During the Great War on Earth, every major nation was racing to become the most technologically advanced out of them all. There were many reasons, but the most obvious one, they all wanted power to conquer over their enemies. The German Empire was the most advanced before the war, so it shouldn't have been that surprising for them to take a ton of victories, due to the other surrounding nations lacking in power and strategy.

Bla-bla-bla.

At that time, the one thing that changed Earth's future the greatest was solely humanity's race towards destruction. It showed how the humans were so naturally violent that they would rather evolve past a couple hundred years just to destroy each other. The technological advancements humans made during the Great War were equivalent to roughly three hundred years of progress by living more peacefully. In other words; humans advance faster in war.

It isn't the only time humanity has progressed so quickly. Throughout the years, humanity has condemned themselves to hell by practically saying that they're demons of war. They realize that if vocal communication doesn't work, the only option they have now is to resort to their old-fashioned barbaric methods, which is physical communication, or simply, violence. You KNOW how much destruction humans can cause, especially now. Not only can they destroy their own planet at the press of one button, but they can also crush anyone, or anything if they really wanted to.

One of the many tactics they used to succeed in war, mostly during the old times, was to take away their only way of retreating. Either it was by boats, bridges, or wherever they came in from, destroying those escape routes would mean that their army would only have the option to win, or the option to die. And as crazy as it sounds, it worked 90% of the time!

There's a saying that goes: "Diamond is made under pressure."

While it is true that diamond is made under pressure, I won't go too much into detail about that, but that sentence can also be taken in many other different ways.

For Humanity, they found diamonds when put under extreme circumstances. They acquired power by putting themselves at war. The greater the war was, the greater their technological advancements. There's a reason it's called the "Great War." It was not just because it's a planetary war, a war that involved all the nations from Earth. Those people who were told their only option was to fight, used up 100% of whatever they could use to win the battle before them, as defeat was no longer an option. Most soldiers know that they can just run away from combat once they realize their army has lost, but those who can't escape are forced to overcome themselves so that they can win and survive. Basically, while everyone believes they have somewhere to run off to, the ones who have nowhere to run, either become a figure praiseworthy, or they turn into but another piece of forgotten history. They couldn't become better, stronger, or whatever. They could only become the best, the greatest.

So. Isn't that what happened in this world as well?

So why? Why? I thought I had become a diamond after being put under extreme situations! But that's not the reason why I'm laying in the dirt several meters underground, is it?! So what happened?!

Perhaps I've underestimated my enemy, who was left even more desperate than me, but I was winning, you know?! How could I lose?! What did I forget? Why? Why? I had to save everyone, I couldn't survive if I had lost that battle, right?! So what happened?! I was below 0.1 health most of the fight! You can't tell me I wasn't on the brink of death, forced under extremely heavy pressure, so why didn't I come out on top?!! What did Yawei hold so dearly? His faith in his god, supposedly that one god of goodness and holiness, from what I've seen and heard from him during our battle? What do you hold so closely that you are given the power to defeat the forces overpowering you?! He was about to die! No, he was supposed to die! What made him win?! Was it because I was enjoying our fight, so I let my guard down a bit?! Was it because of my arrogance? I made sure to get rid of anything that might've hindered my chances of succession, so why'd I lose?!

...Because I lost, does this mean that Yawei went out and killed everyone?! I couldn't let him..! Why'd he even attack us in the first place?! Why?! I couldn't let him so I had to overcome and become stronger to save everyone from him! So why..?! Aren't I supposed to be the MC anyways?! What happened?!

God, I feel like my body is trying to pry itself open. This feels like trigeminal neurologia but 3 times more painful and is everywhere in my body, without any stops whatsoever!

In response to the overwhelming pain, I tried to enable all my bodily functions again, but most just wouldn't work. It appears that a part of my brain had blown up, and using any form of Magic shouldn't even be considered for now. My regenerative abilities might as well be gone for the moment. The only way for me to keep using magic for now is by using Veno's flowers, but I'd be a goner if I couldn't cast a healing spell enough for me to regenerate my brain.

I dug myself out of my grave only to find out that the world has become worse. The skies had turned darker, and the land has been destroyed beyond recognition because of my battle with Yawei.

One other important thing to note; my swimsuit has become sleeveless now, so the wisest choice I made was to cover my arms, from the elbows down to the finger tips with hardened blood, since Blood Magic only required a little bit of Magic, and mostly relied on blood. But I got sharp claws, and [Foe Reducer] is now officially part of my body!

The rest of my equipment is still fine somehow, except for that one sword that got cut up from the Anti-physical slash.

I can't detect anyone, or actually, any life within a long distance. I don't have the smartness to calculate and say the precise distance as well, so I guess I'll just have to stick with my own estimates. I lost track of time and direction, since I can't even see the slightest bit of sunlight, or anything my human pattern recognition abilities can find significant. I was basically in the middle of nowhere. The ground was destroyed, and the skies covered everything in darkness. I suppose my allies have left me after assuming I was gone. I can't blame them. But Tahgweiy..? Why'd she leave me as well?!

Ah..! This pain! I can't seem to get over it! What should I even do?! It's not like there's any medicine I can take!

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"I have medicine... If you want..!"

Those words... Tahgweiy!!?

I turned around expecting Tahgweiy, but the only thing I see is a tornado approaching me. I don't think I can stay here and longer. Where did the Osprey crash again..? That abandoned town, huh?

I arrived at... Where even am I? There's nothing but destruction everywhere! Let me think... The only option I have is to go back to... I can't even go back! Where the fish am I?! Where is everyone!? Where's Tahgweiy!? Man, I'm in hell.

I spent a couple more days roaming around, looking for any clues for what happened, but I was only met with disappointment. It took me a long time, probably multiple months, but I eventually managed to get back to a not-so-destroyed place. I don't know why everything was so destroyed even when I was sure I left the area of where me and Yawei fought each other, but it seems that I finally found a checkpoint! This town was abandoned, but it looked strangely familiar. If I was in a better form right now, I would've known whatever this place is by now.

There was a passageway leading underground, so I went in and found a very familiar area. It was very dark, but [Blood Panel] allowed me to see better. It didn't take long for me to arrive inside a room with flickering lights. A slightly opened door showed more light coming from the other room, so like a moth to a fire, I came towards the room.

As the lights continued flickering, the sound of a door creaking could be heard across the room outside the one brightly lit.

Creak~!

"It's been a while, Alice. ...I hope this is all just like your dream."

Bang!

Upon entering the room, I swear I caught a glimpse of Veno, blood exiting out from the back of his head, and onto the ceiling.

The Veno that I thought so high of, fell to the floor in front of the mirror. A handgun was next to him. Meanwhile, his blood on the reflecting glass slowly dripped down to the cabinet below.

I stood still, taking in the scenery. I could hear ringing in my ear, and I just couldn't process what was happening. So... There's a gun in the floor, right? There's also blood near the body of this man. I heard someone talking when I opened the door, and then the sound of a gunshot followed after. This room is undoubtedly the room where I used to sleep in during my training days. Even while brain-damaged, I can tell that it's the same underground military bunker that Veno and I used. Yeah! He was my master, and I was his student! I remember fetching him some berries as a part of training. Good times! So...

What was going-..? Shit.

The last person that I'd see kill themselves actually killed themselves. Come on, man, why do you have to do this to me? To whatever god out there is responsible for this, can you please at least show yourself once you're done tormenting me? Where'd everyone go? Why's he dead? Why does everyone always leave me one way or another?! He was just sitting here alone, and so when I tried to reach him since he's one of the few people who doesn't always roam around the planet, who I've also grown attached to, god, or whoever is up there, suddenly decides to push him away from me by doing this? God, why'd you have to do this to me? What'd I do to deserve this?!

Did a few tears just fall from my eyes?

Crap! Everything around me is warping into impossible shapes and colours..! What's going on?! Huh? I swear I just saw Yawei's figure hovering above me just now...

I remember that one saying: "History always repeats itself." This world is repeating. It's exactly just like the last time, but in a different place with different characters. I gotta get out of this loop. Whatever is happening right now, it must be the work of some higher being. Oh, to hell with them! I must escape and break this cycle somehow, but I feel like I'd fall into it again, like a mouse to a mousetrap. Just like how I blew up my enemies, getting separated from my allies in the process, then getting blown up by my enemy, and everyone is separated from me again. It's all the same, isn't it!? Who's writing this sick and twisted story!? I don't want to be in this sick tragedy! Get me out!!

Though, what could've made him shoot himself? He said something before his death. His last words were something about someone named Alice and a dream? Who's Alice?? What dream? I've never heard of anyone with the name "Alice" before in my entire life! Even [Blood Panel] can't find anything about it, so how did Veno know of this Alice? And why didn't he put it into [Blood Panel]?

Ah..! Too many questions! My head hurts and I don't have anything to ease the pain!

I took some things from his home, mostly medicine, before leaving his resting place, only to find myself deeper into the predicament. Whispers and loud screaming filled my ears as I walked through the deep blue wasteland raging with hellfires. Yawei and a few other figures appeared multiple times, attacking me when I least expected it. Eventually, I stumbled upon a burning ocean of boiling blood. However, this wasn't just another one of the places where the ground is cracked and reality is warping, this place was a museum made specifically to spite me!

Here, the headless body of Heart Fiya is laying behind a guillotine, but her head isn't inside the bucket. The ant, who I forgot the name of, was watching me between the flames with a darkened face. Hanging dead with her neck broken was Heart Cornea, eyes widened, looking at me with that look that I really didn't want to see from anyone in my entire life. I fell to my knees gritting my teeth whilst scratching my head as Rabbit, Franz, Zen, and Veno appeared without their faces, all bleeding out from wounds that opened up like how a zipper'd open, and they all spoke to me about something, but I couldn't hear them properly. A body standing with it's upper half charred then began whispering something, or actually, just spitting out gibberish. I assume it was Liand, since he died similarly. Inside a pile of corpses was Fang with a few parts of his body missing, and resting on top of that pile was the head of Litharin Fanine, slowly being eaten away by ants. CAT, with a huge cut where I slashed her in half stood behind me just laughing like a maniac as I continued to cry. Sundown Lighter looked down at me with a grotesquely disfigured face, not saying anything. Burning in napalm was Pikaia and her caretaker, Rika Zerai. Meanwhile, the silhouettes of the Baphomet, Yawei, Cricket Cricket, and Frillet Tofan surrounded me, just looking down at me like I was nothing, not even an ant, except for Cricket Cricket who was laughing at me like CAT.

But in front of me, behind Sundown Lighter, was the body of Rayan Cross with an arrow stuck in her back. Wait... Every single person I just saw right now has been dead, or just too strong for me to even think of fighting against... So why is Rayan here..? Don't tell me...

"The end is nigh. Everyone is dead. There is no hope."

Accompanied by the rustling of fire was the never-ending comments of the dead. I couldn't think of another thing as everyone suddenly began speaking out their minds.

"HYAAA-HAHAHAHAHAAA!!!! KAAHAHAHAA!! HIHIHIHIHII!! AAAAHAHAHHAAHA!!"

"I'm kind of let down... You didn't think about us at all, Hato-chan."

"Too bad, little Vixen, but you failed."

"FWAAA-HAHAHAHAHAHAAA!! YOU WEAK SIMPLE-MINDED PILE OF GARBAGE!!!! YOU'RE LESS THAN AN OBJECT!! KRAAA-HAHAHAHAHAAHH!!"

"You're a failure, Lilith."

"...I shouldn't have sacrificed myself for you..."

"You're heartless, Vixen. Why did you kill me and Rika..?"

"My body hurts, you know..?! It feels like my stomach is ripping itself open... And it's all because of YOU!!"

Then finally, to add icing to the cake, to put salt on the wound, The Tale of The Great White showed herself with a disappointed look on her face. She crossed her arms and looked down at me like everyone else.

I could see her form flickering, switching between Tahgweiy and Reyana Sorret before speaking in tongues and in English at the same time, both languages spoken in Reyana's and Tahgweiy's voice, making it sound like 4 voices talking at once.

""""Satan, stars shine brightest before their deaths.""""