speed increased.

“Matter not, I will settle for no less. I will rip the armour from your flesh and soul, it will become mine.”

Rewind began to move faster and faster - albeit he was still far slower than he was moments ago when battling Nazar.

“I will gift it to myself.”

The tentacles stole the momentum further from Rewind as it began moving closer to him.

What--

“I don’t understand,” Weq began explaining. “I don’t understand these monsters or the spells - or even when I learned it, but I am summoning an eldritch God from the Void.”

“YOU WOULD GO THAT FAR?!”

Rewind was not angry, merely surprised.

He thought Weq had come to stop him from causing the collapse of reality, but seeing him summon a creature of that calibre, he found himself dumbfounded.

If Rewind doesn't destroy reality, then that monster's mere presence will.

“You don’t understand the forces you are dealing with.”

Rewind caught a glimpse of Godhood for a mere second, but he understood more than the man before him. He understood the inner workings of everything, and the purpose of these Gods that dwell in the darkness.

“We are insignificant, dust, or even smaller.”

“What, have you gone so mad you have begun to preach for these Gods of Destruction?”

Rewind’s eyes widened ever so slightly.

He knew the purpose of these gods, and their powers.

The moment the tentacle appeared in this realm, Weq should have died, he should have fallen to his knees in madness, and slowly, this creature would have overwritten his mind.

After all, he was a mortal.

So, how did he resist this mad creature?

“Matter not,” Rewind increased his speed, and even more. He continued to do so until he surpassed everything again.

Weq’s eyes moved left and right as he tried to react to Rewind’s increase in speed, but he was still slow.

Rewind was not surprised that Weq’s mind was at least keeping up with him, this weapon was built to sacrifice everything for power.

This power is not normal… This… This weapon has the power to transcend the 「Aleph-∞ First」 of our creation.

Rewind found it laughable he had suddenly become a wizard of creation.

He had no choice but to nod his head at the Queen. Just a glimpse of her power allowed him to become something so big.

Aleph-∞… Just what is it?

Rewind understands just a little of it, but even then, he understands more than the most.

With every step of the ladder, our creation grows. We are in the first step, then what about the one above it, and the one after… Just how higher does this ladder go?

Once again, he was reminded just how small he was in the grand scheme of all.

But how is this mortal, a being even smaller than I, can withstand looking at an Aleph God?

Then, at last, Rewind realised.

“Ah.”

Nazar. Of course!

Weq was close to Nazar, far closer than most, and they trusted one another.

The most powerful entity in the whole of creation… Without even knowing, he had provided protection for him...

He clicked his tongue as sour feelings erupted deep down within him.

Damn you all!

Rewind swung his hand forward, about to touch the armour that will grant him a death - an end.

He touched the invisible armour and instantly, his face brightened up with a smile.

At last, he could have it.

It would be his.

And his life, after so long, his pitiful life will come to an end.

All he had to do was rip the armour out of its wearer and make it his.

But…

“You cannot have it, Rewind,” Weq spoke as the armour adjusted to the speeds of this entity.

Or perhaps it was the other way around? Did Rewind get slower in the presence of the dark god that wanted to enter through a portal?

"Leaving that aside, you MUST pay for your crimes."

Weq moved faster than before and managed to land another blow on Rewind's body, however, he was unscathed.

"I am disappointed."

Rewind clenched his fist tightly.

"You hold unimaginable power in the palm of your hand, enough power to shred creation into the tiniest of pieces, yet you use it to throw around punches. Weak punches."

As electricity crackled around Rewind's arm, he swung it.

"You don't deserve this weapon."

Rewind punched Weq in the chest, throwing him across the many phases of this plane.

Before Weq could recover, Rewind moved, attempting to hit him once again.

But his speed became slower.

"!"

The portal is many phases beneath us, how can it-- Unless...

Rewind looked at the glowing body of Weq.

It's absorbing my speed and making it its own.

He couldn't help but smile at this magnificent technology.

So, Rewind clenched his fist again and moved faster than before.

With every blow he landed on Weq, he unleashed more power and the slower he became.

GOOD!

"Can your armour keep up with me?! CAN ANYONE?!"

Good!

Rewind continued to punch him through the many phases of this plane, and with every punch, Weq absorbed more of Rewind's power.

With every punch, Weq could comprehend the speed of Rewind more than before and came close to finding a solution to this problem whose name is Rewind.

Gooooood!

Rewind threw another punch, but Weq dodged it at the last moment.

"No matter how fast you become, I will be faster."

"Hm."

Rewind came to an abrupt pause - which was still far faster than most people could comprehend in this universe.

"I will pay for my crimes, but only if my punishment is death."

『That is impossible.』 Daya spoke in Weq's mind. 『He, who have transcended both life and death, cannot be killed. We cannot kill him.』

"I can see thoughts of a higher entity entering your brain, which means you must be working with the superior of our universe… Is it Lucifer?"

"No."

"Then he is irrelevant to me."

Rewind's eyes exploded with bluish white energy and Daya's voice vanished from the mind of Weq.

"!"

"I understand. I see it all, the strings of reality and your weapons. You are using the life force of the creation to stand in the same playing field as I, I am impressed."

Rewind walked (?) around Rewind slowly.

"But this is where you stop. This is where your journey ends."

Rewind's taunting words caused Weq to roar angrily, so he threw his leg backwards, kicked Rewind in the leg. Rewind, who was standing behind him, tried to move, but the armour's ability to steal speed made it hard for him to react in time.

Weq flipped his body backwards, and using the momentum from his jump, he landed a kick on the head of Rewind, which sent the speedster's body down to the first phase of the universe.

Rewind's mind went blank for a brief moment as his body plummeted through a large number of phases. He had never come this far, so becoming lower than a three-dimensional phase, he felt an odd yet interesting and new sensation.

However, Weq did not stop there.

He continued to use the power he had gained from Rewind and Daya to push Rewind into an even lower dimension.

The Second Plane of Existence is a two-dimensional plane, a plane where no one could hope to survive. Weq thought to himself.

"I can't kill you, Rewind, but I can trap you."

Weq's hand flamed up with golden energies as he roared loudly.

The energies of Daya created a crack between the two Planes of Existence.

Like a glass, the barrier between the worlds shattered.

And so, Rewind slowly began to fall down to a lower level of existence.

Into the infinite darkness, he fell.

With every inch he descended, he felt his mind becoming smaller. His body started to feel flatter.

"What is…"

Rewind's voice didn't reach him.

Instead, he saw words form above him.

"...Huh?"

His began to darken.

Thoughts were leaving his head and he could see it floating above him.

NOOOOOOOOOO!

Rewind clenched his fist and caught onto the words forming above him.

His eyes exploded with bluish white energies as he increased his speed and power.

With an explosion of electricity, Rewind jumped upwards, running on words and the darkness. He run over everything that was in his path.

The hole in this plane was about to be closed, the crack was being fixed.

One more second, and it will all end. He will be trapped forever in this flat world where death doesn't exist.

"Nooo!"

His speed increased even more, and he leapt towards the closing light.

Just as he was about to reach it, the crack closed.

However, in fury, Rewind screamed, reopening the crack between two planes. His unfathomable will and power did not allow him to stay in this place.

As the crack reopened, Rewind flew upwards and reached the third phase of reality.

Weq could not even react in time. But without thinking, he too, jumped up to a higher phase. He had sensed the danger and wanted to move, but...

The armour around him had calculated Rewind's speeds and it was adjusting, albeit too slowly.

Rewind angrily clutched onto the invisible armour and ripped it to pieces.

He held Weq by the neck as he breathed heavily.

"I want to die; I don't want to live forever. I don't want to be trapped in a never-ending life as a character inside a story."

Rewind clenched his fist tightly, and with his other hand, he increased the pressure on Weq's neck.

Weq was losing the ability to breathe quickly, despite having an internal oxygen generator.

"Without your armour, you are nothing, you are worthless," Rewind began to taunt him in a slow yet wet angry voice. "One punch-- No, one flick of my finger, and you will be dead. Your concept and your soul will be obliterated into the tiniest of pieces. You will cease existing. It will only take a single, A SINGLE FLICK OF MY FINGER! Do you understand?"

Rewind moved his hand, he pushed it towards Weq's head.

At any moment, that hand will end this tiny king.

However, despite how much pain he was in, Weq did not give in to the fear of death.

Rewind's face came to a halt upon seeing his face.

"?"

"Heh," Weq let out a faint struggling laughter

Rewind was dumbfounded, but he noticed that Weq was looking at a place behind him.

Rewind realised something, so he tried to move, but it was too late.

"Oh…"

From the portal, a dark god bad came out and was standing behind Rewind.

The portal had been opened in a higher phase, hundreds of phases above, the God was standing behind him. This God was in a thousand different phases at once.

It was simply too large for one phase.

Oh…

Before the two of them, a dark eldritch God so magnificent and disgusting stood, they could not explain it.

No.

This mad God did not talk, it simply picked up Rewind in the palm of its hand and blinked out of the Ultraverse.

Daya nor Lucifer could no longer sense Rewind anywhere.

He was gone. Gone far away in a blink of an eye.

"Ah, Ce...le...s…"

Due to oxygen loss, Weq's vision blackened in the cold dark space.

The universe was saved, and the menace was removed.

No longer will Rewind be of trouble to anyone.

The reign of this monster had come to an end.

And so, Weq could finally relax.

❢◥ ▬▬▬▬▬▬ ◆ ▬▬▬▬▬▬ ◤❢

While Weq rested in the cold darkness of space, on Earth, the Celestial Judges, Libra Iolos descended.

Their large bodies cast shadows upon this word, eating the light out.

The five godly monsters and robots looked down at the world and began their judgement.

These judges could see the world from its inception and how far it had come.

If the future were not destroyed, they would be able to see the future of this lowly planet too.

『From its inception, this world has offered nothing of value, save for four individuals. Good versus bad, to which side will the scale lean?』

The judges conversed with one another, but no one else could hear them.

『Nazar, our lord and creator. Emily, the God of Destruction. Norse God, a man with vast potential for good, in time, he will become the brightest light in the cosmos. The half-angel, a being so unique and different, has taken her place in the cosmic hierarchy.』

They are of a unified mind, a singular existence, but even then, they are different, with differing views on the subject.

『In addition, this world homed the Angel of Love.』

『And the demon, a merciless demon who wanted to turn this plane into a new hell.』

『But it is the home of so many wonderful and benevolent people. Master’s sister, his allies, and his mate.』

『And his mother, an evil woman like no other.』

『A woman controlled by the demon.』

『Leaving aside the few insignificant people, shall we examine the history of this world?』

『Since its inception, the world and its people moved forward in greed and anger, in war and pain, and knowing humanity, they will continue to do so for millions of years to come.』

『War, war, war… This world only knows war. Soldiers leave this world, thinking they are saving the innocents, but alas, they are wrong. Soldiers exists to enrich their masters.』

『The people in power are not worthy of living. They control the thoughts of their subjects, control their world. They create wars and diseases so they can feel powerful.』

『Slavery, discrimination, rape, lusting after children, are just some of the few crimes these people commit in secret. To them, murder - taking of a life - has become a norm.』

『These powerful people create poverty, create chaos, so they can stay in control for a little longer. They are playing with billions of souls.』

『And because of them, our master was hurt. They created a false narrative to harm him mentally.』

『Unfit to exist.』

『They were never fit to house our lord and master.』

『He was tortured by them, hurt by them, shunned away, and that alone should grant them a final death.』

『Perhaps, but what would our master want?』

『Our master was a benevolent God, but we are not him.』

『In any case, the judgement will come to a pass...』

『For the greater good of this planet and its people...』

『This world will die.』

『EARTH WILL PERISH TODAY!』

And so, the hammer of justice started to descend upon this puny world.

Who will save it?

No… Can anyone save it?

❢◥ ▬▬▬▬▬▬ ◆ ▬▬▬▬▬▬ ◤❢

Earlier, Jabalot Empire;

"God, huh?"

The intrigued Darkness wondered which God he was talking about. To her knowledge, there are multiple Gods, one being Omegan.

Recently, she found out that Nazar was a candidate for the God of Destruction, an entity who is the antithesis for the God of Creation.

Could he be talking about that human? He is a God?

Archangel Michael ignored the curious witch and looked at the two cores he was holding.

The dark robes around him fell to the ground as he levitated into the air in a sitting position.

"Human-like clothing… disgusting," she jerked her chin away after he noticed his attire, which was similar to Nazar's.

"Daughter-in-law, you need to widen your horizon. Humans did not invent these clothing, like all other races, its idea was embedded within them by a higher power. Progress didn't come from free will, my dear."

“Free will… Does that even exist?”

Michael nodded as the two cores floated between his palms.

“No,” he replied with hesitation. “Or at least to a certain degree.”

She was not surprised; she had expected as much.

“In the past, free will was not a concept, until the Supreme One changed his mind - like he did with many things. But now… Do you know of “fate”?”

“Fate?”

Michael nodded.

“Fate and destiny, our future? What is written in stones for us?”

“Close,” Michael glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. “Fate steals our free will, it affects everyone.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Can you explain your thirst for knowledge and power?”

She was confused at the sudden change of topic, but despite being dumbfounded, she smiled a confused smile, and answered his question, “But of course. I want to learn more about the universe, what makes up each individual and--”

Michael chuckled, causing her to swallow her words.

“You can’t, can you? None of us can.”

Darkness fell into an even greater state of confusion.

“Anyway, once again, I thank you for bringing me the core of my son-- your husband.”

She snorted a faint laughter.

“Oh right,” Michael smiled. “I find it hard to believe that man believed you. A man whose body gathers information about everything from his surroundings… How did you do it?”

“I did nothing,” she replied immediately. “However, I need clarification regarding an important matter... Why me?”

“...”

Michael did not have an answer to her.

Or rather, he did have an answer, but he did not want to say it.

“Process of elimination,” Michael was truthful. “Simply put, I could not find a suitable person for the job other than you, especially since there was an extensive history between you and your husband.”

“I see...” Darkness was visibly disappointed. Michael’s short pause made her think she served a grander purpose in this existence.

Seeing how Michael snickered, she assumed he was expecting this reaction from her.

“In addition, you will do anything to learn more, so it wasn’t so hard.”

“I am going to rip you apart molecule by molecule again, you filth,” she muttered to herself.

However, the angel heard her.

“I think you are mistaken, I allowed you.”

Darkness clicked her tongue.

“But anyway, I am still impressed by your ability to conjure up so much magic in this puny…”

Michael glanced at her chest and raised his eyebrows.

“Human-like body. It is rather impressive.”

She narrowed her eyes, staring at him suspiciously.

“I have seen mortals conjure up an extreme amount of magic, but they are often empowered in certain ways. Their bodies cannot simply handle it without an external support.”

“I am an immortal,” with immense pride, she crossed her legs as she smiled.

“I am sure you understand the true meaning of my words.”

“...”

Darkness blew a raspberry.

“Most mortals and immortals alike, they cannot conjure up this much magic within them. It would kill them instantly.”

“I am different.”

“Ah. Yes, different. Of course,” Michael excitedly stood up and looked at her. “Yes, that’s right, you are different.”

He began to walk closely towards her.

“You are so very different.”

He stood in front of her and leaned forward.

“You have the ability to stand on equal grounds with demons and angels alike, YOU CAN be the most powerful mage. A mage... Oh yes,” Michael smiled a thin predatory smile.

Darkness was impressed, but only for a fleeting moment.

She has limited understanding of Michael, but she knows he doesn’t praise people unless he has something else in mind.

“What do you want?”

“Bear my child,” Michael replied without hesitation.

Darkness’ confused face twisted up in anger and she pushed him away.

“To hell--”

“Think about it, an angel and a mortal with the ability to stand so close to… Ahh, it will create a being so powerful and unique--”

“Just like you did to Baros’ mother?”

Michael shrugged, “It’s different.”

“How?”

“Unlike her, I am giving you a choice of consent. Free will, my dear, free will.”

“!!”

Darkness felt a cold chill run through her body.

“It’s fine, it’s fine, take your time. Or else...”

Michael’s playful eyes turned icy, so cold it could cause her soul to freeze and break apart.

“In the past, I asked an angel to bear a child with a demon, but she did not agree. A few weeks later, she found herself in the demon’s lair… Should I continue?”

“...”

Darkness could not reply.

All she did was stand frozen and swallow her saliva. She understood his words perfectly.

“You are a strong woman, believing you can defeat anyone, but the moment you entered the cosmic pond, you lost that strength. You are a small fry, keep that in mind, Darkness.”

Michael turned his back to her.

“Free will is false hope placed in the hearts of mortals, thinking they have a choice,” Michael snorted. "How childish."

And so, he walked forward, about to leave her quarters. However, he came to a pause when the door was opened by someone else from the outside.

A beautiful and muscular half-angel with red hair and green eyes.

The man in a shiny, cyan-coloured armour looked at his bride and then his father.

“Welcome son, I was just about to leave,” Michael began to lie like a sly fox. “I brought a gift to my daughter-in-law. A wedding gift. I expect great things.”

Baros, however, looked behind his father and into the eyes of his wife.

His eyes were as cold as the white lands of Antarctica and his voice even chillier.

“Since when?” he asked a simple question, and the two of them widened their eyes slightly.

Before Darkness could say anything, Michael intervened, “Whatever do you mean?”

“Move aside, Archangel, my business is not with you,” he pushed away Michael and strode towards Darkness.

“Since when?”

“Two years,” instead of Darkness, Michael answered. However, his tone was not as crafty and meek as before.

Baros turned around, only to see his father standing tall and mighty with a serious, undefeated look on his face.

“It was all a lie,” Michael spread his arms wide as he spoke. “It feels wonderful, does it not? To be hurt by the one whom you love the most? Does it not?"

Baros did not reply.

"Oh, I am sure."

A thin evil smile ripped Michael’s face in half.

"So!”

With a voice like a snake that was poisoning Baros’ soul, Michael added, “Show me your despair.”