Final

-

The Next Day

-

"What??"

"What are you saying Renjun??"

I met up with Mark and Jeno alone in one of the halls in the HDJ, only because I had something serious to discuss with them before our scheduled meeting.

"I'm saying that if anything happens to me again any time soon, I want you both to be our teams' captains"

"Why are you telling us this Renjun?"

"I'm with Mark-hyung on this one. What changed in a span of a day for you to bring this matter to us so suddenly?"

"...I just..want to be sure that everyone's safety is ensured if anything happens. Nothing more"

"But-"

"There you are! We've been looking for the three of you dad! Wait. What's going on?"

Xinrei came to find us, but noticed the serious looks on our faces.

"Nothing at all Rei. Just wondering who the guy were meeting is since we haven't seen his face yet. But what's up Chief?"

"It's about him actually. He actually just arrived, so we should head back to the conference room"

Xinrei informed us before running off.

"Jeno, Mark-hyung. Don't mention a word of this to the others, especially not the kids. Not yet..."

"...Right"

"...We won't"

-

Conference Room

-

The four of us met up with the others in our designated conference room after a few minutes, but it wasn't just the Fighting Dreamers in the room.

Upon our guest's request, all of the Fighting Dreamers, Gang Stars, and Paramounts were scheduled to meet up together. However, the members of Force 127 and Doni were close by in another room just in case.

After Mark, Jeno, and I arrived, I sat at one end of the table with everyone else standing either beside or behind me, and our guest sat at the opposite end of the table.

"...I'm so happy that all of you could make it, especially you Huang Renjun"

After greeting all of us, and me specifically, our guest finally removed his hood and raised up his head to reveal a very familiar face.

"As you can now see for yourselves, I'm yet another version of Renjun"

He looked exactly like me, except he had all brown hair, and I could only sense a small bit Nephalem energy from him for some reason.

Although everyone was surprised upon seeing his face, I'm not surprised in the slightest.

"You're not surprised about this Renjun??"

Tristin asked me.

He was able to join us in our meeting as well since he's technically still the leader of the Gang Stars.

"Not at all actually. It's mainly because of Robin and the concept of universes; since there are multiple universes and some hold other versions of us, then it's no surprise to me anymore that we keep running into those counterparts"

"My name is Huang Tony. I'm very thankful to you and your son for taking interest in me and offering help to me yesterday, even though I didn't want, nor ask, for it. However, I did not accept your invitation for the reason you assume. I merely just wanted to see all of you and what your world was like before it eventually ends"

Throughout his entire explanation, Tony didn't smile even once.

But even if that's the case, he doesn't seem like a truly bad guy either.

Just from a small breeze alone, I knew that Jeno was readying to unsheathe his Buster Sword from his back to attack Tony. However, the moment I raised my hand as a sign for him to stand down, he let go of its handle and folded his arms.

None of us knows what a single one of his abilities are, despite his high power level. I don't want any of them to act without thinking just because of a threat.

"Would you mind explaining exactly what you mean by that?"

"Of course. I'm here for the same reason the Gang Stars showed up in this world for the first time. I want to take away everything you have, and destroy everything and everyone you know"

Despite his straight face, I have a sense that he didn't really mean that, even if he does end up doing it.

'Guys, there really is something off with Tony. Donghyuck-hyung senses more than one spiritual energy within him. He says there's at least six others that he can feel'

While we continued talking, Jisung telepathically shared that critical information with us.

If Donghyuck is sensing six other spiritual energies within Tony, and since he's another version of me, those six energies have to be related to Mark, Jeno, Donghyuck, Jaemin, Chenle, and Jisung in some way.

"I know that you already know this, but I don't plan to just sit back while you destroy everything Tony"

"I never expected you to"

"Just a second. Is there a deeper reason as to why you want to destroy what we have?"

Tristin asked, wanting to help with the conference in any way he could.

"Everything I had was taken from me. My family. My best friends. Everything. I just want them back"

"But... Wouldn't it be better to ask for help than to resort to violence..?"

Tony stared Xinrei down for a short while after he offered to help once again, until he finally sighed and looked out of the room's window.

"....They can't be helped...not where they are now. But...I have to admit. After talking to you all about this, I'm actually feeling a bit better"

"So... What does that mean for us? Have you chosen to leave us in peace instead of destroying everything?"

Chenle asked for clarification, with a nervous smile on his face.

"...I've changed my mind"

Tony nodded, but didn't really answer his question.

He then stood up and approached us, standing a few chairs away from me to shake my hand.

The others were a bit worried for me, but I stood up as well and approached him before shaking his hand. The others couldn't notice this, but I suddenly felt an actual spark between us the moment we made contact with each other.

After shaking hands, Tony didn't seem to want to let go and only gripped my hand tighter. And the slightly content smile he had before changed into more of a heartless frown.

"...I've changed my mind. Instead, I'll destroy all of you, and then take all of the other universes out along with you"

After exposing his new plan to us, he finally looked at me, with his eyes now glowing blue.

Before Jeno or any of the others could react, we all noticed how the sky outside suddenly went completely black, despite it being morning, that came with a loud crash of thunder that shook the very grounds of our planet.

"...Any time now. I know you're out there"

While everyone else was worried, I simply looked out the window as a signal, and the same guy that I saw on one of the roofs in Haeju City yesterday came crashing into the room.

"Be safe"

He briefly warned me before instantly warping the others far away from us, so far that I couldn't sense them anymore.

I was left behind with Tony in the room, but I used my Absolute Unpredictability to protect the rest of my teammates that were in the other room.

I don't have enough time to protect anyone else, and the fact of the matter is, they're the only presences of life that I can sense now. It's like everyone else is just gone, completely erased from existence in a fraction of a second...

"...Whatever you plan do with me Tony, it won't work in the end"

"We'll just have to see, won't we Renjun?"

I know he has something planned for me; he wouldn't have insisted on shaking my hand and keeping me alive here otherwise.

Nevertheless, there isn't anything more that I can do but hope for the best, even as everything is going black. Even if this may seem like the end, as long as some of us are still alive, I'll find a way back to them.

Somehow...

END??