"I am the master of all! I will become the true god feared by all things in this world!"
—Distortion
Time flows...space freezes...
All things in the world cease at this moment...
Within a blank void, a figure stands gazing at a mirror.
Reflected in the mirror are three figures—Taga and her companions!
Taga, Tina, and Syl in the mirror are walking through a space filled with mirror fragments.
The figure watches them walk through the space, doing nothing...
He simply stands there quietly, observing...
As if he were an outsider...
At this moment, Taga and her companions...
"So...this spatial tunnel can really help us find our destination..."
Tina speaks, looking at every corner of the space, at every mirror fragment floating within it.
The scenes within the mirror fragments display various worlds, and the Taga and Tina in each mirror fragment are different.
Each different world captivated Tina's gaze; the worlds within the mirror images horrified her worldview.
In some mirror fragments, the fates of each Taga and Tina differed. In some fragments, Taga was human and Tina a skeleton; in others, both Taga and Taga had become animals; and in some even more absurd cases, Taga and Taga were married.
Tina looked at the mirror image of her and Taga's marriage with disgust, a wave of nausea washing over her.
"I don't know... that's what that old man told me anyway."
Syl calmly answered Tina's question, continuing to walk forward. The floating mirror fragments filled the space, yet he felt no curiosity whatsoever. But...
This seemed out of character for him.
"Aren't you curious at all, Syl?"
Taga asked, puzzled by Syl's complete lack of interest.
"I don't know. I feel like I'm being drawn in. I just know something is pushing me forward, like it's guiding me."
Syl answered slowly. He didn't know why, despite his curiosity, he felt like someone was gently pushing him forward.
Taga followed Syl's steps, looking at the almost infinite fragments of reflections around him, his face reflected in them.
He couldn't help but wonder if there was a universe where neither he nor Tina existed.
Thinking this, Taga lowered his head, recalling the moments he shared with Tina.
Taga patted his head, trying his best not to recall those happy times, not wanting to remember the painful memories of Tina's death in his dreams.
He only wanted to find the legend now, so he could resurrect Tina.
"So how much longer until we arrive?"
Tina turned to Syl, stretching as she asked how much longer until they reached their destination.
"Be patient, Tina~ Don't you humans always say, 'Haste makes waste'?"
Syl replied with a gentle smile, exasperated by Tina's impatience.
"Yes, Tina, let's wait a little longer. Maybe we'll arrive while we're chatting?"
Taga smiled and turned to look at Tina. He looked at this "sister," just as impatiently as before.
But then Taga remembered his own Tina, and he realized that the person he was talking to wasn't his real Tina…
Thinking this, Taga turned back, his eyes slowly lowering, but then returning to normal.
"We're here!"
Syl exclaimed excitedly, looking at one of the mirrored fragments. But this fragment was completely dark; he couldn't see anything inside.
"We're here? But… why is it so dark inside…"
Taga asked with some worry, looking at the dark mirrored fragment. He felt that this unknown was dangerous, and he didn't want Tina and Syl to get hurt.
"Oh! What are you afraid of, Taga! This is what makes it fun. When did you become so timid?"
Tina teased Taga, smiling at her "little brother," feeling both more cautious and relieved.
"It's alright, Taga, this fragment is safe. I can feel it."
Syl smiled and turned to look at Taga, smiling confidently.
"Okay! Let's be bolder then!"
Taga looked at the two of them, then became confident as well, a smile playing on his lips, and walked behind Syl with Tina.
Syl watched them come up behind him, then raised his hand and gently touched the mirror fragment.
Instantly, a portal appeared before them, and they slowly stepped inside.
The moment they stepped into the portal...
A gentle breeze caressed their faces. On the beautiful grassland, animals ran wildly across the grass.
A sea of flowers, like an ocean, came into Taga's view, the fragrance filling their noses, making them seem to forget everything that had just happened.
"It's so beautiful here..."
Tina exclaimed sincerely, it was the first time she had ever seen such a beautiful place.
"Yes...it's really beautiful..."
Taga stared at the breathtaking scene, speechless.
This was the first time he had seen such a beautiful place. Back in his previous universe, he had never seen such a beautiful grassland and sea of flowers.
They walked gently across the grassland, watching the animals grazing, playing, and frolicking, looking incredibly happy.
"They look so happy~"
Syl crouched down, smiling as she watched them. The animals raised their heads slightly to look at Syl.
They nuzzled Syl's legs with their heads. They weren't afraid of Taga and Taga at all.
"They're so gentle~ So cute~"
Tina picked up one of the small animals and gently stroked its head.
Taga sat quietly on the grass, enjoying this rare moment of peace.
But unbeknownst to them...
Two pairs of eyes were watching them intently.
"Chosen One...you seem quite pleased~"
Before them stood Distortion, seated on his throne, quietly sipping a glass of red wine.
He looked at Taga and the others inside the sphere, a half-smile playing on his lips as he observed Taga's blissful expression.
"This is just a brief respite~ because a true hunt always allows its prey a moment to breathe~"
Distortion's lips curled slightly upward, tentacles slowly extending from his mouth, his blue eyes gradually turning red.
At that moment, a portal appeared behind him, and a familiar figure emerged—Rhazoth.
"Oh~ my great Lord Rhazoth~ you're back~"
Distortion rose from his throne, turning to face Rhazoth with a forced, insincere smile.
"Stop with the pleasantries, have you finalized your next plan?"
Rhazoth asked Distortion coldly. He only cared whether Distortion had a well-thought-out plan.
"Of course~ We will ultimately win this game."
Distortion smiled at Rhazoth, gently stroking the lizard on his shoulder.
At that moment, another portal opened, and Mirror emerged from it.
Mirror knelt on one knee, head bowed, looking like a loyal subordinate.
"My lord, what are your orders? I will do my utmost!"
Mirror said calmly, his tone a mixture of submission and helplessness.
"Next, we need you to travel to the universe where the Chosen Ones reside. We will explain the plan to you later."
Distortion said, looking down at Mirror kneeling before him. He was filled with distrust of Mirror and couldn't guarantee that Mirror wouldn't betray him.
"Yes…My Lord…"
Mirror turned and opened a portal, leaving after speaking…
"You don't trust him either…right?"
Rhazoth said softly, looking at Distortion, his distrust of Mirror evident.
"Of course~ He's a variable. If necessary, I'll kill him… Having a ticking time bomb next to us…it would only harm us."
Distortion smiled, but his tone held a hint of anger.
"That's natural. He's an unstable factor."
Rhazoth spoke coldly, clenching his fist tightly.
Mirror was completely unaware of all this…and what will Taga and the others encounter…
Everything will be told in the next chapter…