AKIHIRO ATLAS
At that moment… I really didn't know what to do. Just now, I had barely escaped the brink of my mind being shattered and managed to force myself to focus on a single point, but now what I was facing… was completely different. This was not the beginning of a war; it was… something much older, much deeper. It was as if two beings had intersected at the same point, not only with each other but also with their pasts, their choices, and paths that could no longer be undone. I knew these two knew each other before their words, from their looks. And I... was standing right in the middle of this intersection. My breathing slowed involuntarily, and as my gaze shifted from one person to another, that familiar uneasiness within me took a different form; this time it wasn't fear, this time... it was an inexplicable heaviness.
While Israfel's sweet yet deeply unsettling smile was subtly cutting through the invisible tension in the room, Magnus's demeanor had completely changed. He still wasn't moving, still looked the same serene from the outside, but the thing inside him... was different. This wasn't like my previous uncontrolled rage; this was suppressed, measured, and far more dangerous. It was as if he had encountered an equation he didn't want to deal with, knew he could solve it, but hated having to solve it. For the first time... he was truly focusing on something. And this focus... even made the environment itself feel heavy.
Israfel tilted her head slightly to the side, her wings fluttering softly behind her; even that movement carried unnecessary elegance, as if every moment of her existence were a spectacle. "What happened, Magnus?" she said, her voice still retaining its soft, almost compassionate tone, but the words were underlined with sharp disdain. "Since the last time I remembered you… so much has changed." Her eyes traveled over Magnus, examining him, weighing him, and coming to a conclusion. "When you spoke before, even the air would listen. Your existence used to carry weight, meaning, and a center... now it's..." A short chuckle, but it was neither cheerful nor warm. "Now, even what you say feels like it doesn't belong to you. It's as if you're having trouble even carrying your own words. "
These words didn't just hang in the air.
They weighed me down.
Even I felt that weight.
But Magnus…
He didn't rush at all.
He bowed his head very slightly, as if what he heard neither surprised nor affected him. But this was not indifference. It was… something more conscious. It was a calmness waiting for the right moment to answer.
"Weakness…" he began, his voice low but his words carrying an almost physical weight. "To hear that word from you…" He paused briefly, his eyes fixed on Israfel. "…is not merely a contradiction. At the same time... a tragic repetition."
Israfel's smile paused for a moment.
But it didn't completely disappear.
Magnus continued, this time his voice was clearer, but with that unchanging, cold certainty. "You surrender your existence to a will and call this 'meaning.' You mistake attachment to it for an ascension. But this…" His eyes narrowed slightly. "This is merely a directed existence. Revolving around a center that is not your own. You have always been like this, you are no more than a vile angel, Israfel. "
They didn't take a single step forward.
But their words…
They moved forward.
"You say you know your place," he said, his voice deeper this time, as if the words were addressed not only to Israfel but to something much broader. "But knowing your place... is not an indicator of consciousness. It is merely accepting your limitations. And a being that accepts its limits... can never transcend itself."
A being that accepts its limits... can never transcend itself?
…
These words reminded me of myself and of humanity. Every human being, including me, believes in boundaries. Even what we call the top is a boundary. So, if I were someone who reached the top, would everyone love me as I think they would?
After Magnus's words, I turned my head towards Israfel's face.
There was a clear change in Israfel's eyes this time.
This wasn't anger.
But…
Something had been shaken.
"I am not chained," said Israfel, her voice still soft but with a subtle harshness beneath the smoothness. "I chose this. My being... is not against the will, but in harmony with the will. "
Magnus's lips curled very slightly.
But it wasn't a smile.
More like...
It was the reaction of someone who realizes how little things have changed.
"Choice... Is your belief in choice about going where you're told to go and doing what you're told to do? After all, you're here because you obey the command from your Overlord, who in turn obeys the command from a higher being, right?" he asked, his voice growing increasingly stern and loud, pronouncing each word slowly as if measuring its weight. "What you call a choice... only gains meaning at a point where the alternatives are equal. " He tilted his head very slightly to the side. "In your case, however… it's not a choice. It's… a directed acceptance. "
Silence fell again.
But this time…
It was heavier.
Magnus's gaze never wavered from Israfel's. "To 'choose' to serve the Omnipotent..." he continued, his voice this time sharper, more direct, "is the same as a slave loving his chains. The difference... is merely whether you are aware of it or not. "
This sentence...
Changed the atmosphere.
Israfel fell silent.
But this silence...
It wasn't weakness.
This…
It was the strain before something breaks.
And I…
While I could barely remember even breathing, the only thing I realized was this:
This wasn't an encounter between two beings.
This…
It was a collision of beliefs, choices, and irreversible paths.
Israfel's lips parted slowly. At first, no sound came out—only that chuckle filled the air. It was in a thin, soft tone that almost sounded pleasant, but what it contained... was clearly insulting. This was not a matter of amusement; it was an expression of contempt, as if she found the thing before him not worth even taking seriously. That chuckle grew longer and longer, bouncing off the walls, mingling with the muffled vibration of the black flame, and for a moment even the atmosphere itself had to bear the weight of that sound.
Then it stopped.
But that silence was merely a space that paved the way for his words.
"No matter how long you talk, Magnus..." she said at last, her voice once again taking on that familiar softness, but now this softness was like a cloak—beneath it lay a sharp, stubborn, almost angry thought. "The truth doesn't change." She tilted her head very slightly to the side, her eyes fixed on Magnus. "You still refuse something you don't understand. And you call it 'freedom.' "
Its wings slowly unfolded behind it, but this was not a threat; rather, it was more like an expansion that reminded of its presence.
"We…" he continued, choosing his words carefully but without hesitation, "are not the chained beings you think we are. But at the same time, we are not that 'limitless' thing you wish to be. " A brief sparkle appeared in his eyes. "We… are just an interface. And this gap…" a thin smile formed on his lips, "…was never as important as you thought. "
He took a step.
This time his voice was clearer.
He was tougher.
"In the eyes of the Supreme Being," he said, "we are but fragments of a race too insignificant to be included even in an entertainment interlude. " There was no anger in his voice as he uttered this sentence—but neither was there acceptance. Rather, it was a stubborn denial of a bitter reality. "Within the order he has established... neither your so-called 'freedom' nor my loyalty holds any value. Because we... are not at the center of that order."
A brief pause.
Then…
He said his name.
"Supreme Five."
These two words… changed the atmosphere.
Am I the only one who doesn't know what they are?
I looked at Magnus's face.
Oh, damn it. I really am the only one who doesn't know.
Magnus's composure was gone; his eyes were narrowed in anger and frustration, and they were also shaking violently. I thought the change in his demeanor was the result of his body's reaction to the weather.
Israfel's eyes held something different at that moment for the first time. It was neither respect nor fear. It was more of... a very ancient, very deep form of hatred.
"They…" he said, his voice lower this time but each word heavier, "are the first echoes of true existence. The embodiment of his first will. The first five. " He lifted his head slightly. "They were not merely created. They… defined creation itself. "
The shadow of their wings curled on the walls.
"And you…" he said, his eyes piercing into Magnus, "still call what they do 'order'. "
This time his tone changed.
It was harsher.
Sharper.
"They are the ones who started this rotten world, this existence steeped in suffering, this endless cycle! " she said, the words no longer suppressed. "They are the ones who created the races, pitted them against each other, and turned existence into an experiment rather than a balance! "
She took another step.
She drew closer to Magnus. There were only a few steps left between us, and just looking at them made me nervous. I slowly and secretly opened my right hand. In case of an attack, I might need to summon my image immediately.
"And more… They are responsible for the creation of these Sacred Domains; we are merely mice scurrying hither and thither within the endless series of interconnected pocket universes within the order advanced by the Overgod. Among all those created things, we are just... You, me, the child standing next to us, we are all just mice. " he said, his voice dropping again, but this time with a more menacing depth, "you still think you stand against them. "
Another short giggle.
But this time…
It was colder.
"You aren't even a consequence of them, Magnus," he said, almost whispering the last sentence. "You… are nothing but a remnant left behind by them, a broken echo trying to make sense of its own existence. You are just a result, nothing more than a fool who fell into the hole he dug himself."
Magnus interrupted Israfel as soon as she finished speaking. He didn't even give me a chance to react.
"You can continue to be a mouse running away from cats within the boundaries you've accepted. As Magnus the Great, who brought destruction to all of you for a time, I never accepted being like you. There is no slavery or obedience in my past. However, there is still much suffering from you. From this perspective, I have no regrets either. The only thing I accept is my own actions! I did it all. Everyone who hated me in all the Sacred Domains, everyone who was nothing more than a stain of blood on my sword, and everyone I killed—I have no regrets for any of them. My only regret is—"
When Magnus' breathing suddenly became irregular, I realized it wasn't simple anger; it was one of the final reactions of a being nearing loss of control. His chest was rising and falling rapidly; although that single open eye seemed fixed on a point, it was actually unable to truly focus on anything. Being left mid-sentence was not something unusual for him. He was not someone who would leave words unfinished. But now... even words seemed to have abandoned him.
I acted with a sudden reflex.
I walked towards him and grabbed him by the shoulder. It was firm. Firmer than I expected. It was as if I were holding not a body, but a hollow shell filled with something. With my other hand, I supported his back and gently guided him backwards. At first, he didn't resist... but he didn't completely give up either. His body was still tense, his muscles were involuntarily contracting, and his breathing wasn't interrupted. This wasn't a momentary shock; it was... an internal collapse.
"Magnus…" I said, trying to keep my voice as steady as possible. "Calm down. "
While saying this, I realized how meaningless it was. Because what she was going through... wasn't something that could be brushed aside with "calm down." But I still said it. Because I didn't know what else to do.
I slowly took a few steps back from him. His steps were slow, but he offered no resistance. It was as if even walking was not a conscious action for him at that moment; it was more of a directed movement. When we reached the chair, I made him sit down. Her knees slightly buckled, her body leaned back, but that breath... still hadn't stopped. Her chest still moved in that irregular rhythm, as if something inside her refused to stop.
For a moment... I looked at him.
This wasn't Magnus.
At least… it wasn't the way I was used to him.
Then I looked up.
I looked at Israfel.
That... She was still smiling.
Nothing seemed to have changed for him. What he had just said, Magnus's state, the heaviness of the atmosphere... none of it had affected him. This... made me even more angry.
"Magnus, calm down," I said again, but this time in a quieter voice, almost as if I were speaking to myself. Then I slowly sat up. I took my eyes off him and turned them directly toward Israfel.
That confusion inside me... it wasn't just confusion anymore.
It was turning into something.
"I don't understand what's going on here," I said, my voice clearer this time. It wasn't shaking, but there was something suppressed inside. "I don't understand what you're talking about. But something's definitely going on and being hidden from me."
I took a step.
I didn't take my eyes off him.
"And this..." I continued, clenching my teeth slightly, "...has reached a point where I can't pretend it doesn't matter to me anymore. "
Israfel was still smiling.
But this time…
That smile was annoying.
"Now you," I said, making my voice a little harsher, "will explain to me what it is that you two were talking about! "
A brief pause.
I took a breath.
"…Because I will no longer be someone left out of this game. "
The moment I said this sentence…
Something else changed inside me.
"Whatever you're saying... I don't understand it all. In fact, I don't even want to hear some of it, because I can't tell anymore whether the things you hide between your words are real or not. But there's only one thing I know: that emptiness I saw in Magnus's eyes, that silence... something inside him is broken, and even if I don't know what it is, I have to stop anything that approaches that place. I don't trust him. Maybe I never will. But still... if this is his downfall, if your words push him a little further towards that abyss, I will be the last thing standing on the edge of that cliff, trying to pull him back. I don't know how to do it, I don't know which words would be right, maybe I'm even doing it wrong. But that doesn't even matter. Because if there's even the slightest chance of losing Magnus, I refuse to listen to that possibility. Because he taught me something today. He saved others today. I will save him too, from your stupid words. If necessary, I will be blind to everything I don't know, if necessary, I will never learn the whole truth... but I will not stop protecting him."
With these words, this time... I was irrevocably drawn into the situation.
And then I turned to Magnus.
That moment... just for a split second.
Something has changed on its face.
It's very small.
It's very fast.
It's almost imperceptible.
The corner of his lips curled slightly—not like a smile, but more like a caught thought. It was as if something had seeped through the heavy stones within him and emerged to the surface, and even he hadn't allowed it to happen.
But I saw it.
And at that moment, a strange emptiness formed in my mind.
Magnus quickly regained his composure. His familiar, cold mask returned—as if that moment of vulnerability had never happened. But now I knew... how things that "never happened" are actually the things that stay with you the most.
I held my breath for a while without realizing it.
Then I released it slowly.
There was something strange inside me; something I couldn't explain, something I couldn't put a name to. It wasn't a victory, it wasn't a relief. More like a surprise that made me feel like I had seen the right thing at the wrong moment.
I guess I got too caught up in it… I turned my head back to the angel named Israfel.
"Tell me everything you know." I added, sternly.
This time, Israfel's smile lasted longer. But it wasn't just a mocking expression like before; it was as if a moment he had been waiting for had finally arrived, and he was embracing it without hurrying, savoring it. She tilted his head slightly to the side, her wings moving softly behind her, and her gaze briefly shifted to Magnus. She wasn't uncomfortable seeing him like that. On the contrary... she knew this situation was a result of his own words and wasn't backing down from it.
Then she turned his eyes to me.
And for the first time…
I felt like she really saw me.
"So you want to know now…" she said, his voice as soft as always, but this time, what was hidden beneath that softness… was more intense. It was heavier. "How ironic… Most people who want to know can't continue to exist when they find out."
This sentence…
It touched something inside me.
But I didn't back down. The real reason I came here was to learn things I didn't know. Even if it hurts me or makes me unhappy, I want to learn everything.
Israfel took a deep breath—but this wasn't for breathing; it was to organize what he was about to say.
"At the beginning of everything…" she began, her voice now carrying a broader resonance, as if addressing not only this room but a much older time, "there was a single will. What you call the 'Supreme God'." She paused briefly, her eyes wandering off into the distance for a moment. "He chose to create. But creating... is not merely bringing something into existence. Creating is also setting boundaries. Writing rules. And most importantly…" Her gaze turned back to me. "…is to start the game. "
A sense of unease rose within me.
"Game…" I muttered involuntarily.
Israfel heard this.
And she smiled.
"Yes," she said. "Because this… has never been just one 'universe'. " She lifted her head slightly. "This is a stage. And every being on the stage… plays a role. "
My heart skipped a beat; it was as if something inside had struck my chest to deny what I had heard. "Stage" she had said... as that word echoed in my mind, I felt as if every moment I had lived was being eroded away. If this was a scene... then what was the pain? Why was the sight of shattered bodies on the ground still etched behind my eyes at that moment? Why was I still feeling nauseous, why were my hands still shaking? If these were part of a role... what was the reason they felt so real? This thought didn't calm me down—on the contrary, it made everything inside me even more chaotic; because if this was true, then I had to question whether even my own feelings belonged to me.
I slowly lifted my head and began speaking, trying to steady my gaze, but my voice didn't come out as firmly as I had hoped; it contained suppressed anger, or rather, a desperate protest. "This isn't a game..." I said, forcing the words out. "You can't describe it like a scene. " My breath caught for a brief moment, but I continued. "People don't live just to exist. The things they experience... aren't a 'role'." My eyes flickered for a moment, but I didn't run away. "The moment you put yourself on the line to protect someone… that decision is real. The feeling you experience when you lose someone… is real. This… isn't something that can be written down. " While saying this sentence, something else tightened inside me; because actually... I wasn't sure how much of what I said was certain. But still, I had to hold onto it.
"If everything is a predetermined theater..." I continued, my voice this time lower but much deeper, "then there would be no point in our struggling, making choices, or making mistakes." My hands clenched involuntarily, my nails digging into my palms. "But this can't be true… because I lived through those moments." I fixed my gaze, trying to suppress the turmoil inside me. "I feel their weight. And this... tells me that this isn't a 'game'. " When I finished my sentence, a void formed inside me; because for the first time I realized that... when I said this, I wasn't actually trying to convince anyone else. I was trying to convince myself.
After I had said all my words while looking into Israfel's face, she slowly ran his tongue over her lips as if to show utter disregard for me, and then narrowed her eyes and smiled as if I had said exactly what she expected. Then, "Do you really think there's only the human race in this universe consisting of endless Sacred Domains? You're cute, but you're also stupid..."
She closed her eyes.
"The Supreme Being first created five beings," she continued. "You call them the 'Supreme Five.' " Her voice remained unchanged as she said this name, but the atmosphere itself grew heavy. As if these words... carried more than just a name; they bore a burden. "They... were not merely the first creations. They were the first wills that determined the direction of creation. Each of them... took a facet of existence and shaped it. I held my breath.
Without meaning to.
"The first one…" she said, slowly raising her fingers, "created the demons. Beings that represent chaos, destruction, and unbridled willpower. " Her eyes narrowed slightly. "They are not the opposite of order. They... were the first elements of balance that pushed the boundaries of order. "
The image of Zagreus appeared in my mind.
Those wings.
That armor.
That look.
Something tightened inside me.
"The second one…" she continued, "created natural disasters and Sacred Domains. Spaces that can bend reality itself, tear apart space and time… Pocket universes that exist through infinite contradictions that unfold upon each other, and the absolute authority within those spaces." A subtle curve formed on his lips. "That place… is a place where not only power but even meaning changes."
The passage Magnus opened came to my mind.
That void.
That... "place that doesn't exist. "
The uneasiness inside me grew.
"The third one…" Israfel said, her voice this time a little deeper, "created the Spirit Power and the foundation of the Avatars. " Her eyes locked on me for a moment. "The power you use… does not belong to you as you think it does. It... is a reflection of that being. A remnant. An echo."
This sentence...
It sank into me.
My hands clenched involuntarily.
"I..." I said, but I couldn't continue.
Because...
There was a possibility it could be true.
Israfel continued.
"The fourth one… created the monsters. Unrestrained evolution, unchecked growth, and pure instinct. " A brief pause. "They… were never truly 'enemies.' They… were the most honest parts of this scene. "
And then…
She said the last one.
"The fifth one… created something far beyond our limits of imagination. "
This word…
It seemed different from the others.
It's heavier.
It's more familiar.
It's more… personal.
"We never learned what happened…" he continued, his voice now slower and more measured, "those were the weakest-seeming but most complex pieces of this game. Because they were… the only beings capable of choice. However, the same part that created them was also the part that destroyed them. We never knew what their creation was because the last member of the Supreme Five was a Zionist who only brought harm to this universe and hated everything in it. "
My heart sank.
"Election..." I whispered.
But this time...
That word didn't comfort me.
Israfel bowed his head slightly.
"Yes," she said. "But this choice…" Her eyes narrowed. "…was never as free as you thought."
There was silence, it was oppressive.
"The Supreme Five…" he continued, his voice deepening again, "fought and evolved within the Sacred Domains for centuries, testing each other. They… did not merely create. They… governed. They shaped. And most importantly…" Her lips parted slightly. "…she restored the balance."
She took a step.
This time she was closer to me.
"And then…" he said, his voice dropping, "…their descendants emerged. "
Something inside me… It grew cold.
"Gods. High Kings. High Queens. Kings. Queens…" As he said each title, his voice grew harsher. "They are all… part of the Supreme Five's legacy. They are beings born from their power, continuing their wars."
She paused for a moment.
She looked directly into my eyes.
"And you…" she said.
My heart felt like it was going to stop.
"…you are just a part within this system they created…"
This sentence… pierced me to the core.
"No…" I murmured involuntarily.
But my voice…
It wasn't convincing.
Israfel spoke for the last time.
"This universe…" she said, his voice no longer carrying any gentleness, "is nothing but a theater governed by the Omnipotent. And everyone on stage…" A brief pause. "…is nothing but machines designed to wage war."
Silence fell.
But this time…
In this silence, there wasn't just tension.
Something inside me…
Was collapsing.
I slowly bowed my head.
I looked at my hands.
They were shaking.
"I..." I said.
But I couldn't continue.
Because it was the first time...
I really didn't know.
What was I?
Israfel tried to say her last words.
"Those brothers have endured to this day; their deeds have no end or limit. If I were to try to tell you about them all, you might have to listen to me until the end of your life. Today, some of them are still alive, while others are not. But rest assured, child. The 'Supreme Five' are not to be trusted. They may be farther away than you'll ever encounter, maybe—"
"Don't say another word!"
Magnus's voice not only was heard—it struck the very being itself and bounced back. At that moment, the air in the room suddenly became heavy; breathing became difficult, as if what filled my lungs was not air but an invisible weight. The next moment... I didn't even realize it was coming.
There was no explosion.
But everything... broke.
The black flame above the fireplace flickered for a moment, then the surrounding objects began to shatter simultaneously. The wood cracked, the table split in two down the middle, and the arm rests of the chair disintegrated to their fibers. But this was not merely physical destruction—it was as if the very integrity of their existence were being denied. As if it were not their destiny to be torn apart, they had been forced to that point.
And then…
The Oppression of the Spirit came.
Even "feeling" it wasn't the right word. This was something beyond feeling. It was as if something had crashed into my mind—a weight that had penetrated my thoughts, suppressing and silencing them. My knees involuntarily shook. I tried to stay standing, but my body... no longer belonged to me. My heart raced, but it wasn't out of panic; it was the desperate struggle of the survival instinct.
Breathing...
Was becoming impossible.
What emanated from Magnus's location was not merely a force. It was... a pure pressure of existence. It was as if reality itself was bending from that point onward, reshaping itself according to his will. The walls cracked—but these cracks weren't on the surface; they were deeper, as if the very meaning of the structure were breaking down. That humming sound coming from beneath the ground... wasn't a noise. It was more like the echo of a collapse.
I tried to raise my head.
And I saw him.
Magnus…
It wasn't him anymore.
At least... not the way I knew him.
The aura radiating around it... was indescribable. It wasn't color, it wasn't light, it wasn't even darkness. It was more like... a denial of existence. The moment I looked at it, my eyes hurt. As if even seeing it was an infringement. That aura suppressed, subjugated, and ignored every space it touched.
And the worst part… I felt it was just the beginning.
As I thought about this, my body suddenly refused to support me anymore. I collapsed as if something had been pulled out from under my knees; control was lost. My hands instinctively went to the ground, but even the ground was no longer stable—as if reality had ceased to be a solid surface I could stand on and had become a crumbling concept. Everything was shifting slightly, everything familiar losing its meaning.
Fear... even trying to name it was inadequate. It was unlike any fear I had ever known. It didn't fit into the same category as anything I had felt before. This was not merely a feeling of danger; it was being forced to acknowledge the existence of something that should not possibly exist. It was as if the mind were closing its borders to protect itself, yet something seeping in from outside those borders remained inside.
My breathing had become irregular, but I wasn't even aware of it. My mind was too overwhelmed to produce even simple reflexes like "flight" or "fight." Every thought began to dissipate before it could even form. Only one thing remained: the feeling that this was wrong. This feeling of such profound, such fundamental wrongness…
And my eyes involuntarily turned to Israfel.
She… had fallen silent.
For the first time.
Even this was wrong enough in itself. Because what was expected of it wasn't silence; on the contrary, that sharp, sarcastic presence that controlled everything always spoke, always filled a void. But now he was standing there—without saying anything.
That smile on her face... was completely erased.
That sarcastic edge was gone now. That ease was missing. It was as if his mask hadn't fallen off, but had never existed at all. In its place was only attention. A cold, calculating attention that for once seemed to have lost control.
And that's when I realized.
This wasn't just my downfall.
This was the moment when everyone was drawn into something wrong at the same time.
Their wings were slightly tense. This was not an attack posture. This was… a defensive reflex. Their eyes were locked on Magnus, but for the first time there was something in that look.
A very deep, repressed seriousness.
He didn't speak, not a single word.
Because under this pressure... even words lost their meaning.
I couldn't speak either.
I couldn't think.
I just... tried to endure.
Magnus's breathing was still irregular.
But now that breath...
It didn't sound like a human's breath.
More like...
It was like the awakening of something.
And I… For the first time, I truly felt this:
If this continues…
There would be nothing left here.
Nothing.
—
END OF CHAPTER