In one place... a place where nothing existed except a mysterious, boundless "void." It was both vast and so silent that one could almost hear the echo of their own thoughts. The air had no temperature, no light, no shadow — there was only the emptiness that stretched out as far as the eye could see, as if this place never had a beginning and would never have an end.
The atmosphere here felt peaceful, cold, and strangely detached, as if it had broken away from the framework of the "world of reality." It was not a place where living things should be, nor was it a place that humans could easily comprehend.
Amidst the void, where not even the shadow of a living creature existed... a man stood alone.
The man had a tall, slender, well-proportioned figure. His pure white hair reached his shoulders, lightly swaying with the movement of the barely-there wind. His eyes were bright gold, and their gaze radiated a light like the "light of hope," capable of shining even in the deepest abyss of darkness.
He wore a long white robe adorned with subtle gold patterns. The lines of the patterns seemed to faintly glow when hit by the emptiness around him. The ends of his long sleeves reached his knees. The long cloak trailed on the shapeless, weightless ground, as if he were walking on air.
He walked forward silently. His steps were without destination but full of contemplation. Every step was an exploration—both of the place and the thoughts in his mind.
The man tried to analyze his surroundings. The place where he stood was "not the world" he was familiar with. It had a different aura, the aura of a "dimension" that had been created by some intentional design. A design that might not be entirely benevolent. A feeling of loneliness gnawed at his heart bit by bit. In this profound silence, he began to sense that something... or someone, was watching from somewhere.
"This place... what was it created for?"
He pondered inwardly. This place could be a prison, a dimension meant to confine someone or something. And upon considering everything... he began to suspect that the one being confined might be "himself."
Parts of his memory were missing. He couldn't recall how he got here or what happened before. The only thing that remained clear in his mind was "his identity"—he was the God of Hope, the light leading all things in the dark abyss.
But even as a god, he was helpless to trace back his own memories. It was as if a thin veil of mist obscured the entire truth.
"If I cannot remember... it means someone intentionally willed it to be so."
Upon reaching this thought, his conviction grew clearer. This place was not just an ordinary desolate dimension; it was a dimension "created specifically to confine him."
The young man started walking again. He moved forward at a speed faster than any living creature—as fast as light. But no matter how far he traveled, the surroundings remained the same: empty, silent, and endless.
Time seemed to stand still in this place. Or perhaps... there was no time here from the beginning.
In one place, that place was filled with emptiness, devoid of the scent of living things and structures. It gave a feeling of calmness and coldness.
There was a man walking amidst that emptiness. That man was tall, of normal male height. His white hair was shoulder-length. His eyes were gold, shining like hope. He wore a long white robe with yellow patterns that reached the floor. The ends of his sleeves reached his own knees.
The God of Hope stood motionless in the middle of a dimension of pure void. There was no light, no sound, only the echo of his own breath in the endless silence. He looked up at the starless sky, which was a pale white, like an unpainted canvas. Loneliness had gnawed at his heart for a long time, until—
He felt something... A certain vibration that should not exist in this dimension. A cold, chilling power radiating
The God of Hope frowned. His white hair fluttered with the ripple of the emanating power wave. He raised his hand, summoning the golden energy of hope to coalesce into a massive shield. The golden light shone brightly amidst the gloom.
Yet, suddenly, a figure lunged forward with a speed faster than light itself could follow — a sharp "Whoosh!" sound accompanied a tremendous impact. A pitch-black sword, with a red jewel embedded in the center of its hilt, reflected the image of The God of Hope as if attempting to devour all the surrounding light.
The mysterious man with short purple hair and dark, lifeless eyes stood before him. His dark blue robe billowed, but his face was calm, like a cold, emotionless statue.
The two stood facing each other, silent for only a moment before the sound of metal sliced through the air — The God of Hope sighed softly, calling forth his own holy sword. The blade emitted a golden light that brightened the entire dark dimension as if a new dawn was arriving.
Metal rang out, and the clash of pure energy against dark power reverberated throughout the dimension. Golden light met black sparks, consuming each other in mid-air. Their every attack was so fierce that the dimension's floor cracked into scars of raw energy.
The God of Hope was thrown far back by a reflected slash. His robe was soiled with the dust of exploded energy fragments. He gritted his teeth—knowing well that, physically, he could not continue to fight this man.
He raised his hands, summoning the power of the sky — Instantly, several golden streaks of light shot down from above like a divine rain. Explosions boomed, shaking the entire dimension. However... the mysterious man evaded every single one, moving with swiftness and precision, like an intangible shadow.
He reappeared directly in front of The God of Hope. The black sword hurtled toward him at extremely close range. The God of Hope raised his own sword to meet the blow —
CRACK! The force of the impact caused the light to explode violently, creating a swirling vortex of wind around them. The God of Hope's sword began to crack, and rays of golden light fragmented like shattering glass.
"...Not good," he whispered, before making a final decision.
He detonated the energy from his own sword. Golden light erupted along with a white smoke that swallowed everything around it. The explosion echoed, shaking everything. In that moment—the white-haired man seized the opportunity, quickly retreating to gain distance.
The smoke began to clear. The remaining light shone through the mist, revealing The God of Hope, slightly out of breath. He raised his hand, releasing one last beam of light from his fingertip, illuminating the enemy's figure, before using that moment to turn and retreat.
But in the shadow behind the smoke... The dark eyes of the mysterious man remained fixed on him, chillingly. And a faint smile began to appear on his face.
The echoes of the previous clash had not yet faded when the two stood face-to-face once more, amidst a dimension beginning to distort from the raw power both were unleashing.
The golden light emanating from the body of the God of Hope began to dim, little by little, like the light of faith being consumed by darkness. He breathed shallowly, his golden eyes still burning bright, but a flicker of exhaustion momentarily passed through them.
The mysterious man with purple hair looked at the scene with cold eyes— He did not wait for his opponent to recover.
"Fwish!" (or "Whoosh!")
In a single instant, his body moved with unimaginable speed. The dark aura surrounding him suddenly expanded. That mass of energy twisted and transformed into a gigantic "Black Dragon," radiating purple aura waves that shook the surrounding dimension until it cracked.
A deafening roar thundered across the void— The sound of despair permeating everywhere.
The God of Hope looked up at the image, his golden eyes shining brightly once more. Despite knowing that "his power" was worryingly diminished, he lifted the corner of his mouth, offering a faint smile full of both pain and faith.
"If you... are the darkness that swallows all..." His voice echoed in the silence. "Then I shall be the light that shows you the truth."
Immediately, his body erupted with pure golden light, blazing as if the sun had exploded in the sky. The purest power of "Hope" gathered, forming a gigantic Luminous Humanoid towering over the Black Dragon. A divine aura spread in all directions.
The roar of the Black Dragon converged with the resonant voice of the God of Hope— The two opposing forces fiercely lunged at each other. They stared at each other. The God of Hope's power was starting to diminish. The mysterious man did not wait for him to compose himself and rushed towards the God of Hope. His rushing aura took the form of a black dragon, releasing a purple aura. They knew this might be the end of their battle.
Golden light and a black shadow collided in the center of the dimension! A massive explosion erupted, swallowing everything. The sound of the blast was so high-pitched it felt as if time itself was being shredded into pieces.
BOOOOMMM!!!
A colossal energy wave spread out as far as the eye could see. The surrounding void twisted into cracks of power. Light and shadow consumed each other for a moment before everything exploded and dissipated into a fading mist of gold and purple.
As the dust began to settle— The bodies of the two reappeared. Both were retreating from each other, in opposite directions.
The God of Hope collapsed onto one knee, one hand braced on the ground. The Holy Sword in his hand bore a long, deep crack, close to shattering. But the light of belief in his eyes remained undiminished.
Conversely, the mysterious man with purple hair stood amidst the mist. He too was breathing heavily. Deep wounds appeared on his arms and shoulder. His black eyes remained cold, yet this time, they harbored a flicker of "tremor" within them.
The God of Hope saw the black blood flowing from his enemy's wound. He smiled again—a smile filled with understanding.
"I am still so far beneath you... am I not?" he whispered softly. His voice was not despair, but a dignified acceptance of the truth.