Last Moments - Part 1

Meanwhile, just before Rin was about to stop playing dead and get up…

"Hey, I wouldn't do that if I were you," Pharoah whispered causing Derrick to stop dead in his tracks as he landed on the ground and sighed as he could not sense anyone around him.

Signifying that whosoever was talking to him was either stronger than him or at the bare minimum good at hiding, 'Tsk, it seems the kid has a protector… sigh, Aku it seems you may have placed me in a sticky situation.'

Derrick thought before asking the strange voice a question, "So if you don't mind me asking, are you a friend or a foe because while you may be stronger than I assure the Queen I serve is more powerful than your wildest of imaginations?"

"Either just know that even if the Goddess who worshipped Enja Griva was here in the flesh, I'd still be able to kill you before you could touch the kid," Pharaoh replied even though Derrick disregarded his warning and began to walk slowly toward Rin.

"While that might scare a kid, pal, I'd rather take my chances and test the waters as a being of your standing wouldn't be protecting a Demonic Cultivator." Derrick chuckled as he ignored the warning bells going off in his head and the fact that with each step, he took he was slowly growing older, weaker, and more shocked as time passed.

'J… J-just what type of sorcery is this?! How could someone use time to such a degree and so silently as if time were but a…' Derrick thought before having to stop as he could sense that with one more step, he would die and turn into dust. 

"Didn't your parents ever teach you not to question authority, young man? As I am sure by now, you can tell whether I was lying or not; or would you like it if I did something a bit more drastic." 

Pharoah chuckled after leaving Rin's Soul Palace and using the energy within Derrick's body along with a bit of Rin's Soul Essence to accomplish a minor feat. That was reversed with but the snap of his fingers as everything returned to how it was before Derrick even landed on the ground. 

Blink. Blink.

"Gulp, I think you did enough, sir," Derrick stated with lingering fear as he could feel death was about a step away and now it was as if nothing ever happened. 

"Hmm, well then what are you waiting skedaddle, as my patience is running a bit low already," Pharoah said as he returned to Rin's Soul Palace just as Derrick pressed a metallic bracelet on his wrist and conjured a warp gate. 

"Sorry for the inconvenience and I hope you have a wonderful day, bye," Derrick shouted before vanishing into a swirling portal that disappeared behind him.

"Hmm, just what now?" Rin said with annoyance as he raised his eyebrow and turned around to see Derrick gazing at him with reverence as he said something.

However, due to the distance and Rin honestly not caring, he did not try to read his lips or pay any real attention to the clown as he used this time to search for treasures.

'You owe me one, kid.' Yawned Pharaoh as he was starting to get a bit sleepy.

'Wait, huh?! What do you mean, I owe one you one… when you practically did nothing except be a casual bystander.' Rin asked confused at how he now owned this freeloader who did nothing but watch him fake his death.

'Sigh, forget it just act like I didn't say anything for in the future you'll know what I mean.'

"Tsk, the least you could do is tell me ways to advance my cultivation quickly and safely. But no one you want to argue with me every step of the way as if you are not aware that if I die you die too!" Rin muttered before taking a deep breath and walking to where he saw Willaim and Derrick come from.

"O Lord, have mercy upon my soul for all I do is help yet…" Pharoah said to himself as he just shook his head and dozed off while Rin ransacked the Aku Village leader's secret underground hideout. 

***

"Hmm, it seems something major occurred in the Aku's territory for even a dog of Jupiter to be summoned to this world. I would if our new guest had something to do with but considering the distance it's unlikely… however, if he did manage to claim the legacy of that old fool's master who was likely a Gatekeeper… Ahh, too much to think about and too little time to investigate, if only I had my paper dolls with me, this whole thing would have been a cakewalk." 

Venus shouted as she clutched her head while sitting on her bed as animal skin was scattered around her. 

Knock. Knock.

"Venus, is everything alright?" Her mother asked with concern after walking upstairs to notify her daughter it was lunchtime.

"I'm alright just a bit frustrated about something," She replied as she quickly hid the animal skin under her covers.

'Is that so?' Diana thought before dismissing such thoughts, "Well then I'm sure some good food will cheer so come on as it's time for lunch and I made your favorite."

"I'll be down shortly, Mom!" Venus exclaimed as Diana smiled and went downstairs to divide up the food between them as Charles was out hunting with friends and would not be back until the evening. 

***

5 months later…

Swoosh! Crack! Boom!

"Sigh, just why can't cultivation be this easy back home?" Rin wondered as he stood up and stretched a bit after cultivating to the peak of True God in record times.

'Who knows, Rin… but before we go any further, just what exactly do you want to accomplish in this life, God has given you? Since the true hurdle after True God is not deepening your comprehension of laws, birthing an inner World, or even cultivating a domain, but the realization of your path something that a friend of yours never taught you.' 

Pharoah said as Rin was about to hit his first true bottleneck on the Road of Cultivation.

"Well, to be honest, I'd say protecting my loved ones and having the opportunity to one day travel the Cosmos. However, as of recently while I still want to accomplish such things, a part of me seems to want more," Rin said as he walked outside for the first time in four months following his retreat after the Aku situation and some other trivial matters.

'Well, think of it like this if you were allowed to live a life without any limits or restrictions, where you could be anyone and anything… who would you be?' Pharoah said with a smile as he laughed as it felt as if he was talking to his younger self again, "Aww, time surely flies when you're having fun doesn't it?"

He said aloud to himself before remembering that in time, this will all be for naught if Rin cannot…

"If such a thing were true, I would want to be an existence who wielded more power than the very Heavens, Eldritch, and the Deities above who sit on their high thrones. A being unlike any other who is not bound by Karma, Fate, and Destiny and has the power to twist Reality and transcend Samsara. But to accomplish this I must first do the inexecutable and trample the Heavens beneath my feet for it does not have the power or authority to sentence me to death!"

Rin shouted with a newfound vigor as his eyes regained clarity, as the path forward became clearer and brighter as the chains that once bound his body, mind, and soul broke one after another.

After, he realized just how much his Martial Heart had deteriorated from acting against his true self and trying to hide in the crowd rather than be in the spotlight.

"Haha! It seems I have become a little too complacent these past few years… But that ends, today as I Rin Jasper Okumura seek to walk the path of the Forsaken Conqueror, the path walked by none yet sought by all!"

Rin shouted as everything turned black and he swore he heard a chuckle for a moment before color returned and the sky for miles on end.

Turned pitch black as if night had descended upon the land as glowing reddish-white, black, and gold arcs of lightning appeared in the firmament. 

SWOOSH! BOOM! CRACK! ZAP!

"..." Both Pharoah and Rin could only say as they realized the words just spoken seemed to have not only caused a change in Rin's Martial Heart but also his future to some degree.

This also alerted Heaven who wasn't so thrilled someone dared to decree such lofty ideals and walk a path never seen. Bringing forth judgment day sooner than expected...