Above Your Head

When I came to my senses, a huge bookshelf appeared before my eyes. It was so enormous that despite me lifting my head up, I couldn't see where it ended. The bookshelf was so overwhelming that it felt like I was looking at a range of mountains that towered above skyscrapers.

The bookshelf was packed full of books and I couldn't even see any gaps in between the books. It was difficult to fathom the amount of books there were. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the books were all of a different variety.

"You awakened the inheritance."

There was a man standing in front.

"But this is pretty interesting. I didn't expect you to have both the characteristics of the past and future. There are some parts that overlap, but… it is a power that I lost in the end."

The man had a gentle temperament and a slender frame in general. As he grabbed one of the books on the bookshelf, he stared at me with eyes full of interest.

"You… who are you?" I asked. It was a logical question but the man smiled and shook his head.

"I understand how you feel, but we don't have much time. This state won't last long, so it's better to first take care of the matter at hand."

He closed the book he was reading and handed it over to me. I received the book without much thought before he spoke with a still smiling face.

"Grow a little stronger and come back."

As soon as he completed his sentence, the world twisted around.

*

Stop! Stop it! I surrender! I said I surrender!

I woke up to a desperate voice. The face of a continuously screaming Sixth Imperial Prince was displayed on the screen.

Hiiikkk... What the hell is this? We can't even try to invade. 

The angel next to Elion looked perplexed too. Her relaxed and elegant smile thus far was nowhere to be seen.

"…What is this?"

Dae-ha! Are you alright?

"Of course I'm okay. No, more than that, I feel revived though?"

I could feel unparalleled power flowing deep inside my body, and I could perfectly perceive everything that was around me. Needless to say, that perception wasn't referring to Goldrian or Ares in his complete state after his parts flew across space and gathered.

The Albatross ship far away in the distance and the countless crew members in it, as well as their conversations, everything fell under the area of my perception. Likewise, the screams resonating from Rising Storm, the voice of the Captain ordering for a sortie, and the countless Gigas and fighter jets that were dispatched at his command couldn't escape my perception as well.

There were countless enemies coming out from the dock of Rising Storm. As there was quite a distance between us and Rising Storm previously, the only Gigas and fighter jets that had fought against me were those who appeared through the Warp Gate. Now that Rising Storm itself was within vicinity, all the remaining troops began to flock towards us.

"Very well."

I could perceive all the Gigas and fighter jets that were flying towards me. That wasn't all. I could also see their pilots. The conversations they were having amongst themselves fell under my perception too. At this moment, it was no different from having the whole battlefield on the palms of my hand. I felt like I was omnipotent. It felt as though I knew and could do everything.

Although I had only been in this state for a short amount of time, I realized that I had become a transcendent being that was beyond human understanding.

I heard a desperate cry and I wasn't the only one who felt it.

Calm down and listen to me! I didn't have any intention to kill you! I was planning to go to heaven after this battle and explain everything to you!

"What are you talking about?"

Of course, it was not a question directed at him. He connected with me one-sidedly, and I didn't connect any sort of communication device with him. He was most probably going to spout some ridiculous sophistry anyway. I was curious as to what he was going to say, but there wasn't really a need for me to know that.

Just then, a doubt formed in my head...

"…I see."

I could tell.

Hmm? What do you mean?

"That's boring."

I knew what the Sixth Imperial Prince meant by 'heaven'. I could see through his purpose and his plan.

Of course, that wasn't a good enough reason to keep him alive.

Hold on! Hold on for a minute! If you just kill me now, you won't get out of this unscathed! You will turn the entire Leonhardt Empire against you and they will become your enemy!

The Sixth Imperial Prince shouted while being oppressed by the enormous Spiritual Pressure coming from Ares who was holding Goldrian by the neck.

You will never be able to keep this a secret! Even if you're riding on a God-rank Gigas, you won't be able to silence Cheong Won!

He was right. Cheong Won was bound by various restrictions due to his mission, but there wasn't any restriction tying him down from informing the Imperial court after witnessing what I did here. It would be a different story if he was telling a lie, but if it was the truth, there would be nothing stopping him from doing so.

Dae-ha, what should we do?

I grinned upon hearing Ares' voice tainted with worries.

Yes, everything the Sixth Imperial Prince said was correct. If we killed him here, I would probably be anxious for a long time of any future troubles that might surface because of it. I would never be able to keep this a secret, and the Leonhardt Imperial family wouldn't show any mercy to the person who murdered one of their Crown Prince candidates.

However, I spoke in a calm and collected manner, "I'll take my chances. No matter what the future holds, I'd rather die than keep him alive."

...Future?

"Yes, the future."

Countless hours of memories were raging like a violent storm in my head. All kinds of information about the past, present, and future were being transmitted into my head.

This was the absolute authority that only those above the high-rank Gods possessed.

God Knows.

Don't do it.

Stop, please!

'Bazaammm!' I injected my powers into Ares' hand. Upon hearing that sound, the Sixth Imperial Prince and the angel, who could instantly foresee their own future, screamed. However, they couldn't hinder my decision at all.

Whoooooskk----!

The enormous power from Ares' hand burrowed into Goldrian's body and erased the two pilots in it from the face of the world. In the process, Goldrian, shining with a gold brilliance, fell silent in an instant; even his Iron Heart was subdued.

"Major General Chun Hyun-il."

Huh? What? Are you connected to Ares? Isn't this voice Kwan Dae-ha?

"Yes. Fortunately, Ares showed up in time and subdued Goldrian."

What about the Sixth Imperial Prince and the angel? 

"They were gone after they were subdued. It seems they had a method to bypass space itself."

Of course, it was a lie. They were both dead and not a speck of dust was left of their existence.

'If it's futile, then so be it.'

He was someone destined to become an Emperor. Although he was a madman, his talent was an undeniable fact. On top of that, he was the chosen one, born with a rare bloodline and ability even among the Imperial family.

Most of all... He met his soul mate -- the angel, and they had the potential to create a Great Bloodline. He could have been an existence that would spread the name of the Leonhardt Empire throughout the universe.

'It's not going to happen anymore.'

However, I obviously didn't feel apologetic. The future was always a series of crossroads. However, in this case, he was simply not chosen.

There's a lot I want to ask, but... Are you alright? There's a huge number of enemies gathering. 

"What nonsense."

I threw Goldrian on my hand towards Albatross. I aimed it right at the dock, so that they would be able to retrieve him without any issues.

"Let's go, Ares."

Okay!

Ares crossed the universe like a flash of light. Rising Storm's Gigas and fighter jets were flocking together and they were unaware of the exact circumstances here yet. Anyway, they wouldn't amount to anything before our overwhelming might.

Whoooosh------

Ares flew towards the Gigas and fighter jets with a gray sphere surrounding his body.I concentrated my consciousness. Ares was a God-rank Gigas and most pilots wouldn't even have the chance to see one of the God-rank Gigas in their lifetimes. Yet, I was so familiar and comfortable with everything about him.

'First, let's try to break their spirits.'

Dozens of Gigas and hundreds of fighter jets were in sight. Some of them attacked me and the rest ignored me and flew past. They were probably trying to rescue the Sixth Imperial Prince by attacking Albatross rather than sticking to me.

They're ignoring me? Whew. What should I do with them? 

Ares was dumbfounded and laughed in vain, and I too, laughed in response to Ares' remarks.

"What else? If they see us as a joke just because of their huge numerical advantage…"

Groarrrrr----!

The gray Aura that covered Ares' body began to radiate in all directions.

"We'll have to greet them with numbers on this side too."

More than a thousand gray balls of lights rose up into the air and started taking shape. It formed into a gray giant and each of them moved independently. As they stood forward, I could sense confusion brewing among the Gigas of Rising Storm.

What the hell is this? This is... a Gigas?

Oh my God!! Each and every one of them has soul power equivalent to that of a Beast-rank Gigas!

What's worse, there are about ten machines among them with the same level of soul power as a Human-rank Gigas… No fucking way!

Screams resounded from all over the place. In actual fact, it was a matter of course. It wasn't just 10 or 100, but as many as 1,000 Gigas had appeared out of nowhere. How could they stay calm and composed after seeing that? However, they were not the only ones flustered.

Huh, ehhhhhhh? What's going on? My

When I came to my senses, a huge bookshelf appeared before my eyes. It was so enormous that despite me lifting my head up, I couldn't see where it ended. The bookshelf was so overwhelming that it felt like I was looking at a range of mountains that towered above skyscrapers.

The bookshelf was packed full of books and I couldn't even see any gaps in between the books. It was difficult to fathom the amount of books there were. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the books were all of a different variety.

"You awakened the inheritance."

There was a man standing in front.

"But this is pretty interesting. I didn't expect you to have both the characteristics of the past and future. There are some parts that overlap, but… it is a power that I lost in the end."

The man had a gentle temperament and a slender frame in general. As he grabbed one of the books on the bookshelf, he stared at me with eyes full of interest.

"You… who are you?" I asked. It was a logical question but the man smiled and shook his head.

"I understand how you feel, but we don't have much time. This state won't last long, so it's better to first take care of the matter at hand."

He closed the book he was reading and handed it over to me. I received the book without much thought before he spoke with a still smiling face.

"Grow a little stronger and come back."

As soon as he completed his sentence, the world twisted around.

*

Stop! Stop it! I surrender! I said I surrender!

I woke up to a desperate voice. The face of a continuously screaming Sixth Imperial Prince was displayed on the screen.

Hiiikkk... What the hell is this? We can't even try to invade. 

The angel next to Elion looked perplexed too. Her relaxed and elegant smile thus far was nowhere to be seen.

"…What is this?"

Dae-ha! Are you alright?

"Of course I'm okay. No, more than that, I feel revived though?"

I could feel unparalleled power flowing deep inside my body, and I could perfectly perceive everything that was around me. Needless to say, that perception wasn't referring to Goldrian or Ares in his complete state after his parts flew across space and gathered.

The Albatross ship far away in the distance and the countless crew members in it, as well as their conversations, everything fell under the area of my perception. Likewise, the screams resonating from Rising Storm, the voice of the Captain ordering for a sortie, and the countless Gigas and fighter jets that were dispatched at his command couldn't escape my perception as well.

There were countless enemies coming out from the dock of Rising Storm. As there was quite a distance between us and Rising Storm previously, the only Gigas and fighter jets that had fought against me were those who appeared through the Warp Gate. Now that Rising Storm itself was within vicinity, all the remaining troops began to flock towards us.

"Very well."

I could perceive all the Gigas and fighter jets that were flying towards me. That wasn't all. I could also see their pilots. The conversations they were having amongst themselves fell under my perception too. At this moment, it was no different from having the whole battlefield on the palms of my hand. I felt like I was omnipotent. It felt as though I knew and could do everything.

Although I had only been in this state for a short amount of time, I realized that I had become a transcendent being that was beyond human understanding.

I heard a desperate cry and I wasn't the only one who felt it.

Calm down and listen to me! I didn't have any intention to kill you! I was planning to go to heaven after this battle and explain everything to you!

"What are you talking about?"

Of course, it was not a question directed at him. He connected with me one-sidedly, and I didn't connect any sort of communication device with him. He was most probably going to spout some ridiculous sophistry anyway. I was curious as to what he was going to say, but there wasn't really a need for me to know that.

Just then, a doubt formed in my head...

"…I see."

I could tell.

Hmm? What do you mean?

"That's boring."

I knew what the Sixth Imperial Prince meant by 'heaven'. I could see through his purpose and his plan.

Of course, that wasn't a good enough reason to keep him alive.

Hold on! Hold on for a minute! If you just kill me now, you won't get out of this unscathed! You will turn the entire Leonhardt Empire against you and they will become your enemy!

The Sixth Imperial Prince shouted while being oppressed by the enormous Spiritual Pressure coming from Ares who was holding Goldrian by the neck.

You will never be able to keep this a secret! Even if you're riding on a God-rank Gigas, you won't be able to silence Cheong Won!

He was right. Cheong Won was bound by various restrictions due to his mission, but there wasn't any restriction tying him down from informing the Imperial court after witnessing what I did here. It would be a different story if he was telling a lie, but if it was the truth, there would be nothing stopping him from doing so.

Dae-ha, what should we do?

I grinned upon hearing Ares' voice tainted with worries.

Yes, everything the Sixth Imperial Prince said was correct. If we killed him here, I would probably be anxious for a long time of any future troubles that might surface because of it. I would never be able to keep this a secret, and the Leonhardt Imperial family wouldn't show any mercy to the person who murdered one of their Crown Prince candidates.

However, I spoke in a calm and collected manner, "I'll take my chances. No matter what the future holds, I'd rather die than keep him alive."

...Future?

"Yes, the future."

Countless hours of memories were raging like a violent storm in my head. All kinds of information about the past, present, and future were being transmitted into my head.

This was the absolute authority that only those above the high-rank Gods possessed.

God Knows.

Don't do it.

Stop, please!

'Bazaammm!' I injected my powers into Ares' hand. Upon hearing that sound, the Sixth Imperial Prince and the angel, who could instantly foresee their own future, screamed. However, they couldn't hinder my decision at all.

Whoooooskk----!

The enormous power from Ares' hand burrowed into Goldrian's body and erased the two pilots in it from the face of the world. In the process, Goldrian, shining with a gold brilliance, fell silent in an instant; even his Iron Heart was subdued.

"Major General Chun Hyun-il."

Huh? What? Are you connected to Ares? Isn't this voice Kwan Dae-ha?

"Yes. Fortunately, Ares showed up in time and subdued Goldrian."

What about the Sixth Imperial Prince and the angel? 

"They were gone after they were subdued. It seems they had a method to bypass space itself."

Of course, it was a lie. They were both dead and not a speck of dust was left of their existence.

'If it's futile, then so be it.'

He was someone destined to become an Emperor. Although he was a madman, his talent was an undeniable fact. On top of that, he was the chosen one, born with a rare bloodline and ability even among the Imperial family.

Most of all... He met his soul mate -- the angel, and they had the potential to create a Great Bloodline. He could have been an existence that would spread the name of the Leonhardt Empire throughout the universe.

'It's not going to happen anymore.'

However, I obviously didn't feel apologetic. The future was always a series of crossroads. However, in this case, he was simply not chosen.

There's a lot I want to ask, but... Are you alright? There's a huge number of enemies gathering. 

"What nonsense."

I threw Goldrian on my hand towards Albatross. I aimed it right at the dock, so that they would be able to retrieve him without any issues.

"Let's go, Ares."

Okay!

Ares crossed the universe like a flash of light. Rising Storm's Gigas and fighter jets were flocking together and they were unaware of the exact circumstances here yet. Anyway, they wouldn't amount to anything before our overwhelming might.

Whoooosh------

Ares flew towards the Gigas and fighter jets with a gray sphere surrounding his body.I concentrated my consciousness. Ares was a God-rank Gigas and most pilots wouldn't even have the chance to see one of the God-rank Gigas in their lifetimes. Yet, I was so familiar and comfortable with everything about him.

'First, let's try to break their spirits.'

Dozens of Gigas and hundreds of fighter jets were in sight. Some of them attacked me and the rest ignored me and flew past. They were probably trying to rescue the Sixth Imperial Prince by attacking Albatross rather than sticking to me.

They're ignoring me? Whew. What should I do with them? 

Ares was dumbfounded and laughed in vain, and I too, laughed in response to Ares' remarks.

"What else? If they see us as a joke just because of their huge numerical advantage…"

Groarrrrr----!

The gray Aura that covered Ares' body began to radiate in all directions.

"We'll have to greet them with numbers on this side too."

More than a thousand gray balls of lights rose up into the air and started taking shape. It formed into a gray giant and each of them moved independently. As they stood forward, I could sense confusion brewing among the Gigas of Rising Storm.

What the hell is this? This is... a Gigas?

Oh my God!! Each and every one of them has soul power equivalent to that of a Beast-rank Gigas!

What's worse, there are about ten machines among them with the same level of soul power as a Human-rank Gigas… No fucking way!

Screams resounded from all over the place. In actual fact, it was a matter of course. It wasn't just 10 or 100, but as many as 1,000 Gigas had appeared out of nowhere. How could they stay calm and composed after seeing that? However, they were not the only ones flustered.

Huh, ehhhhhhh? What's going on? My