…

"Tsk. Useless." The old man raised his staff ready to battle. He didn’t mind the infant vanishing. On the contray, the old man prefers that the infant remain absent.

"Stay there.” Glasses spoke to me with a soft and reassuring voice “Special Abilities in this world have no limitations. Staying close to me will be your best option."

"CALAMITY CONVERGENCE." An orb of semi-transparent darkness converged to the old man's hand then he released it.

Electrical currents surrounded us with Glasses at the center.

“MAGNETIC FIELD!”

Glasses stood like a wall. I can feel the undulations in the air, but Glasses simply weathered the attack. A magnetic sphere surrounds us, warding the old man’s attack.

The orb, [Calamity Convergence], cried, expanded, and engulfed us. It's like a vacuum bomb, which Glasses destroyed with a single lightning blast.

“SPEAR OF TRIAM.”

It was the same concentrated lightning that can cut through metal, the very same lightning that severed the old man’s now regenerated arm. It resembles the thunderbolt that Zeus wielded to slay Kronos.

A 100% potential. I am certain. Both of them. The old man has no qualms about holding back, but it's not the same for Glasses. He looked invincible, but he is pouring more effort than the old man.

I remember Glasses saying that the old man is the strongest among them. From the very beginning, this battle has already been decided.

"Looks like you are having a hard time, young man. Don't tell me you already got arthritis at that age." Is it just me? Or the old man is getting stronger? The sky is getting darker, and the earth is trembling. Lava is finding its way to the surface. I started questioning the physics of this Mental World.

I asked Glasses with a low voice, "Tell me Glasses, how much time does occur in the real world compared to this space?"

"Huh? 1 is to 10. 1 outside, 10 here. Why?"

"I think, I have a plan."

***

The gravity reversed, it made the old man float, and rise above the mortals below. He felt almighty strong as he stares down at his opponent.

The old man is feeling jovial. Finally, he is getting there. His resurrection is nigh. Once he steps into the real world once more, he shall start preaching the doctrine of his god.

It's good that the Infant, the origin is not interfering in his work. With the infant's assistance and meddling of this trivial mortal, he is most likely to fail. But with the infant gone, this resurrection is almost as good as his.

He doesn't know why his master is having such a roundabout way of reviving his followers. But anyway, his work is almost done. He only needs to squish these lowly mortals under his boot.

"Back then, you thought of the fallen god bullshit to manipulate me... Let me guess, you want control!" The small mortal, Alfir suddenly spoke. Did he find courage? Maybe thinking that his savior can save him?

This old man might as well entertain this small mortal. "Yeah, I want control. But don't get me wrong, the fallen god is real. He is above our understanding. This mental world is nothing but a farm, and we are the seeds that germinate it. We are preprogrammed to serve him. In the very beginning, we have no choice but to follow. I witnessed his greatness in the past iterations and shall continue doing so in the next iteration. Even if you win control over this body, what will greet you ahead in the future is nothing but a bleak outcome... I have long learned of it as I slowly experience despair again and again... Then finally, I was enlightened, it took me a lot of time to finally accept his grace. But now, look where I am— I may not be god, but my strength doesn't pale in comparison to one, for I am a servant of one. He will be coming, and we have no choice but to accept him!"

This... is why the old man knows too much. Glasses stared at the old man with an intense glare.

***

I feel a distinct nausea welling in me. I want to vomit. The old man finally revealed his true colors, but the answered questions are giving me more trouble than the relief I seek.

The mystery is getting more elusive.

"Fine, you want control? I will give it to you."

"Huh?"

Surprise, joy, confusion, and then fear dawned on the old man at once. My consciousness sank into limbo. If there is one skill I could proudly tell my own, then it is my absolute command over my own mind.

***

"Merrick, there is a disturbance south of you. Please check it." It was Principal Armin's voice through telepathic communication. It's a reverse application of the principal's powers.

Merrick heard the voice loud and clear. He exclaimed of the principal's ingenuity in his application of Special Abilities. This is his first time learning the principal to have this skill. It must be his secret trump card. This indicates how important this 'disturbance' is...

Looks like his dinner with Celine has to wait. Merrick tracked the commotion to Celine. A teen wearing cheap leatherwork, typical of adventurer gear, lies in a pool of blood.

Celine can easily recognize Merrick mainly because of his unique taste in clothing.

Merrick wears a refined suit reminiscent of the industrial era of Alfir's old world. A black suit, pants, and shoes are Merrick's trademark outfit.

"Hurry, we need to get him to the infirmary. I can't do anything to him without my supplies." Celine beckoned to Merrick. Alfir's state is in bad shape, disfigured, and on the precipice of death.

"AAAAAAHH! You!? You mere mortal dare trick me! It hurts! The pain! It's everywhere! Haaaagh!"

It cried like a ghost with a guttural howl. It's almost impressive he can howl like that. To Celine's eyes, Alfir should have fainted, but mere mortal? Seriously?

***

The old man was still. He must've been shocked quite a lot by the pain. After I gave up my control, he should've returned to my physical body.

That stillness says it all.

"Do it Glasses! We won't get a second chance!"

"You never changed," He suddenly looked at me. I am flabbergasted by his choice of words. I saw his side profile, and to my shook soul, it finally struck me.

I know this Glasses person.

"Don't be guilty or something, the other egos are still alive. I don’t know how the old bastard, this fossil, did it. But he somehow managed to kill lots of them.”

“What do you mean? That I should be thankful that they are still alive? They are a liability to me.”

“Yes, just like how you were a liability to me once.” Glasses said in a meaningful tone. A slight heartache made itself known to my heart.

“You see, souls are eternal... Their lifespan only resets to zero when they die. You little brat… there are people living inside you, and they are real.” He added admonishingly.

“…”

“Don't miss me too much, ‘kay?" Then he flew, riding in a blue stream of lightning.

“LIGHTNING EDGE!” A sword made of lightning elements pierced the old man's chest.

“SANTELMO OF IMPENDING FLAMES!” Wisps of spectral flames cloaked with lightning sparks engulfed the old man.

“SPEAR OF TRIAM!” When the old man ended his state of stillness, his demise is already inevitable.

PWIZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZUP— KAPLUSH!

"Big brother..." I softly whispered under my breath as the images in front of me become hazy and flicker into inexistence, then... there is darkness.

Darkness, a blank state of unconsciousness.

I fell asleep, then dreamed of a long life I had in my youth, not as Alfir, but as another kid. A boy that had a brother, mother, and father.