Then Prove It

Chaos, his name now spoken, stretched out a foot, and his followers made themselves the road beneath him. Squelch. Squelch. Their souls were mashed flat—the crime of worthless creatures, unfit for such an honor, who had dared to become his path.

—————!!!

Pain echoed back. They had become Chaos's fodder and could not contain their joy. Envy glimmered in the eyes that watched. Madmen. Fools who had fallen under Chaos's spell and could not climb back out.

"That's a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠little harsh. They're cute kids."

A correction, then. They were the blessed.

"Don't say such awful things."

Another correction. They were the happiest beings this world would ever know.

"I don't like it, but what can you do? Your technique just isn't up to it."

Thanks be unto great Chaos.

Step. Step.

When Chaos moved his jade-pale feet, the universe itself seemed to look up at him. The lowly sun was granted the glory of becoming his halo. The red comet and the Morning Star hid behind that sun and stole glances like little girls; the crimson earth trembled with fear and fled; the great hulking bear was ashamed to look down upon Chaos. The two ringed brothers went blind in his halo, and only the star flung farthest out could barely behold him. The gray star and the blue star—not worth the trouble of chewing—failed, as was only proper, to praise him. A debt that even hundreds of millions of years could not repay…….

"Stop."

Shhhk.

Chaos raised a finger. That index finger seemed to hold every light in the universe, and there was a majesty in it before which all ought to kneel.

"Too many useless words. Cut them. Let's do this with a little style, yeah?"

……Chaos laughed, bright and clear. It was the first warning, and the last.

"Anyone can slip. It's fine. I'm in a very good mood right now."

Chaos winked. His devotees shed tears of rapture, drop by drop, and a sea of ecstasy was born into the universe. At the far end of that sea stood a rude man who meant to stand against Chaos—a pitiful fool who did not know the true truth and worshipped a lying mirage. Had Chaos's grace not rested on him, the fool's arms and legs would have come apart long ago. Even after tasting that grace, the fool's eyes were not kind. They ought to be plucked out.

A soft splash. The sole of Chaos's foot touched the sea. The devotees' tears grew thick. Where else could such happiness be found, when a god deigned to tread upon their filth?

"Hm~♪ Hm~♪."

Impossible! Chaos was humming! Surely he was minding his devotees' hearts! How far did that divine heart reach?

The devotees bowed their heads. They could not show their ugly faces to so great a being. A few could not bear the weight of their own sins and took their lives. Their spirit was worthy of praise.

"Ghhhh……."

The fool writhed. Filth! By what right do you move? Permission has not even been given!

"Wh-who... who are you?"

The fool asked it in a shaking voice. A question? He deserved to die a hundred times. Yet Chaos's countenance did not crack in the slightest. He was indulging the shortcomings of the ignorant.

"What do I look like?"

Chaos crouched. His imperial face was deep and dark. Surely there were stratagems there beyond all imagining. The fool's trembling grew worse. Without a doubt, he had been ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠overcome by Chaos's majesty.

"……Terror."

"And?"

"Cha...os..."

"Right. That's me."

Chaos looked around. He pointed at himself.

"Say it! Who am I!"

"You are the great and most great Chaos of the beginning!"

The devotees cried it out—a recitation for one who was a fool now, but might someday become a devotee.

"Weak! Louder! Who am I!!!"

"Source of all chaos! Chaos of the universe! The one who understands humankind!"

"Good! Good! One more time! Last call!"

BOOOOM!!!

Every devotee's head burst. The faithful left one last cry for their god.

"Son of the Father! Chaos above chaos!"

Their fluids fell. Their faith held even in death. Not a drop touched the space above Chaos's head, nor anywhere near him. Only the unbelieving fool was drenched.

"Get it? This is me."

"…………."

The fool's breathing went rough. Chaos's fingers tipped his chin up. Smeared with tears and snot, the fool still would not soften his eyes. A thing to sigh over. Was there truly no salvation for him?

"……Are you a god?"

"You wouldn't be wrong to define me that way. The details are a little different, though."

"……Is this your world?"

Chaos's lips thinned.

"Yeah. This is my home, and yours."

"……."

"It's all right if you can't understand. Across the whole universe, you could count on one hand the beings who've come this far."

The fool's breaths grew long. Not even Chaos's august hand could keep a life from slipping. If he died before grasping Chaos's grace—the fear of that was terrible.

"You're lucky. You aren't even from the Origin, and you're seeing me from this close."

"The Ori...gin...?"

The fool's eyes dropped. The impious blue star was caught in them.

"……Is that the Origin?"

"Heh."

Chaos was sparing with his words. Even that was beautiful.

"I'd love to run my mouth about this and that, but sadly, you don't have the standing for that much."

"……I'm not interested."

"Oh?"

He had to be killed. To talk back to Chaos! How was a sin like that to be punished?

"You must have a lot of questions. So why?"

"……Because it isn't my mission!"

Ah! Chaos, those eyes must be plucked out at once!

"I have only one purpose! The opening of the Heavenly Road! Whoever you are! Wherever this is! I haven't the slightest interest!"

The fool's blood spattered Chaos's legs. Unbearable. Unbearable! Dying ten thousand times would not be enough. Eternal despair had to be granted to him.

"You gave your name and you promised! That if the conditions were met, you would withdraw!"

The fool clutched at his own chest.

"The first! The second! The conditions are complete! So hurry—take your hands off!"

"Bwahahahahaha!!!"

Kraaagh! How fierce, Chaos's laughter! The universe could not endure it!

"Bwah! Humans really are fun! Even when they want to give up on everything, they grab some rotten hope and hang on! You couldn't buy a sight like that! No sir!"

Chaos dabbed at an imperial tear. Chaos, how can you rejoice over a man like that?

"You're right! You're right! The conditions were met! The first one counts, since ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I revealed it and settled it myself! And the second ended the moment we got here!"

Relief touched the fool's face. Ha! Unbelievable! That such behavior had to be watched!

"But, you see……."

He stopped.

Chaos's tone dropped. The fool's pupils surged like waves.

"The contract was sealed in my name, right? Probably."

"……What is it you're trying to say?"

The fool's eyes rolled like marbles. Heh. Foolish past all describing. Did he think Chaos was something that danced to his tune?

"My name isn't Phantom, though?"

"………Word games!"

Cough!

The fool vomited up his life, and that life sank beneath the sea. The devotees beckoned him. This way. Hurry.

"Really. If the name on it is false, the contract voids itself, doesn't it? The worlds were different to begin with."

"……Then what ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠became of the moon's guarantee!"

"Ah. That……."

Chaos, what are you hesitating for? Kill him alrea——.

"You're noisy. Be quiet."

Chaos! Forgive me! Mercy! Please, mercyyyyyyyy——.

Snap.

"Haa……. This is awkward."

"……There's something... you're avoiding... isn't there."

"Hmm……. Does it matter?"

"What are you plotting……."

"Plotting, nothing. I'm just going to finish this before the guarantor gets here."

"What……?"

"I'd better hurry. Time to pull a little prank. Hahaha!"

"You can't... do that!"

"With that body? Don't waste your strength. Just watch. I'll have a box seat ready for you."

"Never! Absolutely never!"

"Gross. Get your hand off my foot. Before I call up my true body."

"Kgh! Haaagh!"

"Ugh……. Look at those tentacles sprouting. I slipped on the power."

"No……. Don't……."

"Your story was fun. Really delicious. Time to wrap it up."

Heh heh. That face, when the comrade you trusted kills you in the most wretched way! How fun that would be!

"Well then, I'm off~~~."

He stopped short.

"Huh?"

Chaos's body froze.

"Wait……. Why did the narration……."

"If it had stopped here, I might have let it go."

A slide.

It turned over.

Space.

The world.

The universe.

The world Chaos had devoured came apart. Everything went back to the start.

"You thought I wouldn't notice?"

"Tch……. I'm fucked."

Chaos rolled his eyes around and around.

"Let me off just this once. Let me play with a toenail's worth of dirt. That's all the power I've got."

"You kidding me?"

"Of course it's a joke. Would've been better if it were real."

"Hey."

"Whyyy."

"You already played once. That's enough, isn't it?"

"Twice would be……."

"Hey."

"Wha—?"

"Not you."

He set a hand on the shoulder of the shaggy-haired man who had appeared beside him.

"You deal with it."

"…………."

"Hueh?"

The shaggy-haired man's mouth opened and closed a few times.

And then…….

"……That is what you would like, is it not."

"Hm?"

"……Are you still taking your ease?"

"Hold on."

"Ha! Suddenly afraid, are you?"

Amusement touched the First Apostle's face.

"How young you are. Then……."

"You want me to lose once?"

"Yes."

"Hmm."

Something's off…….

He looked around. The sun was lighting everything to a bright glare. Sunset still seemed a long way off.

"It is useless to take it back now."

"It's not that……."

Something felt wrong……. Did it matter?

He had met the First Apostle, and if he could just put the man down, he could save Hong Yumin. After everything it had taken to get her back, he couldn't let her die again.

"First Apostle. You will not get what you want. Not ever."

"Then prove it."

The Stone Tablet at the First Apostle's chest lit up.

"Sacrifice yourself for Heaven's will."

He slipped the First Apostle's opening strike and groped for a counter.

At that moment, the moon that had been hiding behind the sun began, slowly, to rise.