”That’s another topic I don’t want to talk about.”
”…”
”Come on, Erza, if I don’t stop them now, you know what’s going to happen.”
”That happens after ten years, right? We have plenty of time.”
’What are they talking about?’ Zach wondered.
”After ten years and a week; Once Zach has turned 18 and a week old, the Gods’ Impact will occur.”
’How does he know about that?! Could it be that the reason mother allowed me to play the VR game was that she was already aware of what would happen?’ Zach asked himself.
’No, that’s not possible.’ Zach shook his head and uttered, “Why would mother put me in danger if she already knew about the risk?”
Zach then remembered the strange coincidences that occurred in Gods’ Impact that were in his favor; such as meeting Xie Lua and getting gloves from her, awakening his soul powers, meeting Aquitius the seventh and getting his blessings unsealed, and in the last, seeing this memory again from a different perspective.
But the real question still remained unanswered. What brought him here?
”Deus, you are trying to change something that will happen after ten years, you know?”
”I know.”
”What if you cause the third impact? You will be stopping the Gods’ Impact, and that will create yet another cosmic impact,” Erza stated.
”I don’t think it will.” Deus turned to Erza and said, “Don’t you find it strange?”
”What?”
”These impacts; why do they occur?” Deus asked Erza with a knowing look on his face.
”Why are you asking that? You already know about it, right?”
”Just answer me.”
”When something happens which wasn’t supposed to happen, it causes an impact, which leads to unpredictable outcomes,” Erza stated.
”Exactly! Now, how is the cosmos going to know what’s going to happen next?” Deus asked Erza.
”It doesn’t know for sure, but our life choices create something we call the future. When we do something, the cosmos already predicts our future and as we get closer to that future, it becomes reality. Hence, changing reality creates an impact that destroys the future created by the cosmos,” Erza explained.
Deus shrugged his shoulders and said, “That’s your answer. If I prevent the Gods’ Impact from occurring 10 years from now, it won’t trigger the third impact because it’s in the distant future.”
”How do you even know about this future event, anyway? You don’t have the power to see the future, and nor do I or any of your harem members. Who told you about the Gods’ Impact?” Erza asked with a curious look on her face.
”I…” Deus averted his gaze to the side and said, “I cannot tell you that, or it might trigger an impact.”
”Oh? So stopping the future event won’t trigger an impact, but telling me about it will trigger it? I see,” Erza uttered with a frowned face. “You are the same as ever. You try to hide things and act strong. Deus, you are not as strong as before. Accept it. You are not immortal anymore. If you die once, you are dead.”
”I do possess the power of the immortal, though. Even if I am in a weak state, I am still the strongest. Out of the 12 pillars of the mortal realm, I still remain the strongest. So it is my duty as the strongest pillar to protect you and the rest of the world,” Deus asserted in a solemn voice.
”…”
”And you saw it on the news, right? They said that the earth will get destroyed in 60 years, and they have already started colonizing other planets. But they don’t know that the earth is not getting destroyed for no reason, the gods are doing this.”
”I cannot refute that…”
”Moving to another planet is not going to stop anything. The gods will destroy the other planets too.” After a brief pause, Deus uttered, “That’s why, I have to stop the gods and end it all at once.”
”Deus… why must you take all the burden to yourself?” Erza asked in a calm voice. “If I had powers, I would have helped you.”
Deus caressed Erza’s face and said, “You can help me by protecting the kids and raising them in my absence.”
”Deus…”
Deus and Erza brought their faces together to kiss, so Zach averted his face to the side and looked out of the window.
There, he saw a giant meteorite coming toward them.
”…!”
Seeing that triggered Zach’s buried trauma. He immediately turned around and rushed towards Erza and Deus to protect them, even though he was well aware that he wouldn’t be able to stop it.
”Mother! Father! Run!” he yelled.
The next second, the meteorite hit the surface and exploded, razing everything for miles.
The impact of a meteorite hitting the surface caused a massive earthquake that destroyed the cities in the surrounding area.
However, Zach remained unscathed.
”Father! Mother!” Zach yelled as he looked around for Erza and Deus while yelling like a maniac.
”Father! Mother—!” Zach stopped yelling when he saw the debris move a little. He rushed there and tried to help, but he couldn’t touch anything.
”Why?! Why am I here! Who is showing me all this?! I don’t want to see this! Send me back!” Zach yelled at the top of his lungs.
Suddenly, the debris from the spot exploded and pushed back the other rocks in the area. In the middle, Zach saw Erza and Deus.
Erza was perfectly fine, but Deus wasn’t because he took all the damage and protected Erza.
”Father!” Zach yelled.
Deus was covered in blood, and he was missing his body parts. He took the direct impact of the meteorite. It was almost as though the meteorite was launched purposely at Deus.
[Ahahahahahahaha!]
Malicious laughter echoed in the sky.
That day, the third impact had occurred.