Chapter 346: A Conversation With Oneself

“That is you?!” Devil whispered.

Michael nodded, noting Queen Seer, whom the Echo carried.

“If I have to make an uneducated guess, she is responsible. I have been preparing for unexpected developments… But Queen Seer unleashing my future self has never crossed my mind.”

Devil blinked.

“Honestly, when I heard about your past, I expected something more… heavenly, like an angel. Not a horrifying monster.” He admitted.

“Angel?” Michael hissed. “How many times do I have to say I am the opposite? What did you expect from a person completely descended into insanity?”

Would it be egotistical if Michael admitted that the only entity he had ever truly feared… was himself?

Unable to retort, Devil remained silent, while Michael’s Echo observed his surroundings.

“Seeing my old self… I take it that the regression has succeeded.” Michael’s Echo muttered, inspecting the corpse of the slain Monarch.

“Indeed.” Michael lowered his guard. It wasn’t like he could oppose his old self, even if he wanted to.

Wordlessly, the Echo stared at his palm.

“Then… What am I doing here? What am I?”

Michael’s eyes narrowed.

“I will wager you are an Echo… But why do you have a sense of self? I have no answer to that.”

Queen Seer, the summoner of the Echo, was unresponsive. Even more notable, upon closer inspection, it became apparent that all her reserves of spiritual energy were drained, yet the Echo still stood.

Didn’t that mean… Michael’s Echo could function indefinitely for as long as she drew breath?

Gradually, memories resurfaced in the Echo’s mind… Past experiences that had lingered in the back of his subconsciousness all this time.

His crimson eyes blazed.

“The Emperor!” Michael’s Echo roared in feral fury, displaying emotion for the first time. The majority of humankind’s problems were the man’s fault! The Echo had to slay him right this instant!

However, in the next moment, Michael’s voice forced the Echo back to reality.

“What do you think you are doing?!” He bellowed.

The Echo met his gaze.

“I will put an end to the Emperor and everyone that aligns with him.”

Michael’s vision turned red.

“Are you kidding me?! Is your memory really this impaired? You would just be repeating the same fucking mistake we did last time! Do you have any way to prevent the fallout that will follow?!”

Michael’s Echo remained silent for a few seconds.

“The fallout… No, I don’t.”

“Exactly.” Michael reasoned. “I will be the one to put the man down. This is why I… We came back after all. You know well that only I am capable of doing it.”

Obviously, Michael’s Echo had no way to retort. However, as it stared down at his old self, it came to a sudden realization.

“Why are you only now ascending to the Lord realm? Was there something that prevented you from doing so sooner?”

At that moment, Devil could no longer hold back and butted into the conversion.

“Yes. He doesn’t want to neglect the growth of his comrades. He… you have a faction to run.”

Everybody else wouldn’t have found the courage to intervene in their conversion. However, Devil was different by default. Being part of Michael’s soul, he played no small part.

The Echo stared at the soul weapon before unleashing his aura.

“Comrades?! Faction?!”

The walls of the chamber began to tremble.

“What is the meaning of this?! You were never meant to associate with human affairs outside of guiding them! Don’t tell me you have befriended some of them?! That you have found significant others among them?!”

Michael gritted his teeth, barely withstanding the titanical whiplash of pressure.

“Did the reborn process go wrong?” The Echo stepped closer. “You know that we are never meant to get close to anyone!”

Michael breathed deeply.

“They are alive.” He exclaimed quietly. “Father, Mother, Sister… Nicole. Here, we haven’t failed to protect them. At least not yet.”

Freezing on the spot, the Echo stared at the ground.

Who were these people Michael spoke of? Why did his chest suddenly begin to ache after all this time?

“Even more so.” Michael’s Echo raised his crimson gaze from the ground.

“Without exception, everyone and everything we have ever loved or cared about has perished… ripped from our grasp.” The Echo paused briefly. “No… it’s worse than that. We didn’t just lose them… We failed them. Our own incompetence cost us everything. We’re not capable of holding on to what matters.”

The Echo gazed at his past self. Michael gazed at his future self.

“Deep down, we both know that we’re not worthy of happiness or love.” The Echo proclaimed. “We must continue our duty to guard humanity. But never delude yourself into thinking you… that we deserve anything.”

Michael bit his lower lip.

“You know that’s impossible. From the moment I came back, I had a family here. What was I supposed to do… push them away? Break their hearts? All because I was afraid they might end up like last time?” He roared. “Don’t make it sound like it’s that easy!”

In an ironic way, no matter what choice he made, even inaction could end up hurting those close to him in the process.

“It’s one thing to act as if everything is normal…” His Echo said slowly. “And another to grow emotionally attached… To live a normal life, so many humans couldn’t, because of us.”

A brief silence followed.

“Tell me, my past self… Which one are you?”

“…”

Michael’s lips parted, about to soothe his future self’s worries. Yet the words refused to come out.

How could they… when he loved Victoria, Claire, Ava, and Nicole? When he cherished every moment with Ruby, Richard, Bryce, and the others? When he woke up to be greeted by the radiant smiles of his sister and mother?

“I see… So you have betrayed yourself.” The Echo said, glancing at the rotting corpse of the Monarch.

Without lifting a finger, he obliterated it along its many roots, sparing Earth from having to do it herself, while simultaneously leaving the spiritual energy in the air for Michael to absorb.

“Out of respect for those close to you, I will not intervene.” Michael’s Echo stated. “Furthermore, the Primordials are in hot pursuit of your whereabouts. I will make sure they don’t meddle in your mission.”

The Echo made sure to handle Queen Seer gently. If anything were to happen to her, he would most likely disintegrate as a side effect.

“But know this… Once this is all over. When humanity is liberated from its tyrannical rule. When all the aliens are exterminated… we will meet again.”

The Echo turned his back.

“When that moment comes, I will make you answer for your… our sins. So the debt we owe can finally be repaid.”

Parting with those final words, the terrifying form of Michael’s Echo blinked out of existence, as if he had never been. Vanishing to prevent anyone too powerful from setting their sights on Earth.

As for Michael himself, he stood motionless, his conflicted eyes fixed on the system window where his Echo had once stood.

[Quest: Kill Yourself]

[Difficulty: Godlike]

[Task: Slay the distant future echo of yourself: Celestial Godkiller, Humanity’s Sole Withered Guardian, Supreme Paragon Michael.]

[Reward: Reclaim your Celestial technique, Indomitable Human Spirit.]

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