58 A New Journey
Jayr POV - Mediterranean Sea, Athena's Bidoff - 1987
I woke up feeling the heat of two bodies on both my sides, I open my eyes and with a smile, I look at the naked bodies of Seika and Saori as they hug me in their sleep and think, 'It took a few months but I was finally able to cross this off my bucket list... I spent yesterday celebrating my birthday early with my family, my grandparents, parents, sisters, and uncles plus Seika that came as my formal girlfriend, as my relationship with Saori is still a secret for everyone else, the only ones who know are Seika, Tatsumi, and my sisters...'.
A bigger smile appears on my face remembering their reactions, 'Shaina was so shocked that the mask on her broke, and at the same time, she awakened her 7th sense and started to attack me with a flurry of lightspeed Thunder Claws, while Geist secretly gave me a thumb up and declared that she is proud to be my little sister and that she will make sure to write a book about me and make me become famous as the Legendary Godslayer and Godlayer Saint...'.
Then with a grin I remember what happened after my birthday party, 'Then after the party, I left my parents' home with Seika, and went to the port, where Saori was waiting for us inside Athena's Bidoof, and I spent the rest of the evening and night enjoying their birthday gift.... and now, only a few hours are left, then I will be able to travel to other universes...'.
A lot of things happened in these few months of peace, Seiya got together with his childhood friend Miho, and when he isn't training, he spend his time going on dates and helping her with the children, Shiryu went back to Lushan in China, and is enjoying his time with Shunrei while keeping an eye on the Immortals and Martial Warriors, and Martial Warriors together with Master Dohko, Hyoga went back to Asgard, it seems that during their fight there with Loki's forces, he got close to Freya, the High Priestess of Odin Hilda's sister, of course, Isaak joked that the only reason Hyoga is attracted to her is because he reminds him of his mother Natassia, something that I actually think is true.
Shun, on the other hand, chose to continue his duty as a Saint and travel around the world and help those in need together with Chameleon June who followed him, while Ikki went back to the Death Queen Island, but he wasn't alone, Pandora followed him there bringing a little of chaos as she and Esmeralda meet, but after some up and down, she and Esmeralda reached an agreement and chose to be with him together.
On the Sanctuary's side, while Saori is the one in control of everything and the one who makes the major decisions, Saga is taking care of the day-to-day affairs, like increasing the training schedule, organizing tournament with Bronze Cloths as a prize, while at the same time, he keeps training so that he is ready for the next fight, meanwhile, Kanon decided to repent for his sins by going around the world helping those that were harmed by Poseidon's rampage and dealing with any kind evil forces he sees.
As for the other Gold Saints, most of them left the Sanctuary and went back to their homes to train a new generation of Saints, train themselves, or simply explore this world and keep doing their duties, the only ones remaining at the Sanctuary are Aphrodite, Aldebaran, Shura, Shaka, Milo, and Deathmask, but he is only staying because it is closer to his girlfriend, as for Aiolia, well, he chooses to help Marin in reuniting with her brother, who is in fact alive and at the service of the Goddess Artemis, a piece of information given obviously by me after she asked me the permission to use the Crateris Cloth to see if she could see anything about it.
Another thing that changed is that Cassios became the leader of the new fighting force of Athena, the Steel Saints, at the same time, I heard that after the Holy War with Hades, Cassios meet with his big brother, Docrates, and beat him up so much that he almost killed him, making him go through the same as his victims, 'I have to admit that with all the shit that happened, I forgot that Docrates even existed...', and the last news I heard was that he was removed from his status of leader of the Sanctuary soldiers, and was expelled from the Sanctuary, but also warned that if he ever committed evil again, he would be immediately put down.
While I was mentally going through everything that happened, I suddenly feel the bodies of Seika and Saori stirring at the same time, then I hear Saika's cute tired yawn, while Saori looks at me and with a smile, she says "Good morning, Jayr! Happy birthday!", then she kisses me on my mouth, making me feel her warm and soft lips, then they parted slightly, allowing my tongue to slip inside.
Such a greeting, plus her gentle touch, causes an obvious reaction to my little brother, who stands up to greet them too, but before I could do anything, I feel Seika's warm and small hand warp around it, and she starts to gently tug it, she moves her lips closer to my ear and slowly whispers "It is still so vigorous even after all the exercise it had yesterday...", and as her hand slowly moves up and down, and so I decide to fight back, and move on the attack by caressing their bodies, then after a while, all it can be heard in the cabin is the sound of flesh slapping and the girls moan that kept going on for hours before they both gave up.
After that morning workout, I had a shower, and after that, I start to silently prepare the breakfast in deep thought, 'After my 16th birthday, the Unigate will activate... This means that the Battle with the Champions will truly start, to be completely honest, I feel that I'm already quite strong... or at the least, I'm as long as I can use my Cosmo, there aren't many beings who are my opponents, only literal Gods or Primordial Beings of untold power are still too strong for me... But without Cosmo, I'm only a slightly stronger human being... Maybe at the apex of what a human can be, but nothing great in the grand scheme of things, considering that I clearly remember Void saying that some Universes have their own laws that can reject some powers...'.
After preparing the fruit salad, I start to prepare the dough for the cornetti, a classic sweet for an Italian breakfast, pretty similar to a croissant in shape, but very different in taste, and at the same time, I continue thinking, 'And from what I can remember, I can divide the various universes into three main categories, the Technological, where all that is there can be explained by science, probably no kind of supernatural power is allowed there, the Magical, basically where you can find a more or less well structured Magic System, it could reject technology and other non-magical Power System, and last, the Supernatural, some of the most flexible Universes where you can find all kinds of strange Power Systems, and it can also be mixed with the technology or magical element... Maybe I can add a fourth category, Ultimate, where all three can be present and reach an incredibly high level of power...'.
After making the cornetti, I start to bake them, and at the same time, I prepare the cuccumella to make the classic Neapolitan coffee, measure 5-6 grams of medium-ground coffee per cup, place coffee in the tank's opening and screw on the filter, add the required amount of water at the bottom of the machine, not higher than the small hole, insert the tank with a filter containing ground coffee, and screw the two parts of the machine together, place the unit on the stove, spout downwards, and bring water to a boil.
When steam starts to release from the hole, holding both handles tightly, I remove the unit from the heat, turn the unit upside down, striking it firmly against the counter, so that the water starts passing through the filter, allowing the liquid coffee to collect in the lower portion over the course of a few minutes, 'Yup, all these passages for a coffee, what can I say for my parental side of the family, the coffee is almost a religion... And since I was young, they instilled in me the "right" procedure on how to make the perfect coffee...'.
After making the coffee, I again check the cornetti and see that they are still not ready, and again my minds wander back to the present problem, 'Back to the important topic, the Cosmo as Power System is fine, in fact against Hades I got a glimpse on what the 9th sense feels like, and it is truly a power comparable with that of the Gods... But I still lack a lot... Some kind of versatile Magic System... some Technology in case I'm unable to use both... a Steel Cloth isn't fine as a stop-gap, out there there are some truly outrageous technologies that can do all kinds of almost impossible shit... And most importantly, a stronger body, the foundation of everything...'.
While I was thinking that, I feel two slender arms warp around my body, then I feel the warmth coming from Saori's body as she envelopes me in a hug as she asks "What are you thinking about so seriously...", putting my hand over hers I reply "I'm thinking about where to go next to make sure that I have the highest chance to survive what is to come...", then I look at her and ask "By the way, where is Seika? Breakfast is almost ready, and the Unigate will open in an hour!".
A wry smile appears on her face as she replies "She is still out cold with her body still twitching from time to time..." then she pinches my waist and says "Really you have to be more careful... She is a normal human, she truly can't handle all of that... Even, I have to use my Cosmo just to get up and move...", hearing that, I quickly apologize, then I bring out the cornetti from the oven, and put them on the tray together with the fruit salad and the coffee, then together with Saori, I bring it back to my cabin, where I see the scene of Seika laying on my bad asleep as her body is still going through her post-orgasm as her muscles are still contracting, so I quickly move and use my Cosmo to ease her body while apologizing for being careless.
After that we all had our breakfast in the bed, then simply rest on the bed just enjoying our presence peacefully in silence with only the sounds of the sea as our company, at least until Saori looks at me and asks "So did you decide where you will be going next?", I let out a sigh and reply "Not yet, I only decide that I should focus on learning a Magic System first, but I'm still unsure on which Universe...".
Hearing that Seika asks "What are your options? Maybe we can help you choose...", I think about it then I say "Well... the one I'm most familiar with is the Harry Potter, Universe, but I can't go there because it has been chosen by another Champion, and is still under protection for the next 2 years like ours, the same for the Marvel and DC Universes... Then among the ones with the most powerful Magic System that I can remember, there is the Fairy Tail Universe, but there I won't be able to use my Cosmo and have to start from zero and is also a quite dangerous Universe, moreover is was a quite popular Universe so it is very probable that I will meet some other Champions there...".
Seika nods at that, while Saori narrows her eyes and says "Hmm... going there at your weakest and with danger all around you... It isn't a wise choice... Next one?", I agree with her then I say "The next one is the Akamatsu Universe, also know as Akamatsuverse, it is quite a diverse Universe, where you can find it all, Magic, Technology, and Powers... But most of that Universe is unknown to me, as I only read 1 story that made it up, Mahou Sensei Negima, but I admit it has a few interesting magic...".
Seika nods, while Saori asks "And the dangers?", I think about it for a few seconds and say "Well, there are many powerful and strange beings, immortals, demons, ghosts, you name it, but the strongest I know of is the Mage of Beginning, but even he/she/it is a lot weaker than Poseidon and Hades... But, I will be able to use my Cosmo there so it shouldn't be a problem, about the other Champions... I think that I would find some there, while it isn't the most popular it had a huge fanbase, so the possibility exists... Considering all this I will give this Universe a mid-level danger".
Seika then asks "Any other choice?", I nod and say "Well... There is my least favored choice... the Nasuverse...", and Saori asks "Why is this Universe the least favored?", I let out a sigh and explain, raising my finger one at the time, counting the number of issues "Many reasons, first, it was quite popular so the risk of other champions going there is the highest, but that is the easiest problem, second, to use their Magic System, you need something called a Magic Circuit, something that I do not have but there should be a way to gain, third, their timeline is very complex, in fact, there are multiple timelines and universes, so many that I'm not even sure where I should go to gain any kind of advantage... then there is the fact that the Magic System is so complex that I have PTSD only remembering the few things I have read in my past life, so much that it was easier to study Medical Biochemistry at med school!".
Then I raise my fourth finger and say "And last, it is incredibly dangerous, there are some truly bullshit concepts or abilities there that only thinking about it makes my head hurt, like eyes that can literally see death as lines and points allowing one to literally kill anything, chains capable of sealing even the gods, a crazy old man with the ability to see and travel to the different universes and timelines and a wish-granting cup that everyone wants to use... Truly, I'd like to go there only when I'm near omnipotent...", hearing that shocks Seika, while Saori says "Yeah, I don't want you to go there either, among these three the one that feels most right is the Akamatsuverse... Are there any other?".
I nod and say "Well, there are a LOT of Universes that use magic, some very strong, some weak, some incredibly versatile and useful, others, useful only in their own Universe...", and while I was talking, I suddenly remember a light novel I read many years ago "AH! I forgot about it!", curious Seika simply asks "What?", and with a smile, I say "There is one Universe where I can learn some truly strong and versatile magic... Moreover, the level of danger isn't too high! Only, I think that like with Fairy Tail Universe, I won't be able to use my Cosmo there...".
Saori looks at me and asks "Are you sure that it isn't dangerous? After all if the magic that you can learn there is truly so useful, it means that it can grant others enough power to be a treat to you...", becoming more sure of my choice the more I think about it I nod and say "Well, the danger is everywhere... But, if everything goes according to the plan I should have the time to gain enough strength to be unbeatable by everyone else in that Universe!".
Hearing that, Seika seems relieved and says "That is good...", but Saori quickly throws a sharp question "And what about the danger of the other Champions...", and that stuns me a bit.
In silence, I start thinking about it for a few minutes before I say "It is also possible to meet some Champions there, this Universe was quite new and popular when I died, but not so much as a few other ones, in fact, I kind forgot about it until now, and remember that not all the Champions liked to see or read the same thing as me, so the probability isn't so high".
Saori lets out a sigh, hugs my arm, and says "It seems that you have decided... Very well, but as your Goddess and girlfriend I only have one order and request... Come back to us safe and sound...", on the other side, Seika does the same, and says "And as your other girlfriend, I ask you to not bring back too many girls... While, I made peace to not have you on my own, I don't want to share you with an army of women...", I nod and kiss them both on their forehead and say "I won't...", before enjoying these few moments of peace.
After a while, the time for me to start a new journey is about to come, so I put Athena's Bidoof back to my Territory and teleport Seika, and Saori back to her mansion in Japan before kissing them goodbye while saying "I'll be back! I promise you!", then I with a silent command, I open the gate that leads to my Soulbound Territory, and the next moment a fully black hole in the space opens in front of me, and stepping through it, I enter my Territory appearing in front of the Unigate.
As I wait for the time when it will finally activate to come, at the same time, I once again look over at everything inside my Soulbound Territory, 'Still quite bare, in these 1km2 there is only a garden for medicinal ingredients, some supplies, Athena's Bidoof, and the Crateris Cloth, the rest is still bare earth... I should start to decorate this place... Maybe build a house!'.
As I was thinking that, all of the sudden, I hear Culture's voice "Congratulation on living long enough to leave your home Universe, Jayr! Before you go, there are a few important things that I have to tell you, so listen well!", hearing that, I focus on Culture's voice as he continues "First, inside your Soulbound Territory, you can use all your abilities no matter in which Universe you currently are, to make it clearer, even if you are in a Universe that allows you to only use magic and rejects technology and other powers, inside your Soulbound Territory you can still use all your abilities, this is because your Territory is the embryo of your final reward, your own omniverse, and its rules and laws are shaped by you".
I nod hearing that and think, 'So in a way this place is my last, ace in the hole, no matter how bad the situation is, if I'm careful enough, I can always retreat here to safety and recover to try again, or I can even trap inside an enemy and deal with him here...', while I was thinking of new ways to use the Territory, Culture continues "I know that with your mastery of Cosmo you will soon be able to barely use it to teleport to other Universes... And I can also tell you that it isn't the only way in the Omniverse for traveling from one universe to another, in fact, there are many, almost too many, and I'm sure that in some way or another the other Champions will gain access to these methods in future...".
When he says this, I suddenly jolt and think, 'No! Come on! Not a nerf before I could even exploit this flaw!!', but ignoring my internal cry, Culture says "And this isn't our first Battle Across The Omniverse... Mutations, Gadgets, Ships, Tools, Magics, and Superpowers we have seen almost all, so to make it fairer, over the eras we tried various solutions, from removing your capacity to teleport, to let you simply use it to reward your acumen, to banning and punishing you for using it, and finally found the most effective one... We choose to not interfere too much with your ability to move across the Omniverse, you can only move to Universes you have personally been to, all the others you simply cannot reach, and the ONLY way to visit a new Universe is through the Unigate!".
I think about what he said for a few seconds before asking "What about Universes that are part of a single Multiverse like the Marvel one? I have to use the Unigate to visit every single one of them?", and Culture quickly replies "No, you do not have to worry about that, in that case, you gain access to the whole Multiverse... In fact, one of the reasons why you and the others can't access the other Universes is that right at this moment, the only active Universes are the 33 ones that you Champions chose, all the others are still frozen in their embryo state, and only the opening of the Unigate will be the spark that will kickstart them until then they will remain in that state and be unaccessible to anyone...".
After answering my question, Culture finishes by saying "Now, before you go, let me remind you how to use the Unigate, on the Dial over there you can choose the Universe you want to go to and the time of your arrival, but as I said before, be careful that if another Champion went there before you, the time will be fixed on his chosen one...", and that opens the way for a new worrying realization and question, and now that I'm aware of this loophole, I quickly ask as a cold sweat runs down on my back, while, at the same time, I start to think on how to protect myself "What if someone has the power to time travel?".
At this point, Culture remains in silence for a few seconds before he answers "Well... the time traveler can for sure use his power to go back to the past or in the future to change things to his advantage or reach his desired time unlike you... But the thing you are worried about, is that an opponent from the future goes back in time to kill the current you or even prevent you to be born won't happen, a previous Champion of Time did use this trick a few eras ago, and since then we chose to give to every Champion a form of acausality, and every timeline generated by a time manipulation will be erased, so you can calm down, the only way to defeat a Champion is in the present!".
Hearing that I let out a sigh of relief, at the same time, Culture says "Well, this is all I had to say... Good luck on your journey, and remember these words... Hentai addiction does not make you a Man of Culture, it just makes you sad and weird, do not walk the wrong path...", at that I shout randomly at the sky "Come on! I was in my teens, I got over it!!", but the only answer to that was silence.
Then, all of the sudden, I hear a rumbling sound coming from the Unigate's direction, I turn around and notice that the still Unigate is now lit up as all the strange rune-like symbols called glyphs engraved on it shine in bright blue light, and see that now it is fully active and ready to be used, and so I focus on it and move toward the Dial in front of the gate and putting my hand over it, I hear a robotic voice say "PlEAsE InpUt yOUr chOsEn UnIvErsE And dEsIrEd tImE".
And since I've already decided beforehand where and when to go I quickly digit my chosen universe and time, and the Unigate Dial says "ChOsEn UnIvErsE... ARIFURETA... TImE... 150 YEARS BEFORE CANON... StAnd stIll plEAsE...", at the same time, the stone ring start to turn and locking seven different glyphs on seven different V-like points of the circular stone gate, just like in the old movie Stargate, as soon as the 7th glyph is locked, in the middle of the gate a burst of unstable energy emanated from an activating Unigate in the shape of a vortex and soon after a water-like portal is opened.
Then the robotic voice says "ThE gAtE Is OpEn... HAvE A sAfE jOUrnEy...", and without losing another moment I quickly walk toward the water-like portal, and say "Let's do this!", I walk through it, but as I'm going through the portal, I hear the robotic voice again as it says "ErrOr... cOnflIctIng InpUt... ErrOr... cOnflIctIng InpUt...", and I have only the time to yell "Shi...!" before I'm transported to a new Universe.
