The World after the Fall

It was a polite but solemn voice. With that, Kashim who had been quiet for the most part, Imai who had been noisy, and all the other Captains immediately stopped talking. They were all strong people. Each of them had the world power of a Commander of the <Great Lands>, and each alone had the power to put the entire <Great Lands> into turmoil. That was the power of the Captains of Rupture.

Yet, they became silent at just a single statement. They had to. The world power seeping out from the Machina of Daeus pressured the entire Hatchnold region.

This was the Master of Rupture.

Myad van Deklan.

It was a power fitting for [Link Destroy]. Even without using any of the Machina's settings, Myad was unmatched in his power alone. Even Jaehwan felt faint despair seeping into his consciousness. He didn't back down against Catastrophe, but he couldn't keep his calm this time.

It had been different with Catastrophe. He had the belief that he could pull it off and had the confidence that he could make it through. However, this time, there seemed to be no other way.

Even so, he needed to fight.

Jaehwan gave up on removing the green rags. His spirit was in bad shape and there was no way to resist.

Actually, there was one way. The only possible way that he might be able to find Myad equally…

However, he couldn't use it right now. It had a clear limit to how many times he could use it, and there was no telling how many powerful enemies he might meet in the future like Myad. And above all, Jaehwan knew that he couldn't withstand the procedure in his current state.

But Jaehwan had to make a decision. His consciousness was fading. If he didn't make a choice now, then he was going to lose the chance to even make a choice. But he never thought he would ask for help right after he came to <Depth>.

[Catastrophe.]

Jaehwan called the name. He called and called.

[Catastrophe?]

There was no answer. Sole King Catastrophe didn't respond. It didn't seem that he was ignoring Jaehwan, and there seemed to be another problem. It was as if the link between Jaehwan and Catastrophe had been damaged. Jaehwan then realized.

'Wait… when that [Link Destroy] was used…'

He remembered that Machina's [Link Destroy] had destroyed the links of all the Vicegerents, and Jaehwan's link to Andersen, and even the link to Catastrophe.

'Dammit.'

Jaehwan became desperate — there was no other way now. What choice did he have? Then, someone walked past Jaehwan.

[Let him go.]

The voice wasn't solemn or pressuring like Myad's. It had a lot of noise mixed in because of the broken parts, and the world power within it seemed petty at best. Even then, the voice seemed determined and ready.

[You will fight with me.]

It was Andersen, the Naked God.

"What are you…"

Jaehwan could barely move and tried to walk to her, but Karavan held onto him. Jaehwan turned and it seemed that Karavan seemed to have already discussed it with Andersen. Karavan shook his head.

"Don't go. That's her decision."

"Decision? What are you…"

And then her voice came.

[Jaehwan, I know you can't understand my decision. But you know what? I don't understand you either.]

It was Andersen, with her same usual voice.

[We will never understand each other. That's what you first learn when you become a God. Isn't it ironic? You are an all-knowing God who understands and acquires all kinds of knowledge, but you can't even understand just one spirit…]

God? Spirit? Understanding? He wasn't sure what she was trying to say.

[But even if we can't understand each other, we can still feel something from each other. Even if it's just one-sided or not. I mean what I'm saying from that.]

Jaehwan then felt his heart sink. Why? He couldn't understand, but he too had felt. All of his questions in his mind were losing power at Andersen's voice. It was because there was a 'real' one there.

[I know you hate me. You will never accept me as I was once a Cultivator. And you might think my feelings toward Runald is hypocrisy because I was a Cultivator.]

Andersen continued,

[But can you still do me one last favor?]

Jaehwan thought he needed to answer, but his voice couldn't come out. His body was now slowly being paralyzed, and his senses dying. Jaehwan barely was able to nod.

[Go to the Great Forest. And find the 'God of Madness' there.]

His sight grew dark, and he couldn't see Andersen's face anymore. Even if it wasn't her face, he had to see. He had to see what face she was making, but he couldn't. And the faint voice that came after was swept away by explosions. It was probably, 'Take care of Runald.' In his blurry sight, he saw Andersen turning her back.

[Alright then. Let's go, all you Rupture trash.]

Karavan, who had Jaehwan in one arm and Runald in another, began to run. With his sight being quickly becoming dark, Jaehwan felt his consciousness slipping away.

"HAHA! This is most entertaining! A [Naked] God in a Gigantes? I can't even…"

In the next moment, Andersen unleashed her world power and made Myad take her seriously. It wasn't huge, but it was a fierce attack made by a certain God with all of her power. It was an attack that couldn't be considered lightly.

Loud explosions broke out, with huge shockwaves crashing through. Jaehwan saw the last sight as he closed his eyes. He knew that it was a sight that he would never see again in his entire life. The sight he saw was the last memory of one who had lived an age, who was once a being. Another explosion broke out and hot air gushed from it.

As Jaehwan felt the hot air against his cheek, he felt the days Andersen had lived.

A God who had lived over tens of thousands of years. What did 'death' mean to that God? How valuable a relationship that was formed in just a few days?

Jaehwan couldn't understand anything, and couldn't say anything. But when he understood that fact, he felt he came to know what Andersen's last words were. The hot air, the naked world, was telling him this.

[You will become a good 'God'.]

Yes.

Jaehwan closed his eyes quietly.