(Void Prison)
The statue of O and the statue of Alpha stood facing one another, each wearing the same expression—an arrogant look, as if they were both looking down on something far beneath them.
Omega spoke.
"O was intrigued by Alpha. It was the first time he had met another being who looked at the world as he did... as if everything and everyone in it was beneath them."
The statue of O slowly raised his hand, attempting to offer a handshake to Alpha.
"O believed he had finally found someone like himself—someone who carried the same gift: eternal life."
Omega's tone darkened.
"But what happened next... was something O never expected."
Alpha's statue walked past O, completely ignoring the offered hand, as though O wasn't even there.
"That was when O realized—Alpha saw him the same way O saw the rest of the world: a soulless puppet."
O's statue face twisted, darkening with fury, his eyes narrowing with rage.
"That moment shattered the pride and arrogance O had built over countless lives."
The statue of O reached for the sword on his hip.
"To reclaim his pride, he had to prove that he was different—that Alpha was not above him."
O unsheathed his blade and charged.
His face twisted in rage, he leapt into the air and brought his sword down toward Alpha's back.
"O was confident. Through lifetimes, he had perfected the sword—becoming the strongest swordsman in many of them. But this time... his opponent wasn't a puppet."
Just as the blade came down, Alpha vanished.
O's sword shattered.
Before he could react, Alpha was behind him, his blade already at O's throat.
"Alpha's swordsmanship surpassed O's—and that infuriated him. So he tried another method."
A shockwave of wind erupted from O, blasting Alpha's blade away and creating distance.
"Magic—another art O had mastered."
The statue of O had a demonic smile as he summoned fire between his hands. The orb grew larger and brighter.
Alpha remained still, indifferent.
"O believed that if Alpha excelled at swordsmanship, he couldn't possibly be a great mage. That was reality. A law that only O had broken before."
O launched the massive fireball toward Alpha with full force.
He smiled wide, sure of victory.
But Alpha simply raised a hand.
A blast of wind erupted from his palm, extinguishing the fireball completely.
Omega, watching as O's smile vanished, said.
"He had used that same spell to reduce a castle to ash... but Alpha swatted it away, using only a basic spell."
O stared at Alpha in disbelief.
" O asked, 'Which life are you on? The 10,000 perhaps?'"
For the first time, Alpha's indifferent expression shifted—he was intrigued. It was because of O's question.
He raised his sword and smirked.
"Show me your power," Alpha said.
"Depending on your performance... I may consider answering you."
O took a deep breath. He touched his chest, casting several enhancement spells.
Blue energy surged through him as he reforged his shattered blade using the blue energy.
Now calm, no longer consumed by fury, O stood tall.
Omega narrated.
" Ashamed of his earlier outburst, O made a request. He asked Alpha to forget those shameful acts."
" He said, 'When you've lived countless lives—some good, some evil—you start losing yourself."
Alpha replied.
"You seemed like a worthy foe, yet acted like a worm. But now you might be worthy after all."
The two locked eyes, ready to resume battle.
Omega turned to the soul beside him.
"You may want to stand back for this."
Though he knew it was only an illusion conjured by Omega, the soul stepped back—as he could feel the pressure they exerted.
Omega continued to narrate as the battle began.
O launched forward with wind magic, leapt, and brought his blade down.
Alpha didn't dodge this time. He blocked it, a smirk forming as golden aura began to envelop him.
O thought in confusion as he witnessed a power he had never encountered before.
Golden? I thought there was only blue.
Alpha grinned.
"You're not bad. I might actually have to try."
Golden energy exploded outward, sending O flying.
As he skidded across the ground, he cast a lightning spell, sending a stream of lightning toward Alpha.
Alpha dispelled it with a casual slash.
O steadied himself, conjuring fire in his palm. But before he could cast, Alpha vanished, reappearing in front of him.
A vertical slash, golden energy trailing behind, tore through the earth.
O barely evaded it, propelling himself aside with wind magic.
He cast the fire spell and an inferno engulfed Alpha.
In the heart of the flame, two golden eyes glowed.
O's instincts screamed—move.
He raised a stone wall.
Alpha used a horizontal slash, empowered by his golden aura, cutting through the fire, dissipating it, and slicing through the stone wall cutting it in half.
O blocked with his aura-covered blade, the impact launching him backward.
He jammed his sword into the ground to stop.
Panting, he muttered, "If I hadn't focused my power, that would've cut me in two."
He rose, glaring at Alpha—untouched.
O raised his hand. Five blue fireballs appeared, covered with lightning.
He hurled them forward.
Alpha responded with a single orb of light. It detonated, releasing eight brilliant flares that moved like arrows.
The flares tore through O's spells and closed in.
O smiled and said.
"Still using basic spells to overwhelm my advanced ones?".
The light flares struck.
A dust cloud rose.
As the dust cleared, O stood shielded within a purple sphere of dark magic.
He smirked.
"Seems you dislike magic."
Alpha shrugged.
"Swordsmanship's more fun. I prefer to move, to clash—to feel."
O raised his sword.
"Time to end this."
Alpha nodded.
"It was fun. But yes… let's finish it."
O enhanced his body with a massive surge of mana, gripping his sword with both hands. Blue aura grow brighter and stronger around the blade.
Alpha, seeing O get ready, tightened his grip. His golden aura grew in power, shining like a sun.
They dashed, swords meeting in a brutal clash.
Shockwaves filled the place.
Neither could land a hit.
Then Alpha smiled.
"As I thought, You're not fit to be a servant of reality... You should be one of its sovereigns."
O's eyes narrowed.
"What do you mean?"
"You'll understand. In time. But for now—this should be enough."
Alpha's aura erupted, golden energy filling the place. His blade blazed with even stronger power.
O, understanding what was coming, channeled everything he had. His blade ignited with deep, blue aura.
Their final clash created a giant flash of light, filling the place.
When the radiance faded—
O's broken blade hit the ground. He dropped to his knees.
Alpha stood tall. His golden aura slowly fading. Not a scratch marked his body.
Victory... belonged to Alpha.
Omega then spoke.
"That marked the end of the first of many battles between these two."
O let out a sigh.
"Now, are you going to answer me?"
Alpha sheathed his blade and calmly raised a single finger, his gaze steady.
Omega continued:
"O expected to hear him say 'a thousand' or 'a million'—but the answer he received was the opposite of everything he anticipated."
Alpha's voice was calm.
"One. Only one life."
Omega narrated.
"O couldn't believe it. How could someone who had lived only once defeat him, who had lived countless times? The thought shook him to his core."
Before O could recover, a golden crown materialized beside Alpha, its voice echoing with authority.
"Master, we've wasted enough time here. Our work in this world is done."
Alpha clicked his tongue, scratching his head.
"I guess you're right. But it was worth it."
His body began to disintegrate, dissolving into white sparks.
O, desperate for answers, called out.
"What are you?"
Alpha smiled.
"Well, I am a Sovereign."
O's confusion deepened.
"A Sovereign? What does that mean?"
Alpha chuckled, his form nearly gone.
"It's hard to explain, and we're out of time. But you'll understand soon enough."
He paused, as if remembering something.
"Ah, right—I never told you my name. I am Alpha, the Sovereign of… well, I don't know yet. Still working on it."
As the last of his form faded, O shouted.
"Will we meet again?"
Alpha's voice, playful yet certain.
"I have a strong feeling we will."
And with that, he vanished.
Omega's voice filled the silence.
"O stood alone, staring at the night sky, his mind flooded with questions. For the first time, he felt as though he had only glimpsed the first layer of reality—that there were truths still hidden, far beyond his reach."
Scene Shift.
O stood before a table, hands braced against its surface. Books, papers, and scrolls covered every inch, with even more scattered across the floor.
Omega narrated.
"In the lives that followed, O devoted himself to uncovering the truth behind what he had seen. He scoured histories, deciphered ancient texts, and sought out forbidden knowledge. Yet no matter how deep he searched, he found nothing."
Scene Shift.
O stood in an open field, his gaze fixed on the sky.
Omega continued.
"After countless lifetimes of fruitless searching, O finally gave up."
Then—something flickered before him. Tiny white sparks danced in the air, coming together into form.
"And in that moment, everything change."
A dark crown materialized, its surface etched with intricate patterns, a single red jewel burning at its center. It hovered, waiting.
O stepped forward, reaching out—but before he could reach it, he shattered.
Omega moved past him, stopping before the crown.
His fingers traced its edge as if greeting an old companion. Then, he turned to the soul and spoke.
"And this, marks the end of the story."