Once again, my consciousness returns to the void.
Just like before I immediately begin to touch my body, just to make sure I'm truly still alive.
After a minute, I begin to calm down once more.
"This is the second time I've died."
How many more deaths am I allowed before I die forever?
Obviously I don't want that, else I won't be able to exact my revenge on the gods.
Even now, they're still the cause of my trouble.
But… let's now dwell on that. I'll save this anger for when I kill them.
Furthermore, how exactly do I keep coming back?
Is it that with each death, time is reset to a previous point or is my soul transported to a newer body every time I die?
I shouldn't take any risks.
Onto the more pressing matter, what can I do against Onyx?
The first time I died, it was sudden, I hadn't though he would be the one I had to face.
The fact that he killed me the first time even with my guard down is still remarkable.
But the previous death showed me that even with my guard up, killing me is the same as stepping on a bug in his eyes.
Running didn't work and fighting isn't an option.
The only thing left is try and talk it out with him.
This plan can only work if my first guess is correct, and time itself gets rewound.
If it's the latter then negotiation are off the table.
After all, if I just get a new body, it means he still remembers everything that happens, and like I said before, he doesn't look like the type of guy to listen twice.
My whole plan is riding on my first guess.
Just like before, a light begins to emit from the soles of my feet and in an instant, the void turns into the battlefield once more.
I quickly scan for Onyx but just like before, he isn't on the mountain of corpses.
I have to find him and approach him first, before he locates me first.
The first two times, he located me and killed me but from what the clone told me, "A certain god" ordered him to do this.
Assuming that's all the god told him to do, it wouldn't be strange for him to let someone who's not involved in this whole thing go.
Of course I have no proof of that.
But anyway, that's just wishful thinking, after all if an assassin was ordered to kill someone and there just so happened to be a witness, there's no way the assassin would let the witness live… provided the witness was there for the full thing.
To be frank, my idea's pretty stupid but at this point even the most stupid idea can save my life.
Of course, there's one problem.
I don't know where Onyx is.
My eyes sweep across the battlefield.
The mountains of corpses.
The rivers of flame.
The countless weapons buried beneath the earth.
Nothing.
"...Where are you?"
There no answer.
"…"
Well I'm not gonna get any answers just standing here.
I begin to walk through the battlefield. As I walk, a thought suddenly occurs to me.
Actually...
Why is it always him finding me?
The first time I died, I wasn't paying attention.
The second time, I ran.
At light speed at that yet somehow, he still found me.
My footsteps slow.
"...Mana."
The word leaves my mouth quietly.
It's only explanation that makes sense.
The entire time I had been flooding my body with mana.
Enhancing my vision.
Activating Sonic Leap.
To someone on Onyx's level, that much mana would probably be as obvious as a bonfire in the middle of the night.
If that's the case, maybe I should suppress my—
The thought ends there.
Why.
Simply because, I've found him.
Though I guess it more accurate to say I stumbled onto him.
My body freezes.
There he is.
Standing atop a broken stone structure, as motionless as a statue.
The crimson sky burns behind him.
The cracks in his armor radiate a golden light that could almost be mistaken as divine.
My legs almost give out from the sight of him alone.
I force myself forward.
One step.
Then another.
Just like a frightened child would and trust me, it isn't hard. After all even with the soul of a former god, I am currently a seven year old boy.
My whole plan is riding on that.
Up till now I always looked suspicious from his perspective so my plan is to start acting my age.
It's stupid, yes, but it's the one thing I haven't tried.
One thing that makes it easier is that I don't need to pretend to be scared, I already am.
Eventually, I stop several meters away.
Onyx slowly lowers his gaze.
His golden eyes meet mine.
For a brief moment, I think I'm dead.
Then—
Nothing happens.
Good. Very good.
I swallow nervously.
"H-Hello."
There's no response.
"My name is… Noir."
Giving him that name's probably the best thing to do. I don't need him knowing who I truly am.
"I got lost."
Still nothing.
I scratch the back of my head awkwardly.
"I was with my family, then a light fell from the sky."
It not unheard of for people to be transported to different places randomly.
"…and I ended up here."
Nothing, but I'm not dead so that's a good sign.
My heart pounds.
I lower my head slightly.
"I-I'm scared," I say with a wimpy voice. "I wanna go home."
I begin to form fake tears to really sell the act.
Before I know it, a shadow looms over me.
I slowly look up and am met with the sight of Onyx right before me.
How? I didn't even hear him move.
"Will-will you help me?"
The next words that come from my mouth are a bit pathetic but I'm in to deep stop now.
For a moment nothing happens. At first I think, crap, he's gonna kill me but to my surprise—
He nods.
It… worked. It actually worked!
My stupid idea actually worked.
Who knew there'd ever come a time where because I was child, my life would be spared.
I always though my small body would be the reason for my demise one day, yet today it saved me. Maybe there are some benefits to being small.
But let's push that aside.
For now, he's agreed to help me, but I made the whole story up and this is a part of a trial so…
Almost forgot
"Thank you, Mr Onyx." I tell him. I don't want him to think I'm some disrespectful brat who can't thank his elders. But—
The instant those words leave my mouth, everything changes.
The atmosphere freezes.
My smile vanishes.
My blood runs cold.
The golden light inside his armor intensifies.
...Crap.
How stupid can I be?
Assuming my theory is correct, this is the first time me and him are meeting.
But up till now, he hasn't given me his name.
I've made a grave mistake.
Before I know it, a golden line appears across my neck and the darkness arrives once more.
[ Death Count: 3 ]
---
My eyes snap open.
The void greets me once more.
This the third death so at this point, I don't even bother to check my body. I know for a fact everything's intact.
But I do instinctively fall to my knees.
For several seconds, I simply stare into the void.
Then I start laughing.
A dry, exhausted laugh.
"...I was right."
Time rewound.
It actually rewound.
With that, I've now confirmed one function of this trial.
I now know what not to say, if I want to survive.
I rise to my feet.
"This time…"
I look into the endless darkness.
"I'll be the one that wins."