Past Life Returner

It was an eternal battlefield, where its beginning was unknown. There was a time when he dominated the heavens, and I governed the earth. I could faintly remember it. If he had made a decision then, then he might have at least aimed for mutual destruction, but he did not.

From birth, the reason for our existence was so different. There would never be a moment when I could understand him. The source of my strong hatred toward him would also remain a secret. Thus, I would become a completely flawless existence, who did not remember anything.

Swoosh!

The moment one of my Powers erupted towards him, I saw the path to the future I wanted. Although it was unknown where we had started from, one thing was clear. I could finally bind him! The only motivation that drove me, which was the intention to slaughter him, was contained in my Power. Therefore, my soldiers were born with colder eyes than ever.

When they raised their wings, weapons that could bind him were held in each hand. Then, they flew straight towards him. Thousands of pairs of wings simultaneously covered the visible range. Yet, there was not a glimpse of a single black wing through the gaps.

He lacked the energy to oppose me with the same amount of power as he had been weakened. Since that happened, occasionally his eyes began to be revealed. When a group of soldiers evaporated due to him, his whole body was exposed.

And finally, when all the soldiers were slaughtered, he finally realized something was wrong and showed a motion to surge towards me. However, it was too late.

The spears left behind by the dead soldiers writhed. They hovered around him and all at once, their tips aimed and pierced through space towards him. One of them thrust into his chest.

Pat!

I, too, jumped through the space in front of him and gripped the spear shaft stuck in his chest. I could see his distorted face and struggle in an attempt to not be bound. I could feel the strong resistance from his clenched fists.

He wasn’t able to take care of himself, and the energies he bled out were darker than ever. His wounds were bursting as if veins were popping, but even then he focused only on preventing the spear from piercing his chest.

The energies he shed moved like parasites. They climbed up the spear shaft. They gnawed on my fist, hoping I would release the spear, but the force I had released earlier exploded from his back at that moment.

Argh!

His mouth opened.

Sheaaaah!

He crashed downward, aiming for the lower barrier. I first felt the sensation of the spearhead thrusting into his chest, then heard his scream. At last, the tip of the spear was buried inside him, and the power of binding was completed.

It appeared as if he would bounce off, but he soon went limp. It was too early for me to be happy. I had bound him, but that did not mean that I had cut off his breath. I needed to press him down with force and seal his divinity. That was the only way to kill an immortal being and put an end to this never-ending fight.

Srr.

Energy erupted from both him and me simultaneously. They were gold and black.

***

I felt it.

When I felt his strength wane considerably, I could not control myself. An excited tremor that began deep within my chest shook my entire body. My vision also shook, capturing his distorted face.

The curse to seal his divinity began within that tremor. Even as he screamed, he had a look of determination in his eyes that he would never give up. However, sheer willpower was meaningless as he could not reverse the situation.

It was an eternal struggle that seemed neverending. Just glaring at me would never overturn all those years.

The curse immediately stripped him of his sacred facade. Steam burst from his face, and the evil energy emanating from that started melting his skin. He was simply exposed to the process of his divinity being sealed and could not even struggle as he had been restrained for so long.

However, suddenly…

Boom!

It sounded like the air was exploding, and he plummeted downwards. The barrier below was already on the verge of breaking, and it could not withstand the explosive power of the curse.

But he was almost dead anyway. There were a few nuisances there, but none could hinder me. He faced me with an utterly motionless posture. The sight of him, with his divinity sealed, was pitiful. The spear that impaled him remained embedded in the ground, continuing to bind him.

If he had been present as a divine being, such limitations would have been a jest to him. Nevertheless, in his current state with his divinity sealed, he was incapable of enduring the lightning potency that was being emitted from the spear. Furthermore, he could not subsist in the same realm as me, so all he could do was remain immobilized with his eyes stretched wide in torment.

I lowered several levels of my Sense, driven by the urge to witness his death sooner. The moment time returned to its normal flow…

Splat!

Blood sprayed before my eyes, but even prior to it reaching my face, it transformed into red powder and dispersed in every direction.

I remain at the end of eternity. Just die.

I could finally mock him by extinguishing his soul. I naturally raised my head, feeling the power that flowed into me. With every breath, I could feel its complete synchronization with me. This feeling of fullness was the power he had so desired, which made me unique.

I will endow my creations with souls and egos to manage various dimensions. I will watch over the birth of new beings that can challenge my divinity. I will distinguish between what should disappear and what should remain.

However, the reason for my unending tremor was still the same. It was not because I had killed him and absorbed him to achieve the status of the one and only god. He had exploded and died, leaving nothing, even his blood and flesh. It was a complete annihilation! The crater from his impact on the earth was the only thing he left and my only joy.

Unlike my concerns, there was no emptiness. I had concluded my battle with him, but the thrilling sensation I had felt was endless. The thrill of this moment would last longer than the eternal struggle I had.

***

I killed him.

***

There were things that needed to be addressed before returning to my location. Things that should not have remained, which had to be vanished… One of them was approaching me from a distance with a loud scream and a burst of flames.

“Stay away! If I even catch a glimpse of an attempt to get near me, I will kill you all!”

The man looked insignificant by himself. He was the same kind as the one that was waiting for resurrection not far from here. However, if he attained cosmic enlightenment, he could expand his innate powers and pose a challenge to me.

He could have been one of my forgotten creations. But I could not ignore the possibility that he could pose a threat and annoyance to me. Even if he was born from my benevolence…

As I was about to finish him off, I heard a voice.

- Sun, it’s me. Jonathan.

His voice interrupted my decision.

Jonathan. What is it?!

I wondered why those three syllables resonated so vividly in my mind. Even looking again, sending a telepathic message to me seemed like a mediocre ability. However, it was impossible that someone could wield such a power akin to a command.

I held back the power I was trying to exert as I became curious about this guy’s identity.

Jonathan.

Even when I waited and thought again, something stirred inside me.

Jonathan.

When I called out that three-syllable name, it became clear. It felt like something deep inside me was etched and moved on its own.

Deep… Deep inside… Deep inside?

As I frowned due to surprise, the person who introduced himself as Jonathan landed in front of me. I did not know what made this cold and fierce-faced man tear up. The tears that welled up in his eyes seemed as if they would spill any moment.

Hmm… Why? What is going on?

“Even if you don’t remember me, you will remember your girl. Mary, no… You called her Woo Yeon-Hee. Do you remember? Your girl, Woo Yeon-Hee.”

Woo Yeon-Hee.

I felt the same sensation as when I tried saying the name Jonathan.

“Yes! Woo Yeon-Hee,” he said.

The owner of that name provoked me so much that it might have been the one to disappear.

Maybe… Maybe…?

I turned my head. There was a unique structure beyond the flames the man created and I saw a scene of where the intellects of this civilization had gathered. There was a creature not assimilated into this civilization, and a man was in the center of them, waiting for resurrection.

I asked, pointing in that direction, “Is the person in there Woo Yeon-Hee? I am asking about the one waiting for resurrection.”

“No, that is Joshua.”

Joshua.

That name, which was also made up of three syllables, made my brow tense.

Who is Il?

The man didn’t seem to immediately understand. Then, I unconsciously said another name and threw myself back into confusion. The chaos was as strong as the sudden force in the man’s movement.

Movement… Movement… Movement…?

“Kwon Seong-Il!”

The man suddenly raised his voice in joy.

Suddenly. Suddenly. Suddenly…?

As I pondered what other syllables there could be, a name became clear in my mind! Their names flew around in my head like five bells ringing. The shock that hit me then surpassed the ecstasy I felt when I achieved the sole reason for my existence.

Only then did I understand. Those names were the magical spells that made me myself. My eyes finally opened anew in that moment when those names poured into the completed sanctuary. I started to hear their voices piercing through distant memories.

***

Jonathan.

“Ready to attack.”

Woo Yeon-Hee.

“I am ready, Seon-Hu.”

Joshua.

“Yes, Master.”

Kwon Seong-Il.

“Ah, just leave it to me!”

Lim Dae-Han.

“It is an honor to meet you, Great Odin.”

There were five.

“Jonathan, Woo Yeon-Hee, Joshua, Kwon Seong-Il, Lim Dae-Han… No, wait… It is Lee Tae-Han.”

***

As I retrieved the remaining power of Doom Kaos, the completed deity was pulling everything out from the subconscious. I was called by many names. Times from my memories were jumbled up, with no distinction between the real world and the mental world.

But everything aligned and was completed in an instant.

Woosh!

I could finally see him properly. I did not know why he was tearing up, and I said while placing my hand on his shoulder, “It’s over. Nothing can threaten us now, Jonathan.”

He also put his hand on my shoulder too. “Sun.”

Something surged from Jonathan’s voice and I could feel the weight of his hand on my shoulder increase. However, neither of us shed a tear.

We were perfectly fine in our final victory, so there was no need to cry as no one had lost. I looked around, wiping my left eye with the palm of my hand. Crowds were gathering beyond the firewall set by Jonathan. He had set up such a device to conceal my identity.

Then, I noticed his armor that was barely holding up. It was not just him. The same went for everyone, including Yeon-Hee, Seong-Il and Lee Tae-Han. All had overcome countless challenges with him to achieve this sacred victory. Including the sacrifice of Joshua, who had burnt himself.

Jonathan asked, “What are you thinking about now? After winning the final war?”

If time could be rewound to a day when nothing happened, then the world would be ordinary as if it had been peaceful. Nonetheless, as Jonathan said, we could only win the final battle because of everyone’s noble efforts.

Therefore, these battles should have been remembered forever. However, I was the only one who could make sure they were remembered.

Doom Kaos had the single-minded goal of being the only one until his death. And now, I had to let go of my ambitions as well as I decided not to fulfill only my desires while ignoring everyone else’s needs.

I am sorry, Father and Mother. I hope you both understand.

Jonathan’s firewall evaporated naturally when I used the power I emitted. The crowd became clearly visible as the pillars of intense flames vanished. I pointed at a group of people that had broadcast cameras and reporters. That spot in front of them was where I was supposed to be.

Stomp. Stomp.

Every step I took toward it, the path cleared. Whispers were heard from all directions as people recognized me. Some sighed in relief, and some whispered another name, ‘Odin.’

- Do you know what you are doing?

- Yes, I do. Stand by me.

I stopped in front of the camera after replying to him. The cameraman looked at me in surprise and tried to lower his camera. Others were the same. Some even tried to kneel, mumbling my name, but everything settled down quickly.

I pointed to a female reporter who was focusing her camera on me. She grasped the meaning of my nod, and she posed her question, “Who…who are you?”

Her question came out in silence.

From now on, the heroes of the great victory will be remembered forever. Even after thousands, tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of years, people would remember as long as humanity lasts.

From me, and with me.

I began to answer her by saying this, “I am Odin. I am your Odin.”

< The end >