1 The Fall

"The battle is lost." A calm voice spoke aloud, full of sorrow and loss.

"Humanity… has fallen."

Shin Hopefell lifted up a chipped and damaged golden sword, raising it above his head for a brief moment before he plunged it downward. The blade left a trail of golden light as it slashed down, ripping apart the enormous brown boulder that had just been lobbed at him.

BOOM

WHOOSH

The split parts of the boulder slammed down onto the ground past him, throwing up a small cloud of dirt and dust. Shin's aching body shook from the force of the deflection, his tired eyes looking out at the hopeless scene before him.

It was a slaughter.

They were standing on a large, broken stone plateau. Tens of thousands of figures could be seen battling on this plateau, swords clashing against spears, explosions of light and magic searing the air and sky. Shin could make out thousands of Adapted Humans making use of their Vampire, Werewolf, and various other forms as they fought against the hundreds of blue-skinned humanoids that had greeted them when they arrived on the plateau.

He could even see a few Full Transformation users. A few towering Tyrannosaurus Rexes and other large dinosaurs, a couple of huge Golems made of black rock, and a massive green turtle all helping lead the defense against the blue-skinned humanoids.

Humanoids from one of the 12 Tribes of Deities. The blue-skinned Morians.

"Don't give up yet, Micheal! We've made it so far! Humanity can not fall yet!" Shin yelled out loud at the speaker, twisting his body to the side as another huge boulder came smashing down.

The Morians had sent out a force of roughly 1,000 of their members to confront the Last Army of Humanity, as their force was so proudly dubbed. The strongest 50,000 surviving warriors that had made it through the Seven Layers, fighting to protect and ensure the survival of the Human Race.

Billions of lives had already been lost, yet billions more were depending on them to succeed. To gain a foothold on the Seventh Layer and allow humanity to flee the lower layers in safety.

Shin's body was muscular and mighty, the years of intense combat and survival having hardened him into a powerful fighter. His entire physique was covered in scars, a testament to the brutal fighting that had overtaken him. His bright blonde hair was tied up in a Norse braid, a nod to his Gaelic and Norse roots. A dark red Aura clung tightly to his body, full of potent strength.

Micheal turned to look at his longtime companion, his best friend that he had met back in high school so many years ago, back on Earth.

"I'm not giving up, Shin. I am merely stating the facts." Micheal whipped a sharp-edged sword of his own forward as he split a boulder of his own in half, his body shaking as well under the force of the attack.

"The air is incredibly thick here. Gravity is far stronger than on any previous Layer. Even the rocky ground is incredibly durable, I was nearly unable to split that boulder. Despite that, those Morians are playing with us. They aren't even trying..." Micheal continued, his voice harsh.

Indeed, the Last Army of Humanity had just arrived on the Seventh Layer, in full force and regalia, with as much preparation as possible.

And as soon as they had arrived, they were ambushed by a force 50 times smaller than their own. A force that didn't contain any of the true elites or experts of the Morians.

And despite that…

They were being slaughtered.

The plateau they had arrived on was set in a seemingly random location. Of all the Layers, this final, Seventh Later seemed the most normal. There was a large mountain range in the distance, and a series of broken stone plateaus visible around them. It almost felt like they were back on Earth.

The only real, visible indication that this wasn't Earth were the two Suns hanging high in the sky overhead.

The blue-skinned Morians were casually ripping giant boulders of stone from the ground and lobbing them at the humans. A few of the Morians had even leapt forward and engaged their army in a grand melee.

Explosions of light and fire shook the air as other members of the Last Army responded, sending out powerful Abilities to try and strike back. Micheal could make out the elite members of the Human Race engaging several of the Morians directly.

The Chinese Black Dragon King Yun Qi was currently facing off against several of the stronger looking Morians, all of their bodies blurring as they fought in hand to hand combat. The blue Aura that clung to him was identical to the Aura the Morian attackers held, one that rippled with power far surpassing Micheal's own.

The American Blue Queen Jessica Wiles was sending out rippling spear after spear of ice, knocking back the blue-skinned Deities with grace and ease. The Morians, however, were only minimally injured by her freezing strikes. Strikes that had, on the Sixth Layer, easily obliterated entire mountains.

Micheal saw the legendary French Sundering Swordmaster Bastien Amiot wielded his blade against a dozen Morians, his arms blurring as he unleashed blistering strike after strike. Quivering beams of energy blasted through the air, slamming into foe after foe.

The greatest geniuses of the Human Race went up against the Morians, the experts that represented the various nations of Earth, from Germany to Russia, from China to France, America to Singapore, the Philippines to Malaysia. It was a glorious joining of hands as every nation joined together to survive.

Behind those elite geniuses stood thousands of powerful and tested experts like Micheal and Shin backing them up. While Micheal wouldn't truly consider himself an expert, only a middling warrior among the 50,000 greatest, he was still an experienced soul, ready to battle.

Most of the Morians simply circled, throwing out boulders or long distance Abilities, as if they were waiting for something. Only a few of them rushed forward to engage, and even then, they only engaged the geniuses that were fighting at the forefront.

For every boulder that a human expert managed to deflect, another would crash down hard, penetrating through defensive Auras and taking a life. At least 2,000 of the greatest fighters humanity had had already perished, leaving them at roughly 48,000.

'Status.' Micheal thought, calling up the strange, mystical screen that had appeared years ago.

.

— - Status — -

Name: Micheal Care

Points: 84

Race: Human

Age: 28

- Stats -

Strength - 2,428

Endurance - 1,703

Recovery - 412

Soul - 108

- Abilities - (7/7)

- Grandmaster Sword Mastery (1/5)

- Ironblood Body Type

- Ki Cultivator (King Tier)

- Herculean Strength

- Talos Mind Power

- Enhanced Strength

- Enhanced Recovery

.

He sighed as he looked over it. He had just barely managed to reach the lowest Tier of Grandmaster Sword Mastery before the final battle, after training for so long. He was not an innate genius like the powerful warriors fighting at the front line, but his dedication had proven itself in the end.

'While my Stats and Abilities aren't the greatest, I should not be the weakest either.' He thought, hoping he could prove useful. Compared to regular humans from Earth, he had the strength of more than two hundred and forty men combined. Yet, among these giants, he could only be considered average.

"WELCOME TO THE SEVENTH LAYER, HUMANITY! CONGRATULATIONS ON MAKING IT THIS FAR!"

A loud, terrible voice interrupted the ongoing melee, causing a temporary ceasefire as both sides disengaged. This voice was full of throbbing power, causing the air itself to ripple.

A figure descended from the sky. A blue-skinned Morian wearing a simple leather vest and holding a simple looking grey sword in his hand.

"I am General Kelleth of the Morian Tribe." The floating figure introduced himself, looking down at the figures down below. A cool, white Aura seemed to cling to his body, one that radiated strength and power.

An Aura that Micheal recognized.

'He's actually God Tier…' He thought, his heart dropping with despair.

"Hmph, who cares who you are? The Human Race fears nothing and no one!" The Black Dragon King's voice boomed as he jumped up into the air, a pair of black wings appearing on his back. The blue Aura that surrounded his body rippled with black light as he activated some Ability, facing off against the General.

WHOOSH

His body expanded, transforming into a huge, towering Black Dragon. Black energy crackled around his enormous frame as his wings shook the air, thundering with power. It was an awe-inspiring sight, a gargantuan leviathan that blasted through the air.

Micheal watched all of this, his eyes glued to the Black Dragon King, desperately praying for his success.

SHKKK

WHOOSH

General Kelleth's arm seemed to shiver, blurring for a brief instant. It moved so quickly that Micheal was unable to make out the attack at all.

The Black Dragon King looked at the Morian General.

And then, slowly, closed his eyes as his body fell apart, split into 24 bisected pieces.

Killed instantly.

"No!"

"The Great King!"

"Dragon Lord!"

Cries of horror and terror shook the human army as they saw one of their legends die. Tens of thousands of voices cried out.

"How dare you! Die, foul murderer!"

The Blue Queen had never been on fair terms with the Black Dragon King, yet she still rushed up into the air, wings made of ice surrounding her as she launched freezing cold attacks of her own. Beautiful crystals and frozen snowflakes swarmed the air, surrounding her like a beast from legend.

SHKKK

WHOOSH

The General's arm twitched.

The Blue Queen fell, killed instantly.

"No!!!" More screams from the crowd.

"I will not allow this to continue!" The Sundering Swordmaster rose into the air, the bright blue Aura that covered him fluctuating.

SHKKK

SHKKK

WHOOSH

The Sundering Swordmaster fell to the side, killed. This time, it seemed to have taken slightly longer than with the other two legends of humanity, yet he still died all the same.

"No!"

"It's too much!"

"Retreat back to the Sixth Layer!"

The Last Army of Humanity seemed to fall apart as expert after expert tried to challenge the General. Dozens of powerful Ability users all rushed forward, some as unique Adapted Humans while others focusing with pure power.

The Morian General floated down to the ground, taking all comers.

One after another, all the challengers died.

Those that tried to retreat found their way cut off. The portal that had led them here was locked, unable to transport them backwards. All that awaited them was the jeering Morians, throwing deadly boulders, arrows, or bolts of energy.

"The battle is lost, Shin." Micheal's voice was quiet as he looked at his comrades, his brothers in arms. He looked down at his blade and then back up at the Morians. Now that their General had landed, the Morians seemed to take that as a cue to attack. Several hundred of them were rushing forward, wielding an assortment of weapons.

"I-I…" Shin stumbled over his words as he looked at this scene, his arms trembling. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

"I guess you're right, Micheal. I was wrong in the end." Shin's voice was small, his usually cheerful and optimistic demeanor nowhere to be seen.

"There was no hope for us." His voice broke as he looked at the charging wave of death, his blade limp at his side. His shoulders hunched, making him appear small and fragile.

"We have failed. Humanity has failed." Micheal closed his eyes as well, tears threatening to leak.

He had done everything he could. When everything began, so many years ago, the people of Earth had been transported to the Seven Layers in waves. As someone that was part of the 4th Wave, far behind those firstcomers, it was only because of his sheer determination that he managed to catch up to this point.

And despite everything… he proved useless. He couldn't even help those vaunted geniuses, let alone stand anywhere near their level.

"How could we have known, Micheal?" Shin muttered quietly, watching as the last hope of humanity died out.

"How are we supposed to fight Gods?" Shin fell to his knees, his hands trembling.

CRUNCH

THUD

Noise echoed out as a figure landed down near them. The figure of the blue skinned Morian that had wiped out all the geniuses of Humanity.

The figure of General Kelleth, covered in his resplendent, oppressive white Aura that indicated he was a God Tier warrior. A true Deity representing an entire Tribe of Deities.

"To struggle from being the weakest race all the way to the Seventh Layer, it is truly something to be commended! Allow me to send you on your way!" The General loudly proclaimed.

"Die!"

"Kill it!"

The fighters near Shin and Micheal rushed forward as one, more than a dozen powerful warriors all at least King Tier throwing themselves forward. Black lightning, bright red flames, powerful energy bolts, a deluge of attacks smashed down towards the figure, full of chaotic might.

BOOM

With almost a casual wave of his hand, the General dispelled and blocked the attacks. His body then blurred as he began to unleash a slaughter, killing everyone that attacked him.

In less than a second, more than 50 warriors died.

The General's body blurred and then stopped in front of a kneeling Shin, looking down at the fighter curiously.

"Ah, has despair taken you, warrior? Alas. If our survival did not depend on this, perhaps we would spare your kind." The General shook his head sadly.

Shin looked up, his eyes bloodshot, but, at the same time, conveying a feeling of acceptance. The General raised his sword above his head, the white Aura bursting around him as he prepared to take Shin out.

"Die!"

Micheal's voice was full of passion as he rushed at the General, swinging with all his might. He unleashed everything, his blade moving in an intricate and skilled arc, red energy surrounding it as it cut through the air itself.

WHOOSH

SHKKK

CLANG

Micheal felt as if he had been punched in the chest. A stabbing pain filled his body as he was flung backwards, his sword knocked from his grip as he sailed through the air until he crashed down hard on the ground. He felt his Ki fluctuate, the red Aura that surrounded him shivering.

"No…" He croaked, blood spattering from his lips as he looked down.

A huge hole in his body could be seen, punched directly through his heart.

As Micheal's vision wavered, he could just barely see the General return to stand in front of Shin, raising his blade once more.

WHOOSH

SHKKKK

The world around Micheal seemed to move forward in slow motion. .

Slowly, ever so slowly, he watched as the last friend he had in this world, a man he loved as a brother, slid to the ground.

Dead.

'NOOO!' Screams tried to rip free from Micheal's failing throat as he watched Shin die, commanding his body to stand and fight. Pulling forth every iota of willpower and strength, all the years of training and dedication, to try and make himself rush forward, to try and save Shin.

All to no avail. His body was failing, his heart already still.

All he did, everything he tried... It was all not enough. It had been a waste. Humanity had still fallen.

'Sorry, best friend.' Tears streamed down Micheal's face as he collapsed, his vision turning black.

'I let you down.'

'I was useless in the end.'

As Micheal's body fell still, a small, unassuming, purple ring on Micheal's finger flashed.

A ring he had stumbled upon through random chance and luck, acquired in a place he had long since forgotten.

Micheal died.

But as he died, that ring vibrated with power. Words began to resonate, contained purely within the ring. Words full of desire and longing, passion and need.

'If only I had a chance to start over, to fix everything.'

"…"

'If only I had a chance to start over, to fix everything.'

"…"

'If only I had a chance to start over, to fix everything.'

"…"

'Divine Artifact: The Wishing Ring activated. Wish has not exceeded the maximum range of values.'

"…"

'Wish granted. Transporting memories through time.'

"..."

WHOOSH

.

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