Chapter 47: Answers

The night was eerily quiet, with only the distant sounds of the city reaching David's ears. Just moments after the sudden departures of Jupiter and Ares, his communicator vibrated, bearing a message from Enryu.

"Meet in private. Elite Future Academy, rooftop," it read.

Without a second's delay, David made his way towards the Elite Future Academy. As he approached, the sprawling complex was bathed in a faint, silvery moonlight, the stars shining more vividly than he remembered. The towering structure seemed to reach for the heavens, symbolizing the limitless potential of those who trained within.

Upon reaching the rooftop, the chilly wind greeted David, carrying with it the scent of the impending rain. Enryu stood there, his back turned to him, his posture rigid. The skyline painted a scenic view behind him, yet the tension in the atmosphere was palpable.

Enryu finally broke the silence, "The visions I've seen... the timeline... none of it is matching up, David."

David approached cautiously, a knot forming in his stomach. "What do you mean?"

Enryu turned to face David, his usually stoic eyes reflecting a storm of emotions. "Your growth... it's unnatural. When I last saw you, you were just beginning to grasp your powers, and now... now, you radiate with an energy that's both familiar and foreign to me."

David gulped, realizing where the conversation was headed. But before he could speak, Enryu continued, "There's a particular aura around you, akin to those ancient practitioners who harness mysterious energies. It's an energy I've sensed in distinct people."

He took a step closer to David, his eyes piercing through David's soul. "Tell me, David, are you... a regresser?"

David's eyes darted around as he contemplated Enryu's piercing gaze. The evening atmosphere was thick with tension, and David felt a knot tighten in his stomach.

"I... I know it sounds crazy," David hesitated, taking a deep breath, "But I am the creator of this world. This universe, the 'Redo of a Hero', is my creation."

Enryu's face contorted with a mix of anger and disbelief. "Stop jesting, David. This isn't the time for ridiculous stories."

But David's eyes bore into Enryu's with an earnestness that was hard to ignore. "I'm not joking, Enryu. Everything about you, your tragic backstory, your lineage, it was all scripted by me."

For a moment, all that could be heard was the gentle rustle of the trees nearby. Enryu's shock was palpable. "So, you're saying... My past, my powers, everything... is just a plot point in your story? Donyou take me for a fool?"

David slowly nodded. "I made you an orphan to add depth to your character. Your heritage, the blend of the mighty Devil God Asmodeus and a mortal mother, your evolving powers of ice, even your tragic end in the hands of a treacherous lover... all those details were my design."

Enryu took a step back, the weight of the revelation causing his legs to feel weak. "So, the black ice! That wasn't just a coincidence? The powers I thought were my own... all crafted by you?"

David, sensing the depth of Enryu's turmoil, reached out a hand. "I never realized how real this world would become to me, how real you would be. But yes, even the regression, it was a twist I added."

Enryu's face had gone pale, the sheer disbelief evident in his widened eyes. "My entire life, my struggles, my pains... just strokes of your pen?"

David bit his lip, regret and guilt evident in his eyes. "Yes, but please understand, it was a story. I didn't expect to be here, living through it, with you."

The silence between them was deafening. Enryu's world had been upended in a matter of moments, and David was caught in the storm of a narrative he never imagined he'd live.

Enryu's eyes remained sharp and unyielding, trying to dissect David's every word and expression.

"Alright, for argument's sake, let's say what you've said is true," Enryu's voice lowered to a near whisper, charged with caution. "Then why would someone like you, a creator, be here amidst your creation?"

The cold night air filled the brief silence that ensued, with the distant echoes of the academy's evening bells ringing faintly. David took a moment, choosing his words carefully.

"In my world, we don't have powers, abilities, or any of these cosmic struggles," David began, his gaze distant, remembering the mundanity of his original world.

"One day, I just woke up, and instead of my usual reality, I found myself here, in the world I thought I had only imagined."

Enryu's eyes narrowed, scanning David for any signs of deceit. The weight of David's claim pressed down on him, challenging every notion he held about his existence. The night deepened as the two stood, facing each other, caught in a whirlwind of truths too vast to comprehend.

David let out a chuckle, the hint of mischief in his eyes. "Come on, Enryu. If I really wanted to be here, don't you think I'd give myself god-like powers? I'd be on the same level as God King Trimodia!"

He dramatically threw an arm in the air, imitating the grandeur of a powerful ruler. "I'd head straight to Garrison Heights District, partying every single day, surrounded by admirers."

He paused, leaning closer with a smirk, "Instead, here I am, David Jupiter - an idiot nobody, stuck in the Zero Class Elite Future Academy of all places. I mean, I had to drop out because, let's be honest, I'm a grown man!" David let out a hearty laugh, the ridiculousness of his situation not lost on him.

Enryu blinked in surprise, "How old are you, God?"

David rolled his eyes playfully, "First off, it's David, not God. And secondly, I was pushing 31 in my previous life. Now I'm stuck in this 16-year-old body!" He looked down at himself and gestured with mock exasperation.

"Imagine being in your 30s one moment and then waking up having to deal with puberty... again! No thank you. If there's a divine prankster up there, they surely got me good." The light-hearted quip brought a small smile to Enryu's face, easing the tension in the room.