[: 3rd POV :]
"....."
Silence.
Daniel did not answer immediately.
His crimson stained eyes remained fixed upon the countless translucent windows floating before him.
His mind refused to process what he had just heard.
A restart.
A chance to undo everything.
A chance to save everyone.
His fingers slowly clenched into trembling fists.
"If you know what I want..." Daniel finally spoke, his voice barely louder than a whisper. "...does that mean you can actually grant it?"
The mysterious system answered without the slightest hesitation.
[: Definitely. :]
Daniel's pupils narrowed.
There was no arrogance.
No hesitation.
No uncertainty.
It was as though the answer was nothing more than stating an undeniable fact.
His expression became wary.
He had spent his entire life surviving in a cruel world.
Nothing came without a price.
Every blessing demanded sacrifice.
Every miracle demanded payment.
"So..."
Daniel slowly raised his head.
"What are your terms?"
"My life?"
"My soul?"
"Or perhaps becoming your slave forever?"
He asked every possibility he could think of.
There was no such thing as absolute generosity.
Not in his world.
Not anywhere.
The system remained silent for a brief moment before answering.
[: My conditions are surprisingly simple. :]
[: Become the being that stands above everything. :]
[: Overrule every existence. Crush every authority. Surpass every throne. Stand at the very top of the food chain. :]
[: Then... :]
[: Claim Death itself as yours. :]
Daniel frowned.
"...Death?"
He repeated slowly.
"What are you even talking about?"
"What does it even mean for Death to belong to someone?"
A soft chime echoed.
The system almost sounded amused.
[: Let me simplify it for you, Host. :]
[: I am the ultimate form of power. A source that exists beyond systems, universes, realities, dimensions, concepts, and everything you currently know. :]
[: During my observation, I discovered that the entire multiverse has fallen into complete disorder. :]
Images suddenly appeared before Daniel.
Countless universes.
Infinite galaxies.
Civilizations spanning realities.
Then...
War.
Gods destroying stars with a flick of their fingers.
Constellations treating worlds as pieces on a chessboard.
Entities devouring dimensions.
Ancient beings erasing civilizations because they had grown bored.
Entire races were wiped from existence simply because they had offended someone stronger.
Planets exploded.
Realities collapsed.
Time itself shattered.
Daniel watched billions perish in mere seconds.
His expression slowly stiffened.
The system continued.
[: Gods. Deities. Constellations. Sovereigns. Primordial beings. Entities. Ancient races. Countless factions. :]
[: They roam freely without consequence. :]
[: They massacre whenever they please. :]
[: They conquer whenever they desire. :]
[: There is no balance. :]
[: There is no punishment. :]
[: There is no existence capable of restraining them. :]
The scenes changed again.
Millions of worlds burned.
Children cried beneath collapsing skies.
Entire civilizations vanished without anyone remembering they had ever existed.
[: Every powerful existence believes itself above consequence. :]
[: Because they are powerful, they believe they have earned the right to decide life and death. :]
[: They have forgotten what fear truly is. :]
The system's voice became colder.
[: There is no chain. :]
[: Therefore...someone must become that chain. :]
Daniel remained speechless.
The system continued calmly.
[: Originally... this matter should not concern me. :]
[: Whether universes flourish or collapse makes little difference to my existence. :]
[: I could simply observe forever. :]
A brief pause followed.
Then...
The system spoke something so casual that Daniel almost doubted his own ears.
[: But... :]
[: It has been an unimaginably long time. :]
[: I became bored. :]
[: So I decided to interfere. :]
[: Once in a while... even I deserve some entertainment. :]
Daniel stared blankly.
"...That's your reason?"
He could hardly believe it.
Everything.
Every unimaginable revelation.
Every terrifying explanation.
Reduced to...
Boredom?
The fate of countless universes had attracted this existence simply because it wanted amusement.
Daniel let out a helpless laugh.
"...You're insane."
[: Correct. :]
[: But insanity and power often coexist. :]
Daniel could not even argue.
If this being truly possessed the power it claimed...
Perhaps insanity was inevitable.
The system spoke once more.
[: So... :]
[: Will you become the one who governs Death? :]
[: Will you become the executioner that every arrogant existence fears? :]
[: Or... :]
[: Are you afraid to shoulder that responsibility? :]
Daniel slowly lowered his head.
For several long seconds...
Nothing.
Then...
He laughed.
Not loudly.
Not proudly.
But genuinely.
"...Afraid?"
He wiped away the tears still clinging to his face.
"That's funny."
He slowly stood from the mountain of corpses surrounding him.
His exhausted body trembled violently.
Yet...
He stood.
"I've already lost everything."
"My family."
"My friends."
"My comrades."
"My lover."
"My world."
"What exactly do I have left to fear?"
His gaze slowly lifted toward the dark heavens.
"If becoming Death itself means nobody else has to suffer what I suffered..."
"If becoming your executioner means no child loses their family again..."
"If becoming the strongest allows me to protect everyone this time..."
His fists tightened.
"Then why would I run?"
His eyes, once filled only with despair...
Began burning once more.
"This opportunity..."
"...was made for me."
The system remained silent for several seconds.
Then...
[: Excellent answer. :]
[: One final question. :]
[: Are you in? :]
Daniel smiled.
A smile completely different from before.
It was filled with determination.
"What are you waiting for?"
"I'm ready."
The system responded instantly.
[: Agreement acknowledged. :]
[: Contract established. :]
[: Beginning temporal reconstruction. :]
[: Rewinding all causality. :]
[: Returning Host to the beginning. :]
[: Good luck...future Death. :]
BOOOOOOM!!
A blinding radiance erupted.
The ruined battlefield disappeared.
The corpses vanished.
The blood soaked earth dissolved into countless particles of light.
Time itself shattered like fragile glass.
Stars reversed their movements.
Galaxies rotated backwards.
Destroyed worlds reformed.
Dead civilizations returned.
Mountains rebuilt themselves.
Rivers flowed in reverse.
Every moment.
Every choice.
Every death.
Everything was undone.
The entire universe rewound.
Then...
Darkness.
...
...
...
*GASP!*
Daniel shot upright from his bed.
"Haa...haa..."
His chest rose violently.
Cold sweat drenched his entire body.
His heartbeat thundered against his ribs.
His breathing refused to stabilize.
"W...what..."
His trembling hands touched his face.
It felt warm and alive.
There was no blood, no wounds and no battlefield.
There was only silence in a familiar bedroom.
The morning sunlight seeped through the curtains.
Birds chirped peacefully outside.
It was a scene he had not witnessed in years.
He stared blankly around the room.
"W...what was that...?"
A familiar voice echoed inside his mind.
[: Feeling better now? :]
Daniel froze.
His pupils shrank.
"Huh...?"
Then...
Everything returned.
The final battle.
Mira.
The mysterious system.
The agreement.
Every memory flooded into his mind at once.
His breathing became uneven again.
"...It was real..."
He whispered.
"Everything..."
"...was real."
[: Naturally. :]
[: Did you require additional time to adjust? :]
Daniel covered his face with one hand.
"...Just..."
"...give me a minute."
The room fell silent.
Several moments later...he slowly stood and walked toward the window.
The city beyond looked peaceful.
Cars moved along the roads.
People laughed.
Children walked to school.
No monsters and no destroyed buildings.
No war.
Nothing had happened...
Yet.
Daniel quietly spoke.
"So..."
"Time really has been rewound."
His eyes scanned the calendar hanging beside the window.
[: Year 2312 :]
The very beginning.
The day everything originally started.
Daniel ran a hand through his messy hair.
"So this is..."
"My second chance."
The system answered.
[: Correct, Host. :]
[: Today marks the first step toward your future. :]
[: It is also the first step toward becoming the existence known simply as... Death. :]
Daniel gave a faint smile.
"In a way..."
"You're right."
He looked toward the bustling city below.
"Today is the Awakening Ceremony."
"The day every sixteen year old awakens a class capable of changing their destiny."
"The day countless futures are decided."
He chuckled softly.
"And..."
"The day I originally awakened the SSS Rank Class."
He closed his eyes as memories flooded back.
The battles, the training, victories and losses.
The countless years he had spent mastering the sword.
"'Sword Maniac.'"
He slowly opened his eyes again.
"That class carried me all the way to humanity's final battle."
His expression gradually became calm.
"But..."
"This time..."
His gaze sharpened.
"Everything..."
"...will be different."