章 55: A Journey To The Stars.
This might be more different than the usual chapters... I hope it's good.
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There was nothing in this place, or nothing was the theme of this area.
The sky was white, the ground was white, even the area behind Leo's wings was covered with a white color. This white color was extending towards the horizon as it seems there's no end to it.
However, in this empty world, there was a house, a normal house like any regular one. It wasn't big, but it had a little fancy touch here and there, as it seems that its owner likes decorating.
Leo stared at the house in silence, and he didn't move. To be honest, this was one of those moments in his life where he can say an entire speech, but... Silence was the best answer as nothing could come from his mouth.
"*Sigh*..." Looking at the house that didn't change a bit from his memories, Leo sighed. Maybe it was his memories that didn't change as this place means a lot, or maybe he didn't want it to change.
[Advocate of Gender Equality: I know this might be important, but shouldn't you hurry up?]
"That's not important anymore... Those monsters can't enter this place. At least for a while, this place won't change" Leo mumbled, as his voice was slightly lower than usual.
This place is an important memory from Leo's mind, a stupid curse can't breach it instantly.
However, the voice changing was noticed by some members in the group, but they felt it was more like that Leo didn't want to affect this place and keep this silence around.
The wings on Leo's back became smaller and his Halo stopped shining as he took his first step towards the house door. His body was almost completely simulated by the void and this reality, each step was taken slowly as each one felt heavy for Leo.
The sound of footsteps was ringing in this place as Leo finally reached the front door and stopped. The group felt the atmosphere became heavy as they stopped typing.
The silence filled the place again as Leo was looking at the regular door in front of him before he reached towards the doorknob and opened the door.
The door opened easily as Leo pushed it slowly before a regular home displayed in front of everyone in the Chat Room.
"Well... I'm home... I guess" Those words were very quiet as Leo whispered them before walking inside.
Looking at the interior of the house, Leo stopped again as his memories were rushing inside of his head, he couldn't stop those memories or think about something else.
[NEET Princess: Hey, Leo, is this your home?]
" Yeah, you can call it that" Leo said as he took a deep breath and walked forward.
[NEET Princess:... From this world?]
"...." Leo didn't say anything as he was walking in the hallway before noticing some pictures, which made him stop.
The group members saw the hallways have some painting which was similar to the last one when Leo was fleeing from the monsters, but they even noticed that the hallway is similar.
However, the pictures were the thing that took their attention. The pictures were showing a family of three people, the parents and their son, but the son picture was different from Leo now.
[Bri-Bri: Who are the people in the photos?]
"..." Leo didn't answer immediately as he was looking at the couple and their son before he walked away as he lowered his head slightly.
The group saw different kinds of paintings and photos across the hallways, the photos changed as they were taken at different times. But they all stayed the same with three people.
Walking for a moment, Leo reached a door which led him towards the living room. The living room was pretty big, maybe the biggest room in the house. It's shaped like a square and the decoration was comfortable with a modern touch.
Leo stared at the living room for a moment before he walked inside and headed straight towards the chimney.
There was a chimney inside the living room with small trophies and some picture frames.
However, there was a picture different from the others. The group saw the parents and two sons in that picture, but they can see that the second son looks like Leo now.
"I see...*Sigh*" Leo stared at the photo for a while before he let out a sigh and said " These are my parents and big brother"
Leo answered Misaka's question which silenced the group again before he picked up the picture frame and stared at it in silence.
All the people in the group understood this is the home of Leo from his last world and now they're looking at his past, maybe even the other places they saw in this reality was a reflection for his past.
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Those paintings are yours?]
"No, they're my father's paintings, he loved to paint as it was his hobby and job" Leo said as he looked at the man in the picture.
"He loved painting a lot and even went as far as he got a lot of trophies in different competitions" Leo said with a small smile as the group noticed that some trophies were about painting.
"He wasn't home a lot because of his work and competitions, but he was always there when we needed him" Leo put the picture frame on the chimney stand as he looked at it one last time before moving away.
"I remember one time he came home and saw me staying in my room a lot, so he rushed inside and insisted to know what I'm doing" Leo had a wry smile on his face while the group felt he entered some kind of trance before saying " I was watching anime at that time and he insisted to watch with me even if he knows nothing about it..."
"We watched Jojo's part 1 and 2 before he gave up because he couldn't understand anything..." Leo noticed something in the living room table before he said " But I know he did that because he saw me feeling down when he came back... On that day, he said ' If you ever needed someone, then I'll be always here when you need me'... And he was... Always there"
The silence filled the place again, and the group was quieter, they heard Leo words like he's telling a story or an event, but why they feel this is sad.
Leo stopped talking as he saw a chessboard on the table and the pieces weren't in their place because someone was playing before.
He reached with his hand slowly and moved the black queen to the left with one square which allowed the white queen to checkmate the black king.
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Did you just win an unfinished game by cheating?]
"No... I chose the black pieces in this game and this wasn't my turn" Leo said as the group realized he lost by himself and made the other player win.
"My brother loved this game, it was his passion as he loves to call it..." Leo said as he walked away and approached the living room door before he said " He had some achievement in this game"
The group saw some trophies about chess on the chimney stand.
"We were always fighting. To be honest, it'll feel weird if we didn't fight at that point..." Leo wry smile didn't vanish before he said " For stupid things like TV remote, what'll eat that day, or even something ridiculous like our hobbies"
"He forced me to play chess with him as he always destroyed me which made me hate this game" Leo felt the living room as he walked towards the stair before he said "I was always mad and angry at him because he knows about my hobby of cute things... He always made fun from it"
The group finally knows why Leo always has anger issues when someone talks about his cute things hobby.
"However, he always said that it's okay to be yourself, so don't care about what the other says and love what you like, but I'll keep making fun of it..." Leo smiled slightly before he said " I feel he only wanted to see me angry because it's the closest to my real self... *Sigh*"
The atmosphere is heavier as Leo walked upstairs and reached a room. The room was next to another one, which had a chess decorated door.
Leo opened the door and entered the door as it displayed a room with normal games and anime posters, which didn't surprise the group a lot, but those different plushies about cute creatures in anime made Kaguya's and Kazuma's eyebrow twitch. However, they didn't dare to say anything.
"It has been a while, I even forget what it looked like... " Leo had a slightly cheerful tone before he said "*Sigh*... It really has been a while, isn't it?"
However, Leo noticed a candle on his desk next to a picture frame that was put facing the ground, so it doesn't show the picture.
"I was really childish, huh... " Leo walked towards the photo frame and picked it up before he said " And I think I'm still childish"
The picture had two people, a teenager with brown hair and eyes. To his side, there was a girl with short blond hair and blue eyes. However, what made the group shocked is that they were doing a Jojo pose.
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Seriously?]
"Yeah... Yeah, we were serious" Leo said with a grin before he looked at the picture again.
[Bri-Bri: Who are they?]
"Me, or how I used to be... And this is my best friend... Someone very similar to me at that time" Leo said with a quiet voice before he sighed once again.
"I don't remember when I met her exactly, but I remember the place and that meeting changed my life" Leo's voice lowered again, but the group could hear him before he said " We talked a lot and played a lot with games. She got me into many games like Undertale, and even my hobby of loving cute things was discovered by her... She wouldn't shut up about it from that day"
A wry smile, yet a sad one appeared on Leo's face before he said " However, I managed to get her into Jojo, but she tricked me to pose into a photo..."
"We did a lot after that, even putting Jojo in the religion section at the library... She reached out for me when I never knew I needed it" Leo put the photo frame on the desk as the group felt this is sadder.
"I still remember that she always said to be free while reminding me that a small thing like a cute cat can bring happiness... I wish I realized sooner without being a fool" Leo looked at the picture before he stared at the candle.
[Bri-Bri: So, what happened to her?]
"Three days passed, and I heard nothing about her... Before I found out that she committed suicide" Leo's words fully silenced the group as some of them sighed and others were shocked.
"I kept asking myself why she did it... She looked happy, so why did she do it... I wasn't able to see it..." Leo closed his eyes before he said " In the end, I found myself checking all the surrounding details, maybe I was blaming myself for not knowing sooner or because I could not help her... Trying to find a flaw... How pathetic and ridiculous"
[Bri-Bri: I'm sorry... I... ]
"Don't be... It happened a long time ago, and I can barely remember all the details. After all, we forget and move in our lives, don't we?" Leo smiled slightly as the screen.
Silence filled the room as nobody talked, Leo was staring at the picture while the group wasn't able to find any word to say. The silence continued until a message arrived.
[Bri-Bri: What was her name... It's okay if you don't answer]
"She was called, Leah... But it doesn't matter a lot now" Leo reached out with his hand before he touched his old self in the picture.
"There's nothing that can change it... Here or in that world" Leo said as his old self turned into a small spot of light as he held it in his hand. The picture was left with only the girl while the candle next to it was finally extinguished.
Leo looked at the light in his hand before he exited his room and went to the living room again.
[Big Sister Lion: Then... What about your mother?]
Leone didn't know why she asked, but she felt she should say something in this situation.
"... She was a slightly serious type with a love for cooking" Leo sighed as he remembers a few things before he said " She was forcing me to cook once in a while with her, as she was training me to take care of myself, so I don't starve or something"
"One day, a storm hit this area, so we couldn't get out of home, and on that day, I cooked as it turned out to be a disaster..." Another wry smile formed on Leo's face before he said " We couldn't order something because of the storm, so we ate what I cooked... You should have seen our faces... In the end, I was able to make something above average, which is a win for me"
"She always said to believe in myself because she'll always believe in me no matter what happens... Then she'll say something like when will you marry and give me grandchildren" Leo picked the picture without realizing that his hand was slightly shaking before he said " That was ridiculous... And now, I'm here, so how do you expect me to get you grandchildren?"
The person in the picture turned into light as the light in Leo's hand fused with it and turned into a key.
However, Leo didn't care as he was looking at the photo without noticing that his hand was shivering as he clenched his other hand before he said " You know? Being forgotten is more painful than death"
At those words, the group realized why Leo wasn't in the other pictures... That's because he doesn't exist in that world now. The picture in the room meant he doesn't exist in that world anymore, and the last one meant that how can he be a part of it now.
Why did God or the world will want him to see this? Honestly, Leo doesn't know, and now... He doesn't care.
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Leo... You were happy]
With those words, Kazuma lost his strength as he leaned on his chair and ignored the shaking Aqua.
"Yeah, I was happy... Very happy" Leo didn't raise his head or look at the screen.
"I never thought of going back, but... I wish I had pushed a little bit further at that time, just to not let them worry about me" Leo opened his hand as he looked at the key before he walked towards the front door and put it in the keyhole. The door did a strange noise while the candle in the living room flickered.
[Advocate of Gender Equality: So, you also took your share from the world terrible game balance]
"Ah, it was like I wasn't doing enough, but something in my head was telling me... What's the point in doing more?" Leo said as the group remembered those trophies, but there was nothing in Leo's name.
"*Sigh* I feel that I'm a hypocrite, maybe the angel was angry because of this" Leo's hand stopped shaking as he showed a smile... That smile was sad and filled with nostalgia, but even Misaka felt the determination contained.
"So, this was a part of my 2/10 story... However, it doesn't matter as it's the time to go forward, and crying about the past won't help that much. "Taking a deep breath, Leo's eyes were firm again.
After a moment of silence, a white light appeared from the door. But before he entered, he turned back and said one of the things he regrets not saying in his previous life "... Goodbye"
With those words, Leo appeared on a rooftop which is the place in his last illusion under Yggdrasil. The sky was clear and clouds were drifting with the winds, which can make someone relaxed.
[The strongest Man In The World: This place again, huh?..]
[A Hero For Fun: Let's hear what he'll say]
"Another predictable moment, I warned it to not use these places, but that is useless, huh..." Leo said as a white phantom appeared in front of him.
" This place where I met Leah for the first time... As for what I said under Yggdrasil..." Leo looked at the phantom before he said " Don't tarnish this place with your disgusting illusions"
The group saw the look of the phantom, and it was very similar to Leo's friend they saw in the picture.
"Well, I first talked with an angel that works with instinct, so I don't think it's a problem to talk with an illusion..." Leo shook his head as his body was getting more filled with the dark void.
" I had a lot of things to say to you, but I realized that it'll be stupid, ridiculous, and you'll probably laugh at me if I say them, so I don't have anything to say..." Leo said as he walked and passed the illusion that was supposed to stop him.
*Crack*
The illusion was cracking slowly as the blue sky was trembling.
"But, hey... I'm happy and free now... And it's maybe late. Well, very late, but I'll definitely reach out for you if you need me" Leo said as he made a pistol with his power and shot... The halo above his head.
*BANG!!*
*CRACK*
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!*
The illusion exploded as the sky returned to the dark void with colors and an enormous monster appeared in the sky as it almost covered the sky. This is the core of reality and the curse.
Meanwhile, in the actual world. The angel was fighting with Thor and Vidar before it halted and started screaming. Its halo and wings were cracking as its power was going out of control, but strangely nothing was affected.
Before the angel recovered, a pink space power rushed from the sky and smacked it into the ground before an orange slime appeared from its shadow and tickled its neck.
"I'm in control now..." Leo was holding his head while his Halo and wings had cracks all over them, but he was able to see the angel contained.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" the monster screamed again as the dark void was breaking again and showed a white space behind it.
This reality is collapsing, and it only needs the last push before it crumbles.
However, Leo noticed something rising from the illusion shards as it fused with his key and turned into a yellow butterfly.
Leo let go of the butterfly before he said " Now, it's my time to let go of everything..."
[NEET Princess: WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT NOW?!]
Now the group wants to say bullshit about shooting yourself at the last battle when you're about to win.
"Why not? I mean, it was the answer all along... How can a butterfly fly without losing its cocoon?" Leo walked forwards as the monster in the sky was screaming non-stop and it raised its gigantic tentacle.
The cracks on the halo and wings were increasing with each step Leo took as shards were falling, but the halo grew slightly even with the cracks as a seven sharp tip was appearing and the Book of The Law was shining on the 7th phrase.
"Desire, and it'll be thy answer..." Leo remembered the last message from God in the Book of The Law before he said " Then I desire to use these broken wings to fly beyond everything you planned"
"So, guys... Do you want to take a flight to the stars with me?" Leo smiled at the screen before his broken wings flapped.
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
With a giant explosion, everything under Leo was crumbling. The area, the illusion, and this reality were collapsing as Leo was flying towards the monster in the sky.
Thousands of small tentacles rushed towards Leo from the monster, but he did a flip in the air while dodging most of them.
The broken wings behind Leo opened up as the shards turned into thousands of dark-rainbow colored beams. The beams filled the sky as they drew a beautiful picture before they hit the monster and exploded.
The angel outside did the same, but the beams were much weaker than Leo as Palkia was able to transfer them while helping SCP-999.
However, this didn't end as Kuriboh and Killer Queen appeared. Killer Queen put its hand on the angel's head while Kuriboh nodded before it took one of the angel's attacks.
A white shadow appeared in Kuriboh place which is its soul before Killer Queen caught it.
With Kuriboh dying, most of the damage on Leo's body became zero, so Killer Queen used its power and turned the curse energy in his body into a bomb.
*BOOM!!* *BOOM!!**BOOM!!*
Thousands of explosions appeared on the monster body in Leo's mind as it was screaming louder.
{I know that I didn't believe in it at all...} Leo flapped his wings again before he dodged and slashed all the tentacles coming towards him.
Left, right, up, and down. Leo was dodging and destroying everything the monster threw at him, but with every dodge and attack, a faint golden rectangle was appearing.
*BAAAAAM*
With a sonic-boom, Leo's broken wings grew up in size before they spun as he charged towards the monster. Leo allowed his body to follow the rotation as the wings fused into one before it became a huge drill.
*BOOOOOOOOOOOM*
Leo and his drill were crushing everything in their ways as they almost reached the monster's true body.
*CLANG!!!!!*
However, the monster body that protects the core was very hard, and it was almost impossible to pierce through because it represents the reality made by God.
{But because you dared to use my memories... Then just this time...} Leo's wings were getting more broken with the second before he said " I'll believe in it, even if it's just for a moment"
Leo only believed that the world doesn't have perfection, but now, even if it's just for this moment. He chooses to believe that even the biggest flaws can have perfection.
A clear golden rectangle appeared in Leo's way before everything exploded in front of him.
*BOOOOOOM*
The drill adjusted itself towards the golden rectangle before its speeds multiplied and crushed the monster defense.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" The monster was thrashing around, but the drill was destroying its body from the inside without mercy before Leo reached the core of the monster.
The wings turned back to normal because they lost their strength before Leo extended his hand and reached out for the core, but tentacles appeared from all the walls and rushed towards him.
Leo saw the tentacles, but he didn't stop as he smiled and said " So, now you choose to appear"
"MUDA MUDA!!" Gold Experience appeared from Leo's body and punched most of the tentacles, but two of them caught Leo's wings.
Gold Experience is the closest to Leo's soul, and the only beast can appear here after the reality is collapsing.
One pull, second pull, Leo found himself stuck in the air as the tentacles were stopping him from moving forward and Gold Experience was busy with the other tentacles.
"Do you know what I learned from this day?..." Leo's wings cracked further before they were broken completely as he said " I don't need wings to fly now"
With those words, Leo used his hand and pierced the curse, and this reality core as a bright light appeared and blinded everything.
The angel outside stopped as all the beasts were teleported away by Palkia. The angel didn't stop for long before cracks filled its body and a giant pillar of light shot towards the sky.
Meanwhile, in a random place in Europe. Someone was inside the kitchen as he used the sink to fill a pot, but when he turned away, he saw the water wasn't following the gravity as it raised towards the ceiling.
"What. The. FUCK?!" The man said a word by word before he noticed that the sky turned dark in the middle of the day.
"An eclipse?! The end of the world?!" These all that the man could think of, but he didn't see an eclipse.
He only saw thousands of stars appearing in this dark sky as they illuminated the world. This situation happened all across the world as the day disappeared and was replaced with a sky filled with stars.
Meanwhile, a portal opened up in Asgard as a gigantic red dragon appeared from it, but he stopped immediately as he saw the sky.
Thor, Vidar, and the creatures in the layers couldn't close their mouths as they were looking at the angel under the starry sky.
"Well, this was much easier than I thought..." A clear voice sounded across the layer before a few black feathers fell from the sky.
The feathers were pure black and had a rainbow-colored glow at its ends which was dreamy like a star falling from the sky.
In the sky, a young man was floating there with no worry. His back has a pair of black-rainbow wings, which were a combination of energy and physical wings, but they were flashing like the stars in the night.
"Now, this is really a beautiful sky... But as I promised" Leo opened his eyes and his 7 sharp tips golden halo was shining brightly before he said " This was a flight towards the stars"
At this moment, the stars in the sky lit up as if they were welcoming the morning star.
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New meaning for the 7th phrase:
Papilio glaucus butterflies are yellow in colors. They can represent that the departed souls who are resting peacefully in the afterlife. A yellow or gold butterfly also symbolizes a 'new life', a transformation, or a re-birth which what happened in this arc.
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7 phrases.
6 advice from Leo's past and his last lesson for himself at the end make them 7.
7 members in the group chat which means 7 worlds.
777
Fun fact:
7 chapters is the number it took for this power-up.
週次パワーステータス
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