Chapter 808: You Have Long Been a Legend
"Death?"
"Mm."
Cofagrigus blinked and turned to face Kazuya, "Yui once planned to use her power as the Lord of the Spirit World to ensure you wouldn't lose your memories when you reincarnated, thereby achieving a disguised form of immortality..."
"Oh, right, that's possible too. That girl is quite capable now. Wouldn't Arceus cause trouble for her?"
Kazuya crossed his arms and pinched his chin with one hand.
In this world, the souls of creatures enter the Spirit World after death, where their memories are erased, and they are thrown into a vortex to be reincarnated.
It was somewhat similar to the Underworld in Chinese fantasy novels.
As the Lord of the Spirit World, Yui could be considered to control a power akin to "Meng Po's soup of forgetfulness."
As long as she turned a blind eye and prevented Kazuya's memories from being erased, he wouldn't forget his past life upon reincarnation.
This was somewhat similar to Kazuya's own cheat, but there were differences.
Firstly.
This ability relied on Yui to be realized.
If the Spirit World changed hands, this ability would disappear.
Moreover, it was unknown if Arceus would allow such a thing to exist.
Secondly.
The time of reincarnation could only go forward, not backward.
After all, the time in the Spirit World was synchronized with the living world. Yui couldn't make Kazuya reincarnate into the past. To reincarnate into the future, he would just have to wait it out in the Spirit World.
Thirdly.
Yui could most likely control Kazuya's species in his next life.
As long as it wasn't a "god," it should be within the available options.
She might even be able to make him human.
In contrast, Kazuya's own ability randomized his species, and he didn't even know if humans were in the random pool.
Based on that status panel, he guessed they weren't.
As for the advantage, it was probably that "gods" were in the random pool.
Looking at these three aspects.
Both had their pros and cons.
But overall, Kazuya's ability was more powerful.
After all, the first aspect had a significant impact.
Kazuya's ability would forever remain with him; it wouldn't disappear, and there were no constraints or lingering worries.
"Whether Arceus would cause trouble or not is unknown. After all, Yui hasn't tried this kind of thing before, and she couldn't try it on you either."
"Oh? How so?"
Kazuya raised an eyebrow, catching a hint of something.
"We couldn't wait for your soul."
"..."
"When you were still Empoleon, Yui and I waited for you in the Spirit World for a long time. We thought you hadn't died, but later we found out you had, yet your soul didn't come to the Spirit World."
"I see."
Kazuya nodded slightly, his expression unchanged.
After his death in his fourth life.
His soul was probably whisked away to the second world.
"You're not surprised at all. As expected, our guess was right. Your resurrection has nothing to do with other gods. Instead, you yourself, like the other gods, possess some special ability that makes your soul immortal and indestructible."
Cofagrigus stared at Kazuya and spoke quietly, recounting the discussion he had with Yui back then. "It was also from then on that we believed we would highly likely see you again in the future. Kazuya, you are different from us. You have long been a 'legend'."
Hearing this.
Kazuya took a deep breath, leaned against the window, and pondered for a long time before smiling and saying: "I think someone once said that to me. Ho-Oh? Or Lugia? I forgot."
"They guessed your ability too?"
"Probably. After all, my soul and Aura will never change, and They can recognize people by their Aura... I didn't expect my secret to be so easily seen through by you all."
"Easily? Hehe."
Cofagrigus smiled and rolled his eyes.
Over three hundred years ago, on the top floor of Shabboneau Castle in Camphrier Town, when the Gate to the Spirit World opened, he saw the soul state of Sceptile Kazuya.
Two hundred years ago, Kazuya was reborn as Piplup, accidentally fell into the Spirit World, and happened to bump into Cofagrigus.
That same year, Yui became the new Lord of the Spirit World and befriended both Cofagrigus and Kazuya.
A hundred years ago, Yui and Cofagrigus discovered that after Kazuya died again, his soul didn't come to the Spirit World.
These four major elements coming together.
Were what led Yui and Cofagrigus to try and guess Kazuya's ability in this direction.
If even the slightest thing had gone wrong in this sequence.
For example, if Kazuya hadn't accidentally fallen into the Spirit World as a Piplup, or if he hadn't bumped into Cofagrigus after entering.
Then the Yui and Cofagrigus of today couldn't possibly have guessed Kazuya's ability.
Therefore.
In Cofagrigus's view.
Guessing Kazuya's ability was not simple at all.
Especially for creatures like them who couldn't perceive Aura.
Only multiple perfectly timed serendipitous encounters and coincidences that seemed like a orchestrated conspiracy could culminate in their current conjecture.
"That's why I wanted to ask you. For you, who can be considered immortal and indestructible, do you yearn for death?"
After saying this, Cofagrigus looked down at his four hands and asked somewhat blankly, "If one cannot die, is life considered complete?"
This kind of doubt.
Was an arrogance unique to immortal species.
And Cofagrigus truly had the qualification for this arrogance.
The lifespan of Ghost-type Pokémon is incredibly long, even longer than that of Dragon-type Pokémon.
And Cofagrigus, having become a regent in the Spirit World, was practically as enduring as the world itself; as long as Yui didn't die, he wouldn't die either.
"Why would you suddenly ask such a question? It doesn't seem to suit you. After all, your goal is very clear: save the Spirit World and Yui."
Kazuya cast a strange look at Cofagrigus.
Hearing this from the latter.
He truly felt a sense of incongruity.
He didn't think someone with Cofagrigus's personality would become bewildered over such a question.
"It's nothing, just... after returning to Shabboneau Castle, I keep feeling like Nia is calling out to me."
The blood-red color in Cofagrigus's eyes seemed to deepen slightly. He then looked at Kazuya and asked, "Is it time for me to die?"
Kazuya shivered, glanced around the room, then rubbed his shoulders and scolded: "Don't suddenly say such terrifying things. It'll make me think this castle is really haunted."
He said that.
But in reality.
Kazuya could understand Cofagrigus's feelings at this moment.
After all.
Whether it was returning to the Heian Daycare or returning to Four Island...
Similar feelings would arise in Kazuya's heart, making him even suspect he was hallucinating.
But precisely because of this, he had to say: "Is it possible that he's not calling you, but just greeting you, telling you to have a safe trip on the rest of your journey?"
"..."
"...You sure have a way with words."
Cofagrigus was stunned for a moment, then lowered his hands.
At this moment, even the blood-red color in his eyes had faded a bit.
"Regarding your question just now... I don't yearn for death. I can be considered to have died many times, and it's not a pleasant experience. Furthermore..."
Kazuya waved his hand and turned to walk out of the room, "There are still many people waiting for me, and someone is waiting for you too."
With that said.
Kazuya had already left the room.
Cofagrigus stood alone in the room, emitting eerie and incomprehensible whispers, as if conversing with something invisible.
Good thing Kazuya left early.
Otherwise, even he would have been scared half to death.
If it had been Skitty here.
She would probably have lost consciousness from Cofagrigus's antics.
Night fell.
The group had gone to sleep early.
Yet Cofagrigus was still in that bedroom, muttering to himself, like a madman.
At a certain moment.
Cofagrigus saw an eerie purple light appear in the sky outside the window, and the purple halo cast upon the window carried an aura that felt familiar to him.
"I wondered why I've had an ominous premonition all day..."
Cofagrigus murmured.
Then he lay on the ground and used his four arms to crawl towards the castle roof.
He was a beat slower.
When he arrived on the roof.
Kazuya, Lucario, and Mewtwo had already appeared there, and the other three Pokémon followed shortly after.
In the center of the roof, a dark purple vortex had appeared.
The others might find it unfamiliar and not know what it was.
But Kazuya and Cofagrigus were very clear about it.
The Gate to the Spirit World.
"What a familiar feeling of déjà vu. Cofagrigus, it seems you're not the only one revisiting an old place."
Kazuya pursed his lips and glanced back at Cofagrigus, who was now standing up.
From within the Gate to the Spirit World.
He sensed the powerful aura of a magical beast.
"Mm, it's Dusknoir. It's coming out. It might be waiting here specifically to ambush me. Of course, it might also be waiting to ambush you, just like that Gengar."
Cofagrigus raised his head, watching a giant hand stretch out from the Gate to the Spirit World, and then frowned. "However, relying solely on this guy won't be enough to take my life."
The owner of the giant hand gradually stepped out of the Spirit World.
Sure enough.
It was the Gatekeeper of the Spirit World Kazuya had seen in his third and fourth lives—Dusknoir.
If there was any difference...
The Dusknoir that used to be thirty meters tall was now just over five meters tall, only slightly taller than the Dusknoir of the Magical Beast Era.
Probably because it lost the [Alpha] designation.
However.
This Dusknoir still couldn't be underestimated.
Based on Cofagrigus's brief introduction of the battle in the Spirit World in the past, this Dusknoir was likely also a Master.
"After this guy comes out, will a bunch of magical beasts from the Spirit World swarm out too?"
Kazuya narrowed his eyes, sweeping his gaze toward the dark purple vortex behind Dusknoir.
He was very clear.
If Dusknoir was the only enemy.
It wouldn't be a major problem.
Not only did they have two Master-level Pokémon, Cofagrigus and Scizor, but the Lv. 89 Mega Lucario could also hold his own against Dusknoir.
Furthermore...
Over the past ten years.
Kazuya's psychic powers had reached about 80% of his previous life's level.
Providing excellent support in battle would be a piece of cake.
"Yes. Yui cannot take the initiative to act, or she will be discovered, so she can't close the door. If left unchecked, the magical beasts in the Spirit World will follow it out."
Cofagrigus narrowed his eyes, madness gradually welling up in them, and added, "But... you should be able to handle it, right? This is a great opportunity to take this guy out, we can't just let it slip by."
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