Woah...quite the leap

[Ten years later]

The Kibacs Estate on the Moon -

Kain, I am certain now that these rifts, at least the-the ones near us, are connecting places within our universe. Also, the child was finally born who seems to have at least the power to incite the worst in all manner of being. It seems to relate to his spirituality. It's been 10 days and the first day he was born, the hospital turned into a war zone. His parents didn't seem to be affected though and were able to bring him to an isolated area with the help of Number 23. Also, Kaiser has returned from the Bersach Breach. He wants to talk. Finally, Mrs. Crimson is coming over at 7 PM.

Ah. Thanks Elise. We'll talk on the Rift Theory later today after Mrs. Crimson visits if that's good with you.

Fine.

Oh? Is that sass I hear?

It's 8 AM Kain. We could talk after Ramiel gets here, but noooo, you insist on napping for six hours during the day. It's not even to do with yours power, it's just cause you're lazy…

Thanks Elise! Always there to support me…I'm just tired recently. Let me rest some, will ya?

Ugh. All right. You better listen carefully when we talk though! This could have to do with the Alliance…

Alright…Uh. The kid, do his parents want him? They love him?

They love him though they notice the issues around him. The UN has also noticed him. They probably want to take him and raise him in isolation, see what the origin of his power is.

Yea…yea. Tiring. Intelligent beings are tiring. Then again, simple beings are impulsive. Send…. Raimen to help Number 23 defend them if need be. He goes by Spellman down there right?

He does indeed, hehehe.

You're one to laugh, Elise. Or should I say, Woosh Woman…

Say it one more time, Kain! I will beat your ass.

Always so violent…Wooooooosh Woman!

Suddenly, Kain disappeared, teleporting out of the room.

No. You. DON'T!

Elise disappeared as well.

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Wow. Damn, been a while since I've been surprised. They're celestials? All of them?

Yes. They seem to be restricted by an energy in their space and a hivemind, but yes. Even the weakest one is equal to an Oswald level mutant. They abide by a certain code, see the universe differently than we do obviously, and are nice to visitors. They are all energy manipulators. They can also store it. I believe that they cycle it accordingly keeping homeostasis. There is also, as far as I could see, only one rift to their space. It seems to be special. It's not a planet, but a space within the universe that seems tailored to them. This furthers my theory about actions the Old Gods took before the universe crashed.

Well. Maybe if you discover evidence for the theory and present it to the Alliance, they might accept it…but evidence we know nothing about is hard to obtain, Kaiser.

I'll find a way.

Don't you dare travel back…We've no idea what the consequences on the universe's awakening or on you could be.

I know…

Alright then. Thanks for the info. You open tomorrow?

Hmm? Yea, of course.

Dinner with the crew?

Kaiser smirked.

Sounds fun.

Great…how about 7 PM. Mind telling them? I've got to meet with Crim…

HAHAHAHA. Good luck! Sounds like a fucking doozy if I've ever heard one.

It's horrible…she's a carnivore man. Well, literally, but you know what I mean.

Yea well, she's one of the most powerful beings in the Alliance and you played her…or at least she sees it that way. To be honest, I don't know how you do it. The pure hostility she has against you would make many others enter a feud. Hell, Green and Blue caused fucking wars because they broke up.

They are the reason shit is so fucked up in the first place…humans gaining cosmic powers? Emotional beings are always going to cause issues. Everything's personal. Hah.

You say that like your origin isn't humanity. You're just emotionless.

It is. I'm not emotionless. I just control them, something that so many seem others unable to do.

Yea, well good luck with that. Have fun!

…Go fuck yourself Kaiser.

They smiled at each other.

See ya tomorrow man.

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Hmph. How dare he led me on…UGH. I'm the catch of the century! Leading me on? Are you kidding? The last person who did that died!

A woman with crimson symbols all over her body suddenly appeared near the estate on the moon in a flash of red light.

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Well…Hello Mrs. Crimson.

Kain spoke out, though a bit unsure of himself.

He immediately regretted it.

WHAT?! AFTER ALL WE'VE BEEN THROUGH? MRS. CRIMSON? THOSE MOMENTS MEANT NOTHING TO YOU? MY NAME THAT YOU'VE CALLED ME BY FOR 5 YEARS MEANS NOTHING TO YOU?

Mrs. Crimson instantly got up and yelled at him. As she got louder and hoarser, the surroundings were beginning to steam.

…

Alright, Celeste, alright. How about we calm down? Not burn down the place? What exactly are you referring to? Which moments?

YOU'RE TREATING ME AS A FLING? AFTER ALL WE WENT THROUGH? YOU'RE A HORRIBLE PERSON. A PIECE OF SHIT! A-

Alright! Celeste. TAKE A BREATH. Breath. Listen, listennnn. I didn't take us as a fling, per say. We just didn't get together after all that time…We had some close moments, but I feel like those were the results of desperate times and proximity rather than us clicking. There is a saying! "When two people endure the risk of death together, they will be closer than ever before…"

…

There's a saying?

Wait.

THERE'S A SAYING?

No, you're doing it agai-

ALL THAT WE HAD WAS JUST A SAYING?

CELESTE.

The surroundings shook as Kain roared out her name. Celeste grew quiet, taken aback at his outburst. He had never yelled at her before.

Kain rubbed his temple.

The saying helps describe the situation. Don't just take the last part of what I say, I know you heard the whole explanation. In other words, I'm saying that it is great that we were close, are close, but I've yet to meet a woman who clicks. Hell, why exactly are you bringing up things from 5 years ago. I mean, the last time we talked about this, besides recently, was 5 years ago. Did you get…dumped? You did, didn't you?

So now you're turning this around on me?

You're not denying it.

Haaaaah. I did.

Celeste, you know you can't just try to wonder to wherever the pastures were "greener" right? Number one, it ain't greener here and number two, trying to start a relationship for the wrong reason only screws over the future of the relationship.

Celeste sighed.

Yes…

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Kain was looking over some of his notes from the past years.

"Humans are quite gifted mentally. Being able to recall something and acting accordingly allows one to perform the most complex of calculations in very small instants like it is nothing. Science can only catch up to our natural gifts."

"So, I will call this mark "The Executioner". Everyday, knowledge floods into my head of different ways to die. Different ways to kill. And so, different ways to save lives. In the end though, it is clear that this mark means I walk close to death, this many-faced king."

"One hand can take ahold of spirituality and the other anything in the physical realm…Seems powerful. That's my human side thinking though…"

"When one of the Arunculus die, I feel it deeply. It is probably the most deep feeling I have ever had surpassing even that of being in the womb…"

"Human. I was born as such. Humans though are so foolish. Warring among ourselves while we wage war against other intelligent life forms and powerful creatures? Why… Why should I save them? Save us? I don't hate myself, no I hate humanity in its current form."

"I am changing in ways I cannot myself predict or take full control of – something I've always prided myself on having over myself. Human. Not human. Something in between, something else. Something. I can only see where this goes with what I can control of myself."

"Today, I killed the children of my enemy's family. They carry a powerful bloodline of sorts. Even so, I cleared out not just the children, but the elderly, the strong, the weak. I left no seeds to be sown in the future besides ones I simply can't avoid. I feel terrible. I never wished to be the hand that guided them to ultimate change, to death. I didn't provoke them, but their ambitions were in opposition with mine. Taking over my home? Taking my parents' lives? Even so, I might never do this again."

"I question now whether innocence is innocence as we have known it. It is not inherently good nor warm like some would characterize angels. No, it is, first and foremost, the base form of humanity. Humanity at its most savage. Children at that time are the incarnation of selfishness. They are unabashedly human…"

"My realm, only 36 people know of it – the Arunculus. I am still, even after all this time, reaching towards a better understanding of why they lived when they entered, why they took with them a seed of law."

"There are now 21 powers on Earth. 16 of them proclaim themselves led by their respective gods, a different class of being. I'm not certain, but I believe it has to do with the mark. I am not in their sights though. They know not of my existence, of my knowledge of their situations."

"12 wild worlds of differing sizes, we have discovered. They lack beings of intelligence, but not beings of power. 4 other worlds with intelligent beings. 2 of those worlds contain a plethora of such beings. They are not so simply dominated by one. They even seem to have their own connected subplanes."

"We have subplanes too…though it takes a certain level to reach them."

"I believe the various newer sources of power, some of which having been bestowed upon others in their entirety, spawn from them. Like my Arunculus, people or beings who have been conferred the connection to these planes have created such connections in others. Those later generations though also seem to gain power from the subplans toward some end. I'm not sure. I am sure though that the Arunculus do not gain more power from me or my world but develop it on their own. This is why I call it a seed."

"Society has, under the care of some of the kinder powers, begun to recuperate. Only 8 years. That is incredible. Humans can do some things great when spurred to action, I guess. Though the wavelength is different, there is a form of internet of sorts. Powering things now can come from various uses of those different power sources. Cultures are clashing. Even now, racism, speciesism, war, and greed plague these growing societies and the alliances they've made. Another thing so disappointing. The Arunculus and their families wish to live there among others, experience the woes of humanity at its darkest time, and the rise forthcoming. I can't blame them. They will be required to return periodically for a time so that the planes can still be watched. Of course, even I will take form and experience this time with others. Meeting new people is always a pleasure."

"I messed up a bit. A spiritual being of vast power in the form of a wyvern came through the rift near one of the developing cities of the Iron Wall. I used some power discreetly but was still discovered…Hah. Now, dealing with the distrustful expressions of some of the powers is annoying. To them though, I am known as Erasmus, of the title "The Ascetic King", for I need nothing from society."

…

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Hmm? You still reading your old notes Kain? In all that kind of olden English? What a poet, hahahaha!

Yea, well. I enjoy seeing my past states, even if a bit romanticized. The struggles in them are real though. By the way, do you prefer Oscarius or Jay? Stupid-ass moniker you gave to them powers if you ask me, hehehe.

Oh? And Erasmus?!

Erasmus what?! That shit is incredible, and you know it.

Damn. I'll get you back, just you wait. I'm heading back down to my family though. Take care.

If I did, I wouldn't be me…

The two men waved at each other as Jay, AKA Oscarius, left the mansion through a vein of space.

Then, Kain patted himself on the back and started to get up. As he was doing so, he noticed a small golden circle in front of the door that Jay had just closed.

He walked slowly over to it. He knew it'd be stupid to touch, but something seemed to compel him. Yes, something that affected even his will – the strongest human will to ever exist.

As his finger drew closer to that small orb, his vision began to change. He still hadn't touched it yet, but he could see a hall dressed in different shades of gold. More white variants made up the pillars while tapestries of more yellow gold unfurled themselves in the sea breeze.

At the center of it all, there sat a lady. He did not recognize her for he did not delve into society too often these days. Others, however, even his Arunculus, would recognize her in an instant.

The Infallible Shiai. The Strongest Human ever.

Then everything zoomed out from both sides.

Zppt.

His vision blacked out for a moment before returning to normal.