The battle raged on.
Screams.
The roar of monsters.
Steel.
Lightning.
I pressed forward, slicing through yet another monster.
Too fast.
Too easy.
I had grown stronger…
But…
Something wasn't right.
---
'Ha Jin! To your left!'
So A's voice.
I spun round sharply — the monster was already upon me.
A blow.
The blade went straight through.
The body collapsed.
---
"You're speeding up," said Aki, deftly snatching another monster with her whip.
"Yes…"
But I frowned.
"Too much."
---
At that moment—
The world…
stopped.
---
Sound vanished.
Movement vanished.
Even the dust in the air… froze.
---
"...What?"
I took a step.
And realised.
I… am moving.
Alone.
---
"Ooooh…"
A stranger's voice.
Too close.
Too… joyful.
— So you're the one?
---
I spun round sharply.
And froze.
---
He… was standing in mid-air.
Right next to me.
---
Eyes.
Not eyes.
Light.
Two infinite sources, within which galaxies swirled.
---
His hair moved slowly, as if in water.
From white… to dark indigo.
---
Clothes…
No.
Something made of light and darkness.
It changed every second.
---
And the smile.
Too broad.
Too… alive.
---
'Hmm…' he tilted his head. 'You look weaker than I expected.'
…
'Who are you?'
---
He suddenly appeared right in front of me.
Motionless.
Silent.
He simply… was there.
---
"Me?"
A pause.
And then he laughed.
Loudly.
Heartily.
"I am Alikantios!"
He threw his arms wide, as if introducing himself on stage.
"God, genius, handsome… and, in short, the best of the best!"
…
I said nothing.
— …You're mad.
---
He froze.
A second.
And then—
— YES!
He clapped his hands.
— Finally, someone gets it!
---
…
— Why are you here?
---
He walked round me.
Right through the air.
— It got boring.
— And you decided… to come here?
— Well, yeah.
He shrugged.
— You've got drama, blood, love…
He leaned in closer.
— And you.
---
I tensed.
— What about me?
---
He looked straight at me.
And for the first time—
His smile… changed.
Just a little.
Just a tiny bit.
---
'You're broken.'
…
My heart clenched.
'So what?'
---
He smiled sharply again.
'I love that!'
---
…
— Are you mocking me?
---
— Of course!
He vanished.
And reappeared…
behind me.
---
— Do you know how many times you'll die?
…
I froze.
— What?
---
— Hmm…
He fell into thought.
Seriously.
— About… 17.
---
…
— Go to hell.
---
He laughed again.
— I've already been there. It's boring.
---
I gripped my sword.
— Are you the enemy?
---
— Today?
He tilted his head.
— I don't know.
---
…
— Useless.
---
— Hey!
He puffed out his cheeks in a huff.
— I'm actually a god!
---
— Then behave like a god.
---
Silence.
A second.
Two.
And then—
He snapped his fingers.
---
THE WORLD RETURNED.
---
Sound.
Screams.
Monsters.
Everything was moving again.
---
— Ha Jin!
So A.
She ran up to me.
— You froze!
— What?..
---
Aki frowned.
— There was… energy here.
---
I turned around.
But he wasn't there.
---
"Who did you see?" she asked quietly.
…
I fell silent.
"No one."
---
And at that moment—
"Hey, beautiful."
A voice.
Behind Aki.
---
He was standing there.
As if he'd always been there.
---
'You have a very interesting aura,' said Alikantios, leaning in too close to her.
---
I instantly stepped between them.
'Back off.'
---
He looked at me.
And smiled even wider.
'Ooh… jealous?'
---
"No."
"You're lying."
---
He laughed.
"All right, all right… don't get angry."
---
He shifted his gaze to So A.
"And you…"
Pause.
"Dangerous."
---
So A frowned.
— Who are you?
---
He bowed.
Far too theatrically.
— Alikantios.
---
Silence.
---
— Never heard of him, — she said.
---
— That's because I don't like popularity.
Pause.
— I love… surprises.
---
And the next moment—
He vanished.
Just vanished.
---
But his voice…
Remained.
---
— Entertain me, Ha Jin…
---
Silence.
---
I clenched my fist.
My heart was beating faster.
---
— That's… bad, — Aki said quietly.
— Very bad, — So A added.
---
I looked ahead.
At the battlefield.
At the monsters.
At the chaos.
---
And for the first time ever…
I understood.
---
There is something… worse than us.
---
And it…
Is laughing.
---
End of Chapter 7