Pax is chained up to a wall. He looks around to see the same scene he had been waking up to this past week. Pax uses Unstoppable and breaks the chains around him. He walks around the cell, and one thing is off. There is no door to the cell. Pax bangs on the wall a little bit.

  *Pax: Damn it! These guys put me in a stone box!*

  Pax starts to bang harder on the walls.

  [Pax: This isn’t funny! Someone, come get me, I'm hungry!]

  Pax eventually stops and sits down. He puts his hands on his head and thinks.

  *Pax: Ok, so today is the day that I was told my friends would be coming. That’s probably why I'm here. I do want to see them. So I’ll break out.*

  Pax gets up and looks at a wall.

  *Pax: Riga has been silent this whole time, and that’s scaring me. Plus this new power, Unavoidable. Where did it come from?*

  Pax pulls his fist back and sends it hurling at the wall. The wall cracks and breaks under the power of Pax’s fist. Pax looks outside in horror.

  [Pax: What the hell is this?]

  Outside of the cell is just a swirling mass of nothingness. Everything outside looked chaotic; there was almost nothing, yet a lot of things at the same time. Pax backs away and hits something.

  [???: Sorry~ It seems like I was in your way.]

  Pax jumps back and turns around.

  [Pax: I should have known this was you, Zane.]

  Zane stands there with a devilish smile illuminating his rainbow eyes. Zane points at Pax.

  [Zane: Thank you! You have been such a good boy so far!]

  Pax does a [tch].

  [Pax: What the hell are you talking about, you loser?]

  [Zane: Remember when I said I had something in the works! Well, it’s finished! Please be my test subject. This is very important for your development, you know?]

  Pax raises his fists.

  [Pax: Everything about you annoys me. Like hell I’ll let you do something to me! I will end you right here!]

  Zane looks up in thought for a few seconds before a light bulb materializes above his head and turns on. Zane looks at Pax with a happy expression as the light bulb disappears.

  [Zane: I got it! I’m always down to have some fun! How about this?]

  A clock with Zane's face on it materializes in the corner of the cell.

  [Zane: We can fight. I won’t use my ability for three minutes. You can kill me during that time. After three minutes are up, I will kill you instead! No human experimentation involved! Just good ol’ fashioned killing!]

  Pax smiles.

  [Pax: You’re on!]

  The clock starts as Pax goes in for a punch. Zane blocks it and counters with a palm to the chest.

  [Zane: I might not look like it, but among the Aspects, I'm the best hand-to-hand fighter. Even without my ability!]

  Zane laughs a little and jumps at Pax. Pax tries to block, but Zane is faster and gets a punch on Pax’s chest. Pax spits up a little before grabbing Zane's fist. Pax raises his other fist to punch. Trying to dodge, Zane goes to move his head. It isn’t moving.

  『Unavoidable』

  Pax’s eyes glow as he brings his fist down on Zane’s face. Pax lets go of Zane’s fist and hits him again. Zane staggers backward.

  [Zane: Huh? Unavoidable?]

  Zane looks closely at Pax. The light bulb reemerges.

  [Zane: Unavoidable. I see now!]

  [Pax: What the hell did you find out?]

  Zane smiles.

  [Zane: Did you interact with a purple orb recently?]

  Pax thinks back and remembers Truth’s reward.

  [Pax: What about it?]

  Zane laughs a little.

  [Zane: It seems that you have bonded with one of the seven legendary artifacts! The Orb of Negation!]

  Pax looks dumbfounded.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  [Pax: Huh?]

  [Zane: It seems that because of your connection with Riga, instead of sealing away your negation, the Orb bonded with you. You currently have 26 negation abilities lying dormant within you; they will probably be unlocked over time. I feel bad for the negation killer. Getting his stuff stolen like that.]

  *Pax: No way… If that’s true, then it explains why I haven’t been seeing Riga as often. He has been analysing the new negations.*

  Suddenly, the clock starts to buzz.

  One minute left! One minute left!

  [Pax: Shit! I took too much time talking! Hey Zane. I think it’s time I ended this!]

  Zane puts his hand up and makes an inviting gesture. Pax pulls his fist back and starts to gather his energy into it. Pax’s eyes begin to glow as he charges up an attack. Zane just waits. Pax looks up at Zane.

  『Unavoidable』

  Zane's movements are stopped completely. Pax moves to a more relaxed position and thrusts his fist forward.

  『Unstoppable』

  Pax goes flying forward as his fist hits Zane’s chest directly. Zane can feel his ribs break as he spits up blood.

  [Zane: That was strong, but you will have to do better! Huh?]

  After taking the hit, Zane and Pax don’t stop. They keep moving.

  [Pax: You are stubborn. I know a damn attack like this won’t do shit! That's why we are going to keep going!]

  Zane turns around to see the cell wall getting closer.

  [Pax: Time to evict your ass into the void!]

  Pax’s Unstoppable tears through the wall with ease. Pax stops himself instantly, but Zane’s inertia is too strong. Zane is flung outside the cell and into the nothingness. Pax looks as Zane falls into the darkness below. A sound rings out from behind him.

  Buzz! The time is up! Zane, kill him!

  Walking up to the clock, Pax is about to smash it when a voice sounds behind him.

  [Zane: Fine~]

  Pax turns around to see Zane standing there as if nothing happened.

  [Zane: Thank god the alarm played as I was falling. You almost had me there!]

  Zane starts to clap. A bunch of disembodied hands fill the room and start to clap.

  [Zane: Wondrous applause! You did well. Your time is up now.]

  [Pax: Wait-]

  In an instant, Pax’s left arm is slashed clean off. Pax falls to the ground in pain, clutching the stub where his arm used to be. Blood is pouring out of it profusely. Pax fights through the pain as he gets back on his two feet.

  [Pax: Fucker! I’ll kill you!]

  Pax starts to move to Zane. Zane just sighs and snaps his fingers. In an instant, Pax’s heart explodes. Pax falls to the ground and stops moving. Zane walks up to his lifeless corpse. Zane prods at it a little, no movement. Pax is dead.

  [Zane: Ok! Now that he is dead, let’s see if he’s worthy!]

  Zane pulls out a vile full of a black substance. Zane pours the black substance on Pax. The substance starts to be absorbed into Pax’s body. The body begins to twitch and flail as if it were still alive. Foam comes out of Pax’s mouth as if he were still breathing. After the violent outburst, his body goes limp again. Zane sighs and turns around.

  [Zane: You have disappointed me, Pax.]

  Zane hears a voice behind him.

  [Pax: What the hell did you say about me?]

  Zane turns around with a huge smile as a giant black tentacle smashes him into the wall. Zane gets back up and looks at Pax. Half of Pax’s body is covered in the black substance, and it seems like Pax is fighting against it. Zane's smile widens so big it’s ear to ear.

  [Zane: Yes! Fight it! Don’t let it control you!]

  The black substance slowly backs away from Pax’s body until it settles in his stub. The substance forms a new arm for Pax. Pax looks at his arm.

  [Pax: The hell did you do to me?!?]

  Zane smiles.

  [Zane: You are now a “candidate.” Congratulations. That bottle was a solution of my blood mixed with a variety of other substances. You see, my blood is very dominant. Combined with a few things, it kills most people. When I find someone I'm interested in, I kill them and revive them with my blood. If they can’t win against my blood, then they had no chance against me in the first place. If they do win, however, the blood will fuse with them, granting a strong ability. It seems yours is that new arm.]

  Zane points to the arm with glee. Pax looks at the pitch-black arm in disgust.

  [Pax: Kill you? Candidate? I don’t know what the hell you are talking about!]

  [Zane: It’s simple. I'm trying to find people who can kill me; so far, I've found four. I call those people candidates.]

  [Pax: If you want to die, you should just commit suicide.]

  Zane frowns.

  [Zane: That’s no fun. I want to go out and have fun at the same time. To that end, I need you to get way stronger. Normally, at this point, I would erase your memories and brainwash you. Take you to my place and train you to be strong, just like I did with the other four. It seems you get stronger around your friends though. So…]

  Zane opens up a portal.

  [Zane: I will leave you with your friends. One day, I will come back to fight you. If that day comes and you are not strong enough… I will take you.]

  Pax is not scared.

  [Pax: Next time we meet, I will beat the shit out of you!]

  Zane walks into the portal, and the entire world starts to disappear around Pax. Pax blinks, and he’s back in his cell. He hears voices outside of his room.

  [???: This is where we kept him.]

  [???: Thanks, Echo! See Selene, she is being useful already!]

  [???: I guess so…]

  The cell opens up, and three people walk into Pax’s room: Peak, Selene, and Echo.

  Peak jumps and hugs Pax. Tears streaming down his face.

  [Peak: Buddy! I missed you!]

  Selene looks down at Pax.

  [Selene: I'm glad you're ok.]

  Selene notices Pax’s new arm.

  [Selene: What is that?]

  Before Pax can say anything, Echo steps in front of Pax. Echo immediately bows.

  [Echo: Thank you, Pax. I owe you and Peak my life!]

  Pax looks super confused.

  [Pax: Wait, what?]

  ____________________________________________________________________________

  During Zane vs Pax.

  Echo is on the ground, looking at Apollyon approaching her. Tears welling up in her eyes.

  [Apollyon: You know, I had a lot of hope for you. You had the most compatibility with your factor. Yet you had to go and do this. Shameful.]

  Apollyon puts his hand out.

  [Stop! I won’t allow you to harm her any further!]

  Apollyon turns around.

  [Apollyon: Why are you stopping me…

  『Old God of Nothingness, Riga El Menuhyut』

  Echo's eyes land on a giant ethereal monster. It has one giant eye, and its huge body intimidates her down to her very core.

  [Riga: I have been separated from my vessel. I assume he is in another dimension. In the meantime, I intend to protect those dear to him from people like you.]

  Apollyon snickers.

  [Apollyon: An aspect is important to him?]

  Riga points at her with a skeletal finger.

  [Riga: She treated my friend with kindness. I'm just returning the favor.]

  Apollyon's tone becomes increasingly hostile.

  [Apollyon: Friend? Have you been domesticated? Don’t forget what we are, Riga. Humans are far below us.]

  [Riga: Sadly, you can’t see past your own ego. That is what got you killed in the first place.]

  A vein pops out of Apollyon's head, and he conjures a large black vortex in his hand. Riga’s eye starts to glow as various forms of energy surround him. Echo can’t even speak anymore out of fear she will be eviscerated on the spot.

  [Riga: Are you sure you want to do this? Your vessel is not strong enough for you to do anything meaningful. Even that attack you have is just a basic dark attack with some flashy effects.]

  [Apollyon: What about yourself? You are still weak from losing to Zane. Pathetic, losing to a human.]

  [Riga: Would you beat Zane in a fight?]

  The silence in the room is deafening.

  [Riga: At least I have had a few years to recoup some power. That should be more than enough to deal with an incomplete vessel.]

  After another tense second, Apollyon desummons the vortex.

  [Apollyon: I hate to admit it, but you are right. I'm not strong enough right now. I will take my Grace and leave.]

  [Riga: That’s fine. A god’s Grace is important.]

  [Apollyon: I shouldn’t work too hard here. After all, she will be sentenced to death by the nation she is betraying me for.]

  A light comes out of Echo's chest and head into Apollyon's hands. Apollyon summons a portal. Before he goes through it, he looks at Riga.

  [Apollyon: The previous Riga I knew didn’t care about anything. He took what he wanted when he wanted it. You have gotten soft.]

  These words make Riga think.

  *Riga: It’s true. I used to not care about anything. Even when I took Pax, that was for revenge. So why did I do this? What changed? Is it because of Pax?*

  Riga’s thinking gets cut short by Echo.

  [Echo: Um… I don’t know who you are, but thank you.]

  Tears start rolling down Echo's face.

  [Echo: I was terrified!]

  Riga stops her.

  [Riga: Don’t thank me. Thank my friend Pax. I wouldn’t have saved you without his influence.]

  With that, Riga disappears, and time resumes again.