Chapter-7 Ω Way back then

The sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of deep orange and red. Jace and his uncle were talking

“I didn’t buy them,” Horikawa replied. “I just picked them from a party at work. I even called you to invite you, but guess who didn’t answer their phone?”

“Wha—” Jace huffed, kicking a small rock. “By the way, Uncle… you know what? Sometimes life’s a bitch.”

Horikawa immediately grabbed Jace by the ear, pulling lightly

“You’re a kid. Don’t use that kind of language!”

And after few talks Jace and Him made their way back to the home

The next morning

Jace sat up in bed, blinking as soft light poured through the curtains.

“I feel a lot better… I’m glad I opened up to Uncle.”
A small smile crept onto his face.
“He’s a nice guy… if not the best.”

He brushed his teeth, got dressed, and followed his usual routine before heading off to school.

Everything felt lighter—until he reached the classroom door.

He paused.

Sara was sitting on his desk, laughing, flanked by two boys. One of them was Zion—Jace vaguely recognized him. But the other…

Jace’s heart dropped.

He had never seen the third boy before.
Yet he knew exactly who he was.

“What’s going on…?” he muttered under his breath, confused and unsettled.

Sara noticed him and waved.
“Yo, Jace! Come here”

“Why she is calling me did I made some kind of mistake?”
He took cautious steps toward the group, thoughts spinning.

“Come on, dumbo. You’re always so slow,” Zion called out casually.

Wait, what?
Zion never talked to him like that. They’d barely even interacted before.

Jace walked towards them

Sara got down from the table and with excitement she said

“Look Jace, he is the new guy in our classroom”

“Hello, Jace Kiruzawa” the unfamiliar boy said with a grin.

Jace’s eyes met the stranger’s.

And his body trembled.
A cold chill ran down his spine.

“I’ve seen this guy… in my dreams.”

Jace’s breath caught.

Everything clicked.
His memories. The nightmares. The whispers. The fear.

Tears welled up in Jace’s eyes as the truth surged forward like a tidal wave.
His vision blurred.

“Jace, what’s wrong?” Sara’s voice was laced with genuine concern. “You’re crying…”

Jace slowly raised a trembling finger and pointed at Amane.
His voice was barely a whisper:

“This guy… ruined my life.”

The classroom around him became a blur.
His heart pounded like war drums in his chest.

His vision snapped. Rage erupted.
He lunged—hands locking around Amane’s throat.

“Jace—stop!!” Sara screamed.

But Jace didn’t hear her. His rage blinded him.

And then—

Amane didn’t resist. He just… grinned. His voice dropped, low and chilling:

“How foolish are you really…?”

Amane’s voice dipped—low, venomous, almost inhuman.

And then the world around them shattered like glass.

The classroom dissolved into a void of white—an empty, endless room.
Nothing remained… except Jace and Amane.

Jace was still gripping Amane by the throat, breathing heavily, eyes wide with confusion and fury.

"What... is this place?!"

Amane didn’t resist. He only smiled, cold and cryptic.

"Do you want to meet yourself?" he whispered.

Before Jace could react—

A doorless entrance opened from the white void.

Footsteps echoed.

A man entered—a tall, dishevelled figure in his twenties. His skin pale, his expression deranged, his hair matted and dark.

And in his hand—

A rusted metal pipe.

Jace turned toward him slowly. His eyes widened in horror.

He recognized that face.
It was him.

The man—older, broken, furious—locked eyes with Jace as he raised the pipe.

"You ruined my goddamn life!"

The pipe swung with full force.

CRACK.

It collided with Jace’s ribs. His grip on Amane’s throat released as he collapsed, blood spewing from his mouth, pain flooding his body like fire.

Amane just stood there watching Jace in pain with a little smirk on his face

Future Jace threw the pipe—not to kill, just out of pure annoyance.

CLANG.

It struck Jace hard across the shoulder.

"Ugh—!"
He stumbled back, wincing, barely catching himself.

Then—Future Jace was on him.

He tackled Jace to the ground and pinned him, fingers wrapping tightly around his throat.

“If only you weren’t born…” Future Jace muttered coldly, eyes dead and voice flat,
“…everything would’ve been fine.”

Jace kicked, twisted, clawed—
But he couldn’t breathe. His chest burned, his lungs screamed.

He reached for anything—
His fingers brushed against the pipe that had hit him earlier.

With the last bit of strength he had, he grabbed it—

CRACK.

He smacked it against Future Jace’s head.

The older boy recoiled just slightly, but it was enough—
Air finally rushed back into Jace’s lungs.
He coughed violently, gasping, body still trembling.

Future Jace slowly turned his head, blood trickling down his temple now.

“…You little—”

His voice shook with fury.

Then he drove his fist into Jace’s face, followed by grabbing his legs and hurling him across the room—

THUD.

Jace slammed into the wall.
The shock ran through his spine, pain exploding everywhere.
He dropped to the floor like a broken doll.

Future Jace grabbed the pipe again, dragging it across the floor as he slowly approached.

Amane, watching silently from afar, raised his hand—his eyes narrowed.

A flash.
A sudden shift.

And in an instant—
Their bodies switched.

Jace gasped, staggering.

He stared at his hands, wide-eyed.

“W-What the heck is even going on…?” he muttered, voice shaking, heart pounding.

Across the room, Future Jace—now inside young Jace’s body—pushed himself up from the cracked wall.

“I’ll end you,” he said coldly, hatred boiling in his voice.

Jace froze.

His own body was approaching him—
But it wasn’t him.
He knew that.
He felt that.

And it was coming to kill.

Jace gripped the pipe tighter, teeth clenched, and swung with all his strength—aiming straight for his own body.

CLANG!

But Future Jace caught it.

With a cruel grin, he clenched the pipe tightly—
The metal groaned—
And then—

Snap!

The end of the pipe broke clean off, leaving behind a jagged, sharp edge.

“No way…” Jace whispered in disbelief, eyes wide.

Then he saw it—
The mark on his own arm.
It was glowing red.

“Y-You don’t know anything,” Future Jace spat with venom.

His foot shot forward and—
WHAM!

A devastating kick to the torso sent Jace flying across the room.

He slammed into the wall.

CRACK.

And in that moment—again—
Their bodies switched back.

Jace, now once again in his real body, gasped for breath as he pushed himself off the floor—

But it was too late.

Future Jace was already sprinting toward him—rage in his eyes, the sharp end of the broken pipe in hand.

And before Jace could even move—

SHLUNK.

The pipe slammed into his chest.

Right into his heart.

A breathless second passed—
And the bodies switched again.

Jace blinked.

He was gripping the pipe.
It was buried in his own chest.

His own hands—bloodied in his own blood

All he could do was let out a short, sharp scream.

__

Outside the school

Future Jace looked around.

“Hm… so I guess I’m in the past,” he muttered, scanning the surroundings.

Then his eyes dropped to his hands.
Slimmer. Smaller.
The skin was smooth—youthful.

“…I exchanged bodies with my younger self?”

There was a brief pause as the realization sank in.

He looked at the sky for a moment

“It seems like the time when Suna saved my ass from those beasts”

Jace turned around.

Behind him stood his old school—weathered, quiet, still.

“Man… this doesn’t bring back good memories,” he whispered with a hollow chuckle.

He started walking.

The roads were familiar… but distant.
The environment, the smells, the crooked sidewalk—it all felt like a memory caught halfway between dream and nightmare.

“This place changed a lot…” he muttered, eyes scanning the old corners of his past.

And yet, with every step forward…
A sharp sting came.
A deep, throbbing pain.
One memory after another—burning through his chest like fire.

“…Pathetic.”

But still—he kept walking.

He knew this world.
He knew how it broke him.

And as Jace walked through the familiar yet distant landscape...
A faint vibration buzzed in his pocket.
He pulled out his phone.

Horikawa.

The name on the screen made his expression darken.
“Some people are better off dead,” he muttered coldly.
Then—
CRACK!
He crushed the phone in his hand and tossed the remains aside.

His footsteps echoed hollowly as he walked on, aimless.
“It’s not like I’ve got anything to do… I guess I’ll just wander through this cruel world a bit more.”

The road ahead was unpaved, cracked and overgrown, leading to a wide, open stretch of barren ground.
Something felt… off.

He stopped.

“What is this feeling…? The air here—it feels sick.”

There was no purpose driving him forward. No mission. No hope.
And maybe that was why he kept walking.

“Best-case scenario, I die here. That wouldn’t be a problem.”

He stepped into the dusty open plain.

Twenty figures stood before him, lined like statues—covered in armor.
White, reflective, bone-like plating.
And among them…

One figure stood out.
Larger than the rest.
Its armor is blood-red.

The red-armored figure turned as Jace approached.
Its voice echoed, low and firm:
“Here is the source of that energy.”

It drew its sword, pointing it directly at Jace.
But Jace didn’t flinch. His walk remained calm—bored, even.

“…They don’t bring back nice memories but at least they die when killed unlike those immortal Amberians.”

The soldiers drew their weapons, prepared to strike—
Just as Jace raised a hand.

“I am your lord—Arecus.”

A beat.

All twenty dropped to one knee.
Heads bowed.

Jace blinked.
“…It worked. Damn,” he thought, surprised but keeping a straight face.

Then—the red-armored figure stood.
It stepped forward and knelt directly before him.

“My lord Arecus, Lord Zexus wishes to speak with you. Please… come with us.”

Jace’s eye twitched.

“…Hell no,” he thought instantly.

“There’s no way I’m going with that guy. At best… I could take down Sicus alone. But Zexus? And if I have to face both at once…”
His mind raced.

“No way in hell I’d survive that. And that damn prince also exists—”

A memory struck.

Blood.
Stone.
The Pyramid of Creed looming in the distance.
Jace lay broken, blood pooling beneath him.

“This is it… I’m going to die.”

He snapped back to the present.

“He cooked me good that day…”

He looked at alliance who stood In Front of him

“I need to think”

He lowered his gaze, casting a sharp shadow over his face.
His voice dropped—deep, dangerous:

“How dare you order me? Fools… Do you have a death wish?”

The red-armored soldier flinched, trembling.

“N-no, my lord—it’s just… Lord Zexus gave us direct orders…”

Jace narrowed his eyes.

“I refuse.”
“If Zexus wants to speak with me, he can drag himself here.”

“B-but—”

Jace’s glare silenced him. The soldier took a step back, visibly shaking.

If we return without him, Zexus will kill us…
But if we force him, Arecus will kill us right here.
We’re doomed either way… But maybe—just maybe—we stand a slight chance against Arecus.
Against Zexus… there’s none.

One of the white-armored Alliance soldiers lunged forward, his blade gleaming as it sliced through the air.

“I’m not going back to Zexus empty-handed!” he shouted.

But Jace sidestepped with ease, turning left—
And drove his fist straight into the soldier’s face.

CRACK!

The force shattered the helmet—bone and metal crumbled in a blink.
The soldier collapsed. Dead before he hit the ground.

Jace looked down at the body, his voice low and venomous.

“Don’t get too ahead of yourselves.”

But just as he raised his head—

WHAM!

The red-armored commander’s fist slammed into Jace’s skull with such force, the ground trembled and air distorted.
Jace’s head snapped backward from the blow—his body unphased.

The red-armored figure breathing heavily

However, Jace slowly raised his head again.

Unfazed.
Eyes glowing faintly in the dust.

“I’ve fought devils, monsters…” he muttered, voice low like poison.

“Demons who steal your soul… who chew through hearts…
Ones that devour dreams—hope—entire futures.
You?”

His gaze turned sharp as steel.

“You ain’t shit compared to them.”

Then, suddenly—

All of them lunged at Jace.

—

Twenty minutes later.

Jace sat alone—soaked in blood—atop a small throne made of corpses.
Two white-armored soldiers slumped beneath him. The crimson commander’s shattered body lay across his lap like discarded armor.
Behind him rose a mountain of mangled white-armored bodies—silent, still, and broken.

His face held no emotion.
No pride. No regret.
Just a cold void, as if the battle had meant nothing.

He looked up.

Though the sun was setting behind a bruised evening sky, a faint red star had begun to shine—burning brighter than anything else.

Jace’s eyes narrowed.

“…Marcus,” he muttered, voice filled with disgust.

All at once, the memories of Marcus surged into Jace’s mind—
Helplessness.
Pain.
Death.
It felt like drowning in shadows he thought he’d escaped.

Jace stretched his body slightly, trying to shake it off.

“I’ve always been this hopeless… worthless from the beginning.
It doesn’t even matter anymore, does it?” he muttered under his breath, like he was running from the thoughts themselves.

His eyes caught something in the distance—
The Pyramid of Creed.

He exhaled. And then, slowly, he started walking.

As he approached, the structure loomed like a scar on the earth.
He stopped for a moment, staring at its cracked, ancient surface.

“Everything around here just pulls out the worst memories,” he said with a slight frown, beginning the climb.

And then a memory passed through his head

Addiction was standing next to Jace

Jace pointed his finger at the pyramid

“I still don’t know anything about this structure… All I know about this is I got the sword from here”

Addiction gazed at the pyramid with his dark cold eyes

“This could probably be tomb of Arecus” said addiction casually

Jace’s eyes widened “Yeah this makes so much sense”

Jace snapped out of the memory and started to walk.

Each step up the pyramid felt heavier than the last.

Eventually, he reached the top.

The summit was a flat stone square—plain, weathered, and empty.

Jace blinked.

“What? The sword... it’s not here?” he said, surprised, scanning the area.

Then it clicked.

“Right… Suna must’ve drawn it out from inside the pyramid.”

He searched around, feeling the cold breeze brush his skin as he examined the floor. But after a few futile minutes, he stopped.

Just… stood there.

Still.

“Why does the sword even matter anymore?” he whispered, his voice hollow.

Terrifying memories surged again—
Visions of the past, and of futures that might never be.

His breath caught.

“Who am I even kidding?” he muttered, eyes lowering.
“No matter how hard I try… how desperate I get… I always end up failing.”

A voice echoed in his memory. Whispered. Cruel.

“Why don’t you just die?”
The voice of the Angel.

That moment broke something.

His knees slightly buckled. The fire inside him dimmed.

“No matter how much I act tough in front of those soldiers… it doesn't change what I really am.
A coward.
A loser who ran away.
Again and again.
She was right. I should’ve died back then.
How can someone like me… even hope for a future?”

He turned around, eyes dull, body heavy.

And slowly, Jace began to step down from the pyramid.

He went through an alley no one around

Jace walked through it, dragging his feet like a corpse in motion.
His body was slouched. His face is unreadable—void of warmth. Void of humanity.

Behind him, soft paws padded gently on the pavement.

A small puppy followed.

It stopped when Jace did, sitting down beside him with innocent eyes and a wagging tail.

Jace didn’t look down.
Didn’t acknowledge it.

His eyes were locked ahead—on nothing.

Then, without a word, he raised his palm.
A flash of bright white energy sparked in the air.

A gun materialized in his hand. Cold. Sleek. Silent.

The puppy tilted its head, tail still wagging gently—as if it didn’t understand death was in the air

Jace slowly raised the weapon and pressed the barrel into his mouth.
His hands were trembling.
Sweat ran down his face like rain.

His finger curled around the trigger.

His eyes closed.

But the shot never came.

Click.

He couldn’t do it.

With a growl of rage, he yanked the gun out of his mouth and shouted—

“DAMMIT!! I’m still too weak to die!!”

He turned and slammed his fist into a rusted metal pole.

CLANG!

The frustration taken over him

Again.

CLANG!

Again!

Blood splattered from his knuckles. Bone cracked. But the rage only grew.

His voice broke with fury:

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

He snapped.

Jace turned the gun to his left hand.

And pulled the trigger.

BANG!

Blood sprayed into the air. A clean hole torn straight through his palm.
His fingers twitched. Muscle torn. Bone split.

The puppy yelped in terror, covering its ears and stumbling backward.

But Jace… just stared at the wound.

Breathing heavy.

Sweat mixing with blood.

“…Still not enough,” he muttered.

The frustration that he felt in his guts was far from over

Then his eyes fell on the puppy.

Small. Fragile. Alive.

And something inside him broke all over again.

His expression twisted—into a grin.

A dark, cruel, hungry grin.

He stepped forward.

The puppy looked up with innocent eyes, tail wagging hesitantly.

CRACK!

Jace’s boot smashed into its jaw.

The puppy cried out, flung to the ground, shaking.

But Jace didn’t stop.

Again.

CRACK!

Again.

THUD!

“MAKE ME FEEL SOMETHING!!” he screamed.

“MAKE ME FEEL PAIN!!”

He switched to his wounded hand—blood gushing with every blow—and kept hitting.

Again.

And again.

The puppy whimpered… then fell silent.

But the punches didn’t stop.

They kept coming.

Until Jace collapsed forward, panting, soaked in blood, surrounded by death and silence.

His face tilted up, eyes wild.

A twisted smile stretched across his lips.

And then—he screamed.

A final, monstrous scream that echoed through the city like a curse:

“I fricking hate all of this…...”

And with that he fell to his knees and then to the ground

Next day:

Jace was lying down sleeping

“A nightmare that never ends…” said Jace opening his eyes slowly looking at the morning sky realising that he had fallen asleep in the alley

He got up and holding a frown on his face started walking, until he saw a young child in distance

The kid picked up the ball, smiling as he dusted it off.
Then—
A hand rested gently on his head.

The boy looked up.

Jace stood behind him, his expression unreadable.
He crouched slowly to the child’s height.

His dark eyes were empty. Void.
A faint, unnatural smile curved his lips.

"Hey, kid…
You ever seen nightmares… in person?"

The boy blinked, confused—his eyes wide and innocent.

Jace's gaze didn’t change.
Still cold.
Still distant.
Still smiling.

—
Moments later—

Jace stepped out of the alley, soaked in blood.
His eyes didn’t look forward—they stared off to the side, unfocused.
Expressionless.
Silent.
Void of life.

He stretched his arms a bit and looked forward spotting an apartment just Infront of him

“This is place used to be home of Horikawa…” said Jace

“I am going to murder every family member, so I can just give up on life and die”

Jace without any other thought walked into it

Opened the door and Horikawa looked at him

Horikawa was getting ready to leave wearing his lab coat

“Jace what are you doing here, I tried to contact you today… but your phone was switch-.”

“Blood?”

But then he was a little confused looking at Jace as he was coated in blood at first, he doubted it of being paint or some kind of colour but however the smell he was getting was sure of blood

Jace didn’t respond.

He just kept walking—slow, silent, unreadable.

Horikawa’s heart skipped a beat. Gone was the cheerful boy he once knew. In his place stood something… darker.

His body tensed.

Jace stopped just a step away. His eyes were void of feeling. His voice, distant.

“I have this urge… this urge to kill—just to prove I’m still alive.”

Time slowed.

Horikawa barely had time to react before Jace’s hand plunged straight into his chest.

With one violent jerk—he tore out his heart.

Horikawa gasped. His eyes wide. Blood bubbled from his mouth as he crumpled to his knees, still alive, barely.

Jace looked down at him coldly, the heart pulsing in his palm.

“You’re better off dead.

And don’t think I’ve forgotten… or forgiven you.”

Horikawa gripped Jace’s leg but however grip was getting lighter and lighter as life essence left him

He opened his mouth, trying to speak—

“Wh—” was all he managed.

“Take this as my revenge.” Said Jace

Jace smiled. Not out of joy.

A twisted, hollow grin.

Then, slowly, deliberately, he raised his boot.

Jace smiled. Not out of joy.

A twisted, hollow grin.

Then, slowly, deliberately, he raised his boot.

“Tell me, Uncle…” he whispered.

“Did I became insane?”

CRUNCH.

Horikawa’s skull shattered underfoot—brain matter splattering across the pavement.

Jace stared at the corpse for few seconds and then stared at the heart in his hands

he opened his mouth and took a bite of the heart

blood splattered around his face as he ate the heart

and then a final bite he swallowed the whole

"Now Lyuk will be able to be born" said Jace wiping off the blood on his mouth by his sleeves

After few moments of gazing at the body

Jace let out a heavy breath as he collapsed onto the bed with a dull thump.

“Ah man… this sucks,” he muttered, staring at the ceiling. “I’m tired… and my body’s stunned too.”

He laid there in silence for a few minutes, letting the quiet sink in—until the smell hit him.

Turning his head, he looked at the cold, lifeless corpse lying across the room.

“It stinks… it’s making me sick,” he said, forcing himself up from the bed. Disgust twisted his expression.

He walked straight into the bathroom and turned the shower on, stepping under the cold water.
Blood—his and someone else's—slowly washed off his body.

But no matter how much he scrubbed, the memory wouldn’t fade.

Horikawa’s death.

It played again and again behind his closed eyes.

After a while, Jace stepped out of the shower. Still damp, he opened Horikawa’s almirah and pulled out a few clean clothes, barely even looking at them. He got dressed quickly and left without another glance back at the house.

He didn’t want to breathe that rotting air anymore.

The streets were quiet as he walked, his footsteps slow and dragging.

“I’m tired… So damn tired,” he mumbled to himself, shoulders slouched, eyes low.

And as he walked few steps, he saw a puddle on the road and he saw his reflection in it

The reflection of his younger self and suddenly his expression changed as of frustrated

He saw his younger self and he broke

“I ruined everything you ever loved.

And if you knew everything about me—

You would’ve hated me.

Truly hated me.”

He looked down, voice trembling.

“But even then…

Your hatred wouldn’t even come close

To what I feel every day…

For myself.”

A bitter smile followed—empty, defeated.

“We’re not the same.

I’m not like you.

Not anymore.

Not even close to what I once was.”

He let out a shaky breath, then admitted:

“The truth is…

I’ve been jealous of you.

Yeah, I envy you.

Everything about you.”

His fists clenched as the words poured out.

“You’re strong.

Truly strong.

But me?

All I can do is try to prove my strength in front of the weak…"

His eyes dropped.

“You try.

You fight.

You win.

And me? All i do is run

Then I try to find some way to justfy it, but i cannot find peace no matter what

His voice cracked.

“If Arecus was here…

He would’ve beaten the shit out of me.

And I couldn’t have done a damn thing about it.”

A pause.

Then the whisper:

“All I ever do…

Is ruin everything.

That’s all I am.”

He took a deep breath

That’s what I do.

I break things.

And when I try to fix them…

I shatter them even more.

He takes a slow breath. His voice lowers—empty, mechanical.

“You…

You have free will.

But me? I’m just a slave—”

“You have a vision.

But my mind is corrupted—

You have a soul.

But mine…

Mine is shattered.”

His hand trembles. His voice cracks.

“You have a heart.

And I…

I don’t."

And he snapped back into the reality and was breathing heavily

“I wanted to go back to the times when I was you,” he said low and softly he was breaking from inside out however helplessly and knowing he cannot fix things he started walking

While walking he saw something in front of him walking towards him

It was another alliance covered in armour but blending perfectly in humans somehow

Jace glanced at him once, then kept walking

“He was- he is going to murder everyone in this area….” Thought Jace while walking that alliance was way past behind him now

“It doesn’t matter… I-I just want to rest”

He materialized a cigarette in his hand. It lit itself instantly—no spark, no lighter. Just that old, unnatural convenience.

Smoke curled from his lips.

But his expression didn’t change.
Not even a twitch.

Dead eyes.
Empty face.

He exhaled slowly and stared up at the sky.
“All these addictions…” he muttered. “They aren’t even worth it… I have done it before too killing everyone around but it doesn’t change anything I was still a slave”

His voice was hollow, like wind passing through a dead hallway.

Eventually, he reached Central IHCE.
Inside—grassy hills stretched like a hidden paradise, sealed off from the crumbling world outside. A pocket of peace no war had touched.

Jace climbed one of the hills. The climb didn’t hurt—but it didn’t heal either.
He laid down on the soft grass and shut his eyes.

“Maybe this’ll give me some peace…” he whispered.

Moments passed.

“I just woke up…”
His voice was weaker now.
“…but I already feel like sleeping again.”

And so, he slept.

For an hour and a half, his body didn’t stir.
The world was quiet.
Still.

When he finally opened his eyes—
The air was cool.
The sky was calm.
And for once, the silence didn’t hurt.

He turned to his side.

“I wonder what she’s doing right now…” he murmured.

His brows furrowed—thoughts racing under his skin.
“She’s still alive… at least for now.”

A long pause.

“Should I try to sav—”
The thought died mid-breath.

He rolled onto his back again, eyes wide open, staring at the endless blue.

“…Who am I even kidding?”
A shaky breath.
“That’s just not possible.”

He shut his eyes tightly, lips pressed into a line.

And then—

A memory.

The skies were black, clawed open by lightning.
Thunder rumbled like war drums.

Jace stood atop a hill, drenched. The wind was so loud it felt like it was trying to scream for him.

Down below, a figure stood—arms raised. A priest. Cloaked. Screaming into the storm:

“I want to see that devil once again!!”

Jace’s eyes snapped open, breath caught in his throat.

“…Devil?”
His whisper trembled.

His fists clenched.
Tears welled up and began to fall, one by one.

“I’m not a devil… dammit…”

He wept.
Silent at first, then trembling with sobs.

“I… I don’t wanna live that way…”

He clutched his chest. The pain had no name, but it was real.
And then—with trembling legs—he stood.

He didn’t walk.
He ran.

Toward the exit of IHCE. Toward the rot. Toward the truth.

“Why do I keep breaking all the promises I made to myself…?”

Back on the street.

Only ruins greeted him.
Ash and fire.
Smoke choking the sky.

Buildings—collapsing.

Corpses—scattered.

Blood—painting the roads like ink from a god’s broken pen.

And in the middle of it all—
An Alliance soldier stood still.

Yellow armor. Gleaming. Untouched by carnage.

Before him, a man knelt—shaking, silent, head bowed like prey.

The Alliance’s hand hovered above his skull. A low hum, charging. Building.
Power gathering.

The man could only cry in silence.

THUD. THUD. THUD.

Jace’s feet pounded the ground.

His lungs burned.
But he shouted anyway.

“I REFUSE to use that demon’s abilities!”

He lunged.

CRACK!

His fist collided with the Alliance’s side—just before the blast fired.
The armored figure was launched backwards, crashing through concrete and debris.

Jace skidded to a stop, breathing hard, eyes wild.

“I’m not a devil…” he whispered. Then louder—
“I am not a devil nor an angel—”

And he roared.

The kneeling man stared, paralyzed by shock. The last few remaining civilians took their chance—they ran, fleeing into the smoke and ash.

Jace stood there, chest rising and falling.

But he knew it.

He wasn’t strong enough.

Without the demon’s power, his punch was meaningless.

From within the smoke…

A beam of light tore through the haze.

CRACK!

It struck the terrified man’s skull—blood sprayed across the pavement.

He collapsed.

Dead.

And then…

From the thick smoke, the Alliance soldier emerged once more.

Calm.

Untouched.

His glowing hand dimmed as he calmly removed the gloves of his armor, piece by piece—each metallic snap echoing across the silent street.

He walked forward—Step by step—
Toward Jace.

Jace’s eyes were lifeless, empty. The flames behind him danced violently, painting the sky with chaos.

In a flash, the alliance warrior appeared in front of him and swung his fist.

“Too fast…” Jace muttered, but he narrowly dodged.

The armored warrior didn’t stop. Fist after fist—wild, relentless swings.

Jace kept stepping backward, dodging each one with mechanical grace. But inside—he was trembling.

Suddenly, a memory pierced his thoughts.

A voice, calm but disappointed, echoed in his head.

“You’ve grown too weak… too fragile. Like you're too scared to get hurt even a little bit.”

Jace’s pupils tightened.

Back in the moment.

His feet planted.

His jaw clenched.

“Bring it, damn it,” he growled.

He didn’t move.

The warrior’s fist slammed directly into Jace’s face.

The world shook.

His body shot backward, crashing hard against the cracked earth.

Blood dripped from his mouth. He lay there a moment, silent.

He looked down, seeing the red on his hands—his own blood.

For the first time in what felt like forever…

He felt something.

Another memory.

A dark room. A quiet conversation.

“Just fight. You’re winning—trust me.”

Jace sat alone in the dim glow. Across from him sat Suna, calm as ever.

“You’re a naturally gifted genius,” Suna said. “I believe in you.”

Jace didn’t respond. He was still, unreadable.

Suna leaned in.

“Even if no one else says it—I will. “You’re a natural genius—far beyond anyone around you.”

His voice grew firmer. “You yourself once spoke about surpassing generations… and you did.

You were the one born to surpass Zexus—the one who was the strongest and untouched.”

He paused.

“You’re the one who defeated Zexus.”

Jace’s expression was indifferent

“…That wasn’t me,” Jace muttered. “Whatever comes with that many sacrifices isn’t a victory.”

Suna’s tone didn’t waver.

“All I know is—I saw Zexus bleeding. And you were the one who looked down at him standing above.”

Jace’s mind spiraled into memory. Doubt. The weight of it all pressing down.

But Suna’s next words cut through the fog:

“Are you forgetting who I am, to be saying this?”

Jace's body tensed.

“…Lord Sicus,” he said quietly. The weight of the name hit him all over again. A thrilling chill ran down his spine.

Suna gave a slight smile and opened his mouth.

“I always thought Arecus would rival Zexus. But I was wrong.
You surpassed him. Zexus was never even close.”

He Suna leaned in—his voice lower now, eyes locked onto Jace’s.

“And to say this I am the King once considered invincible conquer of countless worlds, Lord Sicus."

“…Says the one who lost to a child,” Jace replied flatly, his expression blank.

Suna chuckled.

“I lost to my opponent, yes.
But I never lost to myself.”

Then his voice hardened.

“It wouldn’t kill you if you starting believing in yourself for once, instead of pitying yourself.”

Back in the present—

Jace slowly rose, blood still on his lips.

“I’m scared… scared to face him without those abilities I might be not enough,” he thought.

But then—he took a deep breath.

“…Neither angel, nor devil,” he whispered.

“I am both.”

His hand trembled, but he raised it.

He pointed straight at the alliance warrior, the same cold fire now burning bright in his eyes.

“Bring it.”

And this time, his smile wasn’t empty.

His eyes weren’t hollow.

He was alive.

Jace charged at the alliance, fist flying straight toward its helmeted head.
But the alliance ducked low, sidestepping the blow and countering with a brutal punch to Jace’s gut.

Thud!

Jace grunted, but didn’t flinch.
Instead—
BAM!
He drove a knee into the alliance’s torso, then followed up with a quick punch to its chest.
The armored warrior slid back from the impact—but didn’t even slow down.

Jace’s eyes narrowed.

From the alliance’s side, a sword extended—shhhnk—emerging like a blade born from its armor.
It gripped the weapon tightly, stepping forward with intent.

Jace’s eyes widened.
“I don’t remember this ever happening…”
Then, with half-serious protest—
“Hey! This isn’t fair!”

The alliance advanced slowly, sword gleaming.

Jace’s eyes locked on the weapon.
“I just need to take care of that sword.”

The alliance lunged.
Jace dodged, slipped behind, and grabbed the sword arm.
“Got you, bastard!”

He swung his other fist toward the alliance’s face—but—
The impact barely moved it.

Jace’s pupils shrank.
“Damn it… my punches are too weak without the abilities.”

Without pause, the alliance drove its fist into Jace’s face, snapping his head sideways.
It slashed the sword in a horizontal arc—
Jace barely ducked in time, feeling the blade slice the air above his head.
But the next kick—CRACK!
It collided with his chest like a cannon.

Jace went flying.
Hundreds of meters.
His body slammed into the rocky ground, dust and debris rising around him.

It hurt.
Bad.
But he pushed himself up—trembling, bleeding, panting.
He was desperate.
Eyes fierce.

“I’m not losing again. No matter what…
But that bastard’s too fast. Too flexible.
I have to find a way—”

Suddenly—
“Hic… hng… aaah…”

A soft cry.

Jace turned his head.
A small girl—barely six—was sitting in the rubble, arms wrapped around her knees, sobbing.
His breath caught.

“W-What? Why is she here…?”
He looked around—no one else.
“No one took her while running?”

Jace pushed through the pain and sprinted.

He planted himself in front of her—arm out in front of the girl shielding her, but his eyes locked ahead, the alliance approached slowly through the rubble

“Don’t worry…” he whispered, barely loud enough to hear.
“I’ll protect you.
I’ll make everything right.”

The girl kept crying.

“Pl-Please…” she choked through tears,
“Defeat that monster…”

A spark ignited behind his eyes.

“of course… that’s why I do, that’s exactly what I have been doing ever since I was born…. DEFEAT MONSTERS.”

Suddenly, the alliance appeared—right in front of them.
Too fast.

Jace’s eyes widened.
The alliance’s blade came swinging down, a clean arc of steel and death.

“The girl—!”
With no time to think, Jace shoved her back with his leg, sending her rolling safely out of the sword’s path.
Then—
CRACK!
He drove his left fist forward with everything he had.

BAM!

The punch connected.
The alliance skidded back several meters, boots dragging across the ground.

Jace didn’t even wait—he spun around.
“Hey! Are you all right?” he called, chest heaving.

The girl sat on the ground, frozen.
Eyes wide.
Horrified.

Her trembling lips parted.
“Y-Your… your hand…”

Jace blinked.
“What? My hand—just tell me if you’re okay—”

But then—
He followed her gaze.

His eyes fell to his right arm.

It was barely hanging on.

Only strands of flesh and skin connected it to his shoulder.
And as he moved—
it fell.

A wave of blood sprayed across the dirt, staining it deep red

Jace stared, stunned for half a second.
Then—

“AaaAAAGHHHHH!!”

The pain hit.

He screamed.
Dropped to his knees.
Clutched the air where his arm used to be.
“IT HURTS!
IT HURTS!!”

Smash!

A brutal fist crashed into Jace’s skull—
The alliance struck with ruthless force, and Jace’s body slammed into the ground like a broken puppet.
Blood poured from his head, matting his hair, blurring his vision.

Through hazy sight and ringing ears, he saw it.

The alliance…

…was walking toward the girl.

“No—No!”
Jace’s voice was weak. Raw.
But something inside him—something furious—ignited.

I will not let you!

Fury surged through his veins.
A blaze of rage exploded in his chest as he forced himself up, staggering to his feet.

He charged.

With everything he had—
With everything he had left—

CRACK!

His fist smashed into the alliance’s face.
It was a punch forged from pure wrath.
The helmet shattered instantly, fragments flying in all directions like glass.
The alliance was hurled backward—
Crashing through the air—
And slammed into the side of a collapsed building with a violent thud.

Jace stood, breathing hard.
His chest heaved.
His only hand trembled.

“My whole body… it hurts… so much…”

He turned his eyes, barely able to focus, and saw the enemy.
The alliance was still moving—pulling itself up from the rubble.

Its eyes—still filled with arrogance.

“Tch… I knew it,” Jace muttered.
“I knew this wouldn’t be enough.”

He turned back.
The girl…
Still crying. Her face buried in her knees, sobbing, terrified.
Tears welled up in Jace’s own eyes.

His legs were shaking.
His vision was spinning.
The world tilted sideways as if he were about to fall.

Then—

A voice.

From within.

Cold. Sharp. Inhuman.

“Use me.”

Jace froze.
His eyes widened.

“You will be able to heal… You will be able to easily crush him… You will be able save the girl. Just become one.”

The voice slithered like venom through his skull.

Jace clenched his teeth.
“I… refuse…”
His voice cracked with defiance.
“You take more than you ever give…”

He snarled, dragging his eyes back toward the alliance as it stepped out of the dust once again.

And then—

Jace moved.

One arm. No hesitation.

He ran.

The alliance readied its blade, raising it with perfect form.

“He’s going for the sword—”

Jace narrowed his eyes.

He recalled a memory.
The fight with Lyuk.
Those blindingly fast strikes.
The way Lyuk danced through death itself.

“This guy… isn’t even close.”

The blade swung.

And Jace moved in—
At the perfect moment.

His hand caught the sword mid-swing.

The alliance faltered.

Jace's foot slammed into the enemy’s chest.

WHUMP!

The grip loosened—
Jace ripped the sword free—
And in one swift motion, he rammed it into the alliance’s shoulder.

The scream was muffled beneath metal.

Then—
One final kick.
Right to the torso.

THUD!
The alliance was sent crashing backward; the blade embedded deep in its armor.

Jace stumbled back, panting—his only hand soaked in blood.
But his eyes…
…were alive.

A soft smile of relief spread across Jace’s battered face.

“…I did it,” he whispered, almost not believing it himself.
“I finally made it… I did it. All by myself.”

A flicker of something unfamiliar sparked in his chest—
Not power.
Not rage.
But… belief.

His legs trembled, steps uneven as he turned back toward the girl.

She sat there, eyes wide and teary, still curled in fear.

Jace lowered himself to her level, his expression gentle, calm.

“Everything’s all right now,” he said with a shaky breath.
“No need to cry anymore.”

The girl suddenly threw her arms around him, sobbing into his chest.

“Thank you, hero…”

Hero?
The word echoed in Jace’s mind.

A hero…? Me?

His breath caught.
He raised his hand to hug her back—
But froze.

His only hand—soaked in blood.
Torn, trembling.

He hesitated.
Then slowly pulled back, not wanting to stain her

Still, he smiled.

“What’s your name, little princess?” he asked gently.

The girl looked up, eyes glistening

He smiled. She was safe. He had done it—
Until…”

SHLUNK!

A blade pierced clean through Jace’s chest—
And burst out the other side, straight through the girl's neck.

Blood exploded into the air.

Time stopped.

Jace’s eyes flew wide, filled with horror.

The girl’s body slumped forward onto him—lifeless.

“No… No—!”

He tried to turn, but all he saw—

WHAM!

A massive fist collided with his face.

CRACK!

Bone shattered. Skull cracked open.

Jace was launched through the air, landing meters away like a discarded ragdoll.

He screamed—a sound ripped from pain, grief, and rage fused into one.

Tears poured from his eyes, but he couldn’t move.
He was broken.

The cries—
Stopped.

Everything went silent.

Then—

A voice.
From the void.

Smooth. Cold. Inevitable.

A smile appeared in his mind. Not on his face—
But deep in the dark corners of his consciousness.

“You cannot change,” the voice said with chilling certainty, mocking him

The mouth curled wider.

“No matter how hard you try…”

Jace’s expression twisted—
Calm no longer.

All light faded from his eyes.

His face was blank.
Emotionless.
Dead.

The blood coating his body began to evaporate, turning into red mist.
His wounds sizzled as they sealed shut, the torn flesh knitting itself back together with unnatural precision.
his severed arm…
It twitched—then slowly began to regrow. Muscle. Vein. Bone. Skin.

The air grew heavier—
The very atmosphere choking, as if reality itself recoiled.

Jace rose to his feet

The alliance soldier stood frozen in shock

Jace’s gaze locked onto him—eyes like the void,
Not burning with rage…
But colder than death.

He raised his hand—
Slowly.
Deliberately.

And pointed straight at the alliance.

Then he spoke—
A whisper more deafening than a scream.

“In the name of the Great God—myself—
I demand the most painful, unimaginable death
Be bestowed upon you.”

The words hung in the air like a divine curse.

And in the very next instant—

It began.

The alliance soldier didn’t move.
Couldn’t.

His body trembled—then seized.

Blood began to pour out from the gaps in his Armor.
Dripping at first.
Then gushing.

His screams split the silence.

Not battle cries.
Not rage.

But pure, unfiltered agony.

He shrieked, thrashing, his voice shredding as if his soul was being torn apart from the inside.
The armour crumpled as if collapsing under divine pressure—ribs cracked, bones burst.

And above it all—

Jace began to laugh.

Low at first.
Then louder.
Hysterical. Mad.
Inhuman.

His voice echoed through the empty streets and crumbled buildings.

The girl’s body lay motionless in the distance.
The sun bled across the sky.

And Jace laughed on…
…until even his laugh broke into silence.
And he collapsed—face-first into the blood-soaked earth

Meanwhile—

Jace—no longer the same, now inside Future Jace’s body—stood still, dazed.

He glanced around, breath shallow.

Towering buildings surrounded him, silent monoliths of glass and steel. Their sheer size made him feel small—swallowed by the unfamiliar skyline. Neon lights flickered overhead. The streets were empty, lifeless, too quiet to be natural.

A dull wind howled between the skyscrapers, echoing like a distant scream.

His body felt… wrong. He looked down at his hands—older, stronger.

“What… the heck is this?” he muttered.

He turned his gaze upward.

The sky was stained grey. A static cloud cover loomed above, tinged faintly with red lightning like cracks in a dying sky.

Jace’s eyes narrowed.

“Where the hell am I…” he shouted, the sound bouncing off the concrete walls around him