After months had passed, the world itself had changed.
The man who once walked as a mere king… now ruled as an emperor.
The emperor walked slowly through the vast marble paths of his capital. Citizens bowed, soldiers stood like unmoving statues—but his mind was far away from all of it.
His voice echoed quietly within himself—
"Step by step… kingdom by kingdom… I conquered everything."
He stopped for a moment, looking at the horizon where golden light stretched across endless lands.
"Not through destruction… not through sacrifice…"
A faint smile appeared, yet it carried weight.
"Almost no deaths… not even among my soldiers."
His fingers clenched slightly.
"I became the greatest king… no… the strongest emperor."
A pause.
Then—
"But none of this… was truly mine."
His eyes darkened.
"It was all his doing."
The world shifted.
Like a memory bleeding into reality—
At the edge of a vast mountain, a lone figure stood.
The Strange Man.
The wind roared around him, yet he remained still.
Beside him, a towering waterfall crashed endlessly into the abyss below, its thunder echoing like the voice of the world itself. Above, the sky burned in a deep crimson sunset, painting everything in shades of red and gold.
Cherry blossom petals drifted through the air, carried by the wind—soft, silent… almost unreal against such a powerful scene.
The emperor's voice continued, as if watching him from afar—
"He used every tactic imaginable…"
A petal passed by the Strange Man's face.
"Sometimes striking without warning…"
The waterfall roared louder.
"Sometimes warning his enemies… only to use their fear against them…"
The wind grew sharper.
"Sometimes making them believe they were strong… just to watch them lower their guard…"
The Strange Man slowly walked along the edge of the cliff—one wrong step meant death, yet his steps were calm… certain.
"Yet… he never showed himself."
The emperor's voice softened.
"He let me take everything… the glory, the title… the throne."
A long silence.
"What… do you truly want from me?"
In an instant—
Strange man teleported.
⸻
A quiet, hidden base.
Before the strange man stood a young man—the slave, who was saved by strange man now the commander of the imperial army. His posture was firm, his eyes sharp.
The strange man looked at him, his gaze steady.
"It's time."
A heavy silence filled the room.
"For the greatest event."
The commander didn't hesitate.
He simply nodded.
⸻
Suddenly—
Footsteps.
A girl who was saved with the boy rushed in.
Her breathing uneven, her frail body struggling to keep up with her emotions.
She threw herself forward, hugging the commander tightly.
"No… brother…"
Her voice trembled.
"This mission… it's dangerous. I heard everything…"
Her grip tightened, as if afraid he would disappear the moment she let go.
"Please… don't go…"
⸻
Soft footsteps echoed behind her.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Calm… yet overwhelming.
Strange man walked toward them quietly, a gentle smile on his face.
Kneeling slightly, he placed his hand on the girl's head and softly patted her.
"Listen…"
His voice was calm… warm… almost unreal compared to the weight he carried.
"You trust me, don't you?"
She looked up at him, her eyes trembling.
He smiled a little more.
"I will never let anything happen to your brother."
The wind outside seemed to fall silent.
The world itself felt like it paused.
The girl hesitated… then slowly smiled.
"…Promise?"
For a brief moment—
Something flickered in his eyes.
Something deep.
Something unreadable.
But it vanished just as quickly.
He nodded.
"Promise."
⸻
And in that single word…
A storm began to form.
Strange man said to his commander "Now just wait for the king."
After some time, the King arrived—his army marching behind him like a moving wall of steel.
At the front stood the Strange Man.
Without a word, he began to lead.
They traveled far… until they reached a place where the world itself seemed to end.
No road.
No direction.
Only a towering mountain… and thick, endless fog swallowing everything in sight.
The King stepped forward, his voice steady but uncertain.
"What shall we do now?"
The Strange Man turned slowly. In his hand, a small, ancient stone rested.
"Take this," he said quietly. "This is the key to everything. Drop your blood upon it."
The King hesitated for only a moment—then cut his palm and let a drop of blood fall.
The instant it touched the stone—
The mountain trembled.
A path… began to reveal itself.
Not created—
but uncovered… as if it had always existed, waiting to be found.
The fog split apart.
Silence fell.
They moved forward.
Step by step, the stone in the King's hand began to glow brighter. But with every step…
The world behind them faded.
Sunlight disappeared.
The warmth of nature vanished.
Colors drained into gray… then into black.
They were no longer walking forward—
They were descending into nothingness.
One of the commanders spoke, his voice uneasy.
"…Is this right?"
The Strange Man didn't look back.
He only nodded.
"Follow me."
Time lost meaning.
And then—
They arrived.
Before them stood a gate.
Massive. Ancient. Endless.
It felt less like a structure… and more like a boundary between existence and oblivion.
The Strange Man exhaled slowly.
"The Gate… to the World of Darkness."
No one spoke.
From the moment they stepped here, something inside each of them screamed—
Run.
But their bodies refused to move.
The Strange Man stepped forward.
From his cloak, he took out a glowing object—
A golden heart.
Forged in the Golden Valley.
He placed it into the center of the gate.
The ground shook violently.
The gate trembled—
But… it did not open.
Shock spread across every face.
Then—
A blinding light erupted.
It formed before them… twisting, shaping itself into a portal.
From within it—
Figures emerged.
Demons.
Angels.
Beings of both heaven and hell, standing side by side.
Two stepped forward, their presence suffocating.
"Strange Man," one declared, voice echoing with authority,
"you have committed the greatest crime—defying the laws of the world by attempting to open the Gate of Darkness."
"You are under arrest."
The commander drew his weapon and charged—
—but in an instant—
Everyone vanished.
Gone.
As if erased.
As if something… refused to let a battle begin.
Only the Strange Man remained.
He did not resist.
The angels and demons seized him and dragged him into the portal.
On the other side—
There was no world.
Only a vast… unimaginable structure.
A mansion beyond comprehension.
Endless halls. Infinite height.
A place not built by hands—
but by judgment itself.
The center of verdicts.
The origin of punishment.
They threw him into a dark cell.
Heavy doors slammed shut.
And for the first time—
The Strange Man stood alone.
Awaiting judgment.
Back to the present—
The strange man paused mid-sentence, his eyes narrowing slightly as he sensed something… off.
He slowly turned his head.
There, just a few steps away—
Rahat and his spirit partner Lucy were casually sitting on the ground, completely ignoring him… playing a card game.
"…Seriously?" the strange man muttered under his breath.
Rahat slammed a card down dramatically.
"If I win," he said with a confident grin, "you have to tell me everything about your relationship with the strange man."
Lucy raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. She placed her card gently.
"And if I win, you tell me everything about your story with Prapti."
Rahat froze for a second. "…That's not fair."
Lucy smirked. "Neither is life."
Meanwhile, veins almost popping, the strange man walked toward them.
"I am literally telling you my story," he said slowly, "and you two are… gambling your secrets?"
Before he could continue, a bunch of cards suddenly flew straight at his face.
Flap. Flap. Flap.
He stood there in silence, cards sliding off his face one by one.
His own spirit partner stretched lazily and said,
"We've been standing forever. Let us chill a bit."
A long pause.
The strange man sighed deeply… the kind of sigh that carried centuries of disappointment.
"…Unbelievable."
He picked up the fallen cards, looked at them, then quietly sat down with the two.
"Move," he said.
Rahat blinked. "Wait—you're joining?"
The strange man shuffled the cards skillfully.
"Of course. I might as well win while being disrespected."
Lucy laughed. "Now this got interesting."
As they started playing—
The strange man placed a card down calmly.
"Anyway… as I was saying…"
His voice shifted slightly, pulling the air itself into the past—
In the past—
After almost a million years—
The long-awaited day finally arrived.
The day of the strange man's execution.
The courtroom stood in absolute silence. Devils and angels filled the hall, their presence heavy, their eyes fixed on a single figure—
The strange man.
His body was barely holding together. Countless years of torture had left marks beyond imagination. He had never been given food… never given water… yet he was kept alive.
Not by mercy.
But by cruelty.
The judge slowly raised his hand.
"Prepare for execution—"
Before he could finish—
A glowing message suddenly descended from above.
Everyone froze.
The judge caught it, his expression turning serious as he began to read.
Then… he smiled.
A slow, amused smile.
He spoke aloud—
"We, the councillors, have decided… you are not allowed to execute this person."
A ripple spread across the hall.
"The one who shook the gate of the World of Darkness…
The one who went against the laws created by the God of the New World…"
The judge's eyes gleamed.
"Such a being is… interesting. And incredibly talented."
Silence deepened.
"We cannot interfere with the mortal world due to the law…
But he can."
Now the devils were grinning.
"We will use him.
Through his talent… the mortal world will bow to us."
A pause.
"He is just a mere human.
There is nothing to fear.
He can be manipulated easily… and turned into a slave."
The message faded.
The judge chuckled softly.
"Very well…" he said, his tone filled with satisfaction.
"Bring that mere mortal here."
Chains dragged across the floor.
The strange man was brought forward by devils and angels. His body was weak, almost lifeless—but somehow, he still stood.
Barely.
The judge looked down at him with amusement.
"You've suffered quite a lot," he said.
"No food. No water. Endless torture…"
He leaned slightly forward.
"And yet… you're still alive."
The strange man didn't respond.
The judge smiled wider.
"Let me give you a chance."
A pause.
"If you listen to us… if you obey everything we say…"
His voice echoed across the courtroom—
"We will give you everything you want."
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then slowly…
The strange man's eyes changed.
A faint shine appeared.
Weak at first—
Then growing.
Greed.
Pure, undeniable greed.
His breathing became heavier. His fingers twitched. His empty expression slowly filled with desire—as if all his suffering, all his past… had been replaced by a single thought.
Everything… I want…
He forced his broken body to move.
Step by step—
Then dropped to his knees.
He bowed faintly.
"…I will do whatever you want… Your Majesty."
The judge burst into laughter.
"HAHAHA! That's more like it!"
He raised his hand.
"Reincarnate him."
Darkness covered everything.
And in the next moment—
He was gone.
Back in the mortal realm—
Time flowed differently.
Only a few hours had passed since his imprisonment.
The strange man slowly opened his eyes.
His body was restored.
No chains.
No wounds.
No pain.
He looked around quietly.
Then—
A strange laugh escaped his mouth.
Low at first—
Then louder.
"…Heh…"
"…Hehehe…"
"HAHAHAHA…"
A dark, twisted laugh echoed into the air.
His eyes shined—not with wisdom… not with calm…
But with desire.
With hunger.
"With this chance…" he whispered,
"…I can finally have everything."
He clenched his fist tightly.
Power.
Control.
Everything he was denied—
Now within reach.
And without another word—
He stepped forward into the mortal world once again.
After some days…
The Strange Man stepped into the Spiritual Realm.
A place untouched by mortal corruption—floating lands, glowing skies, and whispers of ancient power.
Yet the moment he arrived… something changed.
A new spirit had been born.
In the heart of the empire.
When he heard the news…
he laughed.
Not a normal laugh—
but one filled with anticipation… like a man who had waited lifetimes for this exact moment.
Because the newborn carried a mark.
A symbol feared across realms—
a sign that the child could become either a blessing… or a curse powerful enough to reshape existence.
And he already knew.
From the very beginning.
This… was where his destruction would begin.
Silently, like a shadow, he moved.
The empire's loyal guards—
those who swore their lives to protect the throne—
fell one by one.
No noise.
No trace.
Just lifeless bodies under a sky that refused to react.
Then came the corruption.
Gold. Power. Promises.
He didn't just destroy the empire—
he rotted it from the inside.
Guards betrayed their oaths.
Allies turned into weapons.
Loyalty became something that could be bought.
And the empire… could do nothing.
For the sake of her daughter…
the empress made a desperate choice.
The child was sent away.
To the human Realm.
Hidden. Protected.
Far from the coming storm.
But that decision…
ignited something far worse.
War.
The empire clashed against the king of the Spiritual Realm.
Spirits, warriors, ancient beings—
all were dragged into chaos.
And through it all…
the Strange Man watched.
Smiling.
Because this—
was only the first phase.
Time passed.
Slowly…
quietly…
inevitably…
He rose.
Not as a warrior.
Not as a king.
But as something far more terrifying—
A man backed by higher authorities.
Invisible forces. Untouchable power.
No one didn't gather the courage to fight against him—
they surrendered before the war even began.
One by one…
Dimensions after dimensions .
Timelines after Timelines.
Multiverse after multiverses or even higher.
With the powers of higher authorities.
Almost like unbeatable.
Almost countless Mortal Realm… belonged to him.
Not only that he started to betray to kill all his comrades just for his greediness.
…And then—
Back to the present.
The air trembled.
Rahat's hand shot forward—
grabbing the Strange Man by his collar.
His eyes burned with rage.
"So… it was YOU…?"
His voice cracked with fury.
"You made my Prapti suffer…!"
The Strange Man…
laughed.
Soft at first.
Then louder.
Then uncontrollable.
"Not only that…"
His voice dropped—cold, sharp, merciless.
"The accident… where Scynthia died…"
A pause.
A smile.
"That was also for me.
I made her suffer… the one person I swore I would never let anyone harm."
Time froze.
"And you know…"
His eyes gleamed with something inhuman—
"How satisfying it was… watching them suffering."
Rahat's grip tightened.
His entire body trembled.
"You…!!"
But suddenly—
Everything changed.
The world… disappeared.
A vast, endless darkness swallowed them both—
The Void of Infinity.
Light and darkness twisted together like collapsing stars.
Rahats body began to burn.
Not with fire—
but with existence itself being erased.
"AAARRRGHHHH!!"
His scream shattered the void.
Pain beyond anything.
Unbearable.
Unstoppable.
In pure rage—
his mark ignited.
Blinding light erupted from his chest.
A new skill awakened.
"Damage Return."
A forbidden ability.
A law-breaking power—
Any damage inflicted upon one stronger…
would return to the attacker—
with double the force.
And then—
Impact.
The Void itself… cracked.
Infinity trembled.
Reality screamed.
The force reversed—
colliding back into the Void like a collapsing universe.
The Void shattered.
Gone.
Erased.
Silence.
The Strange Man…
was gone.
But the destruction didn't stop.
The Golden Realm—
a dimension of divine brilliance—
began to collapse.
Cracks spread across the sky like broken glass.
The golden dust exploded .
The place start to crack
Rahat run.
Through the collapsing gate.
Just as—
the realm behind him…
shattered into nothingness.
And then—
Another crack.
A hidden barrier in front of him—
one that conceal everything—
break apart like fragile illusion.
Revealing the truth.
The base.
The origin.
The place where everything began.
And now…
it was gone.
Which meant only one thing.
The Strange Man…
was dead.
Silence fell.
Rahat exhal slowly.
"What a… happy day…"
His voice is quiet.
"He deserved death…"
But then—
he stop.
"…Why… am I crying…?"
Tears fall.
One after another.
Uncontrollably.
His chest tightened.
His heart feel heavy.
Like something inside him have been ripped away.
Not like he defeated an enemy…
But like—
he had killed someone…
who was once…
close.
And at the time feel like—
victory…
feel like loss.