The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

Klaus stood there, dazed, looking back at Number Three, whose smile conveyed more than words. But at that moment, it was only an infuriating expression that made Klaus want to smack him silly.

“Tell me everything,” he suddenly said, making Number Three smile. Their surroundings shifted, and they were back in the space where Hanna was sitting peacefully. Of course, it was an illusion.

“First, I want to know, how many beauties do you have at the moment?” Number Three asked.

“Seriously? My sister’s life is on the line, and you want to know how many ladies I have? Are you serious?” Klaus didn’t know why, but he was suddenly overwhelmed by a mix of emotions. Still, he didn’t care—he just wanted to save Hanna.

“Guilt—you should feel it sometimes, too. After all, you seem to have none, by the way. We all do. However, that’s not why we’re here. So, pay attention because this is something you need to know before you become a Saint.

“Many, many years ago, nine stars fell into a newly birthed universe. Nobody knew where they came from or why they were there. But when the stars fell, they lingered for a few seconds before vanishing.

“Many years later, a boy was born, and one of the stars suddenly reappeared. The first Paragon was born. He grew stronger, more powerful, and incredibly dangerous. However, no matter the power he gained, it never seemed to be enough for him.

“He tried very hard, but he never reached the level he was aiming for. So he decided to do something else: defy the heavens. He succeeded, gaining the power to rise above the heavens. But even then, he still couldn’t reach the level he desired.

“So he sought a solution, and the answer came quicker than either you or I could imagine.”

Number Three looked at Klaus, who seemed to understand yet still couldn’t remember. It was a frustrating sight, and Number Three was enjoying every bit of it.

“Wipe that smug look off your face and continue. What move did he make?” Klaus asked.

“You know, the kind that defies heavens even more. He knew that with only one star, he wouldn’t accomplish his goals, so he sought out the other eight stars. It took years, but he found them. However, when he did, he realized they were in slumber.

“The stars were in a death-like state, if you will. But they reached out to him because they were his master, and, well, here we are—or rather, here’s where the Star Light comes in.”

Number Three waved, and the space around them shifted. They now stood in a vast expanse of space, watching what seemed to be a swirling mass of dark, dense red energy. Just looking at it, Klaus knew it was a star.

Or, more accurately, he recognized it—from the first door in his soul sea.

“What can you see?” Number Three asked.

“A dead star, I suppose,” Klaus answered.

“Yes. However, it isn’t truly dead—more like locked in hibernation. And every lock requires a key,” Number Three said, a realization hitting Klaus point-blank.

“You’re saying Hanna is the key?” Klaus asked, though he already knew the answer.

“Bingo. You’re surprisingly bright for an idiot who wanted to awaken their aura without any care for what it means.”

“Just shut up and continue.”

“You see before the other eight stars went into slumber, they sent their keys out into the universe, and well, one of those keys has just found you—or, more accurately, you found it,” Number Three said.

“Her,” Klaus corrected. “She is a human and my sister.”

“I know. So that brings us back to what this means. This sister of ours was meant to die, by the way. However, you intervened in time this time around,” Number Three said with a sigh.

“What do you mean, this time?” Klaus asked, growing increasingly curious.

“Not important. What is important, though, is that you have just found what you have been looking for—how many reincarnations now, eight or nine?” Number Three asked.

“Doesn’t matter. How can I seal her so she survives?” Klaus pressed.

“Seal her? Are you crazy?” Number Three shouted, almost angry.

“What do you mean? Shouldn’t I seal her constitution so she survives?” Klaus asked, puzzled.

“Oh, that. Yeah, you have to do that. However, that is not why you are here,” Number Three said, suddenly calming down.

“Why am I here, then?” Klaus asked.

“You are here to awaken the first star, by the way. This, of course, would require you to provoke the heavens beyond repair, which would affect your sister too. However, if you both pull it off, she won’t die, and you, my friend, might gain the power to face your next tribulation.”

Klaus stared at Number Three with a shocked expression. ‘That’s it! I didn’t die; I never died. It just doesn’t make sense.’

“What? You really thought you would be able to face the heavens with this strength? Don’t get me wrong; you are the ultimate, the absolute of us all, but your path is just too chaotic. You can already feel it, can’t you? The danger is just below the horizon.

“But fear not, you didn’t reincarnate into me for nothing. Those idiots won’t know what hit them.”

For some reason, Klaus nodded at that. Although he might have been a handsome maniac at one point in time, he seemed to be very useful.

“So what do we do?” Klaus asked, using “we” instead of “I.” Although Fruity and Number Three were both detestable, he figured it was better to embrace them and see where that took him.

‘I know for a fact I reincarnated into a decent human at one point in time,’ he sighed.

“We are not going to do much. Just know that we are going to steal a constitution from the heavens. That would be enough to anger them and send down what we really need.”

“And what is that?” Klaus asked.

“You know, our first creation: the Lightning Source Diagram,” Number Three smiled, and Klaus flashed a smile back.

“Let’s do it,” Klaus said.

“That is the spirit! And hey, protect your sister; she is the key to a lot of things. You wouldn’t want to find out the hard way,” Number Three said, touching Klaus’s forehead. The next second, he was back in the outside world.

‘Senior, what did you say would happen if I tried to use the golden energy?’ Klaus asked.

‘You would explode,’ the senior replied.

‘Perfect. I think it would be enough to piss those guys off,’ Klaus smiled.

‘Brat, what are you thinking?’ the senior asked, clearly not liking his tone.

‘You know, something me and my past self cooked up.’ Klaus smiled knowing full well, that after today, the heavens would do everything in their power to kill him

Before the senior could make his next statement, Klaus formed a hand seal, and a seal mark appeared. It looked like it was made of countless other seals.

It moved toward Hanna.

At the moment the seal touched her, the heavens rumbled. Klaus smirked and then formed another seal.

“Big Sister, do you trust me?” Klaus asked.

“I do.” Hanna didn’t even blink.

“Then hand over your body to me, and when you wake up, it will be completely transformed.”

“Okay, brother. Do with my body as you see fit.”