Chapter 62: Hubris Pt.1

"He could've reincarnated—wait?! What's—" 132-X suddenly noticed his small voice. "W-what's happening?!"

Hearing his small, child-like voice baffled 132-X. He looked at his hands and saw how small it was. Something was off, he had smaller feet and he felt like he lost a tremendous amount of muscle and height. He touched his face; it was small and plump.

He looked around and saw the beautiful blue waters rolling in a sheet of white crystalized sand. He ran towards the clear waters on the shore and tried looking at his own reflection.

"I'm a child?!" He ran back to Oyue who was sitting along a shade of a coconut tree. "W-what have you done?! Where are we?" He said frantically.

Oyue stood up and dusted herself from the sand lingering in her long celestial dress. "This was where you came from." She pointed at the big Talisay tree, "Remember that?"

132-X looked at the tree and realized where he truly was.

"H-Home…" his voice broke as nostalgic images run through his head. "W-why did you take me here? A-and why on this form?" He asked.

"To tell you a story." Oyue answered in her sweet voice.

The answer angered the child 132-X. "You could've just told me! You don't have to put an effort of making me like…this!"

Oyue just looked at him silently and walked towards the big tree, "Walk with me, Adlaw-on."

132-X speechless and annoyed didn't leave his place. "NO!" He said stomped his foot down on the soft sand.

Oyue looked back at him and smiled, "You were always but a kid." The goddess sighed.

"I don't blame you for that though, as you truly were one." She added.

The comments bore deep into him. Her words struck a nerve, and that line finally shattered the little patience he had left for her.

"I am not a kid!" He spat. "I am a hero of many worlds! A king of many lands! I am the legend that most wanted to become better never came close! I am a—"

"A child." Oyue answered while looking at him pitifully. "A child who was made to believe that he was saving the world. That he was a king of many realms and a legend known by many names."

132-X gritted his teeth in seething anger. He clenched his hand and ran towards the goddess going for a swing at her.

The goddess gracefully moved out of her way and tripped the child's feet along the way. 132-X tumbled down the warm sand, mouth ajar in disbelief as he went falling down.

"Pfft…Pfftt…" 132-X spat the funny tasting sand in his mouth. "Ff-whathh…diiiddtthh...you..doo?"

The goddess shrugged her shoulders mockingly, "I just moved away. Seriously, Adlaw-on get up so we could start this story!"

"If only I had my powers! I would've—" the child sniffled. "I would've destroyed you in an instant!"

"If only I had my powers…" Oyue mimicked him mockingly while quoting the air. "That's the problem with you, Adlaw-on. You never seem to get."

132-X wiped his tears silently as the Lady of the Moon continued to bully and mock him for his actions, or so he thought.

Oyue sighed at the sight of 132-X sitting on the sand, sulking. She went back to him and sat beside the little 132-X.

"You ruined everything! My chance at seeing her again, my freedom, my life! You ruined it!" 132-X pointed at her and cursed her to his heart's content.

The goddess sat there silently, waiting for him to finally calm down.

"You really don't understand, do you?" Oyue asked. "No one can bring back the dead to the land of the living. The only reason you have reincarnated for multiple times was because of that cursed mark!"

"C-cursed mark?" 132-X lifted his head, "W-what do you mean by a…cursed mark?!"

Oyue reached out her hand to him, "Let me tell you that story. Come, take my hand."

The statement stirred 132-X's curiosity, but he was still hesitant.

"W-why would I trust you?" He raised one of his eyebrows.

"You don't have to." Oyue sweetly smiled. "But, as a being bound to telling the truth, let me tell you this. Everything you're about to see right now is from the memory of your soul. The purest of all memories, I have not altered one of these memories." She spoke.

"You can take solace on that truth." She reached her hand closer to 132-x expecting him to reach it.

132-X Hesitantly took the goddess' hand and went to the huge tree. As they came closer and closer to the tree, 132-X felt a nostalgic feeling just by looking at the tree. The broad leaves that varied colors from a vibrant green to an earthly brown made him missed the tree even more.

"There was never a tree like this in all the other worlds I have been." He sighed. "I have seen beautiful and majestic trees across a multiple lifetime, but it could never compare to this one." He patted its trunk.

Oyue smiled at him and sat below the shade, inviting the young 132-X to sit beside her.

Although still suspicious with the goddess, 132-X sat down but made a considerable distance away from the goddess.

"Are we here to just rest in the shade?" He asked while scratching his face.

"Of course not! Just you wait." Oyue leaned back on the tree.

"Young Master!" A familiar voice echoed from the distance. "Young Master stop hiding please! Your father will be furious at me if I can't find you!"

132-X stood up and saw the face of his long-time guardian once again. "Pangan-ud!"

He tried approaching his beloved guardian but Oyue ordered him to remain.

"W-why won't you let me come to him?" He asked with a baffled look on his face. "He's calling—"

Suddenly, someone landed in front of them from the top of the tree. 132-X's eyes widened; he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"W-wait that's…me?!" He tried grabbing the mimic in front of him, but his hands just passed through him. "What's going on?"

"Remember, this is but a memory." Oyue replied. "Everything you see will simply take place even with you intervening."

"Is this a sick joke?" He spat. "H-how could do this to me?"

Oyue picked up a small stone and threw it over to him hitting his left calf.

"Ow!" He scratched over it, "Why did you do that?!"

"Because I need you to stay calm and just watch." Oyue sighed. "I'm pretty sure now why they chose you…nevermind." She rolled her eyes.

132-X wanted to argue some more, but he instead sat back down and silently watch the scenario unfolding.

Pangan-ud approached 132-X's image who was standing at the foot of the tree.

"Y-young Master…" the old servant was catching his breathing, "P-please…your…father is…calling you."

His mimic stood there not saying a word. It stared at the poor old man who was catching his breath and was about to sit at the shade to rest. Just as he was about to sit, 132-X's mimic suddenly held the old man's arm preventing him from resting.

"Who told you to sit, Pangan-ud?" The mimic said irritated at what the old man just did.

"Y-young Master…I.." the old man struggled for words.

"It doesn't matter, I am telling my father, the Datu that you did not address his only son and successor well." He let go of the old man and ran as fast as he could back to the town.

The poor old man stood up immediately and tried to chase him. 132-X's mimic made sure to look back at the stumbling old man while he ran away laughing.

The real 132-X on the other hand was speechless with what he saw. He couldn't argue with what he saw. It was exactly what he remembered it to be.

"W-well, I-I w-was a little…" He stammered.

"Brat?" Oyue answered while looking at the beach in the distance.

"Well…I was a little…" He fumbled for words once again. "Y-yes…I was." He sighed.

Oyue looked at him with a hint of sadness in her eyes, "Did you know how you died?"

The question took 132-X by surprise. It was too direct for his taste and foreboding at best, but he still answered the question.

"Well, I died defending my kingdom." He started. "If I remembered correctly, I was 17 years old when the invaders came clad in their shiny armor with swords and guns on hand. It was a three-day long battle. I remembered it very well!"

Oyue looked at him silently. Her eyes asking him for more.

132-X cleared his throat, "It was almost sundown when we were completely running for victory. Their guns and cannons couldn't match our fighting prowess. I remembered striking down the invaders left, right, and center. But alas, I was wounded by a bullet right in the middle of my chest. I was still able to cut down more of them…maybe another two or three men, but after that, I finally collapsed and died." He sighed.

"I see…" Oyue looked back at the horizon, "So, that's how they told you how died…"

"W-what do you mean by that?" 132-X was baffled with the goddess' statement.

Oyue sighed and looked at him with a sad look on her face, "They shouldn't have lied to you…"