Just as my forehead crashed into the solid wall, a gentle shockwave pulled me back from the edge of death.

I was sucked into a world of stars, composed of constellations. Here, there was nothing but darkness and starlight, like an endless universe.

And as time passed, the stars moved quickly.

Compared to the terrifying monsters that would frighten people, this was one of the better dreams recently.

"Welcome to my domain, the Star Realm!"

As I wandered in this sea of stars, a familiar voice came from the vast sky. It seemed like I had heard this voice somewhere before...

"Do you remember me...my friend?"

"You are the only one in this world who can receive the divine blessings, because you are the chosen successor of the giant god Odin!"

Who is speaking to me...is it me?

A fiery crimson blaze appeared above my head, and a face that looked exactly like mine stared back at me through the dark void.

"The lost divinity...we can say that we meet again."

"Hehe~"

A huge joke, a cold laughter brushed against my cheeks. I decided not to be manipulated by him, because this was probably another arrangement of fate! And I no longer believed in fate, nor did I hope for anyone to control me!

"Oh, it's quite different from when I first met you."

"Haha, that's because of the evil spirits like you lingering in the human world!"

Indeed, when a person has the determination to die, their legs won't go weak when encountering something supernatural.

But communicating with oneself is both convenient and easy. Just a gentle thought, and all the words I want to say can be conveyed to the other party.

At this moment, the guy who called me a friend is no longer enough to make me fear. However, after a long time of settling in the dark without any light, and staying together with that red and somewhat sinister evil spirit, my legs slowly began to weaken, until I finally sat on the ground.

"Our destiny is not a fate arrangement, but your belief is summoning me to fight alongside you, to eliminate the mistakes made by the previous god king Odin, and to become the ruler of the new world!"

"The main god of the new world?"

"That's right, please join me in creating a world without sorrow, where no one sheds tears!"

His demonic aura is really hard for me to accept, especially that flowing blood-red black cloak, it's so edgy.

But now I'm facing a life or death situation, and the only person I can turn to is myself in front of me...

"My friend...I need you, can you make Yukari regain her life again? We finally got back together, but I didn't cherish it enough. If you have come in response to my heartfelt voice, then please help me once!"

As I said that, I knelt down in front of myself. This is also my ultimate desire to become a god!

"...Friend, even gods have limited abilities, so if you want to save her, you must pay the corresponding price, which is to share your source of existence with her!"

After all, he is my friend, and mutual trust between friends is inevitable. But sharing existence...

"Don't rush, in the realm of gods, there is a way to make the shattered soul step back onto the wheel of time..."

I knew it, the corrupted me never gives me a chance to speak, because he can hear everything I want to say. I need to talk to him about privacy issues one day.

Just his communication with me is enough to make me bored, I didn't expect him to have so much nonsense to say.

"But those methods are useless for you now, with a current power level of zero. The so-called sharing existence means sharing your life force, which means you will have to pay half of your remaining time in this world to keep the contractee alive."

"So...what you mean is?"

"Your final days will come earlier, based on the discounted time, you have exactly... two years and eight months left!"

"..."

What...what is this? I can't accept it, my brain feels like it's buzzing. Does this mean I originally only had five years and four months left?

"Not exactly! The lifespan of a god is unpredictable, so everything after that will be an unknown."Unknown variable, that is the world is about to undergo earth-shattering changes, and we will all face extinction...

"Listen to me, my friend!" Another me came to the same level as me and communicated with me, "It's not as pessimistic as you think yet! As long as there is still belief, we still have a chance to change the already determined future, so we need you...!"

"Enough! I only need Youmu and I need the President to come back to life and be by my side, that's enough!"

Looking at the glittering stars, my thoughts gradually became blurry.

Maybe it was my numbness that caused his emotions to change dramatically, and suddenly another me was filled with an unnamed anger.

"You have already forgotten the past, but I haven't! I have always remembered Youmu, remembered every word she whispered in my ears! Remember..."

"Are you here just for these things?"

"What do you mean just for these things! I have spent a lot of effort coming here, how do you know?"

He continued to argue about Youmu tirelessly.

"You don't understand at all! Even if Youmu returns to your side, this world will have no future... No matter how many times Youmu resurrects, what can she do, ah—!"

"You said it doesn't matter to me, right?"

I was annoyed by his rambling and I didn't understand... So I didn't want her to leave like this even more!

All I want is for Youmu to come back, not to save the world!

"You... Hmph, more words are useless! Without your fangs, you no longer have the aura of a man..."

"What do you mean, are you saying I don't even have the right to refuse?!"

Although trapped in the Star Boundary, I showed him with determination on my face that I would never surrender...

"Ah, do as you wish, let's end it here for today."

Huh huh huh...?

The other me seems to be easier to talk to than myself, is it because our personalities are completely opposite?

The blood-red flames were not as fierce as they were just now. As the flames gradually extinguished, his body also became much ethereal, and his fingers had become transparent.

It seems that the topic must come to a conclusion now, and my expression became more serious.

"You have fulfilled your promise to give half of my life to Youmu. I will consider what you said." There is nothing more to talk about between us.

He stared at me with a hint of suspicion for a long time, trying to find a flaw in my bluffing, right?

"Okay, I have already implanted the mark of the contract into her body, she will be completely restored before you wake up tomorrow."

"Really?"

I was overwhelmed with excitement.

But he seemed to deliberately have something against me, he poured cold water on me before I had time to be happy.

"Well, her memories will undergo a complete change, as for how to change... that's your problem!"

"Memories will undergo a complete change? Hey, don't go..."

Watching his figure gradually receding, along with his sly expression and nonchalant farewell.

Will memories change?

I tightly grasped my hand in fear, and some cold sweat came out, because... if tomorrow she no longer has the familiar eyes of Youmu, then what should I do?

"Ummm!"

I vigorously shook my head in distress, I must keep myself awake, I can't be reckless.

But memories from three different worlds are filling my brain capacity frantically.

The raging wind stirred up the soil and raised a hundred-foot high yellow sand. Ten minutes ago, another bloody battlefield ended here.

A slightly sallow-faced girl was sobbing on her father's body, her mother was sighing beside her and repeatedly asked me to stay: "Mr. Hero, this is my little daughter. To thank you for saving our family..."

"I am just doing what I should, no need to thank me."

After saying that, I wanted to leave and continue heading east to another country under the empire's control.

Under the black windbreaker, I witnessed one tragic tragedy after another, and I was already accustomed to such things.

"Please wait!"

Princess Gelan stopped me from leaving without saying goodbye.

She seemed to have suddenly matured after losing her older brother, and looking into her eyes, I could feel a chilling sensation."Oh, what brings the Princess of Gerlan to seek me?"

"Well, I... I want you to be my teacher, is that possible?"

The Princess actually wants to make me her teacher, but I have always been a solitary traveler, so I can't accept such an unreliable request.

"Your Highness, I am just a wanderer on the mainland. I don't think I can handle the position of being the Princess's teacher."

I have seen many young men and women like this in the past two years. They were all blinded by their desire for revenge, causing impulsive decisions.

"Please, I beg of you," she, the princess of a country, kneels in front of me in front of everyone, "I also want to become powerful like my father, so I can protect all the people living in Gerlan!"

The girl's determined and shining blue eyes deeply attracted me.

For the first time, I felt extremely surprised. I can assert that she, compared to those aristocrats I met before who were only interested in personal gain, has a different and extraordinary demeanor. It is precisely this demeanor that made me, who had long abandoned all emotions, waver for the first time in my principles.

Hmph, interesting! I have made up my mind...

So, I turned around and approached her. With my height advantage of one meter seventy-eight, I reached out to touch her hair and smiled as I agreed to her request.

"Being your master might not be feasible, but would you be willing to travel with me?"

The hero in the black cloak faced the girl who was about the same age as him and extended an invitation.

"Well, I'm willing. Wherever the teacher goes, I'll go!"

That was my first meeting with Youmu. It was that encounter that created an inseparable bond between us.

From then on, the story of the black hero and the girl began.