THE TRIAL

Poki's legs were buckling together as she saw the sight in front of her. Her to-be master, laying on the floor, lifeless while a girl shed tears and screamed relentlessly. 

"It is my fault.... It is my-"

"Stop blaming yourself, it was my brother's decision to do so, just... Shut up.." Miyuki said, her voice shaky.

"Do not worry much, Miyuki." A voice said. A portal opened and out came the goddess of time, Nozark.

"Since he broke the divine chains, it was set as a rue that the person with the ability to break it dies when he or she breaks it. Now, because Mitsuki has been chosen by Aurendor himself, he will never die in this universe. What is happening now is a trial that The Celestior group decided to do to test him and to strengthen his will. After the trial, his soul shall be returned, whether he does well or not"

THE REALM OF THE DEAD

"What do you want to do to me?" Asked Mitsuki cautiously.

"Oh, this is nothing but a trial, Mitsuki.. Too bad they chose me to test you," Grim said.

"A trial?? I don't even know how to control any ability, not that I have any!" Mitsuki shouted.

"Don't worry, the trial is just psychological. Now, since I am very generous, I shall do a divine soul contract with you. If you withstand it well, I shall disappear completely, tht is all,"

Back in Avalon, the Celestior gods were watching what was happening.

"Is he out of his damn mind??! How can he swear that?"

"Maybe he is just confident in his trial?"

"No, he is not just confident," Aurendor said as he continued to watch.

"What do you mean Psychological?" Mitsuki asked, hoping that it was not what he was thinking.

"Let me show you something first of all. I will show you how worthless you are to people's eyes."

With the snap of a finger, Mitsuki appeared in a beachfront.

"Where am I?" He looked around and saw a familiar food stall and some tall buildings slightly far away.

"Wait... I am on Earth? Why-"

Suddenly, he heard a familiar laugh. He quickly turned his head and looked behind. Immediately he confirmed who it was, his heart sank.

"So this is what it is... Grim.."

LUGUNICA

The summoned looked at a large room that was empty inside. It was covered with a transparent glass, so that one could see what was happening inside. They had already been shown all around and their skills had been analyzed.

"What are we going to do here?" Mark asked the bishop; a man who was introduced to them as the medium who receives and sends messages to the gods.

"Here, some of you will be chosen to be the right hand of different gods among the Celestior while others will just be taken in and given blessings." The bishop said.

"So, will the gods appear here?" Virginia asked.

The bishop gave out a hearty laugh.

"No they cannot reveal themselves to you for now, all of us here shall turn into ashes if they do so."

"So, how will we know if they have chosen us?"

"You shall acquire a crest with the insignia of the god. You shall also get a cloak and a blessed Weapon from the god. Then you will immediately know their full names. You summoned are graced with what is called the Heavenly System, that is the display that only you can see in front of you."

Mark confidently walked towards the room. The door opened itself automatically.

"So, what should I do?" he asked, eager to get something he could show off.

"Just follow what the display in front of you will say."

The display lit up suddenly.

 [The first ranked god in Celestior, Realos, has taken interest in you.]

 [He likes your confidence and bravery.]

 [Do you accept?]

Mark smiled.

"Of course, the first one takes interest in me, it is only natural.. Of course I accept.

 [You shall now receive his mark and blessings.]

A golden glow surrounded Mark and once it dimmed out, Mark had a dark orange cloak on his body and a large sword inscribed with writings that had a pulsing orange glow. There was a large insignia on the back of the cloak. It had a white circle that was rotating like a portal and wings that seemed to come out of the circle. On Mark's left palm, the same insignia appeared.

 [You have gained new skills.]

 [Several other rewards and privileges shall be granted.]

"This is astounding, boy. You are now one of Realos' chosen. Realos is only second to The god of this universe, you are indeed amazing." Said the bishop.

"Nice! This will definitely make me be at the very top! But, couldn't I have been chosen by the ruler of the universe, the one who talked to us in school?" Mark wondered. He smiled at Emilia who was now entering the room.

"Let's see what your shitty girlfriend gets, Mitsuki...Oh, that's right.. I left him back in our world HAHA!"

Emilia went inside, her heart still heavy from what Mark did, yet she couldn't do anything, since she did not even have proof .

 [The Celestior sympathizes with you.]

 [Due to unknown circumstances, two gods are interested in you]

 [Nozark, goddess of time and second ranked god in Celestior has chosen you.]

 [Amaterasu Ox, the sun god and ninth ranked has chosen you.]

"Double? Is that normal?" Emilia wondered as the messages kept appearing. Either way, she had no reason to refuse. A brighter glow covered her whole body and she felt power surge through her. A large golden crest appeared above her, splitting into two. The Bishop was astounded.

"Go!! Call the King!!!"

"Is something wrong?" Mark asked.

"This girl... Has been chosen by two gods!!"

 ****

Mitsuki looked at the woman in front of her. She was seated at a beachside restaurant, reading a newspaper as she sipped wine. He was trying his best to suppress his emotions, something he had learnt to do. He took a deep breath as he approached her. He had hope that maybe, just maybe, the woman remembered him.

"Hello there," he said. 

The woman sighed as she looked up at the teenager in front of him.

"What the hell do you want? I am not interested in young guys," the woman said crudely.

"Do... You remember me, by any chance?"

"No.. Who the hell are you anyway?"

Those words broke him, but he stood there with a sad smile printed on his face.

"So you don't remember me, mother... I still had hope, that maybe.... maybe.... you would remember me...."

Anger now surged through his blood as he remembered everything that he and Miyuki went through. Suddenly, time froze.

"Is this what you wanted to show me, Grim Zodfir?" Mitsuki asked. His voice echoed in the still silence as aura flowed out of his body silently.

"The hell, I thought he is level 1....?" Grim thought.

"I had actually forgotten you know all our names, anyway, yes it is what I wanted to show you, Mitsuki Ichiro. That woman, Aoi Ichiro, your mother. She abandoned you when your father died, leaving you to take care of your sister... Too bad though, it does not seem as if she even has any lingering regrets at all.."

Mitsuki gritted his teeth.

"You had that small light of hope in your soul, trying to justify what she did to be right, didn't you, Mitsuki?"

Mitsuki's eyes started glowing slightly red.

"If this is the bull crap you wanted to show me, then it useless. I have gone through a lot up to now.. You cannot break me."

Grim was paying close attention to MItsuki's eyes.

"They glowed red for a while.. Might it be...Let's see." Grim thought.

"I am not done, Mitsuki.. She was expectant when she left you, with a boy, right?" 

Mitsuki's eyes widened. He remembered pretty well, about the brother he would have. Grim smiled as he said the next words.

"He is dead, Mitsuki."

Mitsuki's Aura exploded, cracking the ground below slightly.

"H..How... Tell me, Grim.. How di he die?" Mitsuki asked, as his eyes turned into a deep crimson color, making Grim to hesitate a bit, but he quickly composed himself.

"She did an abortion, hear what she said."

His view changed suddenly into a hospital room.

"I do not want anything to do with the family anymore. That kid was going to be just as useless as the other one. Pathetic, weak, simple minded... None of them can survive.."

The location changed back into the realm of the dead.

"Tell me, what do you gain from showing me all this?" Mitsuki asked, his head looking downwards. The chains had already suspended him, just like the last time.

"I told you, Mitsuki. It is a psychological trial. You should also see that you are useless anyway.. Did you think of why you were chosen? Or do you want to bury that thought,, jus as you have buried the others??!!"

Several painful memories flashed through his mind. He could feel all of it and soon afterwards, tears were streaming down his face.

"I know! I know I was chosen out of spite Grim! All of these memories.. I remember them all Grim! What would you know anyway, you have not experienced such at all, you are just 'testing' me, while ENJOYING the pain I'm feeling right now, right?!"

Suddenly, two of the four chains suspending Mitsuki broke.

"I REMEMBER EVERYTHING QUITE WELL, GRIM!!! I had already accepted everything that has happened! I was ready to start over a new life!"

The other two chains started cracking.

"What the hell is happening...."

Tears of anguish, pain and sadness were flowing down Mitsuki's face.

"I know everything and I have steeled myself.. All that pain of the past, I decided to bury it in the deepest parts of my soul, to focus on what I have left!! I shall not break down! Not this time! Not EVER AGAIN!!" He shouted as the other chains broke and he collapsed on the floor. Grim smiled.

"This kid....Now I know why you chose him, our ruler, Aurendor."

Grim started fading into nothingness. He cast a spell over Mitsuki and the now unconscious Mitsuki disappeared. As his body broke into tiny particles, he floated up in the realm, smiling.

"You have passed, Mitsuki. We shall meet again soon... Next time I see you, I want to see just how powerful you will have turned.. You now have my blessings, Mitsuki Ichiro, Aurendor's Chosen One."

AVALON

Aside from the Celestior, all other gods were also watched. Many were moved to tears, but all in all, they were all feeling sorry for the boy. some members of Celestior now felt guilty now that they all understood Mitsuki's backstory.

"This boy..... He..."

"I know.. We have reopened his old wounds.. We shall never do such again!" Aurendor said. He had not seen Mitsuki's past, and now he was infuriated, especially by the mother. Realos stood up.

"I shall start the recreation process of Grim, my lord."

Nozark who was consoling Miyuki and Poki, was also watching the entire thing. She felt tears drop from her eyes.

"Are.. you crying?" Miyuki asked. She had calmed down already, hoping her brother would come back to her soon. Nozark embraced Miyuki tightly while sobbing.

"Im sorry.. Im sorry... You had such a bad life....."

Miyuki on hearing those words, remembered everything, but she did not cry; she smiled at Nozark instead.

"I know, but Mitsuki has always been there for me. He gave me hope, taking all the pain onto himself.. But still, he always manages; We always manage, no matter what."

Suddenly, Mitsuki's body started glowing then, he opened his eyes .

"Brother..." A stream of tears fell from Miyuki's eyes. "You're back.. Thank goodness...."

Mitsuki rushed towards Miyuki, hugging her.

"Yes Miyuki... I'm back."