y

"…God Almighty."

As 'He' finished speaking, the world experienced a series of illusory tremors that appeared to come from a beating heart.

The waitress, seating in a dignified pose, promptly let out a calm innocent smile, with eyes that forcefully reminded 'Him' of the Visionary outside of the Dream.

"In a sense, we have… but that isn't important right now, is it? Also, you can also speak to me with my other title." She answered.

'Primordial One…' Klein thought, before immediately getting to the point. "How are you here?"

"Arrodes was taken by Adam before confronting you, used to stir and partially accommodate the Chaos Sea… in the end our dear mirror, unknown to itself, also accommodated a large part of my Sefirot's power, allowing me enough strength to create this Hidden Dream…" She explained, the deep voice that overlayed itself slowly gaining more traction until it drowned all feminine sounds.

This was a natural, strange proof of the God Almighty Pillar exerting 'His' historical relevance over the form that he now occupied.

As the Fool looked at her, the apparition of the God Almighty smiled further.

"During that time, I felt… extremely conflicted. On one side, if I tried to further erode Adam, bringing down the balance that had been achieved by the Deities that inherited my pathways… I might have resurrected…"

She emphasized the "might" part.

"But on the other hand, I saw you. You were the vision I had so long ago, and the reason why Arrodes exists is to bring me access to this battleground that you have right now with him."

She then smiled warmly to 'Him'.

"Mingrui… I came here to support you."

The Fool maintained his stern expression, slowly analyzing the described situation.

'What he is saying… is that by supporting me at that time, then the possibility of resurrection would have been there, but not guaranteed. And that it would have completely erased all help for me inside this dream…'

This directly clashed with the distinct revelations that 'He' had before going to slumber into the Door of Light.

Klein's initial scheme, and the plan that had been undergoing as of right now, was the sealing of the Celestial Worthy inside his body, inside Zhou Mingrui… after this, under the guidance of fate, the ones possessing 'His' coins would enter the dream, and through continuous efforts on their part, the possibility of victory would be open.

"It will fail." She affirmed.

The Fool's glare got far more pronounced at those words.

But before 'He' could interject, she explained. "I'm not condemning it from the start, even more, there is some truth to the fact that it could give you the upper hand…"

"But at what cost?"

Naturally, Klein understood the price he would pay. Any kind of victory before the Celestial Worthy, a persona of the Original Creator, would only be a temporary one… extremely straining, slowly degenerating into becoming the same as the ancient Lord of Mysteries.

Letting 'Him' resurrect once again.

"It's a price I'm willing to pay." 'He' answered.

The smile of the Apparition of the God Almighty deepened, making the Fool feel the terrifying gaze of a predator. With slow, dragging scales resounding in the distance and assaulting 'His' senses.

What came after was predictable.

"I have an offer for you… so that you won't need to pay such price anymore."

'That is nothing but changing one price for another… different chains are still bondage.' Klein thought, analyzing what the apparition could want from him in return.

"If you are telling me to help you resurrect inside Adam, then you can forget about it." 'He' promptly retorted, not out of any semblance of sympathy for the Visionary, but from the basic nature of the Primordial One.

The most optimal path right now would be for the two transmigrators, Mr. Fool and the Ancient Sun God, to overcome the original mental imprints and fully, but temporarily, become Great Old Ones themselves.

So, at least for now, 'He' wouldn't move against the Omniscient and Omnipotent One.

She chuckled a bit, as if finding amusement in 'His' immediate answer before speaking in a calm tone. "I wish to see Chaos. The one from the Beginning."

'…Chaos?' Questioned Klein. 'Is he referring to the myth of creation? But that only refers to the pre-epoch… was there a chaos before? Is this the natural state of the Oldest One?'

She continued. "Maybe you are thinking about your myth… the one that came after the split of the Original Creator. In a sense it is the Chaos that I seek… in a smaller scale that is."

Her eyes then widened as the deep voice resounded with extreme passion. "I wish to see the Beginning… The Origin of All Things."

The last phrase resounded with Klein's Spirit Body, making it clear that it wasn't just an expression, but a terrifying title that stood alongside of those of God Almighty, Mother Goddess of Depravity, and Lord of Mysteries.

Or at least close enough for the symbolism to react.

"That isn't its true name, if I had said it… he would have immediately found this place."

'Naturally, this place isn't separated from my main dream… already being able to hide from the Celestial Worthy is an extremely impressive feat…'

"Why?" 'He' asked.

The smile on the waitress' face was finally erased, leaving only a completely monotone expression in its place. It took a moment before the deep voice spoke once again, this time existing as a disembodied experience, leaving the body of the apparition unmoving.

"Why you ask? Well… do you think we can feel fear? Despair?"

The deep voice let the question settle for a moment before continuing.

"We can. We feel despair all through our existence, all through our complete grueling being we feel the crushing weight of this reality. Just as you fear him awakening inside you, erasing everything that you were and drowning any possibility of what you could have been… we fear 'Him'…"

With 'Him' being the Oldest One.

The Fool made a conflicted face, taking a moment to organize his thoughts before asking. "But how? Aren't both you and him personas of the Original Creator? How can you fear 'Him' when you are also unrelenting in the convergence instinct?"

At this moment the smile returned to the waitress' face, but now it didn't spread warmth, nor did it seem confident or with the intention of concealing something.

It seemed only pitiable.

"And yet… we feel fear. Each of us are maddened, driven by the instinct of convergence until 'He' awakens… and yet, that doesn't stop the fear, the dread of 'Him' being different… unknown to us."

'He' then looked at the Fool through the eyes of the waitress.

"I am afraid of my death. Of the end. And I fear because, while I know it will only lead to another great cycle of slumber and awakening, I do not know if the God Almighty from that great cycle will be me once again…"

This was the fear of a Pillar.

"This is the same for all Great Old Ones, anchored or not… and that is also why 'They', in their despair and madness, reach out for the Sefirots left on Earth…"

Even the Outer Deities desperately seek an opportunity to keep 'Themselves'.

This also explains why 'They' don't just combine with each other… none of the parts know who will come out at the other end.

At this point the Fool's mind made sense of the request. ''He' wants to find meaning in the Original Chaos…'

Klein, at this point, whether moved by pity or by his own dreadful fate, was nearly moved to agree to the God Almighty's request.

Nearly.

'For all I know this is just 'Him' preying on my humanity…' 'He' thought, naturally skeptical of a being leagues above that of the present Visionary… even if dead.

The waitress let out another amused laugh, as if confirming their suspicion about the present challenger to Lord of Mysteries, before the voice started speaking with a calm tone. "Very well, I'll end my pitch with this then."

It then grew heavier, suffocating.

"The Celestial Worthy is meaningless, whether it's truth or falsehood, only the Lord of Mysteries remains…"

The Fool remained unmoved on the surface but listened carefully to the words of the apparition of the God Almighty.

Seeing that she had achieved her objective, the waitress moved to get up from her seat, promptly retrieving a menu from the side and asking with her normal and enthusiastic and slightly teasing voice.

"Esteemed customer, what would you like to have? Is starting with a drink alright with you? There are a few specials for today that you must try! Even more, there are some desserts your friend last time will surely enjoy!"

After this, another waitress came to deliver a drink, a glass of lemon iced tea, leaving it in front of 'Him', who promptly took a hold of it, only looking at the liquid inside without consuming it.

It felt as if this was some deeper, last effect from the influence of this apparition.

Klein's voice remained stern while he asked. "Why did you bring her here? Into this dream?"

This time, 'He' heard the voice of the God Almighty directly into his head, speaking as if reveling in his uncertainty. "Oh, nothing much… some preparations, very important ones I might add, for a future that will happen whether you or I want it to or not…"

"…The Justice Audrey Hall will die…"

The cracking of glass resounded in the restaurant.

Along with the sound of the suddenly spilled liquid.

"Don't worry dear customer, the glass and the drink are on the house!" Spoke the waitress with an overly enthusiastic voice… one that appeared to be constantly mocking 'Him'.

She then left for the back of the restaurant.

But the deep voice resounded once again. "She is getting closer… you don't want to miss this opportunity and forget about her when you wake up? If you wake up that is…"

"Just let me tell you… if you don't get my help and follow my method, even if you manage to wake up… all hope for her will be erased…"

The voice then disappeared. Still, it did so in a way that reverberated deeply inside 'His' thoughts, bringing up all the worries that he had naturally unearthed from those last words.

Leaving 'Him' unresponsive, looking at the nothingness in front of him while repeating the words of her condemnation inside his mind.

Klein could only feel the heat of the blood enveloping the glass shards encrusted on his hand.

***

Audrey had finally managed to leave the Mind World, albeit with a constant uneasiness and muddling of her thoughts that seemed to hide the true way that had allowed her to do so.

Still, she could easily recognize one thing.

'Mr. World isn't here…'

Instead, Audrey found herself in front of the set of stairs where she had met Klein for the first time after waking up in this Strange Dream.

Without wasting anymore time, the Justice started to move, letting herself be led by the directions that her spirituality provided.

Until she reached another familiar place. A restaurant's entrance with a small sign detailing the different food options of the day.

'Here…?' She asked in her mind, confirming that her spirituality had indeed led her towards this place. This, being an extremely opportune occasion, made her wary of entering rashly.

Audrey stood outside for a moment, waiting for any of the waitresses of last time to show up and lead her inside.

But no one came.

Slowly, the realization that the whole world seemed to have become devoid of any and all living beings dawned upon her mind.

The Justice let out a single breath, steeling herself to enter the deserted place.

She felt as she pushed through a membrane, one that disappeared from the moment she took a step into the restaurant, letting her know about the being inside.

Audrey then felt an overwhelming, indescribably presence.

An expanse of Spirituality so large that appeared to easily cover the whole city. It was similar to the overwhelming currents inside the corresponding Mind World.

Her first reaction was to fear it, to retreat and hide, to try and find some way to leave this dream and try to never come back.

A reaction that she promptly suppressed, even if forcefully.

'If it is so similar then…' She thought, discerning the feelings carried by the seeping spirituality.

Loneliness, fear, despair, tiredness.

Worry, guilt.

Audrey, naturally recognizing these feelings and suspecting who stood as its source, made haste in fully entering the restaurant that appeared to be illuminated by a dim, gray light.

She noticed that the place, just like the street outside, was empty. Deserted as if every being had abandoned the restaurant upon the descent of a Great Existence.

Only a lonely soul remained.

A man sat still in a corner, 'His' head slightly hunched forward and his hand tightly holding onto broken glass shards.

'Klein!' She thought, swiftly moving to 'His' side.

Audrey felt a lump form in her throat, as if the same emotions from before were again trying to infect her. She instantly dispelled it with a placate but refrained of doing so for her patient choosing to analyze his mental state before acting.

She took 'His' face in between her hands, looking downwards at his distraught and unfocused expression.

'His' caramel eyes had now settled into a deep dark brown, one that appeared to barely contain an abyss of madness and chaos, as if trying desperately to keep their mind afloat.

She skillfully used Placate while targeting the areas most damaged by the swirling Godhood and bringing up memories that enriched 'His' humanity from within his subconscious.

This, albeit slowly, led to finally having a response from the catatonic Klein.

"A-Audrey…" 'He' stuttered her name in a raspy and low voice.

Still, 'His' eyes remained unfocused.

"Yes, yes, I'm here Mr. World. I'll help you now, don't try to recall what happened here…" She spoke in a soothing and warm tone.

'I need to lead him out of here…' She thought, naturally associating this place to the cause of The World's chaotic mental state.

The Justice tried to formulate a plan, looking over at the restaurant for any hidden dangers that might be lurking, finally centering at the door that led deeper into the back.

It resounded with her, with the same feeling born out of the guttural noise that lurked below the Sea of Collective. Whatever was behind that door… she would eventually need to confront it if she wanted to unravel the secret behind this Strange Dream.

Her mind raced with possibilities, analyzing whether there was any danger or if it would somehow impact the World in any way.

That is why the sudden feeling of 'His' hand clinching hers took her by surprise…

Audrey felt 'His' firm grasp, one the reflected the man's desire not to let her go… but also one that was so obviously scared to hurt her, that ended up slowly becoming a gentle touch.

At this moment, Klein's emotions were convoluted. 'His' fear having both mixed and entered conflict with his greed, becoming an indistinguishable and turbulent feeling.

'He' had slowly removed her hand from his face, letting his head hang lower, just enough for her to lose sight of 'His' eyes.

Then 'He' spoke, in that same hoarse and low voice.

"I… I am sorry."

Audrey looked at 'Him' in silence… with pity and confusion.

'What are you sorry for…' She wished to ask.

The Justice then moved her gaze lower, towards the hand that still remained incrusted with glass shards. The blood had started to slowly drip onto the floor, mixing with the remaining liquid.

At this point she had completely separated her hands from 'His' face.

A pathetic resistance from the one hand grabbing hers was easily defeated, leaving the man seating like a marionette whose strings had been cut.

Klein felt cold.

Alone.

"…"

Only her steps could be heard on the background, occasionally accompanied by the sound of opening and closing drawers near the back entrance.

All the while, 'His' vision undulated in between a blur of indescribable creatures and pure blackness.

'He' slowly let out a breath resigning himself.

Only to hear the dragging of a chair, the motions of cloth and of a person seating in front of 'Him'… and the warmth of a hand gasping his wounded one.

The two of them sat in silence as she slowly picked out the shards, leaving them on the table by their side, and using a bottle of liquor to clean it.

'He' let himself be healed.

After a moment, already having extracted every fragment from within Klein's hand, Audrey pressed a wet towel on both sides of it. She grasped it with both of her hands, making it remain firmly in place.

Slowly, Klein's eyes regained lucidity, allowing 'Him' to see her looking down at the enveloped hand with warmth and calmness, paying attention to every detail as to better heal him.

In a sense, this was no different of the other times Miss Justice had helped 'Him' with his mental state.

It was still her soothing 'Him'.

That twisted and indescribable feeling resurged on 'His' heart, only becoming more pronounced by seeing her aid him once again.

She then turned her gaze up, meeting 'His' eyes.

Audrey then gave 'Him' a soft smile, letting her eyes linger over 'Him' for a while before speaking.

"Let's go, Klein…"