The man stood before me.
His voice echoed through the void.
"Boy, I called you here not because you interest me."
He remained at a distance. Not approaching. Not retreating.
"But because you were annoying me. Disturbing my peace. Again and again."
His eyes were ancient. Tired. Filled with power that had seen centuries pass.
"I have told you already. You are unworthy of me. And I will never be bounded to you."
I smiled.
"Look for yourself, old hag."
I spread my arms wide. Gestured at the endless void surrounding us.
"You were bound to me the moment you entered my soul."
His expression flickered.
"You may see me as unworthy. But the gods above chose you as a stepping stone."
I stepped forward.
"My stepping stone to greatness."
Another step.
"You are a mere beginner's tool. Nothing more. And yet you carry that attitude of yours like you own the world."
I stopped.
"But sorry to say, gramps. The world is already owned by someone else."
I pointed at myself.
"It happened eight years ago. The moment I stepped into it."
Zenos laughed.
A cold, mirthless sound.
"Leave."
His voice dropped. Became dangerous.
"Before I decide that your insolence is worth more than the cost of erasing your soul."
Then his expression shifted.
Sadness crept into those ancient eyes.
"I don't even know how I ended up here. How I was paired with a weakling like you."
He shook his head.
"But don't take this as me accepting your command. No. Never."
I grinned.
"Oh, old man. I'm not here to command you."
I paused. Watched curiosity flicker across his weathered features.
"I'm here to collect what's mine."
My grin widened.
"And while collecting my property, there's an ego standing in my way. The ego of an old pussy."
The shift was instant.
His expression transformed. Anger flooded his eyes. Raw. Primal.
Killing intent radiated from his ancient form.
Fear?
Nah.
I stood perfectly still. Watching. Waiting to see what he would do.
The atmosphere changed.
Suddenly. Violently.
His doing. His magic.
Clouds materialized from nothing. Swirling above us in the void that shouldn't have had a sky.
CRACK!
Lightning split the darkness.
BOOM!
Thunder followed. Shaking the very fabric of this soul domain.
Then rain.
Heavy. Torrential. Soaking through my clothes in seconds.
He was trying to scare me. Trying to show me his power. Trying to make me understand what I was dealing with.
Zenos laughed through the storm.
"Look at you! Trembling!"
His voice carried over the thunder.
"I haven't even used my power yet! You're scared just by my anger!"
He raised his hand. A gesture of mock kindness.
"Should I give you an umbrella, kid? So you can walk off quietly?"
I laughed.
Actually laughed. Standing in his artificial storm. Rain streaming down my face.
"Tremble? Dude, I was too excited."
I wiped water from my eyes.
"That was a twitch of curiosity. Of amusement."
I stepped toward him. Through his rain. Through his thunder.
"And what's this about an umbrella?"
Another step.
"I have stood alone in the storm my entire life."
Another.
"Do you really think handing me an umbrella for rain would work?"
Zenos looked at me.
His expression shifted completely. The anger faded. Replaced by something else.
The storm died. Clouds dissolved. Rain stopped mid-fall and evaporated into mist.
Silence returned to the void.
I dusted off my shoulders. Casual. Unbothered.
"You really are an interesting one." His voice had changed. Softer now. Almost... respectful?
"However, the attitude you carry is one I've seen my entire life."
He clasped his hands behind his back.
"The kind that usually gets its owner killed. Due to foolishness. At chapter one of their story."
I responded instantly. Without thinking.
"But if I die in Chapter 1, it's only because the world couldn't handle Chapter 2."
I smiled.
"It's hard to keep reading when the book is on fire."
His eyebrow raised.
"And Fate?"
I shrugged.
"Fate has a habit of tearing up the script when it gets too scared to turn the page."
Zenos smiled.
Then laughed.
A real laugh this time. Full. Genuine.
"HAHAHAHA!"
The sound echoed through the void. Bouncing off walls that didn't exist.
"I see now why I am here. With you. Within you."
He approached. Finally closing the distance between us.
"You may be the most promising hero the world has ever wanted."
He stopped before me.
"Or the most terrifying villain this world has ever seen."
His ancient eyes studied my face.
"Either way, I bet you'll die with that ego of yours."
I said it to just tell him which side I preferred. "Villains only lose in bedtime stories. The kind parents tell their children to make them feel safe at night."
I smiled. "In reality? The villain is usually the one signing the history books."
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
Zenos threw his head back. Laughing harder than before.
When he finally calmed, he looked at me with something resembling joy.
"Mortal, you don't know how sad I am."
His form began to shimmer.
"That I won't be able to see your interesting journey. As the villain of the world I once protected."
"Main character." I corrected him.
"Not just villain. Main character of the world."
He smiled.
"Promise me something."
His body was becoming transparent now. Edges dissolving.
"Promise me you will bring back my soul. My consciousness. During your journey."
Golden particles began rising from his form.
"So I can see with my own eyes. What you become."
"Wait—"
But before I could ask what he meant, he was gone.
Evaporated completely. Scattered into the void like ashes in the wind.
Then pain.
My brain felt like it was being crushed. Squeezed by invisible hands.
The void shattered.
And I was staring at the sky again.
The same green field. The same bloody tree. The same beautiful girl standing over me with concern in her cold eyes.
DING.
═══════════════════════════════
[ SUMMON SYNCHRONIZATION ]
═══════════════════════════════
│
│ ► Zenos the Unbound is ready
│ to serve Host.
───────────────────────────────
│ ► Calibrating summon to match
│ Host's QUOR capability...
───────────────────────────────
│
│ ► Rank Adjustment:
│ SS ────────► C
───────────────────────────────
│ ► Successfully changed and
│ bounded again.
│
│ ► Host has acquired C-Rank
│ Zenos the Unbound.
───────────────────────────────
[ NOTE ]
│ With improvement of Host,
│ his summons will improve too.
═══════════════════════════════
'Now I understand.'
What he meant by bringing back his soul. His consciousness.
He needed me to grow. To become stronger. To take him back to his former glory.
At SS rank, he would regain his memories. His true self.
How much exactly? I didn't know.
But what I did know?
I had an SS rank summon bowing to my ass.
I then looked around and thats when my eyes met her again.
The girl was still there. Watching me with those complex eyes of hers.
She was such a strange character. Acting cold one moment. Caring the next. I couldn't figure her out.
She grabbed my collar. Pulled me up. Forced me to sit on the grass.
"Tell me you did it."
I smiled.
That was all the answer she needed.
She sighed. Relief flooding her features.
"Thank god. Finally this absurdity will stop."
But she was dead wrong.
Because I had already reached the tree again. Already grabbed the bloody bark with both hands.
"What the hell are you doing now?!" Her voice cracked.
"Didn't you just agree that you did it?!"
"That wasn't a lie." I positioned my forehead against the wood.
"It's just that I left an insect named Marcus in there."
I glanced at her.
"I'll fetch him and be right back."
She stared at me.
Like I was a madman.
Like I was the most insane person she had ever encountered.
I turned back to the bark. Focused on the familiar grooves. The dried blood. The splintered wood that had become my training partner.
"Just one more hit."
I whispered to the tree.
"And we can both rest."
BANG.