Chapter 3.7: Something went wrong

—Aaaaaaaah!

Edén was hurled through space and time.

Images of impossible worlds flashed before his eyes.

Rivers flowing upward.

Glaciers floating above streams of lava.

Grasslands that seemed to stretch on forever.

Mountains tall enough to touch the heavens.

Humans with pelican-like noses.

Clocks melting upon the snow.

Faces so strange that they seemed to distort before his eyes.

…

But Edén’s gaze focused on only one thing.

—What are those…? —he murmured as two keys appeared before him.

One seemed to have been carved and blessed by angels.

The other appeared to contain all the suffering and sins of humanity.

Edén reached out with all his strength.

WHOOSH!

However, the force of that journey dragged him away before he could touch them.

Time began to fracture into millions of pieces.

Even Edén’s body was drawn into separate realities.

His face split apart, revealing every fragment that composed it in horrifying detail—

Skin.

Muscle.

Veins…

His limbs twisted until they resembled radio waves.

At the end of the journey, his body was compressed so violently that it seemed to implode.

And then…

He vanished without a trace amid a strange, unsettling silence.

—Hoo-hoo!

An owl with empty eye sockets watched everything unfold, its serpentine body moving like the hand of a clock.

—Wake up —it said with a human smile.

…

The fire within Shun and Tenzak’s gazes grew weaker with every passing moment, just like the flames of the candles around them.

Silence ruled over the chamber as both men stared at the boy lying before them, his chest still pierced by the wound.

—Aren’t you going to say anything? —Tenzak asked without taking his eyes off Edén.

—What exactly do you want me to say?

—Why didn’t you tell him the truth about the ritual? —he asked, irritation filling his voice.

—Do you honestly think he would have agreed?

—He may be insane, but not insane enough to willingly let a complete stranger stab him —Shun muttered.

—Do you truly not care what he might think of you after this?

—He can think whatever he wants. That isn’t my problem —Shun replied with a shrug—. He is the only one who can prove whether he is ready.

—If he wants to see me as a monster, then so be it.

—You’re far too stubborn, Shun —Tenzak remarked—. You’re always trying to act tough. Why?

—I cannot allow myself to become vulnerable, Tenzak.

Those words echoed with the weight of something his companion could never fully understand.

A burden Shun had chosen to carry alone.

…

Without warning, the world seemed to stop for a single instant.

An instant that sent a violent shock through Shun’s instincts, leaving his eyes wide open.

CRACK!

The ground of Tartarus split apart.

Colossal mountains collapsed.

Rivers of lava erupted from the depths of that hell.

—This can’t be possible…

BOOM!

The power bursting from Edén’s body was immense.

A vast black aura surged around him without restraint.

His wounds began healing instantly.

For the first time, fear could be seen on the faces of Shun and Tenzak.

…

In a completely unknown place, twelve beings seated upon their thrones felt a chill run down their spines.

Sweat covered their faces as never before.

Even their hands trembled upon sensing that immense and terrifying power.

And upon a throne hidden among the clouds, a disturbing smile appeared on one man’s face.

…

The raging energy gradually became slower and more stable.

Little by little, it began flowing back into Edén’s body beneath the horrified gazes of his masters.

At that very moment, Edén regained consciousness with a sudden gasp.

—Edén! —Tenzak shouted, rushing to his side.

—Are you all right? What happened in there?

Edén’s gaze remained distant.

He was clearly confused by everything that had just happened.

—How long was I like that? —he asked, his eyes fixed upon the emptiness before him.

—Three days —Shun answered.

The instant he heard his voice, Edén turned toward him.

Shun maintained his usual calm composure.

—If you have something to say to me, then say it.

…

WHOOSH—BAM!

In the blink of an eye, Edén unleashed a powerful punch, raising an enormous cloud of dust.

—Satisfied? —Shun asked dismissively.

The dust slowly cleared, revealing Shun holding Edén’s ferocious fist in one hand.

—No.

—Not yet.

The tension between their gazes was unmistakable.

Their eyes burned with uncontrollable rage.

A single drop fell from Edén’s face and struck the ground.

Plop.

And with that sound, a ferocious exchange of attacks began.

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

Edén’s attacks were astonishingly fast.

Even so, Shun kept pace with him effortlessly.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Every strike was blocked with absolute precision.

WHOOSH—BAM!

Pushing off the ground with one leg, Edén spun around his own axis and unleashed a swift, powerful kick aimed directly at Shun’s neck.

CLANG!

Shun raised his arm, intercepting his opponent’s attack with ease.

WHOOSH—SLAP!

With surgical precision, Shun struck Edén across the face with an open palm.

His consciousness faded for a fraction of a second, causing him to lose his balance.

“Shit…”

WHOOSH—BAM!

A vicious blow struck Edén squarely in the stomach, forcing all the air from his lungs.

—Gah!

A large amount of saliva burst from Edén’s mouth after the devastating impact.

Shun approached the weakened boy with slow, heavy steps.

Still staggering, Edén raised his head and found himself staring into Shun’s murderous eyes.

—Are you satisfied now? —Shun asked firmly.

—It seems you aren’t weak at all —Edén replied with a mocking smile.

“What the hell is happening here?” Tenzak wondered, still staring in disbelief. “I couldn’t even keep up with them.”

“And that wasn’t all…”

“He actually responded to Shun’s attacks.”

“What the hell happened to him in there?”

…

Thud!

—Huh?

With no strength left in his body, Edén collapsed to the ground.

—Shun… What just happened?

—Nothing we need to worry about —Shun replied dismissively—. The boy successfully awakened his powers. That is what matters.

—But his speed, his strength… Everything was completely out of control.

—It was almost as though his Zenka had become distorted.

—Yes. His energy was flowing in a rather unusual manner.

—Even so, we cannot draw any conclusions yet.

—Right…

—Once the boy wakes up, we’ll discover the truth.

—What do you mean?

—Something went wrong.

—Impossible…

Tenzak turned his gaze toward the unconscious boy.

At that moment, Edén’s energy appeared to be flowing naturally, coursing throughout his body from head to toe.

But then, the roar of something rising from the abyss itself instantly froze Tenzak’s blood.

At that moment, he understood it once again.

The power dwelling within that boy was beyond all comprehension.