20 Past and Present

The land was dying, the people were dying; no matter what they did, nothing could save them.

Despair was the only thing left in this place. The howls of grief and screams of despair filled the air of Britain.

The royalty of Britain did whatever they could in hope of salivating their lands, but every effort seems to fall in vain.

No medicine could save them, no doctor could find the solution, no farmer could refill their stomach; the famine kept on increasing with each passing day.

No! It couldn't be called famine at this point. It was pure terror and curse of Gods.

In such a dire situation, the only thing that was left was to pray. And that people did. They prayed to their Gods, every second, minute, hour - the only thing they could do was pray to Gods to help them and salvage them from such a situation.

After what seemed like an eternity to the people of Britain, their prayers were finally listened to.

In the Pendragon Family, a child was born.

Silver hair, blue eyes, white skin - if a normal person were to see this, they would believe that this child was sick.

But that was not the thought of the people present in that room. Their eyes showed relief, joy, worship, happiness.

Their prayers were finally listened to. The Gods have sent a miracle to their land! This child, Aster Pendragon, shall be the salvation of Britain.

He was sent as the protector of humanity and to bring salvation to them.

Years passed like a gentle flow of a river. Since the birth of Aster Pendragon, everything seems to be blessed by the world.

Lands that were dying started to come back to life. Farms seem to be blessed as they started to produce more and more yield. Deaths started to decrease and diseases vanished as if they never existed.

People knew it was due to the birth of their new King, Aster Pendragon.

"King Aster!" "Long live Your Majesty!"

Shouts of civilians filled the space between Heaven and Earth, shaking the very grounds of Britain.

"Where am I?" In such a place, between the shouting civilians, stood a person.

If one looked at him, then they would definitely be shocked beyond doubt. After all, this person looked identical to their King, just a little on the younger side.

"No… who am I?"

But no one seemed to be able to see this person as he stood within the crowd with a blank look on his face.

His rainbow-colored eyes swam right and left, in search of an answer: Who was he? Where is he? What is going on?

His mind constantly looked for answers as fear started to fill his mind and heart.

"His Majesty!"

The sudden shout brought him out of his mind as he looked at the person sitting on a white horse. His eyes stuck on that person as if his lifeline.

Suddenly, his vision blurred and he found himself now standing in a temple.

Startled, he hurriedly looked around to find the same person standing there. But this time, there was a girl beside him.

The girl looked innocent and bashful while talking to the white-haired King. She had knife-like ears, delicate skin, eyes filled with innocence and curiosity - she was an incredibly beautiful woman.

Aster and the girl talked, with the girl blushing from time to time.

The white-haired kid silently watched them, not knowing what to say or do.

Suddenly, his vision blurred again. This time, he stood on a battlefield, seeing Aster with a red spear in his hands.

In front of him (Aster) stood the same woman, but this time she had the face of a cruel witch. Her past innocence and childishness were nowhere to be seen, only a cruel witch that would kill anyone who stood in her way.

The while-haired kid was confused.

What happened? Why is she like that? - unknown to him, he felt an unprecedented amount of anger rising within him.

His eyes tailed toward King Aster, whose face was morphed into pure sadness and hatred. But the white-haired Kid could tell that this hatred was not directed toward the woman, but something else.

The vision blurred again, this time everything seemed to halt.

In a battlefield filled with blood and parts of the human body littered everywhere, stood the King. in his arms was the same woman, but the Kid could tell that she had long since stopped breathing.

What surprised him more was the eyes of Aster, they were rainbow-colored!

"Balor… why?"

A horse voice left the mouth of the white-haired King, filled with grief and pain.

His hands holding the woman clenched tighter.

"There he is! Kill him! His Majesty has been cursed by the witch! He has revolted against the Gods!"

A loud voice brought the attention of the kid as he looked behind, a long march of armies.

Same people, same civilians, same devotees who once praised their King. Who once revered him and worshipped him, now held weapons in their hands and looked at Aster with hatred-filled eyes.

The kid was confused, again. Weren't these people saved by Aster? Why are they raising their swords against him now? What happened?

"Are we… just toys to Gods? Entertainment for their boredom? Tell me, O' Balor. You were the only one who listened to me, heard my prayer; am I just entertainment to Gods?"

The voice of the King was heard by all as he silently stood at his place. A darkish and muddy aura was being released by him.

The Kid saw as the dark aura was absorbed in the body of the King. His long white hair was left free, a darkish veil covered his hands and legs.

"If that is the case… then today, I, Aster Pendragon, shall raise my spear against Gods! I shall fill the world with their blood!"

A sudden blur and the Kid found himself again at a different palace than before.

A grave. He saw the King that raised his spear against God's sitting there. Blood leaving his body, same with his life.

His emotionless rainbow-colored eyes looked at the grave silently. The spear in his hands has long left its previous shape.

It was filled with different cuts, indications of the over usage of it.

"In the end… I am still too weak…" He said as he stared at the grave, his life living his body with each passing second, "I am not like Master, after all. Unlike her, I am prone to death."

No one answered him. Just him talking silently with the grave, "Say… would you be furious if you knew that I couldn't even exact your revenge?" He giggled suddenly, "If it's you, you might say that I am the foolish one."

"..." A sigh left his mouth as he felt his eyes getting heavier with each passing of wind, "Indeed… I really am a foolish person. But… you know… I can't bear it. I can't bear the fact that your reason for death is due to jealousy… I can't bear the fact that you were treated as a chess piece… I can't bear it…"

The King kept talking with himself before he finally felt that he could not sustain his life any longer.

He laughed. He laughed and laughed before his throat dried and his sides started to hurt.

"If… there is another chance… just one more…"

"..." The white-haired Kid that was standing behind the grave finally opened his mouth, "I see. How ironic. I, who hated Gods, prayed to Gods in the end."

"We really are a fragile race. Always clinging to someone stronger."

Aster/Masato said as he looked at the now dead body of what used to be his past self, "How pathetic. And to think it is I, Aster Pendragon, someone who even Gods feared would reduce to something so pathetic and weak."

"It is the first time I've seen someone calling his past self pathetic and weak."

Aster/Masato looked back and found out that his whole surroundings have changed again.

He now stood in a big clearing filled with blue petals everywhere, may it be earth or air; blue petals filled everything.

In just a breathtaking place, at some distance away from him, stood a girl with long white hair.

There was no expression on her face, but blankness. She emotionlessly looked at Masato/Aster, waiting for his reply.

"As a King, I am not allowed to show my feelings to anyone. I was sent to protect not to grief." Aster/Masato looked at Alaya and said, "That is the job of my people. My job is to shoulder while their is to grief for what I've lost."

Pfff* A giggle left Alaya's mouth as she seemed to enjoy talking to him.

"Your people?" She sarcastically looked at him and said, "The one who betrayed you? Or the one that tried to kill you because of a casual message from their Gods?"

Aster/Masato looked at Alaya, there was no emotional fluctuation on his face. He still looked at Alaya with the same expression, his back straight as if no pressure would be able to bend it.

"That is human nature. I don't think I need to explain it to you, Alaya. After all, no one should be more aware of human nature than you."

"Humans are weak creatures. So they would cling to those who are powerful. From the time of immemorial till now, they pursue power above everything. For my people to betray me, I hold no hatred nor grief. I am a protector, not a keeper. I protect others and hold nothing for myself. I give, not take. That is my essence and the reason I was given birth."

Alaya became silent as she stared at Masato silently.

"It's been a while since I've seen your past self. Indeed, after losing that girl, you have become a pathetic person who couldn't think straight."

Finally, a small smile formed on Masato's face, "But it can't be helped, right? After all, I was also human back then. Even as a King, I only held love for everything. As the only emotion given to me, it was bound to create problems."

"Now, can you tell me one thing?" Masato asked, the only question swirling within his mind since he regained his memories.

"What is it?" Alaya prompted him to continue.

"Were you the one who reincarnated me?"

"..." Alaya became silent before she shook her head, "I indeed wanted to take your soul and make you a counter guardian, but after your death, an outsider came and snatched your soul away."

Masato's eyes narrowed, "An outsider? Perhaps you are saying that it is an Outer God or a Foreign being?"

"A Foreign being." Alaya sighed, "And, to be honest, if I would rather not fight with… that thing or what or whoever he/she is."

"What do you mean?"

Masato knew how strong Alaya was. She was the counterforce, a part of the world's will. By no means she was a weakling, but from the way she phrased it, it felt like she was afraid of this unknown being.

"The moment he tried to snatch your soul away, I tried to fight it." Alaya said as if remembering that moment, "But this… being was beyond what I could imagine. When I tried to stop him/her, I was able to peer into the place where this being came from… it was definitely not the best experience."

Masato further frowned, hearing her. Even Alaya was not able to stop him/her? Just how powerful was this being?

"But… I made a deal with him."

"Deal?" Masato looked at her before asking, "What deal?"

"... According to him, he found your life entertaining and proposed a deal." After a brief silence, Alaya said, "He would erase your memories and implant a fake persona within you, then reincarnate you into another world."

"In short, he gave you another life in return for his entertainment."

"To think I, the strongest King, would be called an entertainer one day." Masato laughed. He laughed louder and louder before smirking, "Very well then. If I don't present the best stage, wouldn't I be called a bad entertainer?"

"Are you okay with it?" Alaya asked, surprised.

Masato shook his head, "Do you think anyone would be alright if they are considered an entertainer? Let alone me, who has his own pride as the strongest King?"

"I'll reach him." Masato said with a smirk, "With the powers he gave me, I'll reach there and see it with my own eyes; Who is it that has the courage to treat me like an entertainer."

"You do realize that you would die, right?"

Yes, he would die. Alaya was aware and Masato was aware; someone who could interfere with Alaya from another world, such being was enough to reduce Masato to ashes with a simple fart of his.

But that mattered? No, it doesn't. After all…

"I've already died once, doesn't it matter if I do so a second time?" He looked at Alaya and said, "I am the protector of humanity! I would live till the end of the world or humanity itself. I would personally observe it, either dead or alive. And it's not like I am starting a war here, just a personal curiosity to meet him, that's all."

"But… Did you give me my powers back?" He asked as he looked at his blackened hand.

If one looks closely, then one would find that Masato's appearance has long changed.

His hair has grown long, going past his shoulders. Instead of pure silver, it now had slight shades of black in it.

He had grown taller too. From his previous 5'11 to 6'2.

His body had become more toned than before. He now had black patterns all over his body. They completely covered his hands and created a dragon scale-type pattern around his shoulders and back.

He was not wearing anything on his body except black pants with red lines and a cap around his waist with the same linings.

He had a golden necklace on his neck and two golden earrings on his ears.

It was his appearance when he started the war with Gods.

{Image Here}

"It was the only thing I could save after your soul was taken away. I've already returned most of your powers back to what they were supposed to be in the past." Alaya answered.

Masato nodded before looking back at her and inquired, "Then… What is the reason you've summoned me back into this world?"

Alaya remained quiet for some time before she said.

"Let's make a deal."