[Title at the end]

You ever stare at a wall and just.. lose focus? Like your head goes blank and no thoughts come to you? Tends to happen more naturally to guys. If you're high, you could probably enter that state though. Yeah, that's how I felt right about now. But I can't pull myself away or move. It's dark all around me and there's a pressure crushing me like I'm in the deepest part of the ocean.

..It hurts. I can't breathe..

Where am I? I can't remember.. I swear I could remember just a few moments ago? I can't remember who I am.. Am I dead? This can't be death..

It feels like I'm bound in chains deep underwater. I try to move and my body doesn't listen. Something so heavy is weighing me down. Try and try as I might, I just can't move. Why is my body so weak?

More and more time passed but still, I remained stuck. But over time, I felt anger rising from within my chest. A sharp pain hit me before a crimson light shone out of my chest. The weight lessened significantly and I began to swim upward. The weight began to follow me but I swam faster and faster. I reached the surface.

"Chris!" A voice called out. To me?

"Y-Yeah?" I answered, picking my face off my desk.

Empty monster cans started falling on the floor. The guy who yelled at me looked pretty mad. Wait.. oh, that's my asshole boss, Tristan.

"Where's your report!? I asked you to get it to me by five. So?" Tristan got up pretty close and asked me.

"I.. uh.." Taking a look at my computer, I happen to notice the opened Microsoft Word, only at three hundred words.

"I'll.. work overnight and get it to you by tomorrow. Promise" I told him, though he doesn't seem too happy, he did look a bit appeased.

Probably due to my suffering. Yeah, fuck you too Tristan. As soon as he walks away, I start back on my report.

But I can't help but be distracted. I can't type anything down. This feels wrong. Like I shouldn't be here. Like I'm not me. Great! Existential dread, just what I fuckin' needed right now. Getting up from my desk, I go to the drink vending machine. Only redbull and Monster. Redbull tastes like battery acid so I guess I'll go with Pineapple Monster.

Putting in my three dollars, I pick the drink and hold it close to my face. This feels wrong too. Coffee doesn't do anything and I don't have any tea bags. No... that's not it. There's a nagging feeling in my skull. Like I'm forgetting something important.

Cracking open the monster drink, I get back to work doing this three thousand word report about....

Parrying Raven's snakes, I was hit far away again by an unsuspecting flare of crimson flames. Channeling into my authority, I cracked a smile and picked a magic. 'Arc of Embodiment' and create a neutron star before compressing it with Elden Ring's Gravity magic. Right until it was fit to burst, and hit Raven with it. The delightfully bright explosion from it shook the galaxy. But Raven wasn't done yet. She was growing during the fight too. My Yamato met her Omen in a series of hundreds of thousands of-

..Huh? Did I zone out? What was that? Two Ruby characters fighting with Cultivator level power. Pretty cool. Seems kinda random.

"Where'd I go though..?"

I had to ask myself, considering I was back outside the office for some reason. Over the nearest highway bridge, to be exact. Was I.. planning to jump?

"...Pfft. Of course I was.. Shitty job I hate.. No friends.. No family.. No hope.. Why do I even bother doing anything?" I heard myself mutter.

That can't be right. I said it but did I mean it? I know things aren't looking good but.. This?

"Haha.. What else is there? Day in and day out.. I'm just doing this because I hate myself. It's my own fault after all.. Mom.. Ashley.. Hell, even Dad knew what a broken mess I was long before it even got to this point" Once again, I hear myself say.

NO! I.. Even if I blame myself I wouldn't go this far. Who are you? You can't be me.

"I can't? You just admitted it. We blame ourselves for it. For Ashley. Our first shot at true love and we were too bitter and angry at the world to treasure it. She killed herself because we didn't even bother looking at her. Seeing HER pain. Too wrapped up in our own.." Again, my voice spoke out.

You're right. Even despite what her Mom said. Or what she wrote about me in her last note. I still blamed myself for not seeing it. For not beating that son of a bitch to death before it could get that bad. I admit that.

"Then.." He whispered and prepared to take a step.

But you're forgetting something. Something pretty fucking crucial. Which means you're definitely not me. I wouldn't do this. God knows I've thought about it. But that thing kept me going through all this.

"What..? I don't see what you mean.. What did you hide from me? What am I missing?" He spoke again, this time with a scornful voice not mine.

Regaining control of my body, I feel myself take a sigh of relief. Then I hear something familiar.

'THUMP-THUMP' The beating of a heart.

Right. Now I'm starting to remember. You little shit.. You took advantage of my anger and despair. And now you've brought me back to the lowest point in my life to suck some more out? Fucking emotion vampire.

"What have you hidden from me? I saw everything about you. Everything but that small, little spot. You guard it so fiercely" It spoke again, drawing my attention to the spot it was referring to.

A small, golden chest. Barely bigger than a shoebox. I already know what's within. My treasures. I feel a tear make its way down my face as I trace my hand along the edge, preparing to open it.

"You wanna see? Eh.. might be a bit mundane to you, O' Infinite Heart of Darkness. This.. is the note my Mom left me before she died. My Mom loved me and hoped one day I'd become a happy and healthy man. Well.. one of those things is off but the rest is true" I couldn't help but chuckle as I took out the white crumpled page and taunted it with it.

"So what? She's-" I hold up my hand to cut him off.

"I ain't done, bitch" I interrupted before taking out a photo.

It was of me and Ashley in ninth grade. A bit before my edgy phase so we looked happy. Seeing the gentle smile on her face brought more tears to my eyes.

"After she died, her Mom allowed me to go through our things. I blamed myself still so I didn't wanna take anything. Until, I saw this. A memory of when we were both happy. I swore on this picture I'd do better in the future. That I wouldn't wallow in self pity and anger any more. Like you're trying to get me to do" As soon as I said this, another giant heart materialized behind me.

"Good.. You have chosen the light, my child. Come, connect to me and we will drive away the darkness and purify your family" A soft, ethereal voice reached my ears this time.

"Pfffffft!" I started to laugh at its proposal, earning me confused stares(? These things don't even have eyes)

"No. I don't think I will. Too much one way, I'll turn into a chaotic, angry, lustful monster. Too much the other way, I'll turn into an orderly, emotionally suppressed and holier than thou douche-canoe. Better idea! How 'bout I take you both?" I offered with my arms spread out.

""NEVER!"" They both shouted in defiance.

"Oof. Sorry I phrased that as a question. It's not. It's a promise. Come to Mommy. I'm done being controlled by sore points in my past. I'll be angry but paitent. Lustful but giving. Chaotic yet Orderly. Yeah, I know. Long way to say, I'll be Balanced" Feeling both hearts flare up their power, I feel a suppressing force try to weigh me down once again.

"Not bad.. I figured you wouldn't lie down and take it just like that. But I'm only a sub for Raven and sometimes Pyrrha.." Utilizing my freedom Authority, I break out easily and constructed massive chains that start to wrap around the hearts and bind them.

Using [Arc of Embodiment] and [Enchantment magic], I lock the chains and cast [Divine Reinforcement] on them. A heavily improved and tweaked version of the normal magecraft. Snapping my fingers, I turned the enchantments on and started siphoning from both hearts until I hear an all too familiar sound.

[Ding! You have done it. Your control over two opposing primal forces has fully unlocked your Balance Authority. Balance does not only extend to light and dark. There is only one possessor of this authority. You. Chaos and Order, Light and Dark, Space and Time, Good and Evil, Creation and Destruction. You are given the power to utilize all of these to keep the proper balance in the True Omniverse. This system's function has been fulfilled. All chatroom, shop, inventory and quest subsystems will be transfered over to the [Apocalypse System] shared by you and your Pantheon. Please fulfill Michael's final wish. Coordinates to the last Balance Candidate has been uploaded to the [Apocalypse System's] quest function. It is advised you unlock the rest of your Authorities before you engage her. Good luck and thank you]

I feel the system fade away shortly after it finishes the notification. I feel kinda bummed. But I guess its relevancy ran out after I connected it to the town.

"Release.... us.." The heart of light begged while the dark growled.

"Naaaaaaah. I can't really trust you two chucklefucks after the stunt he pulled. Pretty sure that past Balance candidate is in part responsible for this but I'll get to her later. I'd be annoyed with your obnoxious voices in my head too so.." Flicking my wrist, I set up a fusion of a bounded field and a seal.

One purely meant to contain any outbursts from them in case the chains couldn't absorb their energy. The other function was to make sure I didn't hear or feel them. Wiping my hands, I turn my attention back to see how the fight was going.

....Damn, I was getting stomped. I was on a halo ring, wrapped up in black chains. Burned up, cut up.. Damn! Even my arm was severed. Hm... You know.. I don't like losing...

-Alpha Halo-

Hecate opened her bloodshot eyes after being knocked unconscious after a lapse in concentration. But Raven hadn't walked out of it unscathed. Cuts and burns across her body were being healed. She still looked ready and eager to fight though, but it looked as if her fun time had passed.

"You're back~!" Tearwyn jumped on Hecate's face and hugged her tight.

"Thanks for the warm welcome~" Hecate used her Freedom authority and broke free of the blackened chains of Enkidu, prompting Raven to get up and hold Omen ready.

"So what happened? I saw everything up to Rae getting serious. Had to deal with some stuff after that" Hecate began healing quickly, cracking her neck and back.

"Well you hit Rae with Delta Halo" Tearwyn said.

"I fired the ring?" Hecate raised her brow.

"Yes! But not what I meant. I mean you grabbed it and bonked her across the galaxy with it. Then! You had your clone reinforce the Ark, connect with the other halos annnnd.. destroyed the universe. It was awesome.. You even killed the Light Goddess as collateral! She was hiding far away but the range you made it travel was crazy. You almost killed Rae there too until Sloth reversed causality~" Tearwyn bounced on her shoulder and admitted.

"That sounds insanely destructive. My KD ratio is insaaaane now" Hecate chuckled.

"Hmph. It is. Are we done? You're not giving me the feeling you're done" Raven asked, hopeful.

"Nah.. I hate losing after all" Hecate replied before her Balance Authority was unleashed.

All throughout the Omniverse, a small ripple echoed and universal laws bended. A cornicopia of colors coalesced into Hecate's being. Red Chaos, Blue Order, Black Darkness, White Light, Purple Destruction, Yellow Creation.

Hecate's clothes changed, into a hooded regal black and white dress that resembled a fusion between a shrine maiden and a warrior. Her two black and white fox ears peeked out of the hood as her fur and hair changed colors. Black, White and pink. With pink separating the two down the center perfectly. Her irises now split between four colors. Purple, Yellow, Red and Blue. Her slit pupils now forming a cross shape as she held Tearwyn in her arms and stroked her fur.

"You think Artoria'd mind if I borrowed some corruption?" Hecate asked, her voice a mix of ethereal and demonic.

"Oooh I see what you're doing~ I don't think so!" Tearwyn said with a giggle before opening a portal connecting to their world.

Hecate opened her palm as the corruption's liquid form hovered above it. Then she summoned in equal parts pure light, making it flow just as the black did. Hecate then surprised both Tearwyn and Raven by intertwining them. Both energies fiercely opposed began to clash before a third, grey energy emerged, wrapping around them both, like a grey bandage. The two opposing forced solidified into a very unique coiled straight sword. A sword that passively bent laws just by existing together in close proximity. Hecate turned to Raven, just to see her insanely excited face.

"Pffha! Never change, sis. Let's determine the winner this time though. Last round"

Chapter Title: True Balance