1 The Boy Died

In an apocalyptic terrain, a single boy laid on a mountain of corpses. His eyes had long ago lost all the vigor and brightness they used to hold. Like a war veteran's immediately after leaving battle, they were full of endless, nihilistic despair.

His body was in a terrible state. Blood leaked from his lips, and his legs were completely bent at the wrong angle's. Although such a description sounds terrible, compared to the rest of the boy's body, his legs were actually in a good state. Much better than his arms and torso, both of which had many cuts on them - some deep enough to even show his bone.

The only thing un-damaged was the dark pendant hung his neck. It was hidden under his tattered shirt, and only half of it was exposed.

Above him, a blood-red moon pulsated with a nauseating, metallic smell.

And also, although the boy couldn't see them, he knew that the beings which caused this disaster were coldly watching above him from above.

He tried to speak, but no sound came out from his mouth. It didn't really matter, though.

Even if he was able to speak, the twisted gods which resided in the sky would simply ignore him. In front of such power, the boy was merely an ant. Perhaps even less than that. Regardless, the boy was so insignificant that they didn't even need to acknowledge his existence.

"So, what of Zero?"

A brutish, hot-headed sounding voice entered the boy's ears. The speaker was Era, the Ruling War God.

'Shut up. Bastards like you don't even deserve the privilege of saying Master's name.'

The boy, who had never sworn in his entire life before, seethingly thought these words.

"He's definitely dead. There's no way he can still be alive after the strongest attacks of six ruling god's."

An emotionless voice resounded throughout the sky. Who could it be but Serenity, the Blossoming Flower Goddess?

'Shut up.'

"Even if he isn't dead, he's completely lost his position as a ruling god. As of now, Goal, formerly an upper god, has been promoted to becoming a ruling god."

'Goal. He's the one who caused this. Goal. Goal.'

The boy hatefully bit his lips so hard that blood came out. Even though his teeth bit into his flesh, splitting a chunk of it, he didn't even feel the pain.

The only thing in his thoughts were the dark desires which brewed viciously.

'Goal. I will definitely kill you one day. No, more than that. I'll torture you. I'll make you wish for death. I'll force unto you the pain I've felt. No, even more than that.'

As he lay on the ground, the boy failed to notice that his body was shutting down. Soon, he was unable to move his body at all.

Even as his consciousness began to waver, the boy didn't even register how the bad the state of his body was.

'Goal. Torture. Gods. Torture. Pain. Suffering. Hurt. Despair.'

Only at the very last moment, did the boy finally realize.

'I'm about to die'.

At the exact same time, this thought entered the boy's mind, his vision turned black.

Then, a moment later, the pendant on his neck briefly glowed with an ominous, dark color.