"Are you kidding me? How long are you gonna just lay there? Get up already"

I shot awake suddenly, feeling out of place.

I'm surrounded by a bunch of cherry blossom trees, along with a full moon hovering above me?

Where am I??

"W-What's going on...??"

"How do you forget the situation you're in that easily? He hasn't even managed to retrieve your soul yet"

"Huh???! Who's there?!"

I looked around to find the source of the mysterious voice.

"Behind you"

I abruptly looked behind me, finding a dragon standing there!

Surprisingly, it was around my height and size.

"Who are you??"

"I'm your conscious. My name is Louis"

"So then, this place..."

"Is the inner machinations of your mind. Glad it didn't take you long to figure that out. Welcome"

He sighed.

"Am I dead...?"

"No"

"So, my uncle hasn't killed me yet..."

"He can't"

"What do you mean?"

"Were you not listening to anything the others were saying to you? It's like Jaehyun said. He doesn't really want to hurt you, or your family"

"But-"

"Hold on. I'm not done. He may have done all of this just to take your soul, but that's not the real him. This isn't what he really wants. His true desire is to get back the family that he lost. However, he knows that he can't do that on his own. Zhenya wouldn't cooperate with him, and he knew that. So, he felt that if he can't get his family back, then he might as well destroy everything, and later himself, to rid him of that truth"

"..."

"However, he can't go through with it. He can't take your soul, or your hidden power"

"...I don't have any powers anymore"

I sadly mumbled.

"You still understand nothing"

"What?"

"It seems you forgot what Xinyi said too... Nephalems are powerless, until they're given a purpose. That purpose, is what brings those powers to the light. This phenomenon is called, the Effect. So, what's given you a purpose, that brought the Effect of your powers?"

"..."

He frowned at my silence.

"It's like a cause and effect scenario. For example, you brought your first power to the light on your first mission. Coincidence? Of course not. The cause of you using it, was because of fear. You thought you were going to die, isn't that right?"

I nodded.

"So, because of that fear, you gained the desire to defend yourself when the others couldn't. Thus, the cause of your sudden power was your fear and your sudden desire to defend yourself, and the effect was..."

"My Decomposition power...?"

"Correct. This is the Effect phenomenon, in which powers need purpose in order to work. The same goes for your next power. The cause of your next power was not only to give those plants a purpose, but also to protect your brothers and your new friend, Judah. So, the effect was..."

"...My Plant Manipulation!"

He nodded.

He continued to go down the list of my powers.

Because I love my drawings and felt that they were real entities on their own, Hiss came to life. With that being the cause, the effect was my Animation power.

Because I hated seeing Chenle hurt when Niha attacked him, I managed to heal him. With that being the cause, the effect was my Healing power.

Because of my desire to win against Leiyong with my twin in that war, I gained a new power, with his help. With that being the cause, the effect was my Whirlwind power.

Because of my rage after Yuta hurt Donghyuck, I managed to unleash a fire the burned hotter than his. With that being the cause, the effect was my Green Fire Manipulation.

And because I wanted to save Yoonho from Xander, I dashed into action. With that being the cause, the effect was my Super Sonic power.

"So, you finally understand now. Good. Now, let me tell you something, Huang Renjun"

Our surroundings suddenly went completely dark.

We could only see the light from the moon shining down on us.

"You can't avoid what's about to happen next. Now, we have reached...the absolute. You've reached a definitive end, to this chapter in your life. This is the first moment, that'll decide the rest of your life"

"..."

"This, is the final Effect to bring out your final power. Are you ready to harness that purpose?"

"...Yes"

The world around us flickered white, then back to darkness.

"Are you absolutely sure? There's no turning back after this. This could result in a new beginning, or it could result in your own end. Are you ready to take that chance?"

"...I am"

Again, the world flickered.

Louis suddenly looked angered.

"What makes you so sure? You are powerless after all. The others are dying right in front of you, and you're just letting it happen. What makes you think you can do it?"

He's testing me.

"I was a fool before. To think I was powerless... I never was. None of the other Nephalems were either. We all just needed a purpose. A will. A connection"

"And what good are you connections now in those empty bodies?"

"Empty or not, they're still there. Inside Xinyi, they're calling out to me. They're cheering me on. Our connections will live on, no matter what, or who, tries to tear them apart"

"And what of the worlds? They'll all just die out if you continue to do nothing. Everyone you love will disappear. Everyone you care about, everyone you've worked so hard to bring to your side, even the one you plan to marry. They'll all disappear, right before your very eyes"

"That won't happen"

"So then, what do you plan to do?"

"I'm going to save them, all of them"

"Even if that's not your destiny?"

"I determine my own destiny..."

"Even if someone had to be sacrificed?"

"If it had to be done...!"

"Even if it cost you your own life?!"

"Whatever it takes!"

"A day may come, when you lose!"

"It's not today!"

"How can you be so sure?!"

"TODAY! WE! FIGHT!!"

This time, a thunderclap followed the last flicker.

"Bingo Renjun. You finally get it"

Louis smiled.

"The strength to protect what matters. That's the last Effect. That's the final purpose. As long as you keep on fighting for what you want, you'll never be defeated. You'll be able to keep them safe, all of them"

"Are you gonna give it to me then? My final power. You've had it this whole time, haven't you?"

He just chuckled.

"You're a true prodigy Renjun. Here, you've earned it. This is now your, Absolute power"

A glowing white orb appeared from his hands, and flew over to me in the darkness.

I caught it in my hands and it flew into my chest, fazing into me.

I could feel a new immense power flowing through me. It finally made sense to me why Xinyi wanted it so bad. This is unlike any power I've ever felt in my life.

"Hey. Promise me that you'll only use that power to do good. There are nine powers hidden within this new power. If you count Absolute as a power on its own, that makes ten new powers added to you. I'd really hate it if all that power went to your head if you aren't able to handle it. It'd definitely be a bad time"

I only smiled at him.

"You still doubt me~?"

"Hmph. I seem to have forgotten who I'm dealing with... Who am I kidding? You've got nothing but pure goodness in you. There's no need for me to worry..~"

The world around us suddenly lit up, bringing out the true beauty of this place.

"I knew you had a soft side Louis~"

"Shut up...~. It's because you're just so nice all the time. But don't waste time here talking to me. You have what you need to win. Use it wisely, and protect what matters to you"

I nodded.

"Oh. One more thing. The more you use those powers, the more your appearance will start to change. However, you'll change back to normal once you stop using them. Since this is your final power, it's the final key you'll need to unleash your full potential. You'll be able to take your true Nephalem form. I can only hope that your body will be able to handle both your demonic and angelic powers. If not, then..."

He worriedly frowned.

"Hey, don't worry about me. Even if that happens, I know the others will have a way to bring me back. Everything will be fine~"

He still seemed worried, but he still had faith in me and the others.

"Thanks, for everything. I'll see you soon"

I pet his head and said my goodbyes, before finally doing what I should've done before.

I woke up.

-

Renjun finally opened my eyes, and immediately grabbed Xinyi's wrist.

He used one of his new powers to send a shock through him to make him let go of his soul, and easily knocked Xinyi away from him.

'This power, is Absolute Defense. The power to possess a defense that can't be breached by any attack.'

"What?! How is this possible?!"

"Did you really think I'd just sit there and let you take my soul, uncle?"

"Hmph. Don't get cocky you brat. In case you haven't noticed, I still have all of the souls I need to take you down!"

"You mean, these souls?"

All twenty of the captured souls were suddenly at Renjun's side.

He had managed to warp the reality around him to his will. In that warp, he created an illusion of himself. Xinyi thought that he was seeing Renjun in front of him, when in reality, Renjun had fazed his body through him to save the first fourteen souls.

After returning to his spot in front on Xinyi, he extended his hand out to the other souls. They all immediately flew to him, finally returning to his side.

He returned the reality back to normal, with all of the souls in his possession.

'This power, is Absolute Unpredictability. The power in which the user possesses an absolutely and infinitely chaotic and unpredictable nature. This makes the user so inconstant in action, that it causes them to warp, change or collapse the results of things, such as reality, context, and even probabilities.'

All the power that Xinyi had gained from the souls had now left him,

"W-What???! How is this possible??!!"

"Don't question it"

Renjun turned his back to his uncle and paced towards his fallen comrades, to return their stolen souls.

"Don't even think about it!!"

Xinyi commanded his Oni heads to attack him, but it never came to pass.

As soon as they got within an inches distance of Renjun, they suddenly shattered against him. This in turn released Zhenya and Luoyang, and enabled Renjun to gently set them down for the time being.

The shards of the Oni heads flew back to Xinyi, cutting him as they struck him multiple times.

'This power, is Meta Power Reflection. The power to reflect absolutely any and all powers back to its source.'

While Xinyi was stunned, Renjun was able to return all of the souls to their rightful bodies. A golden wave then left his body, flowing over his fallen comrades.

Not only did it heal them, but it also returned their strength, enabling them to wake up almost instantly.

'This power, is Meta Resurrection. The power to resurrect regardless of condition and state.'

Renjun hadn't noticed it, but his comrades did. His appearance was starting to change.

His hair began to change color, and a black aura engulfed the right side of his body, while a white aura engulfed his left side.

"Hyung... You saved us!"

Chenle jumped into Renjun's arms and hugged him.

Renjun immediately hugged Chenle back, and his other five brothers hugged him as well.

They were all amazed at how much stronger Renjun had become. They just couldn't express how truly happy they were.

"Xinyi"

They all suddenly heard an angry voice in the room.

Zhenya had woken up, along with Luoyang. He was entirely infuriated with Xinyi. With sword in hand, he stood in front of Luoyang protectively, to ensure that Xinyi didn't try anything.

"You can hurt me, you can kill me, you can even break my heart. But lay another hand on my friends, my family, or my son, and you'll pay a tremendous price"

"Zhenya..."

Taeyong was frozen in awe.

"Taeyong, my dear friend. It's such an honor to see you again. Thank you so much, for taking care of my son"

He smiled at his long lost friend.

"Quite the family reunion, isn't it uncle?"

Renjun returned his attention to Xinyi.

He backed away a bit, before he suddenly increased his power. His once grey skin turned black, and he created a new Oni head, one that was bigger than the previous two.

"YOU DARE TO MOCK ME YOU INSOLENT BRAT?! I'LL RIP EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU TO SHREDS!!"

He yelled furiously.

"Are we getting out of here or not? I want to see my brothers"

They heard another voice.

This time, it was Xansho that had woken up.

"Welcome back Xansho. And yes, all of you are leaving except for me, mom, and dad. We have a little family feud to settle with uncle Xinyi"

Renjun explained.

"Hyung! No!"

"We're not leaving without you!"

Donghuck and Mark both protested.

"You all know well that if we leave my brother like this, he'll just continue to come after us. He'll end up killing a lot of people in the process"

Zhenya informed them.

"He might end up taking control of other people too. They can't let him do that. You all saw for yourself what happened after he took control of me"

Xansho agreed.

"T-Then... We'll just help you fight him hyung!"

"Y-Yeah!"

Chenle and Jaemin were scared, but determined.

"We'll beat him together!"

"We can all just fuse again!"

Jeno and Jisung were willing to fight as well.

But, Renjun turned down their offers.

"He'll try to kill you all before we even get a chance to fuse. And besides, these are family matters. I have to be the one to do this"

Even multiple members from Force 127 tried to stop him, but to no avail.

"Guys stop. This isn't getting us anywhere, and I know Xinyi is getting even more fed up with all this bickering"

Taeyong stated.

"Renjun's mind and heart are made up. He has to finish this with his family"

"But were his family hyung!"

"His blood family Doyoung"

They all went silent.

"I've known Zhenya and Luoyang for years. I know that the three of them will stand a chance against Xinyi together"

Taeyong smiled at the three.

"...We may be apart, but if you continue to cheer us on, no matter the distance, we can win"

Renjun smiled.

They all finally gave in.

"How are we even supposed to get back to Ethora from here? We're way too far away. My power doesn't have that kind of range..."

Jaemin sadly informed them.

"You've got this, right Renjun?"

Luoyang smiled, and he nodded.

"Stay together guys. We'll see you soon"

The others were confused, but nodded nonetheless.

"Rely on Hoseok-hyung"

He stated before snapping his fingers.

Before any of them could ask what he meant, they all vanshied, being teleported back to Ethora.

'This power, is Meta Teleportation. The power to teleport anything to any location and time.'

Renjun felt a wave of weakness suddenly come over him after using that power, but he ignored it.

This is his final battle, in which he would save his uncle, and the worlds.

Even, if it cost him his own life.