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The screams of the Espers echoed the sa as before, forming an accursed cacophony of suffering from all these gifted individuals whom humanity had used only as tools for its own salvation.
X0-9 stared ahead with a blank face. His expression never changed. He had seen everything, experienced everything by now. He could no longer feel sadness or even exhaustion.
He only wanted it to end today, if possible.
FLUOSH!
The Quantum Gate blazed with light. Countless rivers of energy surged outward, supernatural forces now visible to everyone present, whether they were inside a Domain or Realm on the Supernatural Plane or not.
These energies converged into an endless sea of colors that spread everywhere, then twisted into a massive spiral rising from the gate.
Then.
BOOOM!
A trendous explosion erupted. A crack tore open in space itself. Everyone rose from their seats, watching in stunned silence as the distortion from the gate dragged the world toward a deeper void.
The black void shifted and ford eight glowing eyes.
"…?!"
"Aaaagh!"
"Kuuaaaahhhh!"
"Hyeeeeaaaahhh!"
Eight red eyes stared back, and every person present lost their minds. Governnt officials, the president, no one was spared. The Espers suffered the sa fate as before, many dropping dead one after another.
"This is the second ti you maggots have dared to gaze upon my form…"
As the voice spoke, the agony intensified. The President of the United States collapsed to his knees, clawing at the protective helt ant to shield him from supernatural attacks.
Then his head exploded.
The rest of the high-ranking officials suffered the sa fate, one by one, their heads bursting like overripe fruit. X0-9 watched the scene with quiet awe.
His gaze returned to the eight red eyes.
"But fine… if you truly wish it, I can lead you to a very special place, foolish humans."
The eyes narrowed for a mont, focusing on X0-9, noting that he remained almost unaffected by Her gaze, and then vanished.
The survivors gasped for air amid the sea of corpses, despairing as the gate began to pulse with countless colors.
Every shade of the rainbow appeared before the remaining Espers and scientists.
Then the colors rged into a gigantic vortex that tore through dinsions, opening a path to a completely different Plane.
Not the one they had sought, but sothing far more alien.
Colorful crystal particles flooded the atmosphere, and the world changed in an instant. Crystals sprouted everywhere.
A pair of sharp, rainbow-colored eyes stared back, radiating vicious intent that made everyone's bodies tremble… except for X0-9.
"Yet another breach into my Domain… My war against Genesis has dragged on far longer than expected. I will gladly harvest this world if you offer it to , oh Great Usurpers."
A massive crystalline hand erged. A piercing sound rang through every ear, drawing blood that imdiately crystallized.
The hand reached straight for X0-9.
"I see through you, child. How much you have suffered at the hands of these foolish n. I shall grant you salvation, for I am a benevolent deity."
"A-Ah…! Please…!"
X0-9 fell to his knees before the entity. Crystal encased him completely, along with everything around and beyond.
Before he knew it, X0-9 found himself inside a realm of endless crystals and vibrant colors. His body absorbed rich supernatural energies, and his power grew stronger than ever.
At long last, the young Esper could rest…
"Huh?"
X0-9's eyes snapped open with a faint sound. He was floating inside the Spirit Heart where he had been placed.
Several strange figures surrounded him.
"That's everything we could see."
"Any more might strain his mind and soul."
Two girls radiating colorful auras of divine power unlike anything X0-9 had ever felt spoke calmly in front of him, gently touching the crystal.
Both had long tentacle-like hair, pink skin or hair, and flas dancing across their bodies.
A strange illusion rose from X0-9's head, displaying all the mories stored within his mind.
"I see. Thank you, Somnara, Magmara. You've done more than enough," nodded the woman X0-9 recognized—the one who had saved him. "How are you feeling, X0-9? We saw everything you experienced. I'm sorry, but we needed context."
"…You saw into my mind so easily? How?" X0-9 asked. "Your na is Kireina, correct?"
"Indeed, that's ," Kireina replied with a nod. "Right now, you're inside my Cosmic Realm."
"Your appearance is different… you look older, and your clothes are strange…" X0-9 muttered, confused.
"Oh, this? What you saw outside was my physical body. This is the embodint of my soul," Kireina explained with a gentle smile. "Are you feeling all right?"
"I'm fine…" X0-9 sighed. "But what is this thing constantly trying to latch onto my soul?"
"Huh?" Kireina looked around the castle hall where she had placed X0-9's crystal and made it his room. "What do you an?"
"This…" X0-9 groaned, grasping a glitching, pulsating object that displayed countless system windows, information, and numbers.
"That's the System," Kireina realized. "I see. You're strong enough to reject it if you wish. The System is a Cosmic Artifact that roots into your soul and grants the ability to grow stronger. I hoped you would assimilate it so you could eventually develop a proper body and no longer need the crystal to survive."
"…Oh," X0-9 said, staring at the ethereal cube of glitching colors in his hand. "I don't want it."
"From what we saw, you don't seem to want to live anymore," Kireina said softly.
"I don't…" X0-9 admitted with a sigh. "I'm done…"
"X0-9, you haven't even experienced the world outside or any of the things you ever wanted. Do you truly just want to die?" Kireina asked, crossing her arms.
Several of her wives and children stood nearby, along with the now-awake Blaze and Lazuli, who had been playing with Kireina's sons and daughters but were listening in silence.
"…"
"Your na is X0-9, right?"
Lazuli stepped forward, looking at the young Esper with eyes full of compassion. The emotion startled him.
"…I am."
"That's no good! What kind of na is that? Why don't we give you a better one?"
"…What?"
"X0-9 is just letters and numbers… Have you never dread of having your own real na? Or a family?"
"…"
X0-9 stared at Lazuli in silence. Her pale blue skin, butterfly wings, and dress of shimring ice crystals made it clear she was not human.
"You must be so kind of Anomaly from the Supernatural Plane, right? Kireina too, then…"
"Anomaly?! My na is Lazuli…! And… and…"
Lazuli clenched her small fists, eting X0-9's gaze with emotion in her glistening blue eyes.
"I could feel them…"
"…? Feel what?"
"Your emotions, when we were connected."
"We were?"
"Yes…"
Lazuli smiled warmly, glanced at the floor for a mont, then gently touched X0-9's crystal and nodded.
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