A nameless's memory

"This little worm is getting annoying beyond belief, why use True Energy? There is not even an enemy now, you let it run! And where the hell is that thing, stop this little fuck right this instant!" The young god was still fully zoned into the events happening in front of him.

"He just brought us more trouble, now we have to even contain his soul before it breaks apart!"

"Hmh, this boy... dragging it out will..." And the mighty one was still in thoughts, not letting a single mistake appear in his assessment.

"Ah? Lord Taroth shouldn't worry."

"...?"

"The reigning death was long since informed of the denial of one's death."

"And already many lower-level ones have surrounded him, whatever he does he can't escape death now, even if he uses that strange power that resurrected him before."

'Right, you have to tell me because I can't see! Idiot...'

"Lord...?"

'Sigh... But those previous words of his were reasonable, boy, why use Ture Energy? This is why I'm concerned... For what enemy did he start using True Energy...'

'The only hostile thing around him now... The Reapers!? How would he see? No, how would he notice them? And, he is looking here... how did he even notice that it was us who sent them?'

'Is it his system again...?'

'Too many unanswered questions... Too much trouble... We can preserve his soul for a while even if he uses his energy up, but I'm uncertain, this strange feeling, why is it still lingering...'

'Sigh... But for now... Let's play dumb, I still don't know if something is truly amiss here.'

"Haha... Right, even if he could somehow stop the scythe of a low-ranked and return, the one who comes to something like this is always a high-ranked one."

"Yes, my lord, let's watch this worthless thing fall!"

...

And the same time, inside the history of a nameless young man...

A time when he was no more than sixteen...

'I can't fight anymore...' While lying on his side and grasping his bleeding and broken leg, a pained howl was uttered to the night... and to the man, the sole being engulfed by the darkness even with a bright moon.

'Hey, stand up!' The answer was simple, like always...

Deep chill-inducing voice, piercing green eyes... the only distinguishable features of the burly man who towered over the fallen nameless child.

'I... I can't...'

'Boy, I said... Stand up!' No emotions, a dark face, a commanding tone, the usual life of the boy.

'I can't...'

*Ahaaaaa...* The third time... Denying his words brought forth a swift motion.

Together with his hand that hid the wound, the child's broken shin was shattered. The man's easy feet dug through his flesh and bone.

'Does it hurt?' But instead of stopping his move, a light twist, from side to side, the child's bone and muscles twisted and screamed.

*Aaagh...*

'Sto...p...!!'

*Ahaaaa...*

'Does it hurt?'

*Ahaaagh...* Though his mind recognized the question, words hardly came only the unceasing suffocation caused by the screams.

'Ugh...!' The pain shot through his nerves... as they arrived at this brain... drowning his thoughts... Drops of tears surfaced, covering, hiding his eyes, hiding the face of the man.

'Does it h...'

'Yes! It hurts!!' But before the man could ask again, anger flared through the watery ocean-blue eyes, drowning his words.

'Then why... Why won't you stand up?' Without much of a thought, the man stepped back to release the child, only to ask another question before a moment could pass.

'Cough... Beca... Because... it hurts...' And similar as if nothing happened, though his throat already hurt, pushing through the pain the child answered.

'No... Wrong!'

'...!?' Hearing the denial, the boy raised his hands over his head.

*Guhak...* A futile action...

*Bang* A light kick to his defenseless abdomen sent him to a nearby wall.

'Cough! Ugh...' The kick paired with his body slamming into the stone wall, all the air got easily knocked out of him.

'The only reason you should need to stand up is that it hurts, it is not a reason for which you can lower your head!'

'Ughk...!' And while not being concerned that the boy was about to both feint and puke, the man continued his rather unique teaching.

'...?' Seeing the man walk towards him, the child tried to sit up while using the wall as support.

'I'm... I'm tired... It's the fifth day... I'm thirsty... hungry... I don't have enough en...' A slight hope, a way to get away... He long since tried everything...

'If your body can shake, it still has enough energy to keep on going!'

'Shake...?' Confused, the boy looked down.

'...!' His hands and feet, shaking uncontrollably, the cause might have been the loss of too much blood, the anger raging in him, the fear that pushed him to run away or it might even be all of it combined.

But the reason mattered little... It was undeniable in the eyes of the strongest man.

'...' The boy's eyes shook, there was no escape... like always before...

'Boy...' Stopping just a step away, the man lowered himself, kneeling on one knee, his hand reached out, gently being put on the child's shoulder.

'...!?' Looking at the hand, a touch of worry and uncertainty reflected in the blue eyes...

*Bang*

And unfortunately, the child's worry was reasonable. Without a moment's notice, the gentle hand grasped his hair and head, again a simple move... a broken wall... a bloodied complexion.

'To f..t is to su..ve...' His blue eyes became hazy, and his ears buzzed, so loud he wasn't even able to hear the words of the man.

*Bang*

'Hey, do you hear me now?'

*Bang... Bang*

'Ugh...'

'Good.'

'Now, I know you remember it, the reason why you fight is to survive the same as why you kill, it is to not be attacked to not be harmed and hurt.'

'...'

'Hm...? Are you li...' While the man preached his ideas, the young man made a quick decision.

'Ugh!' Similarly to how his head was in the man's grasp, the boy raised his arm wanting to snatch the man's head.

But with a light tilt of his head and shoulders and a quick twist of his waist resulted in a simple and flawless dodge but thanks to this, the boy got released.

'...?' Taking a step back, the man gazed at the child, a slight smile showing up behind his full beard.

His green-grey eyes reflected the boy's staggering and wobbling form as he used the broken wall to support himself up.

'Hmph... Better...' For the boy's hardships, the reward was two punches, a left hook followed by a slap-like hit from the back of the same hand.

'Augh...' But before the kid fell, he grasped his collar, though the height difference was in the young man's favor, he was easily held up like a ragdoll.

'Why... It hurts the same...' The boy's black hair drenched in his own blood covered his face, not letting his teary eyes be seen as he spoke to the moon and the stars.

'And it always will, pain is the only thing that never disappears... ' Solemn words... this was the only thing this mighty man could confirm without worry to his still inexperienced son.

'Then... why should I...? If it hurts the same as when I lay down... Why should I get up?'

'Because it is the same!'

'Because it's...?'

'But don't be bothered by that! The reason why you have to stand up is unnecessary to question, the only thing you must carve into your flesh, blood, and instincts is the will to always get up.'

*Bang* Following the release of his collar, an effortlessly high kick to his chest, when the boy's body made an impact, the already broken wall crumbled down, its rubble half covering his similarly broken body.

*Cough...cough* His head fell forward, letting the blood be cleared from his tubes and innards.

'Son... I'm teaching this to you, for when all hope is lost when the only out you see is... Death!'

'...?' His gaze was probably too hazed to see, but even though the boy raised his head to look at the man in front of him.

'Stand up! Never bow!'

'...'

'Be it one against it one... or ten, or a hundred even if it's a thousand or a million who stand in front of you. Stand up, and never bow down!'

'If it hurts, then stand up, march forward, let your flesh be torn, your bones be cracked, your blood soak the ground, but fight, fight because you must!'

'And if you always stand up, eventually all things before you will crumble and fall!'

'...'

'This is the way... for us... For us who can never die...'

'How... Cough...but how... I don't have strength from beyond like you...'

'Hmph, son... The only strength you need...' Hearing his son's self-doubting words, the father squatted down, a harmless move, his hand being placed on his son's chest... his heart.

'Is already within you.'

'Already within...?' He looked down, at the hand placed on his heart, a rough and callus-filled hand, even with no strength behind it, it was heavy easily weighing down his chest.

'Yes, you only need to reach for it... But on the other hand.'

'Umu?' But finally hearing his Father change his serious tone, he looked up at his face.

'You lost... again.' An unexpected but light hit on his chin.

'To be exact, for the two hundred and seventy-second time.' And just like that, the strongest man stood up victorious... like always before...

...

'Father... Am I close to the end...? Is that why I see such memories? You taught me to stand up if it hurts but... It...'

"It hurts... no longer..."

'What can I... No, there is already an answer... There is no reason to question... To fight is to survive, if it is not my survival then my brothers, I fight... for them...'

'Cause or outcome, it matters to nothing...

I can finally...'

"Finally we can... begin!" His determination blazed so evident the people actually contemplated the moment when it would manifest itself.

"Let us fight... Until my muscles... my bones and blood, turn to ash and dust!" And just as the boy declared the only end this fight could have...

"Realize..." He uttered the words... The only words his father would forbid him to do while at the same time encouraging it.

"Resolve...!"

'Father... I apologize, I will use it only for a while...' And... at his end, the immortal boy finally uses the only memory of his father that could never be damaged or dishonored... His only pride of battle... His curse of life...

"South... Battle... Arts!"

"One against... a Thousand!" In the moment as the slow words reached the ears of existence, the now large area that was made by the red haze of his blood had a great sift of atmosphere.

"...!" The eyes of the man widened, looking at the boy and the flow of a green and invasive miss that rose out of him.

The child's dark and sunken-in, shrunken eyes that had lost their light for a while now... Inside, a touch of glow appeared... A hue of green and grey, just barely enough of a spark that his gaunt face could be called a face but still... the horror could be seen...

Some weak-minded individuals could no longer listen, some even diverting their gaze with horror and pain, the expression that could be the descriptive image of suffering was shown to the world.

But for most of those who could already reach here such a thing couldn't deter them rather another matter grasped their attention.

The mist of blood turned and twisted mixing with the green flow slowly forming a half-sphere atop the earth this charred monster stood...

But still, this wasn't what grasped their attention rather, inside this half-sphere finally... finally, everyone could see it... Witness the 'enemy' this immortal boy prepared to battle.

A strange towering figure floating in front of him...

Yes, a figure, not a body nor a monster, a figure hidden by a white veil, with it being completely motionless some questioned if it was real but to those, the light fluters of the veil's edges answered, this thing was not a static object but neither was it something that could be called 'alive'.

'...!' And as the green invasive mist spread more and more, similarly such enemies appeared too, veils atop veils some red some white but before long a number that could easily be a thousand or more became visible.

'So many... But... What are they?' For such an echoing question, the one who answered was the immortal himself with a single word at that.

"Death..."