Mysteries?

Mysteries? Winston felt a stir in his heart, but then, instantly his mind connected all the dots.

He had been thinking that even Samuel Helmons who he had encountered was an avatar of Enryu, one not imbued with enough power.

Only now did his mind connect that the silver dwarf had always been Phantaminum. Or at least a life form belonging to him; not necessarily an avatar - but merely an agent of the predestined fate.

For a moment, a flash of inspiration passed by him.

How many times had Phantaminum made use of those beings? How many times had Samuel Helmons been used to correct the 'storyline' in Phantaminum's image?

Was the reason Phantaminum stormed Jahad's Royal Palace also because he saw a change in fate?

Suddenly, Winston felt a small portion of his potion digesting.

The Scholar of Yore potion was something that had already been largely digested the moment he drank it. Almost 60% of it was digested and the digestion speed hadn't slowed down.

With his visionary powers, he had been able to find many unknown parts of history in the tower. And now, as he stood face to face with the strongest being in the tower, his potion digestion took another small step.

Phantaminum looked at the screen again, massaging his neck.

"You're somewhat clever. But clever people are always the easiest to deceive. You simply need to dumb everyone around them down to make them overinflate their egos. To the point they won't suspect anything. However, you still managed to catch on. Sadly, it was already too late at that point." He snickered.

"And it's not like I didn't try other things. I tried to gently steer you away at first. Only then did I use that meat bag to confront you head on. But perhaps the meat bag was too weak to begin with, only being able to see fate and not steer it in a meaningful direction. That serpent which could manipulate the river of fate was especially troublesome for me. So much that I had to lead Khun Eduan and Ari Han to it for the Dwarf to function properly.

"And even then, it was no necessarily successful.

"I've walked the world for ages. As an Axis, I've never met anyone quite as troublesome as you. Not even Enryu, a servant of another axis and imbued with their power could impact destiny like you."

"You say you protect the story." Winston said.

"How does it end in your eyes?"

"How should I know?" He chuckled in response. Without offering a clear explanation, he began to press some buttons on the remote.

The screen began to shift, showing various instances from history. Phantaminum and Enryu's first meeting, him storming Jahad's palace, getting followed by Urek Mazino.

"The story itself is a tapestry of hundreds of individuals, each able to influence it to varying degrees. Back then, whenever the story turned in a way I did not like, I threw everything aside and threw a tantrum. It was the reason so many of Jahad's soldiers died that day.

"Eventually, I was approached by Enryu. That bastard was a tough one to get used to, but being with him and travelling through the tower, taking different forms and interacting with different stories, each happening simultaneously, it taught me to enjoy the process."

With that said, he pointed to Winston and said, "I no longer care for how the story will turn out. Just that it remains unaffected by outside interferences. And you are the greatest interference. Rachel was supposed to have a bigger role. But with you here, she had been sidelined. Endorsi Jahad, Khun Aguero Agnis, Rak Wraithraiser, Destined One, all were supposed to have better instances in the story. Zarhan Zulasekail, although a part of Enryu's lineage, was supposed to fail at the task of finding teammates and enter the tower only a decade later - and then die at the hands of a shinhueh during a test on the 34th floor. Amon was supposed to fail at the barrier testing stage, never to enter the tower again and die a nobody.

"It's as if you're a whirlpool. Pulling everything along into a focal point with you. You draw out everyone's part in destiny and the story and focus everything upon yourself.

"I should have eliminated you when you entered the tower."

"And why didn't you?" Winston asked, his face still impassive.

"I wonder why..."

Winston quieted down. In his minds, thoughts churned like a tumultuous ocean.

Meanwhile, the images on the screen kept changing, going from Phantaminum's assault to the palace, to their travels and then to his momentary respite in his own domain. With Enryu being invited every now and then.

And for reasons he was not aware of, all those images aided in the digestion of his Scholar of Yore potion. While Phantaminum and Enryu were indeed historical figures with a profound influence on the tower, they themselves did not comprise history. It was unknown why his potion digestion was being triggered by watching Phantaminum's needless showcase of his own life.

Perhaps it was because while the number one ranker of the tower did not comprise history as a whole, as an inherent part of the 'story' that comprised the tower, he was the cornerstone in history.

Regardless of why the digestion was happening, Winston could not shake the binding force around his abilities. And he had an inkling that if he removed the binding by force, he would no doubt die.

With his avatars stuck in combat against Enryu, he was sure to enter a state of true 'death,' once the avatars were killed off. In the first place, he did not think he could escape Phantaminum himself even if he had all his beyonder abilities.

Seeing his silence, the axis again began to speak.

"There's no need to feel so tense. After all, I don't hold any inherent enmity towards you. To be honest, the gap between us is too large to be even considered enemies. As long as you listen to me, I shall not kill you and merely hold you captive until the natural course of the story can commence.

"I would have liked to throw you out of the tower, but even I, as the axis of this story cannot force the tower to open it's doors to lead someone out."

Of course, as one of the strongest axes, Phantaminum held authority to destroy the tower of god story, but he couldn't destroy the tower itself. In essence, the tower predates his authority as an axis, and so, he is unable to do anything against it, powerful as he might be.

"Heh." Winston let out a dry chuckle. "Yuri had the right assessment about you. You are indeed prideful and a bit of a douchebag."

"Ouch." Phantaminum clutched his chest and winced. "Sad to think my second favourite princess thinks of me as such. If you're wondering about the first, it is naturally Eurasia Enne Jahad. She's the cutest in my personal opinion."

Just then, before Winston could reply with a sarcastic remark, something shot through the walls of the theater and reached into his being. He realized what this was. The returning beyonder characteristics.

The avatars were starting to get killed.

"About time." Sensing the change, a genial smile blossomed upon Phantaminum's face.

"The times outside and inside are still synchronized." Winston suddenly said, cutting Phantaminum off. "But when all the power has returned, you will seal this space with a temporal barrier, turning a day into years; sealing me for hundreds of years until the predestined fate can take place."

"Ding ding! 100 points!" He clapped his hands in response. "You really are clever. Or it is the effect of your powers? I couldn't tell either way." He shook his head and let out another chuckle.

More and more beyonder characteristics soon began to filter through the theater walls and fusing again with Winston's spirit.

They would take some time to regrow into worms; but because they were being so ruthlessly destroyed, Winston's spirit was starting to accumulate some damage.

Worms began to writhe underneath his flesh, pushing and pulling onto the skin. His eyes began to flash with strange madness, and his sealed spirituality began to grow restless.

"It's really a shame, Winston Heath." Phantaminum's cheeky voice echoed in his ear at that moment, "If it were under any other circumstance, I think we could have been good friends. A pity that you're like this."

Winston looked at him again. In his own mind, Winston had already begun to refer to Phantaminum as a 'He.'

Feeling the last of his beyonder characteristics returning to him, Winston smiled softly and said, "I have a last question."

"Ask away." The axis tilted 'his' chin, saying with a smug smile.

"What exactly is the tower? To this day, I still don't understand how I ended up here. Perhaps you can shed some light on it."

"Hmm. Even I don't know for certain. But there was something. Since you've asked, I'll just tell you." 'He' gave him a toothy grin.

The tapped a button on the remote again and instantly, the image of a large gate appeared.

"The tower is a place where all desires can be met. But I don't think that's the explanation you're asking for.

"In essence, the tower was formed from a wish as well." He snickered.

"There was once a man. He wished to see the stars in the infinite sky; but the clouds blocked him. And so, he took a brick and set it upon the ground. Slowly and slowly, he climbed above the clouds but when he saw the stars, he realized what he longed for was not to see the stars but to touch them. To hold them in his very hands.

"He kept building up. His desires took shape. Eventually, he became able to see his wishes become true in all respects. He became one of the strongest axes."

'His' smile widened. "He kept building and building. And when he touched the stars, his wishes were realized. He let himself go, and the tower was left. Influenced by the power of one of the strongest axis, the tower can indeed grant any wish. Any desire under the infinite sky can be granted.

"And of course, the shinsu that flows through the tower is also a representation of the axis' power. An axis field which has lost it's owner. In all respects, shinsu is endless, infinite and omnipotent."

There was silence in the theater for a moment.

Then, Winston's lips stretched into a thin and serene smile.

"Thank you."

Winston closed his eyes, enjoying the same pleasurable sensation he had grown so accustomed to.

And so, he met Phantaminum's eyes again.

"Now, all that's left is to get you out."

A confused expression spread over Phantaminum's face.

But then, his eyes widened; having realized what was happening.

BOOOOOOM!

An explosion happened and the theater was suddenly blown into bits!

Winston and Phantaminum tumbled in the air for a moment before a smile appeared on the axis' face.

"Hahahaha! Excellent! Even I didn't expect this!" 'He' said, not bothering to cover his face from the debris and dirt.

There, having just blown a hole through his personal domain by making a door appear inside a gap, was a giant floating fish.

Winston smiled smugly and exclaimed the name of this creature.

"Sylvain!"

...

A/N: And so begins the 3rd volume - 'Lord of the Mysteries'.

Anyways, don't forget to leave your reviews. I see many of you have yet to make a review. Don't make me pull out the monocle.

Also, check out my other work, Re Zero: Dawn Eater.

Cheers~