Two days had passed.
Yet Akuma could not forget that voice.
"Heaven has chosen you."
His expression darkened.
"I always believed everything ended with Earth," he muttered.
"But if that voice was real… then I was wrong."
He exhaled slowly.
"Not now. I'll think about it later."
Another thought surfaced—
Leader Aradam.
Where had he gone?
Aradam's Fear
Far away, Aradam had already sensed it.
Akuma's power.
It was no longer unstable—it was awakening with purpose.
"If they meet Akuma," Aradam whispered,
"there's a chance his way of thinking might change."
Akuma was no longer just a weapon.
He questioned the world.
He felt pain.
He understood stories.
He had become something dangerous—
An otaku, someone who could empathize.
Suddenly, Aradam stiffened.
A memory struck him like a blade.
"No…"
"If Akuma meets her…"
His breath trembled.
"Everything will collapse."
"Only the memories Akuma personally witnessed have returned," he thought.
"But the ones he never saw…"
"If those awaken…"
Aradam clenched his teeth.
"The consequences will be beyond even my imagination."
Ruby
Meanwhile, the girl who had locked eyes with Akuma that day sat quietly in her home.
"Ruby, eat your food," her mother called.
"I will, Mom," Ruby replied softly.
But her thoughts were elsewhere.
Akuma.
"That boy…"
"He was terrifying."
Her hands trembled slightly.
"If I had said even a single word…"
"I wouldn't have survived."
The way he flew—
the amount of energy required to stay airborne—
No ordinary being could do that.
"I could never face him."
That dark halo above his head—
Just looking at it had made her feel
as if her soul was being torn from her body.
"I never want to see him again…"
A sound came from outside.
Footsteps.
Ruby stood up and walked toward the door.
Her legs shook.
The Vision
At the same moment—
Akuma's vision shattered.
Darkness.
Chains.
The same woman—
bound, bleeding, struggling.
Blood flowed from her hands and feet.
Akuma's eyes snapped open.
"What… was that?"
"That place… that woman…"
A sharp pain tore through his head.
The world spun.
Akuma collapsed unconscious.
Decision
When he awoke—
Night had fallen.
Akuma stared at the sky.
"The time has come."
He summoned the four beasts.
Mounting the dragon, he vanished into the night sky.
As he flew, a thought crossed his mind.
"Maybe… I should visit her home."
"She might not remember me."
"But I remember her."
Nova and Lucas
Elsewhere—
Nova finished telling Lucas everything.
Lucas's expression hardened.
"That old man," he growled.
"He'll never abandon his rotten habits."
Anger burned in his eyes.
The Truth Revealed
Akuma arrived.
He opened the door—
And his mind went blank.
The room was destroyed.
Clothes torn.
A man forcing himself on someone.
And that someone—
Ruby.
Darkness exploded from Akuma.
His power wrapped around the man instantly.
There was no escape.
No mercy.
Silence followed.
Ruby was frozen, unable to speak.
Akuma gently placed a cloth over her shoulders.
Then he pulled her into his arms.
"Don't worry," he whispered.
"I'm here."
But Ruby remained numb.
Akuma held her tighter.
In his mind, only one thought existed—
"Whoever did this…"
"Their bloodline will remember this punishment for seven generations."
Even Draven trembled.
"Master…
This girl is special to you."
Akuma spoke calmly.
"Take Ruby with you."
"Protect her."
"Yes, Master."
At that moment—
Ruby's mother rushed in.
Seeing her daughter—
she broke down.
"Who did this?"
"Tell me!"
Akuma answered quietly.
"Not me."
"He did."
Her gaze fell on Akuma.
Her voice shook.
"You're him…"
"You really are him, aren't you?"
Akuma nodded.
"Yes."
Ruby's mother pulled her daughter close.
"My child…"
Ruby lost consciousness in her arms.
Morning
The next morning—
Ruby woke up trembling.
Fear still clung to her.
The moment Akuma sensed it—
he appeared beside her.
And.
He embraced her tightly.
The strength in his arms was such that, for a moment, all the fatigue, pain, and fear of the world seemed to vanish.
His heart pounded rapidly, and in that instant, everything—memories of the past, unanswered questions, unfinished matters—was contained within that single embrace.
His breaths brushed against her cheek, and he realized that sometimes, a feeling alone can express more than words ever could.