전생검신 90권 15화

Golden Moon?

I was a bit puzzled by Zhuge Sa’s words, so I said,

[“Zhuge Sa. What do you mean all of a sudden? That looks like a black sphere, but Golden Moon from Dark Heaven Village…?”]

“He just mentioned the power he gained from the moon of Dark Heaven Village earlier. And seeing how it’s not completely gone yet, it’s easy to deduce that he summoned the moon from Dark Heaven Village.”

[“Ah.”]

“And… while you were missing, I delved into numerous demon arts and found out that the moon existing in Dark Heaven Village shines with a golden light.”

So that’s why it’s called Golden Moon?

As I noticed the golden light swirling around the black sphere, I could finally understand Zhuge Sa’s words. At the same time, I thought if I were alone here, I would never have figured out the identity of that orb. I lacked Zhuge Sa’s deduction ability and information about the Golden Moon.

Looking at the Golden Moon in front of me, I spoke.

[“… So it means it’s not completely gone, which means he summoned that Golden Moon and then hid away?”]

“Exactly. I checked the spiritual energy with the Soul Exchange Technique, and the essence is too cleanly vanished. Something with a presence as immense as a god’s soul cannot simply disappear without causing a significant change in the surrounding time and space. I’d say he used that Golden Moon as a medium to hide away somewhere.”

I widened my eyes at Zhuge Sa’s answer.

[“Soul Exchange Technique? You can do that with the Soul Exchange Technique?”]

“I can feel the spirit energy within thousands of miles of radius without needing to consciously think about it. You seem to have reached a high level too, so you could probably do it with practice.”

[“…”]

No, I can’t do it unless I consciously activate it…

No matter how I thought about it, Zhuge Sa’s proficiency in Soul Exchange Technique seemed to be several levels above mine.

Scratching my head, I said,

[“So what now? We have to definitely finish off that hidden guy…”]

“…”

After some silence, Zhuge Sa spoke.

“Honestly, the result has already been determined. I believe that Tsukuyomi received an irreparable wound when hit by the Vajra, and now is just dying.”

[“How can you be so sure?”]

Zhuge Sa glanced at the black orb with a look of disbelief.

“From our standpoint, all we have to do is cancel or destroy the summoning of that Golden Moon. You know how absurdly stupid it is to conduct such an obvious ritual in front of us.”

[“Ah!!”]

“That foolish act shows he’s in a tight spot. There’s no way to explain such behavior if he hasn’t already met his end.”

I began to understand the situation from Zhuge Sa’s words.

A summoning ritual might seem impressive, but in reality, it’s extremely vulnerable to external shock!

Even beings with immense power are almost defenseless during a summoning ritual, and there have been instances where a being a fraction of their strength would leap in and kill the summoner instantly. Therefore, summoning rituals must always be conducted in secrecy, and the summoning medium or the ritual must never be exposed to outsiders.

But for the substitute Tsukuyomi to summon the Golden Moon right in front of us without a single countermeasure? That was almost begging us to take him out!

[“Alright, then I’ll throw the Vajra and smash that thing… huh?”]

I immediately raised the Vajra to break the Golden Moon, but it suddenly felt heavy. Upon closer inspection, I realized the divine light residing within the Vajra had vanished, and I felt no power at all. Seeing that made me think, “Oh no!”

‘Damn it! Did Indra only lend power to me once?!’

That stingy Indra…

[“Tch. Then I’ll use Agni…”]

“Wait a moment. Judging by the summoning circle, it seems like at least half a moment will pass before that summoning ritual gets on track.”

As I was about to summon Agni, Zhuge Sa stopped me. When I looked at him, he continued without taking his eyes off the Golden Moon.

“Smashing that thing aside, do you happen to know how to return to Earth safely from this Chaos of the Outer Universe?”

[“…?!”]

Huh…?

I was caught off guard by Zhuge Sa’s unexpected question. It suddenly hit me where I really was.

That’s right.

This place wasn’t Earth or space; I had crossed beyond the edge of the universe to arrive at the very chaos of the Outer Universe! Even an alien race with millions of years of advanced scientific civilization could never traverse to this transcendent space. In fact, just delving into this chaos was enough to drive an ordinary human insane.

Naturally, in this chaotic space, there was no way to use typical return techniques or magic.

I stuttered for a moment, then said,

[“I… I once roamed inside Nailatop’s ship, Gaia… but I have no idea how to navigate with just our strength.”]

“…Hmm. As expected from Tsukuyomi’s perspective, it was to create chaos and make us lost in this endless confusion. No opening left.”

[“Damn it! If it were the Sun and Moon Spirit… um… but even that…”]

I felt a tightness in my chest. If I could use the Sun and Moon Spirit, which had displayed immense power in the past, I instinctively felt I could tear through this chaos and return to Earth, but the reality was that I couldn’t summon it whenever I wanted. It was a capability that could only be used in exceptional circumstances.

‘Ah!’

Suddenly an idea struck me.

[“That’s right, the Observer!! If I call the Observer and ask him to take us back to Earth…”]

“Give it a shot if you can. But I doubt he’ll come.”

[“Observer!! Please return us to Earth!!”]

…

…

I shouted several times, but there was no response.

‘Why isn’t he coming?’

I looked at Zhuge Sa, feeling dubious.

[“Zhuge Sa… why isn’t the Observer coming?”]

“Based on your past experiences, he should have intervened by now. While fighting Tsukuyomi, I was worried about when he might barge in. But seeing he hasn’t intervened despite the ruckus earlier, it seems he’s made up his mind not to interfere with your matters.”

[“…!!”]

Damn it! He didn’t show up when I needed him!

Zhuge Sa, for the first time, seemed a bit flustered as he spoke.

“This is problematic. You can’t reincarnate after dying; if you die here, this is where your next reincarnation will start.”

[“Ugh… no way!!”]

I was struck by the worst-case scenario!

If I started my reincarnation in the chaos of the Outer Universe, there’s a risk that I could end up losing my sanity, wandering endlessly through time!

While I was trembling in fear, Zhuge Sa said,

“Baek Woong, let’s turn this situation to our advantage.”

[“Turn it to my advantage?”]

Zhuge Sa nodded and elaborated.

“The Golden Moon is still in the process of being summoned. If you and I join forces to separate the moon’s spirit with the Soul Exchange Technique, then the summoning will experience a reversal. That reversal will send the Golden Moon back to its original existence in Dark Heaven Village.”

[“…!!”]

“There’s a good chance escaping Dark Heaven Village is easier than here.”

I understood Zhuge Sa’s suggestion.

[“So instead of simply canceling the summoning ritual, if we fail the summoning, it would reverse back to Dark Heaven Village… you mean we would fuse ourselves with the Golden Moon’s spirit?”]

“Exactly.”

[“B-But… is that really possible? With the Soul Exchange Technique…?”]

“The final state of the Soul Exchange Technique, the Soul Transition and Seizure! The essence of the Soul Transition and Seizure lies in freely switching bodies while in a spiritual state, meaning merging with the spirit is fundamentally necessary. So if you can use the Soul Transition and Seizure, synchronizing with the Golden Moon’s spirit is possible.”

[“…”]

Cautiously, I asked Zhuge Sa.

[“Does that mean… my proficiency in the Soul Exchange Technique also has to be at a level where I can use the Soul Transition and Seizure?”]

“You’ve understood quite well.”

[“… I’m not sure if I can do that…”]

I honestly felt uncertain.

The Soul Transition and Seizure!

In the history of humanity, only Zhuge Sa and the previous heretical sect leader, Im So-young, managed to use the Soul Transition and Seizure, which is the ultimate stage of the difficult Soul Exchange Technique. Simon Magus, the creator of the Soul Exchange Technique, had to possess powers to move physically instead of using the Soul Transition and Seizure, which meant it was, in essence, a technique unique to Zhuge Sa. Could I really use such a terrifying technique?

Then Zhuge Sa chuckled softly.

“Why are you so scared? The demon Tezcatlipoca has sealed even greater spirits, so does it make sense to be afraid of the Soul Transition and Seizure?”

[“It’s just that I’ve never used the Soul Transition and Seizure even once! Not to mention, I’m trying to use it by applying the essence after grasping all the techniques…”]

Zhuge Sa stared at me intensely.

“I once told you when you returned to the current world, that you must be able to use the Soul Transition and Seizure.”

[“Ah… I did.”]

“And you asked me how to quickly reach the state of the Soul Transition and Seizure, but I never answered you. Do you know why?”

[“…”]

Now that I think about it, that did happen. I had overlooked it as it slipped my mind, but Zhuge Sa reminded me about it again.

‘Was there a reason?’

Then Zhuge Sa continued his explanation.

“You’ve already been able to use the Soul Transition and Seizure from that point. I thought you’d realize it while speaking, but it’s amusing to see you still think you can’t use it.”

[“…?!”]

“To think you still believe you can’t use it now is just laughable.”

Ehh?!

I was completely caught off guard by the unexpected response.

[“Are you saying I can use the Soul Transition and Seizure?! For real?!”]

“…Baek Woong. You really don’t get it, do you?”

Zhuge Sa pointed a finger at me as if he found it ridiculous.

“What do you think the body you’re currently inhabiting is?”

[“Huh?”]

“You think you effortlessly gained this body because you are revered as a god? No… If it weren’t for the Soul Exchange Technique, your soul would merely have a name inscribed, and that would be the end of it. It’s impossible to obtain a body that way.”

As Zhuge Sa spoke, his gaze sharpened.

“The level at which your spirit governs this steel body… that’s already the Soul Transition and Seizure.”

[“…!!”]

“You acquired Li Cong’s mechanical body from the Android known as Hwa Seo-hyeon, and the moment you did, you effectively mastered the Soul Transition and Seizure. As a heretic practitioner, I felt you could use the Soul Exchange Technique even while wandering with just your spirit, so I already knew that.”

[“So you mean… I already… used the Soul Transition and Seizure?”]

“Exactly. You’re on the verge of reaching the state necessary for the Soul Transition and Seizure. My method isn’t the only way to do it.”

[“…”]

This was completely unexpected!

I never realized it throughout my 30 lifetimes!

Yet I still couldn’t quite accept it and said,

[“B-But even if you say that, I have no idea how to synchronize with the Golden Moon’s spirit like you mentioned! I just spoke with Li Cong’s spirit back then…”]

Zhuge Sa shook his head.

“Same difference! Do you think it requires a complex technique like martial arts skills? The Soul Transition and Seizure is the ultimate technique of the heretical sect, and can be invoked anytime, anywhere! All it requires is the ability to purely resonate with the spirit itself. In fact, it could take hundreds of years to obtain that sense, but you’ve gained it through various adventures.”

[“…!!”]

“What I require of you is one simple answer. Will you do it or not?”

[“What if I don’t…”]

“Then we’ll have no choice but to smash that Golden Moon with the spirit of the great deity Agni and wait a thousand years for the Observer to show up before us. This isn’t false, so every choice is yours.”

[“…”]

I contemplated Zhuge Sa’s suggestion deeply.

‘Zhuge Sa’s suggestion surely involves a risky adventure… but… the probability of the Observer suddenly showing up in this chaotic space has to be incredibly low…’

Moreover, my intuition told me that the Outer God was not interested in me right now, that I was nothing more than a lingering essence of a ‘reborn person.’ That instinct felt too ominous for me to brush aside.

After pondering, I eventually nodded.

[“Let’s do it!!”]

Whether it leads to a blessing or a curse, I had to go along with what Zhuge Sa had suggested!

“Ha ha. Don’t be too scared. Even if that Golden Moon isn’t a living being, its spirit surely exists.”

Zzzzz

Zhuge Sa stretched out his hand and began to channel the Soul Exchange Technique to resonate with the spirit of the opponent. Following his lead, I also executed the Soul Exchange Technique while muttering,

[“… Zhuge Sa. I’ve always been curious, why do inanimate objects have spirits, and why can skilled Soul Exchange practitioners control them?”]

That seemed odd. In the common view, souls and spirits only exist in living beings, yet according to what I learned from the Soul Exchange Technique, even inanimate objects could be manipulated freely based on the user’s proficiency. Zhuge Sa chuckled as if he was entertained by my query and replied,

“You’ve controlled the souls of a god and a demon king, and even the soul of a mechanical body, yet now you wonder about that?”

[“Well, it just happened that way… I don’t really understand why it works…”]

“I too, while sharing my spirit with you, heard Subori mention that the ten great disciples of Gautama Buddha use the Eight Consciousnesses to allow inanimate objects to feel pain?”

[“That was it.”]

“That implies the worldview of ‘No One,’ where everything in this world is empty (void); hence, both life and non-life are fundamentally hollow. However, despite being empty, there are souls and spirits that exist at the core of their essence, which means our Soul Exchange Practitioners can utilize the Soul Exchange Technique on anyone.”

[“…!!”]

“This understanding, in my role as a heretic, is what I’ve perceived as the truth.”

From Zhuge Sa’s explanation, I felt an incomprehensible spiritual energy. It seemed that he understood Subori’s theory about the Eight Consciousnesses entirely. Reflecting on his explanation revealed something to me, and I responded,

[“Isn’t emptiness supposed to be nihilistic? How can spirits exist within that? Isn’t that strange?”]

“Heh heh. Logically, yes. However, the most elemental aspect of the yin-yang duality (the concept of spirit and form) is the dialectic of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis.”

[“Thesis, antithesis, synthesis?”]

“What we perceive as void isn’t truly empty. It means that it operates based on the law of cause and effect. That very characteristic is why Simon Magus could transcend the world using the Sephiroth.”

[“…”]

“You have a puzzled expression. I don’t care; just focus on the Soul Exchange Technique before you.”

[“Understood.”]

As I conversed, I felt a renewed awareness. Even though Zhuge Sa was somewhat engulfed in madness, he was undeniably one of the greatest geniuses in history.

Whoosh!!

Moments later, the Golden Moon suddenly resonated and began to rotate slowly. Watching the rotation, I felt oddly familiar with it, and Zhuge Sa, who was using the Soul Exchange Technique beside me, cried out.

“It’s smoothly transitioning from Dark Heaven Village to this location! Right now, take control of its spirit!”

[“…!!”]

In that moment, a bright flash erupted between Zhuge Sa and me. It indicated that we had begun controlling the spirit of the opponent with our full strength. In essence, the Soul Exchange Technique involved manipulating the spirit from its shell, which meant we had to start by engaging with the shell itself.

Gwaaa!!

[“Ugh!!”]

I felt my senses fading as I resonated with the spirit of the Golden Moon. Its heavy, mineral-like aura felt drastically different from that of living beings, and I could sense the unimaginable power held within the part of the Golden Moon that had been summoned.

‘Wh… what is its actual size? Isn’t it bigger than Earth?’

The size I could see now barely exceeded three slices, but it struck me that once fully summoned, it could be larger than a planet, even in this chaotic space. If I let go of the control now, it could potentially grow larger than a continent in the blink of an eye.

‘But it’s manageable.’

Despite everything, I could feel the latent potential inside the Golden Moon wasn’t as vast as the divine soul Tezcatlipoca possessed. Moreover, I believed my current capabilities were enough to handle this, especially with Zhuge Sa, a fellow practitioner of the heretical arts, aiding me.

Whooo!!

The radiant light intensified. Meanwhile, Zhuge Sa was exuding powerful energy continuously, using the Soul Exchange with far more finesse than me, effectively halting the Golden Moon from rotating. I, too, put all my strength into stopping the animation of the Golden Moon, and my efforts were yielding results.

“Ugh.”

[“Kraaaa!!”]

Kachak…

Had our efforts paid off? Moments later, with a peculiar sound, the rotation stopped. The moment the Golden Moon ceased its spinning, it began to disperse into tiny particles, as if the summoning had been cancelled.

Fsss…

I realized without Zhuge Sa explaining it that the summoning had been halted and that the Golden Moon was reversing back to Dark Heaven Village! I needed to synchronize with the Golden Moon’s spirit right now…!

I exchanged a glance with Zhuge Sa and then utilized all my strength to execute the Soul Exchange Technique.

[“Haaaah!!”]

Fwhiiiii…

I couldn’t tell if I was using the Soul Transition and Seizure right now. I was merely doing my utmost to resonate with the opponent’s spirit… truth be told, even questioning whether this was the Soul Exchange Technique felt uncertain as I pushed myself forward through sheer force.

Zzt…

But shortly after, I sensed my body and mind being pulled into the imposing gravitational force of the Golden Moon that lay before me. Looking at Zhuge Sa beside me, he was also being drawn in like taffy.

According to the laws of physics, we should have both been dead by now, but I felt neither pain nor injury. It felt more like we were being absorbed, thinning out into threads as we drew closer to the Golden Moon.

Boom!!

When I finally composed myself, I found myself crashing down, unable to discern the location I fell into. Despite being a master of martial arts, I couldn’t help but stoop down when I regained my senses.

[“Did… it work?”]

I looked down at my mechanical body and mumbled. The form that had stretched like taffy was back to its usual state.

“It worked.”

I shifted my gaze toward the voice that just spoke. Standing there was Zhuge Sa.

He smiled and said, “This place is probably Dark Heaven Village. We’ve entered Dark Heaven Village along with the Golden Moon.”

[“… We succeeded.”]

“Whew. It was a gamble, but we made it.”

[“Damn it, did you know it was a gamble and still suggested it to me?”]

I asked incredulously, and Zhuge Sa casually replied.

“You tend to hesitate for a thousand years if you don’t push yourself hard enough, right? This wasn’t the time for being laid-back.”

[“…”]

Sigh… This is what Zhuge Sa was like all along.

I let out a sigh of relief, feeling somewhat amused while surveying the situation I found myself in.

[“Alright. Now we just need to find a way back to reality from Dark Heaven Village.”]

“No, I have a different idea.”

[“Huh?”]

Shushushush!

Suddenly, Zhuge Sa displayed a strange ability, summoning a sword in front of him. He tossed it to me and then said,

“You realize what you need to do now, right?”

[“W-What… you mean…?”]

I panicked at the realization of Zhuge Sa’s intent.

[“A-Are you saying… to commit suicide?”]

“Correct.”

[“But I just got back… Why…”]

“You’ve returned, so it’s time to end it.”

Zhuge Sa smiled.

“There’s a high probability that Tsukuyomi has done something crazy in reality. To not leave any opening, it’s best to conclude this life and move on to the next.”

[“…!!”]

“What do you think happens if you commit suicide in Dark Heaven Village, unlike in the chaos of the Outer Universe? When you die, it’s your victory!”

Zhuge Sa made a valid point. I was a reborn person, so if I died safely, it would count as my win!

Stunned, I hesitated, trembling hands gripping the sword.

Gathering my resolve, I said,

[“I’ll see you in the next life, Zhuge Sa.”]

“Good job, Baek Woong.”

Swoosh!!

I plunged the sword through my neck. As a machine, I felt no pain, but the moment I resolved to sever the essence of my life, the energy of my existence faded away rapidly.

‘Whew… so much has happened in this life…’

I closed my eyes, knowing it was my 30th death.

*

“Who would have thought I could return to Dark Heaven Village together…”

A familiar voice.

As my consciousness slowly returned, I looked up.

‘This isn’t… the barn…’

Is this… the beginning of my 31st life?

As I attempted to shake my head in confusion, the fading voice came through again.

“…Yeah… You guys are incredible… To surpass my plan of trapping you in the chaos of the Outer Universe and preventing reincarnation… At this point, I have no choice but to acknowledge it…”

A voice that seemed to be fading away.

Only then did I awaken completely, standing to assess my surroundings.

‘Huh?’

It wasn’t a mechanical body.

To my confused horror, I discovered I had returned to my original body, not the borrowed body of the android Li Cong.

‘Where… Where’s Zhuge Sa?’

Looking around, I found Zhuge Sa also absent.

What on earth is going on?!

As I became increasingly anxious, I heard the fading voice once more from ahead.

“But… you guys… do not know that this Golden Moon is also… a living, high-dimensional being, and it was infused with the power of the [Coming Chaos] directly… Ahahaha…”

Grumble…

Gluk, gluk!!

In front of me was a sinister space filled with huge tentacles and blood vessels. In this place filled with dark energy, I realized I was not alone.

“……!!”

That figure was bound by tentacles, and its body was swelling with unknown blood vessels. The appearance of a victim that had been consumed by a typical otherworldly demon. However, I couldn’t help but panic since I had just seen that figure moments ago.

“……Tsukuyomi!!”

The being was on the brink of death, barely clinging to life, entangled in tentacles.

A tentacle was oozing from one of Tsukuyomi’s eyes, a sign of extreme infestation.

Tsukuyomi coughed and said, “In exchange for sacrificing myself to the Golden Moon… I intended to wish upon the Outer God Observer to trap you forever in the chaos of the Outer Universe… but I must have failed in that, too…”

“……”

Tsukuyomi began to laugh maniacally.

“In the end… I’ve become the only one to be devoured by the Golden Moon… Ahaha… AHAHAHA…”

He seemed pitiful in a way, yet each word he spoke was laced with horrifying malice.

I could perceive the clarity of his malevolence so much that it sent shivers down my spine, making me feel increasingly anxious instead of angry. I looked at the dying being and asked,

“You… bastard!! I asked earlier, but… what’s your grudge against me?! This is beyond excessive!!”

“……”

“You’re doing all this just to take my rebirth ability? That makes no sense!! You despise me even more than that! Haven’t even seen my face before! How can this be! Even the Emperor or Chi You wouldn’t stoop this low!”

I felt it.

Tsukuyomi simply hated me.

With pure malice.

“Ha… ha… haha…”

Cough! Cough!!

Tsukuyomi coughed violently. No matter how you looked at it, he was already finished, and I felt no fear coming from him. However, I couldn’t understand the reason behind his unfathomable resentment.

After a brief moment, Tsukuyomi spoke.

“…You don’t understand who I am… do you… A coincidence of the Takrok Era… born with the dual powers of omniscience and omnipotence… two sisters who are the strongest in heaven and earth… and fate had it that I met you, a reborn person who has moved the great cycle…”

“……”

“Even when I was in the past, I couldn’t grasp who I was… During my past life, I foresaw…[the Great Cycle], someone was bound to come and change my predetermined fate… and if I could properly take advantage of that, I could become the alternative… Yes… until then, I merely desired to be a god and to transcend beyond my predetermined lifespan…”

“Yet that changed when you became Tsukuyomi?”

“…Heeeeeh… Aha ha ha…!”

Suddenly, Tsukuyomi burst into mad laughter.

Then, with bloodshot eyes, he glared at me and said,

“…I was… trapped in a seal that was not a seal… Yes… I lost my memories… Perhaps the thought of recalling would be too miserable… So I chose to forget altogether!! And only after becoming a god and receiving the spirit of a deity did I finally learn about ‘what’ I was…!!”

“……”

Tsukuyomi shouted as if he were expiring.

“I grasped what I was… and the moment I realized why I had become this way, you were the only one I could view as a nemesis to defeat… I had no choice but to make it so!! Unlike the mindless fragment of omnipotence… I HAD to do it!!”

“Dammit!! What the hell are you?! Why do you want to kill me so badly?!”

“Aha ha… ha ha…!!!”

As he laughed madly, Tsukuyomi suddenly stopped, a smile gone from his face.

He looked into the distance with coldness and said,

“My true goal was to seize the writing you possess and challenge the [Gate] at the end of the dream.”

“……?!”

“The only way for an outsider to usurp the ownership of a reincarnator’s book is that alone.”

What?!

Upon hearing Tsukuyomi unveil the secret of the Heavenly Secret, my heart raced. That was something I could only know from inside the Heavenly Secret, something no one else in the world had access to, so how on earth did he learn it? I spoke, startled,

“You… did you read my memories with your abilities?!”

“Reading memories? Could it really be that simple…?”

“……”

In that moment, I sensed something strange.

‘Wait… how could one even know how to seize the ownership of the Heavenly Secret…?’

I had no knowledge of that at all!

So he couldn’t have read it from my memories?

How on earth did he learn it then?

“Could it be that you can learn the Heavenly Secret’s secrets with your omniscience?”

“…Hee hee hee… If that were possible, could I possibly be engaged in a battle with you thus far? I would have long ago nullified the powers of the Heavenly Secret that controls the Great Cycle and trapped you beyond the cycle for eternity.”

“Uhh…”

“The fact that your device was unusually capable was merely due to your luck.”

What’s going on? It didn’t seem like he was lying…

‘What on earth is happening?’

If it wasn’t reading memories or omniscience, then how did he know such things?

While I was confused and mystified, Tsukuyomi spoke as if he were muttering to himself.

“I wanted to restart. No… I knew I could never have the power to surpass [the Gate], but… I wanted to challenge it again countless times, to face defeat and still try to break past it.”

“……”

“The words of someone who failed to surpass the [Gate] despite endless attempts are pitiful. Just being devoured without even becoming a gatekeeper.”

Tsukuyomi continued with a calmer demeanor.

“Endlessly… for millions or potentially billions… or even trillions… I don’t know… I can’t even measure the countless eons I’ve roamed about in chaos, my essence became as one with the void, my consciousness in the source of chaos perished long ago… I lost my identity… everything forgotten… for thinking about it would surely lead to madness…”

In that moment.

I realized what Tsukuyomi was.

But I couldn’t believe my predawn judgments and my mind went blank.

“You… could it be…?”

Tsukuyomi grinned.

“Do you think it’s that easy to surpass the Great Cycle, just because I possess omniscience? I have walked the same path you have… and I knew all the tricks and methods available to do so… The only difference is that I had nothing but the power of omniscience.”

“……”

“Huh… how does it feel to gaze upon a loser who’s bound to the loss? How does it feel to look at defeat from above…?”

Seeing Tsukuyomi wear a self-deprecating smile, I involuntarily squeezed out a response.

“That’s not true.”

It can’t be.

That bastard… can’t be a ‘reborn person’.

“`

 

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