Zacian gave a smirk as he instantly vanished and reappeared beside the death crystal, then he whispered, "Touch life and I die? Let's see it."
He again disappeared and reappeared beside the life crystal and touched him. "Look, I am unharmed, haha."
The death crystal's rage exploded as he turned around and threw a punch! Just as it almost hit his face, Zacian vanished.
Making it land on the life crystal—only an inch gap was there—the death crystal knew it was too late and he couldn't stop it.
Tears filled his eyes. "No..."
Zacian appeared a short distance away, frowning. "Damn it!"
Freol was confused. Why would he frown when he had succeeded? But Kaol asked that out loud, "What the heck do you mean by damn? Are you nuts!"
The black figure was taken aback, seeing people be fearless and courageous, while he had always been as sneaky and cautious as a fox.
For a moment, he thought ill of himself: You weak creep! Cowardly bastard, aren't you a man? You are supposed to be brave!
But then he replied to his inner voice, "Wait... being cautious isn't a mistake or cowardice! It's just being prepared to handle any situation!"
But his inner voice snorted, "Huh? You're simply making excuses for your weakness. Stop yapping and take action! Be fearless!"
He flinched. "Brave... fearless... damn, I can't decide!"
"What's there to decide? You idiot, just do what I say!" the inner voice forced him.
Then a smile appeared on his face as his lips curled up. "Thanks for your advice, but I decide that being cautious is my style! Hahaha, I do what I want to do!"
His inner self raged, "But remember Lucan said to listen to your inner self? That kid! Everyone follows it."
He laughed. "Who is Lucan? A trending kid! Hmph, why should I follow his words when I can think my own way? And why must I listen to you when I don't feel like it? Hahaha! If everyone is a fool, will you also be a fool?"
The voice replied, "No, why would I?"
Then he pointed at himself. "Exactly! I would also say the same. Why must I also be a fool when I have my own wits and beliefs?"
His inner voice was stunned. "So... is it alright to be weak and cautious? You ran away first from all of them! Won't they mock you?"
He laughed aloud. "Who are 'they'? Why should I care about them? Lucan does what his inner self says to! It's not wrong because it was his own belief and ideology! It suits him. For us? What suits me best is being like this."
His inner self looked at him with a glimmer of hope.
Zacian sighed. "I forgot to record this, buddy! That's why I frowned!"
Freol thought, I am surrounded by idiots! Idiots everywhere I go, huh.
Kaol punched Zacian directly at his face! Zacian vanished and reappeared beside him. "Courting death?"
But then...
Both of them saw the death crystal shatter as everyone's attention was fixed there.
The life crystal had his eyes wide open. "Death... don't do it!"
The death crystal knew that if the hit had struck the heavily damaged life crystal, he wouldn't survive.
Hence, he killed himself! Erased himself from existence.
His tears also disappeared along with his body, leaving a last dying wish: "Here, my powers are for you! Don't die and waste my death!"
The life crystal spoke, "No! Can't I revive you?"
The death crystal shook his head as he disappeared. "Only I myself can revive me! As I control my death, you can't... Don't worry, I will watch you from the nothingness! And protect you even after my death, hehe... he will protect you as me!"
The life crystal was fully healed due to death's powers.
However, he wasn't fascinated at all, no⁹r did he have the eagerness to kill.
For the first time in his existence, a tear rolled down his eye, feeling he had lost something he must never have lost... Something he had never cared about, but missed...
He couldn't even bear to stand up, despite being fully healed!
Kaol saw this opportunity and didn't let go; he sneaked in and sucked in the life crystal's powers.
He screamed, "Zacian! Celestia! Crystal of betrayal! Help me!"
The life crystal was not resistant at all. He said, "No, don't. Just kill me! I don't feel like living anymore."
Kaol gulped down saliva. "Are you saying such words? Damn, you sound like someone you have never been..."
He nodded. "Exactly, right? I haven't been like this, but I want to be like this now! Without death, I feel so hollow."
These words made him recall his past, the ocean...
He frowned and smashed him down toward death. Ordinarily, it would have caused no harm! But since life was letting his guard down and was undefended, his whole body cracked, and the crystal fragments were almost shattered.
He then sighed in relief. "So you weren't baiting me and really did give up! Too boring. I wanted to have a satisfying kill, but ended up with a stupid one."
The life crystal closed his eyes. "Finally, it has come to an end..."
But subconsciously, he was afraid to die! He wanted to live, just stay alive.
He screamed, "I WANNA LIVE!"
Kaol grinned. "Too late."
The life crystal realized the absence of the death crystal, who would always protect him and save him.
Now, when he wasn't there, he realized his importance.
With one last desperation, he recalled death's dying words: He will protect you as me...
He screamed, "PROTECT ME, HE! AS THE DEATH CRYSTAL!"
Kaol's heart sank to rock bottom as he turned around, expecting fate to appear...
But he was asleep!
After a while, nobody came. Kaol sighed, "Reverse psychology, huh?"
The black figure smirked. "Good thing, my inner self! See where we are?"
It replied, "So far away, I can only see them as dots! You are overreacting for real..."
He closed his eyes. "Now on the count of... ONE!"
The sky split open as complete darkness encircled the abyss! A darkness even the dark would be afraid to enter.
It was stormy and huge, with a thunderous roar as a figure descended rapidly toward Kaol!
Kaol's eyes stared wide open. "You... impossible! How are you still alive? It can't be true!"
The black figure: "TWO!"
Others looked above to see a black anonymous figure raging with crimson red eyes.
The black figure laughed with his hands wide open.
"THREE! WITNESS THE TRUE STRENGTH OF CAUTIOUSNESS, INNER SELF!"
The figure who appeared was the death crystal!
Everyone gasped at this scene.
Another figure appeared behind him. "I am going to kill you all infinite times! Hehe, for hurting my friends!"
The life crystal's expression turned joyous after seeing the death crystal again.
Kaol tried to flee, but it was too late! The death crystal grabbed him and crushed him to death.
As he was immortal, he survived it, but he noticed himself aging every time he revived. He realized this was due to the death crystal's earlier death energy.
He cursed, but was caught.
All the others surrounding him—Freol, the space station aliens, and the crystal of betrayal—were attacked by him.
While the future death crystal landed beside the life crystal, he said, "Long time no see! Forgot us? The future life crystal and future death crystal? Our timeline got destroyed and the time crystal sent us back? Ah, you forgot!"
The black figure grinned pridefully! His inner self praised him: "Cautiousness is not cowardice..."
Drifting away in space...
In an unknown place, the fate guy was gazing at Lucan, who was unconscious! Beside him was the golden butterfly.
The child guy walked in. "That power he used... it's no ordinary one!"
The fate guy asked, "So he will stay unconscious forever? We have no other way?"
The child guy sighed. "Only one way! The Golden Butterfly must return from its slumber! Now we must go and bring back the pride crystal."
The fate guy shook his head. "Will Lucan be safe? Won't he be found by fate..."
The child guy said, "Lucan mentioned to go with the plan... no matter what! Won't you follow your captain's orders?"
The fate guy sat down. "Give me some time... I need to think!"
The child guy rejected the idea. "I would if I could! But you see... we are short on time. If somebody finds us now, we have nobody to defend us. Both Lucan and the golden butterfly are in a slumber..."