Chapter 49 - The Faithful
Eve (Emperor Mark Universe Eve)'s pov:
The Imperial Observatory towered above the Viltrumite capital, its crystalline spire reaching toward the stars that the Empire claimed as its domain.
Within its highest chamber, I stood before the dimensional viewer, my hands trembling slightly as I adjusted the controls.
Seventeen years. It had been seventeen years since I last saw his face. Seventeen years of preserving his memory, his vision, his legacy.
Seventeen years of emptiness that no amount of power or purpose could fill.
The viewer hummed to life, the quantum field stabilizers glowing with soft blue light as they processed the incoming data stream.
Mark had been gone for three days now – three days since he had stepped through Levy's dimensional portal in search of something we had both given up hope of ever finding again.
A second chance.
"Atom Eve."
I turned at the sound of my name – my title, really, though few remembered that it had once been a childish superhero name rather than the designation of one of the Empire's most powerful figures.
Anissa stood in the doorway, her imposing Viltrumite frame silhouetted against the corridor lights.
"The latest transmission is coming through," she said, stepping into the chamber. "I thought you'd want to know immediately."
My heart stuttered in my chest. "How long ago was it sent?"
"About six hours," Anissa replied, moving to stand beside me at the control panel. "The quantum fluctuations are getting worse. The delay is increasing."
I nodded, trying to maintain my composure despite the anxiety churning inside me. "Is it clear? Last time, the interference was so bad we could barely make out Mark's surroundings."
"Much better this time," Anissa assured me, her fingers dancing across the controls. "The engineers made some adjustments to the reception array. We should get both visual and audio."
The dimensional communicator Mark had developed before his departure was a marvel of engineering, allowing us to receive visual data from his experiences in the parallel world.
But the growing instability between dimensions meant each transmission took longer to reach us.
"Show me," I commanded, my voice steadier than I felt.
Anissa's fingers moved across the control panel with practiced efficiency. The holographic display flickered, then stabilized, showing a scene from Mark's perspective.
He was standing in what looked like a devastated suburban area, facing...
The breath caught in my throat.
"Megumi," I whispered, the name a prayer on my lips.
There he was – different, changed, but unmistakably him. The same soul, the same presence that had been torn from us all those years ago.
"It's really him," Anissa murmured beside me, her own voice tinged with disbelief. "After all this time."
I stepped closer to the display, my fingers reaching out instinctively to touch the holographic image, passing through it like the ghost it was. "He's alive," I breathed. "In another dimension, another timeline, but alive."
We watched in silence as the scene unfolded, Mark's voice coming through the transmission with surprising clarity:
"Do you remember when we were kids? When you found me behind the school, getting beaten up by those seniors? You were just the new transfer student, but you stepped in without hesitation."
I closed my eyes briefly, the memory washing over me. I had been there that day, watching from a distance as the new Japanese exchange student – small for his age but with eyes that seemed to see everything – had calmly stepped between Mark and three seniors twice his size.
"You taught me how to stand up for myself. How to think strategically. How to see the world as it truly is, not as I wished it to be," Mark's voice continued from the recording.
"Remember our pact? Under that old oak tree in your backyard? 'A better world,' you said. 'Not through brute force, but through vision.'"
"The oak tree," I murmured, a sad smile touching my lips. "We were so young then. Just children with dreams bigger than we could understand."
Anissa glanced at me. "You three were inseparable from the beginning, weren't you?"
"From that very first day," I confirmed, my eyes never leaving the hologram. "Mark, Megumi, and me against the world. We thought we could change everything. And we did, just... not in the way we expected."
On the display, Megumi – Sukuna, as he apparently called himself now – stood wary and confused, clearly not recognizing Mark or the shared history he described.
"I am not the Megumi you knew," his voice stated flatly. "I may wear his face, but I am someone else entirely."
The words sent a spike of pain through my chest, but I pushed it aside. It didn't matter. He was alive. He existed. And Mark would bring him home.
"He calls himself Sukuna now," Anissa noted, watching the exchange with the analytical precision that had made her one of the Empire's most effective generals. "The King of Curses. Interesting title."
"A different life," I acknowledged. "Different experiences. But it's still him. I can see it in his eyes."
The footage continued, showing another figure arriving – a woman with pink energy surrounding her. My counterpart from that dimension.
I watched with growing tension as she moved protectively to Megumi's side, her hand finding his in a gesture that was both possessive and intimate.
"She's with him," I said, my voice hardening. "That world's version of me. They're together."
Anissa glanced at me, concern flashing across her features. "Eve-"
"It doesn't matter," I cut her off, though the lie was transparent even to my own ears. "She's irrelevant. When the merger completes, only one version of each person will remain."
This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.
"And you believe it will be you," Anissa stated, not a question but an observation.
I turned to her, my eyes glowing faintly with molecular energy. "I have waited seventeen years. I have preserved his vision, his principles, helped Mark build the empire Megumi always said was possible. What has she done to earn her place at his side?"
Anissa didn't flinch from my intensity – one of the few beings in the universe who could face my anger without fear. "Nothing," she agreed. "But the merger doesn't operate on merit. It follows its own laws."
"Then we'll change those laws," I said simply. "Mark will find a way. He always does."
We returned our attention to the footage, watching as more versions of Mark appeared – variants from other timelines, each different in subtle ways.
Then, without warning, both Megumi and his Eve vanished in a flash of blue light, teleported away by unseen forces.
Mark's rage was magnificent to behold – a pure, unrestrained fury that reminded me why he was Emperor, why even the mightiest Viltrumites bowed before him.
The transmission ended shortly after, cutting off as Mark issued commands to his variants to find Megumi before sunset.
I stepped back from the viewer, my mind racing with implications, possibilities, plans. "He'll find him," I said with absolute certainty. "And when he does, he'll bring him home."
"Eve," Anissa said carefully, "you need to prepare yourself for the possibility that this Megumi may not want to come. He has a life there, connections-"
"Those connections are temporary," I interrupted. "Illusions created by dimensional variance. What we had – what we built together – that was real. That was lasting."
Anissa studied me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then, with uncharacteristic gentleness, she asked, "Do you remember when we first met him? When he stormed into the High Council chamber?"
The question caught me off guard, pulling me from my strategic calculations back into memories I both treasured and feared to examine too closely.
"As if it were yesterday," I replied, my voice softening despite myself.
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Twenty years earlier
The Great Hall of the Viltrumite High Council gleamed with polished stone and metal, its vast circular chamber designed to intimidate visitors with its sheer scale.
Massive columns rose to a ceiling hundreds of feet above, and at the center, the Council sat in a semicircle of raised thrones, with Grand Regent Thragg at the highest position.
I stood with Mark near the entrance, both of us nervous but trying not to show it.
We had been summoned to witness Nolan's formal reinstatement to the Viltrumite ranks after his successful mission on Earth – a mission that had unexpectedly resulted in his bringing his human wife and half-breed son to Viltrum.
The proceedings were formal, filled with ancient ritual and ceremony that Mark found boring and I found fascinating.
Thragg was in the middle of outlining new conquest strategies for the Andromeda sector when the massive doors at the far end of the chamber burst open.
Every head turned as a small figure marched down the central aisle – a human boy, no more than twelve Earth years old, with dark hair and determined eyes. Megumi Fushiguro, the friend we had insisted on bringing with us despite Nolan's objections.
"This is inefficient," he declared, his voice echoing in the sudden silence of the chamber. His accent was still thick then, yet precise but clearly not his native language.
Thragg's expression darkened with rage at the interruption. "Who dares?" he thundered, rising from his throne.
Guards moved to intercept Megumi, but he continued walking, pulling a rolled scroll from his backpack. "Your conquest strategy for Andromeda," he continued, seemingly oblivious to the danger he was in. "It will result in unnecessary casualties and extended timeframes for complete subjugation."
"Seize this human child," Thragg ordered, his voice cold with fury.
Two Viltrumite guards flew toward Megumi, but before they could reach him, he had unrolled his scroll on the floor – a detailed star map of the Andromeda sector, covered in notations and strategic markings.
"Look," he commanded, pointing to specific regions on the map. "Your approach relies on overwhelming force applied simultaneously across seventeen key systems. This ignores the established trade networks and defensive alliances between the outer colonies."
The guards hesitated, looking to Thragg for guidance. The Grand Regent's expression was murderous, but there was also a flicker of something else – curiosity, perhaps.
"If you instead focus initial efforts here, here, and here," Megumi continued, circling three specific systems, "you disrupt their supply chains. The outer colonies become isolated, unable to support each other.
They fall one by one with minimal resistance, reducing your casualties by approximately sixty percent while increasing territorial gains by forty-three percent over the same timeframe."
The chamber was utterly silent as the boy continued his analysis, pointing out flaws in the Viltrumite strategy and offering alternatives with the confidence of a seasoned military commander.
Mark and I exchanged glances of equal parts horror and pride – horror at the danger our friend had placed himself in, pride at his unflinching courage.
Finally, Thragg raised a hand, silencing Megumi mid-sentence. "You," he said, his voice dangerously soft, "a human child, presume to instruct the Viltrumite High Council on matters of conquest?"
Megumi looked up, meeting the Grand Regent's gaze without a trace of fear. "I presume to identify inefficiency where I see it," he replied simply. "Whether you choose to correct it is your decision."
I was certain we were about to witness our friend's execution. Thragg was known for his swift and brutal punishment of any who questioned his authority. But to everyone's shock, the Grand Regent laughed – a short, sharp sound like breaking stone.
"Bring me that map," he ordered one of the guards.
The Viltrumite delivered Megumi's scroll to Thragg, who examined it with narrowed eyes. The other Council members leaned forward, studying the boy's strategic markings with expressions ranging from outrage to grudging interest.
"These calculations," Thragg said finally, looking back at Megumi. "You did them yourself?"
"Yes," Megumi replied without hesitation.
"Based on what data?"
"Public transmission records, trade manifests, defensive deployment patterns observed over the past five years," Megumi listed. "Plus historical conquest records from your own archives."
"Our archives are sealed to outsiders," one Council member objected.
Megumi shrugged. "Your encryption was... basic."
Mark stifled a laugh beside me, earning a sharp look from his father. But Nolan's expression held something besides anger – a dawning realization, perhaps, that he had underestimated his son's human friend.
Thragg studied Megumi for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then he turned to the Council. "Adjust the Andromeda strategy according to these recommendations," he ordered, to the visible shock of several members. "We will test the human's theories."
He turned back to Megumi. "If you are wrong, child, your life is forfeit. If you are right..." He left the sentence unfinished, a rare concession from the Grand Regent.
Megumi bowed slightly, a gesture that somehow managed to convey respect without submission. "I am not wrong," he said simply, then turned and walked back down the aisle to where Mark and I waited, his small shoulders squared, his pace unhurried despite having just challenged the most powerful being in the known universe.
That was Megumi, always one willing to burn all away for his pleasures - even risk his own life if need be.
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"He was right, of course," Anissa said, pulling me back to the present. "The Andromeda campaign proceeded exactly as he predicted. Sixty-three percent reduction in Viltrumite casualties, forty-seven percent increase in territorial gains."
"He was always right," I replied softly. "That was what made him so dangerous to some. And so valuable to others."
"He was so small compared to us," Anissa continued, a faint smile touching her lips. "This human boy, barely reaching my waist, standing before the Viltrumite High Council without a trace of fear. Telling Thragg himself that his conquest strategy was inefficient."
Despite everything, I found myself smiling at the memory. "Thragg wanted to kill him on the spot."
"Until Megumi outlined a plan that would reduce our casualties by sixty percent while increasing territorial gains," Anissa finished. "Even Thragg couldn't argue with those numbers."
"After that, Thragg insisted on having him present for all strategic planning sessions," I recalled. "The other Council members were furious – a human child advising the Viltrumite Empire? But Thragg overruled them all."
"Because results speak louder than pride," Anissa noted. "And Megumi delivered results."
I moved away from the viewer, walking to the chamber's vast window that overlooked the capital city – a gleaming metropolis that stood as testament to the order Megumi had envisioned and Mark had built.
"Do you remember what he said to Thragg, years later, when the Grand Regent asked why he continued to help us conquer?" I asked. "Even though he knew what it meant for the conquered worlds?"
Anissa nodded. "'Conquest is inevitable,' he said. 'But its nature is not. I cannot stop the tide, but I can direct its flow to minimize suffering.'"
"He changed everything," I said softly. "Not through power, but through vision. Through understanding what the universe could be if strength were guided by wisdom."
"He did," Anissa agreed, coming to stand beside me. "Even those who hated him for being human had to respect his mind."
I turned to her suddenly, a question forming that I had never dared to ask before. "Did you love him too, Anissa?"
The question clearly startled her, her eyes widening in surprise. "What?"
"It's a simple question," I pressed, studying her reaction. "Did you love Megumi?"
Anissa looked away, her gaze fixing on the distant horizon. "That's... complicated."
"So you did," I concluded, a strange mixture of understanding and jealousy swirling within me.
"It wasn't like that," she said after a moment. "Not exactly." She sighed, running a hand through her dark hair in a gesture reminiscent of Mark.
"You have to understand the context. For millennia, we followed Emperor Argall because of his wisdom, his vision. The Empire prospered, expanded without significant resistance. We conquered, yes, but with purpose, with direction."
She turned back to me, her expression earnest. "When Megumi came, he reminded us of that time.
Even though he wasn't Viltrumite, many of us – even Thragg – respected him because his wisdom, his tactics, his intelligence allowed us to conquer most of the known universe without meaningful challenge."
"That's why the civil war happened," I realized aloud. "Not just because Thragg refused to punish Nolan for killing Megumi-"
"But because half the Empire believed Nolan had destroyed our greatest asset," Anissa finished. "Our truest link to the glory days of Argall's reign."
I remembered that terrible day with painful clarity – finding Megumi's broken body in the palace gardens, Nolan standing over him with cold disdain.
'A necessary lesson in detachment,' he had called it. A lesson for Mark, to show him that humans were beneath Viltrumites, that no human should have influence over their kind.
He hadn't expected the Empire to fracture over his actions. Hadn't anticipated that Megumi had become so integral to Viltrumite conquest that many would see his murder as treason against the Empire itself.
"Do you remember what Mark did?" I asked softly. "When he found us in the garden?"
Anissa's expression darkened. "I will never forget it. The look in his eyes..." She shuddered slightly. "I had never seen such rage, such... focused hatred. Not even from Thragg at his worst."
"He didn't say a word," I continued, the memory playing out before me as if it were happening again. "He just looked at his father, then at Megumi's body in my arms, then back at his father. And then he moved."
"None of us could track him," Anissa recalled. "Not even me. One moment Nolan was standing there, the next Mark had punched through his chest."
"Nolan never even had time to look surprised," I said. "He just... fell. And Mark stood over him, covered in his father's blood, and said-"
"'The Empire has a new Emperor now,'" Anissa finished. "And no one dared challenge him. Not after what we had just witnessed."
"Thragg tried," I reminded her.
"Thragg died," she replied simply. "As did anyone else who opposed Mark's ascension. The boy who had been brought to Viltrum as a half-breed curiosity became its absolute ruler in the span of a single day."
We fell silent, both lost in memories of that pivotal moment – the day Mark Grayson, barely seventeen years old, had seized control of the Viltrumite Empire and begun reshaping it according to the principles Megumi had taught him.
"I didn't love him the way you did, Eve," Anissa said finally, breaking the silence. "But I respected him more than any being I've ever encountered. We all did. Even those who hated what he represented couldn't deny his value."
I nodded, a weight I hadn't realized I was carrying lifting slightly from my shoulders. "Thank you for your honesty."
"Always," she replied simply.
I walked to the research console adjacent to the viewer, my mind already shifting from reminiscence to action.
The molecular energy around my hands intensified as I accessed the secure database containing our analysis of Levy's dimensional portal.
"I'm not just going to Torlia Prime for the Quantum Gate," I suddenly announced, my fingers moving swiftly across the holographic interface. "I've been studying the dimensional energies since before Mark departed."
Anissa moved to my side, her expression curious. "I thought Levy was supposed to open a return portal once Mark completed his part of their arrangement."
"That was the agreement," I confirmed, pulling up complex schematics that filled the air between us with glowing blue equations and molecular diagrams.
"But I've never trusted Levy. His motivations were always... suspect. Convenient that he appeared just when we had been researching dimensional travel ourselves."
"You think he knew about our interest in alternate realities?" Anissa asked.
I nodded, expanding one section of the schematics – a complex array of molecular structures that pulsed with simulated energy. "Levy's dimensional powers are extraordinary, but his understanding of the underlying principles is limited.
He stumbled into his abilities rather than developing them through research."
"Unlike you," Anissa observed.
"Precisely," I replied. "When he approached Mark with his proposal – a way to potentially find Megumi in another dimension – I insisted on studying his methods.
The energy signature he leaves when creating portals is unique, a specific vibrational frequency that corresponds to particular dimensions."
Understanding dawned in Anissa's eyes. "You've been mapping those frequencies."
"For months," I confirmed. "Every time Levy opened a portal during his demonstrations, I collected data.
By the time Mark agreed to his proposal, I had enough information to potentially replicate the process myself."
"But you let Mark go through Levy's portal anyway," Anissa said, realization coloring her voice. "As a test subject."
I met her gaze without hesitation. "As an advance scout. Mark is more than capable of handling himself in any dimension. And if Levy's intentions proved genuine, all the better.
But I wasn't about to risk everything on the word of a dimensional traveler who appeared out of nowhere with an offer too perfect to be coincidental."
"And now?" Anissa asked.
"Now we have confirmation," I said, gesturing to the frozen image of Megumi on the viewer.
"Megumi exists in that dimension. Mark has found him. And the dimensional merger is accelerating, which means we don't have time to wait for Levy to fulfill his end of the bargain – if he ever intended to."
I turned back to the console, bringing up another set of calculations. "I've been developing my own portal technology, based on Levy's energy signatures but refined through my molecular manipulation.
The equipment at Torlia Prime can amplify these signatures, allowing me to create a stable portal directly to Mark's location."
"You're going through yourself," Anissa stated, not a question but an observation.
"Yes," I confirmed without hesitation. "The merger doesn't just select randomly which versions remain – it's influenced by proximity, by connection, by... intent."
"Intent?" Anissa repeated, her brow furrowing.
"Will," I clarified. "Determination. The strength of one's desire to be the version that survives." My hands clenched, pink energy flaring around them. "And I promise you, no version of me in any reality has a stronger will to survive than I do."
Anissa studied me for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "When do you plan to attempt this?"
"As soon as I reach Torlia Prime," I replied. "The research facility there has the necessary equipment to amplify the energy signatures and stabilize the dimensional bridge.
With the right modifications, I can create a portal large enough for all three of us to return through."
"All three," Anissa noted. "You, Mark, and Megumi."
"Yes," I confirmed, my tone leaving no room for doubt. "All three of us. Together, as we were meant to be."
I closed the schematics with a gesture, turning to face her fully. "I need you to prepare the Empire for our return.
The dimensional merger will affect our reality as well – we need contingency plans in place for every possible outcome."
"Already in progress," Anissa assured me. "I've mobilized the fleet to secure our core systems. If the merger causes significant disruption, we'll be ready to maintain order."
"Good," I nodded. "And the Council?"
"Divided on how to proceed," she admitted. "Some believe we should attempt to seal our dimension off from the merger entirely. Others argue that's impossible and we should focus on ensuring our reality becomes the dominant one."
I considered this. "Both approaches have merit. Continue the research into dimensional isolation as a fallback, but prioritize dominance strategies. Our reality – our Empire – must be the one that survives."
"And if it isn't?" Anissa asked quietly. "If another version becomes dominant?"
"Then we adapt," I replied simply. "We find a way to ensure that even if our reality is subsumed, we remain the versions who survive. Mark as Emperor,Megumi returned to us with me at his side. That is non-negotiable."
A thought occurred to me suddenly. "The other Eve – the one with Megumi now. What do we know about her?"
Anissa moved to the console, pulling up what limited data we had from Mark's transmissions. "Very little. She appears to have similar molecular manipulation abilities to yours, though the extent isn't clear. She seems protective of him, possibly possessive."
"Possessive," I repeated, a cold smile forming. "How charming. She's known him for what, months? Perhaps a year or two at most? And she thinks that gives her some claim to him?"
I shook my head, the very idea absurd to me. "Seventeen years, Anissa. Seventeen years I've preserved his memory, his vision, his legacy.
Seventeen years I've built my life around what we created together. What could she possibly offer him that would compare to that level of devotion?"
"Nothing," Anissa agreed, wisely choosing not to play devil's advocate in this particular conversation. "But she does have one advantage."
"Which is?"
"She's there with him now," Anissa pointed out gently. "While you're here."
"A temporary situation," I stated sharply, returning to the console to make final adjustments to the portal calculations. "Very temporary."
I worked in silence for several minutes, fine-tuning the quantum equations that would guide my journey. Anissa remained nearby, watching with the patience of a Viltrumite who had lived for centuries.
"Did I ever tell you about our first kiss?" I asked suddenly, my hands pausing over the interface.
Anissa shook her head. "You rarely speak of the personal aspects of your relationship."
I smiled, the memory washing over me with unexpected clarity. "It was after the Centauri campaign. Megumi had developed a strategy that allowed us to conquer the system with minimal casualties on both sides. The celebration feast lasted for days."
My fingers traced idle patterns in the air as I spoke, small molecules dancing in response to my unconscious manipulation. "He hated the attention, always did. Slipped away from the main hall when no one was watching. No one except me, of course. I always knew where he was."
"I found him in the observatory, studying the stars as he always did when he needed to think. He didn't turn when I entered, but he knew it was me. 'Eve,' he said, 'do you ever wonder if we're doing the right thing?'"
I laughed softly at the memory. "Such a Megumi question. Always questioning, always examining every decision from all angles. I told him that right and wrong were less important than minimizing suffering. That conquest was inevitable, but cruelty wasn't."
"He turned to me then, and there was something in his eyes I'd never seen before. 'That's why I need you,' he said. 'To remind me that even in conquest, there can be compassion.' And then he kissed me. Just like that, as if it was the most natural conclusion to our conversation."
Anissa smiled, a rare softening of her usually stern features. "You balanced each other. His strategy, your compassion."
"And Mark's strength," I added. "The three of us, each bringing something the others needed. It worked. It was perfect." My expression hardened. "Until Nolan destroyed it."
"Not destroyed," Anissa corrected gently. "Interrupted. And now, perhaps, you have a chance to restore it."
"Yes," I agreed, returning to my work with renewed determination. "And nothing – not dimensional barriers, not the laws of physics, and certainly not some alternate version of myself – will prevent that restoration."
I completed the final calculations, saving them to a secure data crystal that I slipped into my pocket. "The equipment at Torlia Prime should allow me to create a stable portal within twelve hours of arrival. If Levy attempts to interfere..." I trailed off, pink energy flaring around my hands.
"You think he might?" Anissa asked.
"I think Levy's agenda has never been clear," I replied. "As I said before, he appeared with exactly the proposal we had been seeking, at exactly the right time. That's either an extraordinary coincidence or a calculated move."
"To what end?"
"That's what concerns me," I admitted. "His interest in Megumi – or rather, in the version of him that exists in that dimension – seems too specific. Too targeted."
Anissa frowned. "You think he knew about Megumi all along? About his existence in another dimension?"
"I think it's a possibility we can't dismiss," I said. "Which is why I'm not waiting for Levy to fulfill his end of the bargain. I'm taking matters into my own hands."
"Eve," Anissa began after a moment of silence, her tone cautious, "what if this version of Megumi truly doesn't want to come? If he's built a life there, with that world's version of you-"
"He doesn't know what he wants," I interrupted, my voice hardening. "He doesn't remember who he is, who we were together. Once he understands, once he remembers, he'll come willingly."
"And if he doesn't?" Anissa pressed, concern evident in her expression.
I met her gaze directly, my eyes glowing with pink energy. "Then we'll help him remember. By whatever means necessary."
The implications hung in the air between us – my willingness to override his autonomy if required, to bring him back regardless of his wishes.
But I felt no guilt, no hesitation. How could it be wrong to restore what should never have been taken? To reunite what had been so violently torn apart?
"My ship will be ready in thirty minutes," Anissa said finally, accepting that my mind was made up. "I've assigned our best pilots and a full security detail."
"I don't need security," I replied. "This isn't a military operation. It's a reunion."
"Nevertheless," Anissa insisted, "protocol requires it. And Mark would have my head if I let you travel alone."
I conceded the point with a nod. "Fine. But they stay with the ship once we reach Torlia Prime. The portal work is delicate – I can't have soldiers disrupting the energy patterns."
"Agreed," Anissa said. "I'll inform the captain."
As she turned to leave, I called after her. "Anissa."
She paused at the doorway, looking back over her shoulder.
"Thank you," I said simply. "For understanding. For supporting this."
A rare smile touched her lips. "I told you, Eve. I respected him more than any being I've ever encountered. If there's even a chance to bring him back..." She shook her head slightly. "Let's just say I'm not doing this solely for you and Mark."
After she left, I returned to the dimensional viewer, replaying the footage of Megumi – Sukuna – one more time. Studying his previous transformed appearance against Conquest - before Mark realised who he was, the way he moved, the cadence of his speech.
Different, yes, but underneath it all, unmistakably him.
"I'm coming for you," I whispered to the image. "Wait for me, Megumi. Just a little longer."
I gathered my research materials and prepared to depart for my ship. The journey to Torlia Prime would take six hours at maximum speed – six hours of planning, of preparation, of imagining our reunion.
As I left the observatory, I paused for one last look at the Imperial City spread out below – the gleaming metropolis that stood as testament to Megumi's vision, to what we had built together.
The capital of an empire spanning seventeen galaxies, all guided by the principles of a human boy who had dared to tell Thragg himself that his conquest strategy was inefficient.
Soon, he would see it for himself. Soon, he would remember everything we had been, everything we could be again. Soon, we would be together – Mark, Megumi, and me – as we were always meant to be.
The universe had given us a second chance, and nothing would stop me from seizing it.
Not dimensional barriers, not the laws of physics, not Levy's schemes, and certainly not another version of myself who thought a few months with him gave her any claim to what I had preserved for seventeen years.
Megumi was mine. Had always been mine. Would always be mine.
And heaven help anyone who tried to stand between us.
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(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all liked the Chapter!
So... Yeah. Look, I kinda have a question for you guys. I'm a bit in a state of indecision.
See the way I wrote everything there are two paths forward:
A) Mark and Eve are delusional and Anissa is just going along with it because she trusts their judgement over her own.
B) This is a regression situation. Megumi regressed into an alterante timeline with his memories gone, but regained his Sukuna memories (though he had his first life's memories which is why he was so intelligent.)
Which do you think is best?
So yeah, I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)