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Return of the Fallen Volume 12 Chapter 139

“STOP!”

Arc’s plea caused the Artifact treasure to sty its strike. The dark dagger aimed at Kazuki’s forehead came to a swift and sudden halt.

The treasure artifact may have stopped it[‘s strike but it still demanded the same the same thing.

“This will be the first and last time I stop my attack. Tell Kauzki the truth, tell him using your own words or my next attack will not stop, that I promise you.”

Arc knew the treasure Artifact’s threats to be true and did not pretend nor play. With no more hesitation, Arc said it.

“Kazuki…there were no lies just now. In truth, I am exactly what was said. I am the Supreme One, not the man of the past, not the puppet but the master instead. I am the foulness and the cruel thing you saw in the Artifact’s memories. I…don’t remember any of it. Seeing all of the things I’ve done though…I know these memories are not false. I have committed a great sin against this Artifact but I swear I didn’t know. I may be many things but not like that. The Supreme One, er, me, I would not do such things, that was the me before the current me now. Kazuki, I don’t even recognize that past self, it’s no longer who I am. You know that right?”

The Artifact heard this and laughed.

*Heh*

“Now that is funny. Past self and present you, it does not matter who you are now. The truth is laid bare before you and there is no denying it. It doesn’t matter if you’ve changed, it doesn’t matter who you are or the good deeds you’ve done. It does not redeem the past. Even if you have been weakened to such a degree even if you are a shadow of your former self, it does not change the fact that you have manipulated, twisted, and burned me. All of my past lives that you orchestrated, you stood by and watched me suffer time and time again. All of the loved ones I lost, the many times I’ve been murdered all in the name of your entertainment. Eons and eons of harm and you could have stopped it oh so long ago. When you had the power to shape reality and bring peace and joy to the universe, instead you chose to make everything in the universe your plaything but I was your number one possession, your little toy.”

Kazuki had no words. This was truly a shocking revelation. Kazuki felt as if he had been fooled and his existence seemed to be the stupid fool that was drug about to simply be a cog in the wheel of misfortune. A pawn to be used and thrown away.

All the times Arc had said it was the almighty, the infinite. Kazuki had taken it for bracketry and nothing more. Later on when he started to actually believe Arc may have really been the most powerful being in all of existence. He did not think there was such a cruel backstory. Arc had become a friend and Kauzki’s most trusted ally through all of his hardships. He had relied on Arc time and again and so too did Arc rely upon him. They had plenty of rough patches but in all of the universe, Kazuki placed the most trust in Arc and no other.

Kazuki had seen the memories of the Black gate Artifact up to a certain point. The moment the man died and returned to Arc when it was the Supreme one, a seemingly infinite number of memories flowed into the man and Kauzki saw every single one of them.

Kazuki had great loss in his life and went through unbelievable agony and been a part of one tragedy after another but he was one man. The Black gate Artifact, under Arc’s previous self, had gone through too many lifetimes to count and in doing so lost so much more. Many of these memories were blurry still and many seemed to run together at times but in the end, the chaos, the darkness, and the brutal nature the man had endured, all of it started from one source, Arc.

Arc could have stopped all of it but instead back then watched in pure glee.

This was more than remorselessness. The Supreme One, Arc, had destroyed the entire universe on a whim and restored it on another. There was no guilt, no shame, or responsibility for the way this Supreme one wielded their awesome and infinite powers. More than careless and more than greedy. All of this combined, Arc was something so lowly, so miserable, and monstrous that Kazuki could not find a single word to describe Arc properly.

“I…I didn’t mean to…I mean At the time that version of me, I…I have no excuse. All I can say is that I am so

“NO! NO MORE! Time has long passed for apologies and excuses. All those things, you did them but you were so confident so full of yourself, and ego-driven you did not see what your own creation was plotting. You will no longer get away since your past has come back to correct your cruelties. The scales have become corrupted and rotten to the core. Today I will purify them in an inferno so bright that none can hide in the darkness. Today the scales shall be rebalanced. Today things will finally be set right when I reset everything. I will wipe away this universe and remake it into what it should have been all along. A universe without hatred or crime. A universe with peace and balance. No one will suffer for your entertainment ever again.”

Hearing this, these Gods were all stunned and appalled. There was no reason to read the Artifacts statement as anything else other than fact. It meant resetting the entire universe and making a new one of its own design. This was a terrifying concept to behold. These Gods who had lived for many eons did not have to think deeply to understand what this meant for them.

Complete and total annihilation. Purifying a universe in an inferno and wiping away the shadows and darkness. This was to be their eternal doom. Their permanent end.

The Supreme Gods along with Drdinkar and Carta were actually afraid. The only exception was Gardius. He still wore a look of rage. He was holding everything in but he wished to break free and tear the Black gate Artifact into pieces.

Kazuki as well was terrified but for other reasons. His death was one thing. He did not wish to accept it no matter what but if he died what would happen to Mei and little Kosaru? What about his aunt Alutra or his uncle Lin? His revenge on Sephar. Everything he’s done, everything that’s led him up to this point was meant to slay Spehra with his own two hands.

If things were reset, he would lose the last people he loved as well as his hatred and revenge. On top of it all, if he were to die here and now, even if somehow he was to be reincarnated into this newly created universe, he would not be the same him. He would no longer have his memories and would lose the very last bit of Nunully and Asuna. All the memories and times he spent with them. His big brother Kai. Danny and his other friends. All thoughts of them would cease to exist.

Losing these memories would be more torturous than anything he’s ever experienced and he knew that and felt it all the way down to his core and soul tree.

What Kazuki didn’t understand is why the Black gate Artifact was saying all of this. Why tell them all of its plans? Yes, it had the upper hand in every regard but still, at this point what need was there to discuss things?

(Why not just create this new universe? Why tell us anything, what’s the point?)

Kazuki thought up to here when things suddenly began to click. His thoughts started falling into place as he pieced things together one by one.

(If its plan all along was to reset the universe, or rather create a new one in its own design, it should have already done it but it hasn’t. The reason being…It can’t. An ability like that came from the Supreme One but I know the Supreme One was actually Arc this whole time. Now it all makes sense. The Black gate Artifact can’t destroy a universe and create a brand new one by itself. It needs Arc, it needs Arc’s ability, one he has lost to time or power. This is why after all of these years the Black gate has been sending out clues all throughout this Higher Realm. It was sending clues to try and bait Arc into coming to it. This whole time, it was traveling to find Arc. It knew that finding Arc in a Higher Realm or any other is basically impossible without some type of help. Leaving its mark on many Gods that would traverse the Higher Realms was a good idea. Eventually, Arc would discover the Gods with the mark left by the Black gate or the Black gate would stumble upon Arc in its many travels. At the very least it’s better than waiting around all day.)

“You…The reason your saying all of this is because you can’t do this alone. You want Arc to willingly surrender itself over and become a part of you, don’t you?”