Black fell into the blood ocean, splashing red droplets everywhere.
He couldn't believe it. He dared not believe it. Yet, he knew it — because he had asked for it himself.
The Many-faced God, Byagoona, an Old One, had visited him.
Kai had known that the Old Ones of The Primordial Tower weren't just figures for the mere purpose of worshiping. He had learned this lesson quite early on his journey as a Contestant, unlike others.
During his early years, he had visited the Pokémon Bubble as a part of his Main Mission. It was during this mission that he had unlocked his Cosmic Authority, gained Eon Soul Dew, and learned what it meant to be haunted by a Timeline.
There had been another great benefit.
The Elite Ability — Parseltongue!
That hadn't arrived without cost, though.
While using a Blood Prophecy—the same Skill that had let him win the Holy Grail War in the Fate timeline—Kai had encountered his first horror.
The King in Yellow — Hastur!
Kai still did not know how an Old One had barged into his prophecy, especially when he was in a Bubble at that time, not in The Primordial Tower. He did figure out whyHe had appeared, though—much later.
It had been because of the presence of Half-Deep One's parasite within The Tales of Beedle the Bard.
Still, that encounter had lasted no more than a moment, only letting him glance at the Door from which His tattered robes had billowed out.
His meeting with Byagoona, though… felt different.
The words He had left behind for Black were true.
Kai had never prayed to the Many-faced God, despite being a Bishop of the House of White and Black across the Multiverse.
Yet, He had come for him, guiding him as if he were a child.
This would be another, fate-turning moment for Kai. At a glance, there seemed to be nothing wrong with a God guiding his followers during such a moment, imparting divine revelations.
No matter how Black thought about it, he couldn't find a single fault in His guidance, either.
From the very start to the very end, Byagoona had done nothing but make Black realize what truly mattered most at this moment.
Yet…
Black held his head and couldn't process the reason for it.
Why? That was the biggest question. Why would the Many-faced God go so far?
Was it because of Glitch? No. That couldn't be. The three Old Ones of The Primordial Tower were present in both Empires. Also, Order's Peak had more Glitched Contestants than Chaos' Valley's single one.
Was it because of Kai's lineage?The Banished One stood on par with the two Emperors on the 19th Floor. It could certainly be the reason, but Black couldn't help but acknowledge that in the eyes of the Old Ones, Emperors were just outstanding Contestants. Nothing more.
Was it because of the questions the Many-faced God had prompted Black to ask, then?
Yes.
It could be.
Kai had found no one—absolutely no one—who had been given a choice to select between Chaos and Order after resurrection.
Even Kai himself had NOT been given the choice during his true Initiation Mission.
However, Soul King then bestowed him with Luck Corruption, opening the path for him to gain a Glitch.
At that time, Kai had been a Contestant of Chaos.
But, when he left the X- Grade Main Mission, he was sent to the White Room, where he was given a choice — To protect or To kill.
Kai had chosen to protect Mr. Beedle, finding assassination impractical, given he wouldn't even know what kind of figures he would be going against in that new world.
That had ended up with him becoming a Chaos Contestant all over again.
However, a choice was given to him, nonetheless.
The question was — why?!
Then there was the matter of the White Room itself, where no other Contestant went after finishing a Main Mission, neither of Chaos nor of Order.
No one, other than Kai.
As if these mysteries weren't enough, this was the very first time in Kai's life that he was hearing the matter of the 22nd floor from someone else. And that this someone else was one of the three Old Ones, the most mysterious Many-faced God, Byagoona, the only Old One who had seeped His authorities out of The Primordial Tower, unnerved him.
When his father had come for him, so many things had happened that Black had not even gotten the time to discuss these mysteries. However, knowing his father, he would have just brushed them aside, too, Black knew.
Still.
Were these mysteries enough to make an Old One come for him—in any form?!
Even if Byagoona hadn't come here truly, He had sent a part—a form—of Him to meet Black, taking advantage of the mysteries of the Greater Grail.
Or… if these mysteries weren't enough, then could it be…
Black looked around, his black pupils reflecting the vast blood ocean, the gray sky, the stony pillars, and… the black hole, pouring out blood.
Is there something about Limitless Blood Firmament that attracted His attention? Black asked in pure wonder, the Ad Infinitum and Lucky Intuitions failing to process anything related to an Old One. Or… is it the horror within the black hole… a force that converts Mana and Breath, two Primordial Concepts, into my Od… by itself?
Black slowly stood up, eying the Greater Grail hole.
And suddenly, just as the blood in front of him bubbled, taking the form of the Greater Grail's Core to grant a wish to the winner of the Holy Grail War, Black found himself facing another question.
Not as important as others, but… much more curious.
Why didn't Ayin, his Zanpakuto, have a face?
Black asked himself this question because, as Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern stood opposite him, eying him with her crimson eyes, he realized something.
The Greater Grail didn't have a will of its own.
Yet, often, the Justeaze's soul imbued within the Grail's ritual could take shape, just as she had done before at the Einzbern Castle, appearing in front of Black after he had borrowed Illya's fate.
But—with a booming heart—Black realized the Justeaze eying him now… wasn't the same Justeaze he had met before.
And if that Justeaze, a spiritual existence, was a Faceless, too, then…
… how many people and spirits Kai had met in his life weren't actually who they claimed to be?!
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