Death

A losing thief and a winning king… Have you ever heard this phrase?

Why, you ask?

Half of the city is gone, thousands of people might be dead... But they don't have the power to judge me or punish me.

So, how did I get out of this?

As the hero who defeated the cruel dragon.

Yes, the hero.

Honestly, I feel a bit guilty for playing around with that stupid lizard, which I could have defeated with a single finger.

But if you're looking for someone to blame, blame the planet. Yes…

If I hadn't suppressed myself this much, things wouldn't have come to this point.

Fine, I confess. If I had used space or time—no. Even just activating the concept of death and destruction would have been enough.

Forget concepts. If I had fully unleashed my racial power, I could have probably torn it apart with a single punch.

But it's too late now.

I can't bring the dead back. I can only renew their bodies by using the concept of time.

But I can save those who are about to die. By slowing their time... or stopping it completely.

By connecting with the ether around me, I slowed the molecules. Bending the concept of time, I created a visible tree of life.

As it grew, the time around me came close to a halt.

Behind me, that massive tree shaped by the concept of life was taking root.

I gently swirled its leaves with a breeze.

And by activating the laws of space, I directed the leaves towards the wounded, so they could reach them.

As the leaves floated down like beams of light, they covered each wounded body with light. When the concept of time kicked in, blood flow stopped, torn tissues fused, and broken bones began to heal.

The dying breathed again, one by one.

The countless screams echoing in my mind gave way to deep silence.

But still...

There were those I couldn't save.

I looked around. Eyes locked on me, faces filled with terror. A strange mix of shock, gratitude, and fear...

Some saw me as a divine figure, others as a harbinger of disaster.

It didn't matter.

I didn't really care about them.

I took a deep breath, tilted my head toward the sky. Ashes still floated in the air.

Above all, that damn dragon had even made me lose my cigarette.

I took slow steps. When I reached the edge of the crater, I glanced at the skeleton lying on the ground.

"Hero, huh?" I muttered to myself.

Can cruelty and heroism coexist?

I could hear people whispering behind me. I could guess what they were thinking.

But right now, I wasn't in the mood to care.

As the silence around me stretched, I took a step. I moved forward through the smoke rising from the cracked stones.

The sound of my footsteps echoed.

The silence of the dead...

The breath of the living...

And the smell of burnt flesh...

I gently shook my head.

It didn't matter.

But something caught my attention.

From the ashes and smoke, someone was approaching me.

A child, walking with feeble, trembling steps.

His eyes were bright, but the emotion in them was unreadable. Fear, admiration, or perhaps anger?

He stopped in front of me.

He didn't speak.

He just looked at me.

I raised an eyebrow.

The child clenched the stone fragment in his hand and trembled slightly.

Then...

He threw it at me.

The stone flew through the air, but before it could reach my face, it was shattered by concepts.

Silence.

The people around us were holding their breath.

The child's eyes widened. Maybe he really thought he'd hit me.

Then… he screamed.

He shouted all his hatred, anger, and fear.

"It's all because of you!"

Yes.

I expected that.

But I didn't care.

I stared at the child's face for a long time, then reached out my hand.

The concepts resonating in the air moved again.

The lines of time, space, and life intertwined.

The ashes the child held slowly began to rise into the air.

This little one who attacked me but, in a sense, was justified...

I decided to grant him a grace.

I knelt and looked into his eyes.

"If you truly want power," I said in a low voice, "take it."

I raised my hand.

And touched the child's forehead.

For a moment, time stood still.

And then… everything changed.

The child's body trembled.

His eyes widened, feeling the warmth spreading from my finger on his forehead.

The concept of time slightly wavered, and the air around us grew heavier.

I could see the tiniest sparks of energy inside his body. Weak, fragile... But something was writhing within.

Fury.

The desire for vengeance.

In his eyes, glowing with anger, a light challenged me.

I smiled.

"Let's see if you can handle this."

As the power spreading from my finger entered the child's body, the surroundings were engulfed in white light.

Before anyone could understand what was happening, the child collapsed.

He had fainted.

The crowd surrounding us waited, holding their breath. No one moved.

Then, I took a step.

And everyone stepped back.

The concepts of death, life, and time had permeated me.

My existence was their helplessness.

I leaned forward and took one last look at the child.

"If you truly want power," I said in a low voice, "you'll have to learn to crawl and take it."

I turned my back.

And quickened my steps.

I didn't want to linger in this city anymore.

But there was a strange feeling inside me.

I don't know…

As the city slowly disappeared from my sight, I ascended toward the sky.

The wind was sharp and cold, like a knife striking my face. But I didn't care.

The world around me fell silent.

I looked down from above.

The burned earth, shattered buildings, and traces of destruction...

Yes, this was no different from a battlefield.

But so what?

I shrugged and kept moving forward.

My destination wasn't clear yet, but there was unease inside me.

As if...

Something was calling me back.

A glance, a feeling, maybe a memory...

But just as these thoughts filled my mind, I suddenly felt it.

Something was approaching.

A strange vibration echoed in the air, starting to disturb the concepts around me.

I furrowed my brow.

I took a deep breath and slightly released the energy in my body.

And in that moment—

Time stopped.

The sky darkened.

And a figure appeared before me.

A shadowy form, its face completely submerged in darkness...

It was watching me.

It was silent.

But its presence was heavy enough to shake the stars.

"Transcendence…" I murmured, smiling faintly.

The figure took a step.

And the world began to move again.

A cold wind tore through the night. The air thickened, and the surroundings fell silent.

Then, it was there.

The figure seemed to have emerged from the shadows. Dressed in black, smoky garments, its face was concealed, but even its presence made the air feel like bone.

Death had arrived.

It took quiet steps. The ground didn't crack, even the wind bowed respectfully to its presence. It was cold. Distant. Its gaze was sharp enough to freeze time and hollow enough to drain it.

I just stood there.

I could feel its presence, but I wasn't scared. Death didn't frighten me.

But then, it paused.

Eternity... My concept, my being... Something was reaching it.

Death looked at me from the void. Behind its cold posture, there was a hint of hesitation.

Then something changed.

A flutter inside its sharp, dark form. First, a slight bow of its head, then an almost imperceptible smile.

"Did you find me cold?" it whispered.

Its voice carried the chill of death, but there was a playful tone hidden within.

It wasn't a challenge, but a curious mischievousness.

It approached. Normally, its touch would drain the life out of anything it touched, but I was there, standing still.

Eternity held me beyond everything.

"Strange…" it murmured. "You... are different."

Its fingers wandered through the air, traveling in the void. It didn't touch me, couldn't touch me. Eternity wouldn't allow it.

It tilted its head slightly. Perhaps, for the first time, it was witnessing a being that even death couldn't reach.

When it sensed the vibrations of the concepts around me, it hesitated. Its gaze from the void trembled slightly.

When it felt the concept of eternity, it stepped back, timidly.

Its cold distance gave way to a flirtatious curiosity. Its presence conveyed an uncertain smile.

As if even death was trying to understand the unknown.

"You are the transcendence..."

Its voice didn't echo, as though it whispered directly into my mind.

It studied me a bit longer, then tilted its head again.

"I like you~," it said.

And a laugh—a soft, melodic laugh, yet one that hid an endless abyss—echoed in the void.

For the first time, death hesitated as it took a step.

Death took a step, and the shadows embraced it once more. Its presence vanished instantly, and the air was free again.

And then… it was gone.