The air… is heavy.
The ground… is cracked.
And time…
Is no longer stable.
They stood before each other.
One…
Deletes.
And the other…
Remembers.
He lunged.
Vanished—
Appeared—
Struck.
This time…
Without hesitation.
A direct strike toward the heart.
The man moved—
But too late.
The strike hit him.
Blood.
Stillness for a second.
Then—
He laughed.
Despite the blood…
Despite the injury…
"Wonderful…!"
He raised his head.
His eyes ignited.
"This is what I wanted!"
He froze.
"…Madman."
Suddenly—
The man vanished.
Not a movement.
A disappearance.
[WARNING!!]
He appeared behind him.
A strike—
It was not erased.
He slammed into the ground violently.
"I told you…"
"I do not follow your laws."
He rose with difficulty.
His breathing was heavy.
His body began to collapse.
[Physical Status: Critical]
[Memory Loss: 17%]
"…17%?"
He stopped.
"I…"
A moment of silence.
"…What did I lose?"
No answer.
Only a void.
He raised his head.
He looked at the man.
"I will not stop."
He lunged once more.
But—
Slower.
Weaker.
The man evaded easily.
He grabbed him by the neck.
Lifted him.
"It's over."
He choked.
His feet touched the air.
"Your power is beautiful…"
"But it is incomplete."
He drew closer.
"You delete…"
"But you do not understand."
He squeezed harder.
"Let me show you…"
He raised his other hand.
The Red Thread…
Began to crack.
But this time—
It wasn't a glitch.
Rather—
A liberation.
[CATASTROPHIC ALARM!!]
"…What is this?"
The man smiled.
"The Memory of the World."
He froze.
"What…?"
"Everything you delete…"
"Does not vanish."
"It is stored."
Silence.
"And one day…"
He leaned toward his ear.
"…It explodes."
In that moment—
He felt something.
Pain…
But not physical.
Images.
Scenes.
People…
He doesn't know.
Memories…
That are not his.
[Memory Compromised]
"Damn it…!"
He screamed.
His hand moved…
Unconsciously.
> "Delete…"
>
But—
He stopped.
The System…
Did not respond.
[Execution Failed]
"…What?!"
The man tightened his grip.
"It's over."
A second.
Silence.
Then—
[Evolution Criteria Met]
Everything froze.
Even the man.
Even the Red Thread.
[Forced Upgrade in Progress]
A scream—
This time it broke free.
The earth shook.
The air tore apart.
[Time Erasure – Level 2]
[New Perk: Trace Erasure]
[New Perk: Partial Restoration of Lost Memories]
His eyes…
Changed.
They were no longer just empty…
But—
Deep.
He fell to the ground.
But—
He stood up immediately.
The man took a step back.
For the first time.
"…What is this?"
He didn't answer.
He raised his hand slowly.
But this time—
He did not target him.
Rather—
He targeted the "Thread."
> "You are not erased…"
>
Silence.
Then—
He smiled.
> "But… your trace is erased."
>
Time—
Did not stop.
Rather—
It was excised.
A whole segment…
Vanished.
The man froze.
He looked at his body.
His blood…
Vanished.
His injury…
Never happened.
But—
His face…
Changed.
"…What did you do?"
He advanced toward him.
Slowly.
"I didn't erase you."
"I only…"
He drew closer.
> "Erased… what makes you resist."
>
The Red Thread…
Began to fade.
To crack.
To dissipate.
The man fell to his knees.
For the first time—
Fear appeared.
"…No."
He stood before him.
Looked at him.
Without expression.
> "It's over."
>
He raised his hand.
> "Delete."
>
Stillness.
The man…
Vanished.
Not just his body.
But—
His existence… entirely.
[High-Weight Target Eliminated]
[Massive Reward]
[New Path Unlocked: World-Walker]
He stood there.
Alone.
Staring into the void.
"…"
Then he said:
> "Next."
>
But…
In a far-off place…
Further than time itself—
Something woke up.
> "Hazard Confirmed."
>
> "The Glitch… has become a threat."
>
And in that moment—
He was no longer just the forgotten…
But—
> Something… the world began to fear.
>