43 The Nihility - Part 1

Asura Ryuu was the only exception to the usual sequence of events that happened after the staff connected with the floor. At the exact moment, he could see the souls of everyone else being absorbed by the ruby-like crystal stone, except for his. The others ended up that way because they didn't have the power to control their souls, but he did.

He watched as the twenty-three souls entered inside of the shiny crystal and disappeared. Concluding that it wasn't a trap, Asura Ryuu flew near the crystal and when his Soul Form came in contact with it, the misty insides of the crystal cleared up, as if he was the cause for that. In the very center of the ruby-like crystal was a white dragon baby curled up as if protecting itself from something. He subconsciously extended his hand to reach for it but didn't expect that as soon as his hand touched that little body, the surroundings changed and everything turned into an endlessly dark space.

It wasn't the usual darkness - it was pitch black. Absence of light was 'tangible'. He glanced around in hope to see something, and he actually did. When he turned around, what greeted him was a gathering of stars floating in the distance around the position where his Soul Form is right now. On one end the endless ocean of stars, on the other the endless abyss of darkness. Two polar opposites. It was then that he thought of something. Something that made him very excited and even his heart began beating faster.

His Soul Form was unlike the others'. He had a same feeling as if he was in his own body, just that he felt a bit lighter than before. Regardless, what made him different from everyone else is that there was no 'call' when he appeared here but instead of it was a feeling of extreme excitement, as if seeing your greatest wish come to life.

What was in front of Asura Ryuu right now is a black hole. The true black hole. Impulsively, he wished to go to the center and so his body floated by itself. As soon as he entered the black hole's pull area, Asura Ryuu felt an even more excited feeling than ever before in any of his lives. Even his tenth reincarnation hadn't made him this excited. There was no need to breathe in this space, but if he was breathing, his breath would have stopped because of the excitement.

Then, suddenly, he shot forth towards the center faster than anything else in this space. Even Xun Meng paled far in comparison to his speed at that moment. In a blink of an eye and even shorter than that, Asura Ryuu plunged into an endless abyss and completely disappeared. It was only when he completely disappeared inside the black hole that it started shrinking until it finally returned to nihility. In the space where the black hole was, nothing remained. But precisely from there, the calling that everyone felt spread out to all directions.

That was the cause for the mysterious 'calling' every of the twenty-three children felt, Asura Ryuu excluded. He was in a special place that differed vastly from anything he had ever seen or imagined.

Thunder and flames intersected, but the flames were made of plasma instead of fire. Thunder was thicker than planets. Flames devoured the space. There were clouds of gasses, each of a different color, floating around and leading the currents of electricity and waves of plasma through them. The thunder and plasma would occasionally disappear into the clouds, as if merging with them and then appear on the completely opposite side of the space.

There was an area of darkness where nothing approached. Not even the mighty thunder and burning plasma could approach it. It was the absolute territory that rejected everything, even light and matter. This was where Asura Ryuu found himself now. Below him is darkness, above him is darkness. Darkness to the left and to the right. Absolute nothingness in the space where his Soul Form was suspended, yet why was he able to be there?

---:"Your turn.", the mystical voice came from behind him.

Asura Ryuu didn't immediately turn around but rather took in the scenery's marvel a bit more. He felt that if he turned around, the scenery would lose its magnificence at that exact moment.

Why did he feel like that? His gut feeling told him so. Someone who could exist in this space where not even matter existed was definitely not something Asura Ryuu could understand. Even he, who was known for the unusual creativity, couldn't get a grasp of the scene. It seemed as if pure chaos that formed the world surrounded him.

The densest point where all matter and anti-matter were one. Where Yin and Yang were the same.

He stood for quite the time watching the scene and feeling the beating of his heart. It was calm. Too calm for this situation, which didn't make sense. His greatest thirst was quenched as he entered the black hole. He wanted to know what was inside of the black hole and now he knew. Inside of it was pure chaos and the 'singularity' was a space of nihility.

He knew what he needed to know. He should be happy. Yet his heart was calm...

Why?

Why...

He didn't know.

The answer is behind him, but he doesn't have the courage to face it. For the first time in his life, Asura Ryuu felt fear. He found a being that could make him fear merely with its existence.

Yet even though he was afraid, his heart was still calm. For a moment, he thought his heart wasn't even beating.

For reasons unknown, the memories of Asura Ryuu's lives were reflected in his head. Even the Dragon God's memories surfaced. As they did, so did the ten chains of samsara.

Closing his eyes, Asura Ryuu felt his raging emotions gradually calm. When his soul reflected the state of space where he was in now, Asura Ryuu turned around.

Before him was a chessboard with figures in their starting positions. All of them, except the one pawn on the opposite side of himself were in their given positions. Asura Ryuu's eyes were nailed to the chessboard. He didn't dare raise his head to see who was on the other side of the chessboard.

He considered what moves he could make and started with an unconventional move by moving the right-most pawn one place ahead. After doing that, he sat down on the chair made of space itself. It was one with the surrounding nihility, hence it didn't exist, but if he wanted it to exist, then it did.

Yet... his eyes didn't move from the chessboard.

At that moment, the same voice responded.

---:"Interesting."

---:"Let's play a bit. You don't mind, right?"

Asura Ryuu's eyes never blinked. His concentration never wavered. His powerful Soul did, however, for the first time. Mere words could dissipate his Soul as if it was nothing. The being he was in presence of was a True God. Not an evolved human calling itself a God, but a true, genuine God. He knew even though his eyes didn't move in the slightest. His Soul told him.

Dragon God? Before this being it was truly just a snake. No, not even a snake - it was a worm.

Asura Ryuu thought: "Where... did I come to?"

*tak*

The being on the opposite side made its move. The chess figure floated and landed on the field as if moved by air. There was no hand present in that action. It reflected Asura Ryuu's move. Exactly the same. That move and every after it shook his mind and Soul.