ZI-

“Laith! Do-”

-IIP

“-n’t…”

Akiko, Alexander, Samantha and Alyssa, who was still in the care of Akiko, were warped outside the barrier next to Keyser. Akiko couldn’t do anything since almost all of her power was required to fix the wound on Alyssa.

It was a wound created by a soul-eaten weapon. Even [Caelestia] realm awakened, who have the power of mythical gods, weren’t omnipotent against the souls' might.

Since one soul isn’t enough to fight multiple souls.

But if you consider the weight of the souls, their realms, it might be possible to have some effect on Alyssa.

And that was why Akiko could do absolutely nothing but watch as Laith warped them all outside.

“Shit!”

BOOM

Akiko hit the barrier as hard as she could but…

Unlike a small wound, this barrier was in the aspect of a soul, just too heavy to be broken with a controlled punch. She either has to endanger everyone around her or has to wait for the barrier to fall naturally.

And she didn’t have the time to prepare for such an overbearing force. She had to look after Alyssa.

ZIIP

“There goes our entrance…”

“What the hell have you been doing, Alexander?! You aren’t so weak that you would let only a dozen peak [Illustratus] realm awakened stop you.”

“It wasn’t the fact that I’m weak. If it wasn’t…”

Alexander looked at Samantha, his secretary, with sad eyes. He figured out what happened to her before all this and could only feel so bad for himself.

“Who is she that she can be such a weakness for you?”

“Family.”

Akiko was shocked, to say the least. The men that lost everything before getting everything…

Said that he had a family. Someone so careful with that word.

“She must be lucky to have you as her uncle.”

“You could guess the relationship?”

“Not that it was hard to guess.”

“Figures you remember that.”

VIIUU

Akiko’s Will was streaming through the wound that was left by the dagger. The Will forcibly stopped the bleeding but the regeneration of her tissues was the problem.

Just like when Laith cut away Walter’s right hand with his space affinity, Alyssa got an injury that had life force burned away, meaning that regular Will won’t have a great effect on her. It is possible to heal her wounds but that would take too long. Too long for Alyssa to survive the ordeal.

So…

“Tenshi no Hane!”

Grabbing the left hand of Akiko, Alexander looked at her with nothing but worry. Soul realisation may be a very powerful tool but Akiko’s realisation was different. Unlike Akira and Alexander, Akiko’s realisation had the fundamental ability to affect reality to the deepest core without the use of time and space affinities.

Her ability itself made use of space affinity by bending it in such a way that any state can be reverted to the past state via spatial memory.

But her realisation ignored such a rule. The rules of the awakened were already borderline breaking the rules of the universe with laws like the [Simplification Principal of Affinities] that explains the equivalent exchange of energy for a simplification of action.

But her realisation was something that neither needed spatial memory, which is the spatial knowledge of an object or being that has been going on through time, nor does she need her space affinity for that. All she needed was her Will power and she could create any kind of wonder in this field of falling angel feathers.

“Not here. She won’t die for at least a few weeks as long as you treat her superficially.”

“Shut it, weakling. You couldn’t even protect her so why should I listen to you.”

“It is exactly because I couldn’t protect them that you have to be extra careful.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“It should because you have to think. Their goal was to kill me off. Or that is at least the goal they tried to show but what I realised was that they were more focused on buying time.”

“So you mean…”

“Yes. It is more likely that the boy was their goal.”

“But why?”

“Maybe because like us, they also have people that could see the future. And in one where potential people could be dangerous to their plans, they would want to do whatever they can to stop those people from living. It is just an idea but an idea that would be possible…”

“If that old geezer is right…yet again.”

“There is no if with him. You know that better than anyone.”

“Stop it. Don’t try to say anything anymore.”

And as her words finally her mouth, she retracted her soul realisation, having most people around her lose that extremely relaxed feeling.

HMMMMM

“!?!”

“!?!”

Both realised what was happening inside the barrier as they heard that little breather from inside the barrier.

Sounds made humans was impossible to penetrate through the barrier as it can be seen as an attack.

Yet this sound could go past that? Not unless…

“It travelled through space?”

“The boy has fallen into a state of trance. And it seems that he may as well have lost his mind after seeing his junior getting stabbed by a soul-eaten weapon.”

It was then that they realised what really was going on. Laith’s emotions would get the better of him. This would only happen when an awakened was going through something called the ‘breakdown of one’s Will’ which was the cause of people becoming monsters before awakening.

There have been three ways to awaken as far as the world knows. Being in an extreme situation in which the body and soul burst out together, having great determination for a particular goal that will spike the emotions of the person in such a way that the soul and body get closer and let the Will between those two flow through them equally or…

By having such grief and anger at the world that those emotions will corrupt the body and soul, leaving the Will to go around on a rampage and create a mindless beast that would kill whatever is in sight.

But Laith was a tad bit different in this situation. He was slowly forming this monster but it seems like he wasn’t fully consumed by his anger and grief.

He was, albeit coincidentally, in control of it with another emotion. This led to him slowly getting enveloped by his own Will, covering him in black right after swinging his Kilij once, creating shockwaves.

And that was the moment that Akiko saw something extraordinary. That boy, although on a rampage, realised something during that rampage that he couldn’t without the help of Alyssa.

That duplication technique. And she would be partly right.

Laith didn’t fully understand this technique and it wasn’t the technique that was the main focus but the understanding that led to the by-product that is the duplication technique.

It was all that at this moment, he understood the affinity called space a tad bit more. He didn’t understand where this came from nor could anyone besides Laith really answer that for him but he was sure that it wasn’t a temporary understanding but permanent, unlike when Alyssa boosts his powers.

And when Laith moved forward, with one step traversing more than fifty metres, his weapons became clad in black, having golden and dark green runes all around them.

Keyser in his hand and all the other weapons flying around him.

All covered by his extremely dense Will.

Just like he is now, clad with such dense Will that he doesn’t even remotely look like a human. And the moment he was in front of Walter, it was vain to underestimate him.

Everyone around the barrier looked at it with shock. They have seen Laith’s ‘Hero’ side before, so they never thought about it.

A hero is commonly referred to as someone fighting for a greater cause, someone that sacrifices himself so other people won’t have to or just someone that won’t stand still against injustice and moves to prevent more.

So to say, they all have seen Laith’s Hero side.

But what would happen if you take something precious away from that person? What if you take away something irreplaceable?

His honour and pride? Gone through the years of bullying.

His parents? Vanished with not even a single clue besides the fact that they were brought into a sub-dimension.

His friend? Betrayed his trust and lied to him because he was blinded by care.

His mentor and person that showed him a path? On the run because of these same people in front of him.

And the last person that was supporting him for reasons even he can’t understand?

She was stabbed by a weapon that even the best healer will have problems with. Just because the blade that was used was special. Just because someone used people to hurt her.

So what do you think happens when someone that wasn’t born with the personality of a hero yet tries to stay righteous gets pushed to the edge of his reasoning?

You turn a potential hero into a monster.

Oppressed. Helpless. Weak. Ignorant. A slave to his so-called ‘fate’.

Laith was overwhelmed by these thoughts that slowly projected themselves outwards. He didn’t want to but all of these thoughts were what drove him here until now.

The determination to not be bound by anything drove him until now. Yet what he saw until now seemed like a slap to the face, trying to tell him that he wouldn’t reach that place he so desired.

You realise that this is nearly not enough to repent for your sins, do you?

“!?”

“!?”

The two warriors were shocked when they heard this voice. It was as if the voice they knew was vibrating through the space around them.

“That… the boy isn’t a monster yet. But it should have been impossible to let us hear what he says.”

“That didn’t come from his mouth, Alexander. Look.”

Lifting a little piece of metal into the air with one hand while the other hand is still shrouded by her bright Will that was healing Alyssa, Akiko showed Alexander the piece.

“I am still weakened to understand with just Will…”

“This is a piece of a weapon that Laith named called Fangs. And we didn’t hear his voice from himself but from this piece that is bounded with his soul.”

“So you are saying he can send his voice through the weapons as well.”

“It should be possible but not here. What happens here is that the piece is vibrating in the same way as his vocal cords, creating enough waves to make let us hear his voice. But this isn’t something he is doing consciously. He-”

You must have heard it a lot of times when you raped all those innocent girls while killing off their boyfriends or parents whenever they tried to help their loved ones.

Looking at it carefully, the two realised that what they think was Laith was currently slashing at the half-conscious Walter. Walter was already unrecognisable with his skin looking like someone took a cheese grader and went all around his body with it.

And now an arm flew into the air as the boy on his knees was screaming aloud. Walter was screaming in agony yet no one could hear him not to mention help.

Even his half-brother could only watch as his little half-brother screamed in agony. Laith had a hunch regarding Niklas’s ability and Niklas was impressed by that hunch.

Because Laith was spot on. Niklas could predict the future by every variable that can be seen or can’t be seen. It was like he could calculate the future even with little bits of information. Heck, all of this was planned.

Until Laith turned into this. Niklas already had a hard time predicting what Laith was doing and the reason for that was that annoying space affinity. Some affinities can sabotage abilities that focus on knowledge with one of them being the Space affinity.

It wasn’t that was so strong that his affinity was changing the information Niklas would get but that the Space affinity that was essentially the space around Laith favouring him so much that it would quite literally shield him.

Laith was favoured by the space around him and thus any information that involved Laith, in general, was harder to grasp than normal people. This could have been bypassed if Niklas was a realm higher than Laith but he didn’t know about this and thus was unable to predict that it would be this much harder to predict Laith.

But even with this disadvantage, he was stronger than Laith. Yet he couldn’t move even a single muscle besides his vocal cords and facial muscles.

Because this state of Laith was making the hair on even Alexander stand up. His weakened realm may have been part of why he felt intimidated but Alexander knew that this wasn’t all of the reason.

Laith was just not human now. He was broken. And if you give a broken man a weapon, he shall do what no one would want to. Morality was out of the picture.

And Laith just wanted to swing his beloved blade.

And now this broken man was looking at the man responsible for today. Or it seemed like that since no one could even see his eyes at the moment. The only remotely visible thing was the runes on his body shining gold and dark green.

Why aren’t you moving?

Says the real monster.

And the next thing everyone could see was Laith standing behind Niklas, cutting at his feet with not even a shred of difficulty.

Niklas seemed shocked. Was it now that he realised it? That his ability wasn’t omniscient nor was it the same for everyone.

“Laith… I said that he shouldn’t cross the line, but…”

“You what? You know better than anyone that these people deserve death the most! So why now is it that you keep him from actually doing what is right!”

“Because it is what you believe is right! He can kill those that deserve it, fine! But do you honestly think he should play around with his enemies like a beast? That is what I don’t want to see! That he will be like them!”

What? You thought you could seriously predict me forever?

“Look, Alexander! Can’t you just hear his playfulness while threatening someone?!”

“He is paying them back!”

“For what? For people that Laith never knew? For a stab wound?”

“For what they have done to him until now! You know exactly that these two bear the thought that it’s because of them that Akira was-”

“Don’t you dare bring him up now! It is always because of him that we end up in this mess! I swear by the name of Amaterasu, I should have never held the hand of a conman.”

“I do bring him up because to hell with these instructions! I get it is for the future but-”

“You think I have a say in this after what happened 14 years ag-”

“Excuse me.”

“What!?”

“What!?”

The two powerhouses arguing in front of a crowd were interrupted by a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. While Akiko had not seen this boy in person, Alexander knew exactly who he was. And he could guess why he was interrupting them as well.

“What is happening inside?”

“Boy, look…. I’m sorry but that is something that you shouldn’t worry abo-”

“Of course, I’ll worry about it! Laith is there fighting again for our sake! My bu-”

But his next words couldn’t leave his throat despite him having the resolve to even speak up to those two. While Akiko had a slight idea of who he was now, Alexander was just looking at the poor boy with pity.

He was at fault for their current broken relationship. Alexander, of course, knew what happened between Felix and Laith since Akira was too much of a gossiper to stay silent about it. And now he could see that whatever happened to them affected the two deeper than it should.

“Sigh… Calm down, for now, Akiko. We can argue later but for now, we have to make sure that Alyssa stays alive and that Laith gets back to his senses.”

“Why don’t I just heal you and get you back to normal?”

“This drug is bound with souls. You can’t reverse it if even I was affected by it. And don’t let that hurt your actual pride.”

“Alrig-”

“Please could I get an answer!”

“Look. We don’t know what exactly happened to Laith inside. All we know is that he is fighting and he is quite angry. So angry that he is on the verge of losing to his emotions.”

Felix could do nothing but look down at the ground as he heard the principal finally say something to him. He didn’t want to believe that Laith is becoming this monster.

That his… bud…

“Then we have to g-”

“Boy. Whatever you want to do, it’s impossible. To get inside. We would have to have the same abilities as Laith which is impossible. This barrier is created by sacrificing maybe hundreds of thousands of souls which even us [Caelestia] realm awakened can’t do anything about. Souls are different than the Will we control as they can quite literally stop us from doing anything no matter what.”

And hearing the words of the middle-aged woman that was currently healing Alyssa with all she got, Felix felt even more helpless. This system… no. this world was damned if they let such a person become a monster.

WHO THE FUCK IS A MONSTER!!

A scream. So loud that even the people around them could hear it. Laith was screaming and so were his weapons. Even the tiniest piece of his weapon created such a sound that most people heard what he said without any difficulty.

But what everyone was more focused on was the black crack that appeared on the barrier as Laith swung his blade with such Will that it looked similar to the time he awakened.

“He cut the barrier? No…”

“He didn’t cut the barrier but just the space of the barrier. The barrier hasn’t been damaged the slightest.”

“So despite being on a rampage, he still advanced a level? What a monster…”

The cracks of space and Will spread slightly along the barrier but what Akiko said was the truth. The barrier wasn’t cut. But the space? Definitely.

But the cracks couldn’t stay for long before collapsing back to the centre point of the damage, returning to nothing immediately. The laws of nature were still applied even now.

But the crack was all. Niklas was never hurt by the slash. Did Laith miss? Did Laith intend to just scare him?

No. Niklas just predicted it and dodged at the right moment.

NOOOOOO!!

“The barrier is collapsing! They must have deactivated it.”

“That doesn’t matter now, Alexander! What matters is that the boy is free in that state!”

Now it came to it. if Laith will continue to stay in that state, the only thing that awaits him…

Is death.

The barrier formed by the agony of thousands of souls crumbled down like shattered glass, letting most people around them sigh in relief. If the barrier is down, that means the bad guys were defeated, right? Of course, they would think like that. They were regular people. People that haven’t seen such a thing happen to them before.

But the two that were the closest to the barrier knew that it was just another headache now.

ROOOOAAAAAARRR!!!

And as if Laith had to prove it to them, he screamed out like a beast, making everyone around wary about what is going to happen next.

Yet Akiko couldn’t help but see something in Laith as she thought about time and places of a distant past.

Of the memories that she so desperately wanted to burn away. Yet a look at Laith’s current behaviour brought all these ashes to the surface, putting them back together piece by piece.

Until the memory, she saw back when she wasn’t even awakened was oh so clear to her.

So her eyes may look like she was worried. Worried that the boy would stay like that any longer. Even after it stop roaring, she was worried.

But deep inside, she felt an uncontrollable bloodlust. She killed just as many as she healed. She is no saint. And she knew that.

But she felt a bloodlust that has only shown itself once. And that was the second and last memory she wanted to be forgotten forever.

So she pleaded. She pleaded to her emotional self that she will wait at least for a bit.

Wait only to confirm if the boy will stay like this or not.

And depending on the answer if the boy will live or not.

So as he stop roaring, the boy sat down, crossed-legged with exhaustion hitting every fibre of his being.

Even his soul.

What happened?

Everyone was looking at me as if their lives depended on my mood. Did something happen to me?

Come to think of it, I felt a little funny the moment my anger got the best of me. I know that I was in control but it wasn’t a part of me I show often.

As if buried underneath a pile of other emotions, trying to hide its existence. But now that it surfaced for a moment, I feel like I know myself a bit better. I should worry about it a little bit, right?

“AKIKO! NO!”

BOOM

“KEOUGH!!”

“You damned brat!”

What the hell? I was only looking at the people before I noticed that the look inside Granny’s eyes changed slightly. It wasn’t a worry about myself but…

A worry about what she might not control. And I guess now I know why since she moved faster than I could react, grabbing me by the neck and lifting me with herself into the air.

I couldn’t feel the ground with my left foot and Granny was choking me with only little room to breathe. Why was she doing this? Why was she attacking me? Did I do more than I realised?

“Do you really think after this stunt that we would just let you keep living like normal? You!? You damn monster!”

“I’m… not a … haah… monster!”

Why? What did I do wrong? All I tried to do was to finish what I should have from the beginning! So why are you now trying to kill me? What happened?

She grabbed my right hand that was still clinging onto Keyser with her rather slender-looking hands and...

CRACK

Broke that arm with just a twist of her hand. It hurts! It hurts like a bitch! But I didn’t scream nor cry. But it fucking hurts! No! Don’t fucking scream nor cry!

Because that is what they want!

Shut up! Who wants me to cry and scream?!

They!

Who are they?! Just shut the fuck up! I have no clue from where this voice of mine comes from but shut the hell up! Gran… Lady Akiko just broke my arm! She even looks at me like I’m not human.

No. Like I’m not worthy of being called a human.

“Then what are you?”

Her eyes were aiming at me but I know that she tried to see something else. An opportunity? A sign that I’m not the thing she hopes to be? What is it that you are searching for?

“You clearly didn’t act so irrational because Alyssa got stabbed like that.”

“And you… hah… clearly didn’t rush at … hah… me with this much anger… hah… after healing her, right?”

“Don’t get smart on me…”

CLENCH

“Please! Don’t strengthen the grip! I’ll… ARCK!!... DIE!!!”

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I can’t seem to even act like myself now! I thought she was nice to us. So where did that amount of hatred come from?

Think, Laith! If you can’t find the reason for her hatred then at least find a way to stay alive.

Your life is on the line.

“And why shouldn’t I kill you? You seem to be a monster. And I can’t have a monster run free after displaying this amount of potential chaos.”

“Because I’m not a monster.”

“Says the mons-”

“I’m not a monster.”

I had to cut her off. I’m just not a monster. Not biologically or mentally. The only thing I did was to try and kill those that deserved worse than death. So why are you, someone that killed just before I tried to, trying to lecture me?

Lessening the grip on my throat, I could finally breathe normally without pushing myself to the end. I could speak normally as well. It was getting hard to shout with no air in my lungs.

Thank the Abyss for that! Worst comes to worst and I’d have to stab a hole in my chest to let air get in.

“Then tell me why you behaved like that? Obviously not for the girl.”

“Of course not. It was the trigger, not the fuel.”

“Then your fuel?”

Was she not aware of what I have been going through in such a short time? That all this pressure is what kept me going?

If not, then it was time to show her my emotions. And anger is not the one I’m talking about.

“I am a victim of someone’s action. And another person’s action. And another one’s action! And a fucking other one’s! And this keeps going on without me being able to do anything! You should know how it feels to be powerless! Or were you born with these god-like powers?! Were you born strong and with nothing to frustrate you? Were you?”

“This won’t change my decision nor will you gain my pity for that.”

Pity won’t help anyone. But I don’t try to gain your pity.

“It is my goal.”

“To not be a victim?”

“To decide my life!”

VUUM

CLENCH

“Don’t try anything funny.”

“I will show my determination whenever I want! Cause that is what makes me decide my life!”

Bullseye. It was clear to me that what I said had some effect on her. And that is what I hoped for. There was no lie in it, so she shouldn’t… no, she can’t suspect anything. And that what I said affected her only confirms that I will stay alive for a bit longer.

Lady Akiko was silent after that. We were probably about 20 metres high up so the slight breeze was hitting my face slightly, pushing my hair back.

I could see the face of Lady Akiko and decided my answers according to how she felt. I never lied, only chose my direction carefully. If she wasn’t convinced with this much, then it leaves me no choice but to mention that.

But the next thing I saw caught me off guard as she was tearing up slowly, looking down with her face still showing full confusion. What was she thinking? I didn’t know anything about what she thought but it feels like she has her reasons as well.

Yet it was only a short sight before looking at me with a stoic expression yet again.

“I guess you aren’t a monster.”

“A disciple of Akira Hashimoto being a monster?”

“It is exactly because of that that I have my doubts.”

“What has Gramps ever done before?”

“Don’t ask.”

Such a carefree conversation would have been great after that fight but with our current position, I have to say that this isn’t something that can be fixed in an instant. And not only because I got trust issues against her now.

But it feels more like she can’t decide on her feelings.

“Then how about I ask if you can let go -”

SWUSH

“- now.”

WOW!! Talk about a powerhouse! I know that we just moved down but it felt like teleportation. And Gramps is supposed to be faster than that?

“Akiko! What were you thinking?!”

“The boy isn’t a monster.”

And you decided that by strangling me? Good excuse…

Whatever. What really worries me now isn’t my now ruined relationship with Lady Akiko but…

“Is she okay? [Orage]… What? I still can’t walk normally.”

I still can’t walk, so I had to call my spear just to use it as a cane. I’m sorry, little one. But you are the only one I can rely on as support.

Looking at me with a conflicted look, Lady Akiko soon aimed her gaze at Alyssa who was still unconscious after that blow to the stomach.

“I can’t heal her completely here for now since revealing my realisation to you two is different than revealing it to the enemy. But she should survive with this for the next few months. I’ll be able to heal her completely once we resolve the current situation.”

I sighed in relief hearing that. Humans would be crying in a panic if they heard they only had a few months but I know that she should be fixed by the time Lady Akiko uses her realisation on Alyssa.

But was that the same for the principal?

“Was it the white powder I found on my mission?”

“Seems so. The Director let it go through many tests and found out that it has enough souls in it to even incapacitate someone like Alexander for at least two hours.”

“So we have about an hour until I get back to my full strength?”

“That would be the best case. If what Lady Akiko said is true, then I also presume that there were again other people misbehaving so they could split the attention of the Association again just like last time.”

Lady Akiko looked at me weirdly as I said her name instead of how she wanted me to address her before but that was it. I guess what just happened didn’t just make me see this teacher-student relationship becoming worse.

“Half right. I got about a dozen elites around the premise looking for other awakened involved in this but the rest of the association is currently busy with monsters.”

“Monsters? That should be impossible now unless the break happened. Or if someone brought them into our dimension…”

“The distance between the sub and main dimensions become shorter the more we approach the day the Break is supposed to happen.”

“I’ll call my men to stay ready at any time while trying to reconnect with numbers 1 to 1933 and get them to every metropolis in this world.”

Hmm… this would be possible to be from people of the cults and sects as well as from the families. But something isn’t right.

For it to be from them, they had to release a lot more monsters. And while they are at it, would join in on the fight and try to get as many souls as possible. Dead or alive.

But there is no mention of awakened creating havoc as well, which would imply that even the families haven’t acted yet. And from what I can tell by the behaviours of Niklas, It seems that they only tried to benefit from today's events.

There is no way that they put this many monsters out and try to get the attention of the Association again only to send a dozen elites to fight against the rival of the strongest human, Alexander Lenkov, the Lone Hero of humanity.

This means that Niklas predicted today’s event and only abused his power as a son of the family head. That would explain the pathetic amount of elites that came with him to stall for…

Stall for time? Why would Niklas even try to kill me and not the principal in the first place? Because of the mission? That would be hilarious. The principal has made far too many attacks against not only the cults and sects but also the big families, so why would he target me?

The second is with the amount of soul-eaten weapons he had that were too specific. Was his ability that detailed about what would happen? Could he have done that with an ability and Will that is still in the realm of a [Discipulus]?

Or did he get hints…

I’m quite sure that Walter’s revenge wasn’t the only thing that caused today’s events. Then what was it? To kill me? Alyssa? How did they even know about us?

“So someone is behind that bastard…”

“What was that, Laith?”

“Nothing, Lady Akiko. But more importantly, shouldn’t the Association start bringing most civilians to the prepared bunkers?”

“That’s what is currently happening but when I heard of a barrier around your school, I rushed here as soon as I could. But these foolish scum used a barrier stronger than my soul. Without the realisation of my soul, breaking that barrier would have been impossible.”

“That’s it! Shit!”

“What is it now, Laith?”

“Three birds with one stone! Princi- Mister Lenkov, Lady Akiko! We have to get everyone to the bunker as soon as possible and start acting!”

“Why?”

“Because all of this was to create a diversion for chaos! The strongest [Caelestia] realm human is nowhere to be found, the second one unable to use his powers and the third one distracted by what happened here. Don’t you see that this is…”

“How have we been so blind! Damn it! Alexander! Get your men to assist the Association as soon as possible! Jana! Lea!”

“Yes, Lady Akiko!”

Two women appeared right in front of us with their more sophisticated Association uniforms as they bowed down before stating their presence, giving everyone around them a scare.

“Where is the Director?”

“Currently in Jakarta, Indonesia.”

“Giving me the most populated city first while taking care of the second most populated city? Fine. Start bringing everyone here to the bunkers beneath the city hall and report to me later!”

“Yes, Lady Akiko!”

One of the members, with their three stars on each shoulder only being slightly covered by her chest lengthed black hair, replied to Lady Akiko while the other Lieutenant General ranked woman stood there in silence.

Turning towards me, Lady Akiko seemed like she couldn’t open her mouth for a moment. It was a fleeting moment but I caught that moment in my mind. So at least she regrets her decision to almost kill me.

“Take Alyssa and go with the other members while helping them.”

“But I can barely walk by myself.”

“That shall be your punishment for stepping over the line. I’ll heal you the moment you can show me that you won’t step over that line.”

“Then what the hell is that line? First, you accuse me of being a monster and now you go on of me stepping over the line? What was it that happened? I can’t seem to understand what happened while I was alone inside that barrier!”

“Maybe that would be better for you. Just keep deep breaths the next time you feel frustrated.”

“Hey! At least give me some answers! Hey! I said gi-ARGH!!!”

My body couldn’t react to the sudden pain that I felt in my mind and collapsed altogether, making Lady Akiko grab onto my shoulder immediately.

ZAAAAP

“Laith! What is ha-”

But shit! I know this feeling though it never hurt this much! The first time it happened, there weren’t even purple electric currents around my body like right now.

I’m about to have a vision! And it feels like this vision will put a lot more stress on my body. I felt nothing on the lower part of my body. My hearing went numb and my sight went dark.

Before returning to normal. Only at a different place.

I was in midair. The sky was awfully clear for a day that is that terrible and all I can see of myself is my upper body.

Different than last time… last time felt more like only my senses were at the place of my vision but this time it feels more… free.

I can even fly a bit around although my speed is pathetic, to say the least.

And all I can see is a forest. Although the trees are tall, they were only ordinary trees. The mountain peak in the distance was covered in snow and the wildlife was just as clear as the sky to see.

Bears at a river trying to catch fish with their mouths, a deer seeing the bear and fleeing from it, birds that put up a nest all on a crown of a tree.

Yet something felt off. I felt something around that made me realise that…

No. Don’t tell me…

RUMBLE

And as if fate wanted to play with me, it shook the ground. No. it shook everything around. The trees grew larger than a skyscraper, the mountain peaks started to shatter and the animals collapsed onto the ground with their consciousness collapsing just as easily as their bodies.

And there was one key difference from before.

Mana.

But how? Was someone interfering with reality? This proves that it wasn’t human, since humans are unable to bend even the smallest amount of Mana but…

Here I am, seeing mountains becoming flying islands just like in fantasy movies.

Here I am, seeing plants grow gigantic as if we were on an alien planet.

Here I am, seeing the beasts fall down unconscious only to mutate with an energy I know so little about.

And here I am, witnessing the change of a whole area.

Just changing the area? Yeah, right. This much of an effect isn’t possible by just changing. No… this must be more like fusion. And if it is what I think it is, then…

I can only believe in the power of human tenacity that we won’t be eradicated.

And just as I come to a shocking conclusion, my field of vision turned black once again before I found myself facing the ground from before. It was the ground I was so familiar with. The school ground that I walked on for almost six years.

And what I just found out could turn this ground into a field of unknown creatures.

“-ith! He-! Lis- … LAITH!”

“I can hear you now finally.”

“What happened? You went unconscious all of a sudden.”

“Forget that! Lady Akiko! Go to the most populated places and teleport as many people as you can to the bunkers while ignoring the monsters.”

“And why should I listen to you, Laith?”

“Please forget about what happened earlier and listen to me carefully. Jana? Please send this as a message to every member of the Association. Also start bringing these people to the bunkers immediately! We have no time to waste!”

“Why should my assistants hear you out?”

“Because our dimension is shaking! We don’t have much time!”

I couldn’t gather my thoughts. It seemed slow at first but what I saw terrified me. From the perspective of an artist, painting the picture of what I saw may be fascinating. The view itself could have taken away the breaths of everyone gazing at it.

But that would have been a frame. One moment of the whole changing ecosystem.

What could do such a thing? A person? Unless they are literally a god, it wasn’t possible. A group or an organisation? Maybe but that would be unlikely since the Association has already established relations with the other races and to create such a change would require a lot of Mana. the conversion of action to energy would mean that it would take at least a million souls to only bring forth the changes that happened in that forest.

And I can feel that it is not only that one forest that was changing.

So my conclusion frightened me. Because no one was prepared for it.

“[The Break]... it is happening now!”

Faces of shock… Faces of disbelief… Faces of confusion…

There were a lot of faces that I saw at that moment but all were directed at one thought. That, if what I said was true, humanity will have to face a great threat just like a couple of millenniums before when facing off against every hostile race.

But as soon as I said it, those same faces were now directly looking at me as if I’m stupid.

All but one.

Alexander Lenkov. The Lone Hero must have realised that me just saying it wasn’t baseless nor the tantrum of a child. There must have been a basis behind my statement. And shouting it out while wanting to alert the whole Association can get my relationship with the Association to become much worse than my relationship with Lady Akiko.

I knew the gamble I was doing but my hunch felt more than just a hunch.

And as if the world tried to tell me so, the sight I saw terrified me even more.

The sky turned dark with clouds looking more like black smoke.

The wind had the smell of burnt wood in it as I saw ashes getting moved by it.

Time felt frozen as no one was moving with only my eyes moving from one point to another. This scene… It can’t be!

“GO! GO! GO! NOW!”

I screamed out loud. My voice was hoarse making my throat feel like shit. I must have inhaled too much of the thickening air. This isn’t something I experienced in a long time…

“Laith! Isn’t this…”

“It’s exactly like the shared dream of Alyssa and me! So go now and help as many as possible before buildings are going to fall.”

Realising that what I just said may as well be the truth, the look on Lady Akiko’s face turned from a face of disbelief to one of determination, facing the members of the Association.

“Everyone! Do as the boy said! Start prioritising the safe transfer of people before the subjugation of the monsters! Jana! You do as he said.”

“Yes, Lady Akiko.”

“Alexander!”

“I know. I could contact numbers 1 to 1239. They should have already moved to bigger cities. But with how I am now, I can’t be as much of a help as you. Go to Tokyo now and teleport the people to a safe place before helping out the Director. I’ll go and contact the Guild masters as well.”

“Thank you.”

Panic ensued on the field as most people that didn’t know what was going on felt more and more anxious about the situation as they had problems to even breathing before one of the awakened used wind magic to clear the air even for a little bit.

Lady Akiko, as soon as she gave out every order, moved towards me with a concerned look as she most likely wasn’t sure what else I knew.

“How much time do we have?”

“I don’t know.”

“How will this city look like?”

“Ruined by the monsters, buildings will be toppled and debris will even sometimes get blown away by heavy wind.”

“So we have about two hours before that will be how it looks like.”

“No…”

“What?”

“You’ll most likely feel it as well… my heart is shaking. And not because of my anxiety. It shakes with the space.”

“No…”

Of course, you would be shocked by what I said. This meant that any preparation that would have been possible in the next few hours would now be impossible. All because of one thing.

“[The Break] is starting now…”

RUMBLE