Jay found himself clambering desperately up a mountain to escape what was below. Amon created handholds for him so he could scramble up with ease, but it was no use.

  IT was catching up.

  He continued to climb, memories suddenly appearing in his head. The IT below him was a creation of the Monsters as Men. It was here to kill him, and would succeed, once again. A sharp tentacle drove through him, Amon recreating parts of his body out of silver. IT slowly pulled him toward IT's face, which was blurred, the memory not showing. Jay screamed as Amon's replacements failed, not able to hold out for long enough with the current power of his soul.

  He slipped into another life. He watched the Monsters as Men strike him down, Amon inside of him, in front of a base. The Nightingale and Breaker's imitators had teleported away with all the other refugees. This would be his second to last life. Training for thousands of years on a desolate planet and then wiping his memories so he could grow once more, with the training to help, didn't work. He destroyed his own heart, dying once more.

  Hundreds of deaths flowed past him, each one caused by the Monsters as Men or some enemy he simply could not overcome. All of these lives built on top of each other, increasing his experience and continuing to do so until he reached a peak.

  That peak was now.

  Another death flitted by, and he saw himself, floating in the void of space, suddenly facing off against a multitude of gods. Gods who had been corrupt and destroyed an entire planet for the sake of power. Millions-no, trillions of lives extinguished, just for the pursuit of strength. This memory was perfectly clear, played from his perspective. "Why?," Jay asked them. "Why do this for power?"

  "To kill you!," One of the gods said. "Then we control everything!"

  Jay shook his head. "Do you know why I let you live?"

  The gods didn't respond. "Because I thought you could change for the better. I see my mistake now. Amon."

  Amon flowed out of him, a silver woman appearing next to him in space. Twin swords flowed from her into his hands while her arms turned directly into blades. "Face the consequences of your actions."

  The gods immediately went on the attack, massive orbs of power flying towards Jay. Then, from the perspective of his own eyes, from the past, he watched his past self wave his hand, summoning some sort of Void energy. The attacks all disappeared. "Do you know why I'm the strongest?," Jay said, closing his eyes.

  "Because the universe deemed that you would so that we could team up and kill you!," one of the gods said.

  "I'm a proponent of good. I worked hard to gain my strength, just so I could protect the people behind me. Their existence provides me with the strength to do what is needed. You may not remember, but I started as a peasant. The gods were oppressive, evil. I got stronger and gained friends, spreading good wherever I could."

  One of the gods snorted. "So what?"

  Jay continued as if he'd never heard him. "One by one, my friends fell, and I gained new ones, though the old ones' memories never left me. I strove to be stronger and stronger, to remember them."

  Some of the gods started falling silent, realizing the gravity of their situation. "I loved every single one of them like brothers and sisters. They didn't need to die. They only did because of me," Jay said, opening his eyes. "I killed them all. They wouldn't have followed their path without me starting them on it. But I don't regret anything. You know why?"

  The gods were completely silent this time. "Why?," one of them whispered from the back.

  "They died so that others could live the fullest lives they could. One by one, they all died," Jay said, sighing. The gods pulled up their power, all their strength to fight. "And then there were three," they said in unsion, the Nightingale and Amon joining in.

  The gods looked into space, surprised, seeing the Nightingale suddenly appear. "I've heard tales about the Breaker, though. Where is he?"

  Jay shook his head. "The Breaker... is seeking his own revenge."

  The gods laughed. "So, you think you can take us on with three people?"

  Jay nodded. "One would be enough."

  "So do it then!," A god screamed at him.

  Jay sighed. "Amon. Nightingale. Let me handle this."

  They both nodded, stepping away from the fight. Jay's swords dissipated as well. "You killed Infinity," he suddenly said, pointing at one of the gods. "You killed End," he said, speaking once more, as he pointed at another. On and on he went, naming who each one had killed. "You are the only gods who are going to die today," he said, some of the gods not have been called on, "For you are the ones who committed this evil. Others. You did not participate, but you let them do this. And that is as close to evil as you can get without crossing the line."

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  Jay's eyes opened, a black matching space. "For now, let us fight."

  The gods sped at him, a movement he could only see through his past self's superior perception. He stepped around each and every blow, the weaker gods dying to one strike each. The stronger ones didn't, managing to live through his blows. Regrouping, they watched him, unhurt under their assault. "The Forest of Souls."

  The group seemed to suddenly be transported to a forest, trees appearing around them. Jay tapped one carved with images of animals, which were also roosting in the branches above. "This is from Beastmaster. Dragon's Breath: Lightning."

  A spectral dragon appeared above him, lightning cascading out of its closed mouth. He waved, and it roared, blasts of lightning firing out at the crowd of gods. Many of them died in that moment, while others were strong enough to survive, or simply got lucky. It dissipated. "This is from the Breaker."

  A sword of pure energy formed in front of him, and Jay couldn't even comprehend what it was made of. Various energies flowed against and with each other at the same time, forming a complex beauty in the space of the sword. More impressively, he couldn't comprehend any of the energies. "I'm done with this fight. I don't want to see any of my friends' murderers now. Goodbye. Breaker's Blade, Form Twelve. Cut Through Their Souls."

  Jay saw himself strike, a wave of power rushing out at the gods. They attempted to dodge, but failed, the power of the blade annihilating them as it got close. For the ones who managed to survive a brief moment, they got pulled towards the strike, as if it was the hungry void. It killed them all, the gods all dying to the one attack. Their souls, about to reincarnate, disintegrated in the strike, removing their chances at a second life. The lingering souls of the gods he'd killed before also broke, removing them from the cycle of reincarnation.

  The memory ended then, Amon flowing into him before he tore open a portal, teleporting far away. More memories flowed into him, letting him recall all of his past life. A few stood out to him.

  The first one opened itself and he found himself standing in an open field, craters dotted across it. His opponent stood opposite him, Nightingale and Breaker on their last legs next to him, laying facedown in the grass. His opponent laughed at him. "Game's over, kid. You tried, but it's time to die."

  Jay took stock of his condition. Most of his ribs were broken-standing was agony. His right arm was mangled, a sword in his left. Amon was not with him at the moment. Maybe he hadn't met her yet? Jay felt himself raise his hand. This would be his only chance.

  "Are you watching?," Jay's past self said.

  "Huh?," His opponent replied, confused.

  Jay was taken aback. For some reason, he felt this comment was addressed to him. "Watch carefully," his past self whispered. "This is my last gambit."

  Power pooled in his palm, what Jay felt was the last of his past self's power. All of it, at once. It flowed into the sword, forming a complex weave. He felt this was a completely untested move, made on the spot, made out of desperation to save himself and his friends. The sword started glowing, starting to shake. This power, not held perfectly due to it being held in an entirely new and unperfected pattern, started to ravage his body. His arm started to simply... turn to dust, crumbling under his own force. "A Single Strike to End the World."

  He stepped forward, swinging the blade. The arm he was holding the sword with exploded, leaving both of them useless as a wave of energy flew forth. His enemy's eyes widened in surprise as he turned to dust, blowing away in the wind. Jay fell to the ground, his vision turning to black. But not before he left his future self with some final words. "Did you see it?"

  Jay knew he wasn't referring to the weave of his attack, but something else. "No." He whispered a reply.

  "You will, eventually," his past self replied before fully falling unconscious.

  Then another memory played, of Jay standing in front of a horrific monster, ready to kill the refugees behind him. Once again, he raised his sword, and Jay felt another inspiration happen. "Two Strikes to Defend One's Conviction."

  As the attacks flew out, the memory changed. "Three Strikes to Cut Through Space."

  It changed again. "Four Strikes to Feel the Truth."

  The memories suddenly stopped and Jay saw himself face to face with his past self. "These are the first four strikes I created. I wonder what you'll make. What is your Truth?"

  Jay immediately replied. "I will be the best."

  "Why?"

  "To protect those behind me. To help those less fortunate rise. To create a world of peace."

  His past self smiled. "You answered that you didn't understand."

  "Yes," Jay said, nodding, accepting his shortcoming.

  "The thing is, you understand. Completely, though you don't know it."

  Jay shrugged. "I'll figure it out."

  His past self laughed. "I was like that too. You're a lot like me, you know. Just remember."

  "Yes?"

  "Remember those who came before you. And remember what has been done to the people. Then there's one more thing you must remember. You can't fight all the time. Improving is all good and well, but you cannot always work and work and work. Having fun is also required."

  Jay solemnly nodded. He got the feeling that his past self had made the mistake of not doing this in the past, and didn't want his future self to follow. "Thank you. Anything else?"

  A large grin appeared on his past self. "I've served my purpose. I'm going to kill myself now. You are me, so I'm not really dying. I'm just removing a clone. And the last thing. Your name. In our organization. Remember it. Cherish it. Goodbye, Eternity."

  Jay watched himself fade away into specks of light, bowing as he did so. He took all the information he'd gotten to heart, all the advice his past self had given him. "Thank you."

  He pulled himself out of the memories, coming face to face with Amon. "Do you remember?," she asked, softly.

  "Not all of it. But, yes. Thank you for being here all this time. I will not fail now."

  Amon smiled, her liquid face turning in a grin that was familiar, now. "Well, then. It's time to wake up."

  Jay nodded, pulling himself out of the dream. "Oh, wait," Amon said, stopping him just before he did so.

  Jay focused on her as she spoke words that warmed him inside. "Go and be the best, Eternity."